MAKE A NOTE!! -- January 1st, 2003
CIRCULATION - 30,470 (From Around the World! :-)
WEB SITE VISITORS - 62,127
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 JANUARY 15TH, 2003
Previous Issue | Back
To 2003 Back Issues | Next Issue 
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.
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
Note To AOL Users
This note is for readers who will be using AOL 8.0. We understand that there are some filters built into the software to help you sort your mail. Naturally we hope that you'd include make-a-note@att.net in your address book or Buddy List so that The "Make a Note" will appear in the "People I Know" folder.
POST IT...on your computer monitor.
* * * * * * *
Free Standing Outdoor Fireplaces
Sitting around a nice fire on a cool evening with family & friends...what could be more relaxing & comforting. But these days you don't have to limit these nights to camping trips. If you have a concrete/stone patio slab, or an area of your lawn that you can cut a dirt circle barrier into, then check out the new free standing outdoor fireplaces. Although I would NOT recommend these products for decks or any area with a roof. Now available at most major department stores (Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, etc.), these fireplaces can be as simple or elaborate as you desire. Most have "feet" that elevate the fireproof base above the ground, and some kind of top that helps keep rain & wind off the fire. You build the fire on the base. Most also have screens to keep sparks at bay. They can run anywhere from about $100 to close to a thousand for the fancier models. This would be a great item for an outside party, or just a nice evening with the family.
You can click on the links below to see 2 models (and order if you like).
 | Deluxe Outdoor Fireplace |
| Fireplace Terrace |
This might be a fun one for a Super bowl party, or early Father's Day; we all know how most men like to build & tend those fires. :-) It might also be a nice thing for places where youth groups gather...churches or clubs. Get those marshmallows out and have fun!
POST IT...on the shopping list, or calendar for a later shopping list.
* * * * * * *
Replace Your Smoke Detectors
Speaking of fires...did you know that smoke detectors should be replaced after 10 yrs? The National Fire Protection Association tells us on their site ( www.nfpa.org ) that after 10 yrs about 30% of smoke detectors fail, and after 15 yrs about 50% fail. Sometimes they may seem ok when you push their test button, but the detectors may not actually detect smoke in the case of an actual fire. So if you aren't sure how old the detectors are in your home, or if they are 10 yrs or older, invest in something that could save your life, new detectors. If your detectors are less than 10 yrs old, be sure to change the batteries every 6 months just to be safe. Even if you have hard-wired detectors, they usually still have battery back ups that need to be changed as well. And if you have any kind of gas, oil, kerosene, or propane heaters, be sure to have a carbon monoxide detector as well. Many detectors now combine smoke, fire, & CO2 into one system.
POST IT...near your thermostat.
* * * * * * *
Tricare Info Theft
This is for our many American military or retired readers who reside in any of the following states: Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and extreme west Texas. Someone hacked into the Tricare Central Region computers and made off with participant info. That includes names, birthdates, & social security numbers, among other things. This means that anyone in this system could be a potential target for true name fraud. While I normally recommend checking your credit history with the main three credit bureaus annually, you might want to consider doing it every 6 months for a couple of years. Believe me, I speak from experience, it took us 6 months to get our credit straightened out after we were victims a few years ago. People take your personal info, open up new credit card accounts with it, buy a bunch of stuff on credit, then sell it for the money, & you are left with the bill to explain. Even if you see an inquiry on your credit history from a company that you haven't had any contact with, call the company & ask them to check to see if someone has opened an account recently. Be aware they can also use the info on ID's & drivers' licenses, which could mean that it might look like YOU have an arrest record, when it is the criminal. The other Tricare regions are trying to beef up their security to prevent this from happening elsewhere. In the meantime, be sure to be vigilant about your records.
POST IT...under "credit history" in your files, and with your Tricare papers, and send to any friends or family that may be affected.
* * * * * * *
Set That Parking Brake
In the category of "what will juvenile delinquents think of next," here's a warning if your car isn't garaged somewhere. The new thing in some areas is for kids to go up & push on cars, just to see if they can move them. Obviously if you are on a hill you can imagine the kind of damage that could ensue. So if you have an automatic, be sure the car is in park, the parking brake is on, and if on a hill that the tires are facing the curb. If you have a manual transmission, be sure to shift into reverse, put the parking brake on, and turn the tires towards the curb if needed. And don't forget to lock those doors, and keep any items of value out of sight.
POST IT...on your dash.
