Gift boxes

Gift box made from facial tissue box covered with twisted paper ribbon and lined with fabric.

Customizing a gift box to go with a special gift is like giving two gifts in one. It tells the recipient that they are extra special. They are important.

One gift box we like to make is using a facial tissue box. We cover it with twisted paper ribbon and line it with fabric. Any size tissue box can be used but the larger ones are what we use most.

We started making these for fundraisers to raise money for charity groups back in the 1990s. Since then we have made many to add a personal touch to gifts we give. Another version we have seen were done around a paper grocery bag. Also the top can be left off and a handle added.

Here is a list of materials used to make the gift box pictured with this article.

Two boxes the same size plus one extra bottom.

Ten yards of twisted paper ribbon.

About one half yard fabric for the lining.

One yard gathered lace to go around the lid.

One and a half yards of quarter-inch wide ribbon to go around inside edges.

Also a variety of ribbons, silk flowers or other ordainments are used in decorating the box top.

Hot glue gun or craft glue is used to assemble the box.

To cut the right lengths of twisted paper ribbon hold one end and wrap it around the box. First go around all four sides. Cut three to this length. Next go from front top edge, around the bottom and up to the back top edge and add one inch. Cut six this length. Then go from left top side edge, around the bottom and up to the top right plus one inch. Cut three this length.

For the lid cut three that measure the long way plus one inch. Then cut six for the short way plus one inch. The plus one inch is so there is a half inch on each side to fold under. Untwist all cut pieces.

Cut the top off the first box and discard. Weave the paper ribbon pieces starting at the bottom. Then weave in the sides. Glue edges of ribbon over the top edge of the box.

Weave the lid pieces and glue edges to the underside. Glue gathered lace trim just under the edges.

Cut apart the sides, bottom and top of the second box. Discard the top. From a third box cut off the bottom and discard the rest. These pieces are used to line the box and make the lid.

Set aside one bottom to make the top of the lid. The rest of the pieces are laid on the fabric. Cut one piece of fabric for each piece with about one-inch seams on all sides. Wrap the seams to the back of the pieces and glue in place.

Cut one more piece of fabric to lie on the inside bottom of the box and add one inch to each side so the edges will go up the sides when placed in the box. Notch corners of fabric to ease fitting. After bottom piece is placed glue the sides in.

Glue the covered box bottom to the bottom of the lid. Cut a hinge from fabric and sandwich between top and lining and box back and lining.

Decorate the top with ribbons, silk flowers or other desired trims. Finish off inside edges with ribbon if desired.

Every box we make is different. There is no right way or wrong way to decorate a box. We hope this sparks some ideas for many gift boxes to come.

Marriage takes three

Framed copy of “Marriage Takes Three” poem by Perry Tanksley.

Love will keep us together. We will live happily every after. Nothing will separate us. We are soul mates.

These are phrases we hear couples who are about to get married say all the time. So how come over half of marriages end in divorce? Even Christian marriages fair no better.

Christians have a better than average chance at making marriage work. That is if they remember that marriage takes three. This means to let God be a part of their marriage.

There is a poem written by Perry Tanksley titled “Marriage Takes Three,” that says it all. A framed copy was given to us as a gift when we were married. It states:

I once thought marriage took
Just two to make a go.
But now I am convinced
It takes the Lord also.

And not one marriage fails
Where Christ is asked to enter.
As lovers come together
With Jesus at the center.

But marriage seldom thrives
And homes are incomplete
Till He is welcomed there
To help avert defeat.

In homes where Christ is first
It's obvious to see,
Those unions really work,
For marriage still takes Three.

Also, if we remember to love our spouse as God loves us things would go a lot smoother. We would never be too old to hold hands and would never go to sleep angry. When things get tough we would stand firm and face the world together with God’s help.

Our circle of love would include our whole family. We would remember to speak words of appreciation and demonstrate gratitude in thoughtful ways. Best of all we would have the capacity to forgive and forget.

The question would not be did we marry the right person. It would be are we being the right partner.

In the business of life we forget to share our marriage with God. Asking for his guidance and help is a key part of having a strong marriage. There is a simple way to pray together. It includes just two steps and takes longer to explain than to do.

The first thing is to thank God for one thing that you value in your spouse. Some examples are: that they are a good cook, good provider, good with the children or even that they have forgiven you something.

