MAKE A NOTE!! -- May 16th, 2001
CIRCULATION - 14,109 (From Around the World! :-)
WEB SITE VISITORS - 19,846
A Free Twice Monthly (1st and 3d Wednesday of each month) Ezine with (Hopefully) Useful Info on a Wide Variety of Topics
NEXT ISSUE TO BE PUBLISHED ON/ABOUT JUN 6TH, 2001
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NOTE: Each entry has a suggested "POST IT..." location at the end. We recommend that you print out the ezine, cut out each entry, & post it in these locations to make it easier for you to find when you need it. And if you like what you read, be sure to pass it on to someone else who can use it.
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Questionable Doctors
First off, let me say that the Public Citizen Health Research Group estimates that "at least 1%" of U.S. doctors deserve "serious disciplinary action each year." That means that most of the doctors out there are providing competent care. However, there are a good number of doctors who are still practicing in spite of being disciplined for serious offenses such as sexual abuse or misconduct, substandard care, incompetence or negligence, criminal convictions, inappropriate prescribing of drugs, or substance abuse. Think they exaggerate? How about a doctor disciplined for a series of inappropriate sexual contacts...allowed to continue to practice as long as it is only on male patients...would you want to take your child to that doctor? Or a physician convicted of attempted murder still practicing after an 8 month suspension of his license. But not only is this a safety and health issue, it is also a financial one. If you go to a substandard physician then you could end up paying for treatment you don't need, having to pay for an additional workup w/a new physician later, or paying for more extensive treatments if something is not caught early on. So protect yourself with Public Citizen's book, "Questionable Doctors-Disciplined by State & Federal Governments". The book runs $23.50 total and you pick the book that covers the region you live in. This can be especially helpful if you are moving to a new area, as we are soon (DROP ME A LINE ASHBURN, VA AREA READERS! :-) , and want to check things out. For more info go to http://www.citizen.org or call 1-877-747-1616. POST IT...in the yellow pages under physicians.
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Make Ahead Meals for Members in Need
Does your church or group provide meals to members in need? Do you get tired of making phone calls to find someone who can do a meal on short notice, or perhaps you get tired of being called on at the worst possible moment? Here's something you may not have considered...our church's meal coordinator, Jonalyn C. came up with the idea of having the church women gather together one night and make up a big batch of meals packaged separately, and then freeze them for later use. Now this does require some extra freezer space, but hopefully every group would have one member with a stand alone freezer that could be used. This way the meals are ready to go & just have to be heated up when the need arises. Not to mention the fun of gathering to work together. The congregation is provided a list of ingredients which they sign up for & if they can't help cook they can drop off the ingredients at the church before hand. Looking for a good cookbook to help you in this endeavor, try "Frozen Assets" or "Frozen Assets Lite & Easy". POST IT...by your group's meal coordinator's phone number.
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Bottled vs. Filtered vs. Tap Water
Normally my articles have a conclusion that I can recommend, but this is one that really depends on what concerns you most. So here are the pros & cons of each position, and you can make your own decision.
 | BOTTLED: Pros-Can taste better, can have good minerals, possibly healthier (I base the latter on the fact that women who drink bottled water have fewer miscarriages, however, the study wasn't clear on why & it could just be that women who buy bottled water drink more water). Cons-More expensive, private monitoring (fox guarding the hen house), you can run out, no fluoride (this can be a pro depending on where you stand on the fluoride issue), additional space needed in kitchen. |
| FILTERED: Pros-Always available, possibly healthier, cheaper than bottled, possibly better tasting. Cons-Slow out of faucets, bacteria can build up in filters, expensive, eliminates fluoride (see comment above) & healthy minerals, no monitoring of quality. TAP: Pros-Cheaper, constantly monitored (water quality standards much higher than for bottled), always available & fast, minerals & fluoride. Cons-Poor taste in some areas. After much research I personally don't feel a need to spend the extra money for filtered/bottled, but again, it depends on what concerns you most. There are also some areas that have ongoing problems with water quality (Ft. Bragg, NC has been trying to work theirs out for years), & in a case like that, I would purchase bottled/filtered. |
POST IT...in the yellow pages under "water companies".
