Joy in Service - Day 4 Let's Make it BIG!

Sandy Snowden linked my blog to hers and asked her readers to come along on this ride and it gave me an idea. Lets all do it...  kind of a Pay It Forward thing.

Random acts of beauty, kindness, and service.

(It's certainly not an original idea, and certainly not mine - but it helps to be reminded.)

Ask your blog readers, your twitter followers, and even your facebook friends to do it too.

One kindness, one act of service a day.

It can be as small as a smile and a wave.

It can be as big as making a quilt for a charity.

Take this button and pass it on. Then come back here and tell me what you did.

Yesterday you did wonderful things like letting a friend cry on your shoulder, sending a note, walking through someone creative discovery, praying.
Yesterday I did something as small as gave my son a back rub when my first inclination was to give him a tongue lashing.

How did you make the world a better place?
(and didn't it make you feel great!?)

Joy in Service - Day 3 Thank a Teacher

Giving flowers to random people at the grocery store, volunteering at an English as a Second Language center, giving away plants, leaving your favorite magazines at the library or doctor's office. Making an auction quilt, donating toys, packing up a a friend's kitchen for a move.
So many ways to make the world a better place.

Here is an idea for today - say thank you to a teacher.

My parents were both public school teachers and so are some of my best friends.

Dad in his LavaLava

Mom, teaching in Samoa

Since my parents retired they've just kept on teaching. Locally in their rural community, in the prisons, in eastern Germany, and at a boarding school in Western Samoa.

My love of teaching probably comes from them but I've got to admit that I'm very spoiled. 

I honestly believe they have the hardest job in America.

But I don't have do deal with students who don't want to be there. I don't have parents telling me I'm doing my job wrong. I don't have politicians telling me how to do every second of every day of my job. I don't spend every evening grading papers and planning lessons and doing page after page after page of added forms of paperwork because every spare moment in during school is taken up by meetings. 

Look up that one teacher from way back when and send them a thank you note. In writing. Through the mail.

Instead of simply sending in a candy bar to your child's teacher - send them a note telling them exactly why you appreciate what they do.

You should also nominate your favorite quilt teacher for this. Then send them a note too.

Teacher of the Year Nomination Form

Do You Know A Great Teacher?

Help us find our 2012 Professional Quilt Teacher of the Year

For the 26th year, The Professional Quilter will honor an outstanding quilt teacher with its Teacher of the Year award. The winner will be chosen by her or his peers on the basis of written answers to a questionnaire. The winner will be judged on the following criteria:

• Commitment to development of fine workmanship and personal expression of students;
• Involvement in and contributions to the field of quiltmaking; and
• Professionalism, including personal code of ethics and serving as a role model.

I apologize - I don't usually talk politics here. But one thing that frustrates me to no end are people and politicians who disrespect public school teachers. I want to say to them, "Stand in their shoes for a month. You wouldn't last a week! And you certainly wouldn't ever consider doing the job for what they get paid." Teachers don't do it for the money or because they "can't perform in the real world!" They do it because they have want to make the world a better place.

So tell me what else you did today to make the world a better place.

(my first little random pile of thank you goodies will go out Monday to some of you.)