Good Morning, everyone. Elaine asked in an e-mail if I was getting cabin fever yet and, yeah, I am. As I mentioned before, though I like the change in seasons, my least favorite season is winter. The sooner it is over the better.

Thanks for the compliments, Kay. I have been doing some forms of needlework (crochet and embroidery) since I was a teenager. Others (quilting, needlepoint, cross-stitch) I picked up along the way. I call stitching my 'therapy.' A lot cheaper than a therapist and none of the negative consequences of drinking.

We heard a bit about this proposal on the tv morning news. I have my doubts about how effective the program will be. I remember a small businessman who commented on the proposed tax breaks on new equipment. Basically, he didn't see any sense in upgrading his delivery vans (and by extension any other still useful equipment) if he had no customers to deliver something to. I am glad to see the part that prohibits firing workers to make room for new tax-exempt employees. But then the exception in the case of workers who leave 'voluntarily' or are fired for cause means there is one hell of a big loophole. Those concepts can be stretched to infinity and have been by employers trying to avoid unemployment payments.

I have been reading about the crocheted reef project for some time now. The pictures are absolutely fantastic. Here is a short video talk by the founder of the project. Enjoy!

U.S. News has this article I found by way of Elaine who shared it by of Google Reader. We have implemented most of these sometimes for economic reasons but often for reasons of simplicity,health, or other esthetic considerations. Those we haven't actually implemented we constantly re-examine to see if they would fit our needs. How many reflect your reality in these times?