Snippets: good for what slows your mind.

Life this morning is an assortment of snippets, keeping my mind in a constant whirl. Snippets are kinda fun, ya know. I like 'em a lot because they require little effort to spit out.

They're a nice change, too, cuz when we have heavy-duty issues taking complete control of our minds, we miss some of the fun stuff that just keeps happening around us, disappearing so quickly the annals of our mind hardly have time to capture them.

So, let it be LIVE FROM SNIPPETVILLE on this foggy October Friday.

Snippetydooda No. 1: Willie's driving to Boise tonight. I'll worry cuz it's all in the dark. At least when Debbie drove up here those two times with the grandpuppies, I had no idea. So, I didn't worry.

Snippetydooda No. 2: There will be Annie Dancing tomorrow in Seattle's Pioneer Square. She's gonna dress up like one of the characters in Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and join a bunch of other "Thriller" junkies worldwide and dance. She did that last year. I don't know if she's gonna be the same character as before.

Snippetydooda No. 3: I finished and sent on another Idaho Forest Products Commission profile yesterday, to which Maria (she's the British voice on the KPBX pledge drive) said Betty (the IFPC head honcho) would be thrilled. Not enough to dance in Pioneer Square, mind you. But Betty's thrill would have to last a while cuz she's celebrating her tenth wedding anniversary on the East Coast.

Which brought to mind that time has marched by quickly since Bill and I drove to Phillipsburg, Montana, to attend Betty and David's wedding. Hardly seems like ten years. I'll never forget the frigid temps as the October wind blew across that cow pasture where the reception, complete with pitchfork fondue, was held. There were enough festivities, people and festive fire starters inside those tents, however, for us to forget the cold.

Snippetydooda No. 4: I actually saw somebody carrying a mailing bag out of Keokee Publishing Co. enroute to the post office the day before yesterday. Inside was the infamous "lake guidebook," which is going to press. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it, but finally, finally, finally there WILL be a lake book.

That project started more than five years ago and the story of it finally making it into that mailing bag would be worth a book in itself. I've heard that it might be in the bookstores by Thanksgiving weekend. Stay tuned cuz that's a pretty good snippetydooda to report.

Snippetydooda No. 5: Speaking of books, I saw a nice cookbook the other day at Geneva's Selle Club gathering. It's been published by the Bonner County Fair Foundation, and proceeds are directed at fairgrounds improvements.

The recipes come from the kitchens of extension club members around the county, so you can bet on some good dishes. Also, there's a foreward penned by my friend and respected fellow writer Jenny Leo. I also saw a nice photo of Undean Rainey when she was a little girl and a bunch of guys at Laclede, cooking and looking like a bunch of women cooking.

Good lookin' book and a nice idea for a Christmas present, so check with them at the Bonner County Fair Office or the extension office ( in the telephone book), and I'll bet they can tell you where to purchase them.

Snippetydooda No. 6: I'm writing my next column this week. It will be in the November River Journal----one family with four sons in the Navy. The Taylors live across the road from me, and they're really proud. For good reason! Stay tuned.

Guess that's enough snippetydoodas for one day. I'd better not wear out my fingers or they won't be able to finish that column. So, have a great TGIF, and for all travelers, may St. Christopher take good care of you.