It had to happen sooner or later.   The contribution kettles manned by volunteers in our communities — some still with audible ringing sleigh bells, but most silenced by city ordinances and mall requests — have gone online.  The program is called iKettle.    Any of my Canadian readers can host a kettle with a few clicks of the mouse.

I found out about this from fellow-Canadian blogger Rick Apperson, and after mulling it over for several weeks, decided that if we could raise nearly $4,600 to sponsor my oldest son’s summer working at Camp Iawah, using our mailing list alone, we ought to be able to raise at least that much for the Salvation Army.

After a disastrous start where I actually gave the wrong e-mail address, my kettle was off and running.   I set the goal modestly at $1,000 figuring we would surpass that by the end of the weekend.  Within a half hour of the e-mails going out, the total started increasing, and then it came to a sudden halt.

Which is where my Canadian* blog readers kick in.   You can’t toss spare change in the kettles anymore because you pay for everything with plastic cards, and you don’t get change.   Any bills in your wallet are probably there for emergencies.   Besides, this year, with so many unemployed or underemployed, the SA needs significant contributions to meet the needs in local areas.

So here’s where you go to contribute*.

BTW, for what’s worth, I don’t like the whole “sponsor me” script on the webpage.   You’re not sponsoring us at all.   Some web designer got that one past them before it could be thought through more carefully.   How about, “Make a Difference;” or even “Contribute”?    Then there’s the liability with the button that allows you to read the text I wrote.   I ended with “Please give generously.”   But the more/less button after the paragraph means your brain sees, “Please give generously less.”   Not good planning, but it’s their first year doing this.

*For my U.S. readers — and there are lots of you — I couldn’t find a direct link to the U.S. program, and their regional websites are a bit of a dog’s breakfast;  but it’s probably better for you to contact the SA in your local area to find out ways an online donation can serve your own community.

This Christmas our giving can meet the needs both in overseas relief and development and in the cities and towns closer to home.   This is an opportunity to do something on the domestic front in a year that’s been rough on many people.

I went to Border’s bookstore today to look for a book (well, DUH purecat lol). While observing the patrons in line I noticed that each one was asked to donate a childrens book to a local place for special needs kids named Camp Cheerful for $3.99. As I watched I took note that just about all of them said “no” and either left it at that or began giving excuses as to why they could not donate. Granted, I know there are people who really can’t donate…it’s tough out there and a lot of people’s income is very limited. But I also know that the human condition is full of greed and even people who could have afforded an extra $4 to give a book to a needy child, out of those about 99% did not.

Now, I am not rich, nor am I well off. My family and I are on social security alone and making ends meet mostly doesn’t happen. But I did have a book in my hand I was going to buy for myself and I looked at it and thought, “I don’t need this”. So I set it down but stayed in line and when I got to the register I was asked if I would like to donate a book to Camp Cheerful, and to the surprise of the cashier I said “Yes, I would”. So she rang it up, I paid for it, and off I went with a happy heart knowing that at least one needy child will be receiving the gift of literature this holiday season.

If you have an opportunity to donate to a good cause, whether it is through money, items, or time, please do, and not only during this holiday season. People are in need all year ’round…please, please remember that. Even the smallest donation that comes from the heart is worth it’s weight in gold.

When we help others, we also help ourselves. God bless all of you who do help and who encourage others to do the same.

*Hugs*

U.S. Cellular has taken a step to help schools as the economy’s slow recovery continues to take a heavy toll. The company is donating $1 million to schools.

“The need for additional funding has never been greater,” said Brian Ayers, spokesman for U.S. Cellular.

Calling All Communities will award $100,000 to 10 schools across the nation. Public and private schools (kindergarten through high school) are eligible to win.

From Nov. 13 to Jan. 15, individuals 19 years or older can visit any U.S. Cellular store to get a code to vote online for their school. There is no purchase necessary, and you don’t have to be a U.S. Cellular customer to vote. The 10 schools with the most votes will receive $100,000 to use however they choose.

Last year, seven of the 10 winning schools were from communities with less than 20,000 people, including one school from a town of 790 people. Any school truly can win, Ayers said in a press release.

Well, this is it folks. One of your last opportunities to make a Movember donation to support the work of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue.

So far me and my mo have been able to raise $300, which I think is a pretty decent effort and I’d like to say a big thank-you to everyone who donated. How ever most of those donations came in in the first week or so. If that rate of donating had been maintained over the rest of the month I’d be heading toward a total around $800. So, how about it? If you haven’t donated yet, now is the time. It’s super easy, and credit card donations can be made online. Donations $2 and over are tax deductable.

