MAKE A NOTE!! -- February 5th, 2003
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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 FEBRUARY 19TH, 2003
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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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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.
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Valentine Games & Compliments!
Be sure to check our Jan. 15th, 1998 back issue if you haven't already found the Valentine Tree info. But here are some games for those February club meetings. Make up a sheet of squares and in each one write something connected to Valentine's Day, they should all start with "Find someone who...". Ideas might include...Find someone who met their spouse on a blind date, ...who has been married the longest, ...who has been married the shortest, ...who married a high school sweetheart, ...who has been to Paris, ...who was born in February, ...who usually gets flowers on Valentine's Day, and so on. Then pass out the sheets at your gathering and tell the ladies to ask each other questions. Depending on the size of the group, you may want to limit the number of times they can write a name down to 1-2 squares per name. This is a fun way to get to know each other better. The Wedding Photo game would also be fun...have each person bring a wedding photo & see if you can match the person to their photos. The How We Met game is fun, where people relate how they met their spouse and people vote for the funniest, most romantic, and other categories. Also be sure to play the "Compliments Game" with yourself and your family. Look for opportunities to compliment someone and DO IT! If a waitress gives you good service, ask to speak to the manager and tell them. If someone has a spectacular yard/garden, tell them! If a child is a particularly good child, call their parents and tell them what a great child they have. The same goes for bank tellers, mechanics, grocery store workers, and anyone else you can think of. If you don't feel comfortable telling them in person, then just send them a letter or give them a call. And don't forget to look for things to compliment your OWN family on. If you feel all alone on Valentine's Day, remember that there are others out there who feel the same. Search for them and try to make THEIR Valentine's Day less lonely, and it will make yours less lonely as well. Remember widows, widowers, hospital/nursing home patients, students/missionaries far from home, servicemen overseas or their families back at home. Sometimes the best way to make yourself feel better is to reach out to someone else.
POST IT...on your calendar.
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Children in Hospitals
So often when children are in the hospital the parents are so overwhelmed with all the medical info they need to process that they can forget about the impact on the children and their siblings. Much of that fear is simply a fear of the unknown in the patient themselves. Usually it is better to be honest with children as much as is possible and taking their age into consideration. In most cases, they can handle more than we realize. But I would like to recommend two books for kids. The first, "Going to the Hospital" by Fred Rogers (yes, of "Mr. Roger's neighborhood") While this book is designed for preschool level, I think it would still be appropriate for early elementary as well. It has a lot of photos of different machines that are used for x-ray, IV's, & lab tests. It also covers long term vs. short term stays. I think the photos are nicer than illustrations because the kids actually see what things look like. For siblings, many hospitals recommend,
"When Molly Was in the Hospital: A Book for Brothers and Sisters of Hospitalized Children"
by Debbie Duncan This book is designed for 4-8 yr olds, but think it would also be fine to read to younger children, or for older children to read. This book covers the common emotional struggles of siblings like being jealous of the attention the sick child is getting, blaming themselves for thinking they caused it in some way, and even fears that it may happen to them as well. In other words, it seems to cover all the bases. So if you know someone who has a child in the hospital, why not treat them to these two books. They would also be good selections for church or community lending libraries.
POST IT...on your shopping list and in your medical dictionary, perhaps even near your insurance cards.
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Honda Odyssey Door Sticks
Odysseys have become very popular, so I offer this little tidbit for our readers who own them. If you are having trouble with the sliding (manual, not automatic) doors sticking, you are not alone. If you go to open the door and it unlatches, but you can't pull it open easily (it feels like it is stuck shut), then it is probably due to a problem with the weather-stripping. Our local Honda dealer said that while there hasn't been a recall, they are having quite a few people come in with this problem. If you are still under warranty (usually 3 yrs/36,000 miles) they will replace the weather-stripping free of charge. Some people have said it also seems to get worse in certain kinds of weather.
POST IT...with your Odyssey owner's manual and forward to anyone you know who might be affected.
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Family Mardi Gras Tips
Did you know that many families enjoy Mardi Gras celebrations? No, I'm not talking about the "celebrations" that you see on TV reports where drunkenness, nudity, and crime are the norm. Most of THAT action is from tourists, not locals, who flock to the French Quarter, Bourbon Street, and the Rampart area and make for very lively news reports. But my local Mardi Gras expert has given me some tips on places where you can go to enjoy a more family friendly atmosphere. Try the Jefferson Parish (County) area, Metairie area, and Uptown near St. Charles Ave. This latter region also has a trolley and beautiful old mansions. The parades are best viewed at night and don't just take place on "Fat Tuesday", but for a few weeks before then and become more frequent the closer it gets to that Tuesday. If you feel you absolutely HAVE to see the French Qtr and Bourbon St. areas with a family, then try to take a cab in & out of the area, go during the day, and no closer than 2 weeks before Fat Tuesday. For those of you who don't know, Fat Tuesday is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (when Lent begins). This year it falls at the beginning of March. Here's a web site with lists of parade dates & routes & other helpful info. https://secure.addy.com/bigeasy/mardigras/index.html Thanks again to Speedy L. for all the good info.
