Because sometimes this little website is the victim of the slings and arrows of outrageous power outages, once in a while a blog gets lost.

Last week, I wrote a little something about how I was addicted to online shopping.

Online shopping addiction is even more pernicious that credit-card addiction and here's why. When a person goes wacko with a credit card, there are at least goods and services or the receipt (in your hand or your bag) to the effect that money was spent. A purchase to run home and hide by sending in a child to distract your husband while you run for the basement storage room (the sweater shows up later, preferably at a very busy social occasiona, as the modern equivalent of "that old thing"). Only when a couple of weeks pass and the bill arrives does the remorse set in. Only then does the thought, "Stop me before i buy again!" haunt your dreams.

With online shopping, the situation is even more dangerous and ludicrous.

There is no bag! No item! No pedicure! Nothing to hide! No proof that I need therapy ( and, indeed, how could I afford it?).

Whatever you buy shows up later, in a box or an envelope... like a holiday gift! Who knows whence it came? My goodness, it does seem to fit (or sparkle, or look good, or go with my brown suit..) But during the actual DEED, the buying marathon, there is no hesitation, no guilt.

A really good (bad) place to exercise this addiction was introduced to me three weeks ago by my son, Dan. I have since spent roughly the GNP of the state of Delaware on this site, $15 - $35 at a time.

It's called etsy.com.

It's comprised of a collective of artists who make and sell handmade goods at what seem to be outrageously low prices. The prices seem so low BECAUSE THERE IS NO MIDDLEMAN demanding a pound of flesh.

Thus, earrings and handmade paper books and hand-knit sweaters and shawls and ornaments and picture frames can be purchased for what seems like coffee money -- with the artist fairly compensated and my acquisitive little fingers dancing with happy-happy-joy-joy across the keyboard.

I've purchased trinkets and gifts from JOYouz, TVtrayart, mlrstudio, hoolala. They all sell the most wacky, wonderful and unique items (who knew that I could not go on living without bobby pins decorated with a verse from Emily Dickinson? Or a bat necklace? Or a gorgeous charm on a chain with my three-year-old's image on one side and his younger bro's image on the other for the boys' grandmother? Who knew that I needed autumnal earrings, or an Alice-in-Wonderland bracelet?)

After my initial binge, I backed off. Now, I try to go to etsy.com at least once a day as I would go to a pro baseball game -- to watch, but not to play. if I can manage, I only e-window shop.

It's difficult. Like dieting.

One reason why it's difficult is that there is a function on etsy that allows a visitor to REQUEST things be made. Artists write and offer their ideas, at $10 a pop! For example, my son, who'd been carrying his $8 million i-Pod in a case made of duct tape, requested a more appropriate one be sewn for him that had on it, I believe, the French Cross of Honor. And so it came, days later, the perfect thing.

I could go on playing shop-on-etsy (where I've barely skimmed the surface; there are thousands of artists and umpty-ump gabillion tings) and spend enough money so that my children couldn't have mittens this winter.

But hey, I'm sure they make mittens on etsy... and they're probably a bargaiin!

Wheeeeee!

Check it out. I'll enjoy it vicariously.

Jackie M.