Head over to my Mospace to donate now: http://au.movember.com/mospace/109725

I just read in NJ.com that the builders of Alexan CityView on the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor, along with several local churches, schools, fire departments and police departments will be joining forces in order to collect and distribute coats to the needy in New Jersey. This year, they hope to collect 40,000 coats.

The builders of Alexan CityView at Bayonne Harbor have volunteered the community’s clubhouse as a drop- off center for this year’s annual coat drive.

It is sad to think that some folks are in such difficult financial situations that they cannot afford even the most basic necessities, such as a winter coat. But at the same time, it is also encouraging that we can help by simply donating a coat that we no longer use. I imagine that if I were in a similar situation, I would be extremely grateful for a coat to keep me warm through the coming winter.

I was thinking about it and Instead of just taking a few old coats that I no longer use, I think I’ll talk to my family and some friends and see if they have any used coats that are in good condition that they would like to donate. That way, I can go ahead and drop theirs off at the same time that I take mine.

If you would like to donate a coat that is in good condition, you can drop it off between now and December 15 at the Alexan CityView on the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor’s clubhouse located at 32 Constitution Avenue.

Once again this year we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the contributions made to local food banks during our can do food drive.

Because of your generosity, the Alameda County Community Food Bank, City Harvest, Lakeview Pantry, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and the TNDC can continue feeding the hungry.

We sincerely Thank You and wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

How to contribute:

1. PayPal – send donations in any amount (even $1 helps!) through PayPal to SHSArtsImpact@gmail.com.

Please be sure to include your full name and current address as a comment or message when you contribute so that we can send you a Thank you letter and a tax deductible receipt.

2. Donation checks are welcome at any time and in any amount.

All checks should be made payable to Sandusky Board of Education with “Ronald Albert and Kenneth McFarlan Arts Impact Scholarship Award” in the memo line.

Send all checks to Mrs. Julie Bittinger’s attention at

Sandusky Bd of Ed
407 Decatur St.
Sandusky OH 44870.

The Sandusky BoE will then send each donor a
thank you letter which can be used as a tax deductible receipt if desired.

3. We now have a website you can use to donate:
http://www.giveforward.org/shsartsimpact

This site will send a check directly to the BoE at the end of the collection period, which is April 1st, 2010.

Donate and get a ‘free’ strategy session

Ask how!
Email antiquee@graffiti.net!
We love to hear from you!

Great Green Gifts

Christmas is on the way yet again, and the last thing many of us want to think about in this time of abundance is conservation.  But this holiday season, I want to get you dreaming of a green Christmas instead of a white one.  Okay, you can have both, but let’s face it, eco-friendly everything is the way of the future. 

Because a better lifestyle doesn’t sleep at night; it simply IS…

 And one of the biggest setbacks on our journey to a less-polluting, more earth-friendly lifestyle worldwide is the holiday season.  A time where tradition has taught us to throw out the old and replace it with the new—to give material goods even if they are neither needed or wanted. 

To add to this glaring issues, reams after reams after reams of wrapping paper, as well as ribbons, tape, boxes, and cards are used for half a morning and then tossed out, contributing  to a pollution problem that is already out of control.  

I don’t want to lay a guilt trip on you.  Christmas wishes deserve to come true, and in fact I would venture to say that the it can be a spirit of abundance that saves us from ourselves.  Not abundance of material goods, but abundance of love, human relationships, respect for the Earth, and the other “intangible” things that really matter in this experience we call life.  

This Christmas, make the effort to restore Earth’s former glory. 

Let’s talk about solutions, because solutions are a necessary point on which to focus our attention. 

The first thing you should know is that you can recycle most of the products and “trash” associated with the Christmas spirit.  Your wrapping paper and all the attachments that come with it should be recycled, not thrown out.  And that goes with all that packaging too—boxes, bags, etc…  

Even your Christmas tree is recyclable!  All of the old household items, clothes, tools, equipment, machines, and electronics that you are replacing this December with all the gifts you are about to receive–those shouldn’t be thrown out.  

Instead, they can be donated or sold.  Do you realize how many people go without on Christmas?  How many parents cannot even afford to give their children presents…Homeless children, children whose parents are incarcerated, and children of those who are just struggling to get by and cannot afford to dig any deeper in their pockets.    

