What's New This Week? There isn't much new as we ramp down from the Holiday's. One of the bizarre things so far this year is a rose tree that is in our front yard. What is so bizarre is that it is leafing, has three buds and one opening bud. Doesn't it know that it's the first of January and everything is supposed to be dormant? We are seeing some other unusual things like flowering cherry trees in our neighborhood starting to flower. We're afraid that winter might still be lurking out there and a good freeze could screw up these poor plants for the summer. Just maybe all this talk about global warming is starting to take affect. We know that the El Nino this year is having a great deal of influence on the weather both here in the Northwest and other parts of the country. I guess there isn't much we can do about it but just sit back and watch what happens next.

     As we mentioned above we got a pair of binoculars that also take digital pictures of what you are looking at. They are made by Meade and are called Capture Binoculars. The optics are 8X30 and they work pretty well as a binocular for things like bird watching. The cooler feature is the digital camera. It takes a little getting use to because it is not WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). The camera requires more light than what you see through the optics. You also have to hold really still because the shutter isn't all that fast. The captured image also does not exactly match what you see through the lens. The actual picture is a little bigger. The camera is comparable to a 400mm camera lens at f5.6. You can not take a picture any close than 33 feet.
The quality is selectable between 640 X 480 or 320 X 240. At the higher resolution it will hold 50 pictures and at the lower resolution 100. The quality really isn't very good but it's good enough to get your idea across in an email or maybe on your web page. I don't think you would want to blow a picture up to and 8" X 10" photo but for email, web pages and smaller printing it's just OK. Here's a picture we took this morning.

Picture from the camera.

What you saw through the binoculars.

Here is the actual quality of the picture.

For under $100 it isn't bad. Panasonic makes the same thing but at a higher resolution for about $350. If you are a more serious photographer this might be a better choice but for most of us we think the Meade is just fine.

     Have you got some time on your hands to look at about 32,000 photographs? Well that's what this web site has. Have you ever thought about joining the Lomographic Society International? Well if you ever have than this site is the place for you. Even if you haven't this is a great site to cruse around in. Basically Lomographic is a style of photography named after a little camera invented in Russia in 1982. The idea is to take pictures of anything and everything from every possible angle. The results are really quite astounding.
Check out the Lomographic Society International at www.lomography.com/.

Potato Beads

     This project sounded a little strange at first but it actually turns out quite nice.

Here's what you'll need:

• A potato
• A skewer
• Beads
• Elastic cord
• Paint

Cut a potato into small cubes, about 1/2" to 3/4" square.
Put a skewer through the center of each one.
Let them dry for 10 days. Don't get impatient, wait 10 days! They will turn very black but that is OK.
Paint them with your favorite color or colors.
Slide them off of the skewer after the paint is dry.
Thread them on a string with a bead or two between every piece.
Tie the string to fit around your wrist or neck and you are ready to show off your fine jewelry.
Get as creative as you want and give them to your friends as friendship beads.

     We really hope you enjoy Marilyn's Corner and look forward to all the fun things she brings you each week. If you have a fun project that would be suitable for our newsletter we'd love to share it with our readers. Just contact and we'll do the rest.

Remember we have all of our past projects archived on our web site at www.runnerduck.com. Just click on the Projects or Kids Only Eggs.

      Are you and your kids crazy about Harry Potter? I know we really enjoy the whole mystical surroundings that follow him around. Muggles, wizards, and witches alike can stock up on everything that Harry Potter fans need right here! Whether you are catching Hogwarts Express at platform 9 3/4 or flying away on your Nimbus 2000-don't leave before you have all your supplies.

     The Tempos started up rehearsals after taking the Holidays off. We actually didn't sound too bad for not having played for a few weeks. We are back up to speed and ready to play for your event. If you are in the market for a really fun big swing band then check out The Tempos.
     Don't forget that The Tempos big swing band is available for hire. If you have a special event that could use the wonderful music of a classic big band be sure to contact .

      Do you like big swing band music? Check out these specials that we have for you.

A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o'clock in the morning by a loud pounding on the door. The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a push.

"Not a chance," says the husband, "it is three o'clock in the morning!" He slams the door and returns to bed.

"Who was that?" asked his wife.

"Just some drunk guy asking for a push," he answers.

"Did you help him?" she asks.

"No, I did not, it is three in the morning and it is pouring out!"