Second ask God for something for your spouse. Examples of this are: to help them have a good day at work, for wisdom in dealing with coworkers, energy to keep up with the children or for good health.

Keeping prayer time with your spouse to these two things avoids many pitfalls. Some partners tend to preach to their spouse while praying. This is a big no no. It is God’s place to work on our spouse’s faults, not ours. Also, if we are listening to God, He will help us focus on and work on our own faults.

Our prayer as a couple to God is: thank you God for helping us through 28 plus years of marriage and please help us be a good example to others who want to have a great marriage.

Building a computer

Inside of custom built computer.

Build our own computer? Are people really allowed to do that? Yes and as a matter of fact building our own computer was an enjoyable way to get a good system at a reasonable price. In truth, there are a lot of ways to get a computer these days. A good computer can be purchased at just about any large retailer, computer shop or online. And the prices we pay keep going down. The same cannot be said for very many things these days. So why did we go to all the trouble to build our own machine?

We found that by building it ourselves, we were in complete control of exactly what components were used. Often mass-produced computers use the cheapest parts they can get. They may have a highly recognizable name, but inside they are usually the lowest common denominator. In building our own we bought parts specific to our needs and could shop for the best bargains on each part.

For instance, if more video processing is needed, such as for video editing or gaming, a more powerful video card can be purchased. Most low cost computers are going to perform average at most things. We found that the end result in building our own was a computer with the performance of a much more expensive model at the price of a low end one.

To start we researched the various types of computer parts available and decide what kind of computer we wanted. Our decision was to make one that had good video processing power, as well as a fast Central Processing Unit speed. There is a huge array of computer parts available, mostly from online retailers.

One of the better sources for information that non-engineers can understand is a web page called My Super PC. It is located at http://www.mysuperpc.com. It is written by a person who has built several computers and has extensive information about various components, prices and the best place to purchase them.

Next we went online to purchase our parts from a well-known retailer. They arrived in about a week well packaged in a huge amount of foam peanuts. Nothing was damaged, so we could begin the fun part – assembly. The first thing to do is to read the enclosed information cards and manuals for the various parts, especially the motherboard. They provide step-by-step directions for putting everything together. It does not require a computer programmer or engineer to do this.

Everything is laid out in the directions and most things just plug together. The one thing that can easily mess up an otherwise good computer assembly is static electricity. Such discharges can run many hundreds of volts and can instantly fry sensitive computer parts such as the motherboard and memory sticks. An anti-static wrist band that connects to the computer frame is a must. They can be purchased at most electronic parts stores.

After assembling the parts and making all the connections, it was time for the first power up. It is always exciting to see what was at first just a disorganized assortment of parts come to life and do something. We then loaded the Operating System. For that we selected Windows XP, which is not the latest but has proven to be a good and stable OS. Next we loaded all the “drivers” necessary for the various hardware components, such as the video card, CD drive, etc. A driver is a small program that the computer runs in order for it to know how to interact with the different parts. There can be quite a few of them, but they are all included on the component manufacturer’s disks.

That is all there is to it! We are now enjoying our custom built computer that does just what we want it to.

The lawn obsession

“The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession” written by Virginia Scott Jenkins.

Many American people are obsessed with their lawns. Homeowners spend billions of dollars not to mention countless hours and energy on their lawns every year. Some so much so that they have riding mowers that they drive back and forth across acres of front lawn.

Author Virginia Scott Jenkins was so curious about these facts that she researched the history of the obsession with lawns and then wrote a book about it titled “The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession.” In her research she went back to before people had lawns. She also found the definition of a lawn has changed over the past 400 years.

In the 16th century the term “lawn” was used to describe an open space or glade in the woods. By the 17th century it was used to refer to a stretch of untilled ground covered with grass. Then in the 18th century it came to mean a portion of a garden covered with grass and kept closely mown.

In the United States in the 1950s “lawn” was redefined as land covered with grass kept closely mown, especially in front of or around a house. Grassy yards today are so familiar and common that many Americans find it difficult to imagine an alternative residential landscape without them. Our yard is an exception to this as we have geese and they ate every blade of grass there was.

The book is divided into two parts. The first is that Americans have adopted the front-lawn aesthetic. The second is on the democratization of the lawn.

In her research Jenkins found that before the Civil War very few Americans had lawns at all. Houses in town were built close to the street with perhaps a small fenced garden. Farm houses had tended to be surrounded by pasture, fields, gardens or just bare ground. Many old paintings or woodcuts produced during that era do in fact illustrate that houses had no lawn.

