Shadow Dancer Review

I am happy to announce that there is a new review up for Shadow Dancer. You can find it here: Shadow Dancer Review.  I also completed an interview, which you can find here:  Author Interview  I have to say this is a great site for information in the literary world for fiction.  Go on over and check it out.  Really, go.

Another week has come to a close and we are now 15 days away from Christmas.  I was going to run over to Old Navy on my lunch hour today, as it's only really 10 minutes away usually, but the moment I pulled out of the office drive, I realized there was no way I was going to make it.  There were people and traffic everywhere.  So instead I went over to the dollar store.  Why?  The district in which I reside sent home a list of items to bring in that can be donated to people in need this Christmas. 

I'm not a Grinch in general, but I hate it when people put caveats on what we are allowed to donate.  Now, before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, I am a huge donator to charities in general.  I give often to the ASPCA, Kidney Foundation, Goodwill, Salvation Army, the US Veterans Fund, and so on and so on.  I can't go past one of those little coin kettles without dropping in any change that I have in my pockets.  I'm a sap.  However, seeing the list sent home was a bit annoying.  It was a LONG list of everything that you can possible think of that is not Christmas oriented.  What annoyed me the most though was the term "New" placed in the request. 

If a person is truly needy do you think they give a flying monkey butt whether or not a child's down winter coat I have to donate was worn before?  It's practically new, but it is not in fact "new".  Or the toys that I could donate.  They are all well taken care of but again they are used (including a leapfrog that was purchased with good intentions and yet was only used maybe twice).  Instead for the holiday season they want tampons, and toothbrushes.  Merry Christmas, here's some q-tips.  Yeesh. 

So as I was saying, today I went to the dollar store and purchased about 12 pairs of mittens and gloves of which I will donate.  They were on the list and they are in fact new.  I guess the coat and toys I can give to goodwill.  I am sure they will be happy to pass them along to someone in need.