Thursday Thirteen--13 highlights of 2007
in no particular order

1) I learned to really love vegetables. I was really packing on the pounds--I called it blogging weight because I got broad band and sat more. I started adding veggies in 2006 I rarely ate and didn't particularly like, grilling them in a little olive oil. Now in 2007 I have 5-6 a day for lunch, and love it! I'd never go back to sandwiches, chips, cookies and leftovers!

2) Short term construction mission to a Christian school in Ouanaminthe, Haiti. This was actually my husband's trip, but I benefited vicariously. He's still talking about it and will go again in February. He also found some new subjects for his paintings that aren't boats or barns.


3) Serving communion. We've served at the 8:30 traditional service for several years, and I enjoy it more than anything I've done at church, but this year I volunteered for more opportunities--especially during Advent. It really put the season in perspective. Although I loved singing in the choir, my voice remained squeaky and scratchy, so I dropped that.

4) We have a delightful calico cat, but volunteered to puppy-sit our daughter's Chihuahua while they vacationed in LasVegas. I think we had more fun than they did. Abbie was extremely well behaved and didn't act like a spoiled diva until the last day when she decided they weren't coming back.
5) Our fabulous September trip to Ireland with Alumni Holidays International with new friends from the University of Illinois and the University of Georgia. Except for catching a cold at the end of the trip, it was absolutely perfect.

6) Our two class reunions, Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis, and Mt. Morris High School in Mt. Morris, Illinois.

7) Get togethers with my extended family and friends in Illinois in July. Aunts, uncles, siblings, nieces, nephews, classmates, even a funeral for the mother of a childhood friend, and a visit to Forreston, Illinois to visit a war memorial.

8) Buying new clothes for the weight loss and pitching the old.

9) Redecorating the master bedroom to go with our new Amish made arts and crafts bed.

10) The visit of my husband's sister Deb and her husband John who live in Tustin, California. They were married in September 2006 and my husband walked her down the aisle with her other brother. Divorce separated them in childhood, but friendship brought them together as adults. It's never too late to be a big brother.



11) Fun times with special friends, some new, some long standing--Joyce and Bill, Wes and Sue, Sharon and Eric, Ron and Jane, Carol and Bob, and our SALT group and VAM group from church.

12) Watching my husband have so much fun sailing on Lake Erie. It's a late in life love, but a mistress I can tolerate and appreciate.

13) Learning some new technology tricks. My laptop as failed so often, I have learned to load the software myself. I've got an easier-to-use digital camera, and a few things still in the box that I will save for 2008 challenges for my brain.

Four million Canadians

are descendants of an estimated 100,000 orphaned and abandoned children sent by British care agencies to Canada between 1869 and 1939. Researching a "Home Child of Canada" is described in the Nov/Dec issue of Family Chronicle. At least 200,000 are descendants of Scottish orphans. Go to www.collectionscanada.ca to begin a search, if your grandparents or great grandparents were British child immigrants to Canada. From there go to immigration and citizenship, and eventually you'll get to home children (scroll down) which is divided into databases by years. Just reading the story in Family Chronicle brought tears to my eyes. It seems in every generation there is a social theory that comes to the forefront on what to do with unwanted or inconvenient children. Afterall, many of these children were street urchins before taken off the streets by various agencies and homes. Bonding them out as servants (some were adopted, however) seems cruel by today's standards, but not when compared to abortion of the unwanted or letting them wander the streets of industrial cities.

The article also includes websites for various British Home children's stories and accounts, such as Tweetybird, Marjorie Kohli, Perry Snow, Annie MacPerson, Maria Rye, Louisa Birt, Dr. Barnardo, Quarrier, Middlemore, Fegan, and Church of England and Roman Catholic. In many ways, if you are searching for a lost history, you are better off with this system because of ship records, medical records, and institutional records, than you are with the closed adoptions of the 1960s-1980s which deny adults any information not only about their own past, but their ancestors too.

