Celebrate National Humor Month

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By Diane Forrest

April 2012 is the 36th Anniversary in the US of National Humor Month.

National Humor Month was founded in 1976 by best-selling humorist Larry Wilde, Director of The Carmel Institute of Humor. It is designed to heighten public awareness on how the joy and therapeutic value of laughter can improve health, boost morale, increase communication skills and enrich the quality of one's life.

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I was talking to my friend the other day who told me her daughter's anniversary was coming up.  I said, oh...what day? She told me it was April 1.  I said April Fool's Day??  Who gets married on April Fool's Day?  I mean really, after saying your vows all you have to do is look at your spouse and say.....April Fool's!!!!!

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I love April Fool's Day, and just generally having fun.   Some days we get so bogged down with work, school, kids, the economy, politics that we just forget to have fun.  So today, I am declaring April as Humor Month!  Ok, well I didn't declare it, someone else did, but I’m all for it 100%.  Some days we need to lighten up and enjoy life and turn that frown upside down.  My father is a great jokester.  In high school he was voted Most Wittiest.  He always makes us laugh.  Not just a little giggle either, I’m talking about at the dinner table where you laugh so hard  your ice tea shoots out of your nose!  Luckily my son takes after him and his humor has really saved him from a lifetime of grounding.  My father recently celebrated his birthday, he received several cards in the mail, but his favorite one was from his brother.  His brother's birthday was in February.  My dad sent him a card that said it could only be opened by someone who was wonderful smart handsome.etc. but. .it was glued shut.  Then, on the back it said...You didn’t try to open it did you??

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So when it came time to send my daddy a birthday card, my uncle took the card he got, scratched out daddy’s signature, and wrote his name...and sent it back!  Daddy loved it!

Sadly I didn’t inherit my father's comedic side, however I do have my moments, and it is so much better to make people laugh, than to make them mad or sad.

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Today is April Fool's day.  The earliest recorded prank is written in the Canterbury Tales by Chaucer, in 1392.  Pranks are played all over the world, from simple ones such as sticking paper fish on the backs of unsuspecting folks, yelling April Fish, to sending invitations to folks in England and inviting them to the Tower of London to watch the lions getting washed which happened in 1698.

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I love reading the stories to see what fun pranks have been pulled, and hopefully get some ideas of my own. Below is a list of the top 5 pranks that have been pulled:

1. The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest:  On 1 April 1957, the respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It accompanied this announcement with footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti down from trees. Huge numbers of viewers were taken in. Many called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. To this the BBC diplomatically replied, "place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best."
2. Sidd Fitch: The April 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated contained a story about a new rookie pitcher who planned to play for the Mets. His name was Sidd Finch, and he could reportedly throw a baseball at 168 mph with pinpoint accuracy. This was 65 mph faster than the previous record. Surprisingly, Sidd Finch had never even played the game before. Instead, he had mastered the "art of the pitch" in a Tibetan monastery under the guidance of the "great poet-saint Lama Milaraspa." Mets fans celebrated their teams' amazing luck at having found such a gifted player, and they flooded Sports Illustrated with requests for more information. In reality this legendary player only existed in the imagination of the author of the article, George Plimpton, who left a clue in the sub-heading of the article: "He's a pitcher, part yogi and part recluse. Impressively liberated from our opulent life-style, Sidd's deciding about yoga —and his future in baseball." The first letter of each of these words, taken together, spelled "H-a-p-p-y A-p-r-i-l F-o-o-l-s D-a-y — A-h F-i-b".
3. Instant Color T.V.:  In 1962 there was only one TV channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white. But on 1 April 1962, the station's technical expert, Kjell Stensson, appeared on the news to announce that, thanks to a new technology, viewers could convert their existing sets to display color reception. All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their TV screen. Stensson proceeded to demonstrate the process. Thousands of people were taken in. Regular color broadcasts only commenced in Sweden on April 1, 1970.
4. The Taco Liberty Bell:  The Taco Bell Corporation took out a full-page ad that appeared in six major newspapers on 1 April 1996, announcing it had bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Hundreds of outraged citizens called the National Historic Park in Philadelphia where the bell was housed to express their anger. Their nerves were only calmed when Taco Bell revealed, a few hours later, that it was all a practical joke. The best line of the day came when White House press secretary Mike McCurry was asked about the sale. Thinking on his feet, he responded that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold. It would now be known, he said, as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial.
5. San Serriffe: On 1 April 1977, the British newspaper The Guardian published a special seven-page supplement devoted to San Serriffe, a small republic said to consist of several semi-colon-shaped islands located in the Indian Ocean. A series of articles affectionately described the geography and culture of this obscure nation. Its two main islands were named Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse. Its capital was Bodoni, and its leader was General Pica. The Guardian's phones rang all day as readers sought more information about the idyllic holiday spot. Only a few noticed that everything about the island was named after printer's terminology. The success of this hoax is widely credited with launching the enthusiasm for April Foolery that gripped the British tabloids in subsequent decades.

