Monday Stuff on the Way To Other Stuff

It's a beautiful, crisp day...and my plants are still alive! Not only that -- the peach seedlings actually have 6 or so leetle tiny peaches showing. Guess Spring is asserting herself, after all. I'd better get out there and plant something -- fast -- before she changes her mind. Again.

Congratulations, Sharon of Dancing thru Threads -- the random number generator picked your entry to win the Women of Influence book giveaway! Please e-mail me promptly, so we can ship it out. Our next giveaway will be up shortly -- be sure to stop back soon and check for it.


Meanwhile, here's another crop of Stuff noticed growing around the Internet:

An intriguing 360-degree look at things, courtesy of photographer Randy Scott Slavin. One photo's below from the 'Alternate Perspectives' exhibit, but you really need to watch the entire slide show -- click here.

Practical options for health insurance -- if you have your own business, or need other options. (Let's face it -- it's getting tough out there. We pay through the nose via the Brick's employment with the local school system -- and we still have a $5000 deductible. Per person. Even with insurance, we still ended up paying nearly $15,000 for the Brick's week-long hospital stay a few years ago. Still paying on it, in fact.)

An  hands-on investigation on kids cheating.  (Parents, this is a tad unnerving to watch.)


Some really charming (and easy) grain sack pillows, courtesy of My Desert Cottage. Ironic I'd bring this up, considering the next item is...

Does there come a point when you've fiddled around long enough, redecorating? Yes, according to the Nester...and a bunch of commenters agree with her. Sometimes you don't have time and energy for home dec, anyways.

Eight-part series on getting rid of debt, step by step. Practical, thoughtful advice that can be implemented slowly. (Thanks, Life As Mom.)

And for you literary types, twenty different craft projects that use paper book pages. (The Nester was decorating for a party honoring her sister, who had just published her first book.) These are too clever, though some are a bit off the wall. (Decorating the table with book pages looks a lot like just eating on newspapers, trailer-style.) But some ideas are downright cute -- the folded-leaf wreaths, especially -- and they make good use of books you were going to donate. (P.S. They'd make good birthday and Christmas presents, too.)

Teacher abuse. Did you hear about this? Autistic son doesn't want to go to school anymore, but cannot express why. (He's incapable of speech, so far.) The teachers say he's disruptive in class. The father puts a secret recorder on him -- and it turns out, both the teacher and aide are not only ridiculing him (and the others), but are having interesting discussions on how drunk they got the night before, etc., etc. Hmmm.
    The kicker -- after this tape went public, the aide got fired. The teacher only got transferred. Yep, she's still in action. Wonder how she's treating her new class?  (Check out the full story by clicking on the title above.)

And from the "Only In America (oops, Great Britain)" Department: Badgers won't keep their paws out of British cemetaries. They keep digging underneath coffins, and bringing up Things. (Ew)


And the Chicken Chronicles are beginning!  Eight Black Australorp chicks will be ready to pick up on Saturday. See them here, courtesy of Chickens for Backyards:

 Excellent egg layers, good for meat -- developed in Australia, and, I'm told, one of the friendliest, smartest breeds. The guy who sold me the coop said, "They just like people." His favorite hen enjoyed hanging out in his lap. I'm not too sure about that around here -- Charley the dog thinks he holds that position. (Only he's too big, the lug.)
    I never knew this -- but there are chicken cams on the 'Net that let you see what's going on 24/7. This one, from Flying Skunk Farm, actually lets you feed the chickens. I've gotten an inordinate amount of fun, just watching them peck around, and imagining the future.

Have a great week -- talk to you tomorrow.