Small Things Count

Here’s some help for you if you’re wracking your brain to figure out the perfect Father’s Day gift for your older dad who doesn’t really want a lot more “stuff.”

Most dads, especially older ones, have enough ties and golf balls to last out the century.  This year, try giving your dad a Father’s Day gift that makes a real difference to him.  Here are some suggestions which he’ll appreciate even more because they come from your heart.

1. Take him on a day trip, complete with picnic lunch and time to spend together.  A non-driving dad will really enjoy this.  If he still drives, share the driving—it’s a non-threatening way for you to be sure he can still drive safely.
2. Spend a day going through Dad’s house with him, looking for burned-out lights, loose steps or railings, frayed cords, broken smoke-detectors, slippery, rugs and other hazards and fix them together.  Suggest making the bathroom—the most dangerous room in any house—safer by installing a grab-bar and rubber mat in the tub/shower.
3. If his laundry is in the basement, he takes chances each time he carries laundry and supplies down those steps and clean laundry back up.  Is there a space on the main floor where a washer/dryer could go—maybe a set of stackables?  If you have siblings, share the cost of new machines or re-plumbing the old ones in a safer location.
4. Be his private chef.  If he lives alone he may just grab some fast food or unhealthy frozen dinners or not eat at all.  Bad nutrition leads to ill health and weaknesses that endanger him.  Cook a variety of single-serving meals for him and package them in a way that lets him pop them into the oven or microwave.  Use a Sharpie to write cooking directions on the covering.

This Father’s Day, give the gift of securing your dad’s safety and well-being.  A big hug won’t hurt, either.

We’ve heard a lot about “gaslighting” — people using it to attack us about our political, personal, or social beliefs, for example. You may have had someone use one or more of these 6 Gaslighting Phrases People Say to Manipulate you to make you question yourself, your ideas or feelings, even reality itself. Read this start to that Huffpost article, then go to 6 Gaslighting Phrases People Say to Manipulate you to read the rest to learn how to combat such an attack on you.

“Gaslighting, a manipulation tactic often wielded by emotional abusers, gradually makes you question your own judgment, feelings, memories and reality. Because of its insidious nature, it can be hard for victims to recognize it as it’s happening.

“Abusers use gaslighting as a way to gain and maintain power and control in the relationship. They break down your confidence over time by making you think your interpretation of events is incorrect. The more you second-guess yourself, the more you start to believe their version must be the accurate one.

[Cont. Here]

I couldn’t resist passing this on to you. I’d like to see this posted on every trash barrel in every park, in every school…everywhere!

We handle them, breath on them, set them on surfaces that are almost definitely not clean. Our phones pick up germs and bacteria, along with dirt and grime. Do we really want to pick those up and put them close to our face? Would be a good idea to clean them first. But how do we do that without harming them?

Credo has published an online article called How to Safely Sanitize Your Phone and Keep it Germ-Free. Read it and learn what to do, including cleaning agents and proper handling.

If you think your phone is clean enough already, think about what Credo points out in their article: “Studies show that our phones carry around 17,000 bacteria per square inch — 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat — and we touch our phones roughly 2,617 times a day. For heavy phone users, that number jumps to 5,427 times.”

Today’s Thursday Thought quote brings us some old fashioned, basic wisdom that cowboys — and cowboys (and cowgirls) at heart live by.

Violence and prejudice against Asians is rampant in our country. The news makes it seem like it’s something new. It isn’t. Much of it is based on stereotypes we’ve perpetuated by accepting and enjoying on TV and movies. Evaluate your own attitude by watching this short YouTube video:   

Today is Best Friends Day. If we’re lucky, we have one. That’s someone who “gets us,” who loves us despite our faults, who listens to us, who gives us hugs and advice, whichever is needed, who is always there for us. Call and send an e-card to your best friend today, just to remind them how much you appreciate them. Happy Best Friends Day to my best friend.

I just finished taking AARP’s Smart Driver course. It was a pretty good refresher (there ARE some new things to learn) and a discount on my auto insurance. In the process, I came across an interesting fact.

That white line going down the middle of the roadways? Here’s it’s origin (taken from the AARP course): “Invented by Edward Hines, a Michigan resident and member of the Wayne County Road Commission from 1906 – 1938. The idea came to Mr. Hines after watching a leaky milk wagon leave a white trail down the road.”

Well, I found it interesting….

My state, CA, has its first drawing tonight to reward people who have already been vaccinated against Covid-19. Winners are to be notified via text or phone call, on the phone number given when registering to get the shot(s). Many states have similar lotteries and drawings. I wish what I’m about to say didn’t need to be said, but it’s a reminder for those of us who respond in excitement, without thinking.

I, for one, like many others, just hang up on phone calls and delete texts and emails that tell me I’ve won something. This time, though, I’ll give it a second thought.

BUT I won’t give personal information, like my Social Security number or date of birth UNTIL I arrive at an official government office to collect my winnings. In other words, since I expect these vaccine-related drawings to be a bonanza for scammers, I’ll be extra careful. Please, readers, do the same.