These came from the website http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/ Check it out for more April Fool hoaxes.

For some ideas of pranks you can do at home check out this site:  http://familyfun.go.com/april-fools-day/ I particularly like the donut seeds!

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So check back all month we will be sharing other fun and crazy days to help lighten your day and put a smile on your face.  After all, Laughter is the best medicine!

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National "She's Funny that Way" Day

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By Diane Forrest

This weekend my family had a small get together to celebrate my father's birthday.  My son was there, and he never misses and opportunity to get one over on me, and I always fall right into his trap.  This time was no exception.  For his birthday celebration, my father wanted to bbq hamburgers at home on the grill.  My son went to the store to get the things that were needed for the dinner, and when he came home he said, “I ran into someone at the store who said you look just like an owl!"  I’m sure I had a questioning look on my face, because I was thinking, "why would anyone say that about me, I don't wear glasses” That was the first image that popped into my mind because of that tootsie roll pop commercial, you know the one that says "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop?"  Then the owl goes one, two, three, then eats the whole thing.

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So after thinking for a few seconds, I asked the only logical question to this statement, "Who?"  Well he did it again!  Everyone erupted in laughter and I was standing there unknowingly providing them with a few minutes of entertainment.

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Another thing that sends them into fits of laughter is a particular comment I have after eating a really good meal at my parent's home.  I never even noticed it until after one meal I said it and sent them howling.  It is customary in our home to tell the cook of the meal that you enjoyed your dinner.  I always add a little something extra.  After dinner I exclaimed my usual "I enjoyed my dinner" followed with "It was delicious and nutritious!"  Little did I know that I had just won a bet for someone along with more giggles and guffaws.

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I am not the only woman in my family who amuses the clan.  My mother, who is known as Ama (pronounced A-Maw) by my son, because he couldn’t say grandma when he started speaking, is a constant source of entertainment.  She is not a stand-up comedian, but she makes so many off the wall comments, that my father as termed them "Amaisms", and has encouraged my son to keep a journal of them over the years.

Making someone laugh is not a very easy task, below is a list of the top 10 female stand up comedians:

1. Ellen DeGeneres
2. Kathy Griffin
3. Whoopie Goldberg
4. Roseanne Barr
5. Phyllis Diller
6. Lily Tomlin
7. Minnie Pearl
8. Margaret Cho
9. Wanda Sykes
10. Sarah Silverman

When my husband was bedridden he would watch Ellen every day.  She could always make him laugh, and laughter is the best medicine.  Today is National "She's Funny that Way" Day.   

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to list the top 5 things the ladies in your life say or do that make you laugh.  You may also let them know that the things they say or day always brings a smile to your face and make the day a little brighter.

Pencil Day

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By Akindman

Today we celebrate the first patent on the modern pencil. On this day in 1858, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted Hymen Lipman a patent for a pencil with an eraser attached to it. This wooden pencil was praised for its ease of use during writing and drawing.

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Did you know that a single wooden pencil can write 45,000 words or draw a line that is 35 miles long? A pencil can also write under water, upside down, or in zero gravity.

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Pencils have been mass produced in Europe since 1622, but they weren't in production in the United States until 1812. Pencils were first painted yellow because it is a color often associated with royalty and honor. During this time, a yellow pencil became known as the best type of pencil you could buy!

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On Pencil Day, commemorate the history and usefulness of pencils by putting your laptop aside and instead use a pencil and paper to write!