And it isn’t just children who need or could use your “junk.”  Generosity should never have an age limit.  Instead, let it exist free of any limits.  Embrace that spirit of abundance we talked about before. 

In addition, if you are struggling yourself, you’d be surprised how much of that stuff you consider to be junk another person considers worthy of buying off of you.  

The point is that this Christmas, don’t let the trash bin sit closer to you than the friends and family who give holidays meaning.  Wrap your mind around the concept of going green to the best of your ability.  You can find plenty of ideas online to help you in your efforts to recycle and reuse. 

Which brings us to another thing you should consider this Christmas—there are plenty of eco-friendly products out there that would make great gifts, and the best of them are found online.  Pave the way for the future of business by not contributing to all of the businesses selling Earth-unfriendly products.  

Check out my website www.gogreenitems.com we  are very proud to offer products and items that will both satisfy you as a customer and lay Mother Earth’s worries to rest.  

From dog toys to reusable/recyclable handbags, from the eco button (which reminds you not to waste electricity when your computer is idle) to the voltaic solar backpack (which charges devices with the power of the sun), from the Cool N Save Air Conditioner Pre-Cooling System (a name that speaks for itself) to the countless organic and natural soaps, gels, and lotions, this website has something for everyone. 

You are not just reaching forward to the future when others are holding back.  You are not just saving yourself time, energy, and money in the long run.  And you are not just saving the environment.  

What you will embark on this Christmas is doing all of these things while at the same time turning one of the biggest holidays into a promotion of our planet’s wellbeing rather than another reason to waste.  

Because it’s time to give something more to each other than material goods that will be shoved into the back of the closet.  It’s time to give each other another inspiration and a shot at a quality existence on this planet.  

This year, I’m dreaming of a green Christmas.  Are you?

Visit www.gogreenitems.com for your best green holiday gifts!

Each and every Saturday of the year the volunteers with the Ministry of Hope at Cross and Crown Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois, serve a feast for the homeless and low-income of the area. Approximately 50 to 70 people enjoy the hot breakfast and lunch each week. Many partake in the opportunity to attend a worship service.

The volunteers and pastors of Cross and Crown are a gift from God to the homeless. They live from their hearts, offering smiles, joy, friendship, hope and support to all who need. They serve delicious meals, give clothing, bikes, and more. They give transportation to and from the church in a church member’s van. The Ministry of Hope is NOT even part of the church budget–all costs come out of their own pockets!

The Ministry of Hope volunteers are absolutely amazing! I honestly don’t know how such a small church can do so much for so many! Some may remember that it was this same church that was vandalized around Christmastime. There was an outpouring of support from communities all around, including an awesome new Christmas tree to replace the one that was damaged by the vandalism.

I felt glad that this church was able to celebrate Christmas and feel the warmth of the community help that we homeless feel when we go to the Ministry of Hope on Saturdays. I hope to return the love and kindness someday by finding a way to help them myself, perhaps by finding them a new or used van of their own to give us rides in to and from the church. It would even grant the church the ability to give us rides to the church on Sundays so that we may attend the regular worship service–something many of us wish to do but can’t get to the church on our own.

View a pdf file about the Ministry of Hope.

November 13, 2009 The Xcell Academy Design Team hosted “To Write Love on Her Arms” day.  The student body was able to wear jeans and a T-shirt to the school.  Upon arriving, the students had the Design Team paint “love” on their arms for a $3 donation. Donations will help the To Write Love on Her Arms foundation which is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people struggling with depression,  addiction, self-injury, and suicide.

If are confused with numerous organizations around you and are not sure which one to choose for making your donation, there is an easy way to figure out which organization is the right one for you.  Its called charity navigator.  The link is provided below.  This website provides a detailed breakdown of expenses by each organization so you know what percentage of your donation is actually reaching the people you meant it to reach. 

http://www.charitynavigator.org/

It is going to be the graduation at Soweto tomorrow. I should have some fab pictures.

For centuries wolves have been hunted, persecuted, and reviled by many as monsters. They have been hunted to near extinction in several countries, including the mainland United States. On the other extreme, people have often taken wolves or wolf hybrids and tried to domesticate them, only to realize they can’t really care for a large pet. Somebody needed to step up and help educate the public about the true nature of the wolf, and provide a home for those cast-off hybrids that are neither wolf nor dog. That somebody was Mission: Wolf of Westcliffe, Colo.

