MAKE A NOTE!! -- August 15th, 2000

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

NEXT ISSUE TO BE PUBLISHED ON/ABOUT SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2000

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In This 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.

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My Favorite:     Books         Pet Stuff

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Back to School/Helping Teachers Help Your Kids

It's that time again & this one is for all those teachers out there who really DO care and are trying to make a real difference! Most of the teachers I talk to, including private school teachers, say that about half of their students' parents don't care about what is going on at school w/their child, about a fourth of the parents might show up for teacher conferences or show a little interest, and only about a fourth or less are truly actively interested in how their children are doing and want to help as much as possible. Think about it, you have a class of 30 kids or more, and you have maybe 7 sets of parents supporting you. I've also been told that the older the kids get, the number of interested parents tends to drop. These teachers need your support! It is so easy to get burned out in any job when people don't support you. Now I may be preaching to the choir, but please, get out there and support your children's teachers! Even if you work during the day, there are still ways to get involved. If you haven't met the teacher yet, go in & introduce yourself. Tell them you care and want them to contact you with ANY info about your child that they think would be helpful. And not just academic info, tell them to let you know if they have any concerns with your children's friends, informal activities, or health concerns. Tell them what ways you CAN help. Even if you work & can't volunteer in the classroom or for field trips, perhaps you can help with extra supplies, making food items, preparing handouts, or organizing other activities. Perhaps you can help a teacher in other ways through your business, giving them discounts, or providing some free services (you don't REALLY think that the budget covers ALL their supplies do you?!). And don't forget to let them know that it isn't just your child that concerns you, but the teacher themselves. If you pray, tell the teacher that you will be praying for them & ask for any particular prayer concerns they may have. Make occasional goodies, or buy little gifts for the teachers, even an encouraging card now & then. There are so many ways to keep in touch these days, give the teacher your address, phone number, and email address if you have one. Ask them to please let you know if your child gets less than a certain grade on any paper, or if they are up to it, even a weekly progress report. Some schools/teachers even have web sites with homework assignments & other info, check with your school. Do this with ALL of your child's teachers, and even if you say it in person, put it in a letter to the teacher too. We can't make parents care about their children, but we can help support the teachers who are there trying to make a difference in these children's lives. If a teacher feels that support, it won't only make a difference for the children without caring parents, but it will also make a difference for our own children. POST IT...by your phone. (Editor's Note: These ideas can also be applied to Sunday School, or other teachers. If anyone out there has a web site with ideas to encourage teachers, please send it to me!)

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"There's Nothing to Doooo...I'm Bored"

OK, if you are a parent it is a safe bet that you have heard this one before. But hey, my kids are older. So when I got the latest issue of Debi Taylor-Hough's "Simple Times" ezine with the article, "200-plus Ideas for Summertime Fun" (and by the way, it isn't just for the summer), I thought, "I don't need this any more, my kids entertain themselves". And I hit the delete button. Shortly thereafter, I caught my son watching TV when he wasn't supposed to be and when I confronted him he said, "But I'm bored, there's nothing to do". So I realized I DID need that list. I searched frantically & found it on Debi's site, printed it out, & presented it to my son. He immediately started going through the list eliminating things, but finding that most things were things that he WAS interested in. So if your child needs a checklist to jog their memory, go to http://hometown.aol.com/DSimple/index.html, click on "Links", scroll down to "Children", and you'll see the article listed. And while you're at it, check out the other wonderful things on her site or subscribe to her ezine. Now if the list still doesn't help, you can use my friend Maria's technique...whenever the kids say they are bored or there's nothing to do, she finds a household chore for them to do. :-) POST IT...on your computer, then in a kid-accessible location.

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Free Wal-Mart Camping...No Kidding

For those of you with RV's or little campers, here is a little tip that may save you 1-3 nights camping fees. Most Wal-Marts allow you to park in their parking lots at no cost, as long as it isn't more than 1-3 nights and you don't barbeque. The store owners know that most campers will probably do at least a little shopping in their stores, so they don't mind. Some states do prohibit this kind of camping, so check with the stores first for their individual policies. Most people use it, not as an ultimate destination, but when they are enroute to somewhere else. You can check with your local Wal-Mart for locations along your route. Ask the manager for permission to use their parking lot, usually they will allow it as long as it isn't a busy season when they might need the parking and as long as you park on the outer edges of the lot. Try to use the Wal-Mart Super Centers where they have security all night, but be security conscious wherever you stay. You can read more about it at http://abcnews.go.com/onair/WorldNewsSaturday/wnt000812_walmart_rv_feature.html. No amenities like electric or phone plug-ins, but it is free. By the way, our local Super Center in Fayetteville, NC is a popular stop-off for people traveling from one end of the east coast to the other, it is right about the half way mark. POST IT...with your travel guides.

