Illustration: Denis Shifrin

CHILDREN

I collected a variety of magazines and other publications, and glue and white paper and gave my grandchildren scissors suitable for six to nine year olds, and received blank faces. I suggested they could cut from the magazines and make pictures in the same way that they draw with crayons. Two very serious children then explained to their backward grandmother that what I had to do was to buy stick-on cutouts from which they can make pictures. No further comment I think is needed.

MACCABI FAX SERVICES

I am writing this presuming that something similar exists within the other Health Funds.

Nowadays if you need the equivalent of form 17 for hospital and other extra services not provided directly by Maccabi, you can get this form by fax and do not have to go to one of Maccabi’s offices. You need to send the formal request form, which you received from your doctor, by fax to your local Maccabi office – they may have some queries on this, but provided they are willing to cover the expense of the requested service, they will then send you back by fax the necessary authorized form 17.

KEEPING A "HOME" FILE

I keep a file for all information on the home, such as receipts for purchases of furniture, electrical equipment, tools, repairs carried out, etc. If you do not have any such receipt then put in a sheet stating what work was carried out, by whom, the date, and what you paid. I also keep here all the necessary instruction booklets, which one usually only looks for a couple of years later. I keep this file almost indefinitely, and about every few years or when the file is overfull, I go through it and throw out only those bills for items that are no longer in existence or where the repair is no longer of relevance.

STOVE TOPS

Recently, on one of the Yahoo lists someone asked for opinions regarding whether to buy an electrical or gas stove top for cooking – my response to this is simple, when we have electricity cuts, how are you going to make that necessary "cup o' tea" or coffee?

TOOTHPASTE

Warning – don't be misled by the adverts stating the weight of a particular toothpaste; it’s worthwhile checking its ml. volume. After all it will be the length and width of the toothpaste that you will be spreading on the brush, not the weight. Note that most tubes have the same quantity, just with different weights, i.e. 100ml can equal 125, 135 and 150 gms.

The story goes that Colgate really made its fortune when some bright spark had the idea of widening the hole for the toothpaste by 30%. By the way have you ever noticed that Israeli brands of toothpaste still have the smaller hole –so it's worthwhile buying blue and white.

DISCOUNT COUPONS

This is a reminder that the weeks before Pesach are the best time for the purchase of the discount coupons for the various chain stores. Worthwhile checking this out with your local Senior Citizen Organization, as well as with the Histadrut in Tel Aviv at 93 Arlozerov St.: tel: 03 692 1902 or at the same address in Room 11 tel: 03 692 1195.