Home and Shopping

Julia Sneden writes: It happened quite late on Christmas Eve. As I recall, the only ones in the living room were my son William and his five-month-old son Adam, who was being walked and burped after polishing off his late bottle. I was in the kitchen, busily putting things to rights for the umpteenth time that day, when William called me into the living room. "Watch this," he said. more »

Last minute ideas for gifts should be able to be found in your local stores and online: The ECOlogical Calendar for 2013; a book about illusion and art; a 4-cylinder motor to build; a pattern book for sewers; a 1000-piece puzzle for bird watchers and others, Avian Friends; building warrior robots for racing and an adventure game, Forbidden Island. more »

Rose Madeline Mula writes: We’ve all heard stories from the old folks of how they used to be beside themselves with joy if they found so much as an orange, instead of a lump of coal, in their Christmas stockings. Today it’s not so easy to please a kid. Unless the eight-foot tree is completely hidden behind a pile of bionic, electronic, computerized, overautomated and overpriced toys that cost more than you used to have to spend to furnish an entire house (real, not doll), they start reading you their Constitutional rights. more »

Jill Norgren writes, This holiday season you may be thinking, iTUNES, or video games, or clothes. My grandgirls suggest that whatever your choices, let there be a book among them. I particularly appreciate that most of the titles they have suggested are available in inexpensive paper editions. And more than a few are books that I would enjoy stealing off with for an hour or two. more »