Do Something Nice for Someone

I’m getting ready to die cut some fancy letters for Monica. She’s planning an album about her trip to Thailand. I wanted to thank her for several courtesies, and I thought, “What can I do? What can I do that she might not be able to do for herself?”

See, I think that’s always the best gift. In your life, in your world, there’s always something you can do that no one else can. It can be as simple as making a special recipe or a sharing a talent. What might seem small to you is BIG to others. Not because it is BIG in the eyes of the world, but because it is PERFECT. Just what they needed.

I hope this will be perfect for Monica because, honestly, there’s no other way to thank her.

I have so many cool scrapbook tools and toys. I don’t like to go to crops because I can’t haul the whole scrapbook room with me. Cutting letters by hand is a pain. I know because I’ve done it, and I’ll continue to do it because sometimes that’s the only way you can get just the right look. But since I invested in several letter cutting tools, I often turn to them for consistent, gorgeous letters.

Probably, I’ll use my QuicKutz hand held die cutter for the words, “Thai, Thailand, and Thai Die.” I keep the gizmo—which looks like a big pair of pliers—on my scrapbooking desk. What I don’t like about it is how much pressure you must exert with your palm. I also have a Sizzix die cut machine, which makes great chunky letters, and a Cricut. The Cricut is new, and I’m a bit afraid of it. Plus I hate to waste paper, so I need a little more practice. The Cricut only goes down to ½” size, and sometimes that’s just too big.

While I’m at it, I need to finish a small album for my friend Linda. She’s another person I can never thank enough. Mainly for being a friend. She’s just terrific. We met at SleuthFest last year, and since she lives near my family in Stuart, Florida, we visit whenever I’m down there.

Meantime, I finished my Hokie square, only it’s not very square. I felt pretty sheepish sending it to the nice people at Mosaic Yarn. I ripped the thing out, oh, ten times? I couldn’t quite get it to come out 8” by 8”. Sigh. I hope they can use it.

All this reminds me of something that once happened to my mother, many years ago. She was in the grocery store, in the days before credit cards, and while she was in the check out lane, she discovered she was ten cents short for her purchases. The lady behind her volunteered a dime. Mom asked if she could have her name, so she could send her the money. The woman just smiled and said, “No. Here’s a better way to pay me back. Now you go do something nice for someone else.”