I'm Ba-ack (Finally!)

First, the mea culpa . . . Sorry for such a long delay.  Thanks to those of you who checked in periodically -- although I didn't realize it until much later -- I hope my silence I didn't cause too much concern.  It seemed like I was sick forever (when in actuality, it was only about four weeks) and then I was frantically trying to take care of daily responsibilities AND play catch up -- NOT fun!  But, to make a long story short, I am pretty much up to date and ready to get back into a blogging routine.

I want to take a brief moment to share something that many of us can do to help with the horrible situation in the Gulf.  I just found out that some of our local businesses are collecting human and animal hair to be sent to the Gulf so that it can be used to soak up the oil.  Apparently, hair has been used effectively in the past to clean up oil spills and some eco-conscious businesses are making it easy for us to gather this easily acquired item and get it to where it can really do some good.  Check out Matter of Trust for more information on how collecting all that hair that your dog or cat is spreading around your carpet and furniture can be used to combat the oil gushing into the ecosystem.  If you are not aware of any businesses collecting in your area, you can sign up on the website and they can provide a location for you to send your clippings.  They are also looking for donations of nylons -- and they don't have to be pristine -- they stuff the nylons with the hair and create a hair boom to gather the oil.  Even better . . . do you know a local groomer?  Get them involved!

Now, on the list of things to share is the results of the wonderful contest that I won.  Mrs. B had a contest for a $50 gift certificate from Moonstone Jewelry and I WON!  I even managed to crawl out of my sick bed to post about it -- that was when I was stubbornly trying to stay on top of things despite my body's rebellion.  When I finally got around to taking advantage of my prize, there was also a sale taking place so I actually splurged and got two rings (I couldn't decide between the two so it's a good thing there was a sale).  The first was the Howling Wolf Ring (of course -- big surprise there).  But, the second ring that I was very drawn to was the Tree of Life Ring.  Not only was it unusual with the cut outs that reminded me of an infinity sign, but the subtle and beautiful figure integrated into the design spoke to me.  Once I ordered, I was quickly contacted by Moonstone Jewelry thanking me for the order and just days later, I had a package in the mail.  Not only are the products from this company amazing, but so is the service.  If you are looking for some jewelry, I highly recommend checking out this website.

Well, there is so much left to share, but I am going to pace myself.  Besides, I may be ready to start writing again, but I am WAY behind in reading all those blogs that have been posted over the past couple of months.  Actually, my Unread Blogs count just says 1000+ -- so not good, the count is so high that even the computer has stopped counting!  So, I am going to work on getting that under control and I am sure, in addition to ideas I already have, I will be inspired by the wonderful thoughts of others.  I may be a bit slow on the uptake of some of your ideas -- but i want to give them their due, so bear with me!