Only the GOOD Friday #6 ~ catalogues

I was at a loss about a post for ONLY THE GOOD FRIDAY until I made a visit to the blog of Empress Bee of the High Seas and her mention of the new phone books being out for distribution.

About a year ago (maybe 2 years ago), The Today Show profiled an organization called CATALOGUE CHOICE. At that time our mailbox was FULL of unwanted, unnecessary catalogues for everything from Arts and Crafts to zebra print clothing. Catalog Choice is a free service that allows you to decide what gets in your mailbox. Use it to reduce your mailbox clutter, while helping save natural resources.

It’s a very easy resource to use…

Step 1: Sign up.
Fill out our online registration form using your name and primary mailing address. Your contact information will only be used for the purpose of honoring your mail preference.

Step 2: Find your catalogs.
Find and set mail preferences for your catalogs, using the Catalog Choice search facilities. We'll then contact the catalog providers on your behalf, requesting that your preference be honored.

Step 3: See the results.
It can take at least twelve weeks to process your request, after which time your mail preference should be in effect. Results will vary depending on whether the company is actively participating in our service. All Participating Companies have pledged to honor your requests within 12 weeks. If you do continue to receive catalogs you requested not to, you can return here to let us know, and we'll follow up with the merchant.Catalog Choice is designed for your continued use. Upon receipt of additional unwanted catalogs, return here to set a mail preference for them. As a registered user, you'll also discover additional features related to managing catalogs at multiple addresses, adding new catalogs to our database, recording personal notes, and "going paperless".

My experience has been positive but it DOES take a while for your “eliminate this catalogue” to take affect. And there were companies that did not respond to the STOP SENDING request. For those companies, I called a phone number listed on the catalogue itself and requested them to stop sending. If they asked why, I just told them that anything I want or need I can access their business on line AND I don’t want to waste any more of our natural resources than we are already wasting. Some of the reps I talked with laughed when I said, “Save the trees, baby!!” And, ya know what? I am really proud of myself for doing that because I don't normally like confrontation with any person or organization who could send someone out to hunt me down for not liking their catalogues (yeah, I'm a bit paranoid). But these calls WORKED. My mailbox is so much happier now. And so am I.

Thanks for stopping by… have an ONLY THE GOOD FRIDAY… and a glorious weekend.

ONLY THE GOOD FRIDAY ~ TOMS Shoes

I have been seeing a commercial on TV every now and then that aroused my curiosity.

It is for TOMS Shoes.

TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about.
In 2006 an American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created a company that would match every pair of shoes sold with a pair given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by caring TOMS customers.
Since our beginning, TOMS has given over 140,000* pairs of shoes to children in need through the One for One model. Because of your support, TOMS plans to give over 300,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world in 2009.
Our ongoing community events and Shoe Drop Tours allow TOMS supporters and enthusiasts to be part of our One for One movement. Join us.

WHY SHOES ??

Most children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or just getting around, these children are at risk.
Walking is often the primary mode of transportation in developing countries. Children can walk for miles to get food, water, shelter and medical help. Wearing shoes literally enables them to walk distances that aren't possible barefoot.
Wearing shoes prevents feet from getting cuts and sores on unsafe roads and from contaminated soil. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected. The leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted parasites which penetrate the skin through open sores. Wearing shoes can prevent this and the risk of amputation.
Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.
There is one simple solution...SHOES.
Of the planet's six billion people, four billion live in conditions inconceivable to many. Lets take a step towards a better tomorrow.

The website for TOMS Shoes is: http://cdn2.tomsshoes.com/default28.htm

The shoes are a bit pricey, in my opinion. But you ARE buying 2 pair. And I think this is pretty good for a Friday.

OTGF #4 ~ Extraordinary

I first heard this song on the ABC hit reality show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." This show is always ONLY THE GOOD -- no matter what day...

Since the embedding has been "disabled by request", I must provide you with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5aRLEZ2bCw

"Extraordinary"
I was a bay tree
Quiet and unseen
I lived in stories but inside I kept a mystery
I was a starling
Nobody's darling
Flying in perfect circles just for company

And now I'm ready
And now I'm ready
And now I'm ready to be extraordinary

A midnight airplane
A window blowing
I know I am another sparkle in the sky
I shine on copper
Still undiscovered
But you might see me in the corner of your eye

And now I'm ready
And now I'm ready
And now I'm ready to be extraordinary

Waking up to wake up someday
I am my own parade
Stopping off at a sidewalk cafe
Wind is playing in the trees
Kick up confetti leaves
Seems as if it's all to say

And now I'm ready
And now I'm ready
And now I'm ready to be extraordinary

And now I'm ready
And now I'm ready
And now I'm ready to be extraordinary

Have a fantastic Friday!!

OTGF #3 - Simply Maaaaavelous

My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Nun’s Story, Sabrina, Gigi…

and the list goes on.

Look at those eyes… large, soft, wise and, as Eliza Doolittle would say, loverly.

Audrey Hepburn is credited with the quote beneath this drawing.

From what I can find, the words are truly hers.

These words are my Only The Good Friday to you.

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands… one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.



Have a maaaaaaaaavelous weekend, I know I will.

Only The Good Friday #2

Sorry I am so late in posting this... but it is too good not to post on OTGF...

Amidst all the goings-on around here, I was finally able to get to some email that I had put back and labeled ‘read later.’ This story came from my elderly aunt in Wisconsin.

Jasmine

In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused.

In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need.

Geoff Grewcock and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims: to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved.

They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home.

The dog had other ideas. No-one remembers now how it began, but Jasmine started welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It wouldn’t matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, probably, a rhinoceros, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick.

Geoff Grewcock relates one of the early incidents. “We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them.”

“But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her but to settle into their new surroundings.

“She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose.”

Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary’s resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits.

And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the roe deer with affection and makes sure nothing is matted in her fur.

“They are inseparable,” says Geoff Grewcock. “Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary. It’s a real treat to see them.”

Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next orphan or victim of abuse.

From left, Toby, a stray Lakelanddog; Bramble, an orphaned roe deer; Buster,a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; Sky, an injured barn owl; and Jasmine

Doing what she does best, being a mother

Only the Good Friday (#1)

My purpose on my first "Only The Good Friday" is to put a smile on your face -- and maybe a little chuckle in your throat.

This week I received 2 GOOD emails which I share with you to achieve my "Only The Good Friday" purpose.

NOW... that is MY idea of a good exercise regime!!

However, if that didn't work... how about the one titled "How Twins Are Made"

Here's hoping your Friday is beyond GOOD and your weekend is even better. And, yes, the demolition goes on... and on... and on...