I know what you mean, Trish. I had no TV reception at all for years, and I was fine with that. Now that I have reception, though, I was glad to see the converter box gave me additional public TV channels. Their programming often interests me. It might be that the converter box decision has already been determined. Here's an excerpt from an article I just read: Anyone currently applying for the $40 converter coupon is being wait-listed since the federal government program is currently out of funding. Russo, whoÂs applied for coupons on behalf of his customers, says heÂs not been given a definitive date as to when coupons will be made available. "I guess they had more of a response than they anticipated when they funded the program ... YouÂd be surprised how many people still have roof antennas," Russo said. According to an article by Leslie Cauley, USA Today, "The government's $1.34 billion coupon program for digital converter boxes ran out of money on Sunday." At the writing of that article, 103,000 people had already been wait-listed.>

My dad was an avid photographer (I am too), and left me thousands of negatives, prints, and slides from the 1920s to the 1960s. I bought a Canon 9950F scanner, which does a beautiful job on all three. It is no longer manufactured, but this one comes close and costs a lot less: Canon Canoscan 9000F Luckily for me, my dad was far more organized than I. All the negatives, all the slides, and most of the prints were neatly filed. Still, the sheer volume was daunting, as was the fact that I knew nothing about using a photo scanner. As a result, the scanner sat in its unopened box for a couple of years. But once I pushed myself to "just do it," it turned out to be an enjoyable and often exciting task. I've been doing it for about five years, a few at a time. My dad would be amazed to see the technology--and, thanks to the Internet, how many people enjoy seeing his photos. His photos are a legacy, and a valuable one. I'm so lucky to have them, and to be able to hand them on to the next generations. I hope they will feel the same way about my own photography.

I'm bringing this back up because I heard about it on Len Tillem's radio show. He calls it the list of 11, and I think it's on his website.. The List of Eleven One of the most tedious and difficult tasks in administering a trust or an estate is finding the decedent's estate planning documents and asset information. Frequently, children have no idea where their parents kept these important documents. After you pass away, the last thing you should want is for your children to have to search through your belongings in a tragic scavenger hunt to find your will, stock certificates, and other important papers. To avoid these difficulties, you should organize your personal and financial data. This is where the list comes in. Collect the information described in this list and give a copy to your relatives, or put the list where you know they can find it. In case something happens to you, the List of Eleven is one of the best ways to ensure that your relatives can find all your vital records. The name of the bank where you have your safety deposit box, its number, and the location of your key. The numbers for all of your insurance policies, health, life, auto, home, burial, etc., and the names and addresses of the agents for each policy. Itemization of your stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and the numbers of each, and the name and address of your broker. The names of the banks or savings and loans for each of your accounts, and the account numbers. The location of your cemetery plot or mausoleum niche. The location of your Will and the name of your attorney. Your credit card numbers. Your Social Security number. The name and address of your mortgage holder, account number, and the amount of the outstanding debt. The name and address of your accountant, and where your past income tax returns are located. The type of memorial or funeral service you want.

Happy Halloween weekend, everyone. I'll be waiting to see how many kids come by for trick or treating. I haven't had anyone come to my door in Lexington in years and years so it will be interesting. Expecting lots of barking from my dog. I've been working really hard today unpacking china and getting it settled in its new location. Now I have a room full of packing paper to smooth out and fold and clear the room. Otherwise the trick or treaters will think my house is haunted all covered with white paper everywhere. I still have kitchen dishes to unpack and place since most of those haven't been unpacked, but I sure wont be doing it tomorrow! I'm worn out!