Rescue Two Dogs

The project:
Gather two old dogs and take them to the safety of the local shelter.

Time:
30 minutes

Why bother?
As I was driving home from errands this morning, these two old dogs galloping along the sidewalk swerved into the street in front of me. I stopped as quickly as I could, but one dog didn't emerge immediately. When I opened the door, he was there like a good hitchhiker.

The dogs were friendly, old, exhausted. I invited them in. They were happy to oblige (with a little help for the squat Basset Hound), and with nowhere to keep them and NO TAGS ON EITHER DOG, I opted to take them straight to our local shelter where they'll be safer than running into traffic on a busy four-lane thoroughfare (or the freeway just a bit further down the road they were traveling).

Worth it?
Yes. The dogs were friendly. They'll make great pets. If their owners fail to pick them up, I'm sure these two will find nice new homes. And I hate the thought of dead animals in the road.

Kind Words

The project:
Offer congratulations for a job well done on a garden that's seen big changes in recent months.

Time:
Negligible

Why bother?
We walk our neighborhood regularly, so we notice changes. At one home, the changes have been glaringly obvious. We've watched the removal of old weeds, rocks, rotted borders, the digging of trenches, the tending to seed and the evolving flower beds. Today, we actually saw a HUMAN on the property. As we passed, it was easy to mention that the place was looking good.

Worth it?
Yes. The owner, who is clearly doing the work himself, was pleased that someone took notice.

Pajama Program - It's a Wrap

The project:
Pick up PJs and books from neighborhood drive project for the Pajama Program.

Time:
45 minutes

Why bother?
Last week we put out 200 fliers promoting this drive (ala Scouting Canned Food Drive). Today was the follow up.

Worth it?
Well, how do I answer this?

I'm disappointed, and educated.

Of the 200 homes we canvased, just two put out PJs/Books for this program. I'm super disappointed because, though these may be tough economic times for some, a pair of infant PJs can be had at the local megastore for the same price as a latte at various coffee hangouts. Thrown in the price of a muffin and you're up to a pair of PJs for toddlers.

Today's haul (including our own contributions): 7 pairs of PJs, 14 books and half a dozen stuffed animals.

I know...not everyone shares our values, but 1 percent response?

Wow.

To be fair, I confess I seldom put out canned food for the Scouts' canned food drive when they come through our neighborhood for the MERE reason that we take our food to the Food Bank ourselves. You can be sure that, come next Scout drive, we'll be putting SOMETHING out.


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Earth Day - Hanging Out to Dry

The project:
Install a laundry line and use it.

Time:
10 minutes to install. 10 minutes each load to hang, take down and fold.

Why bother?
Today is Earth Day, and this is something I've wanted to do for a long time. It does seem ridiculous to run the electric heated dryer when we can just hang stuff out to dry in our sun and breeze. This week's record highs made the clothes dryer seem even MORE ridiculous.

Worth it?
I hope so. It does take a little more time to hang out the clothes, but the first load (lightweight) dried before the next load of laundry was ready for hangin', so just as fast as the electric dryer normally takes. Temps dropped during the next drying load, so that load took longer. Still, it's not like we have to sit and wait and watch the water evaporate! :)

The girls enjoyed hanging the laundry (all the while singing pioneer tunes). I hope we can drop our electricity bill a bit. And we're taking a tiny bit of the load off the grid that also provides air-conditioning to those suffering in the inland valleys and southland. SOOO glad to be in a more temperate climate!

Line details: Retractable for easy use while preserving yard space between loads.

Kilroy was in our backyard.

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Field Calls about Pajama Program Drive

The project:
Return messages and field calls regarding our current PJ/Book drive for the Pajama Program.

Time:
20 minutes

Why bother?
Residents throughout our neighborhood are expressing interest in donating goods to the project. They need further details. I can provide those in a snap.

Worth it?
I hope so! The phone calls were simple. We'll see if the PJs pile up come Thursday!

Help Before You're Asked

The project:
Begin packing, loading and stashing, cleaning windows and tossing trash before anyone asks me to.

Time:
Various deeds with time commitments from negligible to an hour.

Why bother?
Dad had a great point this weekend. While doing charitable deeds on a large scale is grand, there are simple ways to help each other, particularly those with whom we spend most of our time, every day.

On any trip, there's plenty of work to be done, and sharing the load makes it easier for the responsible party. It's really nice when someone figures out how to help and lends a hand without being asked. I tried to be that person.

Worth it?
Yes.

Listen to a Marine

The project:
Take time to learn more about an active Marine, heading out for his third round in Iraq.

Time:
Hours

Why bother?
This particular member of the U.S. Marine Corps was a friendly, intelligent, interesting guy who was willing to educate even a relative liberal like me. Listening to others offers a fresh perspective. Hearing real stories without the "hurrah" and hype was educational and refreshing.

Worth it?
You bet. These are, again, tough times for the folks who volunteer for our Armed Forces. Whether or not you agree with the politics surrounding ANY given action, it doesn't hurt to hear the front-line soldiers' points of view.