Lakeshore

Well, Christmas is here. the_child has looted and pillaged extensively, and since played Guillotine and Letras with her dad. We're watching A Christmas Story right now. The Neighbor benefit auctionlet (and related activities) netted almost $1,700 which has been delivered to her and her grandkids, along with Christmas gifts from several quarters. (The cake was delivered last week...)

Thank you one and all for a wonderful year, and especially for all the support for the Neighbor.

Cake was delivered today to the Neighbor by deedop and Chef Chopper. Everything's paid, nearly everything's shipped, and I need to do a final accounting, but it was a rousing success!

Thank you everyone. Very much. And holiday felicitations to one and all.

The Neighbor's benefit auction has gone very well indeed. I'll post a longer summary with detailed thank-yous in a couple of more days after we've closed out the last of the eBay details, but the main auction made over $1,000, while mizkit raised another $500 on the side. I gave the first $570 to the Neighbor this morning, who was beyond overwhelmed.

She said, "'Thank you' doesn't seem to be enough." I told her, "'Thank you' is perfect."

So from her, and from me, thank you to everyone who participated, who donated, who supported, who bid, who bought, who sent good thoughts. Thank you all.

The LJ auctions for the Neighbor are ending at 6 pm Pacific, as well as the first wave of eBay auctions.

Also, karindira sends this link to the Museum of Bad Album covers. Warning, some distinctly NSFW art in there.

In other news, the recent unpleasantness at Rancho Lake has been resolved reasonably. Expect usual levels of bloggy goodness to resume here tonight or tomorrow.

Auctionlet update

In which I give myself Treo envy

In which I admit to varying brands of silliness

Must SF stories end badly?

The balance between reading and writing

The benefit auctionlet for the Neighbor continues, with many items closing out tomorrow (Monday). There's a side auction going on here for the items which didn't make it on to eBay for various reasons -- check that as well. Some terrific stuff there!

Also, there's a few good items which still don't have bids, in both the eBay auction and the side auction. Pick 'em up cheap!

Inspirational Anthology: Romancing Royalty

Doll's Head: a series of three photographs

Essay Writing Critique

Thank you very much for supporting the Neighbor and her grandchildren during this holiday season.

The benefit auctionlet for the Neighbor continues. There's a side auction going on here for the items which didn't make it on to eBay for various reasons -- check that as well. Some terrific stuff there!

Also, there's a few good items which still don't have bids, in both the eBay auction and the side auction. Pick 'em up cheap!

Inspirational Anthology: Romancing Royalty

Doll's Head: a series of three photographs

Essay Writing Critique

Needle-pointed tree ornaments

Original artwork in crayon by the_child

Thank you very much for supporting the Neighbor and her grandchildren during this holiday season.

Don't forget to bid in the benefit auctionlet for the Neighbor. There's a side auction going on here for the items which didn't make it on to eBay for various reasons -- check that as well. Some terrific stuff there!

Thank you very much for supporting the Neighbor and her grandchildren during this holiday season.

The benefit auctionlet for the Neighbor is cooking along nicely, thank you very much.

For sundry reasons there's several items which did not make it into eBay. I'm featuring a gallery under the cut below, with links to separate posts for a bidding thread for each item. We're keeping this on the honor system, so bid over whatever the last bid on the thread is, by timestamp. I'll close these auctions at 6 pm Monday, Pacific time -- the last bid with a timestamp prior to 18:00 PDT will be the winning bid. Any additional items which turn up in the next day or so will be added to this grouping.

Donated by mizkit ( A photo print from Ireland entitled Celtic Cross, St. Michaels )

Opening bid: $15.00, please bid here.

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Donated by ramurphy ( Hand-embroidered Celtic knot tea towel straight from Ireland. )

Opening bid: $15.00, please bid here.

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Donated by the_child ( Original artwork in crayon )

Opening bid: $15.00, please bid here.

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Donated by mme_publisher ( Needle pointed tree ornaments )

Opening bid: $15.00, please bid here.