If your library doesn't carry this journal, you can probably get a copy of the article on interlibrary loan. "Home children--British child immigrants to Canada," by Janice Nickerson, Family Chronicle, Vol. 12, no. 2, Nov/Dec, 2007, pp.16-19. The magazine's website said it does not sell back issues.

It's not because

We are not fat or
snug in our jeans because
we watch TV ads and
billboards pointing to drive-thrus.

If that were the case,
I would drink beer,
smoke cigarettes,
drive a Mercedes,
and take several kinds of laxatives.

If that were the case,
I would have shiny floors
sparkling sinks,
buy Titleist golf balls
and tickets for Broadway shows.

Say and blame what you will,
but I like the taste,
feel, and energy
on my lips and tongue.

For Totally Optional Prompt, "Letter to the editor" theme, January 3, 2008
Poetry button by Boogie Jack

Mother's Commonplace Book

Both my mother and grandmother clipped things from magazines and newspapers or copied them, pasting and saving them in notebooks. When I was a little girl I would sit in a quiet spot and read what she had saved--poems, articles, proverbs, sayings. Most reflected what she believed. The earliest clipping was 1946--a cartoon of Father Time holding the leftovers of WWII handing the bewildered Baby 1946 a broom with an apology--the latest 1999. My niece Julie copied her notebook and distributed it among family members. I just noticed tonight that the size notebook she used, about 6 x 8, is the size I use for my blogging notes.

This one she typed out, and titled it "The Watcher-Mother." I looked it up on the internet, and found it with the author's name and a different title. This poem doesn't reflect Mother's parenting style--but it's pretty accurate for her own mother.

Watching for Us [The Watcher-Mother]

She always leaned to watch for us,
Anxious if we were late,
In the winter by the window,
In summer by the gate;

And though we mocked her tenderly,
Who had such foolish care,
The long way home would seem more safe
Because she waited there.

Her thoughts were all so full of us--
She never could forget!
And so I think that where she is
She must be watching yet.

Waiting till we come home to her,
Anxious if we are late--
Watching from Heaven's window,
Leaning from Heaven's gate.

-Margaret Widdemer

Margaret Widdemer (1884-1978) graduated from Drexel Institute Library School in 1909. She wrote both protest poetry (some still used in women's literature classes) and sentimental verse. She also wrote novels and short stories. Looking through some things she wrote, I also see an interest in death and "the other side." The wife in her novel "Rose Garden Husband" is a librarian. In 1919 she shared the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry with Carl Sandburg.

Seen somewhere

Always cite your sources. . .

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New tires

sure do feel good when there's an inch of snow on the ground and traffic has ground it down to ice. I was parked on a little incline at the coffee shop, sensed a little slippage, but not much. I bought them about 3 weeks ago. I so rarely watch TV that if it weren't for e-mails, I wouldn't know what else is going on. Lots of snow in northern Illinois and northern Ohio.

USAToday reports that Miami could have 30 degrees, and frigid temps will go as far south as Key West. Detroit yesterday had a 7 hour storm that dropped 15" of snow in three counties. O'Hare cancelled 150 flights due to the weather. A 100" snow storm is being forecast by computer models for the northwest. I think they already have quite a bit--maybe they mean 100" accumulation.

Meanwhile, Al Gore, call home. You've messed up some expectations.

This map from Weather Underground shows the deepest snow as a light coral color. Don't miss the wonderful photos at this site.

My frozen car door blog is getting many hits today.

<<<<<---------and in other news-------->>>>>

My husband is still "under the weather" so he's cancelled the exercise class today at UALC Lytham Rd, and I'm picking up his paintings at an art show that comes down today. So I've changed into corduroy slacks and flat shoes, and I'm off to battle the elements.

