Picnic in Place

PICNIC – It’s a word that brings thoughts of fun, friends and food.  It’s an attitude of playfulness and finding joy in simple things.  I encourage you to “Picnic in Place” – no matter if that place is your home, your work, or a park.  (Photos of our current mailbox display out at the street).

Coin Finding in June and July was severely affected by the “Safer at Home” protocols.  (See data below).  That does not mean however, that Doc and I were at all bored with nothing to do.

A few activities of note:

·       Unexpected house repairs and improvements

·       Hearings at Small Claims Court

·       Our 38^th Wedding Anniversary

·       My poorly executed spin out and fall which resulted in a trip to Urgent Care, head-to-toe bruising, a shattered elbow, and subsequent surgery.  (I am typing this note with my left arm in a cast).

·       Doc’s 75^th Birthday - celebrated physically with coffee and both sons in our driveway; celebrated creatively with 197 other people through texts, emails, phone calls, etc. 

Monthly Coin Data

June:   108 P; 5 N; 23 D; 11Q     Total  147 Coins 

July:     68 P; 6 N; 7 D; 2 Q      Total 83 Coins

That makes 230 Reminders that "In God We Trust".

The Nickel

Doc and I had not left our property for four days!!!!  After dinner I suggested we put on some music (his choice), light the fireplace and then he could work on a jigsaw puzzle or something while I worked on the Memory Album of our Virtual Aussie trip.  Just a nice positive evening.

After dinner Doc plopped in his recliner with TV remote in hand and proceeded to watch news with all the Coronavirus jabber.  The dirty dishes were sitting on the countertop, some bills and other letters were laying out (for several days now) calling for our attention and a few other yucky situations were on my brain.  I lost it.  That was NOT my idea of a pleasant evening together.  Around 8:45 p.m. I changed clothes (from my work grubbies), grabbed my car keys, moved Doc’s van out of my way, and took off in Pippy.  She and I were going Coin Finding!  

Pippy and I found a dime and two pennies at the first stop, then just went driving.  I already had a quarter from earlier in the day, so a Nickel would complete the Hit for the Cycle.

After a while I wondered how I would know it was time to go home.  So I said to the Penny Angels, “When I find a nickel, it will be time to go home”.  Keep in mind that nickels are the rarest coins to find.  I could go weeks without finding one.  My logical brain kicked in saying, “Don’t be silly.  That is NOT reasonable.  Back Off and retract that statement!”  At the next stop (within 15 minutes of issuing that challenge), there was the nickel.  COINcidence?  It was Time to go Home.

Instead Of ...

Our world has been turned totally upside down with this COVID-19 virus. Many of us had a multitude of plans which have now been drastically altered.

Doc and I had planned to be on a 24-Day Walkabout in Australia at this time.  Instead, due to COVID-19, we are Walking About our local area!

We (I) made a list of 24 Action Items to do instead of being in Australia.  (There are now over 80 items on that list).  We are working daily on those items and sure getting a lot done around the house and yard.  Thank goodness the home improvement stores are still open.   

Of course we are disappointed that we are not Down Under having fun with our friends. Rather than lamenting our situation, every day we are having fun with some “INSTEAD Ofs.”

Here are 12 of our INSTEAD OFs:

1)  Instead of enjoying a glass of wine on “The Rocks” ** overlooking Sydney Harbour, we enjoyed a glass of wine on the rocks overlooking our back yard!

**The Rocks is a historic laneway community in the shadow of Sydney Harbour Bridge. 

 

Wine on the Rocks 

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2)  Instead of lounging near a pool at a hotel, we enjoyed lounging on the sofa at home.

The dogs are sure loving this “Shelter at Home” stuff.

 

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3)  Instead of enjoying a picnic lunch in a lovely park with Aussie Meat Pies and Eucalyptus Trees, we enjoyed burgers from a fast-food place in the rain in an asphalt parking lot with Palm Trees.

 

  

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4)  Instead of being pampered with exotic facials at some ritzy salon, we sewed and wore custom facemasks.

  

  

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5)  Instead of the Mighty Murray River flowing past our hotel room, we have the Shelton Stream flowing past our patio.  After several years of intermittent-operation, we finally conducted the repairs and have it flowing again.  Such joy!

   

 

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6)  Instead of trying out new Aussie eateries or pubs, we tried out new frozen meals from the grocery store.  This frozen Wonton Soup is pretty tasty.   Plus it is cheaper than going out to dinner, there is no preparation work, it only takes five minutes to heat, and there are zero dinner dishes to wash (except for the spoons).

 

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7)  Instead of viewing brush in the Outback, we were viewing local snow capped mountains.

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8)  Instead of rotating around the Eye in Melbourne, we rotated the hose reel we helped install for a friend.

 

Rotating the Reel

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9)  Instead of enjoying fabulous Australian botanical gardens and parks, we spent days “flat out”.  We cleared rocks, prepared the soil, and planted flowers in this HUGE area of our back yard!   LOL

Creating Our Own Garden

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10)  Instead of sleeping in unique and Down Under hotels, we slept in the Aussie guest room of our home.

