MAKE A NOTE!! -- November 1st, 1999

CIRCULATION - 2,154+

A Free Twice Monthly Ezine with (Hopefully) Useful Information on a Wide Variety of Topics

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In This Issue:

	Thanksgiving Preparations/Activities
	Thanksgiving Banner
	Donation Parties
	Cybersurfari
	Improving Kids' Cereals
	Recipe: Cornbread Salad
	Back Issue Treasures: Recipes, Holiday Books, Free Prescription Medication
	Joke, Quote, Feedback, Subscription Info

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 at these locations to make it easier to find when you need it. And if you like what you read, be sure to pass it on to others to check out too.

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THANKSGIVING PREPARATIONS/ACTIVITIES

Tammy M. had asked for some Thanksgiving ideas pointing out how this important holiday, that reminds us to count our blessings, is so often neglected. For the big dinner, be sure to sit down a few days before & make out a schedule for what you need to do. Write down what you want to eat, how long each takes to cook (& which appliance it needs), and also figure in time to get it on the table. So schedule backwards & you will have a schedule with everything down (do as much as possible the night before), so you don't have to continue feeling like you have forgotten something. And don't forget to invite someone that may be alone for the holidays. If you live near a military base, call the chaplain's office to find someone, if you live near a college, check with a resident advisor at the dorms. Perhaps there is someone who is newly widowed or who has fallen on hard times. DECORATIONS THE KIDS CAN DO (give them something to do & you won't have to worry about them getting in your way or getting into something they shouldn't be, & it will help them feel more of a part of the celebration)...don't want to mess with a fire? Have the kids put a group of candles in the fireplace (about 15 of the big ones work great for this) for the effect without the heat/hassle (an idea from Connie N.). Take a red apple, put 3 toothpicks in the bottom to act as legs, put one toothpick on "front" top & put a green olive on it with the red pimento dangling to act as head, put 5 toothpicks on tail side & fill them up with raisins. These could also be used as place card holders. Have the kids decorate placemats on brown paper (like Indian mats), then have them laminated at an office/school supply store. There was a time when the pilgrims only had 5 kernels of corn to eat for a meal, so put 5 kernels at every place setting, before the meal starts pass a bowl around & let each person put in a kernel one at a time telling other the things they are thankful for. Also check out one of my favorite family craft sites run by a family in Alaska at http://www.teelfamily.com POST IT...in your kitchen.

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THANKSGIVING BANNER

This idea is from an out of print book called, Family Celebrations: Meeting Christ in Your Holidays, by Ann Hibbard. It has Christian ideas for just about any holiday you can think of, and is a good used book to hunt for. You can get on a waiting list at a used bookstore in Kansas City for any out of print book & I have gotten several copies of her book through them. They put you in their computer & when a copy shows up they will call you & work out the price (usually around $15 w/shipping). Call Steele's Used Bookstore at (816)483-2004. BTW, she does have books on just Easter and Christmas that are still in print. If you do the banner using felt (or other cloth) and a sewing machine or glue gun (my personal favorite), then it can be reused every year. But if you are in a rush, you can just use construction paper, or regular paper & let the kids color it (laminate it if you like). Take a piece of felt to make a background, then glue/sew on a cornucopia (horn-of-plenty). If you like you can get fancy & add fringe or other extras. Make 5 different pieces of fruit (pumpkin, corn, apple, pear, grapes, your choice). Three weeks before Thanksgiving, read I Kings 17:1-6 and write "Food" on a piece of fruit, thank God for food, & stick the fruit on the horn of plenty (Velcro pieces do well for this part). Two weeks before Thanksgiving, read I Kings 17:17-24, repeat steps above, but put "Family" on fruit & thank God for same. One week before Thanksgiving, read I Kings 19, repeat steps above for fruit with "Friends" and another fruit with "Health". Thanksgiving Day, read II Kings 2:1-18, repeat with "Eternal Life" on the fruit. POST IT...near your craft supplies.

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DONATION PARTIES

A West Virginia boy decided to give up his traditional birthday party and asked people to donate gifts & toys for the kids who were flooded out in North Carolina. This child is definitely a keeper. What a wonderful idea to teach children about giving. Perhaps this could start with an adult's party where guests could bring presents for a charity; what about baby items for the local (pro-life) crisis pregnancy center? There are so many wonderful local organizations out there. With the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox deadline approaching this month, what about a party where everyone brings a Christmas Child Shoebox? Remember to SHOW your kids that this time of year is more about giving, than getting. POST IT...near your calendar.