"Well, you have a short memory," says his wife. "Can't you remember about three months ago when we broke down and those two guys helped us?" "I think you should help him, and should be ashamed of yourself!"

The man does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes out into the pounding rain. He calls out into the dark, "Hello, are you still there?"

"Yes," comes back the answer.

"Do you still need a push?" calls out the husband.

"Yes, please!" comes the reply from the dark.

"Where are you?" asks the husband.

"Over here on the swing!" replies the drunk.

Check out all the great products in the RunnerDuck Goodies Store. Show the world that you love RunnerDuck!

 
 
There is lots of other cool stuff at the RunnerDuck Goodies Store.

   THIS WEEK'S FREE RECIPE

• 12 Slices White Bread, crust removed
• 1 Package (10 oz.) Frozen Broccoli, cooked and drained
• 2 Cups Diced Cooked Ham
• 6 Eggs, slightly beaten
• 3 1/2 Cups Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Instant Minced Onion
• 1/4 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• 3 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Cut the bread into cubes.
Layer Bread, Broccoli and Ham in a buttered dish, 12" X 8".
Combine Eggs, Milk, Onion, Mustard and Cheese, stir well.
Pour over the casserole, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Bake uncovered at 325 degrees F for 1 hour.
Garnish as you like with Parsley, Hard Boiled Egg slices, and/or Paprika.

Serves 6 - 8.

Remember, if you have a recipe you'd like to share please send it to .

     Every month we post a new recipe on our web page. Be sure and check out the NEW January recipe at the RunnerDuck Kitchen Store.
We'd be happy to post your favorite recipe there or in our newsletter and give you credit. Just drop a line to

Every week we will be bringing you some great savings from Cooking.com. These will change every week so we encourage you to check them out. Just use the coupon from the link below to start saving.
Get your RunnerDuck savings coupon by clicking on the link below.

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Be sure and visit the RunnerDuck Cookbook Store for other great savings on cookbooks and cooking supplies.

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Candle Holder

     This week we have a wonderful little candle holder. It will take some imagination (or not) to really make it unique.

Click on the picture for a bigger view,

Here's what you'll need:

• 3" X 14" X 3/4" piece of wood. We used Walnut. Try to find a piece that has a problem like a knot, broken edge or something that makes it unique.
• 3" Votive candle holders and candles. Go to a craft store and find something that you like. The holders we found actually came from a metal frame.

The basic size of our candle holder is 3" X 12". You may want to adjust your size depending on the size of your candle holders and the flaw that might be in your wood.
Cut your wood to size.
Drill three holes evenly spaced in the center to fit your candle holders. We drilled 1 5/8" holes using a Forstner Bit.
Smooth the hole edges using a 1/8" round router bit.
Route the outside edges using a 1/4" to 3/8" round router bit.

Cut two legs from the same material. Our legs are 2 3/4" wide on the bottom with a 27 degree cut on each end.
Sand everything smooth. Leave the ruff spots on your project alone. They really look nice in their natural state.
Glue the legs about 2" in from each end.
Stain and finish your candle holder and it's set to go.

It's really quite amazing how nice these can turn out. They are especially nice if you can find a unique piece of wood but even a nice rectangle looks good.

If you have a project that you would like to share please drop us a line and we'll help get it published in the RunnerDuck review. We are looking for woodworking, gardening, crafts and kids projects so send us your thoughts at .

      When we think about conservation we think about resources like energy and water but there are lots of other things to conserve. Our parents or grand parents learned how to really conserve during the Great Depression. Now with all the unemployment and the recession we are in it might be a good time to re-look as some of these conservation tips. One of our readers, Rolande Gay, reminded us of this fact when she wrote, "I can only imagine what it was like for those people who had to live through the Depression! My father often told us that when they were kids that they had oatmeal 3 times a day! Whenever my children or even myself complain about not having some little item, I think to myself of how fortunate we all are! I certainly do not want my children to ever have to go without, but, I cannot help but wonder how they would ever survive?". Thanks Rolande, if any others of you have any conservation tips you'd like to share please drop us a line, we'd love to hear them.

If you have a conservation tip please send it to and we'll post it in our newsletter.

      We've been getting a lot of nice emails from many of you and we really like them. Be sure and drop us a line if you have any comments you want to make. We also really like jokes so if you have a good one please send it our way. It we think it's worthy we'll pass it along.

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