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Show 1O HILL TOP TIMES Friday. Nevtmbw 22. 1985 mm fl n V 'if3 n Electric toys should be safe. Look for the safety approval label on the cord and on the toy itself. Avoid toys made of lead or d colored with paints. You're these encounter to today, as unlikely lead of the dangers poisoning are well Shoppers are now in the process of buying holiday toys for children of all ages. Toy shopping is a part of the magic of the holiday season. But, in too many instances, toys could dim this magic by causing accidents and injuries. The Medical Society of the District of Columbia offers some simple tips for selecting toys that will help ensure happy holidays. Beware of small toys that can be swallowed, flammable toys, and toys with rough or sharp edges. Pre-wrapp- ed lead-base- known. But it's wise to be safe. Babies' toys should be too large to put in the mouth, washable, lightweight and nonbrittle. Eye injuries are a particular hazard from toys. Sling shots, air rifle, arch o n ery sets and even the spring-actio- n toy pistols that propel sticks capped with rubber cups have caused eye injuries. The air rifle, or B-- gun, is still a threat, even though its use is forbidden in many communities. If you give your child an air rifle, impress upon him or her the danger of ricochet. Many air rifle injuries come from the small shot bouncing off a fence post or the side of a house. A target backed with a bag of sand or straw is a must for shooting an air rifle. B gift items available for no extra charge merchandise. charge for Call (Commander's Topics for prominent areas of the store with packages close by. Prices will range from $4.60 to $89.95 and quantities will be adequate. Typical items are candy, perfume, wallets, watches, pen and pencil sets and power tools. Other items are socks, men's shirts, coffeemakers, buck knives, pocket radios, headphones, car vacuums and videotapes. There will be no extra Free booklet available Childhood cholesterol Check cashing limits raised A new free booklet that discuss- es a variety of health options has Susceptibility to heart attack can be detected in children as young as 12 years old, suggests a study appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers at Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans tracked 1,598 youngsters from ages 5 to 12. Findings demonstrated " significant positive correlations" between obesity and elevations in blood lipids associated with heart disease. The researchers conclude that "Effective cardiovascular disease intervention should focus on prevention of excessive weight gain in childhood and Christmas shopping will be easier this year when shopping at the base exchange. A line of Christmas gifts is being offered. The exchange will select up to 38 products that make ideal gifts and wrap them in Christmas paper and ribbons. The merchandise will be displayed in pre-wrapp- ed pre-wrapp- ed Customers at base exchanges may now write checks for up to $20 more than the amount of purchase. The previous limit was $10. The change applies only to checks cashed at the cash register in exchange facilities where checks are accepted. This change does not affect the $100 daily limit for writing g personal checks at AAFES windows. (Commander's Call Topics for December) check-cashin- pre-wrapp- ed News affecting AF people been prepared by the American Association of Retired Persons and the Federal Trade Commission in cooperation with the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs. It gives specific information about how to choose and use the services of physicians, dentists, vision care specialists and pharmacists. It also discusses health maintenance organizations, keeping health records and what to do if you have a complaint. For a free copy of "Healthy Questions," send your name and address to the Consumer Information Center, Dept. 616N, Pueblo, ; Colo. 81009. Prepare aheacl for overseas assignments By Karen D. Hutchinson Bitburg AB, West Germany I couldn't figure out why my husband was calling me at work. "We're going to Germany! " I yelled to my forgetting to take the receiver away from my face. A bit stunned, he cautioned me not to get too excited. "I've just been for an assignment," he said. "n't have orders yet the Air v, could cancel it at any time." v f hen I look back on it, I could understand the reason for his hesitancy. One of his favorite nicknames for me includes the word "excitable," so he took great pains, not to get me too ' ed s-tt- ; :. ; hyped-up- . ' .I ! . v , , ' I deliberately tried to calm myself. rationalized that if it was possible that he could have his assignment canceled, I really couldn't count on anything. (But the thought that we were going to Germany was still trig-- ; back of my gering anxiously in the : mind.) My thought I was a killjoy. Even when they tried to rile me up, relating in great detail everything I could do when I got to Germany, I : co-worke- rs i shrugged it off nonchalantly. I prided myself n being "casual." The Air Force way of life was new to me. When people started asking, "Well, how short are you anyway?" I was dumbfounded. I replied, "I'm 5 feet 8 inches everyone always told me I was tall." v V months notified mom everyone My in advance that we were going to Germany. I thought that was jumping the gun a little, since I still wasn't convinced we were actually going. And at the office; little vultures seemed to appear out of nowhere, asking daily about my job (very excitedly), "When is Karen going to leave?" But when we got our orders, a sudden transformation took place, I went all out I even bought my "See It and Say It in German" book. Then came the realization that we were actually leaving the country. I had to take care of a lot of things 4 'for the last time." Besides, it was a great excuse to buy clothes and eat a lot of fast food. My husband didn't really buy it ("Karen, there are McDonald's in Germany...," but he put up with me anyway.) Before I knew what was happening, the movers were on the scene. I felt compelled to watch "All My Children" for the last time, so they had to work around me. They packed everything in sight even the TV stand from under , the TV, but I was so engrossed I didn't notice until the end of the show. The port call date finally arrived, our airline tickets actually existed, and T finally realized the Air Force was serious. 'The weather was gorgeous when we stepped off the plane. I couldn't un- derstand why I had been so paranoid (that was my conclusion after we got all our baggage). And although my first experience on the autobahn was a real thrill, I got used to it. It wasn't too long before I was really getting into it. I started turning into a little Mario Andretti. I picked up important German . phrases (helpful shopping terminology and how to order white wine) and before I knew it, I was right at home. Now that we've waded through the paperwork and signed our names a million times, found a car and a house (and everything else), I'll be the first to tell you there's nothing to it. ; Really! But believe me, things will go a lot smoother if you face up to the fact that you're going to be living in a foreign country and prepare yourself for the transition. Read about the new country, study the customs, and the language you'll arrive at your new duty station unscathed. (Family News, December 1985) ; . |