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Mom and Pop Business Owners Day

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By Diane Forrest

I was reading an article the other day about this family that owned a hardware store.  They were in danger of having to close what with the Big Chain stores, Home Depot and Lowes.  So one day a friend decided he would post a message on his Facebook page asking his friends to support the local hardware store and stop by and spend 20 dollars.  Well what happened next was amazing.   Not only did his friends show up, but they posted the message on their page, and so on and so on.  There were hundreds of people at the hardware store, many sharing experiences they had from the store whether it be a special purchase, or bb guns when they were kids or getting their height measured on the measuring wall.  The support of that community saved the store, and made plenty of new memories to boot.

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Mom and Pop stores are the backbone of our country.  There are many different types of family owned business, from florists, to beauty salons, to hardware stores, produce stands, clothing shops and gift shops.  There are also many family owned restaurants and entertainment places.  I have a friend who owns a bowling center.  He manages while his sons work alongside him.   It isn't very easy to be your own boss.  There are many benefits, such as setting your own hours, giving yourself a raise, working with your family, but there are some down sides too.  My friend works long hours every day and recently missed a family function because one of his employees failed to come to work, he was nearly involved in a lawsuit because someone fell and was injured, he was called in the middle of the night because some kids vandalized his bathroom and flooded a large part of the center before it was noticed, and if something breaks down, he has to fix it.

It is times like those that he has to step up and take care of things.  There is no big corporation to call, no hotline to dial to fix the daily problems that occur, but there is also the personal touch.  When you call his business you will get a human voice, not a recording.  When you walk into his business you will be greeted by someone who will know you by name if you have been there more than once.  He must be doing something right, because he just celebrated 41 years of being in business.

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Today is Mom and Pop Business Owners Day.  According to the creator of this holiday, Rick Segel, of Poinciana, Florida, " This holiday was created to honor the business that my parents started on 3/29/39 in Everett , MA - a hat shop called Ruth’s. It later developed into a woman’s specialty clothing store and moved to Medford, MA, increasing in size to 10,000 square feet with over $2 million dollars revenue until it closed in 1997."

So today, and every day, support your locally owned and operated small businesses, they may cost a little more than the big chain outlets, but you will be helping your community, and your neighbors and making lifetime memories for yourself.

Spring Cleaning Week

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By Diane Forrest

Last night as I was busy doing some work on my computer I heard a knock at the door.  It was still light outside, thanks to Springing Forward, so I went to see who was there.  I was expecting a visit from my next door neighbor who was moving the next day, but instead I saw a tall thin black man with a overnight bag.  The first thing that came to my mind was he was looking for a place to stay, but then he pulled out a clear plastic bottle full of green liquid.  He looks up at me and tells me I must be the princess of the house and asks if my parents are home. (Not a bad way to start).

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He then hands me this little booklet and starts telling me all about this magic potion he is holding.  He reminded me of the snake oil salesman in the movie The Rainmaker.  This magic potion was a cleaner.  He claimed this liquid would clean every type of mess in my home and car.  From pet stains to oil and grease.  He then proceeded to clean a spot on my concrete sidewalk.  He also explained that the sales benefited a program to keep kids out of gangs.  While I didn’t buy any snake oil, he was very entertaining so I gave him a donation for the kids, and sent him to his next potential customer.

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Once inside I was reminded that Spring Cleaning week was upon me.  While of course you can do spring cleaning anytime, this week just helps you get more motivated.  It also lasts for a whole week so you don't have to burden yourself to get it done.  Research on this subject offered the suggestion of cleaning one room every day.  The first "room" I like to tackle is my yard.  With spring comes pollen and it turns everything yellow.  I like to wash off my house and deck, and then rack up all the leaves and limbs in the yard.  Then plant pretty colorful flowers, and spread pine bark mulch in the flower beds.  I love the way fresh pine bark smells when you first put it down.  Once the yard is looking good I can concentrate on the inside.

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I'm sure everyone has their own methods for house cleaning.  My main projects include swapping out my winter clothes for summer clothes, making sure to thin out clothes I no longer wear so I can replace them with newer ones.  My other big project is shampooing the rugs.  If I'm feeling really ambitious, I will move furniture to clean and dust behind them, and give the bathrooms a good scrubbing.

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So this week on Spring Cleaning Week, spread the fun around each day, and let us know some of your cleaning tips.