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CYBERSURFARI

In the last issue we talked a little bit about how I find the items that go into the Make a Note. Well, this is a great example. Recently our local paper had an article about this program and it led me to all kinds of wonderful web sites for kids. Lycos sponsors it a couple of times a year with some other, usually educational, companies. You go to this main site & it will give you information about how to play. You go to different web sites, read & follow the clues to get the info that is asked about. Once you get to the answer then you type in your code to get credit. There are 105 clues, if you reach 25 found (you can do this over days or even weeks) then you get a certificate, 50... a certificate & a chance to win a mouse pad, 75... a certificate & chance to win a t-shirt, 100... and you receive a certificate & are guaranteed a t-shirt. You can do it as individuals, as a family, or even school teams, but it takes you to some really wonderful web sites that are great for kids & adults alike. My recommendation though, don't start at the Alfy site, most of their clues are hard to find. The Family Education and Hewlett-Packard's sites are fairly easy & a good place to start 'til you get the hang of it. Go to http://www.lycos.com/cybersurfari/. You can also get bonus prizes throughout the year for reaching certain levels. This is an international contest, so all of you can participate. If you start the same day of the contest you can also enter into the speed competitions. POST IT...by your computer.

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IMPROVING KIDS' CEREALS

Many cereals that are good for you take some getting used to. Why not do it gradually? These ideas work just as well for adults as for children. For example, if they like frosted mini-wheats, buy some plain mini-wheats, then gradually start mixing them together. Perhaps start out with 1part "good" cereal, for 3 parts "not-as-good". Then gradually increase the amount of "good" cereal until eventually that is all they are getting. You could also use this for non-sugar cereals like making a switch from corn flakes to bran flakes. They don't even have to be similar cereals, you could do the same thing say switching from a puffed sugar packed cereal to a flaked good cereal. Even if they never make the complete switch, whatever mix you end up with will probably be better than what you started with. POST IT...on your shopping list.

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RECIPE: CORNBREAD SALAD (from Logan P.)

At a recent church picnic I had some of this great salad & the gentleman who brought it said it was ok to share it with all of you. Prepare 1 box of cornbread. Crumble (into large chunks) half of the cornbread into a big bowl (glass one would be great because it is such a colorful dish). Mix 2 cans corn, 2 cans pinto beans, 1 small can sliced olives, 1 small diced onion, 1 medium diced green pepper, 1 med. diced red pepper, and 1 med. diced yellow pepper all together. Place half of this mixture on top of the cornbread in the bowl. Then pour half of a bottle of ranch dressing over all. Repeat layer of cornbread, veggies, & ranch dressing. Place 1C shredded cheddar cheese on top, then sprinkle with 10 slices of chopped crispy bacon. This is really a yummy one folks. Maybe a new dish for Thanksgiving dinner. POST IT...on your shopping list, & in your recipe box.

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BACK ISSUE TREASURES: RECIPES, HOLIDAY BOOKS, FREE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION

This edition's highlighted back issues are from November 15th and December 10th (Christmas Extra), 1998. In the first issue you will find programs to provide free medications for people on tight incomes, two great books loaded with holiday ideas for families, and a web site to check out charities to make sure you are putting your donations to good use. Request this issue by sending an email to make-a-note-issues@xc.org and in the subject or body of the message type in MAN-007 and you should receive the issue promptly. The December issue has ideas for party games/gifts, recipes for parties/gifts, easy decorating ideas, and ways to make sure those holiday movies are good BEFORE you pay an arm & a leg for the tickets. Follow the instructions above to request, but type in MAN-009. POST IT...by your computer.

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JOKE (from Glory G. - condensed)

Bob & Betty Hill were vacationing in Transylvania when suddenly their car skidded out of control & they crashed into a tree. Bob sees that Betty is bleeding & carefully picks her up to get her some help. He sees a light in the woods & makes his way to the door of a old, large house. He knocks & a hunchbacked man opens the door. Bob asks to use the phone to call a doctor, but Igor, the hunchback says that they don't have a phone, but his master is a doctor. So he goes to get the doctor. The doctor explains that he is not a medical doctor, but a scientist, but that he will see what he can do since the nearest hospital is so far away. Bob puts Betty on the lab table & then collapses from his injuries & exhaustion, so Igor puts Bob on the other table. The doctor does the best he can, but to no avail and both the Hills die. He sadly walks up the stairs to his organ for he has always found solace in his music. As he plays, Igor notices some movement from the Hills. Suddenly the Hills sit up straight. Igor, unable to contain himself dashes up the stairs and shouts, "Master! Master!...the Hills are alive with the sound of music. " :)

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QUOTE

Caught the tail end of a teaching program on our Christian radio station & heard this quote. If anyone can tell me who to give credit to, I would appreciate it very much. "Don't deny the diagnosis, defy the verdict."

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FEEDBACK-FEEDBACK-FEEDBACK

RE: Recipe info by email

Many of you email only folks asked if there were ways to subscribe to the recipe/home ideas ezines without going to the web site. Two out of the three ezines enable you to subscribe by email. For the Homefires ezine, send a blank email to Homefires_Hearth-subscribe@onelist.com . For the Recipes N More send a blank email to RecipesNMore-subscribe@onelist.com There is no way to receive the ezine from the Cooking Contests site without going to the web site. Forgive me for now including this info in the original articles.

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All for now. Don't forget to let me know what you would like to see in future issues.

God Bless,

Sharon

Editor, Make a Note

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