Tomorrow, May 6th, is Teacher Appreciation Day. The kindergarten kids I work with wrote thank you cards for me last week. They were really sweet. Obviously copied from the board, but sweet anyway.

Tomorrow I will likely get some other Teacher Appreciation cards - possibly a gift or two. Typically, though, as a “special area” teacher, I don’t get the gifts that classroom teachers get. And that is good with me. I’m just a 30-minute a day, 4 times a week teacher. I wouldn’t change back to being a classroom teacher for anything in the world.

If you have a child in school, write a Teacher Appreciation card for his/her teacher. Make it specific. What specifically do you appreciate about the teacher. Words are support are what teachers value the most.

What are you planning on getting your mother for Mother’s Day? On most Mother’s Days I send my mother flowers. I probably send flowers because I love receiving them so much myself. I love beautiful flowers. One of my favorite flower arrangements is a rainbow rose bouquet. Click this link to see a really pretty arrangement. I think it’s perfect. Colorful and vibrant - but classy with the classic white vase that makes the variety of floral colors even more striking. 1800flowers.com is the place to call for flowers, plants and other Mother’s Day gifts. I have personally used them numerous times when I’ve sent flowers for birthdays and other special occasiona. They provide Mothers Day delivery which is pretty impressive.

The latest thing in jewelry linked to special occasions is a “divorce ring.” And why not? There are promise rings and engagement rings and wedding rings. There are rings to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays and other benchmarks in one’s life.

The “Dear Abby” column in the Chicago Tribune discussed a divorce ring recently.

I pawned my wedding band and engagement ring. The clerk asked if I was going to buy a divorce ring. I had never heard of one. I searched online, found a nice one, ordered it and wear it proudly

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports about a divorce attorney who found and purchased a wedding ring “coffin” .
Nothing celebrates a dead marriage quite like this: a coffin for wedding rings.

Lined with black velvet and covered with a smooth mahogany finish, the miniature wedding ring coffin is just big enough for a wedding band, diamond engagement ring and perhaps a few dried rose petals, tears — or cheers depending on where you’re at on your closure time line.

You can order a wedding ring coffin here. Here’s their spiel on the coffin and its use:

Your Wedding Ring Coffin comes with an engraved brass plaque bearing a message which conveys your final thoughts about your marriage. Choose from one of our standard messages or create your own unique personal message.

Four metal handles which match the brass plaque provide the finishing touch. The split lid gives you the option for an open or closed casket.

Each coffin is tastefully packaged in a quality gift box.

The Wedding Ring Coffin is the perfect way
to close the lid on your dead marriage. It’s time to…

Bury the past and move on to a new tomorrow

There is even a website that tells you how to make a profit from divorce rings:

The design is simple: a thick gold band with a break in the center and three bands of white gold on one side. One band for the year you met your ex. One band for the year you married. One band for the year of the divorce.

Thompson wears his Divorce Ring on his left middle finger.

Check out this website for all your divorce jewelry needs. Divorce jewelry has been in the news before, too.

Our little Tennessee town is quaint and historic and located next to the Natchez Trace.  Because of its location, motorcycle riders use our town frequently as a rest stop during their trips along the Trace.  Whenever we drive through downtown - which is all of one block long with a country meat and three on one side, a grocery/grill on the other, and various antique shops on either side of each - we usually see lots of riders stopped for a country food break.  We look at the women’s and the men’s motorcycle jackets and other leather riding gear, and give each item our own unique critique.  Motorcyclists definitely have style.

If those riders are looking for a leather supplier online, they should check out The Bazaar Online which has all they could possibly need in finest full grain motorcycle apparel.  I love shopping online, and The Bazaar Online had online tracking, same day order processing (for orders received before noon), and they guarantee 100% customer satisfaction along with the lowest pricing available anywhere.  Check it out for motorcycle jackets, leather coats, mens and womens chaps and pants, mens and womens vests, gloves . . . and the list goes on and on.

I’ve decided what I want for Mother’s Day.  I want one or two digital photo frames.  They are so cool, and since so many of my photos are already digital, it would be easy to set up.  I’d put one on the bookshelves beside the fireplace, and the other one in my bedroom.  Digital frames make fantastic gifts for anybody  family, friends and colleagues.  As a matter of fact, just think what an easy yet wonderful gift they’d make.  You could handle practically all your Christmas shopping for next year with just a few clicks of the computer mouse.

Just think how great a digital photo frame would be for a business, too - displaying advertising and promotions.  And Digital Frames Direct is the biggest digital frame wholesaler in the UK.  Check out Digital Frames Direct to see the wide variety of digital frames that are available.  There’s lot of information on the website, too, that’ll help you make informed choices about purchasing digital photo frames.

There’s a gap in the men’s skin care market.  Most men’s skin care products are either extensions of cologne lines or they’re part of a shaving line.  There’s good news, though.  Anthony Logistics For Men is filling that gap.  Visit the Anthony site and find out about their great men’s products - skin care, hair care, body essentials, anti acne, anti aging and shaving products.  Most men don’t want to scout the cosmetics aisles in stores to select the skin care products that might - or might not - be what they need.  Now they can go online at Anthony.com and find all the skin care products they need, order them online and have them delivered right to their home. 

