Wednesday Hodgepodge: Down the hatch

1. January 24th is National Compliment Day. Is it easy or not so easy for you to accept a compliment? Share a recent compliment you've given or received.

Not so easy: I was told early and often "don't show off."

I was told by someone at the thrift store that I am a "book sorting machine." I took that as a compliment.

2. Ten five little things you are loving right now.

1. A rare sunshiny morning here, and we're getting the best of it through the balcony window.
2. New-to-me sweater.
3. A quick game of pool last night with Mr. Fixit (our building has a library-with-pool-table room).
4. Online databases that have replaced having to hunt through the periodicals index. And you can use them at home, sitting in the sunshiny window.
5. The colours of Janet Read's paintings.

3. Would people describe you as a positive person? Do you see yourself that way? I read here  a list/description of eight things positive people do differently-

Positive people find something to look forward to every day, they celebrate the small stuff, they're kind, they stay busy, accept responsibility for their actions, forgive themselves, know when to move on, and resist comparisons

Which action on the list would you say you do regularly? Which action could you add to your life to give you a more positive outlook? If you're a positive person, what's something you do regularly that's not on the list?

Whoah, that sounds like giving myself a compliment.

Just say that yes, I work at those things, and appreciate them also in others. Everybody needs more "rainy day people" around.

4. Homemade chicken soup, beef stew, or a bowl of chili...what's your pleasure on a cold winter's day?

We have all three quite often, so I'm not sure. I might pick the chili because I like the cheese and tortilla chips that go with it, and I like making the leftovers into a taco salad.

5. The best part of my day is....

Depends on the day. It might be doing a thing I'm doing, or it might be finishing a thing I'm doing. Or it might even be thinking about something I'm going to be doing.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

We got a bunch of decluttering books in the thrift store yesterday, which is a conundrum in itself. Did someone give up on decluttering, or are they now such experts that they don't need the books? Anyway, those led to an interesting conversation with one of the full-time staff, on the subject of fast fashion and donations and what's happening in countries like Kenya (Kenya doesn't want any more used clothes). The MCC store, like all the others, gets more clothes than it can sell, and has to dispose of the rest. Is the solution convincing people to buy less and hang onto their clothes longer? Blaming the industry and the retailers? Or concentrating on the disposal, landfill issues? The global garbage problem can feel like we're standing under a massive garbage chute and getting buried in falling bags, without any control over the situation. I think we need to see ourselves at the top of the chute instead, understanding that we're responsible for what we drop down there. The donations are good, and they all help support (in MCC's case) international programs like schools; but the fact that people have so much to donate, and keep on buying more to replace those things--that's the big problem.

Linked from The Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.