Merry and Bright - and Safe

Fire and light safety tips for the holiday season


The holiday season is a special time of year but one that has greater safety risks than usual. The dry evergreen tree, those candles and electric lights you use to decorate or set the holiday mood, or the cosy fire you have blazing in the fireplace can all be fire hazards.

Here are some precautions you can take to prevent fires and help you and your family stay safe to enjoy the festivities of the season.

Decorative electric lights

-Use lights and extension cords that are in good condition and that have been certified by a recognized organization - the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC or cUL).
-Inspect cords and lights for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets/plugs, excessive kinking or wear. Check the cords periodically when they have been on for a while; they should not feel warm. If you find any of these signs, replace with an approved (CSA, ULC or cUL) product, or don't use.
-Never remove the ground pin, or file the wide peg of the plug, as this interferes with the electrical grounding.
-Never put extension cords through doorways or under carpets.
-Do not leave holiday lights on unattended. Turn off the lights when you leave work, and at home, turn them off when you are asleep or away.
Follow the manufacturers' instructions about how many sets of lights that can be strung (plugged in) together. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet (safer than working with a plugged in extension cord that is conducting electricity).
-Do not overload electrical outlets.
-Use only indoor lights and extension cords indoors, and outdoor lights and cords outdoors.
-Use mini or LED lights - they have cool-burning lights, and LED lights use less electricity.

Candles and oil lamps

-Place lit candles in stable holders (not wood or plastic) that cannot burn and are large enough to collect dripping wax. Place them where they cannot be easily knocked down.
-Trim candle wicks to a height of 5-7 mm (1/4 inch) before lighting the candle and again every 2-3 hours to prevent high flames.
-Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame - candles, lighters or matches, and never use lit candles on live or artificial trees.
-Keep burning candles one metre away from anything that can burn (e.g. papers, cloth, or drapes).
-Never leave a candle unattended. Extinguish it before you leave the room.
-Keep burning candles out of reach of children and pets.
-Avoid using decorative oil lamps with liquid fuel (usually poisonous) if you have young children in your household. If you do use them, keep the fuel locked away out of reach of children.

Keeping it real - the Christmas tree

-Cut trees become dry quickly and most will last about 14 days. If you are decorating a live tree for the workplace, you may want to take it down before people leave for holidays.
-When buying a live tree, give it a shake. Needles will fall if the tree is dry because it was cut too long ago. Pick a tree that does not lose its needles and with a trunk that is sticky to the touch.
-Cut 2 to 5 centimetres from the trunk of the tree to encourage the tree to drink more water.
-Water the tree. Ideally, it should have a sturdy stand that holds about 4 litres of water. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
-Use a preservative in the water. If you are concerned about small children or pets drinking the water, use a small amount of sugar instead.
-Keep the tree away from heating vents or registers, fireplaces, high traffic areas, and exits so it won't dry out prematurely. As well, try to position the tree so you do not have to use long extension cords.

Decorations

-Buy only decorations and artificial trees that are non-flammable or flame resistant.
-Do not use angel hair (glass wool) together with spray-on snowflakes. This combination burns very easily.
-Do not use metallic ornaments on the tree. If they make contact with defective wiring they could become a shock hazard.
-Do not use nails, tacks, or staples to hang cords and lights. They can damage the wire, cause corrosion, or create a short circuit.

Fireplaces and wood stoves

-Always use a secure screen in front of your fireplace.
-Have the chimney cleaned at least once a year to prevent chimney fires.
-Burn hardwood which will leave less creosote in the chimney.
If using firelogs, follow the manufacturer's instructions and burn only one log at a time.
-Never burn wrapping paper in a fireplace. It can create a very large fire, with dangerous sparks and embers that could cause a chimney fire.
-Make sure the fire is out before going to bed or before going out.
-Ensure that the chimney is drawing well so that wood smoke does not come into the room.
-Keep children away from gas fireplaces. When in use, the glass doors can become hot enough to cause serious burns.

