It’s Friday! Today is the 24th Only The Good Friday post that I have done (it should be the 25th, but I “lost” a Friday somehow). I’m delighted that several of my friends have joined to try to spread an optimism virus on the internet.
Before I get to the “good”, here is a quick note to fellow OTGF ers: I’m trying to get this blogroll together, so if you are linking to OTGF, please let me know! If you have a “category” for Only The Good Friday, give me a link to your category. That way, readers can see all of your OTGF posts. My category link is:
On to the “good” this week.
This Friday is a good one, because my husband and I are headed to Galveston, Texas for the weekend. Hopefully, I will get a chance to put my toes in the sand. I actually have a day of work at a festival there, and he is joining me for the trip. It’s the only day of the month that I have work — but, I’ll think about that tomorrow. I don’t think about anything that isn’t “good” on Friday.
The good that I really want to tell you about is just little thing. It’s a yappy, little, “frou frou” dog in my neighborhood. Now, I love all of God’s critters, but “yappy” dogs are low on the list … especially dogs that come and bark at me when I’m pulling weeds in my own yard!
While I have no desire to go and pet this “thang,” I’m glad that he is in my neighborhood. Why? Because his owner walks him every day for about an hour and a half. She takes “Yappy” out to stroll the neighborhood carrying two plastic bags. One of those plastic bags is for the obvious (“Yappy” is “full of it,” and his owner cleans up the mess). The other plastic bag is to pick up the trash.
Yes, she does. Every day, my neighbor cleans up the mess that others leave behind. She picks up all the waste that thoughtless folks toss out of their cars — down to the last cigarette butt. We have the cleanest neighborhood in all of Denton, thanks to that yappy dog.
Would my neighbor go out and pick up trash if she didn’t have a yappy dog? Probably, because she raised teenagers (and, if you’ve done that, you know you get in the habit of cleaning up after the “storm” passes through). Still, I want to blame it on the dog, because I’m trying to find some reason to like it.
Don’t you wish you had “Yappy” living in your neighborhood? Actually, wouldn’t it be great if all of us took a walk each day with a plastic bag and picked up as we went along? All that bending would be great exercise. It’s such a little thing, but it can make a huge difference.
It would be even better if we could teach folks not to toss their trash — but then my neighbor and “Yappy” would be bored to tears.
Are you wondering what I mean by “Only The Good ?” I’ve been writing Only The Good Friday every week for a few months now, and sporadically posting Only The Good before then. Here is what I have told you before:
For some people, Fridays are “good” because they are the end of the work week. For other people, Fridays are “good” because they are the Sabbath day. For me, Fridays are “good” just because I say so.
Friday is the one day out of a week where I refuse to be pessimistic; I refuse to write a post that is snarky; and I actively search for the “good.” I’ve discovered that if you practice looking for the good, it becomes much easier to find!
You can join me, and several of my friends, if you like (I’m trying to spread this “optimism virus” on the internet). Write a post about something good in your world, or tell us about your favorite charity. Tell us about a book or a song that gives you delight. You can even post a recipe you think we might enjoy (especially if it contains bacon!). If you do post, please link back to this page so your readers can join, and others can find you.
And, if you don’t want to post, then take just a minute to think … then post a comment to tell me something good going on with you today. Here’s hoping your day is filled with Only The Good.
Here is the beginning of a blogroll, if you would like to add links to your posts. I went to the beginning back in October, and tried to find every blog that has posted. Please tell me if I somehow missed you, and I’ll get you on this list. Thanks to all of you for playing along!
RV Poetry; Candid Karina; All My Great, or Not So Great Adventures; Inside Mo’s Mind; Thorne’s World; Down River Drivel; Duward Discussion; Ramblings of an Unstable Mind; The Eclectic Witch; Insightful Nana; Newbie Lifeline; Everyday Tarot; West of Mars; Life’s Journey; Easter is a Laughing Matter
Related posts:
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
You’re love for “Yappy” is about how I feel about my neighbors “Cat.” I hate digging around in my garden to find the gifts her cat leaves.
However… my neighbor picks up my newspapers from my driveway and brings them to my porch. After 3 or 4 newspapers are left in my driveway… (because I don’t bother to get them).. she pick them up so strangers won’t think I’m on vacation and rob my house. Good neighbor.
Insightful Nanas last blog post..Easter Is A Laughing Matter – Only The Good Friday
Well, you’re right. Every-yapper’s momma should be so cool! I got my good on at Thornesworld! Hope you’re having a good time in Galveston!
Thornes last blog post..Only the Good Friday – It’s For the Birds!
Great story! I’m thinking if we all did one little thing like that when we’re going about our daily routines, what a nicer, cleaner and more neighborly world we’d all have. Is the dog’s name really Yappy or is that a Shelly-ism? I think that name is riot!!!
