somewhere out there

Judith Warner wrote a lovely essay in the Times that will strike a chord for parents, godparents, aunts and uncles of children of all ages. I think it also explains why I bought the Elmo and An American Tail DVDs my niece and spent many wonderful hours together watching.
http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/getting-real/index.html
When I first moved to Florida, she was brand [...]

planting seeds

What a nifty idea: Seeds embedded in recycled paper. You plant and water the card, and it grows wildflowers. They are nice party favors or holiday stocking stuffers, and they are “tree free.”

http://www.botanicalpaperworks.com/article/FAQ/227/

wow … where have i been?

From fellow blogger, Washes of Color, I’ve learned of Pandora radio. If you’re the other person who has never heard of it, you must check it out … way way cool. It’s amazing to me … the internet has made everything so very personal. I can have my own G-station if I want to …
www.pandora.com
 

cut those kilowatts

From the Orlando Sentinel’s Frugal Force comes this energy-efficiency advice.

You know that remote-controlled TV you like to watch?
It’s a “vampire” — an appliance that never really turns off, continuing to suck energy from your outlets as it idles.
Anything requiring standby electricity classifies as one. Most electronics, such as televisions, DVDs, stereos, cordless telephones, computers, power [...]

put your mailbox on a diet

I’m sure it’s apparent that I enjoy shopping as much (OK, maybe more) than the average bear … especially if I can do so in my bunny slippers at any odd hour when I have a few minutes. Yet every purchase brings with it a rash of direct-mail catalogs that are just glutting the landfills.
Here’s [...]

have you thought about unplugging?

My boss’s family “unplugged” about 10 years ago. They have no TV, not even local stations or basic cable. The idea was that their four children were being exposed to way too much smut. It must have worked because he has really lovely children (who love to sleep over their friends’ homes so they can [...]

the gift of hospitality

It’s possible that I have real estate bipolar disorder.
I treasure my privacy and that is one reason the little house (just four miles from the center of downtown) appealed to me. It’s a quiet street that rarely serves as a cut-through because it and the surrounding streets meander so. The back porch is a little oasis. The [...]

back in the vegetable patch

Last year, the first in the new house, I fixed salads that included avocado from the tree and tomatoes from the plants in the backyard. It was pretty cool … and a first for me.
The green beauties have not ripened yet but I see some tiny fruit high up. I did not have time replant [...]

born-again virginity

Sometimes it is better not to comment publicly on specific topics, other than to say at 40, I’m pretty sure no one would buy it anyhow …
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/world/europe/11virgin.html?em&ex=1213329600&en=7e3715da3237218a&ei=5087%0A

to bean or not to

Not too long ago I was searching for something to eat and discovered a soup mix kit that had been part of a gift basket. It was mostly beans and spices. I tried it out and it was delicious.
I went online to purchase more of these little goodies only to discover that the small box [...]