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Cold, windy morning so I haven't walked as yet. Not sure I will....Stairmaster??? Haven't decided.
I'm feeling the holiday stress today. The kind where I have to get all the food decided with some surprises too, I have to do all the shopping, finding all the best bargains, I have to find time to get this house straightened and cleaned so I can put up the Christmas decorations next weekend, plus I have to do another groom-job on the poochies, and I....well, you all know this drill.
Anyway, yesterday was a cool experience putting together those Thanksgiving baskets. Tomorrow morning they'll get distributed. What I found surprising is that over 1/4 of those receiving a postcard invitation to have a basket prepared for them, have not responded in any way! The postcard makes it clear who we are and how the recipient has been identified and all they have to do is make a phone call. They say this is the highest number of "no responses" they've ever had!!!
Also of note, and not so good, is that the normal collection of goods nets enough to put together not only Thanksgiving food baskets, but also Christmas ones that are given to the family along with their Angel Tree gifts - but not this year. This year, we're nearly 80% short!!! We'll have enough to do up Thanksgiving plus a few extra, but the chair of the committee is now going to have to decide how to proceed....ask for more donations or, forego the Christmas food basket.
I just can't believe that this drop is due to the economy. This area has actually weathered this economy fairly well....compared to many areas of the country. It's certainly no economic boom here, but people are managing fairly well. We're not asking for huge sums of money, here....just a can of veggies.....or a box of stuffing. With ALL the members of this rather large church, you'd think that fixing up less than 125 baskets wouldn't pose that big an economic hardship.
I guess I'm on a soapbox here. There are just so many needs in the world. Serious needs....food.....clean water.....shelter....security....personal freedom....the most basic of medical care. And, despite anything this country might be going through, we are so very abundantly blessed!!! It's hard for me to see so many people who can't seem to give up even the smallest of their daily expenses/purchases to give a truly poor, struggling family a box or can of food. If people REALLY looked, I'd bet they could find enough pocket change to buy a small food item to donate.
Diet Calendar Entries for 18 November 2011:
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1352 kcal
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Fat: 88.22g | Prot: 89.81g | Carb: 61.80g.
Breakfast: egg, Mrs. Butterworth's Sugar Free Syrup, Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Pancake Mix, canola oil, Brown Sugar & Honey Breakfast Sausage, Pineapple Slice in its own Juice. Lunch: Endulge Peanut Caramel Cluster Bar. Dinner: Organicville non-dairy ranch dressing, Armenian cucumber, romaine, salad toppins, Sargento colby jack cheese slice, Heinz reduced sugar ketchup, ground beef. Snacks/Other: Hillshire Farms ham. more...
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1691 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Sleeping - 8 hours, Resting - 16 hours. more...
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