My family is dependent on our iPhones and laptops for information. We find restaurants while we are out and about where we used to have to find a phone book to look something up. We can find out the hours of the zoo or the dry cleaners. We love the information highway. Why isn’t there a way to tell our community and surrounding communities about my wonderful yard sale?

Advantages for Sellers:


*Huge amount of exposure
*More time. Get up to two months exposure for your garage sale. More time means more potential buyers.
* Add images to your listing for FREE.
* Increased visibility for your yard sale
* Unlimited word count. No limit on the number of words you can use to describe items in your yard sale.
* Rain out guarantee. If it rains on the day you are having your yard sale. You can change your sale date at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE.

Advantages for Buyers


* FREE to use. Find garage sales using either the search or browse sales tools.
* Filter results. Use the “Items for sale” tool to find yard sales selling exactly what you want.
* Imbedded driving directions. Driving directions to the garage sale are provided on the site. No more copying and pasting address to get driving directions.
* Automated driving directions. Create an account and get automated routing instructions to all garage sales.
* Contact the seller. Have a question about an item on a garage sale listing? Call the seller or use the contact form at the bottom of each listing to contact the seller via email.

What more could you as for, except maybe having someone else mark your items? The site also lists flea markets and consignment shops. All you have to do is put in the zip code of the area of which you are interested in finding a shop or event. The website found two yard sales near my house that have me chopping at the bit to visit! I also discovered flea markets in Indianapolis and surrounding towns that I never knew existed. I see a road trip in my future.

It began snowing here in Indiana in the wee hours of the morning. We are seeing very large flakes that have given us approximately 6 inches of snow today. The country schools closed for the day and I hear that the kids who have vehicles have headed for a local park to have fun sledding. The picture above is of a tree just outside our house. I love the way snow sticks to trees.

If you would like to go and find yourself at the head of the line at the new Manta attraction, you can by entering a fun contest where you could win a “Front-of-the-line” pass.

SeaWorld’s Manta will give you the opportunity to ride a flying roller coaster and see how it feels to be a Manta. You will be thrilled and excited to find yourself spinning and gliding just like a ray. The display will bring you close to the animals in their habitat and thrill you with a ride that only SeaWorld can offer.

Go to SeaWorld.com and click on the participate and win link. From there you simply:
1. 1) Register or log-in to your RideTheFlyingRay.com account
2. 2) Use your existing Twitter account or sign up for a free account here
3. 3) Follow @RealShamu on Twitter for insider tips on the quiz
4. 4) Find answers for the Manta quiz throughout this site
5. 5) Correctly answer 5 Manta questions – but be careful! You only get three chances.
6. 6) Upon successful completion, you will receive an email from RideTheFlyingRay
7. 7) That’s it!

Sounds simple and fun doesn’t it? Hurry, SeaWorld Manta opens May 22! Go through the simple six steps and find yourself at the head of the line at the Manta attraction in SeaWorld Orlando!

It is wonderful to get together with family and friends during a time of happiness instead of only seeing each other during times of tragedy. It seems that many of us only see our extended family members at a funeral. I am so glad that our family makes time to vacation together and attend ceremonies honoring all that our kids have worked hard to achieve.

My kids were going through their grandmother’s writing table last weekend. Both of my kids are grown and live on their own so it was funny to see them act like little kids. I could see how rotten they probably were when they stayed at grandmas! LOL Anyway, they found both my husband’s and my graduation announcements in with other keepsakes. They were amazed at how different the styles have changed in 30 years. Well duh!

When hubby and I graduated, we were only allowed to go through the school to order our invitations. I don’t know why it was that way but I am glad it isn’t mandated now. VistaPrint has awesome graduation invitations and they are reasonably priced. I like the casual feel of some of the invitations as well as the traditional styles. You can see in this picture that the invitations can be customized to include the student’s name.

In case you are wondering, it is safe to eat the peanut butter cookies sold by the Girl Scouts. Neither of the two licensed bakers affiliated with Girl Scout® Cookies, ABC Interbake or Little Brownie Bakers, source their peanut butter from the supplier involved in the current peanut butter warning.

All ingredients used in Girl Scout Cookies are regularly inspected to ensure they are safe for consumption.

I always marvel
Whenever I travel

Because if you don’t travel
And extensively explore
How can you open those awaiting doors?
Mysteries always lie waiting to be unraveled

I travel with my eyes
Watching those silently cry
Asking themselves the question why
Someone left them without saying goodbye

I travel with my thoughts
Abundant knowledge I have found and sought

I travel with my pen
To write about children, women and men

I travel with my voice
Speaking sensibly refusing to induce confusing noise

I travel with hope
Believing something new will spring into my horoscope
Whether in Africa or whether in Europe
There is always room, there is always scope

I travel to many places
Mix with different culture and races
Identify tribes by their faces
Everyone I always embrace

I travel with or without money
So please listen to my testimony
Every experience is worth lifes journey

I travel with intensive faith
Lavishing love rather than being defensive with hate

Because if you don’t travel
How can you grow?
How can you know,
What is beneath the dust and below the gravel?

Copyright 2006 – Sylvia Chidi

I am not sure where the pictures originated so I cannot give credit due for this beautiful display of pictures.
THIS IS A FIRE RAINBOW -
THE RAREST OF ALL NATURALLY OCCURRING ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA.

THE PICTURE WAS CAPTURED THIS WEEK ON THE IDAHO/WASHINGTON BORDER.
THE EVENT LASTED ABOUT 1 HOUR.

CLOUDS HAVE TO BE CIRRUS, AT LEAST 20K FEET IN THE AIR,
WITH JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ICE CRYSTALS
AND THE SUN HAS TO HIT THE CLOUDS AT PRECISELY 58 DEGREES.

It is simple to enter. Watch the video and go to Drew’s blog, The Benspark, to enter in the various ways stated on his post and as described in the video. Good luck.