Is this it? Here is a "ring and run" activity to do with the children. Buy the items listed below, make their tags, and have the kids start dropping them off, one each day of course, to a special friend on December 13. Do this after dark, or leave them on the porch when they aren't home, and don't get caught! This is a good way to that giving can be fun. ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...a partridge in a pear tree. Sorry, but we can't find the partridge, so we are givng you some pears from the tree the partridge flew away from. (attach to a can of pears) ON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...two turtle doves...but dont' have any...will candy turtles with a bar of Dove soap do? (attach note to a box or plate of caramel turtles w/ a boxed bar of Dove soap.) ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...three French hens...well, we don't have any French hens, so we're giving you some chicken noodle soup, compliments of the three French hens. (attach to can of chicken noodle soup). ON THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...four calling birds...we can't find those calling birds though! Here are 4 messages they left for you before they flew off! (attach to 4 messages describing what a wonderful person they are) ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...five golden rings, but sorry, we're too poor for golden rings, but will some golden pineapple rings do? (attach to can of pineapple rings) ON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...six geese a laying, but we know you don't really want the mess of six geese all over your house, do you? How about some eggs that they left behind! (attach to a half dozen eggs) ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...seven swans a swimming! OK, we looked for the swans, but couldn't find them, but we did find some bubble bath they used while they were swimming! (attach to bottle of bubble bath) ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...eight maids a-milking. Here is some milk we got from the eight maids -- we think they must have been milking some brown cows! (attach to a container of chocolate milk) ON THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...nine ladies dancing...Here are some canes used by the nine ladies who were out dancing all night! (attach to a nine candy canes) ON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS: your true love gave to you...ten lords-a-leapin' - here is some "Ben Gay", which is highly recommended by the ten Lords we saw out jumping around. (attach to a package of Ben Gay rubbing lotion) ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...eleven pipers piping, so here is a pipe of your own, have fun with it, but don't "blow" the whole day! (attach to a bubble pipe and bubble solution) ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you...twelve drummers drumming, but we figured twelve drummers drumming would take up way too much room, so we drummed up some cookies for you...hope they keep this from being just another hum-"drum" day for you! (attach to a plate of cookies) Thanks Beada, Santa was very good. Hope you had a good Christmas too!

I got 2 Paper Pieced Blocks done (one was mostly done in January). I still have to add the HST which I will do once I get a few more block completed. I also still need to add the black sashing to make them 14". I also finished a few of the Stepping Stone blocks, as I needed to buy fabric for them (actually changed my mind on what I was going to use, as I found the perfect print). The steps are from a striped fabric that had a gradual change in colors that I fussy cut (156 2.5" squares) to what you see- each of these 14" blocks random and different. I need to get these completed in order to go forward with the colors for the remaining PP stars that are more involved. I am introducing a mint & green batik to the turquoise/dark purple/blue to brighten it up a bit. I am close to finishing the 12 stepping stone blocks since my color choices were limited on those. It looks like I have alot done - but I have an awful lot left !!! For the paper -I switched to Plotter and Drafting Vellum instead of laser / copy paper. It is much better, rips away easier and is semi transparent. It goes thru my laser, which is picky. Toolgranny suggested the old erasable typewriter paper - that would be perfect, but I would not recommend using it in a inkjet or laser printer/copier. It is no longer made as far as I know - I finally donated the stock I had because there is no market for it. In fact typewriters are only made by a few manufacturers (so hang on to yours if you have a working typewriter - ribbons are even harder to find). I've linked below to the Vellum. Here is a link that might be useful: Vellum

Thanks everyone... you make me feel so good! And... I'm ready to start a turtle to keep finally. :) Everyone liked their turtles... and each of the three called yesterday to say that they took a better look at it.. and loved finding all of the "stuff" in the sand. So... thanks to everyone here for all of the help and support! Y'all are WONDERFUL teachers!!!

