. . .one flake at a time.
Allow me to digress: I had modified my rolling laptop table to attach a plug strip to the bottom of it, but I had attached it in such a way that the part that tilted couldn’t tilt. So I backed off and took another run at it. I broke out my trusty tools to drill pilot holes for the screws and hooks, and then relocate the screws.
Now I’ve got the screws relocated. Here you can see what the screws are for: The plug strip has keyhole shaped openings on the bottom to allow it to be mounted onto a flat surface.
The large bit of the keyhole slips over the head of the screw, then you slide the plug strip to the left so the screw shank goes down into the narrow bit, securing it to the table. This is not a permanent arrangement. The plug strip can be easily removed by sliding it to the right and pulling it off over the screw head.
Now to control the cord with a couple of cup hooks. They are not lined up, but staggered, and the hooks are turned inward toward the cord. Having to snake the cord between the hooks like that helps keep the cord in the hooks. 
All set now. A setup like this allows you to charge your laptop while you use it. Or simultaneously use and charge some other device such as a Kindle Fire or use some device that has to be plugged in, such as a little desk lamp or, with the kind of weather we’ve been having, a desktop fan. This particular plug strip has a 12-foot cord. 
Now. Back to the snowflakes. Several years ago, I crocheted some snowflake Christmas ornaments using motifs from old crochet pattern books of the 1930′s and 1940′s. Those were pattern books for making tablecloths, runners, place mats, bedspreads, dresser scarves, etc., by crocheting X number of motifs and then joining them together, like you would assemble quilt blocks into a quilt top. There were a large number of motifs to choose from, but only the motifs that are round and “snowflakey” looking will work. I had made a set of flakes, but sent them to my little second cousin after Phred, my pet tree, died. But recently I found out that a certain author I like loves snowflake Christmas ornaments, so I hunted down my books, the appropriate size crochet hook and thread, my Squeezebox Radio and my newly modified laptop table and decamped to the living room.
The Squeezebox Radio is a WiFi device that allows you to stream music from internet radio stations such as my favorite SomaFM, music services like Rhapsody or Pandora, or music from your computer’s hard drive anywhere you can get a WiFi signal — Like in the living room next to a comfy chair. I chose one of my Rhapsody playlists and settled down to work.
I chose a motif called “Fantasy Medallion” — that’s it in the picture on the right, which shows four motifs assembled into a block — because it is a very snowflakey looking motif. (When I’m doing knitting or crocheting that requires following a pattern, I always use a “sticky note” to mark my place in the pattern without having to make marks on the book. Since the sticky note sticks to the page, it holds my place even when I close the book. Also, if there is a particular pattern that calls for a special stitch or stitch combination, I can note the instructions for it on the sticky note so that when the pattern calls for it, I don’t have to go back and find the instructions.)
So far, so good.
(NB: Once I’ve finished a flake I will update the below with pictures)
Once you’ve finished crocheting the “flake,” then you have to pin it out and use some type of fabric stiffener on it so it will hold its shape. There are several brands of fabric stiffeners out there; I happen to use this kind.
I put a large sheet of plastic wrap on top of my ironing board and pin the “flake” out on top of it with straight pins. (It is important to use pins that won’t rust, as rust will stain the cotton crochet thread.). I stick the pins through the plastic wrap right into my ironing board cover to secure the flake in the proper shape. Then I take a brush or sponge stick and thoroughly soak the flake with stiffener until it is completely saturated, and let it dry.
Once it is dry, I unpin it from the ironing board and thread a loop of narrow white satin ribbon through one of the points for a hanger.
– et voilà! A nondenominational, nonsectarian, bipartisan, gender-neutral, organic, nonviolent (unless you accidentally stab yourself with the crochet hook!), not-tested-on-animals, vegan, environmentally friendly, biodegradable decoration that is irreproachably politically correct for display during that period of the astronomical year associated climatologically with cold weather and commonly referred to as “winter.”
I confess my eyes tend to glaze over when confronted with crocheting or knitting. My poor mother tried, but it just wasn’t happening. Needlepoint, yes – all that other business, no so much.
Which doesn’t mean I don’t admire the results! I do. I have three fairly large stars my grandmother did, and they’re part of every Christmas celebration. My other two treasures are my mother’s crocheted Baptismal gown, and a crocheted bed cover from an apartment in Paris. How I got that’s a story in itself, but I’ll bet you’d go crazy for it. It’s done in very fine thread, with medallions that are about an inch across. The thing must weigh ten pounds – maybe more. But on top of another spread, it’s just beautiful. I don’t leave it out much because of Dixie Rose. She’s not a destructive sort, but if she even walked across the bed she could get caught in it, gt frustrated and…well, you know.
I really am going to have to learn to crochet. When I went to Skipton last December there was a craft fair in the town hall. A lady was selling the most beautiful crocheted snowflakes – even J commented on them. Alas, my budget wouldn’t stretch to buying them so I’m going to have to learn to do it myself.
As a child, I lived in a house where there were no power points at all. The vacuum cleaner, the iron, the radio, etc. all had to be plugged into a light socket. Hard to imagine but true.
Later I lived in places where modernity had encroached sufficiently to place exactly one power socket in each room.
In our current living room, we have four double sockets and another double socket in the kitchen area in one corner. Is this enough? No, of course not! We have trailing sockets with multiple outlets attached to two them (in the corners where we have our respective work areas) and that way, we just about manage.
The main power source in my personal corned is a tower that stands behind my desk on a cardboard box (to make it reachable). It has eight outputs which is just about enough for my permanent connections.On the floor is a trailing socket with six outputs but only one of these is used permanently, for the telephone. The others serve a slew of temporary power needs.
Things are not much better when it comes to USB devices. I have a USB hub of which 7 slots are permanently occupied and the remaining 5 find temporary but regular use.
Power and connectivity: today’s crucial needs.