Maeve, I have a spare digital recorder that can convert those off a tape player and into MP3s. Then you can keep them ALL. (Ask Janie-- you should!!!) It's so easy to use. Shall I send it?

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I had hoped we would hear from LilyFestre by now. Since we have not, let's keep a good thought for her. In my case, that will be prayer (as I go about busy activities) that she be surrounded on all sides and in all dimensions by pure positivity in every form imaginable, and then some-- may she have more than enough, Amen.

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We have godkids this year, for the first time. I'm slow. I got stocking stuffers ydy to mail tdy or tmrw and 2 more books in a series we give the two of them for b'days, etc., that will arrive here and be sent in a few days.

The stuffers are tiny and were QUITE affordable (begin as you mean to go on), and the books were BEST quality (Helen Caswell illus) gotten via MudLinked Amazon sellers.

One annual gifting has been 1 tiny ornament at a time-- I buy a different set of mini's each year. I get a set or two and put one ornament on our tree, and give the rest away (1 to each person) as a sign of our growing circle of dear friends.

In a lucky year I can find these in a flat design that goes in a card, so they do not feel obligated to "gift" back to us. In other years when the ornaments have been a little bulkier, they go in shipping bags from Catter-CDs that have arrived thru the year-- more evidence of growth in the circle. These dear ones really only care that we thought about them, and they know how short we are on time. That we send anything out of that busy-ness is always treasured, but they seldom take credit for the treasures they are, to us. Some of them are canners, tho, and have "gifted" us in that way at odd moments just when we need them. Our little tradition is just a way of re-'membrancing that closeness. Sans clutter! :~)

~Susan