MAKE A NOTE!! -- April 3rd, 2002
CIRCULATION - 25,164 (From Around the World! :-)
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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 APRIL 17TH, 2002
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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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Avoiding Cell Phone/Phone Interruptions
Everywhere you look now, people have cell phones...in cars, in stores, even at home. What is amazing to me is that not too long ago, people didn't feel the need to be on the phone so much. How often has a family gathering been interrupted by that annoying ringing, or are you one of those people who are only annoyed at other's rings, because YOUR calls are necessary. Maybe it is time to really take a look at how we use our phones, and I'm not just talking about while we are driving (always pull over). First, ask yourself, if you REALLY need a cell phone. If you need one for emergencies, then keep one with a lighter plug in your car, you don't need to pay any monthly fees for 911 usage, AND if you need to make another call in an emergency then you can make it collect or use your credit card (see March 1st, 1998 Back Issue-Follow Directions at bottom of ezine). If you had to pay more for every call, would you be making as many calls as you do now? If you do decide that pay phones won't do, and you just HAVE to have a cell phone, then do NOT make it your regular phone number. The only reason the phone companies want you to do this is because you will get calls everywhere & make more money for them. Do you really want those telephone sales calls following you to a family night at a restaurant? So only give the number out to immediate family, with the understanding that it is only for emergency/urgent use, not just to see how you are doing. When you pick up the phone to make a call, ask yourself if you really need to make the call...can it wait until you see the person (for example, why do you need to call the babysitter to tell her that you will be there in 5 min?), can you send the person a note in the mail or by email instead later, are you just calling because you are bored, can it wait until you can use your regular phone? Think about it & really consider why you are calling & if there is a good reason for the call. If you are going out somewhere, consider leaving the cell phone at home, if a sitter won't need to reach you, then why not just leave it at home or turn it off? Make sure that you adjust your phone to either vibrate for a ring, or set it on the shortest ring you can. If you do need to use the phone, take it to a restroom, outside, or your car to use. This includes both incoming & outgoing calls. You can hardly eat in a restaurant anymore without it sounding like an electronic circus. The other day our breakfast at a restaurant was disturbed when a couple came in & their cell phone played its symphony for 4 different calls in the first 5 min after they sat down. Or how about the lady whose cell phone rang at a funeral, and to make it worse, she TOOK THE CALL! So be considerate of those around you. Leave the public area immediately if you get a call, or if you need to make one. You may not think it is disturbing others, but it could be like the woman behind me who kept trying to dial a number for 20 min until I thought the busy signal would drive me crazy. BUT, once I turned around & said politely, "excuse me, but that redialing & busy signal is really annoying us", she did leave the area. So don't be afraid to speak up. If you own a business or frequent one where you would like some peace & quiet, consider asking the management to post signs asking people to turn their phones off in the business or using a jamming device, as many hospitals, theatres, & churches do now. And if someone calls you, whether at home or on the cell, and it IS an inconvenient time, then be sure to speak up & let them know. Otherwise, you are turning control of your life & schedule over to a machine.
POST IT...by your phone & in your cell phone case.
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Kids Babysitting
So you think it is time that your kids can baby-sit themselves or others. Make this a graduated program like drivers' licenses are these days. First, check with your local law enforcement AND social services office. Ask what the rules are for children being left by themselves. Even if there aren't hard, fast rules, they often offer guidelines. To avoid any accusations of child neglect/endangerment/abuse, be sure to stick with the guidelines or laws. These laws vary from county to county, for example, one place we lived said if you left a child with a babysitter younger than 14, it was considered neglect, but in another location, 13 yr olds could sit, in yet another 12 yr olds could do it if they took a babysitting course. Sometimes it is only in the daytime, or only for a certain number of hours, or you have to be older to baby-sit siblings. So check & find out what your local laws are. Require that the child take a babysitting course (the Red Cross & military bases also offer courses for children) before they are allowed to stay by themselves. Once they have taken the course, gradually work the time you leave them alone up, perhaps 30 min the first time, then an hour, & so on. At first, it might be a good idea to forbid the use of any machines (stove, microwave, etc). It is often the use of a machine that can lead to problems. Unless you have a V-chip, then you might also consider telling them "no TV" while you are gone. When you return, check to see if any of the machines are warm (have been used), a TV can be left on a certain channel & volume level, if changed, then you know the child was using it. Make sure they have the numbers of close neighbors, and know where they can go if they locked out, and know how to reach you. Every circumstance is different & every child is different. If you live in a particularly dangerous neighborhood or have bad neighbors, then you might want your children to be older before leaving them alone. If your children fight like cats & dogs, then it might be better to leave them alone one at a time. If an older child has problems watching things on TV he shouldn't, then you might want to leave a younger child in the house to act as an extra incentive for the older child to keep that TV off or on good programs. And be sure to go over ALL the rules in the beginning...no guests in the home, use the answering machine to screen calls, don't answer the door, don't bungee off the top of the stairs, etc. :-)
POST IT...near your emergency numbers.