National Joe Day

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By Diane Forrest

As I was looking over the month's assignments, I checked out March 27th first.  That is my father's birthday, and I wanted to see what other occasions were celebrated on that day.  The first thing I saw was National Joe Day.  I was curious about it because I have a great friend named Joe.  After doing some research on the day I learned that National Joe Day is a day where everyone can change their name to Joe for the day.  So I thought about it, why would someone want to change their name to Joe?  I looked up the meaning of Joe, or Joseph.  It means he will add, or enlarge.  Then I thought about Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus.  What a wonderful man he must have been.  Imagine, here is this young man, engaged to a young girl.  He imagines their future together.  Then out of the blue she is pregnant.  He had not had intimate relations with her, that sort of thing wasn't done back then, so he knows he isn't the father of her baby.  Can you just imagine what he must have thought?  Consider this day and age, if your fiancé came to you and said she was pregnant, how would you handle it?

Joseph was child of God, when the angel visited him and explained that Mary was having God's son, he supported her, believed in her and stayed by her side, ignoring all the gossip that must have surrounded him.  He married Mary, raised Jesus as his own, taught him his trade, the skills of a carpenter, and provided for his family.

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This made me think of my friend Joe.  He is also a child of God, a carpenter, and a supportive man that provides for his family.  He recently turned 74, and he amazes me every day.  He is constantly learning and trying new things.  He is very interested in the country's politics, not only the current races, but his knowledge of past elections not only in this country, but other country's leaders would make any history teacher envious. He recently started an exercise program at his local YMCA that would put younger men to shame.  He owns his business, and continues to work every day along with his sons.

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Even though he works daily and exercises most days, he still makes time to spend with his family and friends.  He regularly visits friends in the nursing homes, making sure they have the things they need, and he spends time with his grandchildren, teaching them to read and learn new things.  There are days when he wants to stay in bed and sleep, but he pushes himself up and gets moving to continue to keep in good health to be able to provide for and support his family.  Even while doing all of this, he still makes time for me, keeping me company so that I am not alone.

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I'm sure many of you have a "Joe" in your life.  Someone you can look to and think, I want to be like him". Someone who makes you want to be a better person.  So, today, on National Joe Day, I wanted to show my appreciation for Joe, and would be honored to be called Joe for a day.  Here are some other famous Joe's:

• Jo
• Mighty Joe Young
• Joe Six Pack
• Joe Camel
• Joe Montana
• Joe Biden
• Joe Cool
• Joe Lieberman
• Trader Joe's
• GI Joe
• Joe Jackson
• Joe Dowdle
• Shoeless Joe Jackson
• Joe Mauer
• Joe Mantegna
• Joe Palca
• Joe DiMaggio
• Joe Namath
• Joe Theismann
• Country Joe McDonald
• Joe Strummer
• Joe Jonas
• Joe Louis
• Joe Spano
• Joe Satriani
• Philly Joe Jones
• Joe Cocker
• Joe the Plumber
• Joe Torre
• Joe Frazier
• Joe Flacco
• Joe Stevenson
• Viewtiful Joe
• Joe Calzaghe

Quirky Country Music

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By Diane Forrest

When I was younger I lived in the Mississippi Delta.  We were about an hour from Memphis Tennessee, and we listened to the Disco Duck on the Memphis radio station.  Well, all the "cool" kids did at least.  There was a family who lived a few houses down from us, and they listened to Country Music!!!  Ohhh the horrors!  You would have thought they were a family of aliens from another planet.  Since they were my neighbors, I did my best to be neighborly to them, but secretly I wished their radio would break.

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As the years went by the more I started listening to country music.  Not the Hee Haw kind of songs like Pickin’ and Grinnin’, but music by Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, and, Toby Keith, or what I like to call the New Country.  This music is great for so many reasons, but the main ones are, they don't bust your ear drums, and you can actually understand the words and they all tell a story, much like things that happen in your own life.

