Everybody Wants to Be My Baby

I opened my Yahoo mailbox this morning and saw that it was chock full of people who want to be my new best friend forever. Or at least until Christmas.

One-time purchases have put me on these mailing lists until the end of time. In many cases, unsubscribing is useless. Now that I'm in their clutches, they will stalk my email account forever. Bwahaha!

Stephanie's Shawl

Fortunately, I have the power of the delete key. That giant red "X" is my real friend.

Oddly enough, in spite of the glut of emails this holiday season (or maybe because of), I've been making a few of my holiday gifts. For some unknown reason, I've actually taken a liking to sewing and have been stitching up a storm.

I'm not the first in my circle to do so. Stephanie has been my inspiration. She's done it for years. At the master level in the art of crochet, she once made me a shawl that is flawless and beautiful. (See photo, right.) She's also given me hot chocolate mix and bath salts featuring some of my favorite scents. These have been some of the coolest gifts I've received, the ones made by hand in a labor of love. Also reigning supreme in my heart have been the cards I get from my husband and son, hand-written and illustrated with love and great humor.

As for me and my sewing projects, not to worry. I will confine my less-than-masterful efforts mostly to family. They come from the heart but will never be mistaken for store-bought. I'm also doing more local shopping this year than I have in the past. It feels good to support local artists and merchants.

In spite of my ramblings here, yes, I have bought goods on the internets. There's no getting around BarnesAndNoble.com. There's no substitute for a great book. And there's just some stuff you can't find in a store.

So, yes, I'll be getting those emails forever. 

And waiting for the discount. And the free shipping. Before I make my move.

Bwahaha!