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When paying for my college education, I felt lucky. My parents footed a big part of the bill and I was awarded a scholarship. I also worked on a General Motors assembly line two summers and other odd jobs during breaks to earn money. Even though the university I attended cost less than other larger schools, I can’t imagine what it would be in today’s dollars. During September, which is College Savings Month, take the time to learn more about your options at www.collegesavings.org.

While most students return to school before Labor Day (Sept. 4), requiring more structure and organization, to me this holiday signifies the end of summer. With fall only a few weeks away, it’s time to get back into a routine and gear up for all the activities ahead. The easy-going attitude of summer is replaced by a more serious one.

Two not-so-serious days of note in September are National Grandparents Day on Sept. 10 and National Good Neighbor Day on Sept. 24. I was just talking to my maternal grandparents the other day about their memories of flappers and prohibition. My grandmother said she knew a women who owned a speakeasy whose daughter never lacked for candy or a new dress. The idea behind Grandparents Day is to honor grandparents and give them an opportunity to show love for their grandchildren and to show them all they have to offer.

The people behind Good Neighbor Day aim to build a nation and world that cares by increasing appreciation and understanding of our fellow man. Maybe that’s the day to host a family block party and spend some time with your neighbors.

If you want to start by focusing a little closer to home, read In a Nutshell to learn about warning signs of troubled marriages and the hallmarks of a healthy relationship.  Keep going to read about increasing your security on the Internet.

With summer ending and autumn just around the corner, take a minute to unscramble September in Treehouse Games. Be sure to visit Treehouse Trivia to find out about the possibilities of cloaking devices and a story about a pencil.

You don’t need a pencil to complete our new surveys, which include features that are
designed to maintain the security of the product concept and require the use of Internet
Explorer and a Java-enabled browser. While we know that a number of our panelists
have alternative browsers, at this time, we must request that you use IE to open this
survey. We apologize in advance if this is problematic for your household.

We at PineCone Research need you to be a part our security team. We hope you enjoy your work with us. You may be tempted to discuss it with others, however, we require that you keep your survey and product testing experiences within your own household. This includes blogging and posting information like our registration link in Internet chat rooms or on message boards. We appreciate your assistance in this matter. Also, when responding to surveys, please limit your feedback to only the product that you are evaluating. 

And if you have a question, problem or a comment of any kind to make – about the research you participate in or our newsletter, you can let us know what you are thinking by e-mailing me at Scott@PineConeResearch.com or call us toll free at 1-888-572-2676. Thanks for your interest and CONFIDENTIAL participation in PineCone Research. . . .where we value you, your time, your privacy and your opinions.