Four years ago, gearing up for the 2004 campaign

Four years ago about this time I was complaining about our President:

But I do wish George Bush would stop spending money like a drunken Democrat (no name, but you know who I mean). In fact, his spending increases are far greater than Clinton’s on domestic programs for the same time period in office. This makes it difficult for Democrats to criticize him on domestic policy, since those are their pet programs, resulting in a fractured and lack luster campaign. Also, it is hard for Republicans to rein him in, since he is their guy. A responder to a Cato Institute paper says he “has become the "Mother of All Big Spenders."

Nothing's changed. He's a Republican, but not a Conservative. No one will soak the rich the way GWB has--the tax coffers are now around 60% supplied by the richest, compared to about 54% under Clinton. The Democrats' tax increases will be to punish success, not to grease any economic squeaky wheels. And they'll hit all of us who live on investments in our retirement. So where does that leave Edwards and his "two Americas" theme--the man who made his fortune suing the very companies we need we for surgeries and cancers, driving up the insurance costs of doctors, all the while promoting universal health care to dumb down the whole system. Want universal health care in a disaster like an epidemic or terrorist attack? Look to FEMA and Katrina for results. Want cheaper health care? You won't find it in Washington. In addition to what I pay for Medicare coverage (a lot), I'm paying $132 a month for Medi-gap.

New Year's Dinner

Just us. Eating in separate rooms. My husband is sick, so the house is zoned. But here's the menu for tonight. After all, it is a new year.

Beef roast in barbeque sauce
scalloped potatoes with cheese
tender, crisp asparagus
cherry topped, sugar-free cheesecake

He's in 7th heaven with all the football, and has a little table by his side for food. It reminds me a bit of Christmas 2003 when he decided to have his shoulder surgery between Christmas and New Year's so he could watch football on TV while he healed. He was so deathly sick and in such pain, none of us enjoyed anything!

Good-bye Charlie

And I just found him. It's over.

The most popular New Year's Resolution

Do we even need to research this? It's most likely to "lose weight," "lose 10 pounds," or "get in shape." So I've looked back over my notebook for inspiration, and here's a few tidbits, some encouraging, but most not.

The hallmarks of successful weight loss maintenance include a low-calorie diet and high energy expenditures--1300-1800 calories a day consumed, and 2600 calories spent a week in physical activity.

Medications for weight loss haven't worked well compared to lifestyle changes. In fact, Robert Lustig, MD, says their effect is "underwhelming."

Based on observation of who uses them, I'd say that diet drinks and special diet foods help make people fat. These foods, in my opinion, don't taste right and create a craving for more. Want low fat? Add some water or milk. The label says that's the first ingredient. Or use less of the real thing.

According to the EPA, removing 100 lbs. of "stuff" from the trunk or back seat of your car will improve your fuel efficiency by 2%. Removing 10% of your body weight from your "trunk" or "back seat" will improve your own energy efficiency too.

Losing the sloppy jeans and t-shirt look, a close shave, and a good haircut can probably make a man look 10 lbs. thinner. Math clue: baggy sweat pants and shirt add, they don't subtract.

The ordinary person without type II diabetes has average health care costs of $2848 a year, including $541 out of pocket costs; the person with type II diabetes has annual health care cost of $9,797, with oop of $1566. In 2006, the nation spent an estimated $22.9 billion on direct medical costs related to diabetes complications (www.aace.com).

Research shows that kids will eat more of anything after watching food ads, so the advertising doesn't necessarily build brand loyalty, but does increase weight. Turn off the TV or computer and send them outside to play.

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2007;167:766-773) found a clear relationship between being overweight and filing Workers' Comp claims. Employees with a BMI 40 or over had 11.65 claims per 100 FTE, where recommended weight employees had 5.80. So on a job interview, does the HR person see you and your skills or $51,091 vs. $7,503 per 100 FTEs and more lost work days? Think about it. Is that really discrimination or watching the bottom line (no pun intended)?

Children with sleep disorders are often hyperactive, have attention deficit, and more absenteeism from school, according to a study in JAMA, June 27. Obesity, adnoids, tonsils, facial abnormalities, colds and allergies are contributing factors.

Women who weigh themselves every day are on average 7-8 lbs lighter than those who don't. Just wearing a pedometer will increase your activity level.

