7 Quick Takes (Vol 2)

Well, here is what is coming off the top of my head today (and perhaps in the last few days). Thanks to Jennifer F. over at Conversion Diary for getting all of us to do this. After you are done here go on over there and take a look at some of the other Quick Takes.

-1-

Do we really need studies, that cost tax payer money most likely, to tell us that lots of TV and time on the Web is harmful to children. "Spending a lot of time watching TV, playing video games and surfing the Web makes children more prone to a range of health problems including obesity and smoking, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday." Now THAT is a surprise (there was a lot of sarcasm in my voice when I wrote that). Really folks, if your kids were outside playing in the dirt they wouldn't be sitting in front of the TV eating and not expending energy. I know that when my girls were younger they needed to go out and play when they came home from school. No TV the minute they walked in the door. We learned that the hard way. I had allowed them to watch some TV when they got home but I soon saw a certain pattern of behavior when they did that. They would come in, turn on the TV and plunk down with food. When the TV was then turned off they would have all this unchanneled energy that had been stored up at school and they acted out at home. So, no more TV, go outside and get dirty. They slept better, they got along better, their grades were better and they read a lot more books. OK, off my soap box now.

-2-

Don't you just love seeing what people are doing in their cars when they drive. I have to assume that some people think that when they get in the car and the engine turns over then their "invisibility bubble" kicks in too. That is the only explanation I can think of for the large number of people I see picking their noses (TMI?). This week I have also seen women driving and putting on mascara, people doing the driving-eating-talking on the phone combo (I have to assume they were driving with their knee), singing, driving with their dogs on their laps, texting (I will admit to this one) and all manner of other things.

-3-

Is anyone else way behind on the Christmas card thing? I have yet to do a thing about it other than find the picture I want to use. We actually had Christmas cards waiting for us when we got back from Thanksgiving!! I will admit that there have been years when they haven't been Christmas cards but Happy New Year cards. Oh well.

-4-

I am going to one of my favorite annual Christmas parties today. My friend Dottie has a Cookie and Ornament exchange every year and we have such a good time!! Even though I have to make 12 dozen cookies for this thing I never miss it because we have so much fun. The cookies are all done and put into pretty little tins and sitting on the counter all ready to go. Some of the women who attend (and there are only 12 of us) don't have any personal connection except that we know Dottie. But that doesn't matter when it comes to the amount of fun that we have.

-5-

Do you ever feel guilty sitting down to read in the middle of the day. I love to read but I still have to rationalize or "earn" my reading time if I am taking an hour or two during the day. I don't know why that is but it just is. I am just going to have to get over this weird thing because it is cutting into my reading time. Remember, "So many books, so little time".

-6-

My poor puppy (who isn't really a puppy) has a cold. He sounds better today after a trip to see Dr. Jeff and a cortisone shot but he is still sick. So it is antibiotics and antihistamines for him for a while. However, Max thinks he has died and gone to doggie heaven when he has to have pills. I just slap some peanut butter on a small piece of bread, stick the pill in the peanut butter and he snarfs it down. Yum!

-7-

Do ever watch what other people buy at the grocery store or like Walmart. I am a committed "cart watcher" and I am amazed at some of the stuff that people buy. I sometimes want to lean over and ask what they are going to do with what I would consider useless items. May be it is because I am trying to "dejunk" my life I don't know. I heard one woman tell another that she always over buys at the store because she never knows what her kids might want to eat and sometimes she has to make more that one thing at dinner. Huh!!!! When my kids were little I always reminded them that I didn't have "short order cook" written anywhere on my body and if they didn't like what was being served there was always the next meal to look forward to. Maybe that is why they aren't picky eaters now as adults.