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TV Stands w/VCR Space
Many of the newer homes now have built-in cubby holes for TVs. However, often they can be a bit of a problem. There usually isn't room for VCRs, and using a platform on top of the TV can be difficult for those of us not in the NBA, and also pose a danger to children who may climb to try to put the tape in. It took me a while, but I finally found a catalog that has a 2 Tiered TV Stand on a turn-table, and good service & prices too. The Home Decorators Collection catalog
(http://www.homedecorators.com or 1-800-245-2217) have these TV stands for all sizes of TV's up to 36". We were very happy with the one that we received & it was very easy to assemble, and very sturdy. So now our VCR is on a shelf UNDER the TV shelf. They come in a variety of colors, and the catalog has a wide variety of other useful products for the home. The stands would also be helpful for saving space (not having the VCR the side) any place where you have a TV.
POST IT... near your phone, computer, or in the yellow pages under furniture and/or televisions.
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Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Considerations
It is becoming an ever more common injury...the torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). Having seen my family & friends deal with this problem, along with my own experience, I offer some things to consider if you have just experienced this type of injury. First of all, I'm not a medical professional, I'm only offering you information on my experience, to perhaps help give you some ideas on how you might do your own checking. The first thing I needed to do was find a doctor who had a good reputation for ACL repair. I asked the doctors in other specialties that I was already seeing if they could recommend anyone. I also called physical therapists in the area (they see the post-op results of many doctors), and asked patients who had had the surgery for recommendations. In my case, the same doctor's name came up several times. So I made an appointment. Then I started my research...I collected info on the experience of those with the same injury, and also researched statistics on the internet. Here's what I decided was right for me...that it was better to get the surgery done as quickly as possible, that if I didn't have the surgery that I would most likely end up with arthritis in the joint early on, that people seemed to have less chronic discomfort with the surgery if they used a donor ACL (those who had a graft taken from somewhere in their own leg seemed to have problems with the donor site, more than the graft site), that it was better to get the joint moving as soon as possible after the surgery, and that aloe/vitamin E are good for promoting smooth healing of the operative sites. A motion machine is a wonderful thing for getting the knee moving. My doctor had me on it starting the day after surgery for 2 hours morning & 2 hours at night, it bends your knee so many more times than you could do on your own and the degree of bend is adjustable. Most of the time patients are able to go home a few hours after surgery & have a home nurse visit the first two days. In most cases, if things go well, you can start returning to your regular activities within 6 months or so. Again, this is only MY experience, and MY decisions, you and your doctor must decide what is best for you. And medicine changes so quickly that it is important to do your own research to find out what are the latest recommendations out there. And don't be discouraged if a physician tells you that you are too old to get the surgery, instead get a second opinion. With adults staying physically active much later in their lives than they used to, most doctors now look at activity level as more of a determining factor for possible surgery than age alone.
POST IT...in your medical dictionary/encyclopedia under "knee", and also in the yellow pages under orthopedic surgeons.
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Recipe: Earthquake Cake
Mix 1C coconut, 1C chopped pecans/walnuts together & place in bottom of greased 9x13 dish. Mix 1 box of German Chocolate cake mix according to directions and pour over nuts/coconut. Mix 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1 pound box of powdered sugar, and 1 stick melted margarine together and pour over cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min or until done (when inserted toothpick/knife comes out clean). Cake will be crusty & cracked like an earthquake fault.
POST IT...in your recipe box.
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Back Issue Treasure: Sept. 15th, 2000
Okay, swimsuit season is coming and we're seeing our bodies in a whole new light. So check out this back issue for a wonderful program that has helped many, many people of all ages, to their bodies back in shape (remember to always check with your doctor first). Weights are a great way to get in shape, but if you don't have the space for a complete set at your home, check out the Power Blocks info. Workout videos that are challenging for people at all skill levels, and if you need a sugar break, then there is always the story on the cookie press. :-) So tell me what you think of this back issue by clicking HERE.
POST IT...by your computer.
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Final Words
JOKE
Actually a quote from Jack LaLanne, who I think most of our readers may remember watching as a kid. "I can't die, it would ruin my image."
--Jack LaLanne
(for more information on this fitness pioneer, go to http://us.imdb.com/Bio?LaLanne,+Jack)
QUOTE
"Pray not for lighter burdens but for stronger backs."
--Theodore Roosevelt
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AT&T's Community Port
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