Another use for snow

Another use for snow, originally uploaded by shersteve.

How handy is this arrangement?
Very handy!

We're getting ready for the New Year's Eve party. I hope you have a safe and enjoyable party.

Happy New Year!

End of year findings

New year's eve, walking around the net before going out for a real walk in the snow covered world, I find:

The final thing to remember is that, Social Objects by themselves don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Sure, it’s nice hanging out with Lee talking about Star Wars. But if Star Wars had never existed, you’d probably still enjoy each other’s company for other reasons, if they happened to present themselves. Human beings matter. Being with other human beings matter. And since the dawn of time until the end of time, we use whatever tools we have at hand to make it happen.

Read the remainder of Hugh's posting on social objects here.

And speaking of time:

She gathered bunches of leaves in her arms, threw them high in the air and ran through them squealing, storing up days worth of wish-fulfillment in no time at all, then I suggested that since it was growing dark we should get busy on another big want of hers and use a bunch of these leaves to roast some potatoes, so we got lots of leaves together in a pile and Kaya lit them like a little priestess at an altar; then we got some oak twigs and threw them on, then more leaves and in very short order the heat was ready for potatoes, which in 20 minutes of additional leaf-cavorting were perfect for eating with some salt while sitting on warm rocks by the embers in the falling dark.

Find out more of Kaya's adventures here at PureLand Mountain.

And speaking of priorities I find:

... my starting point is always less, less, less. Simplicity is the core of my approach to financial liberation. Learn to need less, and you automatically become freer. Learn to need a smaller and cheaper living space. Learn to need a smaller and cheaper car... or better yet, a motorcycle,... or still better, no vehicle at all. Learn to need fewer gadgets. Learn to need fewer and less expensive clothes.

Simplify, simplify, simplify. This is the core of my "method". Before you worry about building a micro-business, before you worry about debt elimination, before you worry about working fewer hours or making more money-- Simplify every aspect of your life--- persistently, continuously, relentlessly. Pare away all that is unnecessary, distracting, and fashionable. Go to work on your cravings.

Read more at HoboPoet here.

and speaking of insights I find:

While history or years of experience certainly serve a purpose in the future of marketing, the most powerful results often occur when history and experience are combined with a little humility and acknowledgment of limitations - whether individually or within a marketing team. With such an understanding, you can then get out of your own way to gather the great insights that come from consumers and outside-industry thought leaders.

Read more of this from Learned on Women here.

Enjoy!

End of year donations

As 2007 comes to a close, it is a good time to check your taxable donations and if you still have an opportunity to make one, there is time.

There are so many good and worthy causes to contribute to. Most charitable organizations make it real easy to donate these days. They have a web site that accepts credit cards. It really takes very little time at all to make a contribution.

Some suggestions:

American Red Cross

The Sharing Foundation

Reading is Fundamental

American Cancer Society

Neat and Simple start

One of my Joyful, Jubilant Learning partners, Ariane Benefit, is announcing her new ebook is available:

JUST RELEASED! I'm so excited to announce that my new book "Neat & Simple Guide to Organizing Your Office" is finally here! Just in time to help you get a Neat Start to the New Year. Two years in the making, it now has 129 pages chock full of my best organizing advice. It will be published as a print book by the end of 2008. For now, it is an e-guide, which helps keeps the price reasonable.

What a great way to start the new year! Getting organized!

Check out Ariane's blog post announcing her ebook here.

Christmas 2007 - fans

Christmas 2007 - fans, originally uploaded by shersteve.

One of several gifts that were created via WalMart.com or SnapFish, or one of the now many options for using your own photos.

This teddy (he is cute!) wears a simple sweat shirt adorned with the photo of Allison and Carolyn at the Beckham game back in August. Upload photo, pick object, pay with credit card, await delivery.

How simple is that!

Tree ornaments, coffee mugs, stationary, calendars.... the list of items is seemingly endless.

The calendar, in particular, is a gift that the family has created for my father since either 1992 or 1993. Some of us are kicking ourselves that we only made one of those each year. Dad keeps them all. He diligently uses the calendar for his scheduling. The photo archive now is quite extensive.

And so many stories! (background, there are six children each with kids so Jerry has thirteen grandchildren. Each sibling gets two photos in the calendar to fill out the year.) We call these "Papa photos" and there will be times during the year when it would be good to take a "Papa photo". So Dad's calendar has not only photos of his grandchildren but of them in different places, doing different things.... so many stories. Actually I should develop this further for a post on Jerry's Story sometime.

What gift did you receive or what gift did you give that was similarly "hand crafted"?