Whistle Wit

Sometimes, when I’m supposed to be cleaning up around the house or running errands, I stop to do something I love instead. I make a cup of tea and sit down to read a chapter of a new book or reread a chapter of an old one; I crochet a few rows for the blanket I’m making for my daughter for Christmas; or I work on the scrapbook I’m making to give to my daughter on her eighteenth birthday. Because I steal my spare time, it is more precious to me than if I just happened upon a blank space in my day.

Did you ever wonder why in America, at this time, that hate is still very prevalent? When will we ever understand that all people are equal and deserve to be treated that way? Why can’t we all treat people the way we like to be treated? We have to all take the time to get to know the person before we judge them because of their sex, ethic background, or sexual orientation. Just because someone looks different than us or chooses to love someone that we never would have picked for ourselves does not make them bad. Communication is the key to the success of America to make it truly a country where all people are equal.

Late last spring, Britain’s Got Talent grabbed my attention through the totally surprising audition of Susan Boyle singing, “I Dreamed a Dream”. After someone sent me a link to the video clip of her audition, I followed the show constantly on its own website. I became very taken with several contestants, and was quite excited for the Welsh boy who was to go on tour with Michael Jackson, and then was invited to sing at Jackson’s funeral. But I had followed a reality show before and did not expect to make a habit of it. Only now we have a local group called “Recycled Percussion” involved with America’s Got Talent, so I am hooked all over again. Recycled Percussion has made it to the semi-finals, and they will play again live next Tuesday. We are down to something like fifteen acts, and they have a really great shot at making the finals. Meanwhile, I am, once again, very taken with some of the other contestants as well, and I have also come to really enjoy the host, judges, and process of the program. Susan Boyle’s album is due out in the next few weeks – it is really wonderful to see some of these ordinary folks’ talents raise them to stardom! (PS – vote for Recycled Percussion! They rock!)

It was my husband’s birthday this past weekend, but he did not want a party. Instead I just invited people to stop by randomly at their convenience throughout the day to say hello. This turned out really well, as we had a steady stream of visitors most of the day with a few refreshing breaks in between, but never a house full to the point of chaos. That meant we could have actual conversations with everyone and really touch base with all our friends. As for food, I just made random things and set them out on the counter for people to munch on rather than having to worry about getting a lot of food ready all at the same time. It was very low-key and low-stress.