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There are still some Hee Haw songs out there, like She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy, so today is a holiday in recognition of all those Quirky Country Music songs.  Some of the top quirky song titles include:

• I Fell In A Pile Of You And Got Love All Over Me
• I Gave Her the Ring, and She Gave Me the Finger
• I Changed Her Oil, She Changed My Life
• Walk Out Backwards Slowly So I'll Think You're Walking In
• How Can You Believe Me When I Say I Love You, When You Know I've Been A Liar All My Life?
• My John Deere Was Breaking Your Field, While Your Dear John Was Breaking My Heart
• I've Got Hair Oil On My Ears And My Glasses Are Slipping Down, But Baby I Can See Through You
• You Were Only A Splinter As I Slid Down The Banister Of Life
• I've Been Flushed From The Bathroom Of Your Heart
• I Flushed You From The Toilets Of My Heart
• Get Your Biscuits In The Oven, And Your Buns In The Bed
• Your Negligee Has Turned To Flannel Nightgowns
• I Don't Know Whether To Kill Myself Or Go Bowling
• You're a Hard Dog To Keep Under The Porch
• My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend, And I Sure Do Miss Him
• If Whiskey Were A Woman, I'd Be Married For Sure
• Make Me Late For Work Today
• How Can I Miss You if You Won't Go Away?
• I Would Have Wrote You A Letter, But I Couldn't Spell Yuck!
• All I Want From You (Is Away)
• I'll Marry You Tomorrow, But Let's Honeymoon Tonight
• If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?
• Don't Believe My Heart Can Stand Another You
• How Come Your Dog Don't Bite Nobody But Me?
• She's Actin' Single I'm Drinkin' Doubles
• I Keep Forgettin' I Forgot About You
• If My Nose Were Full of Nickels, I'd Blow It All On You
• Who's Gonna Take The Garbage Out When I'm Dead And Gone?
• She Walked Across My Heart Like It Was Texas
• If Love Were Oil, I'd Be A Quart Low
• Thanks To The Cathouse, I'm In The Doghouse With You
• They May Put Me In Prison, But They Can't Stop My Face From Breakin' Out
• If I Ain't Got It, You Don't Need It
• You're The Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly
• I Wanted You To Leave Until You Left Me
• Did I Shave my Legs for This?
• I'm The Only Hell Mama Ever Raised
• If You Don't Leave Me, I'll Find Someone Who Will
• Hold On To Your Men Cause She's Single Again
• She Got The Gold Mine And I Got The Shaft
• You're Going To Ruin My Bad Reputation
• You Done Tore Out My Heart And Stomped That Sucker Flat
• I Got Tears In My Ears From Lying On My Bed Crying On My Pillow Over You
• She Feels Like A New Man Tonight
• At the Gas Station of Love, I Got the Self Service Pump
• Get Your Tongue Out Of My Mouth, Because I'm Kissing You Goodbye
• She Made Toothpicks Out Of The Timber Of My Heart
• If Fingerprints Showed Up On Skin, Wonder Whose I'd Find On You
• When You Leave Walk Out Backwards, So I'll Think You're Walking In
• Velcro Arms, Teflon Heart
• Mama Get The Hammer (There's A Fly On Papa's Head)
• She Got The Ring And I Got The Finger
• Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart
• I May Be Used, But Baby I Ain't Used Up
• If You Can't Bite, Don't Growl

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These songs are not only funny and catchy, but they also make us realize that we can laugh and enjoy music, and we don’t have to take things so serious all the time.  Today is Quirky Country Music Day, so turn the radio on your local country music station, and have fun.

For more quirky country songs check out this site: http://www.funny2.com/songs.htm

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National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness

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Diane Forrest, RN

I was talking with my aunt the other day and she was telling me about her concern for her friend, a lady she has known since high school.  Several years ago her friend was performing her normal routine tasks, when all of a sudden she had some sort of attack; my aunt described it as a type of electric shock.  Following this attack she began having several problems such as muscle pain, insomnia weakness.  She went to several doctors, and specialists trying to determine what was going on with her body, and why she was feeling the way she was.  She was eventually diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).  She finally had a name for her condition, but explaining it to friends and family proved to be another difficult challenge.  Many thought she was just too lazy to want to do anything, while others thought that if she could do one thing, she should be able to do other things too.

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Chronic fatigue syndrome refers to severe, continued tiredness that is not relieved by rest and is not directly caused by other medical conditions.  These symptoms must last for over 6 months before a diagnosis is made.

