MAKE A NOTE!! -- August 15th, 1997

CIRCULATION 50

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RESPONSES TO READER REQUESTS....

BUBBLE JUICE RECIPES

That's what we call the stuff kids use for blowing bubbles. I have several recipes, but they all end up costing more than heading down to Wal-Mart (or similar store) and just buying the jug of ready-made stuff. If you are trying to make bigger bubbles, then I would probably try to add additional liquid soap or liquid dish detergent to it, or, if you want to go high-tech, glycerin. POST IT...wherever you keep the bubble juice, usually with outside toys.

KIDS'/ADULT WOMEN'S CLOTHING CATALOGS

Usually when I need clothes for the kids or myself, I head down to Wal-Mart and have been pretty happy with what I find. But when you need to order by catalog, like when you are stationed overseas, I would recommend the following. For either kind of clothing, I have been happy with Penneys. For kids...the following catalogs have good prices and I have been happy with the quality of things I have ordered...After the Stork 1-800-441-4775, Baby Clothes Wholesale 1-800-568-1940/30, Brights Creek 1-800-285-4300. Also if you are nursing or want to use washable diapers, then Biobottoms is the catalog to have 1-800-766-1254. They have a wide selection of hard to find products, but are a bit pricey. For women's clothing, after Penney's, I really like Chadwick's 1-800-525-4420 or Newport News 1-800-688-2830. They have a nice casual look, but also have more formal and office wear, for very competitive prices. The only problem is that everyone else likes them too and they seem to sell out too quickly at times, or delivery times may be long. So if you order from them, have 2nd and 3rd choices ready, and be ready to be patient. And if you see something you really, really like, then call & order it ASAP. If you or someone you know just has to have brand name sports wear for any age, male or female, then Eastbay 1-800-826-2205 is for you, along with their clearance catalog, Final Score 1-800-826-6603. You can find things for half price or even better. For example, we recently bought a pair of Asics for Steve that retails for $120, but got it from Final Score for $56, that's shipping and everything.

By the way, they usually get it to you within 2 days. POST IT...by your phone to call and request the catalogs.

SCAMSPAM

Another reader asked me about the junk email that we sometimes receive, hopefully this doesn't include this publication. :-) Some services seem to have more problems with this than others. Here are a few hints to try to resolve the situation. You could switch services. The people who I hear this complaint from the most are AOL users, we rarely see anything like this on CompuServe or WorldNet, not sure about the other services. Some services are just more aggressive about dealing with this trash. The more mailing lists, email or otherwise (NOT including this publication :-), that you put your names on, the more likely you are to receive this kind of thing, so try to limit them. Report and send a copy of the junk mail to your server, the more complaints they receive the more likely they are to do something about it. If you receive email that seems to be a scam, a money making scheme, deceptive, offensive, credit card offers, or pornographic material...then report it to your server AND to the following government email address that tracks and tries to stop these guys. uce@ftc.gov or go to their web site to check things out. www.junkemail.org/scamspam/ POST IT...in your computer bookmarks. Remember, the more people complain AND send copies of what you receive, the more likely you can do something

about this problem.

MORE POST ITS...

TEACHING HOSPITALS HAVE THE EDGE

Recently a study was done comparing the mortality rates of teaching hospitals vs. non-teaching hospitals. They found that the mortality rate was 19% lower at teaching hospitals, even small ones, as compared to non-teaching hospitals. The length of stay was also 10% lower at the teaching hospitals. The doctor who conducted the study said that state-of-the-art technology in teaching hospitals may contribute to better care. This all in spite of the fact that they treat a greater number of indigent patients. The study involved 30 hospitals, which is a small study. POST IT...in the yellow pages under "hospitals".

CHRISTMAS LIST REMINDER

Your only assignment for August was to make a Christmas list and have a family photo done....how are you doing? Remember, unless you treat it as an important deadline now, then you'll be doing it all in December again. POST IT...on the fridge.

HURRICANE SEASON/POWER OUTAGES

For those of us on the east coast, we are very blessed to have the only natural disaster where you have an average of about 2 days notice. The next time you see a article in the newspaper about how to prepare for a hurricane, cut it out and tape it to the inside of a cupboard. Some things you might want to do that may not be on the list....crank your freezer down to the coldest temperature possible about 24 hrs before the storm hits, that way if the power goes out you will be less likely to be throwing out food and DON'T open that freezer door once it goes out. Stuffing any blankets or newspapers in there (as some recommend) is just going to force cold air out and put something in that is warm (the blanket). After Fran, our power was out for 36 hours and I was amazed that when I opened our freezer when the power came back on, only the meat was slightly thawed on the edges, so I did cook it all up, but even the ice cream was ok. Turn the fridge down a little colder than usual too. Also be sure to run the dishwasher and wash your clothes even if it is a small load, you don't know how long you could be without it. Don't assume that the power or phone company know that your service is out. This goes for every day power/phone outages too. One time I called in about an hour after the power had gone out to see when it might be back up and the operator told me that no one had called in about it, so it was a wasted hour when someone could have been working on it. If it goes out and stays out for more than 5 minutes, then call it in, from a neighbor's phone if you have to. Our phone was out for 2-3 days, but it turned out everyone around us had working phones. Before you call, check with your neighbors to see if their service is out too & if so, tell them to call it in. Usually when you call in, they will ask if your neighbors' service is also out and the squeakier the wheel, the faster it will get greased. Most of the other recommendations will be in the hurricane guides or check out www.ncstormtrack.com for those in NC. They also have an automatic email notice they can send to you when hurricanes are coming in, so you don't have to watch the news. But it does come 3 times a day, whether a hurricane is coming or not, so there is deleting to be done. POST IT...inside a cupboard door near your telephone along with the electric company's phone number.

FEEDBACK-FEEDBACK-FEEDBACK

A couple of people have told me how great the Clean Shower shower/bath cleaner works, and I agree, it is great! Many people were very excited about the Christmas Check Off List and were planning on using it. Some families also used the Adventures in Odyssey kids' tapes for a car trip and enjoyed more peace and quiet than usual.

REQUESTS

As always, let me know if you want to be ADDED or REMOVED from the mailing list. Feel free to forward to anyone you think might like it. Let me know what you want to read about, it keeps me from scrambling for ideas. :-)

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Easy gift ideas, uncommon courtesy, letting your voice be heard, voting.

JOKE (courtesy of Reader's Digest)

When a woman was applying for admission to college, one of the questions on the form was, "What kind of a person would you hope to have as a roommate?" The woman answered, "I'd like her to be extremely gregarious." The next question was "Why?". She scribbled in, "So she'd be out of the

room most of the time." -Contributed by Fontaine Hsia

QUOTE

"We're going to turn this team around 360 degrees." .......think about it.

-Jason Kidd, upon his drafting to the Dallas Mavericks

God Bless,

Sharon

^i^

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