Last summer I worked with Gabrielle Faust to raise money for Mission: Wolf and The Bat Sanctuary of Austin, Texas, at a joint book signing. It was a success, but I want to do more, and I’m hoping you’ll want to help … and possibly win a nice prize. So, my annual Give the Gift of Lycanthropy campaign this year is designed to help the good folks of Mission: Wolf provide care for the animals they’ve taken in.

Here’s how it works. On the left side of my Web site there is a donation button. By clicking it, you can donate money to Mission: Wolf through me. When the contest closes, I’ll send Mission: Wolf a check for everything donated. I’m not keeping any of the money for processing, to pay for the prizes, or anything like that. Every penny will be sent to Mission: Wolf.

Prizes? Yup. The person who donates the most money at www.stevenewedel.com between now and Christmas (Dec. 25, 2009) will receive one of my “PC” numbered copies of Little Graveyard on the Prairie. This is a small collector’s edition book that retails for $50 and was limited to a print run of 100 hardback copies. Here’s a link to Horror-Mall’s listing for the book. Now, because it is a rather expensive prize, the minimum donation to be qualified to win it is $10. You can donate as many times as you want. Your cumulative amount as of Dec. 25, 2009, will determine your eligibility for this grand prize. Remember, the money goes to Mission: Wolf.

If that’s too steep for you, don’t worry. You still have a couple of chances to win a free book. Everyone who donates any amount at all at www.stevenewedel.com will have his name put into a drawing to win his choice of one of my Scrybe Press titles.

But wait! There’s more. Everyone who reposts this message and sends comments/replies here with the working link (or includes me in the Facebook note) will also be entered into a drawing for a free Scrybe Press title from me.

That’s THREE chances to win. Plus, everyone wins that warm, furry feeling you get from helping some majestic animals and the wonderful people who take care of them. You can’t beat that with a dead vampire! Go to www.stevenewedel.com and click the Donate Now button in the upper left corner to help Mission: Wolf.

I hope you have a great holiday season, and thanks for your support!

So i’ve finally decided!! I’m submitting my application to University of Western Sydney for Bachelor of Social Sciences Peace and Development!  It was a tough decision between that and Bachelor of Communications Journalism but i finally decided. I think it would be a great thing to be formally trained in an area i am passionate in. I’m really looking forward to going to University, as i really never thought i would get a chance to do it.

Through volunteering with Invisible Children i have uncovered a side of me that id never really knew existed. I want to continue to expand, grow and further my knowledge so i can in turn be of more help to those who require it the most.

So…Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes are in the air for me and my life and i really am excited. I’m going to apply to start mid year so that way i have around 6 months to get my medication settled and hopefully all my ongoing tests done and be cleared for start June 2010!

Our Christmas tree last year, left remarkably intact despite having a dog and a baby

The holidays are upon us.  I suspect we say “upon” because that’s how the holidays feel…like a big weight pressed upon our shoulders.  In theory, I love the holidays; in practice, I suspect I’m not alone when I say that the holidays are a big, fat pain in the ass.  It’s ridiculous that the holidays cause so much undue stress.  I often reprimand myself when I start getting anxious about the impending get-togethers.  I use the age-old scolding employed by so many parents trying to get their kids to eat (“Poor kids in X would be happy to eat this food!”).  This logic works quite well, actually, when I start to get unnecessarily overwhelmed by the season’s obligations (e.g., “there are people in dire straits who would love to have the luxury of worrying only about the holidays”).  So, as I have done so many times in the past, I am crafting a list of holiday goals, some lofty, some decidedly more modest in scope.  Unlike other years, however, my hope is that, by publishing these goals, I’ll be more committed to actually living up to the list.  (In other years, I have completed maybe one goal and it was usually the easiest one on the list.)  I will keep you apprised of my progress.

1 – Do something nice for our neighbors. We’re in a new city this year and have met a few of our neighbors.  In our last neighborhood, I always wanted to give our fellow residents some kind of baked good but I just never got around to it.  Now that I’m not working, I have one less excuse to fulfill this goal.  I will even give some kind of yummy treat to the neighbor behind us who gives me the heebie jeebies; he paces around his yard all day, sometimes stopping to sit and stare angrily into space and when it’s dark out, that’s when he decides to mow his lawn.  (Of course, I’m sure he thinks I’m creepy for checking on his activity level through the window.)