The Aussie Guest Room

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11)  Instead of appreciating famous paintings on the walls of art galleries, we created our own paintings – the concrete on our driveway and the walkway to our front door.

Concrete Staining

  

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12)  Instead of writing dozens of postcards from the passenger seat of a hire car, I wrote dozens of postcards at our dining table.   Pros – Postage mailed in US is only 35¢ versus $3.20 per card if mailed from Australia!  LOL

Postcards, Postcards, Postcards 

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CONCLUSION:  When life doesn’t go quite as planned, LOOK FOR THE INSTEAD OFs.  Sometimes they can be pretty amazing (as well as humorous).

Three Poops to a Penny

We took the doggies to the groomers to get their nails cut and anal glands expressed.  I was walking one dog, while Doc was walking the other.  Doc was pointing behind me.  Sheila had left “droppings”.  I followed her trail and scooped up each little piece,  Look at the end - a Penny!  There was a shiny penny, face up, turned in the perfect direction!  Such silliness.  “Three Poops to a Penny!”  

On Pause?

Hi Penny Pals-

One of the “perks” of being Seniors during the COVID-19 restrictions is that we can take advantage of Senior Shopping hours.  Except that they are so dang early in the morning!   LOL

I HATE the thought of starting over at Day #0 of Penny Finding, but it’s getting too risky to be going out each day for a coin.  Doc at his age, and with other health conditions, should be following the “Shelter at Home” edict.

I might still post Tales from the Penny Palace if interesting things happen, but it’s not wise (or lawful) to be out hunting coins right now and writing Penny Tales (Try explaining to the police: “But it was NECESSARY for me to be to be out of the house in order to Find today’s coin!”)

Would it be Ethical to put Penny Finding on “Pause” (like a video) and then continue with Day #1,001 when things are safe (and lawful) to venture out again?  Or do I need to start all over at Zero? 

Tina

CELEBRATE Day #1,000

Hi Penny Pals-

Grocery Shopping with
Mandatory Facemasks

Let’s Celebrate 1,000 Days of Penny Finding!  Hopefully a number of you will take on the 1,000 Penny Challenge which I posted yesterday.  Surely sometime in the next few days YOU could meet that challenge and Gift One Person (or organization) the equivalent 1,000 pennies ($10).  Doc and I plan to do Ten for $10.

For you International Penny Pals – do the math and figure out an equivalent in your local currency.   LOL

PLEASE SHARE your story in the comment section below so that other people will read it and the JOY ripples will spread like a virus!   LOL

SPREAD JOY not Germs!

Tina

Day #999

Hi Penny Pals-

Let’s Celebrate!  Despite COVID-19, surgeries, travel trips over the past 2.7 years and numerous other hurdles, the Penny Angels have provided a coin EVERY DAY for the past 999 days!

Will you join in Celebration of Day #1,000?  We did this back in September 2011 for Day #1,000 and it was heart warming.  We also held a “Sunset Champagne Tour” of the Penny Palace that evening as the house was in framing mode.

I challenge each of you to gift or donate the equivalent of 1,000 pennies ($10) to someone.  Just mutter something such as “I am spreading JOY instead of germs”.  “Here is $10 in Celebration of 1,000 Penny Finding Days”. Or simply “Just Because I feel like sharing some JOY”.

You can do this while keeping a safe “Social Distance”.  Gift your mail carrier or delivery driver.  Gift a grocery store worker or other customer at a store.  Tape a note on a neighbor’s door.  Go on line and gift to a charity or a Go Fund Me project.  

There are so many ways YOU can SHARE JOY!

BEE Creative.

 P.S.  Today’s 6 coins (4P, N, Q) were found outdoors (safe social distance from anyone else) at two locations on the way to Doc’s medical appointment (allowable reason to leave the house).

Tina

Peaceful Mind

Day #986

This Coronavirus has sure affected everyone’s former ways of thinking.  It seems we are all learning new ways of dealing with typical activities.  EVERY aspect of our lives are affected.  Our incomes, our education, our travel, our retirement funds, our health, our ‘cents’ of security.

Today Doc and I finished painting our wood fence out front.  Happy moment!  There was only a 10% chance of rain in the forecast for the next 48 hours.  As I am writing this Tale, it is hailing outside!!!  I forgot to check the HAIL forecast!  LOL

I have been asked: “How is it that Penny Finding is EVEN something important to do in a time such as this?”  Because each coin states, “In God We Trust!”  I, for one, need that reminder. 

 

Today instead of Doc and I going to grocery stores, Target, Home Depot, etc. for my coins and his 10,000 steps, we went for a walk. I asked the Penny Angels to provide a coin or two, yet keep us safely away from other people and germs.  Doc and I walked the neighborhood and a deserted parking lot.  We looked with fresh eyes in places and planters we had never looked before.

Look what we found!   Pennies: 19 and Dimes: 3

Those Penny Angels are sure eager to please!

Tonight my on-line ACIM (A Course in Miracles) study lesson was titled:     I Could See Peace Instead of This.

“Peace of mind is clearly an internal matter.  It must begin with your own thoughts, and then extend outward.   It is from your peace of mind that a peaceful perception of the world arises”.

