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I always find it interesting what people collect.  One friend collects perfume bottles, another ceramic pigs, another china and tea services.  One mom passed along an antique button collection to her daughter, another handkerchiefs with handmade lace.  My paternal grandmother collected salt and pepper shakers.  One son collected Star Wars memorabilia and comic books.  My daughter collected ladybugs until she had so many she put out the word:  Stop!  I still tend to pick them up with her in mind.  (I have a little beaded coin purse hidden in my closet just waiting…)

What do I collect?  For a long time, I didn’t think I collected anything except boxes. Not cardboard boxes or shoe boxes, mind you, but little boxes (well, not always little) that represent trips and life experiences and are just plan interesting (like the box made of recycled motherboards). I have tiny delicate boxes brought home from China by my brother and...

Every year about this time I begin to think about my goals for the upcoming year.  Exercise is always high on the list.  I joined the 24-Hour club ten years ago and have yet to see the renovations done on the gym just down the hill from me.  (I paid three years up front and now only have to pay $49 a year for full membership.  How can I give that up?  I may actually go someday.) The 24 Hour Club took over a furniture store next door and doubled in size.  I drive by and wave.  Rick moved a recumbent exercycle into our bedroom two years ago, and I ride it every morning while watching “Match Game” and “Lingo”.  It’s about as close to bicycle riding as I get. 

Oh, I think about riding a bike.  Lots of people do in this area.  Many come to train for the Tour de France.  Up hill, down hill, all around the hills.  I did have a bike at one time, but it was canabalized by my children years ago.  They needed a tire...

I’ve made -- and eaten -- all kinds of cookies over the years, but my personal favorites, as many of you may already know, are chocolate chip cookies.  My mom baked them on a regular basis when I was growing up.  Later, when I had children of my own and we all went north to visit my folks in Oregon, Mom made sure the cookie jar was full.  As soon as the car was in park, we’d stampede into the house and head for the kitchen.

Now, I make chocolate cookies once a week for our Tuesday evening Bible study.  So far, no one has complained about having the same snack each week.  I use the same recipe my mom used (from the back of the yellow Nestle’s Chocolate Chip bag), but I’ve added my own personal touch.

2 sticks (1 cup) of salted butter (softened on a window sill – not a microwave)

1 tablespoon of pure vanilla

¾ cup of white granulated sugar

¾ cup brown sugar (pressed down firmly so that it comes out in a ¾ cup...

When I saw the ad, I couldn’t resist going to a bug fair.  How many times do you get to handle creepy-crawlies?  My daughter, Shannon, was game and so were her two children.  So off we went to the local college campus to get up close and person with insects.  Unfortunately, most turned out to be in specimen jars or photographs, but we did meet an Australia praying mantid.  I couldn’t wait to get my hand on, or rather under, it.   It was BIG, too; the full length of my hand, and beautiful in a bizarre alien sort of way.  I’m sure Aussie Mantid wondered about me, too.  What is that big bug-eyed thing staring at me?  It’s baring it's teeth!  It’s cackling!  Is it going to eat me?  Aussie Mantid rocks and sways harder, trying to convince me he’s a stick with a few leaves blowing in the wind and nothing edible.  He need not have worried.  I wasn’t that hungry!

Shannon by-passes the hissing cockroach....