Sandy, can't you C?

Oh little forgotten blog. I've missed you.

Trying to unstick my mind is not easy. In the meantime, I have been sewing.

I'd like to show you all the pretty things I've made...

And I will. Soon.

But I know this blog is fast turning into a gee-look-what-I-made-now dumping place. Not my intention.

So before we to that, let me update a 20 little thing. Imagine!

I started my reading corp volunteering this week. My little preschooler Sandy (named changed to protect the innocent with an oddly-spelled name) was incredibly confidence, squirmy and pleasant. She could spell her oddly-spelled name when I put the letters in front of her all scrambled. She really was one step ahead of me every time I tried to introduce something new to here. Read Mary Had a Little Lamb? Pish-posh tutor! She said the whole thing right along with me. When I read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, she knew the storyline and pointed out all the fruits. She really wanted to practice writing her name. I let her. The first letter looked very good. After that, not so much  I have no idea how well kids her age are supposed to be able to write. But I felt a little bit like Sandy didn't really need much help. Or maybe my expectations were too low? I don't know. Sandy might not be my regular student anyway; there was some confusion when I arrived about who I was to see.

I'm excited to see where it goes.With Sandy or whoever.

Two other things:: immediately after meeting the woman running the program at my school, a really nice woman about my age, I realized she had lipstick on her teeth. BAD. So we're in the hallway and I'm internally debating whether to tell her, when my boss walks up. Not just my immediate boss, but like THE boss. So now it is the three of us, and she's shaking his hand, and ug, I felt so bad. What would you do in a situation like that?

The other thing: It was my first time in a DPS elementary school. I spent most of it in the library. The room was mostly filled with tables. Only half of the room was lined with shelves for books -- none were in the middle or the room or in the other half. Those shelves, I'd say, where about 35% full. Sad.

Do something service related once a month

Why it's on the list: Because once in college, I wrote a column about how my alternative Spring Break sucked because I thought it would be more life-changing and eye opening and really I just say in a room and stuffed envelopes. Like, seriously, couldn't the homeless people I served soup to have been a little more inspiring? Couldn't I have left feeling like more of a saint and less like someone who probably made a bad decision for what to do on Spring Break. Yeah, I am a little less than a cheerful servant. I've improved since then, but I'm still not a natural. Beyond that, it's good for the soul, yadda yadda yadda.

How I'll do it: It's going to turn out to be fairly easy. For once thing, all my work for It's My Heart (I'm an officer and board member, doesn't that sound impressive?) is voluntary, and I consider it a type of service. Right? I really am glad to be spreading CHD awareness, but still, it's serving. Secondly, I signed up to serve in the nursery at church once a month, my first step into the community at my new church (and I'm having a little bit of cold feet, but that's OK). And finally, I've also signed up to be a tutor in the Detroit Reading corps. Starting next month, I will be working one hour a week with two preschoolers, teaching them how to identify letters and appreciate great works of literature like "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

So I'll be a serving machine, more or less.

And that brings me to today. I'm taking a meal to a family that lost a baby to a CHD. It's bummerific. I hope I'm not really, really awkward, like crying on the front step while they wait to open the door, or cracking insensitive jokes while I'm handing over my homemade soup. Aw.

Anyway. It's the saddest thing. I'm really glad to be able to do something tangible for them, even if it is only one meal. And same with the kids and with It's My Heart. I feel like at this point in my life, I don't have a lot of time or a lot of myself to give. But I'm honestly excited to see ways now where I can use what I have and what I know and help.