I have never forgotten the date of my Wedding Anniversary. Been 34 years now.
Don’t ask, long story short
– my mother-in-law took me literally when I answered her question of WHEN?

I think I got the better deal. My poor wife ended up with a screwball.

A first? A post by me with no photos. What gives? I’ll tell ya – Novica

A recent visit to Marguerite’s blog at Canoe Corner turned out to be more than a pleasant visit. I ended up ‘walking away’ with a $50 gift certificate for commenting on her post about Novica, a web site featuring artists and crafts people and their creations from third world countries. The site is associated with National Geographic so that should give you an idea of the quality you’ll find there.

When I first arrived on Marguerite’s Novica post I almost bailed out. Not another blogger pushing some affiliate marketing pitch I thought at first. But no, it wasn’t a affiliate ad link disguised as a text link. I’m happy I didn’t give in to my cynical first impression. It’s not the ‘prize’ I won but the discovery of a wonderful resource for both those looking for gift ideas and those that create them.

I am a bit sad about my name being pulled out of the hat. Maybe others had the same first impression and didn’t follow the link. Whatever the reason it’s a shame the odds were staked in favor of the few who did check out the site and left a comment. Good for me, not so good for a worthy cause.

Marguerite’s Post:
Novica – Supporting Artists Worldwide
Excerpt: By recognizing the value of artistic goods in the third world we can help artists there to live a better life and contribute to the betterment of their communities.

There’s a lot more going on at Novica. That’s globalization I can support. I’ll leave it to you to check out the programs they offer.

Affiliate Program
They have an affiliate program that’s rewarding to both ‘Affiliates’ (sometimes it’s not a four letter word) and Artists. After posting this I’m going to check it out. Want to follow me there? Here’s the link to become an affiliate.
Sorry Google but your ads are looking like history on my blog.

Party Time
Not interested in being an Affiliate, then maybe you’d be interested in hosting a Home Party featuring some select Novica items. Interested? Here’s a link. Novica Home Parties. I’m not that sort of party person. Guess it’s a male thing on my part but I’d like to see one of my daughters give one of these.

There’s also a consultant option in the party section. I haven’t looked at that yet since I’m not the type to be successful at it. But it may be your thing

Artisan Loans
Novica administers micro-finance loans with zero interest to the artisans. The link: Artisan Loans
I won’t go on about the loans but will say I made one before setting up the link ..and before you possibly gush over a perceived generosity on my part let me say it definitely was a micro-loan. I hope you will consider one too.

What can I say?
It all looks too good to be true. Everyone comes out ahead as far as I can see. This is how globalization should work. By helping to raise the living standards of those in the 3rd world I also indirectly help to float my own boat.

…and did I mention the Novica products make gifts that will drop the jaw of even an old cynical curmudgeon like myself.

A last note to Marguerite:
Do you realize just how much time you are responsible for me spending on Novica. One thing leads to another and another and another. How the heck can I choose when there’s so much to drool over. I skipped the backgammon set for now and selected a Tea Set I think my oldest grand daughter is going to love. There were only 3 left so I bought that before they were gone. I may have to go back and buy another right away – the set only has two cups and there’s 3 to tea party. What do you think? Avoid conflict or get sweet revenge on my daughter

The Tea Set by Tat Yan Soo. His style is very pleasing to my tastes. I liked the Peaceful Lily set but grand daughter likes frogs.

Ah, I can’t NOT post an image.
Please stare into the Hypno-Frog’s eyes until ready to buy. Frog themes are acceptable.

I’m still playing with the chromebook and exploring what Google has been doing while I wasn’t looking. The Picnik image editor is beginning to grow on me. Picasa Web Albums is something I should have used long ago. Creating photo galleries and slideshows will make it easier to browse all the future images and any that don’t quite make it the blog.

Here are some cow faces I touched up today:

Google Maps is making me anxious too. Mapping my discoveries is really going to help me remember where I found things. I can already imagine a mushroom map, a wildflower map, best gardens map and on and on and on.

Here’s a river access map I’ve already started to cover canoeing and hiking in the area.

View Canoe and Hiking in St. Lawrence County, NY in a larger map

Now I’m off to see if it’s possible to at least post a link back to here from inside a map.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll get out of my easy chair.