Pam's Favorite Things

With Christmas right around the corner, many are you are searching for the latest and greatest must have gadget. In the tradition of my favorite Christmas Show "Oprah's Favorite Things," I have compiled a list of a few of my favorite things. The prices of my favorite things range from one buck to about $800.00, because I am practical like that. And of course, just like Oprah, I have one for each of you – just look under your seat (just kidding!)

Amazon Kindle

Being a bonafide technophile, I had been eying the Kindle for quite sometime. I was so afraid that as soon as I purchased it, they were going to come out with a new one, making my obsolete right from the start. However, when Oprah showcased the Kindle on her show and offered a $50.00-off coupon, I had to get it. I love it! I have books, audio books, and music on mine. It is a cool toy and if you are a gadget person, you are going to love it!

Western Digital HD Media Player

I was reading the Sunday paper, and saw this for $99.00. I really want to have a centralize location for all of my digital media, and this seemed like a good way to get me started. I already had an HP media server and a HP portable media drive, so I purchased this in an effort to get the party started. So far, so good – it doesn't steam media, but I really didn't want that anyway. It works great, has a fantastic user interface, and was reasonably prices.

HP Pavilion DV7-1130US 17-Inch Laptop

This is my 4th (and biggest) laptop. I still have my tiny Dell, which is perfect for travel but I wanted something somewhat portable, with a larger display. This machine isn't exactly portable, it is huge. It is also my first round with Windows Vista. Overall, it is a nice machine, not a powerhouse, but perfect for what I need. It was quite inexpensive compared to my Dell, which I still have along with my desktop for the heavy duty code slinging! Here are the specs:

• 17.0-inch Diagonal WXGA plus High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display, 1440 x 900 resolution


• 2.00 Ghz AMD Turion X2 RM-70 Dual-Core Mobile Processor with 1MB L2 Cache


• 4096MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm),


• 250GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA),


• ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics RS780M with up to 1918MB total graphics memory


• LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support


• Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN


• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium, dims in inches: 15.59 (W) x 11.22" (D) x 1.31 (min H) in approx., 7.57 lbs
  

Coffee – As any self-respected geek, I like BOLD coffee, none of that whippy stuff for me. I have two favorites, one to brew at home, and another to have while I am out.

• At Home: New Orleans Blend Coffee with Chicory from Community Coffee


• Out: Starbucks Africa Kitamu Coffee
  

Bath and Body Works Winter Candle by Slatkin & Co.

This is one of my favorite fragrances! I love the candle, the scented oil, and the plug-ins. But it is only offered during the holiday – so stock up now!

Tony Chachere's The Original Creole Seasoning

It is a well know fact that EVERYTHING taste better with a little Tony Chachere's on it. Nuff' Said!

Louisiana Original Hot Sauce

If you know me, you know I love spicy food, and I LOVE hot sauce. I do experiment with different kinds. But my all time favorite is Louisiana Original.

Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Aluminum Foil

If you come to my house there are several things that I always have on hand. I have zip lock bags, wax paper, and all kinds of aluminum foil. But the Reynolds Non-Stick is my favorite.

And last, but not least ... WINE!!!!

• Red Wine - Beaujolais Nouveau
  
At one past midnight on the third Thursday of each November, from little villages and towns like Romanèche-Thorins, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau begin their journey through a sleeping France to Paris for immediate shipment to all parts of the world. Banners proclaim the good news: Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! "The New Beaujolais has arrived!" One of the most frivolous and animated rituals in the wine world has begun.


• White Wine - Robert Mondavi Pinot Grigio

" When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice" -- Proverbs 29:2

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."
—President-elect Barack Obama, November 4, 2008, Acceptance Speech
There are no words strong enough, wise enough, or elegant enough, to describe how I fell at this moment, or how I felt when it was announced that Barack Obama was going to be our next president.

Of course, I voted for him. I also caucused for him. And I truly believe in him. I wanted him to win with every fiber of my being, but there was always that little doubt in my mind, as to if this could happen in my lifetime.

I prayed for this moment, and I am so thankful that God allowed me the opportunity to be a part of this process. I have come along way from being a young girl in Memphis, TN whose mother brought her along to march with Dr. King during the Sanitation Workers strike in Memphis.

I have lived to see some wondrous and marvelous things in my life. But nothing compares to how I feel right now in this moment in time. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. In the words of my grandmother "We have come a mighty long ways", let us all support our president, encourage our president, but most importantly pray for our president; for he is going to need us in the days to come.

May the pride of our ancestors adorn him during his presidency, and may the Lord our God, hold him tight and guide his path.