50 image from Buzzle.com, best 50 year birthday gift ideas ever from Suebob!

I didn’t have any kind of timetable in mind when I first started doing these Five Fun Things on Friday posts, but it seems like I’m doing one about once a month.  Today it felt like time for another one, and I’m going to start out with the best 50 year birthday idea ever.  If anyone thought it was me turning 50 when you saw that number, I love you forever, but keep reading to hear how a very classy friend of mine asked friends to celebrate her birthday.

Fun Thing #1:  Fifty Ways to Do Good for Suebob’s Birthday

Turning fifty is a big deal, as anyone knows who’s passed that milestone.  Lots of people have big parties for their fiftieth, but my friend Suebob celebrated her 50th birthday this week with one of the most creative birthday ideas I’ve ever seen.  Starting 50 days before her birthday, Suebob spotlighted one charitable organization per day; instead of birthday presents, she wanted her friends to help others who were in need by donating to one of the organizations.   Every day for fifty days I read her posts and was amazed to discover organizations I’d never heard of doing meaningful work to help people.   Here’s her list of the first 49 organizations, and her 50th birthday post with the organization she picked for number 50.  Happy 50th, and bravo to Suebob, for being the kind of person you are.  (Now please go visit her blog and thank her for this wonderful effort, and if you have any spare cash please contribute to Suebob’s celebration by choosing an organization and making a donation.)

Fun Thing #2:  Lots of Blogging Friends are in Utah!

Lots of bloggers are in Utah right now attending the EVO Conference in Park City, and other events.   I was thrilled to have a chance to grab lunch with Todd and Diane a few days ago, and I’m hoping I’ll get to meet up with more out of town friends before the weekend is over.  One blogging friend who’s here for a different reason is Hank Shaw, who’s having a book-signing on Saturday night at the King’s English for his book Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast.  The book has been getting great reviews, and if you’re interested in hunting and foraging for food and cooking with wild foods, you should go to the King’s English and meet up with Hank.

Fun Thing #3:  Google+ Makes a Big Splash

If you’ve spent any time online this week, you’ve probably heard about Google+, Google’s new social media project that is both similar to and different from Facebook.  If you’d like a quick read that explains a lot of the details about Google+, check out Web Teacher, where BlogHer Tech Editor Virginia DeBolt explains how Google+ Makes a Lot of Ripples.

Fun Thing #4:  Pinterest!

Do you know about Pinterest yet?  It’s a fairly new online place where you can creates boards (like bulletin boards) and then “pin” photos from blogs and websites onto them.  There is also a social aspect where people follow you and you can follow them back and see each other’s pins.  I’m trying not to spend too much time hanging out on that site, although it has captivated me in a big way!  So far my two favorite parts are Food and Drink (no surprise) and Prints (sayings captured on posters.) 

Fun Thing #5:  Two of My Recipes are in One Big Table!
Seems like it was years ago that I got an e-mail from a researcher working for Molly O’Neill who asked if she could use a couple of my recipes in a book they were compiling of recipes from cooks all over the U.S.  Then recently a reader named Teri left a comment telling me she had seen a mention of me in One Big Table: 600 recipes from the nation’s best home cooks, farmers, fishermen, pit-masters, and chefs. Ding, ding, went that bell in my head remembering the researcher I had talked to.  Of course I had to buy the book, and there were my recipes for Green Bean Salad with Greek Olives and Feta Cheese and Slow Roasted Tomatoes.   Of course, I wish the book had mentioned my blog, but still I’m honored to be included.

Those are five things I’ve had fun with lately.  If you’ve spotted something fun online, please share the link with us in the comments.  If you need just a little more Friday Fun, you can use the label for Five Fun Things on Friday to see fun things I’ve shared on other Fridays!

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