The parade last night was the best ever - almost on time, lots and lots of characters, puppets, music and just good fun.  A great way to get into the spirit.  Today I started my catalog project.  This is something new this year.  Laura and Sabra were at the house and started to look through my box of Christmas catalogs.  "I like this," Laura said pointing at an object in the nature catalog.  "What is it?" I asked and was told it was an orange hangar for the birds - you stick a slice of orange in it like a bird feeder for the birds that like oranges. I was shocked to see the price -something like $18.00.  "That's crazy," I said, "you can make that for a few cents with a coat hanger and some wire." "That's not a bad idea, Ma" and that's how the catalog project was invented.

The day after Thanksgiving when Paul, Helene, Laura, Sabra and Tony were here, we all looked through the catalogs and picked out something we liked.  Then we ripped the picture out of the catalog, wrote our name on it, and put it in a bowl to draw names from.  I put a picture in for Timmy who was at the gym.  There were a few groans as the drawing proceded, but everyone went home with a picture and an idea of how to make it for the person.

It's not so easy trying to recreate an item from the catalog.  There's a reason they send out all those catalogs at this time of the year.  People don't have the time or energy to make stuff...easier to place an order.  But this is a challenge and we'll have to see how it comes out.