#1 Send a Care Package to Josh

A friend recently sent me a text reminding me that I could cross something off my 101 things list. Not only is she absolutely right but after a quick glance at the list I noticed there were more than a few things I could cross off. Upon second glance I started to sweat a little, why did I say I would blog about ALL of them?? It must be because I like to give myself disappointed looks in the mirror.

One thing at a time, right? I guess I will start at the top of the list and work my way down. Like most of my best intentions I never meant to fall this far behind, but there is nothing I can do about it now except attempt to play catch up. Aren't you just absolutely riveted by my passion for this project!?! I bet you can't wait for post after post about my life list - just bursting with high speed car chases and thrilling, edge of your seat suspense. Perhaps you should go practice your disappointed face.

Without further ramblings: #1 Send a care package to Josh.

It is only fitting that I renew my enthusiasm for this blogging project with a total failure. I did not, in fact, actually send my brother a care package. I know, I KNOW...Sister of the Year!

How is that for a suspenseful opening? I've really got you on the hook now!

How about a little back story? I am not sure that I have ever really written about my siblings on my blog. We all grewupMaine together over the course of 20 some odd years. There is a fairly significant age gap between myself and my brother (7 years my junior), and my sister was born three years after he was. Yes, we all have the same parents. No, I have no idea why our parents thought it would be fun to have three children over the course of a decade. In any case the age gap has certainly shaped our relationships. I am fiercely protective of them and over the years have worn many hats including, mother, sister, and friend.

My brother graduated from the University of Richmond a few weeks after Lily was born. His post collegiate plan, join the Peace Corp and move to a third world country in September of 2010. Between his May graduation and his departure date...Matt and I allowed him to live in our basement. Which I guess in the grand scheme of things was one step up from our parents basement.  In return for room and some table scraps he spent the summer painting our house. The arrangement worked out surprisingly well with very few dirty looks exchanged and maybe a few too many beers consumed.

The good times could not last forever and as the sad song says, summer came to an end. Josh packed up his basement dwellings, spent a few weeks back home with my mom and dad, and at the end of September 2010 he set off for Paraguay. Admittedly I had to look on a map to have more than a vague idea of where he was going.

In the past two years he has been able to make two trips home. Not too shabby for a guy who lives in a concrete block hut. The first trip was for Christmas 2011 and we all knew he was coming home well in advance. His second trip home was a total surprise, thus bringing us to the care package that never left my dining room.

I went to Christmas Tree Shops and Marshalls to buy some food and some trinkets to send a few weeks before Josh's birthday in August. I really did have every intention of getting this package to him, I swear. BUT before I had a chance to get my butt to the post office (I have been a little busy) I got a message from my parents that Josh would be in the States mid September. Since there was absolutely no point in paying for postage to mail: dry soup mix, luna bars (which I did NOT know are for women, haha), knock off candy, water balloons, mini tools, colored pencils, and lighthouse puzzles, I held onto my treasures to give to my brother in person. Only half of which he had room for in his overstuffed backpack. He did tell me that the Luna bars hit the spot...so there.

The list item clearly says, "Send a care package to Josh." Sounds like 5 dollars in the charity jar to me.