Wow. What a wonderful week. Thank you so much for playing along, and for all your fun and inspiring comments. Let's start with Charlotte's amazing give-away:
Stircrazy has won the Watsi donation.
WV Mama has won the Kiva gift card.
Thank you again, so much, dear, generous Charlotte, and dear soon-to-be generous contestants! Winners of both contests: please email me your contact info and mailing address.
On another generous note: an anonymous reader who emailed me would like to buy something for Fran's friend's ill daughter off of her Amazon wish list. Please send me that link, Fran, and I will pass it along. (That little girl is in our hearts.)
Now for the other Amazon stuff. You know how some of you thought it would be fun if *you* were all giving each other stuff? That's kind of how this is actually working, given that these are funds generated by you in the first place. I just wanted to mention that.
I also wanted to mention that we *loved* it when people just wanted to comment without entering, when people wanted to donate their win to charity, when people scratched out their own entry so that they could formally dedicate it to another they deemed worthier. Or, when people just plain wanted stuff to. The kids and I sat down last night to reread all the entries, and they loved SeeTryFly's idea that *they* should win Chef Cuckoo (Birdy has a birthday coming up. . . ) They loved the spirit of fun and sharing of all the entries, just like I did.
A side note: we were also all collectively struck by people's sense that books and films (and even music) need to be owned. I'm wondering if your libraries suck (and if they do, I am so sorry!) or if they might actually offer more than you know. (Kat, I'm wondering if some of those great 80's movies might be around, for instance, for you to watch with your son, which we really want you to be able to do.) Also, I'm not talking about the books you really need to own, like Owl Moon (nowheymama) and The Fault in Our Stars (Beth Vrabel) and Sailing Alone Around the Room (ThisHereBliss), which are all books to have and treasure.
We wish we were sending casio a game for her stir-crazy kids, or maxanyamom the glockenspiel for her kid's kindergarten teacher. We wish we were sending the rotary cutter to Victor, or, because Victor gave up that entry on this entry's behalf, the game Ticket to Ride to S.
If we could, we would get everyone what they wanted. Instead, the winners are, and you'll all have seen this coming:
The NoseFrida snot sucker for Sarah's new baby.
Something so Maria's dad can stay fit. (Maria, email me. Not sure slackline is the right choice. What about something more along the lines of this?)
A great cookbook (Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone) for broke Amy.
Just Between Us for Beth and her daughter.
Farkle for Amy3 and her daughter.
Snake Oil for Melissa's students, so they won't be stuck playing life.
And finally, because I am a (snot) sucker for a good weaning story, a new bra for Danielle H.
The funds won't clear until a bit later in the month. I'll be sure to get Sarah's snot sucker sent straight away, but the rest might take a couple weeks.
Back to our regular programming next week! Enjoy the weekend, my dearest lovelies. xo
Hahaha. Libraries. It's not them, it's us. We are SO bad at getting things back on time - movies in particular. (And, to really gum up the works, movies have a different return time frame than CDs, which are different yet again from books.). We DO use the library - and I have decided to congratulate myself on the fact that our delinquent ways are helping to fund the library for those who need it more - if only we could categorize overdue fines as a charitable donation and get the tax benefit - ha!
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing was SO much fun. Thanks Catherine!
elsiroomom
I'm not sure how it works in your city, but in most places libraries don't get the funds from overdue materials. They go back in a city/county/district pot and are distributed out according to that municipalities determined needs/priorities. Best way to support libraries is to patron Friend's groups book sales and vote on any and all bond issues that have designated funds going to libraries.
Delete-your friendly neighborhood librarian who could, at one point, have built an entire new wing with her overdue fees.
Interesting - I will have to look into that. The library is a county organization for us - but it never occurred to me that overdue fees were going into the general budget. I will find out - because that is the sort of thing I definitely like to know!
Deleteelsiroomom
Holy cow!! Wait... maybe that is not the right phrase since I am all dried up (hahaha!) Woo hoo! Thank you, Catherine!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the winners!
