SimplyLife

I've been an avid reader since 1st grade when my mother patiently helped me through the Dick and Jane books. Once letters made sense on the page, a whole new world opened up.Oh, the adventures I've had between the covers of books!   Misty of Chincoteague, Black Beauty, The Adventures Sherlock Holmes, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jane Eyre , and SO many more. About four years ago, the purchase of a Kindle e-reader began a whole new adventure in reading. Yes, my bookshelves were stuffed despite regular donations to the Friends of the Library. Inventive shelving had come to an end. It was either change my ways or be overtaken by piles of books. Reluctant to go to an e-reader, I finally broke down and ordered a basic Kindle. This past Christmas my husband upgraded me to a Kindle Paperwhite with a touch screen. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE books. The smell of paper, the feel of it, the turning of the page, gilt-edges on old volumes...all of it...is loved. However, the pragmatic side

We just returned from visiting our six-year-old twin grandsons last week. It's tough living more than 2,000 miles away. Reasonable airfare is also tough to find and our travel money has to be used wisely. Our priority for the last six years has been to build a strong relationship with our grandsons even if we can't be physically present on a regular basis. Technology has made it a whole lot easier, but that's not the only means to building close ties with those little boys. Since today's families tend to be scattered, here are some things I've learned along the way as a long distance grandparent. 1. Consistent Contact - You can do this in a number of ways and the variety is enjoyable.  Phone calls, Skype or Face Time, cards, email. Use them all. What a great gift to video call grandkids! We can do that for free, and what fun to see their school work, new shoes, or anything else that's happening. We've set aside Sunday afternoons for many years to conne

If you're like me, most correspondence is done through email. Whether it's a note to my family, friends, or business correspondence, it's usually an email. I think our writing etiquette and skills have gone by the wayside because of the instant nature of email. We tend to be extremely casual, not particular about spelling, and we can easily say things in an email we'd never dare say in person. Your employer probably has specific rules about corporate email, but many carry over to personal email. Here are a few tips on getting it right in the electronic letter. 1. Take the time to spell out words and use proper grammar. This is not a text message. If it's worth writing, it's worth doing right. My personal opinion is that we've become lazy writers. We abbreviate everything. There are other problems too. Many don't know the difference between they're, their , and there or your and you're . Those distinctions are important. Carelessness now co

There's a purple petunia growing outside my front door. It's been blooming since early February. I didn't plant it. The green leaves appeared without my notice until the blooms were turning their faces to the morning sun. The little plant makes me smile every time I look at it. Planted by God's hand, it's putting out new growth and more flowers. It's watered regularly now, which will lengthen the blooming. It survived cold temperatures without a blemish of frost. The plant even persevered through the repainting of our house with men tramping through flower beds and digging ladders into the ground. The petunia is just for me. A blessing from the Heavenly Father who knows how much I love flowers. Why else would it appear? He does that all the time for each of us, but we need to be looking for the little things He provides that let us know He cares for us. The petunia the small plant on left. Irises now dwarf it. The little plant was easy to miss and mistak

At some point along the way, we'll probably write a letter to a manufacturer about shoddy merchandise or maybe a stray foreign object we find in a can of beans. It could also be unsatisfactory customer service or repairs. Whatever it is, the offending service or goods needs to be reported to the  organization. Bad stuff doesn't endear customers to any company. Customer service departments want to know about problems so they can be fixed. Emails are perfectly acceptable and actually help maintain a record of correspondence. Small plastic part we found in a bag of pancake mix. How do we write an effective letter of complaint? The tips below will get you on the right track. First , direct it to the appropriate person or department. Usually that's the customer service department and most information is easily found at the company website. Don't address it to the CEO of a large company because you're going straight to the top.  Companies have a system in place fo

When was the last time you received a thank you note? When was the last time you sent one? In our overdrive lifestyles, the time-honored handwritten note of thanks seems to be disappearing. Is it unnecessary? How about a text or an email? Aghh! There are still valid reasons to actually sit down and write out a note. Here are some for your consideration: It's the polite/considerate thing to do when someone has taken the time to give you a gift. Your Aunt Mabel won't be talking to her friends about the lack of gratitude young people have today. Instead, she'll be bragging on her niece who writes such lovely notes. Who doesn't want some good mail? Your note will brighten the giver's day. You'll feel better too. You've done a good thing. Thank you notes are gender and age neutral. Men should write them as well as women. Children should be introduced to writing them in grade school. I'm a lover of good pens and quality note cards. Pick up a nice ge