Joyce, You could buy her also some scissor that cut cute designs from Michael or even the "Dollar Tree" if you are lucky to find them there. Also you might want to check out the cable station "DIY (Do it Yourself Network...owned by the folks that have the Home and Garden station) They have a show every week on scrapbooking and tell all kinds of information and projects. I did a search and turned up numerous projects and ideas on scrapbooking at the website. Just use this address when searching the internet Diynet.com When you get to the page look on the left and you will find a search retangular book with a large arrow pointing to it type in the word scrapbooking and click on the arrow. Like I said before you will find numerous project and ideas on scrapbooking. A lot like taking a scrapbooking class. You could copy these articles and include them along with your Christmas present of the Scrapbook and perhaps scissors and whatever else you were going to get pertaining to scrapbooking. I know the pages would be appreciated. ~Lynn~

Hi sock-it-to-'em, You don't even need to put me on your list - if you come here and ask, and I feel that I have anything useful to offer (or just want to have some fun with it) ... no doubt you'll hear from me, anyway ... unless I don't show up for a while. I'll be happy to be on your list: my email address is on my profile - all that you need do is go there. You're the first person in about five years that has made that request, if I recall correctly. I've even offered my phone number to a few, and on a rare occasion, especially if someone seems rather hard up, or deeply distressed, have offered that if someone gives me their phone number, I'll call them. Will you be on my list? Tell me about your training, skills, interests, contacts, vacation destinations, hobbies, experience in maintaining various home, auto, computer, leisure, etc. issues. You've probably become fairly familiar with a number of my training, skills, interests, etc. so that you may have an idea of what kinds of concerns about which you might feel it relevant to contact me. Plus - your email address, if it isn't on your profile. Good wishes for a really fine New Year. ole joyful P.. My friend gave me 5 pair of white sport socks for Christmas ... but no one gave me any underpants: will have to buy some for myself, I guess (if I want to stop the binding-around-the-knees by the half-dozen or so lazy-elastic ones). o j

Asclepiad_fan: I paid EUR 4 for it last week, but then I live in the country where it was grown. Here is the website of the nursery: http://www.smitkwekerijen.nl/. If you go to the "Eden collection" page from the menu and scroll down a bit you can download an English brochure. I have quite a number of plants that have come from this nursery, the quality of their plants us outstanding. Cactusmcharris: by all means. If you'd like me to take a better-lit shot do let me know, this was just a quick snapshot for the purpose of this thread.

jim, your's was a rare experience. A gift for a kid put into a balanced, conservative mutual fund will produce returns many multiples of the original amount over the medium to long term. If you look back in history to almost any time interval, investments in so-called blue chip companies or, better, mutual funds for diversification, produce returns far superior to fixed income investments like bonds or bank accounts. Or mattresses.