• birthday cake

    The ultimate gift

    Several very kind and generous people have been messaging me about what I want for my birthday/Yule/Xmas. Since so many of you are far away, I went ahead and created a wishlist on Amazon. However, if you’d rather support a cause I hold dear, then please sign up to be an organ donor.

    Currently, more than 120,000 Americans are waiting list candidates for organ transplants. A new name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list every 10 minutes. And every day, 18 of those people die because a match was unavailable.

    It’s so easy to become a donor. Simply fill out a card or check the box on your driver’s license application. Then tell your family and friends about your decision. That way, if anything ever happens to you, they’ll know to sign the consent form and honor your wishes. Having this discussion with your loved ones also offers you the opportunity to encourage them to learn more about organ donation.

    Age isn’t a factor. Neither is gender or race. Organs and tissue can be donated by anyone who decides to help others. You don’t have to have a physical exam to see if your organs are good enough to donate. Medical suitability is determined at the time of death.

    If you ever become seriously injured or ill, the doctors will give you the best care available. The decision to donate your organs has no effect on the amount or quality of medical care you’ll receive. Your life is the first priority. But if don’t pull through, the hospital can use your forethought and generosity to save other people’s lives.

    What can be donated? You decide. Personally, I signed up for the whole shebang. When I’m gone, the United Network for Organ Sharing can have my heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver, intestines, eyes, skin and bone marrow. It’s not like I’ll be able to use them.

    Once those organs are harvested, strict federal guidelines will ensure ethical and equitable distribution. Patients in the immediate area who are critically ill will get first dibs. If no suitable match is found, the organs will be offered regionally, then nationally.

    Organ donation is free. Almost all major religions in the United States consider it an acceptable medical practice. And it’s one of the few opportunities for anyone to achieve a sort of immortality. Yet millions of people still haven’t filled out an organ donation card.

    Hopefully, that will change today.

    Donate LIfe

    –Photo by Zsuzsanna Kilian. Used with permission.

  • Bookstore

    Spring may have sprung, but this weekend is Christmas

    A gift certificate from The Strand has been burning a metaphorical hole in my pocket, and this weekend, I intend to spend the whole thing.

    I usually shop with a list. Not this time. This time, I’m going exploring.

    I shall enter the store with a sense of wanderlust, rather than a sense of purpose. I’m going to stroll down the aisles and let my fingers caress the spines. I plan to stand on tip-toe and bend deep at the knees. I intend to let myself be swayed by interesting titles and colorful cover art.

    Then, once my feet begin to tire, I shall fill my red basket to the brim with romances, mysteries, thrillers, fantasies, historicals, biographies, occult books, poetry books, cookbooks and reference tomes. And when the gift certificate has been thoroughly depleted, I’ll haul my treasures home and dive in.

    I can’t wait!

    (Photo by Bitterfly)

  • These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things This Year

    The holidays are here again, and everyone is crazy busy. My shopping is done for the year — as usual I finished early — but if you’re still looking for that perfect gift, let me offer a few suggestions, à la Oprah. Dear readers, these are a few of my favorite things:

    tea kettle

    FOR THE TEA DRINKER: Melitta 40994 1.7-Liter Kettle

    Our last electric tea kettle, a perfectly serviceable Proctor Silex started to die in January. M picked up this new kettle after reading some excellent reviews and I certainly put it through the paces. Unlike our last kettle, the Melitta can fill two large mugs of tea and still have hot water to spare.

    rose ring

    FOR THE PERSON WHO LOVES AFFORDABLE, YET BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY: The Rose and Petal 925 Sterling Silver Ring

    I decided to upgrade my look this year, and since we were saving for a house, I focused on accessories. This ring was my favorite item.

    garlic peeler

    FOR THE GADGET GURU: Zak Designs E-Z-Rol Garlic Peeler

    This gadget is so easy to use! Just pop in a garlic clove, roll and voila! All of the sticky paper is removed. For just $5, you’ll never have to deal with the odor of garlic on your hands again. Best of all, it’s dishwasher-safe. Also comes in festive red and green.

    paprika

    FOR THE COOK: Paprika Recipe Manager

    For years I have searched for ways to collect all of my online recipes in one place. After trying archived emails, PDFs and numerous apps, I finally discovered Paprika. With this app, you can “organize your recipes, make meal plans and create grocery lists.” It’s a very handy tool and one that you can use on a Mac or PC, iPhone or Android, iPad, Kindle Fire or Nook.

