I've got my browser set to load a blank page at start up. It saves downloading tons of stuff I'll never need.
The easiest way to create your own home page would be to design a simple one page 'website', using Word (or, for a more advanced page, either FrontPage or something like Serif WebPlus). You wouldn't need to upload it to the web; you can keep it on your PC. Once you've designed it, just double-click on its icon to view it in your browser. Then (in Internet Explorer) go to Tools > Internet Options and click 'Use current' to set it as your home page.
It would be easy to create a home page, by that method, with your favourite pictures and links to your favourite websites. However, including things like, say, up to date weather forecasts would involve using HTML code to call the data from other web sites. It's not particularly difficult but it's certainly more complex than just creating a page with links.
To download Serif WebPlus (for free) go here:
http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/WebP lus/default.asp
Alternatively, iGoogle lets you create a customised home page to include, for example, weather forecasts for your area or BBC news headlines. It's not as flexible as creating your own home page on your PC but, if your needs are fairly simple, it might do what you want:
http://www.google.com/ig
Chris