I'm not kidding

Just wanted to reinforce that I'm not just making this stuff up. Yesterday I had a mail request from the Alzheimers Association--light day.

Today I have mailers from: Feed the Children

March of Dimes (I've gotten quite a few from them)

CARE

National Cancer Research Center

and St. Labre Indian School (never had one from them before).

I have the feeling that the more different charities I support, the greater the exponential growth of the requests I receive. It's pretty depressing.

Bugged by charity mailers

I know there are many worthy charities out there, but I have a bone to pick. Apparently, once a person donates to one, their name and address are shared with all. That bothers me. I send donations to several charities I know and care about. Suddenly I have multiple daily requests for money, from places I have never received requests from before.

I've been away from home for a few days and my mailbox contained requests from:

Habitat for Humanity

Children's Cancer Research Fund

Arthritis Foundation

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Easter Seals

Others I hear from regularly are:

March of Dimes

American Heart Association

Alzheimers Association

VFW Nation Veterans Service

Arthritis Foundation

American Cancer Society

National Foundation for Cancer Research

Those are just the ones I can think of right now. Many of these requests for money are using guilt as a persuasive technique. I have two nickels today, along with more sheets of personalized stickers, note pads, book marks, cards, and 2011 calendars. If they give me something, surely I'll feel the need to send money. I don't like it. I can tell the information came from one place because of the way my name is spelled. Getting one plea from each organization might be okay, being deluged is quite another.

The charities would have more money for their causes if they spent less on postage and personalized sticker sheets.

Just sharing

Sometimes I wonder if Hagar isn't right, but just on those discouraging days.

Oh those mysterious apostrophes.

I so wish that more people had paid attention in English classes. The apostrophe seems to be so confusing for so many.

I saw a big, new, temporary sign outside a restaurant exclaiming they had "twenty-five new omelet's."

I am acquainted, through my Home Owner Association, with a nice gentlemen who sends up updates on the work the landscaping company is doing. In mid-December they "blew out the walks and patio's....and will clean up the next few visit's." I have noticed the apostrophes occurring less and less in his reports. Don't know if he is realizing they are not needed, or just getting tired of putting them in.

Signs in stores are notorious for misplaced apostrophes: "employee's only," "please don't open box's," and "10 item's or less" (and, yes, it should be "fewer" too).

There is a service station that made me feel all warm when I first noticed its name. I thought "Hooray, someone cares." The marquee says it is "Russ's." So few actually know what to do when a word ends in s, and because of that the rules will change to account for those who didn't know what was actually correct. Right or wrong, that's the way it is.

Favorite book?

I've been asked a few times--recently too--what was my favorite book. I've found it impossible to answer. I can't think of a book that I loved more than any other. I can give a list of authors whose novels I have consistently enjoyed, but books? Impossible.

I was working on a list of possible books for my 9-year-old granddaughter who just got a Kindle for Christmas. It was fun to remember some of the good books for her age, but I realized that I'm out of the loop now. I used to read lots of the new books written for kids so I would know what was available and what my students were reading. I hate to recommend books I haven't read because sometimes books are published for young readers that I think are awful. Anyone have any new, wonderful books for young girls?