Obese people tend to sit for 150 more minutes a day than their lean counterparts.

Only 30% of older women get regular exercise.

Healthy eating doesn't fix everything. JAMA reported in the July 18 issue that women breast cancer survivors did no better on special low fat, high fruit/vegetable diets than the control group who ate the recommended 5 servings a day. The researchers were surprised and disappointed.

Out of the frying pan into the fire: according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences some powerful drugs used for treating mental illnesses cause patients to gain so much weight that they often develop life-threatening complications such as diabetes and heart disease. I've seen this happen to a loved one who was depressed and suicidal last year at this time, and mentally healthy today but 70 lbs heavier.

Arthur C. Brooks observed in the WSJ (2-17-07) that a BMI of below 25 can't be "normal" if so few people are there. Overweight men give more money to poverty relief and also are more generous with their time in volunteering than thin men. Brooks suggests that denying one's self may translate into denying others.

Of all the "foodie" books I noticed in 2007, this one, "What to eat: an aisle by aisle guide" by Marion Nestle (2006) looked really good. I haven't read it yet, but she has my philosophy, "eat less, move more," and eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Arranged like a tour of your supermarket, the book is, according to a CDC review, "a revealing look at the standard practices of government agencies, retailers, and food manufacturers that the complex world of food sales comprises." I have certain aisles at Meijer's that I won't walk through.

About a year ago, JAMA reported that in a study of the four major diet plans, the only successful people were the publisher and the author/researchers who got the grant. None of the diets worked well, or consistently, and none of the groups (ladies) were really following them.

It's not rocket science. Reading and following even well-intentioned, healthy recipes can add pounds. A roasted pear, walnut and feta cheese salad has 400 calories. A side dish of fresh, tender crisp asparagus has 88. And if you're like me, the cheese will make you hungry.

Considering how many presidential candidates are suggesting that universal health care is the solution and not the problem, I'm concerned by how many positive research articles I see on 1) government regulation of food intake, 2) surgery as a solution for obesity in order to lower long term costs, 3) attributing obesity to social class, race and poverty.

And why am I an expert? Yes, I research and take notes. However, as an adult (I was reasonably skinny as a kid), I've lost a lot of weight--20 lbs. in 1960, 20 lbs. in 1982, 10 lbs. in 1987, 20 lbs. in 1993, 10 lbs. in 1998, and 20 lbs. in 2006-07. Plus multiple smaller adjustments along the way. Right now I have a refrigerator full of luscious desserts left from our party on the 30th. The cherry cheesecake hasn't even been cut! Tough decisions ahead. Need to start the new year right--how about you?

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I've been tagged--7 weird/random things about me

Here are the rules: Link to the person (Dancing Boys Mom) that tagged you.

Post the rules on your blog.

Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.

Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

[I'm pretty sure I've done this one before--but here goes. The fact I'm doing this means I'm out of topics.]

1. I have 11 blogs, or 10 if you don't count the one that is completed and never added to, or 12 if you count the one that isn't at blogger.com.

2. [deleted] I hate to exercise, sweat, or breathe hard. I know it's good for me, but I've never liked it, and guess I never will. But right after I wrote this I went outside and walked a mile because the sun is shining. When I was 43 I joined an aerobic dance class and lost 20 lbs. But I still hated it.

3. I was an excellent student--mostly A's, and I loved school, but I think I withdrew from college 4 or 5 times. I've sort of forgotten the details. Rather than get a bad grade, I'd just withdraw.

4. I have all my permanent teeth, even four wisdom teeth.

5. I never worked in the first profession for which I trained (teaching).

6. I had grandparents until I was 43.

7. I do not like to be "overscheduled" (busy), so I plan accordingly. My theory is that people are as busy as they want to be.

