- you made me cry!!!!

[Guest guest]

OK, -- everytime I think that I am worn out working for MAGIC,

that I have volunteered enough time over enough years, everytime I

think that I just can't do this any longer, that most people truly

don't understand all the time that it takes from me and away from my

family.... I read your email. Your email made me BAWL!!!! I had

tears rolling down my face. Your email is exactly why I volunteer

so many hours, as does Katy, and many more of you in your

fundraising, and your volunteer hours at the convention.

Thank you, sweet woman. The Lord has certainly gifted you with

passion. Lots of love. S.

> Dear RSS Family,

>

> I am going to write about something today that might offend you.

> The topic is money and how to save it. Please know that I am not

> intentionally trying to pick on anyone's choices or lifestyle. I

am

> merely pointing out some options that you all may have not heard

of

> or tried before. My motivation is simple. THe more people we get

> on board with the Magic Foundation as members, the greater pay off

> we all will have in the long run - especially for our precious

> children. As has said in the past, the more members we

> have, the more funding we are likely to get from the major

> pharmaceuticals who help our kids. This would lead to research

> which someday will help prevent RSS. Call me a dreamer, but if

they

> can find the cause of Progeria (the aging disease that affects so

> few people in our country), why not find the cause of RSS which

> affects thousands?

>

> A few months ago when my fund raising efforts were done, I was

> talking to Salem on the phone. We were both lamenting

the

> fact that membership in Magic is no where near the level it is

here

> on the list serve. I told her, that as I am a consumate tightwad

> (thrifty, frugal, penny watcher and pincher) getting information

> (medical, educational and emotional) for free is just to good to

> pass up. She agreed, and then we started talking about how hard

it

> is to raise a family when there are so many lay offs and down

sizing

> not to mention, primary care givers giving up jobs and benefits to

> stay at home and care for their sick children. Speaking of sick

> children, we all know how expensive it is to care for our RSS

kids.

> Some of us get government help. Other's can't. I've often joked

> with my husband that by the time Connor reaches college years, we

> will have already financed an Ivy League education with his

medical

> exspenses. I'm sure many of you are in the same boat. But,

beleive

> it or not, we have still managed to save money every month even

> though I am a stay at home mom now. It can be done.

asked

> me to write an article about how to save money painlessly so that

> the option of Magic membership would not seem oo daunting to our

> list serve families.

>

> With the next few tips that I have collected over the past few

> months I hope to educate you all on some alternatives to spending

> which can create savings in your checkbook and thus income for the

> 30.00 membership fee or whatever you may fancy. Everybody repeat

> after me, " Saving money is not a bad thing. "

>

> Knowledge is power - let us proceed.

>

> 1. Purchase 10 articles of clothing at thrift shops and yard sales

> this year instead of paying department store prices. I'm really

not

> bragging but many of you commented on how nice I dressed Connor

and

> myself at convention. Please let me inform you, every article on

my

> back (including underwear) was purchased at Goodwill or a thrift

> shop. It's not uncommon to find Liz Claiborne and Ralph at

> these places. You're saving huge amounts of money buying second

> hand.

>

> 2. Hang four loads of laundry per week instead of using your

> dryer. Your dryer is the hugest energy sucker of wattage in your

> home. Cutting back will show up in savings on your monthly bill.

>

> 3. Wash your own car this month and save the $ 15.00 - $20.00

> charge per wash for the car wash. That's a savings of 30.00 -

40.00

> dollars in one month.

>

> 4. Mow your own lawn. Not only will you save money, you'll burn

> calories!!!!

>

> 5. Once a month, make a pizza from scratch and buy the soda on

> sale. The average family of 5 spends $25-40.00 on this meal. I

can

> get the soda for .69 cents a liter and make the pizza (meat

included

> for 5.00. Total savings $22.00.

>

> 6. Drop down your cable to broadcast stations only. We went from

a

> 47.00 a month bill to 13.00. The savings were invested in some

> reader rabbit software to help the children learn to read. Yes, I

> miss HGTV, but I have found that the public library has a ton of

> home interiors how to books which I can check out for free.

> Speaking of the Library...

>

> 7. Start using the Library five times more than you have. Books,

> best sellers, how to, crafts, history, videos, books on tape, free

> internet access, children's literacy programs. Etc. Etc.Etc.

> Folk's the public library is a stay at home mother's salvation for

> entertainment value for the kids!

>

> 8. Buy the generic lable of food rather than the name brand.

THere

> is no difference between Del Monte canned veggies and the store

> brand except .25 a can in price. Same goes for coffee, flour,

eggs,

> cereal, etc. Yes, I know, choosy mother's choose Jiff. But, if

you

> buy generic on 80% of your groceries and leave 20% for those

special

> items you simply can't do without your savings will be substantial.

>

> 9. Learn the receipe for a lattee and make your own at home.

Need

> help? 1 can of sweetened condensed milk. Instant coffee to

taste.

> Heat, the milk, beat in a blender add coffee and them smooth with

> milk. Viola. Lattee for .49 cents rather than $5.00 . Do this

for

> one week and you can mail in your saving to Magic for your

> membership before school starts.

>

> 10. This last tip will involve a mind over matter reorganization

in

> your thought process. In anthropology, we call it a paradigm

shift.

> Understand Time and the importance of patience. Today's new

release

> at the movie theater will eventually be on video. Total savings

for

> the family 22.00. Same goes with best sellers. Our culture has

> programmed us to want everything right away. Instant

gratification

> sells. Folks, buck the system!!!!! Wait. Everything goes on

> sale. Everything goes off the market. Everything, and I mean

> everything ends up in a yard sale!!!!! Time is your friend when

> saving money. Exercise patience and you will reap the benefits.

>

> Money is a trick subject with many emotional strings attatched.

My

> greatest hope is that anyone today reading these points can feel

> empowered to be a member of Magic and reap those benefits as

well.

> My membership has helped me educate the care team who works on

> Connor. How many of you have had to contradict Dr.'s with the

> latest research from the Journal of Endocrinolgy because you've

read

> the article and they haven't? Thank Magic for that. Thank Magic

> for gathering the information and organizing it so that you can

get

> it to your doctor. Thank Magic for that Handy Dandy brochure

which

> could save your child's life in an emergency room when some idiot

> Dr. wants to send you child home in a full blown Hypo-g drop in

> their blood sugar. Thank Magic for creating a community of caring

> individuals who help each other out in every aspect of life.

Thank

> Magic for the convention where we can gather and the people

staring

> at your child look just like him, and then they smile because they

> have found a friend.

>

> Hope is a powerful motivator. I can't put a price tag on it. But

I

> know that in July, I left the Magic convention with buckets of

hope

> to report back home with and to live on for the rest of the year.

> If we all work together, joining Magic and continuing to help each

> other on this list serve, no one will be able to put a price tag

on

> our collective achievements. But, we will have living proof in

our

> children and our friends.

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Kearns

> Mom to Graham 7, Cameron 4, Connor IUGR, RSS, Periactin, Zantac,

> Prevacid ST, PT, NT, Ciphosis.