In talk with a 'Catter, we discussed having a list of "Things We Can't Live Without" for the year. I suppose it's timely, with the holidays coming and all, to maybe share some ideas and where to find 'em for the folks on your lists.

I'll start:

Good Book to Rev Up Conversation Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam. (I've also seen that Felicia Wu Song has one out too, in the same vein, Bowling Alone But Online Together: Virtual Communities and American Public Life but I can't see spending $70 for a paperback. *bg*) You can get it at Amazon.

Good Stuff for the Kitchen: Cape Herb Grinders   I am totally gone for the Magic Mushrooms Grinder, and the Cinnamon Sugar Grinder has a solid place in my heart. Fabulous and versatile. My late summer favorite was a sliced fresh peach with a twist of the C/S on it. Yum. You can get them dirt cheap from the Chelsea website.

Good Stuff for Your Ears: With the festival organizing and all, I heard a LOT of music this year and not all of it was good. *bg* Two that buried the needle on my cool-shit-o-meter were Brendan Wires and Colin Spring   Both great musicians and genuinely nice folk. You can buy directly from the websites and I don't think anyone will be disappointed.

Your turn......