gina's blog

I DID IT!!! and Farewell…..

miamartini — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:12:42 +0000

Well, Easter is here and leading up to a busy weekend, I knew that I had a few more days to complete my Lenten promise. The last couple days were spent complimenting people, helping out with last-minute plans for the holidays, and leaving a tip for a guy who made a bubble tea for me.(yum!) As I woke today, saw what a beautiful day it was, and went to church, they talked about the whole Lenten season. I realized that not only did I truly enjoy doing these little things throughout this time, but had been told by many people how they enjoyed reading my blog and finding out what crazy, silly thing I may have done, or that by reading it just simply brightened their day. It made me think that by doing these things, no matter how small, was really fun! It just made me more aware. I looked at things slightly different, and became somewhat of a challenge.

Although lent is over, and my committment has been fulfilled, I’m sure that I will keep my eyes open for any opportunity to do a “random act of kindness”. I hope that you have all enjoyed my blog and I thank all of you who have kept up with it. Happiness to all!

Lovin’ the weather…

miamartini — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:26:51 +0000

It’s so nice to finally see the sun shining and hear the birds chirping in the morning. It puts you in such a good mood in anticipation of our summer ahead. On Saturday, while shopping once again allowed someone to go in front of me at the register, but also after loading my groceries, and going to return my cart, grabbed the cart of someone else walking to put it away, and told them that I would take both.

On Palm Sunday, after receiving palms at church and making crosses with some of them, while going out for breakfast, after I parked, I put one of the small crosses that I made out of palms on the window of the car parked next to me. I hope that it may have brightened someones day.

Monday while on my way to pick up my kids from school, passed a house in my neighborhood that always puts decorations up for every holiday. As I passed, I saw them outside fixing an Easter decoration, and I pulled up to the curb, and told them that I love seeing all of their decorations throughout the year and that they do a great job.

Tuesday, while at a clothes store, a girl was fixing a rack of clothes when it tipped over and some of the clothes fell off of the rack. I happened to be standing right next to her, so I helped her picked them up and put everything back on the rack.

Which leads me to today…an absolute beautiful day! definitely an iced coffee day. So, while getting one for myself, I treated the lady next to me to one. YUM!

Slumber party tonight! back tom.

Jeans Day…

miamartini — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:33:44 +0000

On any normal Friday when you see a notice at any company that says “Today is Jeans Day”, one automatically thinks of blue jeans, and casual Friday. That’s exactly what my first thought was this morning when I pulled into the drive-up at the bank and noticed a sign posted in the window that said “Jeans Day”. However, then noticed that there was an additional message following. As I read it, I realized that it was a notice stating that a 15-year-old niece of one of the tellers, named Jean, was recently diagnosed with a type of cancer that is affecting her lungs, and today the bank was making today “Jeans Day”, not only a “casual Friday” day for the workers, but asking for donations to give to this family to go towards medical expenses. As I have mentioned before in my blog, I have been going to this bank for many years and have gotten to know a lot of the tellers. As Iwas talking to one of them today and they were telling me what was happening to this young girl, it tugged at my heart as I turned and looked at my healthy 14-year-old twin girls. I put something in an envelope, sent it back in the drive-thru tube, and asked the girl to please have it used towards a donation for the family from me and my girls. As I finished my transaction with her, and before I pulled away, three of the other tellers came to the window to express their appreciation.

Wow…less than 10 days left…can’t believe it!

Be back tom.

Special Customer…..

miamartini — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:24:02 +0000

Tonight I happened to stop at the restaurant, and while there, a customer who has been coming to the restaurant for many years came by with a close friend. This particular customer is an older woman who I met years ago while helping her and her husband plan a baby shower for their daughter. Since that time, I have planned luncheons for her and her retired friends, anniversary parties, special family dinners, and sadly, also the funeral luncheon for her dear husband. He was such a sweet, quite man with a smile always on his face. Although I only knew this man as a customer, his death still touched me, for he and his wife were always so cute together, and you could see how much they loved each other.