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic! I have been reading your blog forever and I think this is the best thing you have ever done. I took notes and made long lists of things to add to my Amazon gift list. We got the Slack Line for our daughter for Christmas (I know I used the link initially to mark it, hope it gave a credit)- you should have seen us out in the yard measuring distance between trees with a finicky measuring tape that kept snapping at our fingers or gaping at all the tricks kids can do on You Tube. I've bought other suggestions in years past for both my daughter and the speech and language impaired children I work with. I love the "Just Between Us" book you gave away and will be investing in copies not only for my daughter and I but, to give to my mom friends who all have daughters turning tweenish this year. I sent the names of Watsi and Kiva out to all my Girl Scout Leader friends so that the girls can learn to give their cookie money globally to benefit specific businesses and individuals that they can read and learn about easily online. It was so nice to read all the lovely comments from everyone. According to the news, the world is a dark and selfish place but, this blog full of lovely readers proves that there are perfect strangers in the world who reach out and support and encourage each daily. My heart is warmed.
ReplyDeleteI've wondered about American libraries - there are so many things I read about in blogs that I can't get here (Ireland) and probably don't need anyway - but my library will order me any movie and most books. In that States people seem to wait for certain tv channels to have stuff? So anyway, if you like Downton, ask your library to get you the Cranford series. Its a few years old, so they should have it and its great. Hope this all makes sense!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great set of winners, good choosing and congratulations all! :) As for libraries, ours is great and even has board games (Germany) BUT then things have to go back, and there are some we just want to HAVE, materialistic as we are!! So we try things out, and then buy what we love most.
ReplyDeleteSo much fun! Congratulations to ALL the winners and all the readers, too! It was great fun to read through all the comments. And I feel like a winner simply because I got a mention in this post!
ReplyDeleteThis community of folks makes me feel good all the way to the core of my being. Thank you for that. All of you.
This was wonderful. That's all. Just wonderful.
ReplyDeleteLove this community of kind-hearted people, brought together and inspired by you Catherine. Best wishes for a spectacular 2014 xx
ReplyDeleteI love your support of libraries. I especially love this quote from you
ReplyDelete"I know the wait-list at your library is four thousand million patrons long, but just add your name patiently to it. Think how delighted you'll be in February, when you suddenly get to read THE BEST BOOK IN THE WORLD. Just saying."
Because that is exactly my life. I put the book you recommend on hold and it eventually comes in and I have forgotten about it and it is like a treasure to receive the email saying it is in.
But movies are different, especially the old ones because I hate watching them and then it stops working and I say I'll rent it to see the rest and I never do and I just have to sing the songs from the movie to my kids and they would really rather watch the movie. But I hope Kat's library is better.
Such a lovely start to 2014.
ReplyDeleteWow! Thank you thank you thank you! I was just talking about Snake Oil with my teaching partner the other day, and ruefully regretting my purchase of Life as my students squabbled and boasted about how many babies they had. Ugh. I'm so appreciative, and eager to share such a fantastic game with my otherwise-lovely students. A bazillion thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing beyond words! I didn't enter because I simply don't need more stuff. It was fun to read the comments and get to know everyone who hangs out here. However I have decided I really do need a copy of the great coffee table book you promised us, you know the one about Jews and their bacon.... xoxo Beth
ReplyDeleteGAH! So so so excited! I've been smiling for the past 10 minutes. I actually came here to find that other tofu recipe! I've wanted VCFE for YEARS. Yay, a thousand thanks!
ReplyDeleteAmy, did you send me your address? I need it so that I can send you the book! xo
DeleteOMG, in 34 years I have never won anything. (Clarification: never won anything random. I've won a couple things because I worked hard, but nothing that the universe just decided to award me for no good reason.) Seriously, nothing. Not even a two dollar lottery ticket or a free milkshake when I was in middle school and they used to draw names from the students who had all A's. You've turned my entire idea about my life on it's head. I am no longer the person who's never won anything! Holy macaroni!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, the journal is fantastic! Isabelle has been holding it close and won't even let her sisters look at it while it's still blank--funny girl! We are planning to start writing on her birthday (1/23). Thank you so much, Catherine! You are the best! XO
ReplyDelete