May 19th- 25th Week of Good Deeds

Continuing my attempts to follow in greater footsteps, by completing one Good Deed a day for a year;

May 19th – Have spent most of my day at a sporting event with my oldest child. Managed to find and keep a parking space for a friend in a very full car park, and it was under a tree for some extra shade. Added money to my jam jar. Found myself a nice little space to sit and do some reading while the athletes all warmed up. Had to do a double check on my location when people descended on my position like sunbathers on a Spanish beach. Someone actually sat on the corner of my coat with me! Talk about invading my personal space.

May 20th – My morning volunteering at school, a shorter one today as a couple of the children were off school today. Bit of a scary moment when the teacher told me she’d had a dream about me having a third baby. I’m going to take that as symbolic because in the words of Mr Olivander the wand maker in Harry Potter a third baby would be “No, no definitely Not!” I love the two I’ve been blessed with and that’s plenty for me. Helped promote a new book launch with a post, tweet etc.

May 21st – Picked up litter on my way to the post box. Considering taking a bag with me when I go out next time because there was so much litter left lying around. Found some competitions and book giveaways for writers, readers and authors and spread the word.

May 22nd – In between providing a free taxi for my kids today I managed to fit in a trip to the opticians, spied some charity boxes in reception and made a donation to the Royal Air Force Benevolent fund. Sneaked in one more good deed, was able to give a friend a lift home. Looking forward to writing a post to promote a new community WordPress blog that a set of friends have launched today.

May 23rd – With the 2nd May Bank Holiday approaching I agreed to change the day I do next weeks work to fit in with the computer access and the wages run. Popped over to see the parents and made sure they were behaving themselves. Did I tell you that I won a whole years worth of rice and pasta the other day? It’s that Karma thingy working for all the cakes I’ve been baking and taking to friends. 64 packs of rice and pasta! I feel a pasta party coming on.

May 24th – Desperately searching for a Good Deed opportunity, did finish reading a book today and sent off the book review to the author. Found the review to be one of my biggest challenges yet, not sure if the author will think it worthy of a Good Deed! Popped in a teeny tiny piece of honest advice which I may get slated for, not everyone is happy to receive improvement suggestions. It’s the end of a gruelling week, it’s freezing cold and chucking it down with rain, I’m just not going to step outside and go in search of another deed today. I’ll strike a deal, I’ll double the amount of money that I add to my jam jar today, deal? Ok that’s 4 whole pence then! I’m so sad, perhaps it’s time for a glass of wine.

May 25th – All sorts today, finished reading a book ready to write a review, downloaded The Unicorn Girl by Melissa LeGette (who featured as my guest author yesterday) which is free this weekend. Provided afternoon tea for relatives and helped them take another step forward in the family quest for the 999 year lease documents (Taken out in 1783 by relatives), by composing and sending an e-mail on their behalf.

 

My Year of doing good, May 12th-18th

Continuing my attempts to follow in the foot steps of Judith O’Reilly after reading her book;

May 12th – Sent e-mails and texts to children of friends who are all starting their GCSE exams tomorrow. Signed up to follow several new blogs and new people on Twitter. Supported another author on Facebook and followed up a few more blog posts with comments. Visited my parents and caught up with their news. Remembered to send a birthday card to another relative. Sent out reminders to authors who will be appearing as guests on my blog this week, just to let them know that I haven’t forgotten them. Added money to my jam jar.

May 13th – My half morning of volunteering at a local school. Invited to go on a school trip with the baby class to a zoo, it’s causing me a huge dilemma, it’s got “Good Deed” written all over it, but it’s on a day that I usually work, so I would have to change my day, then it doesn’t fit with my own children’s activities, plus I know from experience that it is unlikely to be an easy trip. It boils down to how much do I want to do this good deed? I’ll have another think about it! Dropped off a card and present for a friends son.

May 14th – A busy work day for me, not much time for good deeds. Have made a batch of cookie dough ready to bake in the morning so that I can take cookies as a gift for a friend when I visit her for coffee. It’s raining today which gives me the ideal opportunity to empty my homemade compost on to the garden. I recycle all of my kitchen vegetable scraps and ferment them for my garden. There is a smelly downside, so for the sake of my neighbours and the family I try to spread it on the garden when the rain can wash it in. I know I should have dug around and found some gloves to wear, but I was being lazy. Phew!! I can smell my hands from the keyboard, think they need a fourth wash! (It’s all organic, it just stinks!)

May 15th – Baked my cookies and some cheese sables which I took with me on my visit to my friend. Picked up litter on my way home. Am trying to make a conscious effort to regularly check my spam mail after I found some “Guest Authors” had slipped through the net. Most spam is just that “rubbish” but I felt really bad when I stumbled upon people who had made an effort, only to have their message relegated to spam.

May 16th – Invited a friend out for coffee. Had a phone call from an 84 year old relative who needed help filling out a security form. She needed actual dates and places of birth of her parents, and as I hold the current family tree she came to me for the details. The need for pages of security details just so that she can continue a voluntary job which she has been doing for nearly 20 years has ruffled her feathers! Let me explain; Imagine an Edwardian style Lady in today’s society, we’re talking table manners and best behaviour, they call her “The Hat Lady” mixed with a mobile phone and her own independence. She’s been mistaken for the Queen, which is hilarious considering her voluntary job. She is a garden tour guide for HRH Prince Charles at his Highgrove garden estate. The security form went on to ask if she has ever been involved in espionage? (Well you’re not likely to admit it are you?) She’s not impressed with one or two other questions on the form, so someone in admin will be receiving a phone call from her today. Rather them than me!

May 17th – Whilst digging through the Family tree file yesterday, I found more details on a 999 year lease which is being argued over at the moment. Spent another 2 hours surfing the net to find a solution. We (My Husband’s Family) need to prove ownership of a piece of land which a family member leased to St Mary Magdalene Church in 1793 in order to extend the churchyard. The lack of documentation is infuriating, we have a signed document but can’t prove where it was registered, I keep spending hours and getting lost in fascinating documents held by the National Archives, inching my way closer. Every time the entitlement gets passed down a generation there is trouble with the proof of ownership, there is a £22 per year rent which was worth loads at the start and will be worth nothing at the end, but it’s the land which is in Bermondsey, London which is today’s issue. There is a painfully slow and expensive investigation being done by the family solicitor, plus the local council transformed the closed church yard into a garden last year and they have stopped paying the rent. All a bit of a nightmare, good job I love history. The chance to do today’s Good Deed will be later as my name is down to help provide the cricket tea at my sons match. (Praying it’s not another freezing cold evening)

May 18th – A tired day today, my Good Deeds have been very minor, just keeping up with my cyber friends, supporting their blogs and tweets and writing book reviews. Sent out e-mails to guest authors who will be appearing on the blog next week. Keeping up the Good Deeds feels like a long up hill trudge today.