Repair Cafe, Palo Alto, Feb. 24, 2013

We just finished our second Repair Cafe at the Museum of American Heritage in Palo Alto this weekend and it was a fabulous success!

We had over 100 people in line by 11:30am, just a half-hour after the Cafe opened!



Our nearly 40 volunteers saw less lamps, toasters and vacuums this time and many more small appliances, computers and other electronics. We also fixed several sentimental or heirloom pieces.

I'll update this post with more details when I get the full report from the Repair Cafe folks, but by my estimation, we had about 200 community members show up with all manner of broken items, from heirloom and sentimental pieces, to newer retro-remakes of 1950 toasters, to hedge trimmers to rolling hand carts to puppets. Thanks for coming and volunteering or bringing your broken items - this event is so much fun and is only possible because everyone shows up!

The next Repair Cafe will be held on April 21, from 11am to 3pm at the Museum.

Cub Scouts Make Pinewood Derby Cars at ACE

We had the fun privilege of hosting Cub Scout pack 236 and helping them cut out their Pinewood Derby cars! We also got to go watch them race those cars last weekend at their Pinewood Derby in Half Moon Bay.

We are hosting more car-cutting events. The next one is schedule for February 10, 2013.

At our Palo Alto store: 10am - 12pm at 875 Alma St.

At our San Mateo store: 10am - 12pm at 545 First Ave.

At our Half Moon Bay store: from 12pm - 4pm at 111 Main St.

We've got all the tools, supplies and accessories the Scouts need - even the cars!

Here are some photos from the last Pinewood car-cutting event and from the Derby itself!

Spare the Air Day, Friday, January 25, 2013

A Winter Spare the Air Alert has been issued for Friday, January 25, 2013, in the Bay Area.

Wood burning is banned both indoors and outdoors on January 25, 2013, for the full 24 hours.

Gratitude Poem

Thank you sun, for the warmth on my shoulders
Thank you birds, for your soft, warbly presence

The power to forgive
And set ourselves free
Lies in our own hands

But knowing others forgive
Much graver transgressions
Than most will ever know
Helps me forgive
The little things

And instead of dwelling where there is anger or fear
I can sit, clear and still

And say thank you
To the sun that warms my skin
To the songbirds and their quiet, gentle life
To the wondrous world, for teaching me everyday
What it is to be human

Spare The Air Day, Jan 8, 2013

[caption id="attachment_816" align="aligncenter" width="529"] Image © Josiah Mackenzie[/caption]

A Winter Spare the Air Alert has been issued for Tuesday, January 8, 2013, in the Bay Area.

Wood burning is banned both indoors and outdoors on January 8, 2013, for the full 24 hours.

Cub Scouts Birdhouse Project at Our Half Moon Bay Location

We hosted a troop of Cub Scouts last Monday for a great project on making and painting birdhouses. The boys got a great hardware lesson in the different types of woodworking nails and tools and we had a lot of fun helping them learn and play!

Thank you, Troop 263!

Note: If you have a group who'd like to do a fun project at one of our locations, let us know!