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Realistic Potty Training
If you have a child, then you have probably taken heat from someone for your potty training choices. Whether your child received a gift of underwear at 9 months, or an unending stream of "methods" from every friend & relative you have. Over the years I have seen a sad development of trying to do potty training earlier & earlier. Perhaps this is partly due to children being put in day care earlier & earlier. But for those of you who need some reassuring statistics to lighten your load, here's my research info on what the experts have to say about it. Problems & delays with potty training are common, people just don't discuss it much. Dr. Brazelton says potty training should be done as children are ready and that all but 1 1/2% are potty trained by age 5. Dr. Spock said that the average potty training age for boys was 3 years old & for girls 2 1/2 yrs-old. Dr. Leach (British child expert) says that most children's training is not reliable until they are at least 3 yrs old, that most are trained by the time they are 6, that it should be voluntary & the child should not be reminded, boys usually finish later (& a delay can be familial), that even 3 & 4 yr olds have frequent accidents, that at 5 & 6 yrs-old accidents are not unusual, and even at 7 yrs-old accidents are not unusual at night. She suggests that when a child is dry in the morning or can go 3-4 hours during the day dry, then try it at night. Children should not be punished for accidents in any way. With rare exceptions if you have an extremely young child 2 yrs or younger who is potty trained, then as the experts say it is YOU who have been trained to notice when the child needs to get to the potty. Relax, don't worry about what others say, you know your child. If you child hits 10 yrs old & is still having problems, then speak with your pediatrician about it. As for those around you who are rushing things, whenever they bring it up, quietly walk away or change the subject, they'll eventually get the idea that you aren't going to discuss it anymore. POST IT...near the diapers.
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Recipe: German Chocolate Pie
When I used to work at Marie Callendar's this was a favorite with the customers. While all the recipes were off limits except to managers, this is my best attempt to recreate a delicious dessert. Take an 8" plain pastry pie shell & cover bottom w/about 1C of semi sweet chocolate chips. Heat in oven or microwave to SLIGHTLY warm & soften chips. Cook 1 small box dark chocolate pudding (NOT instant) on stove according to box directions, then add 1/2C finely shredded coconut & 1/2C chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts). Stir well. Pour while hot into pie crust, but do not stir after pouring into crust. Chill in fridge until set. Once chilled top with Cool Whip type topping (pipe on with cake decorating bag for fancier look), sprinkle with a few chocolate chips, coconut, & nuts for a finishing touch. Here's a web site that has a little more detail if you want to print it out
http://www.copykat.com/asp/copykatrecipe.asp?recipe=173
POST IT...in your recipe box.
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Back Issue Treasure: May 1st, 2000 Issue (Car Seats for Children + Rebates)
This issue has a lot packed into it. You've seen the stories in the news about children being taken out of car seats too young; you read it in this issue over a year ago. We also tell you how you can get a rebate when you purchase the seat of up to $25. Check with your local car dealers too. Dreading that upcoming swimsuit season...we tell you an easy way to reduce that waistline & abdominal area. Acne helps, homeschool scholarships for widows, and when & how to leave your child without a babysitter when they get to the right age. So check it out by clicking HERE. POST IT...by your computer.
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Final Words
JOKE (from HSLDA Court Report)
"Five years ago when I began home schooling our sons (now 14 & 16), I heard the inevitable questions from friends about socialization, curriculum, etc. My sister-in-law hesitantly said, "I know this isn't going to come out right, but..." "Go ahead, ask anything you like," I encouraged. "Do you mean to tell me that any idiot can teach their kid at home?" "No," I laughed, "it takes a very special idiot!"
--Kim Roman, Stuttgart, Germany
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QUOTE (On Suffering)
"But suppose that what you are up against is a surgeon whose intentions are wholly good. The kinder & more conscientious he is, the more inexorably he will go on cutting. If he yielded to your entreaties, if he stopped before the operation was complete, all the pain up to that point would have been useless."
--C. S. Lewis, "A Grief Observed"-1963
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AT&T's Community Port
AT&T has a site about WorldNet members, like us, who have created their own personal web pages. If you think our site deserves to be featured on AT&T's Community Port , send them an e-mail about it, at communities@att.net. Be sure to include the page's URL http://home.att.net/~make-a-note/index.htm and why you think our site is special.
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