* * * * * * *
Recipe: Easy Spinach Dip
Love those spinach dips, but just don't have the time to prepare them? Maybe your other party preparations have taken too long, you have unexpected guests, or just want a midnight snack for yourself. Well, here's a shortcut you may not have considered. Buy ready to serve CREAMED SPINACH either in cans, or in the frozen section (Stouffer's makes it among others) of your local grocery store. Prepare as directed, but then add ingredients from your favorite spinach dip recipe to taste. Suggestions might include garlic or garlic salt/powder, chopped artichoke hearts, chopped black olives, maybe a little chopped red bell pepper, whatever you have time to do. If you need the dip to be a little thicker, add parmesan cheese until it reaches the desired consistency. Heat it all up in a microwave. For an even nicer presentation, buy a circular loaf of bread, cut out the center to make a bowl, and pour the heated dip into the middle. Chop up the bread from the center of the loaf into chunks to surround the "bowl." If you don't have time to mess with the bread, just serve with a basket of tortilla chips, the multi-colored ones make a nice display. Just keep some creamed spinach on hand for occasions like this.
POST IT...on your shopping list.
* * * * * * *
Back Issue Treasure: January 15, 1998 Issue (Football Fudge, Sourdough Dip, Tax Prep, and more)
Ready for those football parties? How about a recipe for fudge that you decorate to look like a football? Or maybe another great dip (see Spinach Dip recipe above) made with yummy cheddar cheese & served with sourdough bread...you'll want to make a meal of it! Advice on painless Tax Preparation, and even some Valentine's Ideas for later. All this and more in the January 15th, 1998 back issue.
To retrieve this back issue click HERE.
* * * * * * *
Missing Child Info: Justin Armes
Imagine making special preparations for your child's Christmas, but then just 10 days before he is abducted. This is the situation that Justin Armes' family is facing. Justin is 14, Caucasian, w/blond hair & hazel eyes, 5'9" with a thin build. He was abducted by Carl Hubbard, who is 32, Caucasian, w/black receding hair, blue eyes, 5'8" (Note: an inch shorter than child) w/a medium build, and often wears baseball hats. They may be traveling in a teal colored 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier with West Virginia license plates 5CB165. If you would like to see their pictures to print out, you can click HERE. Or you can go to http://www.ncmec.org and click on "Search for Child Photos," then enter in "Armes" at the bottom, then click on "Justin Armes" or "View Poster" under his name. Please, especially if you are in the VA/WV area, keep a look out.
POST IT...in your car.
Final Words
JOKE (from Geoff C.)
For all those people who stood in line for that "special" gift.
While shopping in a local toy store, I came across a long line of people waiting for a promised shipment of dolls from Mattel. As I scanned the line, I noticed a friend waiting with all the others. I knew my friend had no daughter or young relatives, so I figured he must like the dolls himself.
| "Bill," I said, going up to him, "I didn't know you were a collector!" |
| "I'm not," he replied. |
| "Oh," I said, "you're buying a gift, then." |
| "No, not at all," my friend responded. |
| "If you don't mind my asking then, Bill, why are you standing in this line?," I asked. |
| "It's like this," Bill stated, "I've never been able to resist a barbie queue!" (For those of you who don't get it..."bar-be-cue"):-) |
QUOTE
"Whatever we are, high or lowly, learned or unlearned, married or single, in a full house or alone, charged with many affairs or dwelling in quietness, we have our daily round of work--our duties of affection, obedience, love, mercy, industry, and the like. That which makes one man to differ from another is not so much what things he does, as his manner of doing them."
--Henry Edward Manning (1808-1892) (From devotional, "Daily Strength for Daily Needs")
* * * * * * *
Sponsorship Information
If you are interested in helping to sponsor our ezine, or others in the Dollar Stretcher family, drop an email requesting additional info to: mailto:marketing@stretcher.com?subject=MAN.
It may be more reasonable than you realize. And check out the other free helpful ezines offered at
http://www.stretcher.com/menu/subscrib.cfm
* * * * * * *
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.
* * * * * * *
FEEDBACK TO THE EDITOR
TO SUBSCRIBE TO MAKE-A-NOTE EZINE
Send a blank email to: subscribe-make-a-note@hub.thedollarstretcher.com
TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM MAKE-A-NOTE EZINE
Send a blank email to: unsubscribe-make-a-note@hub.thedollarstretcher.com
Thank you to Pastor Wilson & Gary Foreman for all they do for the Make a Note.
SPONSORSHIP INFO
If you are interested in helping to sponsor this ezine or others in the Dollar Stretcher Family, drop an email requesting additional info to marketing@stretcher.com.
Previous Issue | Back
To 2003 Back Issues | Next Issue
****************END MAKE A NOTE****************
