DIY Christmas

Every year, I like to do some kind of homemade gift for all my friends. Last year, I made soy candles. The year before that was a flaxseed neck pillow. The year before that I did my own blend of chai tea.

I enjoy the process of deciding what to make, finding the goodies to get it all done, making and presenting the gifts.

All year I've been planning to make reusable produce bags. I bought the fabric and the thread. I set aside the day to work on them. And then I got a gift from my sister-in-law.

Reusable produce bags. Cheap, well-made, and better than what I was planning to do. Good then. On to plan B.

Only there was no plan B. Hmmm... what to make?

I've found my plan B, I think. Testing it out today.

Question for you: What kind of handmade gifts do you enjoy receiving? What are the best ones you've made?

Thanksgiving Show and Tell

It's Thanksgiving time, a holiday for remembering all the things in our lives to be thankful for, a day for gathering with family or friends, for good food and good times. Tell us about YOUR Thanksgiving.

1. Do you cook all or part of the meal?

2. Do you eat at your house or someone else's?

3. White meat or dark?

4. What is your perfect bite?

5. Anything you won't eat for Thanksgiving?

6. How do you spend the morning?

7. The evening?

8. Favorite leftover?

9. Favorite thing about Thanksgiving?

10. Favorite Thanksgiving memory?

11. What are you thankful for this year?

Way To Go!

Last time I saw Scott, they called him Scooter. He couldn't walk, couldn't crawl, but he was a happy little guy. His parents took him to Easter Seals and prayed many a prayer over him.

He learned to walk. And then to run.

And today he ran in the NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championships. Dad and I cheered him on as he climbed the hill toward the finish line. (Those are Dad's hands. Scott's the one between them.)

8K in 27:36. Your mom and dad are so proud.

It was good to see you again, Scott. Hope to see you again next year.

Tea Time

My first day on my new job, Stan asked if I'd like some tea.

I answered, "You never have to ask if I want tea. The answer is always yes."

It's true. Just like Sabrina who, in her movie, says that Paris is always a good idea, tea is always a good idea. (I'd take Paris, too, but at 20 cents a cup, tea's a bit more accessible.)

One whole cabinet in my kitchen is filled with tea. Earl Gray, Lady Gray, English and Irish breakfast. Rwandan, Kenyan, Ugandan. Indian Chai, Black Chai, Homemade Chai Blend. Darjeeling, Assam, Ceylon. Ginger, fruit, and mint ... there's something for everyone.

I have my tea cups, too, but when I want to drink tea, I always reach for the big mugs. The one with Christmas trees reminds me of Lori who judges how well she likes a mug by how thin it's lip is. The "Shh, I'm reading" one doesn't really work, but I like it. My new Copco To Go mug will get me 10 cents off a drink at Starbucks.

Excuse me now. I need to put the kettle on.

Forever 29

He always said she'd run forever. If she was going to die, it would be from getting hit. 29 years, 400,000 miles, talk about Old Faithful.

Storage Options

When my hard drive crashed recently, the PC guru who unsuccessfully tried to retrieve my data advised that all important data should be stored in at least 3 places. Some storage options are:

-on the computer itself (of course)
-on a thumb drive
-on an external hard drive
-on an online storage backup site (like mozy or qwest digital vault)
-on a file sync service (like dropbox)

A colleague recommended sugarsync, which stores your info online and regularly syncs it with your computer. I signed up for it today and was able to receive a 500 megabite file, 50 times the size of info I'd be able to receive via email.

If you're interested in learning about sugarsync, use this link. If you sign up, it will give both of us extra storage space above the 2 gigabites you can use for free.

If you've got a helpful tip for backing up data, feel free to share.

This Just Made Me Smile

Originally I posted a clip from Wheel of Fortune, but it won't play any more. So if you want to see it, click here.

A Colorful Moment

We ARE the Joneses

We are NEVER the first people to buy a new technology. Case in point: we still have a VCR. And an analog TV. And a radio. And a typewriter.

Yesterday, though, I bought a new technology on the first day it released. I brought the Kinect for XBox home with a big grin on my face.

Finally, a game that I want to play.

For all the years we've had an XBox, there's never been a single game that's interested me. Until now. I was intrigued by the Wii and had pretty much talked myself into getting one before I heard that the Kinect would not require any controllers. It works with a motion sensor, is geared for real exercise, and works with the system we already own.

Perfect.

I only bought the sensor and a fitness program, which will be plenty to keep me busy until Christmas.

We've only had it for 24 hours but we've already had about 15 kids come over and give it a try. I think I'm going to love it. Drop on by and see how this amazing new gizmo works.

A Serene Moment

This indigo art exhibit is on at the Portland Japanese gardens. Amazing textile work by an artist from Kyoto.

A Blustery Moment

November started out wet, warm, and windy. No worries. Just get out and enjoy the weather!