Gizmos

As we were growing up, we used to laugh at my dad for having so many gizmos. No gift delighted him more than some sort of gadget designed to make life easier. He was the first to have a weed popper - a stick with prongs on the end to insert beneath the dandelion roots, then step on the lever to pop them out of the ground. He had a yellow flag on the mailbox that sprung up when the door was opened, letting him know that the mail had arrived. He had a knob on his steering wheel that enabled him to turn it with one hand. He claims he never had a clapper to turn on lights, but I'll bet he wished he had. These were just a few.

Now my children laugh at me. I am my father's daughter.

Perhaps this explains why I am such a computer geek - after all, the computer is one big gizmo with countless ways to make life easier, but there are more.

I have the fork that registers internal meat temperatures. I have the Bluetooth earpiece with voice commands for my cell phone. I have the litter locker that encloses cat litter waste in cellophane for odorless storage until the bag gets thrown away. I have a SpotBot, which, by the way, works beautifully.

Gizmos with timers are great. I can set the dishwasher to start in 2 hours if someone is in the shower. I love waking to the smell of brewing coffee from my preset coffee maker. I can set the timer to turn on and off Christmas lights. If I knew how to program it, and if I watched TV, I could set the DVD to record a television show. The sprinkler is set to come on at certain times and on certain areas of the yard.

I don't have one, but I think those projection alarm clocks that display the time on the ceiling in big numbers would be great for someone like me who is, for the most part, blind as a bat. I wish I had one of those bird feeders that swings around an invading squirrel until it is slung off into the bushes. I really wish I had an ice maker that would make crunchy ice in large quantities. Crunchy ice like soda fountains used to serve is hard to find these days.

I do have some favorite gizmo selling websites for your perusal: check out The Vermont Country Store. They offer things many of us boomers will remember from our childhood - like the bun warmer that I remember seeing on my grandmama's stove. I had to have one of those. Remember Lanz pajamas? They got 'em. Remember ribcord beadspreads? Got 'em. Remember Rock'em, Sock'em Robots? Adams Sour Cherry or Sour Apple gum? Tangee lipstick? Ipana toothpaste? I love this store.

Another site with cool stuff is Improvements. Here you'll find solutions to storage dilemmas, holiday decor, outdoor decor, kitchen gizmos, and much more. Its loaded with neat stuff.

Of course, Current is adding more gizmos to its stock of cards, wrapping paper, scrapbooking supplies, and stationery. I particularly like the insurance and car registration holders to fit in your glove compartment.

Sharper Image has expensive gizmos, but they're fun to look at.

If you have a favorite gizmo or favorite gizmo store, let me know. I'm always open to things to make life easier. And, yes, I have a weed popper. But no clapper.

Harry Potter Fever

I don't care what anybody says, Harry Potter books are entertaining books. If you ever want to carry on a conversation with a young person, of nearly any age, just mention Harry Potter. My nephew is 10. He, his mom, and I have great discussions as to what will happen next in book seven. J.K. Rowling does a magnificent job of creating characters whose lives are entertwined in and out of all the stories. My daughter is 25; my son is 23. They join in the discussions enthusiastically as well. We all anticipate the next book and the next movie.

I was disappointed in the recent movie, The Goblet of Fire. I felt like director, Mike Newell, was more interested in making an action/love film than in telling the story. While the special effects were undoubtedly some of the best ever, too many important plotlines were omitted from the movie. I don't see how future films can provide continuity, given some of these important omissions. Happily, filming has begun on The Order of the Phoenix. Photos of the newly cast Luna Lovegood and Bellatrix LeStrange are available online.

After reading book six, The Half-Blood Prince, I reread all the books, in order. I highly recommend that Potter fans do the same. It's even more interesting to "watch" things unfold without having to wait years in between. I was reminded of facts I'd forgotten; I tied things together that I'd previously overlooked. I may repeat exercise when book seven is published.

There are some really good websites for Harry Potter fans. My favorite is JK Rowling's own site: www.JKRowling.com. Ms. Rowling does a great job of answering FAQ's from fans without giving anything away. It's an interactive site with cool sound effects. Occasionally you may get a teasing of information about the future of Harry, Hermoine, Ron, and other characters.

Another favorite site is the Harry Potter Lexicon (www.hp-lexicon.org). Therein are all the details one could imagine about things like: Sirius Black's family tree (could R.A.B. possibly be Sirius' brother, Regulus? or perhaps Amanda Bones?) or who's who among the wizarding world, or a handbook of Quidditch or a complete guide to magic. Potter fans can get lost in time perusing this website.

Some questions from inquiring minds: Is Dumbledore really dead? Could he have a horcrux? Is Snape really a bad guy? was killing Dumbledore part of a larger plan? Will Hogwarts open for Harry's seventh year? and will he really return there? What role will Neville play in the elimination of Voldemort? Could Snape actually be related to Dumbledore in some way?

Stay tuned.