Domestic front lawns are unique to the United States. People in other countries have only read about lawns in books or seen them when they visit the United States. The closest comparison is in Europe where a lawn may be an element of a formal garden behind the house or in a walled garden.

Jenkins book has a section with pictures, most of which are of advertisements for lawnmowers. The earliest advertisements showed young women pushing the lawnmowers in the hopes they would appeal to male customers. Other advertisement posters were for grass seed, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Mother Nature was not mentioned.

The first lawn mower was patented in 1869. The industry grew to be a multibillion-dollar venture serving homeowners from coast to coast. Lawns are used to beautify everything from graveyards and factories to highways and parks all the way to the White House.

Today some changes are being made in part due to the amount of water needed to maintain a lawn. Another consideration is more privacy is desired and so more fences are going up making lawn areas less accessible to the general public.

The conclusion seems to be that it is yet to be seen if lawns will become a thing of the past. Either way it is interesting to read about the growth of the idea of a lawn to the industry that makes millions from the effort to maintain them.

California waterways

Model of a typical stage station, used to monitor river water levels and provide warning of floods.

This last weekend we went to the California State Fair in Sacramento. We were able to see many of the displays and vendor areas, as well as sample some of the famous and expensive fair food items.

One display that caught our attention was regarding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It was very informative and included a number of excellent visual demonstrations. There were also a number of brochures outlining facts about the delta. It seems that the delta these days is being faced with a number of challenges.

The delta as it exists today is controlled by a system of manmade levees, many of which are over 100 years old. They started out as a way to manage flooding of farmlands and houses. Since 1914 they have been regulated by the State Reclamation Board.

Today they also exist to control drinking water for 25 million people, support California’s trillion dollar economy and $27 billion agricultural industry. Wildlife that now depends on the delta include: 52 mammals, 22 reptiles and amphibian species, 225 birds and 5 species of fish. It is also home to 260 invasive species of plants and animals.

Recreation is another thing it is used for by over 12 million visitors annually. There are 290 shoreline recreational areas, 300 marinas and about 500,000 boaters. Sport fishing is also a big concern.

The two main rivers that feed the delta are the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. There are a number of lesser rivers supplementing this flow such as the Mokelumne, Cosumnes and Calaveras Rivers.

Over the last several years the Sierra snowpack has been below normal which allows for less runoff than normal during the summer. That runoff ideally is what keeps the river levels constant and thus keeps saltwater out of the delta.

Also, at the same time, many of the levees that surround the delta islands are getting older, some of which are in a state of decline. Levee breaks can be disasters of the first order, inundating homes and farms but also diverting some river water which in turn allows the salt water to move up into the delta.

There is a lot of controversy these days over what to do about the delta. The state assembly is constantly addressing legislation regarding the delta. Maintaining the delta is an expensive proposition and must rely on cooperation from much of the surrounding areas, mainly those areas the rivers flow from.

One brochure in their fact list stated: “Delta waterways are the single most important geographic feature of the State’s water resource system.” Maybe they should think again and state that it is one part of many in the state that is important to the State’s water resource system. Partnering with the other areas of the state instead of saying they are the single most important feature might get them further down the road to a workable solution.

Things like building more dams and other ways to control and maintain constant water flow may need to become a reality. These items need serious consideration and action if long term solutions are to be reached.

Trying to highlight the delta as the single most important water feature in the state is a mistake. But we have seldom seen any government project have long term success. At least we can not think of any recent ones.

Coincidently an article headlined “Local water leaders get look at DeltaVision” was on the Enterprise-Record website Tuesday, August 26, which addresses similar issues. We think it is worth reading. Maybe the Daily New will consider running this article if it hasn’t already.

Neighbor helping neighbor

Name brand baby clothes in near new condition purchased in thrift store.

Does your neighbor need help? Who is your neighbor? These are questions many try to avoid so they do not have to deal with the problems of other people.

We consider our neighbors to be anyone we know that has a need. If we can not help them directly we try to find someone who can. There are many volunteer organizations in our county that offer much of that type of help. It does however take the contributions of many locals to make that help possible.

Contributions can be given in several different forms. Money is always a welcome one but not one everyone is able to contribute. Several other types are services which require the gift of time and the gifts of donated items which may be new or used but still in good shape.

