Who Says Its Silly?

There was once a young girl who lived in a village.  The village sat at the edge of a great river.  Much of the villagers land lay outside of the village and across the river.  This year, when the rainy season came in full force, the river rose so high that the villagers could no longer traverse it.  This was a serious problem, but they came to accept it as a fact of life.

The little girl, however, had a different idea.  Each day she merrily gathered rocks and piled them up on the riverbank.  When the villagers asked her what she was doing, she said she was going to build them a stone bridge so they could cross to the other side more easily.  The villagers laughed and told the girl her idea was silly, but she paid them no mind and kept on gathering and piling the rocks.

As time passed, the pile grew so large that the villagers took note of what the little girl was doing.  Eventually, one by one, they joined her efforts in collecting rocks.

More time passed and the pile of rocks grew so large that at last the villagers invited a bridge builder to come and build their bridge.  When the new bridge was completed the villagers cooked a feast and honored the little girl as their angel.

Great things often start as silly ideas!

Holiday Tree
Safety Tips

Decorated trees are a holiday tradition that help set the mood of the season.  However, they can easily become hazards in the home, whether theyre real or artificial.  Here are a few tree tips to keep your home safe this holiday season:

        Always use lights listed by a testing laboratory.  Be aware that some lights are made for indoor use only, and some made for outdoor use only, but not both.  If you use larger lights on your tree, the lights should include some type of reflector so the bare bulbs dont touch the tree.

        Make sure lights are in working order.  Never use strings of lights that have worn, frayed, or broken cords, or loose bulb connections.  Connect no more than three strands of push-in bulbs and a maximum of 50 screw-in bulbs.  Follow manufacturers directions.

        Always unplug decorative lights before leaving your home or going to bed.  Leaving the lights on when youre gone or asleep increases the risk of a fire.

        Never use lit candles to decorate your tree.  Real trees are highly combustible, and artificial trees are made of plastics that can ignite.  (If you buy an artificial tree, make sure its designated as flame retardant.)

        Keep your tree at least three feet away from any heat source.  This includes fireplaces, radiators, and candles.  If possible, place the tree near an outlet so cords are not running long distances.  Do not block any exits with your tree.  And if its live, dont forget to water it!

        When your tree starts dropping needles, dispose of it.  Dried-out trees are highly flammable and should not be left in the house, in the garage, or placed against the house.  To recycle your real tree, look for the nearest center or program at http://earth911.org.

Are You Bringing Up
Financially Savvy Kids?

Kids under age 18 today are learning financial lessons early.  With credit card offers flowing in as they go off to college and financial pressures of all types growing for young people, it seems most parents are doing their part to help their children make good financial decisions while theyre still at home.  Here are the responses from a Visa Inc. survey of parents who have children under age 18:

85% say they talk to their children regularly about money management.

34% talk to their kids daily on the subject.

31% talk to them once a week.

14% speak about once a month.

6% report that they talk about money issues with their children only a few times a year.  Sixteen percent of the respondents, however, admit they never talk to their kids about the wise use of their funds.

Are you talking?  Are they listening?

Its Ski Season!

Are you preparing to go skiing, or missing the thrills of skiing right now?  Have you always wanted to go skiing but cant get to the slopes?  If you answered yes to any of those questions, then the following exercises are for you.  Theyll bring the sensations of a ski vacation into your life, wherever you are:

        Buy a new pair of gloves and immediately throw one away.

        Drive slowly for five hours anywhere as long as its in a snowstorm and youre following an 18-wheeler.

        Visit your local butcher and pay $30 to sit in the walk-in freezer for half an hour.  Afterward, burn two $50 bills to warm up.

        Wear glasses with glue smeared on the lenses.

        Place a small but angular pebble in each of your shoes, line them with crushed ice, and then tighten a C-clamp around your toes.

        Secure one of your ankles to a bedpost and ask a friend to run into you at high speed.

        Throw away a $100 bill now.

        Fill a blender with ice, hit the pulse button, and let the spray blast your face.  Leave the ice on your face until it melts; let it drip into your clothes.

        Dress up in as many clothes as you can and then proceed to take them off because you have to go to the bathroom.

        Slam your thumb in a car door.  Dont go see a doctor.

How To Make
Your Blog Stand Out

So you want to join the hundreds of thousands of bloggers on the Internet?  Dont be intimidated, just realistic.  Your chances of building a following increase if you take the right approach:

Post consistently.  This is common advice, but still true.  If you dont post often, people wont come back to your site often.  You dont have to be brilliant or witty every day, but you should have something new posted two or three days every week.

