Karen’s Opinion

This might sound like a crazy thing to be excited about but, I just found out that my husband and I have a preventative clause in our health insurance policy. That means that we can both have a colonoscopy! I don’t know if that is how to spell that procedure but I know that we have been concerned about having it done. We are at that age when we need to have things checked out and catch small things before they get big.

Another thing that makes me happy is the state of our IRA accounts. I have been afraid to even look at how they are doing since the stock market went into a tailspin a few years ago. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they are doing better. We have been considering some mobile trading or online trading to offset some losses that have set us back quite a bit.

Getting older is for the birds! but life is as good as we make it.

Say what??

My husband is taking his mother to meet with a lawyer to look over her will. She thought that since her son, my husband’s brother, passed away, she might need to re-write her will. My husband and I looked over the will and pretty much understand what it says until it comes to the part that says per stirpes. I guess that is why we pay a lawyer to explain things to us.

Law and computers. Do we ever feel like we know as much as we need to know?

“We must use time creatively and forever realize that the time is always to hope to do great things.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Graphics for Martin Luther King Day Comments

I enjoyed this article written by OutdoorWoman and posted on eHow.

Using wooly worms (Pyrrharctia isabella) to predict winter is old American folklore that traces its history back to early Americana. Supposedly, Native Americans taught the pioneers to read wooly worms to predict winter weather. Wooly worm is the common name for the larval stage of the Isabella Tiger Moth. They are also called wooly bears.

1. Look for wooly worms under rocks and inside hollow logs.

2. Examine the wooly worm, paying attention to its bands of colors. The wooly worm will curl into a ball when touched or threatened. When they crawl, they can crawl very quickly!

3. Wooly worm forecasters say that the size of the brown band of color will tell you what kind of winter is coming. Legend says that the thinner the brownish red bands, the harsher the winter will be. If the wooly worm is mostly brownish red in the middle, winter will be mild.

4. Wooly worm enthusiasts claim an 85 percent success rate over the last few decades. Scientists tend to disagree and say wooly worm weather prediction is as unscientific as using groundhogs to predict winter weather. The groundhogs likely side with the wooly worms.

5. Whether or not you believe in the power of wooly worms, they can be a fun project for children and adults.

Raising children is the most difficult task anyone can ever have. That said, I hope that the tragedies of others makes us all smarter and safer.

We have heard of people who have accidentally left their children in their cars only to return hours later and find that their child died a horrible death. The guilt associated with this tragedy would be insurmountable in my opinion. Now that we know it can happen, most of us would take that awareness and use it to always remember our children.

Another tragic occurrence is children dying by strangulation from unsafe blind cords. These tragic deaths happen in cribs, play areas, and living rooms. Parents should carry out their own window blind safety measures, such as shortening or removing loops, installing tie-down devices that keep loops taut against walls. Window coverings can be made safer by keeping cords out of reach of children, using a cord tensioning device or cord pulley on walls, and eliminating climbing hazards by moving furniture, including cots, beds, and high chairs, away from windows with looped curtain or blind cords.

When purchasing window coverings it is best to utilize the expertise of a reputable window covering dealer. They know how to advise us on how to measure for and then install blinds with safety in mind. I recommend Blinds Galore dot com because they have amazing prices.

Let’s all learn from the mistakes of others and keep our kids safe.

From the Window Covering Safety Council
If:
* You have horizontal blinds, pleated shades, or cellular shades that use a looped pull cord (purchased prior to 1995). You will need to cut the loop and add tassels to the end of loose cords.
* You have horizontal blinds, pleated shades or cellular shades that do not have cord stops (purchased prior to 2001). You will need to add new cord stops near the top of your window covering.
* You have vertical blinds or traverse draperies that do not include a cord tie-down (purchased prior to 1997). You will need to install a tie-down device to your wall.