" The following appeared in January 1997 issue of “The Rose Valley”, the newsletter of the Miami Valley Rose Society, Tom Rubins editor. No author was given. (This rose society is in the Dayton, Ohio area.) JUST FOR FUN Corporate Downsizing The recent announcement that Donner and Blitzen have elected to take the early reindeer retirement package has triggered a good deal of concern about whether they will be replaced, and other restructuring decisions at the North Pole. Streamlining was appropriate in view of the reality that the North Pole no longer dominates the season's gift distribution business. Home shopping channels and mail order catalogues have diminished Santa's market share and he could not sit idly by and permit further erosion of the profit picture. The reindeer downsizing was made possible through the purchase of a late model Japanese sled for the CEO's annual trip. Improved productivity from Dasher and Dancer, who summered at the Harvard Business School, is anticipated and should take up the slack with no discernible loss of service. Reductions in reindeer will also lessen airborne environmental emission for which the North Pole has been cited and received unfavorable press. I am pleased to inform you and yours that Rudolph's role will not be disturbed. Tradition still counts for something at the North Pole. Management denies, in the strongest possible language, the earlier leak that Rudoph's nose got that way not from the cold, but from substance abuse. Calling Rudolph "a lush who was into the sauce and never did pull his share of the load" was an unfortunate comment, made by one of Santa's helpers and taken out of context at a time of year when he is known to be under executive stress. As a further restructuring, today's global challenges require the North Pole to continue to look for better, more competitive steps. Effective immediately, the following economy measures are to take place in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" subsidiary: The partridge will be retained, but the pear tree never turned out to be the cash crop forecasted. It will be replaced by a plastic hanging plant, providing considerable savings in maintenance. The two turtle doves represented a redundancy that is simply not cost effective. In addition, their romance during working hours could not be condoned. The positions are therefore eliminated. The three French hens will remain intact. After all, everyone loves the French. The four calling birds were replaced by an automated voice mail system, with a call waiting option. An analysis is underway to determine who the birds have been calling, how often and how long they talked. The five golden rings have been put on hold by the Board of Directors. Maintaining a portfolio based on one commodity could have negative implications for institutional investors. Diversification into other precious metals as well as a mix of T Bills and high technology stocks appear to be in order. The six geese-a-laying constitutes a luxury which can no longer be afforded. It has long been felt that the production rate of one egg per goose per day is an example of the decline in productivity. Three geese will be let go, and an upgrading in selection procedure by personnel will assure management that from now on every goose it gets will be a good one. The seven swans-a-swimming is obviously a number chosen in better times. The function is primarily decorative. Mechanical swans are on order. The current swans will be retained to learn some new strokes and therefore enhance their outplacement. As you know, the eight maids-a-milking concept has been under heavy scrutiny by the EEOC. A male/female balance in the workforce is being sought. The more militant maids consider this a deadend job with no upward mobility. Automation of the process may permit the maids to try a-mending, a-mentoring or a-mulching. Nine ladies dancing has been an odd number. This function will be phased out as these individuals grow older and can no longer do the steps. Ten Lords-a-leaping is overkill. The high cost of Lords plus the expense of international air travel prompted the Compensation Committee to suggest replacing this group with ten out-of-work congressmen. While leaping ability may be somewhat sacrificed, the savings are significant because we expect an oversupply of unemployed congressmen this year. Eleven pipers piping and twelve drummers drumming is a simple case of the band getting too big. A substitution with a string quartet, a cutback on new music and no uniforms will produce savings which will drop right down to the bottom line. We can expect a substantial reduction in assorted people, fowl, animals and other expenses. Though incomplete, studies indicate that stretching deliveries over twelve days is inefficient. If we can drop ship in one day, service levels will be improved. Regarding the lawsuit filed by the attorney's association seeking expansion to include the legal profession ("thirteen lawyers-a-suing") action is pending. Lastly, it is not beyond consideration that deeper cuts may be necessary in the future to stay competitive. Should that happen, the Board will request management to scrutinize the Snow White Division to see if seven dwarfs is the right number. MVRS; January 8. 1997 I guess we should start thinking of adding extra paragraphs. Barbara, my wife, suggests a paragraph in which the dwarfs are laid off and the manufacture of toys is subcontracted to a firm in China."