POST IT...in the yellow pages under "Travel Agents," in your tour books, and on your calendar.
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Recipe: Microwave Heat Pads & Booklet
Tawra Jean Kellam has done it again. The author of the "Not Just Beans" cookbook has put out, not only a second edition of that same book, but also a booklet called, "Pretty for Pennies". The booklet has all kinds of tips & recipes for bath and beauty treatments. Here's a recipe from the booklet for those WONDERFUL (but usually expensive) microwave heat pads. Add sweet smelling herbs or essential oils to regular dry rice and mix well. Try combinations like allspice, cloves, cinnamon, or nutmeg for an old-fashioned scent; dried lavender to sooth headaches (and promote relaxation:-); dried lavender and rosemary for body aches. Chamomile is also a wonderful relaxing scent. Let sit for a day or two before filling pad. Use an old (or new sock), towels, washcloths, flannel, or muslin for the outside of the pad. Sew into desired shape (this might vary depending on which part of the body you might use it on (neck, knee, back, etc). Fill with rice before sewing shut, but remember not to fill so full that it won't have room to mold to the body part. To use, spray lightly with water BEFORE microwaving. This will make it last longer & prevent burning. Place in microwave for 2-3 minutes on high. Apply to sore muscles. I might add just one tip, if you use two thin layers of material, the outside layer could act as a pillow case and be removable for easy washing. This would be a wonderful little gift for Mother's or Father's Day. For more recipes like this, check out the "Not Just Beans" cookbooks, or check out the following link...
POST IT...on your shopping and to-do lists.
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Back Issue Treasure: January 1st, 1999 (Taxes, Resolutions, Osteoporosis, Eliminating Telemarketing Calls, and more)
(Taxes, Resolutions, Osteoporosis, Eliminating Telemarketing Calls, and more) This issue has more tax tips for you (is it THAT time again already!?), along with ideas for hanging onto those resolutions. Do you know that when you take calcium you aren't replenishing your body's supply, but keeping it from being depleted any further? This is an important distinction and could affect your bone health in the future, so check out our article on it in this back issue. Need more time for romance in the evenings with your spouse, get rid of those annoying telemarketing calls with the tips in this issue, and maybe even make some money on the deal. There is a slight error on the dog food article, it should read that only 3C/day are needed.
To retrieve this back issue click HERE.
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Missing Child Info: Thomas Stevenson
Thomas Stevenson is a white 3-yr-old boy with brown hair and blue eyes. He disappeared with Rhonda Stevenson, a white 39-yr-old woman with brown hair and green eyes. They went missing on Jan. 25th from Westminster, MD and are possibly traveling in 2000 Red Chrysler Van, with Maryland tag FP05367. They also might have been in the Birmingham, AL area. For photos you can go to the poster at...
or go to http://www.ncmec.org click on "Search for Child Photos," then enter in "Stevenson" at the bottom, then click on "Thomas Stevenson" or "View Poster" under his name
POST IT...in your car.
Final Words
JOKE (from Jim Pettit)
Did you hear about the tough old cowboy who counseled his grandson that the secret to long life was sprinkling a little gunpowder on his oatmeal every morning? The grandson followed this advice to the letter and lived to be 93. When he died, he left 14 children, 28 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren and a 15-foot hole in the wall of the crematorium.:-)
QUOTE
"I'm no prude, but this was such a vulgar and disgusting show...I arrived a little late and was seated in the audience. I was going to present what's called a video package - a look at 30 years of the American Music Awards. Well, what was passing for humor basically ranged from stupid to vulgar, and I just thought, 'I'm not going to be part of this.' So I walked out and said, 'Get me my car. I'm leaving.' When I was waiting for my car, one of the security people came up to me and said, 'I just want you to know how much I admire what you're doing.' So I wasn't the only one who felt this way. The camera coordinator for the awards was our camera coordinator from 'Raymond.' And when I walked on the set the next day, he started applauding." --Patricia Heaton, "Deborah" on "Everybody Loves Raymond" on why she walked out of the American Music Awards (hosted by the Osbornes) when she was supposed to be making a presentation. For more details on this story, go to... http://www.patriciaheatononline.com/ama.htm and if you would like to send an email of support use... r
aymondfanmail@kingworld.com and put "FOR MS. HEATON" in the subject line.
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