MAKE A NOTE!! -- January 17th, 2001
CIRCULATION - 8,072
WEB SITE VISITORS - 11,706
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 7TH, 2001
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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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Organizing Help
If you or someone you know is going to be needing help from friends & families, whether due to hospitalizations, illness, or some other difficulty, here are some suggestions to get the help you need. First of all, if YOU are the one in need, don't be afraid to ask for help. It is best if there is one person who coordinates the assistance, usually a close friend is the best choice, the person themselves will probably have enough to keep them busy elsewhere. It also makes things a LOT easier if the coordinator has email. This coordinator should sit down with the person and drag out of them every possible thing they might need help with. This could include: meals, babysitting, rides, shopping, or perhaps certain special services that only certain people could supply. The coordinator should also get a list of contacts for other groups the person may be connected with so that ALL groups have an opportunity to provide help. These contacts might include the person's church, school/homeschool group, clubs, work, neighbors, & family. The coordinator will send out emails or call all the contacts summarizing what the situation is, what needs there are, and how all people interested in helping can contact the COORDINATOR (email preferred, then phone), which the contacts will pass on to all their people. The coordinator should have a nice big calendar close to her phone/computer to fill in the people who offer to help. If meals are involved, be sure to get the likes/dislikes & preferred mealtimes from the person needing help, & pass them on with the original message. If the people volunteer to bring a meal, ask them what they plan to bring, so that you can make suggestions to later callers to limit duplicates. If you are doing a meal be considerate of the person's health condition in your choice of food. Also you might try to avoid the one dish meals that, while easy, are VERY popular in situations like this. The people might be ready for some "plain" food. If you are the one receiving meals, consider asking for them only every other day, since there are usually leftovers. The coordinator should CALL each volunteer the night before or day of the meal/service for a reminder. The coordinator, or a family member, should also send out email updates to interested parties to try to limit well-meaning, but rest-disturbing phone calls. If the person will be recovering at home, they shouldn't be afraid to ask people to hold calls/visits for a few days until things settle down. The coordinator could also keep a running list of addresses for volunteers to give to the family for thank you notes later. POST IT...with your church roster, or get well cards.
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New Vaccine Recommendations (Are your kids up to date?)
New guidelines have been issued for childhood immunizations. To see if your child is up to date, go to http://www.aap.org/family/parents/immunize.htm or call 1-800-232-2522 for more information. I have been pretty vigilant through the years about what was required, but even my kids were missing some that they now recommend. POST IT...in your child health care book under immunizations.
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Snow White & Other Computer Viruses
Judging from the email I receive, quite a number of computers are infected with viruses. Some viruses will send out mail to people in your address book without you realizing it. But when the email hits our computer, our anti-viral software stops it & we can delete it. One that we have seen a lot of lately is the Snow White joke virus, so if you got the joke & your anti-viral didn't tell you, your computer is infected. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE use anti-viral software, & update it at LEAST monthly (yes, you do need to update it, otherwise the NEW viruses will get you). For more information, go to our "Bonus Page" section on our web site & check out our section on "Preventative Maintenance for your Computer". POST IT...by your computer.
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Bell's Palsy
Recently I have encountered several people dealing with Bell's Palsy. This disorder affects around 1 in 750 people at some time during their lives. Usually it shows up as one-sided facial paralysis. In about 60%-80% of the cases, the symptoms go away in a few weeks to months. But for some people the symptoms may never go away. However, there is new research, that may limit these "permanent" cases, that some physicians may not be aware of. The research showed that patients treated with prednisone (steroid) PLUS acyclovir (antiviral) had better outcomes than patients treated with prednisone alone (the standard treatment). But they must be given as early as possible once the diagnosis has been made. If more than a few days has gone past, then it may not help. Experts have said that often general physicians assume that all cases get better; they don't see the patients who come in to the experts months later with permanent problems for which nothing can really be done. For more information, go to http://www.healthcentral.com and enter "Bell's Palsy" into the search engine. This information is for educational purposes only and you should ALWAYS discuss treatment options with your physicians. POST IT...in your medical dictionary/encyclopedia under "Bell's Palsy".
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Recipe: Potato Cheese Soup (Great for Super bowl Parties)
With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought you might like an extra special dessert to generate those oooo's and ah's from the family. But it should be done by an adult, not a child. Put vanilla ice cream in the prettiest dishes you can find (not plastic). Take one can of Cherry Pie Filling (more for extra company) and heat on stove until warm. Warm 2 tblsp of brandy or rum (latter may be more palatable to kids) to a little warmer than room temperature (if you warm it too much the alcohol will evaporate & won't light). Pour brandy over warm cherries in pan. DO NOT STIR IN! Take a lit match & touch brandy on top of cherries. It should start the flames. Then very carefully use a long handled spoon to spoon the still flaming cherries onto each individual ice cream dish. It will burn out when the alcohol is gone, or may be carefully blown out. Makes 2 2/3C sauce. This is really fun to do FOR the kids, but always use utmost caution when dealing with fire. You could also keep items on hand (baking soda, & pan lid) to smother the fire if you get concerned. POST IT...with your recipes.
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Back Issue Treasure: April 16th, 1997 Issue-Presidential Greetings, Stamps by Mail, etc.
This recommended issue was our very first one, so this is REALLY a blast from the past. In honor of President Bush's Inauguration Day, did you know that all Presidential Administrations send out cards to individuals, on request, for special occasions? These occasions include 80 yr birthdays & up, 50 yr anniversaries & up, birth of babies, weddings, retirement, graduation, get well, sympathy, among others. No matter what party you are with, these are nice mementos for the scrapbooks. To find out how to request these cards (you need to send the request a month out if possible), follow the directions below to check out this back issue. This issue also provides information on how to avoid standing in line at the post office to get all those new stamps. POST IT...by your computer, with your greeting cards, with your stamps.
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Final Words
JOKE (From Robert P.)
"A wise schoolteacher sends this note to all parents on the first day of school: 'If you promise not to believe everything your child says happens at school, then I'll promise not to believe everything he says happens at home.'"
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QUOTE
"The (people of) Labrador has taught me one truth, which as a physician I never forget, that is, coddling is the terrible menace of civilization, and 'to endure hardness' is the best preparation for a good soldier."
--Wilfred Grenfell, M. D. (1865-1935), Medical Missionary to Labrador (penisula of NE Canada, between Newfoundland & Quebec). For more information on this amazing man's life, go to http://www.chinstitute.org and enter "Grenfell" under "Search".
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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.
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