Volunteer organizations generally have the ability to reach out to a greater number of those in need than an individual does. They have the knowledge and experience it takes to find out how best to help those in need. Many organizations also help those in need by teaching them how to better help themselves.

One such place locally is the Care Net Pregnancy Center located on Main Street in Red Bluff. Most of their clients initially come in for pregnancy tests which are offered free. But their services do not stop there.

For the clients who want to keep their baby but find it difficult to deal with the added expenses a baby brings, the clinic has a store of baby items from clothes and baby furniture to diapers and wipes. These are all donated items the people within the community donate.

No item in the store is sold for money but for points earned by the clients. There program is called “Earn While You Learn.” The clients choose from a list of topics they would like to learn more about such as nutrition, the stages of pregnancy, how to care for a baby, Bible studies that deal with spiritual issues, learning about the effects of alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy, handling finances and more.

After a client decides what topics they want to learn about appointments are set up on a regular basis for those studies. Points are received for each study they complete. The points are then what they spend in the store for items needed for their baby.

Individuals who donate items for the store are in turn helping their neighbors. Perhaps not the neighbor on the other side of the fence from them, but maybe one that is down the street or across town. Not only is the donated items an immediate help but the information in the education provides long term help.

Donated items given to the store need to be clean, stain free and in good repair.

We recently went thrift store shopping, which happens to be one of our favorite hobbies. While shopping, we found several cute, barely used baby boy outfits that were on sale for pennies on the dollar. They ranged from about .95 cents for the one piece outfits to $1.75 for a name brand shirt and overall set. We had fun and were able to help someone out all at the same time.

More information on Care Net services or needs is available at 528-8102.

Margin for overloaded lives

"Margin" by Dr. Richard A. Swenson

Life today is hectic – ask anyone. There is hardly enough time to catch our breath before having to move to the next thing. Even though we live in Red Bluff, which is described by some as a “nice little town,” everyone is busy. There is no time to step back and think. Many feel overloaded.

To help remedy that, we read a book called “Margin,” by Dr. Richard A. Swenson. Swenson is an internationally known lecturer and author of six books. He is a medical doctor, practicing and teaching in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Pick up any printed book or newspaper and notice the white area around the edge of the pages. That is the margin. The reason the publishers do not print on the page edge to edge and top to bottom is that it makes it very difficult to read. They could get a lot more in, but nobody would want to read it. A certain amount of unused space is necessary. Life is like that too. We cannot live our lives successfully if there is no buffer, no gap or a place to recharge. The space between what we must do and all we possibly could do is our margin. The idea behind this book is to understand why margin is important, how we lost it and how to get it back.

The book is divided into three parts, the first of which discusses the problem of pain. Swenson is not talking about physical pain, although that may be present. He is primarily focusing on the pain of life – such as the pain of progress, of stress, of problems. Who is not “stressed out” these days? Who does not sometimes wish that the progress made in the last 25 years or so could be rolled back? As useful as some of the new electronic gadgets and other things can be, everything has a down side and that is what causes us the pain.

The second part of the book is titled “The Prescription: Margin.” In this section margin is discussed and applied to various life situations. According to Swenson, margin is what we have left over after we take care of all of our obligations and commitments. It is what we have in reserve. It is what we can draw on to deal with the things life throws at us.

We need margin in all areas of life in order to live without pressure. There is of course a need for margin in our time. We cannot schedule every minute of the day and still feel focused and productive. But we also need some margin in our finances, our physical and emotional energy.

Finances are a major contributor to pressure and stress for individuals and families. It is well known that most marriage problems are at some point related to finances. Not everyone can be “financially independent,” but we can all reduce our debt, put off purchases until we can pay cash, save and give some.

The third part of the book talks about what the future will look like if we make and keep some margin in our lives. Various areas of health are pointed out; health through contentment, simplicity, balance and rest. Who does not want that?

The point the author makes is that we cannot have these things if we keep living our lives the way we always have, or the way our society tells us to live. We have to make some changes. And for most of us, that usually means getting rid of something.

Maybe we should work less hours, be involved in one less social activity so we can spend more time at home loving our children. It may require moving to a less expensive home, driving a cheaper car or even turning down a promotion at work that requires a lot of overtime. But as difficult as those choices may be, not making them may in fact be even more harmful.

This book is a great read. But for those who are not readers just applying the principles outlined above is a good start on a more satisfying life.