Listen.  Dont just shout into the Internet.  Read blogs related to your subject to see what people respond to.  Pay attention to your readers when they ask questions or make comments, respond to them promptly.  This encourages everyone to check back for updates and fresh articles.

Be willing to make mistakes.  Nobody expects perfection.  Try to get your facts right, but dont obsess over them or youll never get anything posted.  Its more important to get content out on your blog for people to see.  Correct it if necessary, and then move on.

Nothing Beats Broccoli!

Whats available year-round, can be prepared in dozens of delicious ways, and in terms of nutrition is your supermarkets superstar?  Broccoli!

Ounce for ounce, broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange, which aids iron absorption in the body, prevents the development of cataracts, and also eases the symptoms of the common cold.  Broccoli has as much calcium as a glass of milk, which helps combat osteoporosis.  The large amount of potassium in broccoli aids those battling high blood pressure, and broccoli is a great source of vitamin A, which is good for your immune system, your vision, your bones, and your cholesterol level.

In addition, a recent study found that eating broccoli sprouts can protect the stomach against a bacterium thats linked to stomach cancer, as well as to ulcers and gastritis.  The bacterium is called H. pylori, and the sprouts supply a biochemical called sulforaphane, which can stimulate a bodys protective enzymes.

So, whether you spread some sprouts on a sandwich, saut broccoli in a stir-fry, or serve it raw give broccoli a chance!

Yes, You Are Creative

If you want to create something, it means you want to bring something new into existence.  Sadly, though, when many people hear the word creative, they think Who me?  Im not creative.  But thats just not true.  Most people think creatively and just dont recognize it.  Anyone who has ever improvised in a situation say, using something other than a doorstop as a doorstop has exhibited creative thinking.

But how do you get your creativity to flow?  The first step is to ask yourself why you think youre not creative.  If its because you cant paint portraits or sing an opera, thats no indicator.  The opportunities to be creative are everywhere.  Make a list and write down every creative thing youve ever wanted to do, and dont hold back.  The more you write, the more opportunities youll create to be creative.

Second, give yourself time.  Dont put yourself under any kind of deadline this usually freezes up the brain.  Youve heard the stories of people coming up with their best ideas while theyre in the shower or drifting off to sleep.  Thats because theyre relaxed and not trying too hard.  When you relax, ideas begin to boil and come to the surface.

Enhancing Your Childs Literacy

There are a few easy things parents and other adults can do to enhance the literacy of the children in their lives.  One is to make sure that babies have books around them from the very beginning of their lives.  Books make great toys and that will allow the baby to bond with them.  Make sure that when you buy a book for a baby that it has lots of contrasting colors; buy books that can be propped up; and make sure you have one or two made of cloth or other material that can make it through a few rounds of chewing.

Toddlers and preschoolers can often sit and listen to a whole story.  Make sure you choose books that have repeating text and depict familiar items.  These stories should focus on things that relate to the childs experiences, such as toilet training, or that teach things such as counting and color identification.  Interactive books such as lift-the-flap and pop-up books are usually well-received by children in this age group.

How To Beat Burnout

The dictionary defines burnout as fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity.  If any of that sounds familiar, Mike Staver of www.thestavergroup.com has this advice:

        Admit to yourself that youre burning out, and that its a result of the way you invest your energy.  Dont blame it on anything or anyone else.

        Dont give up and stop investing energy.  Instead, change how and where you invest it.

        Decide what you want then invest your energy accordingly.

        Tell someone how youre going to change the way youre investing your energy and make sure that person will hold you accountable to your commitment.

        If you know certain behaviors leave you drained of energy, align your choices and behaviors with your commitment.  Limit your contact, or at least your investment, in people or activities that are nothing more than a drain.

The Happiness Test

The test of all happiness is gratitude.  Children are grateful when Santa Claus puts in their stockings gifts of toys or sweets.  Could I not be grateful to Santa Claus when he puts in my stockings the gift of two miraculous legs?  G.K. Chesterton

While You Were Out

Are you heading out to a sporting event or other activity that will keep you away from home for several hours?  Then you might want to keep the following story in mind.

A familys car was broken into while they were at a football game.  Items stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money, and a global positioning system (GPS) mounted on the dash.

When the family arrived home they found that their house had been ransacked, and just about everything worth anything had been stolen.  The thieves got a truck, used the GPS to guide them to the house, then used the garage remote control to gain entry.  The thieves knew when the game would end and how much time they had to clean out the house.

Take some time to take some precautions!