Today is a wonderful, stay at home rainy day. I’ve got the water on to boil, I’ll make homemade cocoa, or maybe some fancy mocha mix my friends got as a gift, didn’t like, and passed on. (I accept re-gifts very happily.) I made some muffins; apple vanilla oatmeal, made low fat and low sugar, but the taste rocks. Breakfast was potato, zucchini, egg pie-an easy version of a frittata. The house is tidy; some clothing is hanging in the house to dry. I have a bunch of TV recorded form the week, and I’m gonna curl up and watch some mindless entertainment and not feel guilty. (I have only 10 channels, so through the week I tape even “okay” stuff knowing that come the weekend, TV seems to be all sport on the channels I get- golf, NASCAR, ice skating.)

My Guy is making another birthday present. We bought a used book last month (my share $7.10), we got a couple of fancy beers (I had a gift certificate for a liquor store-don’t ask. Or, you can ask, but it’s boring.) Our friend’s favorite band is Steely Dan, so we are doing the same thing we did for his wife last month; melding two pictures together: we have Our Friend in the middle of a lineup looking like a band member.

For anyone with a printer, I recommend this idea for gifts: making magnets. I had a ton of flat square and rectangle magnets; given out or mailed as promotional items. For example Synovate the survey folks, Pizza joints, things like that. Print something you like. Even if you don’t have color printer or don’t have photographic paper, you can write and print your favorite saying or poem. Or take a regular photograph and put it on the magnet. Cut to size, glue, and you’re done.

I’ve got a little clip of A World War II poster-“Food is a Weapon-Don’t Waste It! Buy wisely, cook carefully, eat it all.” I am going to make a little magnet for myself. Why pay for one, or advertise Papa Murphy’s on my fridge, when I can float my own boat for the cost of a glue stick and paper?