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Donated by the Neighbor's younger granddaughter, ( Hand-written original poem by the granddaughter of the Neighbor, one of the recipients of this auction's benefits. )

Opening bid: $25.00, please bid here.

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Donated by Tobias Buckell ( Two signed copies of Crystal Rain, each made out with any special inscription also desired and mailed to desired recipient, gift wrapped if desired as a Christmas present for someone. )

Opening bid: $20.00, final two bidders will each win one copy, please bid here.

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Donated by jaylake ( Pre production dust cover of Mainspring hard back with hand-written story on blank reverse. )

Opening bid: $15.00, please bid here.

Please enter bids here for "Pre production dust cover of Mainspring hard back with hand-written story on blank reverse" from here. Starting bid is $15.00.

ETA: This bidding thread is now closed.

Please enter bids here for "Two signed copies of Crystal Rain" from here. Starting bid is $20.00.

ETA: For clarity, bids are for one each copy of the book. Top two bids will each take one copy.

ETA: This bidding thread is now closed.

Please enter bids here for "Hand-written original poem by the granddaughter of the Neighbor" from here. Starting bid is $25.00.

ETA: This bidding thread is now closed.

Please enter bids here for "Needle pointed tree ornaments" from here. Starting bid is $15.00.

ETA: This bidding thread is now closed.

Please enter bids here for "Original artwork in crayon" by the_child from here. Starting bid is $15.00.

ETA: This bidding thread is now closed.

Please enter bids here for "Hand-embroidered Celtic knot tea towel straight from Ireland" from here. Starting bid is $15.00.

ETA: This bidding thread is now closed.

Please enter bids here for "A photo print from Ireland entitled Celtic Cross, St. Michaels" from here. Starting bid is $15.00.

ETA: This bidding thread is now closed.

I am going to be mounting the LJ-comment auction items later today. I'm considering putting one of the two Mainspring dust jackets I got in the mail from TOR into the benefit auction. These would be more or less fresh off the press, and I think if I do so that I'll handwrite a piece of Mainspring flash fiction on the back of the dust jacket, just for the auction winner's edification. It would be a unique piece of Jay Lake ephemera in that case.

Is there interest in such an item?

To our Dear Neighbors and Friends,

I want to say thank you for taking my family to your hearts.

I have been so disillusioned, depressed and sad at what seems at times to be be almost insurmountable circumstances for what is left of my family to overcome. I guess I forgot there are still very good and caring people out there.

Your kindness and generosity has been both a blessing and an eye opener for me, so once again thank you and our very special neighbors.

        -- The Neighbor

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Most (but not all) of the auctions in the benefit auctionlet for the Neighbor are up now. The rest will be auctioned directly here in an LJ comment thread.

All the currently listed auctionlet items can be viewed from scarlettina's seller page.

These are great gifts in a good cause!

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"Stormbreak": Hand-dyed silk scarf (Donated by wolfsilveroak)

Limited Edition print: Floral System II, Jane Patterson (Donated by jeliza)

One of a Kind Needle-felted Bejeweled Bear (Donated by the Mother of the Child)

Photograph: "Buddha Emerging from Lotus (Donated by khaybee)

Official Jay Lake Tie-Dyed Tube Socks (Donated by saycestsay)

Inspirational Anthology: Romancing Royalty (Donated by singinheart)

6 Tatted Bookmarks: Great stocking stuffers! (Donated by ramblin_phyl)

YA Novels: "The Secret of Shabaz" & "Horse Passages" (Donated by jjsass)

Matching Necklace and Earrings Set (Donated by brendacooper)

Doll's Head: a series of three photographs (Donated by jaylake)

"Featherless Boa", a beaded Vonda McIntyre creation (Donated by Vonda McIntyre)

Tuckerization in an upcoming novel or short story (Donated by kristine_smith)

Professional Writing Critique (Up to 30 pages) (Donated by mindyklasky)

Beaded Christmas Ornaments in Three Colors (Donated by vg_ford)

Beaded Sea Creature, a Vonda McIntyre creation (Donated by Vonda McIntyre)