Well, as I said, tonight she came in, and like always, when she sees me, she immediately hugs me tight as if I was a relative. However, tonight she held on a little longer, when I finally looked at her she had tears in her eyes and said that today was the anniversary of her husband’s death, and she just had to come for dinner to their favorite restaurant today. As I walked her to her table, we talked and reminisced about her husband. She invited me to stay at the table with her, but I declined telling her to enjoy the time with her friend, and that I would stay until they finished and stop throughout their dinner. Well, as I walked away, I told their waitress to send out an appetizer to their table from me. This appetizer used to be her husbands favorite and they would always order it together. When she received it, she asked the waitress to have me come to her table. I did. When I got there she hugged me, thanked me and said it was as if he was sitting with her at the table.

I’ll be back tom. Until then…..

5 WEEKS!!!

miamartini — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:00:57 +0000

Omgosh! I can’t believe that I have been doing this for 5 weeks already! When I first started, I thought after the first week, wow, this might be difficult EVERY day, but made a committment to do it, and now….5 weeks later….still going strong! Yesterday, while talking to one of my tenants in the building, he had mentioned that one of the storage rooms in the building that he has a lot of his materials, had some old boxes of items that needed to be thrown out, and if he filled his dumpster and still had more, could he put some in our larger dumpster. I said “of course”, but instead, had him show me what needed to be thrown out, and had one of my workers get it all and throw it all away in our larger dumpster. He was very grateful!

As for today, I found out yesterday that my brother-in-laws mothers’ cancer has returned and now has to begin chemotherapy once again. It was heartbreaking to hear, for this woman is as sweet as they come. She is someone who asks for nothing, gives everything, and is loved by many! So today, I made a call to have her put on a prayer list at the church. Once put on this list, her name will go out to thousands of people who will pray for her on a daily basis. I would also like to ask anyone reading this to please put her in your prayers. I pray myself that she recover from this horrible disease, and to keep her family strong during this hard time.

Baking tonight….can’t wait! Until tom.

Happy Spring!!

miamartini — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:08:56 +0000

Wow! This beautiful weather is wonderful…the nicer it gets, the more people you get to see, as everyone starts emerging from their homes. These past couple days have been so nice seeing so many people outdoors. On Sunday, after the odd snow from Saturday had melted, as I was outside cleaning in the yard, I had noticed that there was papers and garbage that must have been underneath the snow in my neighbor’s yard (but in an area that I could get to) so I figured that since I was cleaning already, I might as well clean up their small area too. I don’t believe they saw me, nor will they probably ever know since it had been hidden under the snow for so many months, but just the same, just trying to be a friendly neighbor.

Now yesterday, I went to a restaurant that I have been to before and happened to get a waitress that I have had wait on me before. She is not only a good waitress by being attentive, knowing her menu items and courteous, but very friendly and makes being at that restaurant a pleasant experience. Being a restaurant owner, I don’t think that I notice it any more than any other customer that she is pleasing, but may appreciate it a little more knowing how crazy it can get during a busy dinner hour and the waitress is being torn from table to table by many requests. For some, it becomes overwhelming and can be taken out on the customer as frustration builds. This waitress, however, although somewhat busy, still managed to at all times, and to all tables (as I watched her) always be happy and courteous to everyone. Towards the end of our dinner, I excused myself and found the manager to tell her how good her waitress was and that being in the business myself, I know how hard it is to find and that she is very lucky. I certainly hope that she was complimented by her management. If not, I’m sure that it gets reflected in her tips.

See ya soon!!!

