Victory over the Phone Scammers!

I've been having trouble with spam phone calls for a long time. For several years I have been dialing *57 as instructed by my phone company, to mark them for trace, but that wasn't slowing them down one bit.

One day recently I had one every 10 minutes for 40 minutes steady! I called Sasktel and inquired about blocking them. That's another $10/mo on my bill, and I had to buy a phone with caller ID. (This is my landline, not a cell). However that did not work. When I tried to block one live one he was thrilled because he thought I'd changed my mind and wanted his "Prize" after all. I said "No, I'm trying to BLOCK YOU!" (And he was in Texas!)

I called Sasktel again and got fresh instructions, but they didn't work for me either. So this last Friday I'd reached the nth degree, and I called them once more, and said I was ready to take the most desperate measure; I wanted to ask for a new phone number! When the rep heard me describe some of my mis-adventures she decided to waive the $35 fee. She gave me a choice of new numbers, and I picked one out.

Then she asked how soon I wanted this to go into effect. WelI, immediately would have been my first choice, but I got to thinking of the wide circle of friends and relatives I have and what a shock it would be to them to dial my old number and get a recording saying that number is no longer in service. Hmm..?

After hesitating a moment, I asked if it could be done on Monday morning. That would give me the weekend to try to make a list sof my contracts, and to email or phone them of this change. The agent agreed.

I took time on Saturday evening to compile 4 or 5 groups of people that I could contact by email. To phone and end up on some long chats would take me - maybe two weeks! I also made a list of my siblings, one aunt, and some other older seniors who do not have email or computers. I phoned some of them on Sunday and two more yesterday but I've thought of 3 more and so I have another six people to contact by phone and tell them. Most of those only call me once or twice a year, so it is not as urgent.

Some of you on this mailing list will have got one of my Saturday evening emails, but if you think you would like to have my new number I suggest you reply to this RoseBouquet and ask for it. I will send it to you privately by email. But I'm NOT publishing it online.

I believe that's how this problem began. There was a time some years ago when I put my phone number in the footer part of every webpage on every one of my websites. Dumb idea! Those scammers set up robots to scour the whole internet for phone numbers! I've taken my old number off of all those pages 2-3 years ago, but it got on some of those lists and those folks sell or share their lists!

Count on it!

BEWARE where you post your phone number or your email address! It will get around!

<*> TIPS & SOLUTIONS: <*>

How to Use a Scarf to Ease Neck Pain

You may (or may not) recall that I've had neck pain for over a year. In November 2020 I had to shovel snow for 10-15 minutes a day to get a path made through the snow from my back door to the alley on the other side of my garage. That took me two weeks!

That made my left arm and shoulder feel quite weak and achy, but it also pinched a nerve in my neck on the right side. I've got a good chiropractor working on it now, but the pain in my neck is a constant irritation.

A few weeks ago, a friend and I had our belated Christmas gift exchange. She gave me two bags of gifts, and one of them was full of shawls and scarves. (Yes, that's a weakness of mine!)

One of them was a circular grey scarf with fur as soft as a kitten's. It is also thick enough to come up to my ears. Oh how cozy it felt. I started wearing it almost every day, even when at home.

This last Saturday morning I decided it need to to in with my weekly laundry. But then I looked around to see what else could I use to keep my neck so cozy and warm?

I picked up a long knitted scarf with shades of pinks and wrapped it around my neck two or three times before I tied the ends. (I didn't want them to be in the way as I did my housework).

After a while I realized, wow, that scarf keeps my neck really warm, which eases some of the pain, but on top of that, with the extra windings around my neck, it seemed to jack my jaw and head up a bit taller, so the pathetic vertebrae in my neck were not grinding on each other and the pinched nerve was set free! Hallelujah!

I wore that scarf that way all day and by evening was convinced that I'd found a way to clear up my neck pain without painkillers. So I wore it that way on Sunday to church, and afterwards to visit a friend in a nursing home, and all day!

I've changed to another one today, but I tell you, the relief from that pain is somethin' marvelous!

(I'm now considering and researching getting a neck brace, but maybe a good scarf is all it will take.)

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