Hostess Twinkies

This CD celebrates the thankfulness we all share, not just in November, but throughout the year.

Artists include the Quincy Choral Society, QCS Kids and Friends, a.k.a. Pelican Groove, and Jeff Cruikshank.

Fundraising The creators of the Thanksgiving CD feel that sharing with others is a good way to show our thanks for the bounty we enjoy in this country.

Therefore, the Thanksgiving CD is offered as a fundraiser for organizations.

It's a simple strategy:

Buy the CDs at a discount and resell them at a profit! A Fundraising Toolkit makes fundraising as easy as possible.

WIND AND WIRE, Minnesota Public Radio, KFAI 90.3 FM: "The Candlelight Guitarist™ album will probably surpass your expectations, as it did for me. Seldom do I hear music so perfectly balanced with nature sounds where the music is of such high quality - soft yet not syrupy, melodic but not shallow or sing-songy, sincere without being overblown or pretentious. ...Singling out more tracks is tough because the whole album is excellent. The pace is never hurried, thankfully. The words 'rest and renewal' are well-earned. However, I can't help but think that this album would also play well in a car during a leisurely drive through the woods or along the shores of a lake. ...If you're someone who enjoys acoustic guitar music...you can't go wrong with The Candlelight Guitarist's Music for Rest and Renewal. Powell's playing is gently dexterous and soulful (carefully balancing finger pyrotechnics with heart and sincerity)." ---reviewed by Bill Binkelman.

ABOUT THE NATURE SOUNDS Digitally recorded in stereo, each locale chosen for its peaceful ambience and soothing character. The music was inspired by the serenity of the nature sounds, and composed to be a melodic counterpoint. THE OCEAN: Huntington Beach, about 1/2 mile south of the pier (midnight, over two days). Santa Monica Beach, about 1/2 mile north of the pier, early Sunday morning. Malibu Beach, off Pacific Coast Highway. STREAM and WATERFALL: Winter Creek and Sturtevant Falls (Angeles National Forest). RAINFALL (after long dry spell), WITH HAWK, OWL and OTHER BIRDS: Big Tujunga Canyon WIND THROUGH TREES: Big Tujunga Canyon, after midnight. NIGHT SOUNDS, BIRDS AT DAYBREAK: The Verdugos, a mountain-desert area.

Most original and potentially most revealing, however, is a Web-based interactive component that allows readers to complete a questionnaire developed by the Gallup Organization and instantly discover their own top-five inborn talents. This device provides a personalized window into the authors' management philosophy which, coupled with subsequent advice, places their suggestions into the kind of practical context that's missing from most similar tomes. "You can't lead a strengths revolution if you don't know how to find, name and develop your own," write Buckingham and Clifton. Their book encourages such introspection while providing knowledgeable guidance for applying its lessons. --Howard Rothman

Part Two addresses special concerns such as illness, first aid do's and don'ts, the low-birthweight baby, the adopted baby, becoming a father, and sibling relationships. You'll also find discussions of breastfeeding and bottlefeeding, selecting a physician for the baby, diapers and clothing, safety, and many ways of stimulating the baby's development. The recipes for babies and toddlers in Part Three are useful, as are the recommended home remedies; charts on common childhood illnesses; height and weight; and the thorough index. (A particular strength of the book is the authors' careful attention to diet and nutrition for both mother and baby, incorporating the American Academy of Pediatrics' latest recommendations on infant nutrition.) While some of the authors' perspectives are controversial (such as whether to let your baby "cry it out" or not), this book remains one of the most comprehensive resources for new parents as they toddle through their baby's first year.