herbiehancock

For many, this is the season of gifts, both the giving and the receiving.  I was thinking today of the Christmases of my childhood and of the gifts we gave and received back then.  It's interesting to me the things that stayed with me, the things I most remember when I look back at those times. We used to give my Dad the worst gifts--at least, they seemed pretty awful to me, but they were things he wanted and asked for.  One gift he requested every single Christmas was a can of heavy duty mechanic's hand soap.  I thought the name of it was D&L hand cleaner or hand soap, or something of that nature.  I tried to find a picture of it, but was unsuccessful, so maybe I'm remembering it wrong, or maybe they don't make it anymore. It came in a round blue and white can with a plastic lid.  The soap in it looked like lard and seemed to be of that same sort of consistency.  My Dad had two antique cars, a 1927 Chevy and a 1931 Chevy that he bought and worked ...

No, that is not a Christmas tree ornament above. Although it does look like something beautiful that might hang on a tree, doesn't it? It is actually a drop of blood. It represents a gift you could put UNDER the tree for someone this year rather than something to hang on the branches to decorate it. The American Red Cross Bloodmobile is going to be in my town today. I have an appointment there in a few hours to go and donate blood to them. Although it is much needed and appreciated all year around, donating blood seems to be an especially fitting thing to do this time of year. In this season of gift-giving, what better gift can you give someone than the gift of life? If you are eligible to be a blood donor but do not make a practice of doing so, please give it some thought and consider starting. The hour or so of your time that it takes may make a world of difference to someone. Click on the link above if you would like more information about donating. * * * * * * * * I ...

On Saturday night, the library held their Christmas Staff Appreciation and Awards Dinner. It was held at our local country club and the menu featured Roast Top Sirloin, Lemon Caper Whitefish, Honey Harvest Chicken, Glazed Carrots, Green Bean Almondine, Roasted Red Baby Potatoes, Tossed Garden Salad, Rolls and Butter, assorted pies, and beverages. It was a delicious meal and a fun time. Each person attending the event was given a goodie bag with the following items: a travel coffee mug, a pocket flashlight, an Angel Christmas ornament, a small box of Whitman's chocolates, a bag of Pence's Famous Caramel corn (a local product), and a blue glass embossed ornament. The Pence's Famous Caramel corn is (was) the empty bag to the back---my younger son ate that as soon as I got home. HA HA! The blue glass ornament has the outline of the library building embossed on the front along with the words "Blessings of Knowledge" and "Williams County Public Library." I...

Terri at Clay Hill Farm blogged recently about a little girl named Hannah. Hannah is the daughter of some of Terri's friends. She is a little girl who is disabled due to a chromosomal disorder which causes her neuromuscular difficulties. Because of the equipment needed to assist Hannah, a new room needs to be added onto her house. In an effort to fund the construction of this room, her mother, Janet, who is a crafter, has created some items for sale. Photos of some of the crocheted afghans Janet made can be seen here . If you think you might be interested in purchasing any of these items for yourself or as Christmas gifts, or in donating to help with the construction, please visit here . Also, if you would like to blog about Hannah to help get the word out, visit Terri's blog here . You can read more about Hannah here too. Thank you.