    K&H Thermo-Pet Mat

    FOR THE PET LOVER: K&H Thermo-Pet Mat

    I bought two of these mats last spring for my eldest cats because their old bones just couldn’t take the cold anymore. The mats were so popular that I decided to pick up two more in the fall. I’m now the most popular kitty mom around. One small note: If you do end up buying one, cover the mat with an old pillowcase. This will make cleanup super easy.

    Signare Tapestry Handbag

    FOR THE FASHIONISTA: Signare Tapestry Handbag

    Big enough to carry everything you need, compact enough to not look like you’re Mary Poppins. More importantly, this purse is sturdy, which as most women can attest, is not always the case with bags in this price range.

    As you wish

    FOR THE LONGTIME FAN OF “THE PRINCESS BRIDE”: “As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride” by Cary Elwes

    Elwes, who played Westley in the film, has penned a wonderful behind-the-scenes book about this cult classic. While I have no doubt the print/ebook versions are great, I highly recommend the audiobook to hear Elwes, Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, William Goldman, Norman Lear, Carol Kane, Andy Scheinman and Rob Reiner share their favorite stories about the making of the movie. M and I listened to “As You Wish” in the car over several weeks and had a blast.

    i dare me

    FOR THE ADVENTUROUS, OR AIM-TO-BE-MORE ADVENTUROUS: “I Dare Me: How I Rebooted And Recharged My Life By Doing Something New Every Day” by Lu Ann Cahn

    This is a compilation of Cahn’s many fun and daring “firsts” — activities she’d never tried or hadn’t tried in about a decade. I decided to give it a whirl and this year I enjoyed quite a few interesting experiences. I avoided saying anything negative for a whole day, bought a rubber stamp that symbolizes me, figured out a way to eat, and like, brussels sprouts, got chased by zombies, had a letter-boxing adventure, became a vegetarian for a day, studied French, took piano lessons, took sign language lessons, shared a migraine photo, revealed my Oscar predictions, sounded a barbaric yawp in public, spent a whole day without looking in a mirror, stood up for a cause I believed in, took classes in astrobiology, the nature of terrorism, social media and archaeology, took care of someone after surgery, tried a fondue dinner and used a Youtube video to learn a new skill.

    fitdesk

    FOR THE PERSON RESOLVING TO BE HEALTHIER IN 2015: FitDesk v. 2.0

    I picked up a FitDesk as a Valentine’s Day gift for my husband and ended up using it more than he did. Not only is the bike easy to ride, the desk part allows me to work while I do it (or more to the point distracts me while I do it).

    Zombies Run

    FOR THE PERSON WHO WANTS TO STAY HEALTHY BUT HATES TO WORK OUT: Zombies, Run!

    As mentioned in a previous blog post, I love this app. The game’s tagline says it all: Get fit. Escape zombies. Become a hero. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a shot. It’s great fun.

  • birthday cake

    “A happy birthday is measured not in the amount of gifts one gets, but in the amount one is loved.” ―Todd Stocker

    With my birthday, Yule and Christmas coming up, I’ve been receiving emails and messages asking me what I want. I am quite fortunate; my needs are few. So, as always, I request that you consider becoming an organ donor.

    If you who have already checked that box at the DMV, thank you so very much. Someday, hopefully very far in the future, you will become a hero. In that case, a card would be lovely. My address is available here (just click on the contact info link).

    And for the generous souls who prefer to send presents, I have created a wish list. It reveals far more about me than any essay I could ever pen.

    (Photo by Zsuzsanna Kilian.)