Dear Reader:

How many times have we texted or called a friend …asking this very same question? And then how many times have we been the recipient of such a question from a friend?

We respond by saying ” I’m running errands, or in a grocery store line, or in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, babysitting grandkids, etc. ” We usually reply with just a short mundane response and the promise to text, email, or call back later. ( which has about a 50/50 success connection probability.)

But then some days we get a little nudge from our guardian angel …urging us to follow through on a communication thought.

Case-in-point: Yesterday I had about three different slants on a post story …trying to develop all at the same time in my head – but for some reason nothing seemed to be taking hold.

I should have known there was a reason for it. I pulled out some old photo albums and at first I was looking for a couple of specific pictures to possibly be used in today’s post… but as usual I became entranced in the memories and started randomly sending photos out to different family members -to share a memory from the past.

And then it happened… I found a few pictures of my cousin Bob ( Aunt Eva’s oldest son) who passed away suddenly a few months ago. I had promised his wife Lou, that as I found pictures of ” Bobby” in old photo albums…as we grew up ( as cousins) I would send them to her.

I found some of the little boy cousins playing in the dirt and sent them… but then I came across a later picture of Bob holding my first baby Mandy. I sent it along too and immediately something started nagging at me.

It was then the midday weather man on television mentioned that the date was : Monday, August 28. Bingo! Memories came flooding back!

It was my cousin Bob’s birthday!!! And the connection? Mandy’s ” official” birth date was August 28! I had told Bob that his first nephew or niece might just come on his birthday! I remember Bob and I laughing about it several times throughout my pregnancy! ( As it turned out -I still had another week of hot misery until “Miss Amanda” decided to arrive on Labor Day. ( a good ” pun” on that date!) 😂

So next, when I texted Lou and let her know that I now remembered it was Bob’s birthday- she was so happy and thankful I knew-that it had been a very difficult day alone but now we could celebrate emotionally together!

Lou said she wanted to do something on Bob’s day of birth and life… but didn’t know what? I texted back and said that Bob’s life was a God-given gift to the world! Cousin Bob was ” the calmest and kindest ” person I remember… it was why he was very protective of my younger ” little” brother David too.

I suggested that Lou get out of the house-go to a park or any location where people would be assembled and simply share a smile with everyone she saw… no doubt that would mean more to Bob than anything else. Share a Bob Smile… pass it on!

And if the opportunity arose… share her story too… the reason why she was giving smiles away in her beloved husband’s honor and memory!

So until tomorrow…

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

Can’t believe this happened to me at Publix yesterday… I went in and picked up some lunch meat, a small container of potato salad, one banana, and my ( must have) Diet Coke.

I paid with a twenty dollar bill and I heard Lu Ann, my cashier, say ” Well…Lookie at this … it came out exactly ten dollars… you better go play the lottery-this is your lucky day!”

First I pay nothing for two toiletries at CVS and now this. I sure hope this ” inexplicable but personally grateful ” mojo” lasts a few more days… during some annual check-ups and scans! 💗