General fire safety tips

-Do not leave cooking food unattended on a stove.
Keep cooking areas free of flammable objects (such as potholders and towels) and avoid wearing long, loose-fitting sleeves that could ignite over the stove burner when cooking.
-Never smoke in bed or leave burning cigarettes unattended. Do not empty smoldering ashes in a trash can.
-Keep portable space heaters away from anything that could catch fire such as the drapes or slip covers.
-Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of the home, including the basement, especially near rooms in which people sleep. Test them once a month, and replace batteries twice a year.

Have a safe, healthy and happy holiday.

Fran

P.S. Here is a link to a Christmas gift for you http://www.franwatson.ca/Memories.zip

5 Gifts From The Heart

This is from an email I received today and I thought I would share it.


5 Gifts from the Heart

The gift of listening: At a social event or a sales call, listen carefully to what people bring up. Those topics are important to them. Ask questions and really listen to the answers.


The gift of attention: Is someone telling you what's bothering or worrying them? Give them your full attention. It works wonders in understanding their needs, and making them feel valued.

The gift of time: We live in a time-pressed world. Instead of doing two things at once, mentally slow down and be in the moment (when you have time, of course!).


The gift of humor: Laughter draws people to you. Take a moment to laugh with your clients, friends and family. A small dose of humor produces very positive side effects.

The gift of thanks: Take a moment to give sincere thanks to everyone who has helped you this year.

And now I'd like to thank you for giving me a few moments of your precious time each week. I wish you all the best for the holiday season and New Year.

Warmest wishes,

Lynda

Lynda@LyndaGoldmanInk.com


I hope you enjoyed this

Fran
P.S. Here is a Christmas gift for you - I compiled a book with Christmas Carols, Christmas stories and recipes. I hope you enjoy it. http://www.franwatson.ca/Memories.pdf

Life Is Too Brief Sometimes

Last Friday morning at 4:56 am, December 4th, 2009 my brother died. He was two years younger than me. He was much too young to die.

My mom, his son and my sister were all able to see him before he died, thanks to two of his friends (Terry & Wendy) who had gone down to visit him. They were able to get him to the hospital and contacted my sister who flew down to Florida right away and then she contacted my mother, his son (age 26), and me. We flew down the next day and went straight to the hospital where his son had to make the very tough decision to pull the life support and let him go. I stayed the night with him and was with him as he breathed his last breath. Then we got to deal with the red tape of getting his body from Florida to Toronto.

We spent 3 1/2 hours in a funeral parlour while a gentleman filled out paperwork. We thought he was the janitor as he greeted us in jeans and a shirt that looked like it had been attacked by cats - it had picks all over it. Where was the suit and the solicitous concern that is shown by the funeral directors and staff in our Canadian funteral homes? He even went on to tell us what he would do with my brother's body, things his son did not need to hear at that time. We learned that the body could not be shipped out for almost a week due to the Health regulations that had to be followed in order to get the required paperwork, since this was Friday afternoon and he could do nothing more until Monday.

My brother had gone down to Florida at the end of October to finalize the renovations on the condo that he had bought. He had barely moved in when he became too sick to enjoy it. We were to have joined him for Christmas this year, but the cancer took him too soon.

Life will not be the same without him.

At his funeral service, there were several people who spoke about him - a business partner, his sailing club, the Lion's Club (he had been given an Award of Merit that had only been given out 6 times in the past 28 years just last year), his riding club, his cousin, and myself. Each talked about the lives he had touched, the many things he had done and what a wonderful person he was. They touched on his love of "beer, butt, bike and books" as well as his caring and love of family and friends, and the number of people who attended attested to the fact that he touched many lives.

Life for the rest of us goes on......... but you will be missed - Rest in peace my brother. I pray that you are finally at peace.

Your big sister
Fran

Four Laws Of The Universe

This week, I'm dipping into an unknown manuscript by Sterling W. Sill that contains more than 100 unpublished Laws of the Universe. Unfortunately, there are only one or two copies of this manuscript in existence and it was never published.

Luckily, I have a copy and I'm sharing some of its wisdom with you. These four laws alone provide much guidance for building a good and profitable life.

