national day of service

13 people in the service mood hit the Avenues this afternoon for some beach clean-up. It's all part of Obama's National Day of Service. Four families (two of them who were not affiliated with GS) and I grabbed large trash bags and got to work picking up the beach. I love meeting new people. Two of the kids were 10th graders who were really excited about volunteering, and wanted all the information they could get on future events. Even the kids pitched in by grabbing what little pieces of trash they could spot. We were all rewarded for our efforts when a dolphin swam in within 30 feet of the beach to meet us. Everyone crowded around to see it. The 75 degree day, light breeze off the ocean, and people galore made it a spectacular event. And really, it felt so good to be a part of something bigger than Torrance, CA. Knowing that other people around the country were partaking in some type of service project made it even more meaningful. I was extra impressed by the parents who didn't just send their kids to work, but got their hands dirty too. What a great example they are setting for their children! It was so easy to do too: Kevin told me about the NDS on Tuesday morning, I had an event set up by Tuesday afternoon, and people started signing up within hours of the posting. It's amazing to see how fast people got on the site and registered. I'm especially grateful for the GS people who came with and got to know the new families. Thanks to all who helped out in making our beach an even greater place to be!

I took some time this afternoon to do some deep cleaning at home. I vacuumed, swept, put away clothes, and even made my bed. It's nice walking into a room that's organized. I didn't drink enough water at the beach this afternoon, and managed to get a migraine, so I took a 45 minute siesta before heading to White Elephant Bingo at church. I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived, but was thrilled to see 50 people gathered in the Community Life Center for an evening of fun. A table full of wrapped white elephant gifts had us all eager to play. Round after round, people were winning, winning again, and again...but not me. People were opening every random gift you can think of: candles, ceramic figurines, plates, food, household junk, maybe it was ok to let the others win. With less than 10 gifts left everyone at our table had prizes, except me. :( So, when Dena won for a second time, she sent me up to the table to get my own prize. I grabbed a purple bag, expecting to find a stuffed chinchilla inside. Instead, I wound up with the coolest gift of the night: PHOTO COASTERS! You can insert your own photos! Perfect for me! I let out a loud cheer as I opened them...they must have thought it was a $100 bill or something. Better than that. One woman's junk is Amber's treasure! I was reminded of the generous nature of the people here in a variety of ways: Dena's gracious offer to let me pick a prize, seeing other people give up their prizes to those who hadn't won anything, and the ladies of the congregation who made yummy brownie sundaes for everyone there! What a wonderful event and a great way to end the week!