LETTERS TO MY CHILDREN
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This is part 21 in a series of letters I've written to my children.
For those of you who've been following along, you'll recognize 'Sometimes You Need A Base Hit'.
For those of you who are new, first - WELCOME! Here's a bit of background: When my grown daughter, Kaitlin, was a baby, I started to make notes of things I wanted to tell her when she got older. Part of me was afraid, if I died while she was still young, no one else would know to tell her these exact things. (ButIwasn'tneuroticoranything!)
That note-taking process continued for fourteen years and then I began to write a series of short letters to both of my children, each letter containing one important message. When I had completed the series, I copyrighted it and it was printed in three short books called "Sometimes You Need a Base Hit" (volumes 1-3). Remember, short letters for even shorter attention spans!
What follows are excerpt from those books:
Dear Kaitlin and Casey,
About those fuzzy sweaters ~
Before you wear an angora, or otherwise fuzzy sweater, place it in a plastic bag in the freezer for several hours (overnight is even better!). This will prevent it from shedding while you are wearing it. Now, if we could only do something to prevent our pets from shedding all over!
Love, Mom
Dear Kaitlin and Casey,
Other Favorite Helpful Hints
1. Cooked oatmeal OR milk of magnesia make great facial masks. They are more effective and far less expensive than many of the prepared masks you may buy.
2. Mayonnaise - Hellman’s real egg mayo - makes a great, deep conditioner for your hair. Rub a small amount between your hands and then rub your hands through your hair. Place plastic wrap around your head and sit for 20 minutes. A little goes a real long way and it takes several shampoos to wash out. I did this regularly when my hair was to my waist.
3. The critics debate this, but it works for me - pantyhose will last longer if you store them in the freezer.
Before you say I’m nutty, try these things!
Love, Mom
Dear Kaitlin and Casey,
Stu teaches us all about storing bars of soap ~
Chances are that as you get older, you will develop a preference in soaps, and may even use one type for your face, another for your body, a third for your domestic partner, and so on. This gets expensive.
Think about the packaging of soap. It keeps the contents relatively soft. As a matter of fact, the more expensive soaps have both internal and external cellophane wrappings - in addition to the box! This keeps them even softer. Why? Because the manufacturers know that softer soap “melts” more quickly in the heat of a bath or shower. Can you say “rip off”? So follow Stu’s simple rules to outsmart those rip-off artists:
1. Buy soap in the largest, economy-sized, multi-bar packages you can find. It’s cheaper!
2. Open all the bars immediately, throw away all packaging, and store the open bars exposed to the air (baskets are a practical and pretty way).
This will make the bars harder and they will LAST!
Love, Mom
Dear Kaitlin and Casey,
You can desire someone for their appearance, but you can love someone only for their character!
Appearances fade with age! Heck, desire fades with age! Most 70 year olds don’t hang all over each other the way that most 20 year olds do! BUT, love endures! It's a lot of work, but love can pull you through life’s muck and mire!
You and your intended would do well to ask yourselves if you will still love each other when you are old, gray, toothless, fat and gravity has set in.
Love, Mom
Always looking forward, PJ
For those of you who've been following along, you'll recognize 'Sometimes You Need A Base Hit'.
For those of you who are new, first - WELCOME! Here's a bit of background: When my grown daughter, Kaitlin, was a baby, I started to make notes of things I wanted to tell her when she got older. Part of me was afraid, if I died while she was still young, no one else would know to tell her these exact things. (ButIwasn'tneuroticoranything!)
That note-taking process continued for fourteen years and then I began to write a series of short letters to both of my children, each letter containing one important message. When I had completed the series, I copyrighted it and it was printed in three short books called "Sometimes You Need a Base Hit" (volumes 1-3). Remember, short letters for even shorter attention spans!
What follows are excerpt from those books:
Dear Kaitlin and Casey,
About those fuzzy sweaters ~
Before you wear an angora, or otherwise fuzzy sweater, place it in a plastic bag in the freezer for several hours (overnight is even better!). This will prevent it from shedding while you are wearing it. Now, if we could only do something to prevent our pets from shedding all over!
Love, Mom
Dear Kaitlin and Casey,
Other Favorite Helpful Hints
1. Cooked oatmeal OR milk of magnesia make great facial masks. They are more effective and far less expensive than many of the prepared masks you may buy.
2. Mayonnaise - Hellman’s real egg mayo - makes a great, deep conditioner for your hair. Rub a small amount between your hands and then rub your hands through your hair. Place plastic wrap around your head and sit for 20 minutes. A little goes a real long way and it takes several shampoos to wash out. I did this regularly when my hair was to my waist.
3. The critics debate this, but it works for me - pantyhose will last longer if you store them in the freezer.
Before you say I’m nutty, try these things!
Love, Mom
Dear Kaitlin and Casey,
Stu teaches us all about storing bars of soap ~
Chances are that as you get older, you will develop a preference in soaps, and may even use one type for your face, another for your body, a third for your domestic partner, and so on. This gets expensive.
Think about the packaging of soap. It keeps the contents relatively soft. As a matter of fact, the more expensive soaps have both internal and external cellophane wrappings - in addition to the box! This keeps them even softer. Why? Because the manufacturers know that softer soap “melts” more quickly in the heat of a bath or shower. Can you say “rip off”? So follow Stu’s simple rules to outsmart those rip-off artists:
1. Buy soap in the largest, economy-sized, multi-bar packages you can find. It’s cheaper!
2. Open all the bars immediately, throw away all packaging, and store the open bars exposed to the air (baskets are a practical and pretty way).
This will make the bars harder and they will LAST!
Love, Mom
Dear Kaitlin and Casey,
You can desire someone for their appearance, but you can love someone only for their character!
Appearances fade with age! Heck, desire fades with age! Most 70 year olds don’t hang all over each other the way that most 20 year olds do! BUT, love endures! It's a lot of work, but love can pull you through life’s muck and mire!
You and your intended would do well to ask yourselves if you will still love each other when you are old, gray, toothless, fat and gravity has set in.
Love, Mom
Always looking forward, PJ
