Oprah announced yesterday that she is offering a free 10-week online class starting in March, based on her new book club selection, “A New Earth.” When I went to the site last night, I got this message:

Due to high traffic demands, this Oprah.com feature is temporarily unavailable.”

Yep, offer something for free and everyone comes in droves. Oprah offers something for free and everyone and her mother comes in droves.

It’s exciting that so many people are interested in discussing a book and learning more, so much so that it crashed the server.

I love learning and jump at the chance for any type of training so I am sure I will join in on this weekly class. She’s said to be teaching it along with the author, Eckhart Tolle. Each week will be based on a chapter in the book. And, there are discussion boars and interactive features for users to upload his/her thoughts — I’m assuming good or bad.

Online education is a new realm for some and I’m glad that Oprah is embracing a new technology in a way that will surely include more people than she ever imagined. I have reservations about if I will like the book, but I’m good about taking new age topics and altering them to my own belief system so I’ll give it a shot. It’s the book’s subtitle that has my interest: “Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.”

And, since it’s Oprah, the time is right: 9:00 p.m. once a week. Many women are home at that hour and most of the kids are tucked in bed by 9:00 (let’s hope so anyway) so there’s no excuse to join in if you are interested.

Related:

• Buy “A New Earth”
• Sign up to take Oprah’s free class
• Another book by Tolle, “The Power of Now”
• Rick Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life”

The other night I was searching online for a toddler blanket for my son’s new “big boy” bed. He recently graduated from his crib to the new freedom of a toddler bed and I want to get him an appropriately sized blanket for this new venture. Because I like to pay the cheapest amount I can for an item I did a quick Google search and found the blanket for sale through Amazon.com, but one link was a price that was $10 less.

Turns out Amazon uses different vendors for some of the same products. When I conducted my search directly on Amazon, the only return I got was for the higher priced blanket. Interesting.
The lesson here is to always check multiple outlets before you purchase anything online. Here is a short list of some of the price comparison Web sites that do the work for you:

Pricegrabber.com
Pricewatch.com
MySimon.com
DealTime.com

Here’s a great article on the subject from “USA Today”

Several years ago my friend Lori gave me a small box of “Power Thought Cards.” I’ve used them on and off again through the years and recently found them again. They are a great inspiration, either at the beginning or end to your day. They really should be called Positive Thought Cards.

If you are one to meditate, I suppose it would be an excellent way to get a thought going — something positive in which to concentrate. Even if you don’t practice meditation, it’s just a great way to take a moment and reflect on a positive thought and try to stay upbeat for the day.

Each card has a short message on one side and a longer message on the reverse. Here are three random samples:

I prosper wherever I turn: I now see opportunities for abundance everywhere. I am blessed and prospered.”

My income is constantly increasing: I begin now, today, to open myself to ever-increasing prosperity.”

I see clearly: I willingly forgive. I breather love into my vision, and I see with compassion and understanding. My clear insight is reflected in my outer sight.”

They are colorful and whimsical, which makes it more fun. It’s a great gift for yourself or for a friend.

Related:

Product information from Amazon.

Last week I got some of the best advice from two of my mom friends, Jane and Roxanne. It’s in reference to raising children:

Don’t do anything once unless you are willing to do it FOREVER!”

So true!

I fill hundreds of these a year. Hundreds. It’s the back of a “page a day” calendar that sits on my desk and it starts out as a scratch pad with a list for the day. Turns into a scribble while I’m on the phone. Then, I add to that scribble while I wait for a Web page to load. Conference calls are great opportunities to doodle. My hands just can’t sit still. This is the result.