Jessica The Rock Chicks last blog post..Let Me Whisper I Love You
I love that she does that…it certainly does give “Yappy” a reason to exist, doesn’t it? lol
I’m always impressed by people who pick up after total strangers like that, and always strive to be that sort of person myself.
Here’s my post for today (kind of a lame one, but I’m still on Island Mode): http://candidkarina.blogspot.com/2009/04/only-good-friday-its-always-good.html
Also, here’s my “category link”: http://candidkarina.blogspot.com/search/label/only%20the%20good%20Fridays
Karinas last blog post..Only The Good Friday – It’s always good.
Got my witchy good on!
http://eclecticwitch.today.com/2009/04/03/only-the-good-fridays-earth-hour/
I posted it late, but I posted a OTGF!!
I also have My Neck of the Woods almost done for tomorrow… YAY!!!
carol gs last blog post..Only The Good Friday #2
It is funny how fru-fru and yappy seem to go together.
I love your neighbors care factor.
Have a great week end! the beach sounds tons better than snow!
Sheila
Sheila Atwoods last blog post..Screen Capture Software – Only the Good Friday
Don’t forget me, Shelly!
http://www.westofmars.com/category/only-the-good/
I tried to do something like this maybe a year ago, so I’m more than glad to join you.
Susan Helene Gottfrieds last blog post..Only the Good Friday: Busy!
Ya know, we have a nature preserve at the end of our road; everytime we walk out there, the mister does the “trash gathering” thing, too; he also mows the city culvert across the street from our house, because “The city doesn’t do it enough, and I’m the one who has to look at it”.
It’s definitely a point…
http://mosmind.blogspot.com/search/label/Only%20the%20Good
(is that right? is that what you want??)
Mos last blog post..Upcoming Festival Fun
Why do the sweetest people have the most annoying dogs? I think we will take a bag on our walk today, good idea.
I did my OTGF post today and set up the category link: http://gardenlognotes.blogspot.com/search/label/OTGF
Hope you have fun at the beach!
Sarahs last blog post..Finding Good Food Faster
My post is about the goodest thing to ever happen to me!
Vixens last blog post..One Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty Days
Boy, wish my neighbors would do that! Course, they probably wish my son-in-law would make more trips to the dumpster at his work site so we wouldn’t frequently have trash sitting out, waiting for him to cart it off too. But anyway, our next-door-neighbor’s kids walk their dog -on a leash, yes -but no pick-up-the-turd service goes with that walk and the dog tends to relieve itself very near the grass adjacent to our parking area in front of the house. Perfect spot for kids, hopping out of the car to hit the spot with those little feet then and of course, drag the stuff right into the house then! We used to have a big sandbox my son-in-law built for the little ones too -that is until my daughter realized another neighbor’s cats were using it as their private “Sandbox” ya know. The son-in-law ended up closing that play area for the kids down!
I missed last Friday’s OTGF -am hoping to get one in on time today but you can bet it will be Autism related since this is Autism Awareness month and you know how I am about that topic, don’t you?
Peace.
Jeni Hill Ertmers last blog post..Awareness -of Autism
What a great little story about a thoughtful neighbor. A few years back, I lived next door to a woman who was widely considered to be the neighborhood grouch – she yelled at kids walking down the street to pick up their candy wrappers, yelled at cars to slow down as they zoomed by between one main road and the other, yelled at bullies to stop picking on the little kids — but I adored her. She also routinely came out on the front porch with a handful of plastic grocery bags and handed them out to any kid within earshot. Bringing it back full of trash earned you a dime to go get a popsicle at the corner store. We had the cleanest block in our inner city hood.
I’ve linked back to you from my Only the Good post at Everyday Tarot – and my OTGF category link is Only the Good Fridays (http://everydaytarot.today.com/category/meme-posts/only-the-good-fridays/)
Kids, thank you all for joining today! I think I got you all linked. I’m in Galveston & am not sure this internet connection is “secure,” so I’ll drop by to visit & I’ll answer comments as soon as I know I’m not gonna get a virus!
Tomorrow IS, My Neck Of The Woods, and the post was already put into the works before I left home. Hope you are all having a great weekend.
Oh my, she would not be bored! She could help you weed – or – I’m sure you could teach her to blog or crochet or gather trinkets…
I’m late again, but accounted for! You are a doll including category links! Just think, any day we need a smile, we can just click on someone’s category — should be plenty of smiles for years that way!
Category link: http://rvpoetry.com/category/only-the-good/
One day I will add in my original Only the Good from my now defunct Tumbled Words.
PS. after midweek, I should be back as a consummate reader of blogs, a true participant, so I can catch up on all this good being spread!
Little things in life rule!
Marcias last blog post..Grateful? Good!