2- Exercise. I’m not good at exercise.  I appear to be in decent shape, but that is thanks in no small part to Spanx and empire-cut blouses.  I’ve started exercise routines countless times, only to drop them one week (or one day) later.  If I have a half-hour block of free time, I’d rather spend it reading a good book or getting a root canal than exercising.  However, I must admit that exercise lovers are right when they say that working out does make you feel better.  Not only that, but working out in the morning really does give me a nice boost of energy for the day without all the stomach pain that comes with my usual energy boost of four cups of coffee.  I will probably be much better equipped to deal with the nonsense of the holiday season if I’m feeling physically better.  I don’t have unrealistic plans for exercising during the holidays.  I’m talking a half-hour workout video two or three times a week and morning yoga stretches everyday.

3 – Make a pie crust from scratch.  This doesn’t need further explanation.  I will say that I am not even going to buy a freezer crust as a back up; that way, I don’t have a last-minute excuse to wimp out.  (The plan is to make a lovely chocolate bourbon pecan pie over the Thanksgiving weekend.)

4 – Donate some time and take my daughter along for the ride. My daughter may be the cutest kid in the universe, but she’s definitely not the only kid in the universe.  I think my daughter needs to realize this fact sooner than later; she should also learn that she is quite fortunate to have the life she has.  So, she and I will be heading out to the local children’s hospital or women’s shelter to drop off care packages (or whatever the given facility happens to need).   My daughter will get a good lesson and we’ll hopefully help others in some small way.  I’ll also get a much-needed reminder of how thankful I should be for all the gifts I’ve been given.

5 – Donate to soldiers. I did this one last year; it’s ridiculously easy and it’s the right thing to do.  I donate through soldierangels.org, if you’re interested in finding a good place to give.

6 – Perform random acts of kindness. I started doing this last year around the Easter holiday and I try to keep it up throughout the year.  I used to bring cookies to the mechanics at our local auto service shop; they were the greatest, most honest, most straightforward mechanics I’ve ever known.  (If you’re interested, it was a Tireman service center.)  I like to let people cut ahead of me in line at the grocery store, especially if they have less to buy than I do.  I’m not really in a hurry in the grand scheme of things and it’s fun to see how ridiculously happy this small gesture can make someone.  (Note: there will be times your random acts of kindness won’t be well received.  Maybe the person on whom you’ve bestowed the act is having a rough time, maybe she’s suspicious of your motives, or maybe she’s just plain rude.  Don’t let that stop you.)

7 – Eat breakfast. I’ve been terrible about remembering to eat breakfast since college.  My breakfast usually consists of lots of coffee and a few spoonfuls of whatever my daughter is getting that morning (I highly recommend the Gerber Organic Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal if you are also currently on the “eat what your kid eats” meal plan).  I really can’t complain that my stomach hurts all day if all I put into it before noon is caffeine and more caffeine.  I think I’ll be a much more pleasant person around my – shall we say more challenging – family members if I’m not hunched over with abdominal pain.  Just a guess.

8 – Make all kinds of trifle. I am a big fan of trifle for dessert.  It’s easy and, if you’re a “follow the recipe” gal or guy like me, trifle is the one place where you can actually improvise without fear of producing something inedible.  It’s layers of cake, cream, pudding and/or fruit, for the most part.  It looks really pretty, even if most of your other attempts at dessert look like a legally blind three-

year-old made them.

9 – Watch my favorite Christmas movies. This is a sad little goal.  I really love old movies, and old Christmas movies are the best.  They can somehow pull off sappiness and wholesomeness without making me roll my eyes like newer movies can.  Every year I tell my husband that we should have a Christmas movie marathon that includes both our favorites (It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and The Bishop’s Wife for me, Christmas Vacation and Christmas Story for him).  Every year, we end up forgetting to watch these perennial classics and instead watch cable news or sitcoms.  The news will still be around after December and the sitcoms will certainly reappear in rerun (oh, and there’s DVR now, too).  Christmastime comes but once a year.

10 – Give my husband some kind of meaningful gift. My husband and I decided not to do much for Christmas this year; we’re getting our daughter a few large items and want to limit spending.  There’s nothing either of us desperately needs or wants.  I used to be really good at getting my husband thoughtful gifts but I’ve gotten lazier as the years have passed.  I’m mulling over some ideas in my head but I’m waiting for that really brilliant inspiration.  I welcome any suggestions for a clever, original gift, because I have a feeling said inspiration is not going to get here on time.

So, today I launch my Holiday Goal Project.  I suppose the ultimate goal of this little experiment is to realize that these things were easy to incorporate into my everyday routine, which will make me want to do them well past December 25.  (Except for the holiday movies…that would drive my husband crazy.  Oh, and maybe the trifles…I want to still fit into some of my pants.)