Karen’s Opinion

Do you believe in the boogie man? I try not to believe there are evil men lurking in the shadows but I have been nervous tonight. My husband is fishing at the strip pits in southern Indiana and I am home alone. I have been enjoying my days full of sewing and no cooking but the nights are nerve-racking.

Twice tonight, my dogs have broken into fierce barking that had the hair on my neck standing up. I don’t know what they heard but I felt paralyzed. I tried to tell myself to get up and see what they were barking at but I couldn’t get up out of my chair. It is times like these when I wished I had a wireless security system.

It is scary to sit and listen for noises. I make myself worry. The systems offered at Protect America are so affordable that it is silly for us not to have one installed. The system is warrantied for 20 years and their monitoring service is very reasonable. For example, their 3 entry level packages offer free systems and $29.95 – $34.95 monthly monitoring fees.

Their Gold package offers the most options that would meet our needs. They include:

* Talking Control Panel
* 12 Entry Points
* 1 Motion Detector
* Internal Siren and Door Chime
* Battery Backup
* One Button Arming
* 3 Window Decals
* 1 Yard Sign

All that for only $36.95 per month and by ordering using the 877-470-2751 phone number, we receive 2 keychain remotes ! I think hubby and I are going to talk about this when he gets home.

Are you aware that the cost of stamps went up again? Yes, the price of a stamp increased by 2 cents on Monday, May 11. Hubby bought 50, 2 centers for me so I can add them to the roll of stamps I just purchased.

I bought the Forever stamps a few months ago but cannot bring myself to use them. I don’t know what the price of a stamp might be a year from now. Forever Stamps are good for, well, forever. You might want to invest in a book of Forever Stamps. You will pay more than I did for mine. The cost of the Forever Stamp rises with rates, and so it rose to 44 cents on Monday like every other first-class variety.

Following 2006 legislation, the USPS needed and obtained more flexibility to operate like a business as well as a government agency, so pricing is revisited every spring. That doesn’t mean that the price will automatically increase but we all know how things work when the government is involved.

Springtime is when everything has a chance to be renewed. I have been working hard to keep walking and get into shape. Bumble Bee Foods has made it easier for me to keep track of how much I walk by giving me a neat website to record my “BeeWell Miles “. Besides having a place to be accountable for my progress, I am able to check game codes from pink Bumble Bee cans to see if I qualify to win one of 15,000 prizes!! If that doesn’t keep me motivated, I don’t know what can!

At the Bumble Bee Foods website, there is a place where I can talk with others who are trying to get healthy too. They have given me tips and motivation and make me feel as if I have partners in my quest. It is fun to compare notes and get ideas for healthy eating and exercise.

Bumble Bee Foods is aware of the fight to find a cure for breast cancer and has gone above and beyond to help fund the research for tomorrow’s cure. They are also aware that some are in the throes of breast cancer and need support during their fight. From 4/1/09-10/31/09, Bumble Bee Foods will donate $0.15/mile for every mile logged at BeeWellMiles.com (up to $200,000) to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength.

Check out the website to see how you can join others in becoming healthier and help others in their fight against breast cancer.

I was spurred on to get my flowers planted because a friend has all hers in the ground and they look so pretty. I ran to the hardware this morning and bought begonias and geraniums. By the time I got home it was raining cats and dogs. I planted in the rain. Now that I am a drowned rat, I have to get cleaned up and move on to my next project. I intend to sew this afternoon.

I made a bag with blue batik fabric and I love it so much that I am going to make 3 more. I have enough fabric to make three but I need to find more handles for each of them. Check out my sewing blog at Winding Threads to see what other things I have made.

Some say that kids do not use their imaginations like we did when we were young. I disagree.

The MEGA Brands company is known for toys that stimulate a child’s brain. Take a look at the picture of the toy they have produced from the popular movie, Cars. Just look at all the parts that can be taken apart, rearranged and then put back together. They can be placed in different positions that allow the imagination to take off in many directions. My kids would have loved to have a toy like that or the many other toys offered at MEGA Brands. They definitely stimulate a child’s imagination as they tell stories while zooming the cars around and play acting scenes from the movie. Fun!

There are a couple of Cars sets, including a Tipping Tractor set that has a miniature cornfield! The cars have the capability of being torn down and rebuilt, giving kids hours of entertainment. Kids will love to play with these and other sets from popular cartoons and movies. Imaginations will be used!

When a child plays with toys, they learn to problem solve and reason. They learn what strategies work best with different situations. Toys teach kids to focus and that is something that will help them in their daily lives. Wouldn’t it be fun to be a kid again? I love MEGA Brand’s toys.