Here’s an idea: If you’re a woman looking for a gift for the guy in your life, you can find kits at the Anthony Logistics For Men website.  They’d make great gifts.

And, to top it off, a percentage of Anthony For Men proceeds is donated to charities in support of the fight against prostate cancer.

My hair is naturally oily, and I’ve had to wash it every single day for years.  For that reason, I’m always on the lookout for a gentle shampoo that is good for my hair and that will help me deal with the natural oiliness without drying out my hair from the frequent shampooing.  I was excited to learn about Naked Naturals and especially happy to receive a free sample of the “Citrus and Keratin” shampoo and conditioner.  They have a couple other blends available, too - ”Aloe Vera and Camomille” and “Awapuhi and Lavender.” 

Naked Naturals uses a natural plant protein called Keravis that actually strengthens the hair shaft.  Naked Naturals products are all natural and contain no chemicals that could damage your hair.  It has lots of pluses:  no animal testing, no harsh chemicals, no animal by-products, and no synthetic fragrances.  The more you use it, the stronger your hair gets.  

So this morning I used my free sample of Naked Naturals natural shampoo.  When I first squeezed the shampoo out in my hand, I thought there was not nearly enough of it.  Couldn’t they have at least provided enough in the free sample to do the job?  I was wrong.  The small amount in the free sample lathered up generously - more than enough.  Then I was ready for the conditioner.  I generally use a LOT of conditioner, but, like the shampoo,  there was just a teaspoon or so in the sample.  I was certain there was no way it would be enough to de-tangle and condition my hair.  It was, though, and I realized that the Naked Naturals folks were smart to provide small samples.  Otherwise I wouldn’t have realized that it is concentrated and that only a small amount works just as well as a handful of my usual brand.  It only takes a little bit to do the job. 

I used my blow dryer to dry my hair and then the curling iron to style it.  I have to say that there’s nothing quite like having clean, bouncy and silky-feeling hair.  And that’s exactly what my hair is like today. 

You can buy Naked Naturals at local stores like Walgreen’s, and you can also buy it online.

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for flowers.  Fresh flowers , especially,  just can’t be beat for bringing beauty, freshness and a suggestion of spring to come to brighten up a winter day and make a person feel cherished.  I remember once I received a dozen roses in a variety of colors.  There were yellow, red, pink, white, and coral colored roses in that bouquet, and I’ll never forget how gorgeous they were.  I remember also when I was pregnant with our second child, I sent RT a bouquet of a dozen roses for our ninth anniversary.  In that bouquet there were nine red roses for the nine years we’d been married, 2 pink roses for our daughter and me, and one white rose for the unborn baby.  This Valentine’s Day, I plan on ordering flowers that will arrive in time for Valentines Day delivery. 

Today, after church and after a pot luck dinner, many from our little church gathered to pack over 30 boxes to send to soldiers fighting in Iraq.  It was a really good time.  Before starting, our pastor led us in prayer that each package would find its way to the soldier who most needed it.  We are sending most of the packages to the leader of a unit who will distribute them to his soldiers.  Several of the packages went to soldiers who are related or somehow associated with members of the church.  We sent packages to two friends of my nephew, a nephew of a church member, the niece of another church member, and the friend of the son of another church member.

Each box contained magazines, writing tablets, pens, toiletries, snacks, CDs, candy, batteries, and assorted other items.   We made sure each package included something “fun”  a game, a toy, some cards.  The last thing placed in each package was a letter from someone in the church. 

Sweet Stuff came to church with us today.  Sweet Stuff had helped us pack boxes once before, and she enjoyed doing something concrete for our soldiers.  So she was anxious to help get the packages ready to send to the soldiers again.  She wrote two of the letters herself today, and she probably filled at least three of the boxes - with RT’s help.

If you’d like to send packages to service personnel fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan, you can contact Soldiers’ Angels to get the name of a soldier.  Be aware, though, that they don’t give out names to just anybody.  There are too many kooks out there who would misuse that information.  You have to provide information about yourself, and you have to make a commitment to support your soldier with letters and packages.  It is a great organization that is doing a lot of good for military men and women.

I’ve written previously about the slogans I’ve noticed on children’s shirts at school.  It’s a fascinating study in human nature and marketing.  Typically, girls have cute sayings such as “princess”  “spoiled rotten”  and “angel” or silly slogans such as “jelly bean” or “real blonde.” Both my grandgirls love their “princess” shirts and outfits.  And I have to confess that I’ve given them princess-themed items more than once. 

However, after reading and thinking about the printed messages and slogans on t-shirts and other clothing, I’m not so sure that “princess” and the other slogans above are the messages we want our girls to wear.  The word “princess” brings to mind words like entitlement and lack of ambition.  We need to encourage our girls to think outside the box by wearing their possibilities and potential.

I looked at the Girl Mogul website and found some inspiring and more ambitious slogans on shirts and other apparel.   The pink shirt in this post is an example.  “Future Leader of the free world” sends the ultimate empowering message.  Other great messages are : “Future marine biologist”  “Dream Big!”  “Science is Cool”  “Future CEO” and “Future Chef Du Jour.”   There are many more, and they’re all slogans that let girls know that their possibilities are limitless. 

Yes, I like the Girl Mogul slogan much better.