Wendy Carlyle

Just saw a commercial for a life insurance company that was very inspiring. The commercial didn’t really have anything to do with them trying to sell you life insurance. It was more of a “feel good” and “be a good person” kind of message. The commercial is a series of  short vignettes showing people doing a good turn while another person watches, and then the person who was watching becomes inspired to do a good turn while another person watches and then that person does a good turn . . . Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone just paid it forward?

Having discovered the cable TV channel BBC America, I have discovered a whole new world of TV shows. I watched several several great series that have never been shown on American television, and some shows that have been ripped off from the British and made into American versions of the Brit’s hit shows.

One of my favorite shows is called Top Gear, which has an American version. But there are other great shows, like Absolutely Fabulous, Torchwood, and the Fades.Also, Chef Gordon Ramsey has two or three shows and Chef Jamie has two great shows.

If you get a chance to spend an hour or two watching something new or different on TV, try any of these hit shows on the BBC America channel. Let me know which ones you like!

One of my brother’s is having a birthday today. It is not one of the Big – 0 birthdays, but he is getting really close to the Big 3-0. Ha!

I remember when he was born. My mom and dad called my grandmother, who came over in the middle of the night to stay with us kids. She got there really quick and as soon as she walked in the door, my parents dashed for the car and left. Grammy sent us all back to bed and she fell asleep on the couch. In the morning, she woke us all up and fixed breakfast.

While we were eating our breakfast, the phone in the kitchen rang. It was my dad, calling to tell us that my brother was born. Grammy let each of us kids talk to my dad on the phone so he could tell us himself. I was really young but I clearly remember hearing my dad tell me on the phone that I had a new baby brother. He was so excited and so were we!

On my way to the grocery store I have to pass a farm supply store. Today I noticed that they have a rain chain and rain barrel on each of the front corners of their store. How cool is that! I think it is a great idea for a farm supply store to demonstrate that they are green and serious about environmental issues. I love the way they are not just in it for the money, but they are being good neighbors.

I only learned about rain chains last year and since then I have noticed them in several places. I guess once you have raised your awareness you notice things that you have never paid attention to before. I heard about using rain barrels to conserve water and then suddenly I see them discretely placed at the corners of several buildings, but homes in my neighborhood and some small businesses.

If you search for chains rain photos you can see great examples of traditional  styles and new, modern styles. Some of them blend in with other home and yard decor, such as matching the style of fences and arbors that you might be using. My personal favorites are the brass finish chains – they are classic in the garden and add an elegant touch to any porch, deck or patio.

Today is a holiday from work and also a holiday from the kids. They won’t be back home until tonight around 7:00 pm. So I have the whole day to myself. Wish I could spend the day relaxing and pampering myself, but that’s not happening. I have to make full use of the last day with no kids to get this house cleaned up.

Their dad called me a little while ago and told me they are having a blast in Chattanooga. I knew they would love the Aquarium and the Children’s Discovery Museum. We’ve gone before but each year as they get older and become more aware of nature and their surroundings, they appreciate new discoveries.

I told him to make sure they are home by 7:00 so they can get a good bath and go to bed early because they have school tomorrow. In the meantime, I have some deep cleaning to do – starting with the kids bedrooms!