The Wish Book - A Holiday Season Podcast Project

A while ago, I came across this site, http://www.wishbookweb.com/, which hosts scanned copies of historical Christmas Catalogs from the 1940s-1980s. As I was flipping through the site, it brought back some great memories of my childhood. As a child, on the cold Winter nights in Ohio, I would often sit for hours flipping through the Christmas catalogs, dreaming of the neat things I might receive (but probably wouldn't) for Christmas. For example, this is one toy I have remembered since my 2nd or 3rd Christmas in 66/67. Bizzy Buzz Buzz. The fact that I can remember the feeling of it in my hand after so many years proves the impact that childhood toys have upon us.

So, starting today, I am announcing

"The Wish Book - A Holiday Season Podcast Project"

to be released in November and December 2007.

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Here is how you can participate...

* Visit The Wish Book site
* Find a toy or other object that you remember from your childhood
* Tell us a story about the toy or object
* In the end, the stories don't have to be based on the catalogs. Tell us your favorite personal holiday story is fine, too

Try to include the following information in your recording:

* Your Name and Home Town Location i.e. Douglas E. Welch from New London, Ohio
* The catalog and page where you found you item (So that others can see a picture of it)
* Your story

Your story can be whatever you wish -- a real-time discussion with siblings, "hey do you remember that? Didn't you leave that out in the rain?" to amore structured "I remember this..." type of story. Let yourself go! Tell us what made this item so special to you.

If I receive enough submissions for The Wish Book, I will create a daily podcast running from Thanksgiving Day through until Christmas or New Years.

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How to send in your audio or video?
You can send in your audio or video in a number of ways:

* Call our Listener Line at 818-804-5049 and leave up to a 3 minute story
* Record your audio or video and email it to douglas.welch@gmail.com
* Mail me a CD or DVD with your story
* Email me a URL where I can download your audio or video

Please join me in this celebration of the Holiday Season by sharing your memories!

PDF Flyer: http://welchwrite.com/blog/pdf/wish-book-project.pdf

Technorati Tags: audio, christmas, hanukkah , holiday, holidays, podcast, podcasting, video

Backyard Giants on CBS Sunday Morning - Oct 28

I just got word that the folks behind Backyard Giants will be in a segment on CBS Sunday Morning this coming Sunday, October 28. (Check your local listings for channel and date).

Link: Backyard Giants Review

Giant Pumpkins!!!

You might remember that, a few weeks ago, I posted a review of Backyard Giants, about the growing of behemoth pumpkins like this one. Joe Jutras, the new World Record Holder is one of people profiled in the book.

Giant Pumpkins!!!

Think this 1524 pounds pumpkin is big?

Try this one...an astounding 1689 pounds! What a monster.

Just a few years ago the growers were trying to break 1000 pounds. Now they are probably aiming for a ton.

(Via MucknMire.)

Video: Garden Fork TV - http://gardenfork.tv

A few weeks ago, after finding nothing on broadcast television I wanted to watch, I went in search of more video podcasts to fill the void. One of the shows I have fallen in love with is Garden Fork TV with Eric Rochow. He covers everything from making Pasta Carbonara to fixing the shackle on his old pickup to building raised planting bed.

This is exactly what television should be -- engaging, educational and comfortable. To many traditional media shows are over-produced and glassy and lose any real heart they might have. Garden Fork TV is the antithesis, while still being great entertainment. Erik is more personalable than almost any host on television today and he's never afraid to show the everyday reality of gardening, video production and life.

Then, of course, there are the dogs!

Check out Garden Fork TV directly from the web site or subscribe using iTunes.


Watch this compilation video from the first 50 episodes and you'll get a great idea what the show is about.



Technorati Tags: garden, gardener, gardening, video

This guy has way too much fun with pumpkins!

I came across Tom Nardone and his ExtremePumpkins.com while wandering the Internet for Halloween ideas. As I said in the title of this post, he has waaaaaay to much fun with pumpkins.

Stop by and check out his website for a few ways to get into the Halloween spirit this year.

Along with his pumpkin carving hints he shows you how to have your pumpkin belch fire, how to carve a pumpkin in one swing of a hammer and more. Nardone even as a book of the same name -- Extreme Pumpkins: Diabolical Do-It-Yourself Designs to Amuse Your Friends and Scare Your Neighbors.


Check out this video with the author!



Technorati Tags: garden, gardener, gardening

Elsewhere Online: How to build a rain water collector

Heck, I'd almost build one of these if there was any expectation of rain in the next 12 months.

I am sure we will get some rain this Winter, but prospects don't look good. Then again, maybe I SHOULD build one of these so I can capture what little we do it.

Decisions, decisions...

How to build a rain water collector

In this instructable, I will show how I made a rainwater collection system to water my garden. This helps to conserve water and make good use of a free and renewable resource.



Note that this involves using many different tools and proper safety precautions should always be taken.

The beginning -...

By: iPodGuy

(Via explore.)

Technorati Tags: build, environment, garden, gardener, gardening, make, outdoors, project, green

Elsewhere Online: The Urban Compost Tumber

Cold Climate Gardening has an excellent and in-depth review of one type of tumbling composter that we have all heard about. Can this help improve your compost production/ Definitely worth a read. Lots of pictures, too!

The Urban Compost Tumber Readers of this blog know I tend to get absorbed in the details of garden projects. But somehow the making of compost has been immune to such obsessions. To my mind, compost just happens. I...


(Continues)

(Via Cold Climate Gardening.)

Technorati Tags: compost, garden, gardener, gardening, how-to, howto, composter, review

Douglas' Calendar - What Am I Doing?

Pampas Grass

Pampas Grass
Originally uploaded by dewelch

I took a short (2 mile) walk around the neighborhood today and came across these photo ops. The sky is so blue today and you can see all the way to the mountains surrounding the San Fernando Valley due to the Santa Ana winds we had last night and today. The Santa Ana make for dangerous fire conditions, and sometimes cause some hay fever symptoms for me, but the certainly clear things out, too.

More pictures on Flickr. Click a Thumbnail.

Autumn in the Garden and more! - October 6, 2007

by Douglas E. Welch, agn@welchwrite.com
Reader/Listener Line - 818-804-5049



In this show, I talk about our long, dry summer, an early rain, Autumn beginning and a rat in the compost (Oh, my!)

What's happening in your garden? Let me know by calling the listener line at 818-804-5049 and leaving a message. I just might use it in the podcast.

A Gardener's Notebook Pictures on Flickr
A Gardener's Notebook Photo Sharing Group on Flickr

Listen to the Podcast



Theme Music: The One by The Woodshedders, aka the Hot Club of West Virginia, courtesy of the PodSafe Music Network

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Join AGN Mailing List | iTunes Review | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Call the Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049

Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, hobby, california, grow, build, make, DIY, howto, how-to, outdoors, losangeles, 91411

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