The Jammie Fairy is at a Loss

I can't figure out what to sew for Christmas gifts this year.

Every year since the girls were little I've made flannel jammies for Christmas. It began with nighties and sleepers, then pajama sets and on to just the pajama pants.

But a couple of years ago it was obvious that since they were not longer outgrowing their clothes, it wasn't necessary to make new pajamas every year. So one year I made summer jammies. Not so nice to slip into on Christmas eve but something to look forward to for the warm weather.

Last year I made robes and quillos for everyone. They were a big hit. But now I don't know what to do for this year.

When discussing this with my 23 yr. old daughter the other day she said "It would be really sad if the jammie fairy didn't bring something this year."

So what do I make? I need inspiration.

It's The Little Things

Two weeks ago we bought a new washer and dryer set. It's the first....no the second brand new set I've had in the 23 years I've been married. The first set was stacked set for our tiny "laundry room" in our home in Everett. That set stayed when we moved.

The new set is a Whirlpool Cabrio Steam. The tub on the washer is so big I can do what used to be two loads in one. And the clothes are spun out so dry that they take no time at all to dry on the line. I haven't had to use the dryer more than twice so far as we've been having really nice weather. And I only have to do laundry twice a week now instead of at least a couple of loads everyday. :-)

Last weekend Dan finished hooking up our rain barrels (we have 6 - 55 gal. drums) and placed a second drain outlet in the laundry room. When the weather is dry I can divert the grey water form the washer into the rain barrels and use that to water the garden. It's a simple matter to move the drain hose back into the main drain to the sewer when the barrels are full or when it rains. I feel so "green" and "energy efficient". LOL I'm almost looking forward to getting our next water/sewer bill. :-)

Video Camera Giveaway

Beth had been wanting a pocket-sized video camera for her birthday a couple of years ago. I looked around and bit and wasn't really impressed by what I saw and I'd given up on finding a decent one. Then today I found this blog/vlog with a review of the Flip Ultra HD camcorder. It looks like it will be just the thing for Beth and I'm pretty sure we'll get one for family use as well. Right now the author at mommysnacks is having a contest to give one of these awesome little camcorders away. Why not pop over, take a look at the vlog review and then enter the contest?

Here's a link to the blog/vlog -- http://tinyurl.com/mqwne5

Whose law is it anyway?

Let me preface this by saying I do believe that we need some rules/laws in order for society to function. But as a Libertarian I feel that they should be the bare minimum and should be decided at the lowest level of government that needs to be involved. We have so many laws in our country, states and cities now that no one could possibly know all of them. There are laws that are terribly outdated, laws that contradict each other and laws that pertain to issues that don't even exist anymore.

Recently a couple of Facebook friends posted a link to a newspaper article from San Francisco regarding the city making it illegal to throw food scraps into the trash. That got me thinking about our propensity as humans to want to force others to do what we think is right. That leads to the argument of who decides what is right? What happens if the "wrong" people get tired of being pushed around and controlled by the "right"? Isn't that one of the ways that wars are started?

So when we are championing our favorite causes, our idea of what is right, and pushing for or supporting new laws being passed I think we should stop and ask ourselves, "is this worth going to war for?" Because even if it doesn't lead to an all out guns and missiles war, it could lead to a battle that isn't necessary and that hurts a great many people and perhaps even the cause that it was created to help.

See the problem is that while we can coerce, threaten and force people to comply with what has been decided to be "right" we can't force them to care. And until they care there will never be any real or lasting change.

So what do we do then? Do we throw our hands in the air and just give up? Do we let "anything goes" and anarchy reign? No, we live our lives the way we believe we should live them. We discuss the issues that are important to us with our friends and family. We raise our children with an awareness of what we believe is important, necessary and right. That is how real change will come. And it will last because those some values that we share with our friends and family they will share with their friends and family and they will continue to be passed along.

So if you feel stongly about a cause get out there and tell two friends. And they'll tell two friends and so on and so on and so on. If you don't get that reference type it into Google along with "Breck shampoo commercial". :-)

Country roads

A couple of weeks ago JoJo and I went to see Hannah Montana: the movie. It was Disney-- predictable, but cute. And Jo really enjoyed it which is what matters the most.

As for myself: it made me really homesick for the country. A place where a woman might were a simple cotton dress. Where blue jeans actually see a hard days work and end up dirty. A place with creeks and meadows. And space! OMG open space! Where you can look out your window and not be looking into your neighbor's house.

I know that there are drawbacks to living in the country. I remember them well. :-) But right now I think I would be more than happy to put up with the downside in order to have some solitude. To be able to breathe!