I've whittled my list down over the years, to a smaller number for several reasons. I don't like to send cards without a personal note of some sort inside and because of my business, this is one of my busiest times of the year and there are time constraints. I don't like to put people into the position of sending cards as an obligation. It should be a joy. I feel I've likely done them a kindness by dropping them from my list. I replace a Christmas card with a note or card some other time of the year. They can respond....or not. I've lost a good many relatives and friends over the years simply through death and the list goes smaller each year. That's the hardest one. The price of postage is getting prohibitory when you can only send two cards for a dollar.....one if it is going over the pond. I do not send out cards to my customers. If they're special to me, I'll make a trip to them and give them a gift.....but I dislike getting impersonal or imprinted cards made out by somebody's secretary. It just wastes a tree. If they have a good product, a card once a year doesn't matter or make them anymore likely to get my business. That given, my list is very personal and easy to handle now. I will choose (or make) a card I think is special. I don't look at the expense, but the thought presented. I'll be more likely to pick out cards for that reason so don't look for bargains. If they're inexpensive....fine. If they're pricey.........again fine. That means cards sent to make money for charities are considered. I'd rather the profit go toward a cause I support than a stockholder.

If you used "busted-up concrete" as fill, you would have a lot of subsidence as the soil washed into the interstices over the years. To avoid that you'd have to carefully lay the rubble along with a crusher-run type gravel so that there were few, if any voids, then a layer of fill dirt and finally topsoil. And the drainage characteristics of these zones may be obvious during times of drought. They will not hold rainfall the same way as the native undisturbed/un-filled areas. I think it would be a higher outlay to use all fill dirt but a lot less trouble. Casey

Mine are almost ready to go out tomorrow. I did a lot on them Friday while defrosting the freezer. I had two waiting for me at the PO on Thurs. Marilyn Sue's and Janie_ga's. I bet there are more there now! I'll check tomorrow when I mail mine out. I still have another 100 or so to make and send out, between ours, and my parents' cards! Tami

I wouldn't pay $80 for those shoes, much less $800, but I pretty much knew that before I opened the thread. I wear a size 12. I think I wore a size 10 by the time I was 10. It was a constant struggle to find shoes that didn't have significant heels or look like they belonged on an 80 year old woman with foot problems or a man's shoe. In fact, I was told more than once just to wear men's shoes (not that they fit a foot that was on the narrow side). I'm sure that has something to do with why I could never wear Birkenstocks, Converse, Vans or others. But I will also never buy Jimmy Choos -- not that they are even made in my size. To date, my shoe extravagance has been Tieks. But I had to look. ;-) ETA: for gender equality and shoe aversion accuracy