MAKE A NOTE!! -- July 1st, 1997

CIRCULATION 52

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In This Issue:

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RESPONSE TO READER REQUEST...

...PEOPLE FINDER WEB SITES

There is a lot of fear that people will lose their privacy due to the internet. While there are some valid concerns, I think it is mostly overblown for "little people" like us. No offense to any of you big shots out there. :-) Listed below are web sites to go to "look people up". In

most cases the people will be listed as they are in their phone book or on their computer account. So if someone is only listed by their first initial and last name, that is how they show up on the web site. The more common a name, the more difficult it is to find them because you will come up with tons of "hits" to wade through. But if you are looking for an old

classmate of mine like Myron Schinkirk, you might be in luck. Also if you don't find a person in a state you think they are in, do a country wide search. It doesn't take any longer and you may turn something up. The first web site, InfoSpace, is the one that I think is best. Also

understand that there could be lags between when a person gets a new listing and when it finally ends up on the web site. On many of the web sites you can leave your own info, in case someone is looking for you, but we prefer not to participate, you can't control who might be looking for you. :-)

http://www.infospace.com/

http://www.switchboard.com/

http://www.555-1212.com/

http://www.bigfoot.com/

http://www.four11.com/

http://www.iaf.net/

http://www.phonebooke.com/

http://www.whowhere.com/

POST IT....by your computer and then in your web sites bookmarks under People Finders.

BIG TOP BABIES

Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus is offering a FREE personalized gift certificate for a circus ticket to every baby born in the USA in 1997. It is redeemable at any time in the child's lifetime, whether at 2 or 102! Send the parent's name & address plus the newborn child's full name and date of birth in 1997. Ask for the Personalized Certificate for Baby's First Circus Ticket. Mail to: RINGLING BROS & BARNUM & BAILEY, BOX 39845 DEPT FB, EDINA MN 55439. This is a nice thing to request on behalf of friends or family who have just been blessed with a new baby. Send them a Baby congratulations card along with a little note about the free ticket that you requested on their behalf, & let them know they should be receiving it soon. And don't forget to request the Presidential Baby Congratulations for them also(See MAKE A NOTE #1). POST IT...wherever you keep baby congratulations cards or with your correspondence materials.

GREETING CARDS

While we are on the subject. How often do you find yourself running to the store to buy birthday, baby, anniversary, sympathy, or other kinds of cards. Usually at the last minute, right? There are many companies now that sell selections of cards in boxes of 8-12. I try to estimate about how many I will need for a 6 month period and just make a big order because

usually you can get a better price the more you order. Afraid that you won't have the selection? Most boxes usually offer 4 different designs with 3 cards in each design, so you can still pick out the card that is right for the person you are sending it to. For Christian cards the best deals to be found are in the Christian Book Distributors catalog(1-508-977-5050 OR "orders@christianbook.com" OR www.christianbook.com to request catalogs). They charge $3.95 for 12 cards, but if you order 3 or more boxes they are only $2.95. In case you aren't up to math today, with a little extra thrown in for tax/shipping 25-35 cents a card. This is quite a savings and I have been very happy with the quality. If you prefer secular cards, the only catalog I know of is Current, but find their prices a bit high even on the quantity orders.

There are some stores that are starting to offer cards, but watch the price, it may not be much of a savings. The local Christian book store sells boxes of the same cards I order from the catalog, but for $1-$4 more a box. Here's a list of cards that you might want to keep on hand: Adult Female Birthday, Adult Male Birthday, Teen birthday, children's birthday, anniversary, baby congratulations, wedding congratulations, sympathy, get well for adult and child, thank you, retirement and graduation(haven't been able to find the last 2 in boxes, but just keep a couple of hand). Also the next time you are at a school supply store buy a large pack of kids'

stickers(the stickers in the card sections are too expensive), to send a few with each child's birthday card you send out. Little things mean so much. POST IT....on your shopping list or with correspondence.

