All the RAve - the RAnts of RA

I received two envelopes in the mail -- and boy was I shocked -- one was from my granddaughter, the other was from my grandson. I was so excited to see their names on the envelopes that I couldn't wait to open them. I was a little apprehensive, when I saw just how thick that envelope was.

It was the strangest thing...

Inside the children had written the name of their school (on the line provided for them). It was address to me – the child had written my name and address, then on the opposing side of the coupon looking thing was written...

The opposite side of the envelope-sized card was an order form.

Included also was a brochure from TIME For Kids of magazine listings that claimed to offer magazines at a substantial savings, however, the prices appeared to be inflated, then marked down to regular prices. Along with the magazine listing I found a supplemental insert, return envelope, folded one sheet explanation entitled, "a friend is thinking of you..."

Lastly, I found a post card that totally took me by surprise. (Maybe I'm overly sensitive but this upset me.) The card read...

"I'm happy to support you and the special project you are working toward. I'm proud of who you are!"

Now, I'm certain someone felt that this was a good idea. What friend or family member wouldn't appreciate a little help with sending a post card? Frankly, I don't need a school (or TIME For Kids) to tell my grandchildren "I'm proud of who you are!" I find this demeaning and frankly, insulting.

What are they teaching these young students -- certainly not how to write a cordial letter? They could have used this opportunity to get the children to actually write a letter. A skill these children might put to use at some point in their lives. Instead, they are teaching our children to beg.

Now of course because I refuse to bend to the will of a school, set on taking advantage of the friends and relatives of the children in their charge, I'm the bad guy. I really don't appreciate being put on the spot like this. How do you explain to a child that this is called extortion and you refuse to participate in such schemes?

Oh, and don't get me started on TIME For Kids. What a terrific racket for them. Not only does the school "earn" "free" copies of TIME For Kids, they push over-priced magazines to increase their profit margin on loving family members. Do they really expect us to buy what they are selling? These magazines are anything but free. I would have preferred to purchase a subscription for the kids. Teachers ordering at least 10-copies pay only $4.30 per student, which includes shipping and handling.

At home subscriptions cost $29.95 each and doesn't include teaching guides, supplemental materials or any free gifts. Ouch, they certainly aren't looking to break into the homeschool market with this kind of offer.

I'm almost tempted to purchase a subscription, of TIME For Kids, not for my son's benefit, but just to see what kind of balderdash they are subjecting publicly schooled children to.

I believe instead, I'll sit down and write my grandchildren each a letter and encourage them to write back, putting the skills I hope they are learning in school to good use by writing me an actual letter in return. Just what are they teaching these children in school? It makes one wonder.

Labels: family, mail, public school, TIME For Kids

I thought I was the only person who is overly obsessive about spam. I’m talking about the postal kind, not the e-mail type. Years ago I received so much spam in the mail that I actually felt sorry for my postal worker.

Well today as I entered our neighborhood post office a man was standing just inside the door. He looked at me with that deer in the headlight look. I had plainly caught him at something he felt guilty about. He started rambling on about how he knew exactly what to do with junk mail.

I had to chuckle to myself because here was a grown man standing in the post office, stuffing business reply envelopes with the mail he had just received from that particular business. I used to take great pleasure in sending junk mail back to its originator – especially knowing they were paying the freight. It never would have occurred to me, not to take the mail home first. Talk about efficiency.

He stuffed it back in the envelope it came in, calmly walked over to the mailbox and dropped it in. He was my hero today -- standing before me looking like the cat that had just eaten the canary. It made me feel like I wasn’t alone in the world – that I actually had some control over my life. It made sense.

Until...

The other shoe dropped.

I had been at the post office early this morning because I knew there was a package waiting for me and I couldn’t wait to get it into my hot little hands. It was the 10th Anniversary Edition of Pride and Prejudice complete with the book, The Making of Pride & Prejudice, one of my all-time favorite movies. As such the mail hadn’t been sorted yet.

So, when Shawn came home this afternoon we had mail.

I need to rest, I'll finish this story up in a few hours. Check back in the morning. Continued at: Time For Kids?

Labels: DVD, mail, Post Office, Pride and Prejudice