Bloggers United Challenge: Week 3

The Challenge

What's inside your handbag? You can tell a lot about a person by what they carry around with them everyday. What's in yours and why? (photos are always welcome)

I once sat next to a man who exclaimed, "Wow! You have such a small purse!" This is true. I don't like to carry around big bags and have them filled with everything under the sun. Generally my purse has the basics. This is what's currently in my purse:

• a small zippered wallet with card slot because a larger wallet is just too cumbersome
• 2 pens (free from an agricultural company) that write fantastically
• 1 mechanical pencil (from where I'm working) because you never know when you need to write in pencil
• sunglasses in their soft case are a must for going out into the sun and driving
• car & house keys
• a small zippered bag that contains chapstick, gum, toothpicks, tissues, lotion, nail file and eye drops; one must always be prepared.
• a notepad to write down my thoughts, reminders and other lists
• a few coupons for local restaurants
• a Tupperware container with chili & lime almonds and a another with chocolate almonds because I like to make sure I have snacks
• my cell phone (on vibrate), otherwise it's in my pocket
• a few postcards to write out and send for Swap-Bot swaps
• my friend's newsletter from China for me to read while I'm waiting for something. It's 11, single-spaced pages long!

Bloggers United: November Challenge Week 2

Challenge



Oh dear! You're on death row! (don't worry....... you're totally not guilty and the governor is going to call to stop it before it happens). What is your last ever meal and why?



I would ask for a roasted turkey dinner with all the trimmings that was prepared by my mom:

• cornbread stuffing


• honey cinnamon yams


• mashed potatoes & gravy


• homemade dinner rolls


• broccoli & cauliflower with melted cheese


• pumpkin pie


• apple pie

There's not much better than that, except maybe really good chocolate mousse.

If she's not availabe to cook a turkey dinner, I'd ask for BBQ'd chicken from F. McLintock's in Shell Beach, California. The local saloon in my town offers a Tuesday special of a 1/2 chicken with your choice of BBQ or pineapple sauce with cheese bread and your choice of fries or a baked potatoe. The dinner used to come with their famous ranch beans and a side salad, but now that's extra.

Dessert would have to be either Doc Burnstein's ice cream (which is a reincarnation of the original Burnadoz Ice Cream Parlor) for a drumstick, or a pink champagne cake from Madonna Inn.

Bloggers United: November Challenge

The Challenge:

Your Lotto numbers have come up! You have taken care of your family and friends, you have 15 million dollars to spend on whatever you dreamed of before. How are you going to spend the money?

Give it away! There's tons of projects I would love to fund.

First, I would fund my Sustainable Sanitation Cambodia project which aims at providing training and education for building waterless composting toilets across the Cambodian countryside. Only $5,000 would be needed to provide a village with 100 households with their own toilets, if even that much.

Second, I would build my dream home in Cambodia which would also serve as a guesthouse/hostel where hospitality and vocational skills training could take place for the poor and disabled at no cost to them.

Third, there are lots of little groups and organizations that would dearly benefit from some donations. Many of the organizations supported by ConCERT Cambodia would love a little something extra coming their way.

Fourth, I would get my mom's house fixed up even though this is supposedly covered by the original challenge. She's got some termite issues and the old workshop could better be used as an enclosed laundry room. Her backyard needs a facelift and her garage needs to be organized with industrial shelving for all the plastic bins of stuff she has.

Fifth, I would have a my Cambodian wedding and finally arrange the visa to the US for my husband. This is long overdue and my family would love to finally meet him in person.