GRADUATION GIFT

Don't know what to send the graduate? One gift of last resort, a check for the amount of the year. For example, $19.97 . POST IT...with the graduation cards. And don't forget the Presidential greeting for this one either.

KIDS & TRAVEL

One thing that is really nice to have on a car trip with the kids are audio tape stories for them to listen to. And if mom & dad would like to stay sane at the same time, may I recommend that you take an adapter you can plug into the lighter socket, attach it to a tape player, attach a split jack with 2 headsets(for every 2 kids), so they can listen to their show and you can have some quiet. You can get story tapes FREE right off the radio. Well, you do have to purchase blank tapes first. There is a fantastic radio show called Adventures in Odyssey(you may have seen their audio or video tapes in stores). It usually runs on Christian radio stations sometime in the early evening. In Fayetteville it runs at 7:30pm weeknights and 11am on Saturdays on 107.3FM. If you aren't sure where it might run in your area, call 1-800-A-Family and ask them for the radio station in your area. It is designed for kids 8-12, but kids (and adults) of all ages really seem to enjoy it. Tape it off the radio for your own use and tell the kids the trip will take "X" number of stories. Mine listen to them over and over and over and over....well, you get the idea. It has stories about history, the Bible, family values, and much more. POST IT....by your phone or radio. The shows are 30 min long, so you need 60 min tapes.

RADIO STATION SCHEDULES

While we are on the subject....If you enjoy a certain radio station that has teaching or talk shows, rather than just straight music, call the radio station and ask them if they can send you a schedule. That way you will always know when your favorite shows are coming on. Then POST IT (the schedule)...near your radio, maybe taped to the inside door of a cubbard near the radio.

STRANGER TESTS

With the kids being out of school right now and more likely to be playing in less controlled environments, like playgrounds and amusement parks, it never hurts to test them to see if all the stranger warnings are sinking in. Look for a nice looking mom(or dad) while you are at the park and explain that you would like to test your child and ask if they would mind trying to talk your child(no physical contact obviously) to their car in the parking lot. Realize that many people may feel uncomfortable helping with this, so you may have to ask a few before someone will help you. You can also arrange for a friend or co-worker to do it that is unfamiliar to the child. Tell them whatever ruse you think would work with your child. The ones that always seem to work are the candy and pets in the car ruses. Then talk to your child about the results, praise them for the right things and express concern over the incorrect responses. Call 1-800-The-Lost for brochures on how to protect your child and what to teach them. Teach them to yell "STRANGER" because that gets most people's attention these days. And remember to tell your child not only how to respond if someone touches them inappropriately, but also what to do if someone tries to get the kids to touch someone else inappropriately or shows them pornography(this is usually the way a molester builds up to worse things). It is a shame we have to be this careful, but being careful is better than being a victim. POST IT...on your date book or with toys you might take to the park.

FEEDBACK-FEEDBACK-FEEDBACK

Some people did memory books(MAKE A NOTE #3) and brought a couple of moms to tears(good tears:-). Others were able to get the mildew off shower curtains (#5).

REQUESTS

As always, if you would like to be ADDED or REMOVED from the mailing list, just email me with the appropriate word in the message. Forward to anyone you think would enjoy. AND let me know what you would like to hear about in future issues.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Medical research sites, free safety videos for children, Christmas in a Shoebox, Christmas preparations for a quiet Christmas(yes, Christmas again! :-).

JOKE(Courtesy of Reader's Digest)

At a Cub Scout meeting in CA, the leader suggested writing to a pen pal in Bosnia. One of the younger scouts asked, "What's a pen pal?" "Well, it's like email," answered another boy. "But you have to use a pencil and paper."

- Quoted by Herb Caen in the San Francisco Chronicle

QUOTE(Courtesy of Norm Hils)

"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. WE are the president."(Emphasis mine).

-Hillary Clinton commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents

See you next time.

God Bless, Sharon

^i^

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