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　　Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle or emotion, and are quite different than ordinary garden-variety "clutter." One man has a love of photography and bearing grease takes pictures of everything. Another woman buys more shoes than she could ever wear, to make up for having hand-me-downs as a child. Someone else might keep all of her mother's old clothes and papers after her death. Whether we love hats, unicos, or butter tubs that we "might use someday," collecting makes us feel good -- it fulfills some NEED in our lives. What do you love to collect?However, as much as we love our keepsakes and mementos, any collection can become overwhelming if it isn't kept in check.

One of my clients actually considered building on an extra room to house dozens of antique cups -- until she realized it was a choice between the renovation and her son's college tuition! Another client spent hundreds of dollars a month on storage units, because she couldn't bear to part with any of her children's clothes or toys. The trick is to establish a set of RULES for sorting, storing, and purging your mementos. Even if you aren't buried in memorabilia, it's important that you properly store and protect your keepsakes -- after all, your treasured memories deserve some respect!You may decide to establish a physical limit for your belongings.

Perhaps you tell yourself that you will keep no more than 10 ceramic frogs, setting numerical limit. Or, you could determine an acceptable spatial limit -- I won't buy any more shoes than will fit on this shelf. Finally, you might decide that you work better with an in / out ratio -- you get rid of one magazine every time you bring a new one home. Either way, you are creating a very specific method for keeping your belongings in check. You never need worry about losing control again!Collecting, like everything in life, should be about quality -- not just quantity. Resist the urge to own every colored glass bottle on the planet -- be about your "favorites." Perhaps you can select a few representative samples of your collection, display them beautifully, and discard the rest. Take some time to examine your treasures, asking yourself which ones really mean something to you. You may find that a once beloved collection has lost its appeal.

Take picture or shoot a video tape of your collection for posterity -- then you will feel more free to let go of the past without completely discarding years of memories.The first rule for protecting your memorabilia is to select a space that is accessible, but not part of your active storage. If you clearly separate mementos from those items you use regularly, they are less likely to get damaged or lost. You may use any kind of container, but one with a lid will keep out dust. I happen to prefer a cedar chest, because it insures that no creepy-crawlies will decide to munch on my keepsakes. Insect infestation is a particularly important conce if you are keeping old clothing or dried flowers.

　　Come August, there is nowhere I'd rather NOT be than in Texas. Steamy, sultry, and hot, living in Texas in August is like trying to breathe in a tightly-covered pressure cooker.But in November, I remember the joys of Texas. Cool breezes molybdenum disulfide grease and balmy fall days refresh the senses and invite us outside once again. On streets and in parks, pecans are ripe for gathering and shelling.Those of you who think pecans come in 6-ounce plastic supermarket packages have missed the true texture and flavor of a real Texas treat. Best of all are the small native pecans with shells like granite. But once you've cracked them, there are no better fall treats to be had.With the holidays rapidly approaching, we want to share a couple of our favorite recipes using Texas pecans.

Even if you're forced to use those supermarket replicas, these recipes are great!Texas Pecan PiePrepare a pie shell and set aside, or use a premade pie shell.1/3 cup butter3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed3 whole eggsone cup light co syrupone cup broken pecansone tsp vanilla? tsp saltCream butter, sugar, and eggs.Stir in co syrup, pecans, vanilla and salt.Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. Spraying the pie pan with PAM or a similar no-stick spray before placing pie shell can help keep the pastry crisp.Bake in 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until just set in center. Cool completely before serving.Back in the eighties, I spent an unforgetable Christmas with my daughter who was, at the time, studying in Kyoto, Japan. Because of her love of pecan cookies, I made a double batch to take with me, fully aware that taking foodstuffs into Japan was not allowed. I figured I might lose the cookies, but what the heck? I might get lucky and sneak them past customs.Arriving in Japan after a 26-hour flight, I was confronted with a Japanese customs agent who went through everything in my luggage. Nothing was too small or insignificant to escape his scrutiny. When he came to the tin of tightly packed cookies, he eyed it with a quizzical expression."Desu ka (what's this)?" he questioned me.

In my best schoolgirl Japanese, I explained that this was a Christmas present for my daughter, hoping that he would go on to the next item. It was not to be.As I watched in horror, he opened the tin and was immediately enveloped by a dense cloud of powdered sugar."Ah," he announced. "Clismas plesant!" And beaming, he clapped the lid back on the tin and waved me through.He was right. The holidays just wouldn't be as pleasant without these pecan gems.Holiday Pecan CookiesBeat until soft ? cup butter.Blend in two tablespoons sugar.Add one teaspoon vanilla, one cup ground pecan meats, and one cup cake flour or regular flour sifted several times.Roll into 32 ? inch balls, one teaspoon full at a time.Place on greased baking sheet. Bake in 300 degree oven for 45 minutes or 375 for 25 minutes. While cookies are still hot, roll in confectioner's sugar. Roll again after cookies cool.Stored in air-tight tins, these cookies will keep indefinitely.Enjoy!About The AuthorPhyllis Staff, Ph.D. - Phyllis Staff is an experimental psychologist and the CEO of The Best Is Yet.Net, an inteet company that helps seniors and caregivers find trustworthy residential care.

　　Who doesn't love being a clown? It's a great costume idea for both adults and children. It looks like a lot of work to doclown makeup, but it's actually quite easy. Here are the steps to create that classic whiteface clown:First of all, get an idea of what clown design you'd like, whether it be the traditional white face, auguste, or hobo. Smile so you can see the apples of your cheeks, where your red paint will go.

Decide what type of nose and eyebrows would look good on you. If you're already wearing your costume, cover it up with a towel so you don't get any makeup on it.Get your makeup accessories ready: a palette of colors with clown white face paint, black and red grease paint, eye pencil, powder and a puff, a dusting brush, a makeup brush, and some face wipes to clear off mistakes. It's good to use cream based makeup so it doesn't dry out. Consider using mehron brand makeup, a well-known company that specializes in Halloween makeup.Be sure your hair is pulled back out of your face, and begin with painting your face and neck with the white clown paint. Once you're done, use the face wipes to clear off the areas that you want painted red or black.

Powder your face.Next, do the facial details: use the black and red face paint for your cheeks, mouth, nose and eyebrows (of course, some clowns prefer plastic noses). Trace the design you want with your finger or the eye pencil. (vegetable oil comes in handy to soften the paint) Once finished, powder your face again.There you have it! To remove the makeup, just use vegetable oil, soap and water. That wasn't so hard, was it? To be the best clown you can be, make sure you complete your costume with a bright wig, a hat and a really big, oversized tacky suit. Include little accessories, such as the water-spurting flower, and the loud ho.