My tags:

1. Matthew
2. John
3. Lady Light
4. PJ
5. Janeen
6. The Laundress
7. Emelou

The Christmas Exchange

The mirror looks nice in the bathroom--it was an exchange for a cast iron utensil too heavy for me to use. But the good news is, I found the itty-bitty Martha Stewart roaster I wanted at K-Mart--about $8.00. Then I exchanged the flannel pj's, fuzzy slippers and red dressy t-shirt for two jackets I am wearing for parties. Both with a wine or cranberry color backbround. While at K-Mart I found a nice T that would go with both--$4.00. The paisley print must have 10 colors, but I'm thinking only gray or wine/rust will work; the longer jacket with mandarin collar and side splits is wine (shown here in loden).

Generate your own jargon

With just a click, this little ap will provide the verb, adjective and noun you'll need to write that important grant proposal, or just stupify your friends. Educational Jargon Generator. I saw it at Joanne Jacobs blog and she saw it somewhere else. I've seen print versions for political speeches.

I wonder if Joe Morgenstern uses something like this to write his film reviews for WSJ? Friday he reviewed "There will be blood." As usual, by the time I worked my way through the complicated phrasing and multiple layers of performances by which actor played who in other films I didn't see, I had no idea why Daniel Day Lewis should have an Oscar for this. Four and five clauses per sentence using commas and dashes followed by parentheses just make my eyes swim.

The Eco-friendly rich

It's easy to be kind to the environment if you are over 65 and living on a teacher's pension and social security. We need less; buy less; budget more; conserve more. Plus we've learned that more stuff is just a burden to store and move around. But it's not so easy if we're rich with a "I deserve it" attitude. Last week USAToday featured a boomer couple using a solar powered water heater for their swimming pool. What sacrifice!

One of my favorite indulgences of opulence is Architectural Digest--you really see how the rich live in that magazine. And the green ads! What a hoot. The January 2008 issue has a special advertising section for just green money makers. Green renovating? Be eco-luxury and eco-gorgeous with the SBS-245 from Liebherr which combines your wine and food storage with 5 temperature zones in one eco-friendly unit! Of course, you'll want a refrigerator in your home office, your media room, your guesthouse too, so everyone will be happier with chilled drinks near by. A wine cooler in the pantry or bar is especially convenient, but when selecting these appliances look for the ENERGY STAR label so you don't waste energy.

Then you'll want to upholster your furniture with Edelman Leather, tanned with ancient techniques without chemicals (everyone knows that old ways are more natural and eco-friendly, right?) using vegetable dyes. You can even have that exotic jaguar, zebra or leopard print silk-screened onto cowhides to complement your new decor. Not to worry about the animals though, every hide is a by-product of the food industry, so you are actually preventing waste!!

And what could be more eco-friendly than a 65" flat screen LCD TV from a plant in Japan that has reduced its CO2 emissions by 76,000 tons per year!

Don't forget to rip out the HVAC system and replace it with a radiant heating and cooling system by Uponor (formerly Wirsbo)--eliminate allergens, use pipes (embedded in your wall$) made of polyethylene tubing, which unlike copper will not corrode (whatever happened to natural?) and enhance your indoor air quality.

And why not build a New England style home (originally designed by hardy folk to battle wind and snow on the east coast) along the windwept dunes of Malibu? Or a huge mansion in Palm Beach, FL that is inspired by jungle houses of Southeast Asia (designed by primitive peoples to work with that environment). Ah, the rich grow green. I'd love the irony if they weren't liberals trying to shove a limiting lifestyle on others while they merrily spend away.

And for the rest of us

hybrid cars which will take years to pay for, or ethanol spewing God-knows-what into the atmosphere while raising food costs

energy efficient bulbs containing mercury, made only in China in dirty coal burning factories, soon to be required by federal mandate, even though there are dozens of appliances that won't accept them

reusable cloth bags to carry into Trader Joe's to buy frozen fish from Indonesia and nuts from the Philippines

sale of carbon off-sets so we don't need to do with less, while cutting down trees in the midwest to grow more corn for ethanol

donations to "green" groups (with no track record)

public transit campaigns in suburban areas where it is a tax boon doggle for politicians, mostly Democrats who have grabbed the top 20 earmarks in the current Congress

employment in marketing firms that are now producing self-laudatory brochures and advertisements promoting green products

brands that say "organic" but not "grown in the USA."

