The Season of Giving is Upon Us

The holidays are always a happy time in our home. The "kids" are home from college and we all gather around to eat some festive foods and celebrate together. But there are a lot of families that won't be having such a wonderful holiday season this year.

Unemployment levels are high this year and many families are struggling just to keep food on the table.

One thing we can all do is think about giving to others this year. And it doesn't have to be money. We can give the gift of volunteering.

Choose your favorite charity and give them a call. You might like to get involved with a local Thanksgiving Day food drive, or deliver food to homebound seniors. You could also donate a couple of hours one day to a Toy-n-Joy drive. There are plenty of ideas to choose from.

If you can't donate time, what about going through your closets and donating old clothing?

You could also donate some canned food to a local homeless shelter or even think about donating some blood to your local blood bank.

If you have some ideas, please include them in the "comments" section. I'd love to see a few more volunteer ideas to choose from.

NaNoWriMo - One Day In

So what is NaNoWriMo? It's National Novel Writing Month. This event/activity/group brings together writers from all over the world with a common goal: to sit down and write a book in one month.

The writers plan to write a 50,000 word book from start to finish in one month's time. Beginning on November 1st and ending on the last day of the month, writers everywhere will have written novels.

It's a fantastic goal that moves at a feverish pace. So check out the pages of Nanowrimo.org and see what it's all about. Maybe you can finish a book this month too. Just get writing.

Movie Review Monday - The Social Network

I hated this movie. I know it's a strong word to use and one that Mom said we shouldn't throw around lightly because "Swords might kill the body but words can kill the spirit". So, believe me, when I say I hated The Social Network, it's true.

This was a true downer movie for me. Okay, so it's a story about a lot of super bright young men who ended up becoming Accidental Billionaires but, like another old adage Mom used to use, "Money is the Root of All Evil". At least this movie proved that point and brought it home with the finesse of a sledge hammer.

I walked out of the theater feeling depressed and disappointed with humanity. Not a good way to start a holiday weekend--or, on the other hand, maybe it was the perfect horror movie to see on Halloween.

The only redeeming factor I could glean from this film was the fact that it was brought to the Silver (or maybe that's "the digital") screen. After all, I'm sure Mr. Zuckerberg has the money to have held the film up and maybe to even close it down, if he'd wanted. So perhaps he and Eduardo Saverin have rebuilt bridges. I, for one, certainly hope so. Because like Mom used to say, "Things are just things" and, "in the end, relationships are all that really matter". So, in the spirit of Facebook and my favorite movie (It's a Wonderful Life), I'd like to think that the richest man in the graveyard will be the one who died with the most friends.

HALLOWEEN DREAM

Ten little witches were stirring up the pot,
One took a taste and cried, “OWW! It’s much too hot!”

The second witch cackled and held up her sturdy broom
The third one giggled, as she flew across the room.

The fourth witch said, “We’ll create a little fear.”
The fifth one laughed, “I’ll make sure the coast is clear.”

The sixth one sneered, bragging, “I can touch the sky!”
The seventh witch said, “I’m ready now to fly.”

The eighth witch grinned in a window she passed by.
While the ninth little witch let out a wicked scream.

Johnny woke up and said, “That must have been a dream.”
But the tenth little witch yelled, “HAPPY HALLOWEEN!”

(Written by Kim Kasch)

The Pumpkin Patch

The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie's Island is a great way to spend a weekend afternoon. Between the animal barn, the hay maze, the hay rides, and vegetable stands, where you can buy a fresh cooked ear of corn and munch your way through some yummy vitals, there's no better way to spend a fall day.

Check it out and I hope you have a Happy Halloween :)

Sad, Sad Story

I tried to check the stats on this documentary but couldn't match the research. However I did find an article on OregonLive, which said that
"During a one-night national sting involving 29 cities last February, law enforcement officers picked up seven underage girls involved in prostitution in Portland -- more than any other city besides Seattle." So, it does appear to be a problem in the Rose City.

PiBoIdMo

So many of you might have heard of National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo but have you heard of PiBoIdMo? It's Picture Book Idea Month. If you write picture books, this might be just the inspiration you need. And, no matter what, it looks like a lot of fun. So check it out. And if you decide to join in the fun, let me know. I'd love to raise a few cheers to all you picture book writers that are participating.

And here's my first one: "GOOD LUCK" to all you ideasters out there!