Happy Thanksgiving! (and Q of D)

Here we are, in Guatemala, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  


"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy


Enjoy your day and really soak in the moments of fellowship.


And as for the day after Thanksgiving, allow yourself to be free from the stress of shopping with millions of others by starting your Black Friday online with www.buy-it-forward.com, where the deals are and in alignment with the holiday spirit of giving.

Buy-It-Forward

Be the difference maker for charity organizations, and do it simply by doing the shopping you'd need to do anyways!  The recently launched Buy-It-Forward site (www.buy-it-forward.com) offers browsers and customers with the opportunity to shop their favorite stores, learn about new stores, and donate a percentage of their purchase cost to a charity listed on the Site...at no extra cost to the buyer (customer).

Donating has never gotten any easier, plus given the economic struggles found in the non-profit world, the timing for Buy-It-Forward couldn't be better.  Do your shopping now, for holidays, daily routine needs, or simply to fulfill the enjoyment to "window shop"...all the windows can be accessed through the click of a mouse!

As you visit the Site, recognize that you have options to search for stores through an Alphabetical List or through Categories (such as Babies, Crafts, Clothes, etc).  All store links can be accessed through the "Shop These Links" tab on the menu bar.  Then vote for charities, provide feedback or suggest your own charity, and connect with Buy-It-Forward and other customers on Facebook!

Enjoy your buying, so Charities can enjoy your forwarding...

A Graduation Experience

We spent time over the weekend celebrating Jenny's completion of IU School of Medicine Masters degree of Public Health. The celebration began Thursday with a surprise delivery of beautiful flowers, ordered through Stores 2 Shop! We continued the fellowship with a luncheon banquet recognizing the graduates. Then there was the ceremony. IUPUI hosted an enjoyable program, and Jenny successfully walked across the stage!

Here's the story though. For me, the anxiety began as I arrived early to reserve seats for other family members. Let me tell you, coming from Anderson University I did not know what I was getting myself into. I was reserving 6 additional seats, expecting 5 guests, but saving an extra just in case. Seats were filling up around me, and people were seated on the end chairs of my row, when all of a sudden a man and his wife came in the row from the opposite side I was sitting. I politely informed them "excuse me, sir, I have these seats reserved." He kept his head down and spoke, "F***ing s***, man, I don't care!" I paused. Stunned, practically confused not knowing if he was talking to me since his head was down. I moved closer towards him, and addressed him saying, "sorry, I have several people coming in just a few minutes and need those seats". He continued, "F*** you, I'm not moving. That's ridiculous." 

People were around us, but nobody acknowledged the escalation of the situation. I said "and just how many seats do you need?" He only needed the two for he and his wife, so I suggested it'd be easier for them to find 2 seats than me to find 6 in a full auditorium.  He finished the conversation by saying, "F*** you, I'm not moving, I'm here." So then my family arrives with my nerves shooken. It turns out that not everybody was able to attend the ceremony, so all we needed were 5 seats, which was exactly what was left after the man and his wife sat down! But seriously, where was that guy coming from? I will always remember the name of this man's daughter (because she's the only one he cheered for during the ceremony), but I do not plan on saving seats again at IUPUI. 

Jenny did receive a wonderful degree and obtained a great education. The day ended with an INCREDIBLE service at Olive Garden in Castleton. Seriously, our party of 8 received royal treatment and enjoyed a great meal.