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Stroke Symptoms...Don't Wait!

Strokes are our nation's #3 killer. More than 600,000 Americans will have a stroke, with about 1/3 of those people actually dying as a result. For many, many years, all doctors could do was wait to see how bad the damage would be. But there are treatments now IF you get to the doctor soon enough. Most strokes are caused by a blockage in an artery to the brain. If you or anyone you know starts to exhibit any of these symptoms, call 911 or get them to a doctor fast: sudden numbness/weakness of face, arm, or leg, esp. on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance/coordination, sudden severe headache or vision problems, unequal pupils. Some medications must be administered within 3 hours of the beginning of the symptoms, so time is crucial. Note the time symptoms started. Make sure you stress to the triage personnel (people who screen patients to see how serious their condition is & how soon they should be seen) that you noticed stroke symptoms and when. Even if the family member insists that they are alright, but they are exhibiting these symptoms, you should make them go in. For those of you familiar with Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, when he began having trouble with his speech, he kept insisting to his wife that he didn't need to go in. There are new therapies being developed all the time, but in the case of strokes, time is of the essence. POST IT...in a prominent location if you might be prone to stroke or if there is a family history, in your medical guidebooks under "Stroke" if you do not believe you are at high risk.

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Bonus  Update:  "Diet for a Poisoned Planet" Food Lists

This task is proving to be a bit more time-consuming than I realized. But we will be posting some of the lists now & some later, by categories (e.g. Fruit & Vegetables, Dairy, Meat, Convenience Foods, etc) on our Bonus Page on the web site. I have the Fruits and Vegetables list up, and will add the rest hopefully before the next issue goes out. Be sure to read the Introduction/Explanation. Thank you for your patience. We also added two new links to the bonus page--a puzzle and the answers. Just look for the "New" animated icons. POST IT...by your computer & then near where you make up your shopping list.

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"Back Issue Treasure"-School Picture Tips and More

How many times have your children forgotten to tell you about school picture day? Of course that was the day they wore their grungiest favorite t-shirt and went to bed with wet hair the night before. :-) So the first thing you should do is call the school and ask for dates they will be doing pictures. If they don't have a date, call back at the end of each month to check again until you get a date. Then for the best pictures possible, follow the Kodak tips in our September 1st, 1998 issue. I think every photo we have had done since starting to use the tips has been much better than before. And if you are home schoolers, this is a great time (when everyone else is so busy with school starting) to get those family photos done for Christmas; it is slow and they are usually running specials because of it.  Another suggestion, school pictures or any other organization-arranged pictures, tend to be expensive. Let them take a picture for the yearbook/directory, but rather than buy one of their expensive packets (usually the cheapest runs about $15 or more) go have pictures done at Wal-Mart, Kmart, or similar store photo studios. Most now have computers where they can see right away if the picture turned out & with the specials they run you will save a LOT of money if you just buy the base packet. We just had photos done at Wal-Mart & it was a total of $7 for a 10x13, 2-8x10, 4-5x7, and 32 wallets. And if the photos aren't copyrighted, you can send a wallet to Walter Drake catalog & get about 100 wallets for less than $20 for Christmas cards (see our Christmas Preparation Check List for more info-in the August 15, 1998 issue). POST IT...on your calendar & by your computer.

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CURRENT MOST POPULAR BACK ISSUE: September 1st, 1998

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JOKE

A newly married husband & wife were having their first argument in the car, and as these first arguments often are, the subject was their respective families. They had both had it with each other & were sulking in silence. As they passed a barnyard, the wife seeing all the farm animals said, "Relatives of yours?" and the husband, without missing a beat, said, "Yes, in-laws".

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QUOTE 

A Navy Captain by the name of Shepherd was selected years ago to command the new space station, and obviously there have been a lot of delays. When asked about this "he quietly recounts the story of the U. S. military officer sent to Cuba in 1898 at the onset of the Spanish-American War. Without flinching or whining, the officer successfully delivered a message from President McKinley to a Cuban revolutionist. 'This guy went on this huge hunt through swamps and jungles and all this stuff. So there's this Navy phrase, 'taking a message to Garcia', which means just put your head down & get your elbows moving.'"

EDITOR'S NOTE: Did you know that most of the people involved in endurance races are in their 30's & 40's? The organizers say that, in endurance racing, emotional strength is often just as important or even more important than physical strength. In fact one competitor, a breast cancer survivor, said she actually looked at her cancer treatment as an endurance race. What races do you need to change your attitude about?

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THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF PASTOR WILSON'S HARD WORK AS OUR LIST MANAGER!!

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