I’m back….

miamartini — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:48:13 +0000

So sorry for the delay of writing my posts (I am behind 2 days!!) It has been a whirlwind the past couple days! I last left you on St. Pat’s Day…sun was shining and the day was fun….On thursday…I finished painting!! It turned out beautiful and I am extremely pleased with my results! However still did not forget to be kind for the day..told a customer at the restaurant that day, who I see from time to time, and noticed that she had gotten her hair cut, that I thought her hair looked very pretty, extremely healthy and a great cut for her. You could see that see was very flattered and appreciative of the comment. On Friday, first and foremost, my niece and her husband, had a beautiful healthy baby girl!!! She is absolutely gorgeous, and all are doing well. So of course since I had to go and see her, before I went, I stopped and got balloons, flowers, and a little stuffed animal to bring to my niece. She is sooo cute, and I cannot wait to hold her in my arms.!

That catches us up to today…after waking up to…UGGHHH, snow again, I headed out to the store. After shopping, and while I was heading to my car with my groceries, a woman was unloading her cart when one of her bags busted open and the groceries fell out into the slushy snow. I stopped at her car, helped her pick up the wet groceries, of course complained with her about this crazy weather, and then continued to my car to put mine away!

Snow Snow go away, come again……next December!!!

See ya tom.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

miamartini — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:45:14 +0000

Being 100% Italian you would think why on earth would St. Patty’s day be special to me? Really it’s not, but who doesn’t love a holiday that’s so much fun? I mean everyone could use “their luck” every once in a while, their “cream” is just delicious, and when else can you wear an entire green outfit and be stylish?

Today, before I went into the restaurant, I needed to stop at our fish supplier and pick up a last-minute order. Really no big deal…I have done it many many times, and religiously each time I do, I happen to stop at the Dunkin’ Donuts at the corner and pick up a coffee. Today when I stopped to get my coffee, I saw all of the St. Patty’s Day donuts, (of course the same ones as they always have, just decorated with green sprinkles) and I thought…who wouldn’t love a fresh dozen donuts first thing in the morning? So I bought a dozen and brought them to my fish supplier. What was funny is that I was there so early this morning, alot of the drivers had not left, and since I know a few of them, along with the people in the office, the donuts were almost gone before I was.

It’s Wednesday and that only means one thing…..what shall I bake? what shall I make? (definitely nothing using filo!)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!!!

Kindness is Contagious!

miamartini — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:19:58 +0000

Today I received a call from my oldest son who is out-of-town, to touch base and say hello. During our conversation, he said “OK Mom…today I did something kind”, I said”Really? What?” He continued to tell me that earlier today, as he was walking thru a grocery store parking lot, he happened to see and elderly woman (he guessed in her mid 80″s) trying to back out of her parking space and having a difficult time. He said as he watched her pull in and out several times, he began walking towards her. He stood next to the car, and when she rolled her window down, with a frustrated and sad look on her face, he asked if she would like him to pull her car out of the space for her. She looked at him in surprise, but with much relief and pleasure that she got right out of the car and allowed him to pull the car out. He said that she was so kind and would not stop complimenting him on being such a “fine young man” and was so appreciative that she could just “hug him all day”. He told her that it was no problem at all and to have a nice day, and that she looked so sweet waving and smiling at him as she pulled away.

Talk about being proud, how great was that? Well, I thought, one act of kindness certainly deserves another. So I not only filled his car completely up with gas, but being such a beautiful day today, I also got it washed!

This is definitely one thing that is contagious, that the more people affected, the better!!

bye for now….

Repeat Offender

miamartini — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:53:50 +0000

Ok…I know that I shouldn’t repeat my acts but this was just too easy and such a perfect opportunity. This morning I had to go out to Midway Airport @ 4:30 in the morning. While on the expressway, I wondered, although the traffic is very light at that time, how different it is to be on the road at such an odd time, and who these other people are driving at this time. So although I have paid someone’s toll before, I thought that I would do it again. It made me think that it would put a smile on someone’s face whether they were just starting their day, or coming home from a long night of work.

Unlike the last time I paid for someones toll, this time the car ended up catching up to me, honked their horn, and waved and mouthed “thank you” to me. I smiled and waved back knowing that in this case it was alright to be a “repeat offender”

See ya tomorrow…heard that by the end of the week it will be in the 60′s…can’t wait! but is it true….possible snow on Sunday? UGH!