Today is our 30th anniversary. The Pearl anniversary. Pearl? Not a big pearl fan myself. I have a strand and some earrings, but I'm more than a little rough on jewelry. So I'm more of plain gold or silver kind of gal. Gotta wait another 20 years for gold though. ;) Over the years, we've cried, laughed, traveled and just sat and read the paper. We raised children, we moved, we both lost and found jobs. We've been loving and pleasant and snarly and irritable. We acquired friends and positions and things over time. Actually, I'd give back any of the things we have to have him. I've followed him across the South, but I would have followed him around the world. He still is the man of my dreams and I thank God everyday for each day I have with him.

This one went much quicker. I put a flap on it instead of a zipper. Here are the two together.

So I think I'll make a new tote and maybe matching purse when I'm finished. I've made a couple of purses ( Denim & Pink ) and wallets to match. Hancocks was having a sale, so I went in and got at least two yard of the main fabric and lining and two sets of machine needles for under $25. Not bad price wise for two bags. Here are the fabrics I chose for this bag. The print is a stiffer fabric that has a light canvas feel and the black for the lining is just a plain broadcloth. My plans are to use a Fossil tote as a guide. It's a good size. Leather straps could be more comfortable. I really like the little end pockets and the one on the front, so I think I'll keep those in addition to putting as many pockets inside as possible. The other thing I don't like about most bags this size is that there is no flap or zipper and when they tip over stuff falls out. So mine will have one or the other. One of the great things about making your own purses is you can decide

Periodically, I need to re-evaluate what I eat due to my migraines. I can't believe the junk I let slip in EVEN when I know it will hurt eventually, but I do. I do much better on a gluten-free, processed food free diet. This time when I was honing my knowledge-set, I came across Greek yogurt. From the About Yogurt site: Why should  consumers choose yogurt with live and active cultures? Researchers around the world are studying the potential attributes of live and active culture yogurt in preventing gastrointestinal infections, boosting the body's immune system, fighting certain types of cancer and preventing osteoporosis. More research must be done to establish a definitive link between live and active culture yogurt and these health effects, but the results to date are encouraging. Additionally, the live and active cultures found in yogurt break down lactose in milk. This allows lactose intolerant individuals who commonly experience gastrointestinal discomfort w

With the snow falling like we lived in the North, we were limited in places to go. The movies were still open though and we managed to see two. Movie one was True Grit .  I was surprised it was as good as it was. I really liked the first one and didn't think this one could compare. It did quite nicely. Movie two was Voyage of the Dawn Treader . It was good too but a little long in places. The kid who played Eustace had him pegged!

This is the first time in 60 years that Winston Salem has had a white Christmas. With all the places we've lived, I never remember one. It started falling a little before noon and fell slowly yet continuously all day and night. Here are a few pix from the front and back doors.

*sheesh* (trying out the reblogging feature to see how it works) I don't know about this kid, but I like getting books for Christmas! … Read More via Near Emmaus

[vodpod id=Video.3288909&w=425&h=350&fv=] Way too true I'm afraid. . . ht

Not specifically a Christmas song, but still . . .

Mark mentioned Christmas cards at his new gig in conjunction with carols. - Bad theology was brought up. Still it got me thinking about cards an what brings a smile to my face. I like a simple card with a great picture myself. I went on a card hunt to see how they might be grouped together. Trees: Snowmen: Manger: Bethlehem (usually my favorites): So we could do stars and angels and cartoons and gifts and words. And after going through these and finding with malicious links, I'm ready to stop. I actually did all this to show you my favorite cards this year (so far mind you ;) ).

Well, when you don't post, things happen. When you can't read your feed, people disappear and it's months and you wonder where they went. Chuck has not posted in a while. Anyone heard from Chuck? Bible Monkey is completely gone (out of the country!), as is Michael Metts . ?? Broadcast Depth is no longer on hiatus (I think ;) ) Inquiring Minds and Scripture, Ministry and the People of God have joined the team at Near Emmaus . Kurk Gayle - on how he died as a blogger. *sob* A few had moved. I think I got them.

I'd get 1,000 hits yesterday. Jack of All Trades was at well over 800 for the day which was an all time high at that point. Even without quite making it to 1000, yesterday's hits topped out at 969. And even more surprising, JoAT is just a couple of thousand views shy of 50,000. I realize that number is small potatoes for many of you, but I was really surprised that readers kept reading even when I wasn't posting. Thanks to every visitor! And I'd still love to know who you all are. If you don't mind commenting, I'll do my best to respond ;) Edited to add: So only a few are getting here via searching. That's actually kind of sad looking . . . And yet . . . Oh and the digital birth of Christ is the most popular post.

Thinkfinity has a Today in History page you can get through your RSS Feed. Today, the first successful human kidney transplant was performed in 1954. If you are a teacher, below the entry, there is

Trying being the operative word. I pulled out some crocheting and queued up Anna and the King on Netflix and it keeps stopping - long stops. Glad I know the ending ;)

Many of my blogging friends have extensive libraries. Organizing them can be a nightmare. Mine is a mess since I've gone back to school. In this cataloging course, I had to look at Integrated Library Systems and found some that are open-source so they have potential for large personal libraries. The one I researched extensively, Evergreen , is for public libraries that are consortium members, so that is not really an option. However, the second one on my list, Koha , was developed for the smaller library in mind and I'm thinking I might give it a try at home. You can see what the interface looks like by choosing a library from their showcase . Delicious Library 2 . This is really interesting looking and has a lot of visual appeal, but it's apparently only for Macs. Try it for free. $40 if you like it. Media Man is a windows alternative. Also $40. Collectorz.com Book Collector . Looks very much like Delicious, but has a $30-50 price tag for the standard/pro versions. There