Here we are, a third of the way through October. The time truly seems to be flying by. The weather has decided to become more autumnal, but I hope the time for using the furnace stays away a bit longer. The late spring and early fall are wonderful times where we get to catch a break on utility bills, so I'm in favor of a long fall.

The fall television season has begun, football and volleyball seasons are well underway, the harvest is in full swing and activities of all types will be held soon from churches to service groups. Fall is a busy time of year.

It must go back to earlier times when survival of the species depended on gathering enough food and supplies to last the winter. With goods and services readily available, we have become quite spoiled. In the old days, people grew much of what they ate and did not have the luxury of picking up a telephone and having hot food brought to their door.

Progress is a mixed bag and your perception of it is colored by how much your life is affected. In some ways, I believe we have made our lives easier with the use of technology and advancements, but in other, more subtle ways, the progress has carried a high price tag.

Instead of spending time tending a garden, involving the family in chores, teaching the value of hard work, we go to a restaurant or prepare frozen meals. Nearly every waking moment of our lives is very tightly scheduled, whether it be work or school, so making the time for these activities is simply out of the question.

I recall as a child that it was considered a treat to get to eat a frozen TV dinner, which were only purchased for times when Mom and Dad would be gone to an evening event that the rest of us were not invited to, which was a rare occurrence. My favorite was a Swanson's dinner with Ham and Sweet Potatoes. It was until I came down with a violent case of the flu after eating one. Looking back now, it could have been food poisoning, but in those days, flu was the main culprit. Food poisoning? That only occurred in third world countries back in the day!

Needless to say, I haven't looked at a TV dinner since. I'm sure they are fine, but there's nothing like getting sick on something to put you off of eating it again.

Another thing that has changed a great deal since I grew up is television. It was a big day in our house when we got a color television. I recall being the "remote control" for older siblings who wanted the channel changed but did not wish to get up. Remember how heavy the knobs were to turn and the thunking noise they made?

I recall installing a VCR and hooking up cable television for my parents, even setting it up so the cable could be on the TV set in the kitchen for those times when Dad was watching NASCAR and Mom wanted to watch anything BUT NASCAR.

Today there are so many choices we need to have devices to shift through what's on, record them for us to watch later "when we have the time." The new fall season has begun and we recorded the PBS documentary "The War" when it was on and have not made the time to watch it. But I have it!

We live in an entertainment driven society. We need to be informed or amused constantly. First the cable networks went to 24 hour programming, then the Internet arrived and blossomed, providing another source of amusement for the masses. Now film studios and television networks are creating programming to be viewed on cell phones and iPods.

And I thought it was cool to see "Batman" in COLOR! A group of the neighborhood kids went to the home of a shut in banker, a very nice old man, who allowed us all to spend some time in his home to see what the Joker and the Riddler looked like in living color.

As you are rushing around this month, try to make some time to do something, anything, with your family. Make and enjoy a meal together -- with the television off. You'll be amazed what you'll learn.

As always, I welcome your comments. You can reach me by email at tstangl@lemarscomm.net, telephone 712-546-7031, x40 or toll free 1-800-728-0066 x40.

Thanks for reading, I'll keep in touch. Feel free to do the same.