I made a new category for my blog, so I can post things here that I can’t put on my Amazon wishlist. I don’t want to seem greedy, and there are not a lot of things that I really want, but Christmas is coming and whoever has my name this year in our family might want to get some ideas without actually asking me, "Hey, what do you want me to give you for Christmas?" So it’s all for them that I do this. Really, aren’t I so very thoughtful?  Plus, when I have a little extra cash to spend on myself I’ll remember the really cool things that I’ve found on the internet that might be worth parting with some of that hard-earned money.

So, this is something that I think would make a wonderful gift. I know I would enjoy it very much.

I was just surfing around the internet and found some inspiration:

Miniature cupcakes with flavored sugars sprinkled on top from Matthew Mead. So then I had to find out how to make flavored sugar. And I found this page. Maybe that will be a fun treat to make this weekend. Here is a question for people who live at higher altitudes: what can you do when baking to make sure things will rise like normal? I usually add a couple extra tablespoons of flour, but still my cakes and scones and things are not as high as I’d like. Speaking of treats, I’m going fishing tomorrow, so I think I’ll make some of these to take along for everyone. What are some of your favorite treats?

I have a lot of works in progress going on right now, but I have finished one little project:

This is a thank you gift for a co-worker who cleaned out her closet and gave me a ton of very nice hand-me-downs. The pattern is from one of the Mission Falls booklets, and I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. Love that yarn!

I’ve been visiting here recently. And I’ve been reading this. I found Amy Stewart’s blog last week, which was so cool, because I really enjoyed this book. I think once the chickens are all settled in, I’ll be looking into getting one of these.  And have you seen this?! Beautiful and inspiring.

I’m driving up to L.A. tonight so I can take my mother-in-law to her colonoscopy appointment tomorrow. I have a very long 24 hours ahead of me. And I think it’s best if that’s all I say on that topic.

Someone visited my site by searching for "pictures of scary things". I have no idea why that happened, I haven’t posted many pictures of myself here.

ha ha ha! I crack myself up.

This is going to be another one of those posts about 20 different things. First of all, thank you so much to very kind reader Vicki who got me my magazine! I feel much better now. I’ve got a little package of goodies to send, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it to our post office during their two business hours tomorrow (10:30-12:30), so it may not get sent until Tuesday. And thank you to other commentors who also offered to share their issues with me. I love the internet :o)

Another reason I love the internet is that it is helping my brothers, sister and me keep up with my parents, who left for China last Sunday. They’ll be gone a year, and I made blogs for both of them to write about their experiences, hopefully every day. My mom’s is here and my dad’s is here. My dad loves anything John Deere, hence the title, I think my sister might have mentioned something about that before. He’s also a small-town in Idaho boy at heart, so I’m sure spending time in a big Chinese city is going to be very interesting for him. I know I can’t wait to read all about it.

Somebody bought Lou today! I’m going to miss her, but I’m sure she’ll be happy in her new home. I hope to make a few monsters this weekend and maybe another surprise or two for the shop. I’m really hoping that I’ll be able to earn enough money with my etsy shop to buy a plane ticket to visit my parents, ideally around Chinese New Year, which I believe will be around the end of February. Doesn’t that sound fun? Also part of my plan is that I use up all the Stuff that I have to make things for the shop to sell to buy a plane ticket. It’s the ultimate recyling project, don’t you think? What would be even more wonderful is if I could earn enough to have a day or two layover in Tokyo, which would just be heaven. Actually, a week there would be heaven, but I don’t want to aim too high.

Speaking of selling and using up stuff, I decided to sell some yarn on eBay. I love this RY Classic Cashcotton yarn that I bought earlier this summer, but the color didn’t turn out to be what I needed. I love the color, it just wasn’t what I wanted for the project I got it for, so if you need some pretty pink yarn, go for it! I’ll probably list a few more balls later.

This weekend we are going to pick up a little shed we bought to use as a chicken coop. That’s right, we’re turning chez Lucy into a little farm. Mr. Lucy found this shed on Craig’s list, and I went and looked at it the other night. It’s pretty ugly right now, basically two by fours and plywood and a corrugated tin roof, but I think It has potential, and I was able to talk the guy down $25 from his asking price. I’ll be sure to show some before and after pictures. Hopefully we’ll be able to order some chickens next week. Can you believe it!? You order day old chicks in the mail and they are sent to your local post office. You just go pick them up and bring them home and start feeding them and keep them in a big box with a heat lamp until they get their grown up chicken feathers. The minimum order is 25, so I’ll just raise them all and try to sell about half of them once they’re big enough to go outside. My chicken mentor is my aunt Phyllis. Here are some of her chickens:

These are some of her little bantam hens. They’re so cute and they lay little eggs. Hmm, they would be just perfect for my bento box! Actually, I think I’ll have to wait until next summer for the banties, they don’t have a lot left right now, mostly just assortments that you have to buy 25 or 50 of at a time. I want to be able to choose a few of this and a few of that when I get them. So for now I think I’m going to stick with regular sized chickens and get a bunch of Araucanas (they lay pretty colored eggs-shades of blue, green and beige) and some other, assorted varieties. Oh, and just for the record, we’ll be eating and sharing the eggs, but I have no plans to start butchering my own chickens.

One last picture before I stop:

This is also at my aunt’s house. She has the most beautiful garden you have ever seen. Go look at all my pictures from my visit there in June at Flickr (I can’t link right now because Flickr is down).

I really hate asking for help, but I’m desperate. What is the great tragedy, you may be asking yourself? I have over 4 years of back issues of Marie Claire Idées magazine. I’ve been faithfully going to the bookstore at the start of each season and getting the new issue. But suddenly there are no more copies to be found at any of the five very large bookstores I have been visiting over the last month or so. I have been stalking the magazine stands, and I never saw the summer 2006 issue. Is there anyone out there that would be willing to check their local B&N or Border’s? I would gladly pay large sums of money and/or swap a pirate’s booty worth of loot for it. Plus, you would have my undying gratitude. I mean, four years! How can I live if my collection is missing an issue? How I ask?

Sigh. I guess I’ll have to finally go subscribe.