be nice

I've completely left off reading blogs, for the most part, except in spurts. And I'm not exactly sure why. It's not that the people who write them have become any less dear or important. 

And I notice that it corresponds to a serious decline in my own blogging. 

Tonight, though, I've been catching up...again... 

And found this on another blog: Be nice to everyone.  You never know what will happen in the years to come.  That little kid could some day be a spouse to one of your children.  He could have the open home you go to each week.  He could be the one that takes you from the nursing home to g.m.  You just never know!

That nice little life lesson brought back something from a few years back. (Have I told this story here already? Who knows? I'm going to make a fantastic old person- I'm already re-telling everything. By the time I'm 80, everyone will know all my stories- just go ahead and start numbering them now so you'll have a head-start...)

My T friend and I get a call one day. 

-Tanya's going to be in your town on (day) next week and she'd like to meet up with you.

-Do we know her? In fact- I know we don't know her. I don't know her.

-She knows you.

-How? She can't. I don't know her.

-Well she does and she'd like to see you.

-Ok. 

So Tanya has our number, we've got hers. 

The day arrives and we arrange to meet Tanya at a statue downtown. 

And we get there and are positive- We have never seen this girl nor do we know her. So what is going on?

So we ask. And she says- Well (2 weeks ago, let's say), I was in town and took the (4pm let's say) bus back north to my town and you were on it. I sat beside (my T friend, I think) and she slept all the way there and you (as in me) sat across from us and did crossword puzzles all the way (which was so spot on, it had to be true). 

And- LP was my English teacher a few years ago and I knew when I saw you that you were her friends.

Which dropped my jaw. Because, in fact, everything she said was true. LP was/is a very dear friend. 

And we had a very nice time with Tanya. And she stayed on our radar for quite a few years. But isn't there just now. I haven't heard from her lately. And I wonder what's happened to her. 

After we said good-bye that day, my T friend said- Thank goodness we weren't picking fights with the other passengers that day!! ;-)

But it truly is amazing how small the world sometimes is. And when you see people again. And when they see you again. And who they end up being. 

Here's to being nice.

And to behaving! :)

Just when you need it

I love to be in touch with people- always have. I wasn't always so aware of it, though. But one time, a friend said to me- I wish I could be a people person like you.
Which literally took my breath away. Because I'm shy by nature (at least I feel shy) and people can intimidate me fairly easily. But I also find people easy to love. And easy to be fascinated by.
Recently, I had a couple weeks in Estonia, waiting on a visa. A good friend's (Friend A) parents are there. And another friend's parents have a small studio apartment just down the road from the first couple. (The studio is often empty as it serves as a stop off place for many people, including the owners.) So, the sound of the studio apt sounded appealing and luxurious and 'ahhh- like a nice soak in a sea-salt-with-essential-oils-bath'. But it was already booked. And Friend A tells me that, truly, I'd be more than welcome to stay in his parent's guest room.
So, I book myself in there. And they were kind and gracious in their welcome. They met my flight. Took me home, fed me, tucked me in for the night, told me to sleep as much as I could (I was trying to sleep off a virus, actually).
And really, in spite of the fact that the studio apt really had sounded inviting (I like alone time sometimes) I was also looking forward to being with the other folks. Partly because their child is my good friend, of course, but also partly because, I realized, I really do love to be with people. I do.
And I find that rather amazing. Because I still think of myself as fairly shy and easily intimidated.

Anyway- here's the thing. Those 2 weeks with that couple- it was better than a 'nice soak in a sea-salt-with-essential-oils-bath'. We talked about anything and everything. We covered the funny, the sad, the serious, the painful, the happy, the encouraging. And I think I needed that more than I knew.
I wish you all the 'nice soak in a sea-salt-with-essential-oils-bath' when you need it! And I've noticed that I always get one when I most need it...whether I knew I needed it or not.

xo

What's Up?

Just in case you've been wondering what I've been up to the past few days. Cheshire-cat-grin
Turns out walking like a penguin (remember?) doesn't always work... oops (I trembled and shuddered and then giggled at those penguins.)

Oh my. The first time, ever, to have any kind of cheesecake in Europe with an actual honest-to-goodness graham cracker type crust. And hands down the best cheesecake I've had outside the US...at least in recent memory. Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious. Sugar. Free. (Not). Life.

My new secret don't-tell-anyone friend. Yikes.

Took a walk along the seashore this morning. Saw a ferry coming in but it was sort of not moving at all... I thought. So I left. 

Looked back about 3 min later and it had really snuck up on me! I wish I'd stayed put.

We also listened to the final of the Estonian English Speakers' Union public speaking contest for high schoolers in grades 11 and 12. The winner and runner-up will go to London later this spring. All 6 were excellent and had much better English-both comprehension and speaking- than my university English translation students back in Ukr. Oh Dear. The audience got to choose a 'peoples choice' winner and runner-up. The boy I voted for wasn't the most polished and his delivery actually lacked quite a bit, in comparison with at least 3 of the other 5. But, he spoke from personal experience about the power of forgiveness and how it will improve your life. Many of the others covered grandiose topics (like activism and getting involved in making the world a better place by helping the Syrian refugees). There was a time in my life when I was quite passionate about things and could have written and given (if not as well) one of those speeches. I feel now, though, that those things really are beyond our reach, are too often misused and will never make a dent, really. We can effect small (and sometimes big) changes in our own sphere, though and I was quite impressed with a teenager actually understanding that. And apparently the judges liked him, too, as he was the runner-up!

And furthermore, I don't really trust public speakers or speeches much anymore. The power of speech is artfully used to produce desired effects from a specific target audience. And always has been, I suppose. I really don't trust that kind of powerful speaking...

Diary of Five

I am seeing...My room in shades of white, pale green and peach- lovely!

I am hearing...Supper being prepared. 

I am smelling...Chicken, I think.

I tasted...Parmesan cheese- sooooo yummy. (The stuff you slice, not the stuff you sprinkle!)

I am feeling...Content.

New Friends and Old

I was all checked-in and roaming around the back side of the airport...or the front side if you consider that all the plate glass windows are on that side. Small terminal, 1 place to get coffee, no place to get sandwiches, 1 place to get expensive drinking water but 3 places to get perfume, alcohol, tobacco and chocolates- and I see this little dude. With whom I fell in love back in Germany about 11 years ago. Oh my... and it's still yummy. My ear drums needed it on the flight, I can tell you. My poor virus affected underwater eardrums.




And then I was roaming a grocery store in Tallinn, Estonia, just to see what I could see. And I found this guy. Oh my. Almond and white chocolate granola bar. Take it from me, It is SOOO worth the calories!










I'm not sure this qualifies as a friend as I'm not all that fond of them, actually. But I was roaming another grocery store tonight when I realized I was looking at very familiar packaging. It put a grin on my face and made me feel sort of warm and fuzzy inside. Jelly candies from Roshen. Which is a Ukrainian confectionery. The best in the country as far as I'm concerned. And here they're selling it in Estonia! Mind you, Roshen chocolate is really where it's at. That stuff is so good, you'll never want Hershey's again if you get the chance to eat Roshen. Or at least that's what I think! ;)