Car insurance > The Benefits of Reading

The Benefits of Reading

Did you know that reading can keep your mind active and engaged well into old age?Several years ago when I was working as a newspaper reporter, I interviewed a woman who was a resident at a local nursing home. She was 100 years old. And she read at least one book per week. Mostly novels. She was bright, intelligent and fun to talk with."I love to read.

It helps me keep up with what's going on in the world," she said. "A friend of mine brings me a new book every week. I look forward to her visits and I look forward to the books. We talk about the books we've read."Reading has other benefits, as well. For one thing, reading a good story can help you forget some of the problems in your own life."I can't get around much anymore," said the 100-year-old woman who lived in the nursing home.

"When I go somewhere, I have to go in a wheelchair now. But when I read, I can go anywhere, anytime I want. And no one has to help me!"Reading also sets a good example for younger generations.>From my own experience as an English teacher, and as a substitute teacher in many elementary classrooms, I have observed that the best readers are those students who see their parents reading. And I'm not talking about only reading novels or nonfiction books. Newspapers and magazines are important too.

It's the reverse of the old saying, "Do as I say and not as I do." You can talk about the virtues of reading until you are so hoarse you cannot speak another word, but if you do not read yourself, your actions will communicate more to your children and grandchildren about how much you value reading than anything you could ever say.But why is reading so important? In this day and age, with television to give us news, and movies and videos to keep us entertained, who needs to read?The answer to that is -- everyone.Developing good reading skills does not only mean that you can read a novel or a nonfiction book or a magazine or newspaper, it also means being able to read -- and understand-- a credit card contract or an insurance policy. Or the directions for putting together that new shelving unit you just bought. Or the instructions for how to install a new printer to use with your computer. Or the qualifications you need to apply for a job or to take out a loan to buy a house. Or that article you found on the Internet advising consumers about the best, most economical car to buy.Possessing good reading skills also means you can read and understand a product label.

Or the directions for taking medication. Or the warnings printed on a bottle of household cleaner.In addition, developing good reading skills means that you can think for yourself. That you can read about the advantages and disadvantages of anything from breast feeding to homeschooling to taking a vacation to Ireland. And then you make up your own mind about what's best for you and your family.If the opportunity presents itself, I urge you to take the time to read to a child. Or take the time to let a child see you reading.

Everyone will benefit. The child. You. Our society. The world as a whole.And if you're looking for books to read that tell good true-life stories, that focus on old-fashioned family values, and that present some of the history of rural America in narrative memoir form, visit http://ruralroute2.com to read sample chapters from my books, "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" and "Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam." (Also please note that there's free shipping (!) on books ordered from the author.).

LeAnn R. Ralph graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Arts in Teaching. She is the author of the books "Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam" (September 2004) and "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm) (July 2003)
and "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Interviewing Family Members and Writing Oral Histories)" (e-book; April 2004). For more information about the books, visit http://ruralroute2.com.bigpines@ruralroute2.com

The Debt Free Lifestyle

Many people have been taught that you cannot get ahead without debt. We are also inundated with advertising telling us we can have anything we want. All we need to do is put it on our credit card.We have become an impatient society, we want it right now. We have lost the ethic of working for what we want.It is not how much money you make; it is what you do with it. By living without debt you can actually have a higher income since you are not paying out interest, you are actually getting paid interest on invested money.All debt is not created equal.

We will classify them as good debt and bad debt.To simplify the classification we will say that good debt is a loan for something that you could sell at any time and repay the debt. This narrows down good debt to a home loan and possibly a home equity loan.A bad debt, of course, is a loan on anything that will lose value.Let's take a look at some debts that we would consider bad debt.Home equity loans are in the gray area. They could...

The Debt Free Lifestyle
Car insurance > The Debt Free Lifestyle

Do Your Car?s Carpets Need Cleaning?


You may not notice it but the carpets in your car's interior seem to be one of the dirtiest parts of your vehicle. Just imagine how many pairs of feet trudge on it everyday. Just count how many times they did become the location of food bits and food wrappers. Also keep in mind how many times did these carpets become the target of spilled drinks.

It is not surprising if you would find your carpet all dirty.

Dirty is not quite an issue. The difficult thing to attend to would be if your car's carpets have become stained because of everything that has come in contact with it. If you consider this to be quite a difficult task, remember that the more you keep the task of cleaning them aside, the more difficult it would be to take the stains out. All it takes are a couple of easy steps to clean your carpets and make them stain-free.

You should first remove the floor mat of your vehicle.

Sometimes, stains also dwell here. Blot and scrape...

Do Your Car?s Carpets Need Cleaning?
Car insurance > Do Your Car?s Carpets Need Cleaning?

Desperate Moms and Grand Moms From MD to FL Plead to Laura Bush, Oprah and Montel for Help as Homeland Security Failure Leaves Flood Victims High & Dry; ?They have failed us and our children miserably.?

Flood victims, many trapped in tiny FEMA campers - some for more than a year, are making a last ditch appeal to Laura Bush, Oprah Winfrey and Montel Williams for help. They hope the First Lady and TV hosts can do what the President and Congress have been unable to do ? shine the light on wrongdoing within FEMA and help victims receive past due compensation.FEMA reneged on its agreement to conduct an independent review of victims' flood insurance settlements written by FEMA's business partners - private giants like Omaha, Nationwide, Travelers and nearly one hundred others.
The Senate found the insurers as well as Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), the company that runs the privatized National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), approved low-ball settlements which resulted after the companies used artificially low numbers for settling the victims' flood claims. Some were shorted more than one hundred thousand dollars. The women say the settlements "have resulted in personal financial...

Desperate Moms and Grand Moms From MD to FL Plead to Laura Bush, Oprah and Montel for Help as Homeland Security Failure Leaves Flood Victims High & Dry; ?They have failed us and our children miserably.?
Car insurance > Desperate Moms and Grand Moms From MD to FL Plead to Laura Bush, Oprah and Montel for Help as Homeland Security Failure Leaves Flood Victims High & Dry; ?They have failed us and our children miserably.?