Martin Luther's Christmas Book

Several weeks ago I checked out this title from our church library and forgot about it. Because of its seasonal topic I was only supposed to keep it one week! Now I'm reading it, and think it is so wonderful, I want to buy a copy. Luther's writing is timeless, and he wrote on every imaginable topic.

If I'm reading the publication data on the verso correctly, the editor, Roland H. Bainton, put it together with selected woodcuts from German artists of the era in 1948. This paperback is by Augsburg Fortress, 1997. Unfortunately, Bainton is a bit vague on where to find the originals, citing "the index to the sermon on the Gospels in the Weimar edition of Luther's works, vol. XXII," and suggests the stories are more beautiful in the original German. The back cover tells us that this little devotional contains 30 excerpts from Luther's Christmas sermons and that Bainton, a renowned Reformation scholar, translated and arranged them into eight topics. A reviewer at Amazon.com says that this represents 1/20th of what Luther preached and wrote about Christmas.

This is from the first chapter, "Annunciation."

"Our Lord Jesus Christ was born of a line of ancestors whom the Evangelist Matthew arranges with artistry into three groups of fourteen patriarchs, fouteen kings, and fourteen princes. Among the latter were a number of disreputable characters, as we learn from the book of Kings, and there were no savory women. God holds before us this mirror of sinners that we may know that he is sent to sinners, and from sinners is willing to be born."

So much of today's emphasis in evangelical churches is on Jesus as a friend and buddy, a close relationship, personal self-worth and happy, clappy, feel-good worship services, and service to God in order to feel good. Many of the songs are "I, me, my, mine" or "we, we, we." Luther never loses the awe and majesty of God come in the flesh, but also he doesn't let us forget why we need a savior. And as with all presentations of the Gospel, if you don't start with sin, you have no climax or ending either.

He takes the smallest part of the story and builds a sermon--like the birth of Christ taking place during a census and uses it to explain the Christian's relationship to government, or why virginity is not superior to marriage, or what low-down grubby work sheepherders had to do, or why the Wise Men, whom he called the sons of Abraham, were just learned, honorable men and not kings or princes. Always, Luther asks us to return to scriptures.

Why did the star not take the Wise Men straight to Bethlehem without any necessity of consulting the Scriptures? Because God wanted to teach us that we should follow the Scriptures and not our own murky ideas.

Thirteen Little Things

When we are children we learn life time lessons from our parents, some by their words, others by actions. Today I'm jotting down 13 habits, techniques, behaviors, attitudes, etc. learned from my parents that are still with me, some without thinking about them, some throw aways, in no particular order. Chime in with a few of yours.

1. If you are with someone, always open the door and let your friend(s) walk through first.

2. Make a square, military corner on the bottom sheet (when I was a little girl there were no fitted sheets) to keep it from pulling loose. Stop to admire your effort. Although I don't do this now, the principle of doing something right the first time and taking pleasure in it is a good one.

3. Always wear an apron in the kitchen. Aprons certainly aren't what they used to be, and it seems to me food splashes more, so when I put one on, I often think of my dad who always reminded me, even as an adult.

4. Turn housework into a game (usually against the clock). My mother was big at trying to make "work" into "fun." This usually got an eye roll from me and a whine.

5. Respect others with your appearance. Both my parents would "fix up" for the other after their work day, and we always ate as a family with properly set table, pleasant conversation.

6. Clean up the kitchen after the meal; never leave dirty dishes on the counter or in the sink. I often fail with this one--maybe this would be a good New Year's resolution.

7. Start the week right with church attendance.

8. A gentleman always comes to the door to pick up a lady for a date. First timers meet the parents.

9. Sit like a lady (this was back in the days when girls and women usually wore skirts or dresses). Corollary: don't slouch.