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Symptoms of CFS include:

• Feeling extremely tired for more than 24 hours after exercise that would normally be considered easy
• Feeling un-refreshed after sleeping for a proper amount of time
• Forgetfulness
• Concentration problems
• Confusion
• Joint pain but no swelling or redness
• Headaches that differ from those you have had in the past
• Irritability
• Mild fever (101 degrees F or less)
• Muscle aches
• Muscle weakness, all over or multiple locations, not explained by any known disorder
• Sore throat
• Sore lymph nodes in the neck or under the arms

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Diagnosing CFS is not an easy task.  There are no x-rays or blood tests that confirm the diagnosis; the only way is to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.  There is no treatment for CFS; however there are treatments for the symptoms such as medication for pain, depression and anxiety.  Also a healthy diet and sleep management actions are helpful.  Patients may also benefit from working with health care providers to determine a safe type of exercise regime as well as trying to maintain social activities.  The expected outcome for this condition also varies.  Some people may recover in 6 months to a year, while some may never get back to their previous state before CFS.  Long term effects include depression, isolation, and side effects from medications.

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Today is National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness day.  For more information about CFS, click here: http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/

National Craft Month

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By Diane Forrest

Looking up at the Calendar I noticed I don't have much time left to finish the Easter cards I have made for my family.   Last year before Valentine’s Day I wanted to send valentines to all my friends and family.  Then I went to the store and saw how much they cost, and how many I needed to buy, and decided that could cost just a bit too much.  Since I didnt want to leave anyone out, I had a thought.  Why not make my own cards?  I had some card stock, and envelopes already, all I had to do was design it.  I have a card program on my computer, and it is full of all kinds of pictures, and different font styles too.  Since I love the Victorian age, I set off looking for something Victorian looking.   I tried several different pictures, and several fonts, before I was happy with the finished product.  Thus my hobby was born.  Since that first Valentine's Day card was made, I have made cards for every holiday, as well as birthdays, anniversaries, thank you notes and sympathy cards. I have even helped with wedding invitations, announcements and programs. Each one getting a little more special I add lace, ribbon vellum paper and even jewels on my last creation, the Easter Card.  It really makes me feel good that the recipients of my cards enjoy them so much they want to save them and display them for others to see.

Example of my cards

My grandmother attended a seniors program at her church, during that time; they had a craft session each week.  She made many things that I cherish today.  She made little dolls that sit on shelves, decopaged vases, and a poodle made of yard, and my all-time favorite, lace angels, that fill my Christmas tree each year. My other grandmother loved to needlepoint and crochet, which in my opinion are a dying art.  She made the beautiful lace doily shown here, as well as many quilts and afghans that keep me warm on a cold winter's night, and I can feel the love she had for me as I wrap it around me.

Crafts aren't just for women either.  After my husband was injured he learned how to do wood working.  Our neighbor, a young man in his 80's, taught him how to use a lathe to turn wood.  He made beautiful bowls, one is picture here.  His work inspired my father who began to turn pens on a lathe, and I have a cousin who also turns wooden pens and other accessories.

Crafts don't have to be difficult or costly.  I have a friend who teaches a small group of girls in a church class.  Each week she tries to have them make some type of craft to keep or share with another member of the church or neighborhood.  She also had young grandchildren, and she often makes crafts with them.  Some of those include spreading pinecones with peanut butter and dipping it in birdseed and hanging for the birds to eat, making jewelry, wallets out of duct tape, scrapbooking and making bird houses.

Making crafts are not only a fun activity, but it allows you to be creative, and provide gifts for friends and family to keep and treasure.  What you make is only limited by your imagination.  March is National Craft Month.  If you aren't sure what craft would be good for you to try, here are some ideas for you to consider:

• How to Collage
• How to Make Candles
• Learn How to Crochet
• Learn how to Knit
• How to Decoupage
• Learn how to Emboss
• Learn How to Felt
• How to Do Glass Etching
• How to make Jewelry
• Learn how to cross stitch
• Creative Painting with Kids
• Scrapbooking for Beginners
• Learn How to Weave
• How to Make Beaded Safety Pins
• Learn How to Press and Dry Your Flowers
• How to make a Coloring Book
• How to Make Garden Stepping Stones
• Altered Art
• Learn About Beading
• How to Make Your Own Craft Supplies
• How to Tie-Dye
• Learn how to Sew
• Learn How to Quilt

Who knows, you may like it so much it could turn into a side business for you - Let me know.