I want to be able to extend peace and joy to other people right now.  Hope YOU do as well.

Score!

Hi Penny Pals-

This morning Doc had a quick medical appointment.  On the way home we stopped at a grocery store for two things:  Today’s coin (I found 3) and toilet paper for a friend.  In checking out, I was joking with the cashier:  “This is better than Christmas!  We are giving gifts which people actually appreciate and NEED!”   LOL

"Distance" Coins

A few of you have expressed your concerns over Doc and I heading out into public for merely a daily PENNY.  COVID-19 restrictions are now to shelter at home (except for essential trips) and avoid contact with people.  “Social Distancing” is the new buzz term.  Yesterday I forwarded your concerns to the Universe, today it answered. 

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Add caption

There was a break in the rain today, so Doc and I did some fence painting.  Actually Doc had been scheduled for a prostate biopsy this morning, but the doctor called to say it did not make "cents" for Doc to come into the medical center - stay away right now.

As our reward for those three hours of work, Doc and I went out for a drive.  We figured that staying inside our car would equate to “social distancing”.

At the stoplight at the end of our street, there were no cars or people visible in ANY direction.  It was a very deserted intersection in a residential area. I looked out my passenger window and there was a nickel shining brilliantly in the sun!  (Nickels are the most difficult to find).  WHY would it be THERE?  Since there were zero cars or people, it was “safe” to hop out and fetch that “distance” coin.   “THANK YOU Penny Angels – that was thoughtful and creative of you”.

Jordan's Quarter

Next Doc and I went to the Verizon Store because Doc's phone was not behaving properly.  Jordan was the only employee working and there were no other customers in the store.  Jordan was evaluating Doc’s phone (with gloved hands and a face mask) and standing over a quarter!  Finally I could bear it no longer… “Jordan would you kindly move a few steps away so that I might move forward and rescue that poor quarter you are trampling?”  We had a good laugh at that.  He moved aside and said, “There’s a dime right over there as well!”  So I retrieved the dime while sharing a few Penny Tales with Jordan.  Doc and I found an additional four pennies while going back to the van.  That means a Hit for the Cycle today!  Pretty impressive Angels.  LOL

Today’s Lesson:  There are forces all around us who are here to help – and they are not susceptible to COVID-19!   LOL

Day #978

Are you tired of hearing about the COVID-19 Virus?  This has surely emphasized how we are ALL connected to each other!

It is a good thing that Penny Angels are NOT affected by this virus.  They are continuing to do their job.  Two days ago they provided 20 coins; yesterday 6 coins; today 16 coins.  Found 12 (a coin mine in my hand) at just one grocery store.  Right now, coins are much easier to find than Toilet Paper!  (Note the barren shelves of paper goods behind me in Photo 1).

Here is Doc at the meat counter saying “Where’s the Meat?”  (Photo 2)  Not a single item in the display cases.

FYI:  The frozen pizzas and dinners were also gone, but there were PLENTY of vegetables and fruits in the produce area.  Is this indicative of the typical American diet?

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As mentioned in my New Year’s Penny Tale, Doc and I have/had two domestic and two international trips planned.  We had planned to travel in Australia for 24 days. Yesterday we cancelled the flights, lodging, and rental car for that trip.  It would require 14 days Quarantine upon landing there and then 14 days Quarantine upon returning to the U.S.  If caught avoiding the self-quarantine, it could mean a $50,000 AUS fine.   Even with the favorable currency exchange rate right now, that is a bit steep.  And I do Iove Doc, but 28 days locked in a room together is NOT my idea of a vacation.   LOL

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You know me and Lists  LOL …. I Began a New List titled: “24 Projects to Tackle versus 24 Days in Australia”.  Within a few minutes there were 47 items on my list.  We won’t be bored during our STAYcation.

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Penny Fever and Acts of Random Kindness (ARKS) can be as contagious as COVID-19.

In this time of uncertainty, let us      

Spread JOY, not Germs!

Summary of 2019

WOW!  It is currently Consecutive Day #915 of Penny Finding.  Half of January 2020 is over and I have just now totaled the 2019 coin data. 2019 brought another 365 days of finding coins EVERY DAY.  It certainly was NOT easy with Doc’s two knee replacement surgeries, a week on a riverboat, and various other things happening.  As usual, there were numerous funny and touching stories throughout the year.

Here is a summary of the 2019 data.  We found: 

1818 Pennies, 121 Nickels, 395 Dimes and 124 Quarters plus some other currency.  There were 2458 basic U.S. coins.  The value of the U.S. currency totaled $98.51

There were 21 Hits for the Cycle.

There was some paper currency, a Silver Quarter, as well as 33 additional coins including ones from Bermuda, Columbia, New Zealand, Japan, Belgium, Mexico, China, Canada, Korea, and Thailand.

Since I first threw out the Penny Challenge to the Universe in December of 2008, I have found more than 31,000 coins worth over $1,400.

Doc and I have two domestic and two international trips planned for 2020.  It could be a bit challenging to find pennies in countries which don’t use pennies.

Wishing you a Happy, Penny Finding 2020.