EARTH FRIENDLY FRIDAY - AND ANSWER to Thought for Thursday

ANSWER TO THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY: According to everything I've read, the Advent Calendars originated in Germany. You can read more about them here.

NOW FOR EARTH-FRIENDLY FRIDAY:

I was shopping this past weekend with my gf, Des. And when we both bought some items, she told the clerk, "No thanks. I don't need a bag." And then she took the socks off the itty-bitty hanger and handed it back to the cashier.

I asked her what she was doing. She said, "I'd just throw it away and they can reuse it."

I never even thought about that. Des is sooo smart.

So, next time you're out shopping, don't get a bag and hand back any reusable packaging to the clerk. It will leave more room in your garbage can and help save resources at the same time.

THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY - Holiday ?

QUESTION: Where did the Advent Calendar originate?

With the holidays sneaking up on us, I thought it would be fun to start thinking about upcoming traditions and how they got started, and when.

So take a guess.

Writing Wednesday

So many people are involved in the writing Nano challenge - trying to write 50,000 words in a month. YIKES!! I didn't join in this year - maybe next year, when I'm older, wiser, and - hopefully - a better writer.

Agent Rachelle Gardner did a post on the process of getting published, you can read it here.

But both of these things made me start thinking about the writing/publishing industry and how hard it can be to navigate the writing waters.

I have a couple of manuscripts I'm hoping to get published and the only thing I can say about this industry, at least for me, is:
Waiting is the Hardest Part.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING !!!

Tonight we begin a new era!!!

Ello is right!!!

Starbucks Gets in Trouble for Doing a Good Thing

I think it is so sad that "no good deed goes unpunished." I mean, come on folks, we all know what the intent of the law was. No one wants people to bribe people for votes - but the intention was to keep people from being paid to vote for a particular candidate or ballot measure not to punish people for saying, "Good job" for having already voted.

There is common sense and then there is . . . I don't even know what to call it when people complain for getting free coffee. What is the world coming to?

Here's the article that sent me on my rant:

Authorities Eye Voter Perks
By Frank Ahrens
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 4, 2008; 12:27 PM

Businesses that hope to reward voters today for exercising their patriotic right might be committing a felony.

A number of companies, including Starbucks, Ben & Jerry's and California Tortilla, said they would give out free food and sweets today to customers displaying an "I Voted" sticker.

But such freebies might be a violation of election laws -- they could be viewed as bribes even after a vote has been cast.

Leave it to the law to spoil all the fun.

In Georgia, the secretary of state's office issued a statement yesterday reading: "Businesses are free to offer 'Election Day' specials or sales for all of its customers, but gifts, incentives or specials just for voters is prohibited under this provision."
Which is good news for the cheap, hungry and disenfranchised of the Peach State.

To comply with similar election laws nationwide, businesses have devised a work-around.

For instance, Krispy Kreme has tied its voting promotion to its famous "Hot Doughnuts Now" signs that glow in store windows when the circular treats roll off the assembly line, freshly bathed in warm glaze.

“Anyone who visits a participating Krispy Kreme shop today and simply mentions our 'Hot Vote Now' promotion will get a free doughnut," company spokesman Brian Little wrote in an e-mail today. "No one is required to show an 'I Voted' sticker." The stores in Alexandria and the District's Dupont Circle locations are participating in the promotion today.

Ben & Jerry's said it would give away a free scoop of ice cream from 5 to 8 p.m. today to customers displaying the sticker, but then learned about the law.

"Originally, we planned to give free scoops away just to those who voted," said Walt Freese, chief euphoria officer of the wacky Vermont ice cream maker. "We found out afterwards that certain laws may not allow it. So instead we're celebrating our election with a national party," he said.

At Starbucks, which promised a free "tall" coffee today to anyone displaying the "I Voted" sticker, free joe now flows for all, voter and non-voter alike.

"To ensure we are in compliance with election law, we are extending our offer to all customers who request a tall brewed coffee," Starbucks spokeswoman Diana Fullerton wrote in an e-mail. "We're pleased to honor our commitment to communities on this important election day."

So today's lesson is: Vote or don't vote -- either way you get free food. Probably not quite the message the companies had hoped to impart.

A Day at the Beach - Lincoln City

Lars and I spent the weekend with Bob, Des, Angie and Jack at their beach house, which has a beautiful view of the ocean.






Lars and I drove down to the beach on Saturday, right after Kara's team had their first home game.

Sunday afternoon we all drove down to the beach access, which was about five minutes from the house.

See, here in Oregon, the ocean and beach are public property.

No one can own the beach. That is just one of the reasons why living on the West Coast is soooo wonderful.

Anyone can visit the ocean and enjoy it. You don't have to be rich to walk along the sandy beaches. So we did.

But that was just part of the fun.

Angie and I did some bead work Sunday afternoon. Together we designed a pair of earrings and then Angie designed a pair all by herself, too.

Des turned the designs into earrings, which they gave to me as a gift.

Then we ate chocolate covered bananas, which Angie made for us as a treat.

We (Des and I) also worked on some of our knitting.

Des made this beautiful Scotty bag by knitting the material and then felting it. She said it would be easy to hide any mistakes with felting - not that she needed to hide anything - I'm sure all of her projects have been perfect. But, I'm going to have to try that felting.

Des made three beautiful bags. And, it looks like a fun project to try.

Coming home, along Highway 101, we saw the most beautiful trees and fall colors - it was peaceful, relaxing and a wonderful weekend. Even if we were, like Kara clarified for me, first losers.


That's what she calls coming in Second Place - at Trivial Pursuit.

WHY We Should Vote

Here's one reason:



And Here are a bunch more reasons put together by Colleen Mondor of Chasing Ray blog:

http://www.chasingray.com/archives/2008/11/blog_the_vote_2008.html