10. The proper way to answer the phone. We often had to take orders for my dad, so this greeting I no longer use. However, I still keep paper and pencil by the phone, and I try not to mumble. I also overheard how dad spoke to his customers and even today I expect this from business people.

11. "A soft answer turns away wrath." This is my mother's from Proverbs 15:1. Never quite grasped this one, but it worked for my mother, who lived it and often quoted it. I can't remember her ever raising her voice.

12. The person who feeds the puppy is the one who will be loved by it. Usually this was Mom, because despite all our promises to care for it, she's the one who usually took pity on the poor thing. When I was growing up the dogs and cats lived outside. If it got bitterly cold, they could stay on the porch or in the basement.

13. In your lifetime you will probably have three really good friends. I'm still thinking about this one. Life has different stages--friendships vary--but the number seems pretty accurate.

Banner by AmandaF

Christmas Returns

Yesterday I heard on the radio that 40% of the gift receivers return something. Usually, that isn't me. I hardly ever return a gift--primarily I suppose because I'm pretty specific about size and color or type. This year I had no ideas, so a lot is going back! On Friday I asked my daughter if she'd already bought me something, and she said not everything. So I mentioned that my little (ca. 3 lb) roaster was starting to look a bit shabby and chipped. I think I bought it at K-Mart maybe 5 or 6 years ago for $5.00. It's just perfect for a small roast and I use it a lot. She shopped and shopped and shopped, and couldn't find anything. . . except a 5.25 quart ceramic covered cast iron pot in lime green with Rachel Ray's photo on the box. It was so heavy I could barely lift it. Keeping in mind my small kitchen, marble counter tops and glass oven top, I told her I couldn't risk using it (dropping it). She's very organized, so she had the sales receipt taped to the box, and a $20 "same as cash coupon" for the store. So yesterday, expecting the worst, I was off to Kohl's to exchange it. It wasn't at all crowded and the staff was very helpful. I couldn't find anything in cookware, but did exchange it for a new mirror for the bathroom, new cotton flannel sheets in sage green, and I still have over $40 left on the temporary credit card they gave me. And it was 15% off for seniors.

My husband bought me some things that are too small and the wrong color, from a store I never use, so they will go back too. So I'm off to shop. Next year, I'll be more specific to save myself some post-Christmas shopping.

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Checking out the new blogger features

Today I was browsing the blogger.com blog and discovered, or rediscovered, some features. I'm trying out the new template format that doesn't require knowing any html to change your template. I tried it first on the blog with the fewest entries, Growth Industry, since I wasn't sure the changes and revisions would hold. I also learned that because of the objections of people who use blogger.com for their blogs, the comments by non-blogger users has been changed. I think everyone hated it. Works much faster than writing your congress representative!

Me? If people have revised their template to include videos, pod-casts, flickr and ads, my computer locks up, or I can jog around the block while it loads. I am restricted to leaving comments at the more simple designs. But my main blog (this one) is pretty busy too, mainly with links to things I like, such as library databases, on-line newspapers and magazines, and political blogs. Also, it is always a shock to see what my blogs look like on another screen, since on mine I have only a very tiny, discreet border.

Merry Christmas

Photo by Matt Carbone used with permission, mcarbone@aiacolumbus.org
This lovely photo of Matt Carbone's black lab, Mr. Cooper, will remain at the top through December 25. Scroll down for current entries.

'Twas the day before Christmas
and all through our house
all of us were bustling
even my spouse.

Our children are adults now,
happy and busy
with final shopping, all
in a tizzy.

With potatoes and cole slaw,
cranberries, pork roast,
apple bacon stuffing,
dinner we'll host.

Silent Night, Joy to the World
the carols we'll sing
9 p.m. service to
Jesus our king.

I ponder all my blessings,
read each Christmas card,
and thank the good Lord as
I pray so hard

for all my loved ones who will
gather around our tree,
in two thousand and eight
happy will be.