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Hey Reader,

It's the beginning of May and with all 5 of our grandkids close by, we are in the thick of end of the school year concerts, swim meets, dance competitions and recitals.

AND.... I am driving with my eldest grandson every day to help him get the required hours in to take his driving test in 2 weeks.

Am I out of my ever lovin' mind? YES.

But Parker is dying to get his license.

He needs to get his license.

And I have the time to do it so I said OK.

Plus the grandmother/grandson dynamic in the car is a little less tense than the mother/son dynamic.

Apparently I am SLIGHTLY less annoying that his mom (my daughter).

But today's lesson is parallel parking...so we'll see....

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Coffee is Fun. Thrifting is not.

My youngest daughter, Allison, is a master thrifter. Goodwill is her favorite place to shop.

She gets the cutest outfits from thrift stores.

Her entire living room is thrifted and is looks awesome.

Allison is an artist by training.

She can go into a store and see the potential in ANYTHING.

Plus...she is patient. The "hunt" thrills her.

I am NOT patient. And I have no desire to "hunt".

Truth be told, I don't really enjoy shopping.

For outfits, my M.O. is to walk into a store, see what's on the mannequin and if it fits, buy the whole thing.

But knowing these things about myself did not deter me from asking her to take me thrifting yesterday. For some reason, I long to replicate her success at getting fabulous things at bargain prices.

We started the morning with coffee. Super fun. We could have talked all day without my precious grandsons interrupting us.

It was downhill from there.↘️

We went to a new thrift store (chosen by me) that I had seen advertised on Instagram.

It was huge.

Everything was arranged neatly by the type of clothes. Dresses, pants, shirts, were all grouped together.

EXCEPT...NOTHING WAS ARRANGED BY SIZE!!!!!!!!

If you wanted a size 12 dress (who am I kidding - I wear a 16), you had to go through a WHOLE WALL of dresses.

I lasted less than half an hour and came home empty handed.

Lesson learned.

I will never be a thrifter.

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Thrive through serving others

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Last week, I made another Lasagne Love delivery. This time it was to a single mom who had lost her job and was obviously feeling overwhelmed.

I find this to be such an easy way to offer a helping hand and a bit of encouragement to someone who needs it.

And this time was super easy because last time I made a lasagne, I put an extra in the freezer.

Being a Lasagne Love volunteer is very flexible. You can sign up to make one delivery or you can schedule regular deliveries. You are in the driver's seat and choose how many lasagnes you want to make and how far from home you are willing to go. All of my deliveries have been within 10 minutes from my house.

I've also been praying for the requests of cancer patients that I received from Chemo Angels. It just takes a minute to pray and there is no more impactful way to serve.

Looking for ideas on way to serve others? Check out my blog post:

​12 At-Home Volunteer Opportunities for Empty Nesters​

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What I bought this week (not from a Thrift Store)

​Talbots Short Sleeve Jean Jacket - Do you ever want to complete an outfit with a denim jacket? But you live in a place where it's just too darn hot to think about adding a long sleeved layer? You need this short sleeve version. Just like a regular jean jacket, but with short sleeves. Lots of colors. Comes in Misses, Petites, Plus and Petite Plus.

​Cute sandals from Naturalizer - Super comfy. Comes in 4 colors - brown, black, mauve pink & gold metallic.

​FitFlip Metallic Toe Post Sandals - Great arch support. Comes in gold and wine metallic.

I'm still shopping for a few things to add to my closet for Spring. I want some casual dresses that aren't mini, midi or maxi. Knee length looks best on me.

What are you looking to add to your closet? What are some of your favorite brands/stores? Write back and tell me! I really want to know.

Until next time,

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Cathy

Thriving through SERVICE, LEARNING and HAVING FUN!​

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