1. The Law of the Rerun

One of the best tests of quality in literature is survival. We watch reruns of old movies on TV and read the classics because their ideas and characters speak to us long after the authors and actors are dead.

Psychologists tell us that when we run an idea through our brains it makes a little groove or engram. And each time the idea is rerun, the groove becomes a little deeper and broader so that we're forming attitudes or habits.

A valuable maxim says: practice makes perfect. If we want to become a great basketball player, we run the skill until it is memorized by the muscle.

Through repetition and drill we gain skill. We develop the habit of creating excellence.

Drill for skill works negatively as well. Sill writes, "If we practice failure and error we become prolific in bringing them about." If we rerun bitterness, resentment, antagonism, we make habits of them.

But when we rerun beauty, ambition, faith, kindness, inspiration they become part of who we are. Thus the rerun is the instrument through which we express our Divine nature.

2. The Law of Retribution

The word "retribution" may sound harsh, but Sill writes that the Law of Retribution simply means that no one can step between an act and its natural consequence. "For every wrong we do, every personality quality we leave undeveloped, every opportunity we fail to take advantage of, we pay a penalty."

Often that penalty is that the undesirable act incarnates, becomes a part of us. "If a person lies, his punishment is that he becomes a liar. If we think negative thoughts, we develop negative minds. If we don't study, the resulting ignorance attracts those undesirable qualities that have an affinity for ignorance."

The point of this law is not to punish us by inflicting pain and suffering, but to awaken us, to prod us into eliminating the wrongs from our system.

For it is one of the great unchangeable laws of the universe that we are all gravitating straight toward where we belong. At the same time, "we must bear the responsibility for the time we have strangled and the development of our personality that was stillborn."

3. The Law of Salesmanship

For his discussion about this law, Sill references the Bible, which one may read for its history, philosophy, theology, but it is also the greatest sales manual ever written.

In the Sermon on the Mount, it was said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things shall be added unto you."

Jesus also said that the kingdom of God is within each of us.

When applied to salesmanship, the quote means: the first important thing in any success is to develop our character, our inner talents first, and then the sales will come easily as a natural consequence.

If we try to build success without developing courage, industry and service, we usually don't get very far.

We also don't get very far if we behave immorally. Really great salesmanship is founded on doing right. Any sale that does not profit both parties is wrong.
The very best way to be a good salesperson is to be a good person.

4. The Law of Self-Discipline

Sill writes that The Law of Self-Discipline is also the Law of Accomplishment. You can't have one without the other. Without discipline there is no excellence, no progress, no satisfaction.

History is full of people from poor circumstances who rose to great heights chiefly because they learned self-control and self-motivation. People who learn to manage themselves can reach any objective.

To develop discipline where it is lacking, practice something every day that you don't like. My mentor used to say, "Do the things that are uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable being uncomfortable."

The rewards of self-discipline are well worth the effort spent to attain it. We should set substantial objectives for ourselves and through the practice of self-discipline meet every one.

Now, those, in my opinion, are amazing lessons.



© Copyright 2009 - David Neagle's Life Is Now Inc.
All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?You may, as long as you commit to leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and include the following byline: David Neagle, Million Dollar Income Acceleration Coach, mentors entrepreneurs to quantum leap their current businesses past the 7-Figure income level in just 12 months. David invites you to download--as his GIFT to you--his legendary "Art of Success" 4-hour audio program. This audio series is a tremendously compelling and comprehensive program that demonstrates--once and for all--that Success has nothing to do with "getting" or "achieving", and everything to do with WHO we much BE to manifest our hearts' true desires. For an additional bonus, Text: success to the number: 85800

I hope you enjoyed this article.

Fran, Doctor of Purpose
"Helping People Find Their Voice"

Success

Success does not reside in a far off destination or achievement.

Success comes from the small steps taken each day that put you a little closer to your goal. We don't take leaps to success. We take simple actions in the right direction that add up over time to get us where we want to be.


"Nothing happens until something moves."
- Albert Einstein

Please Wear A Poppy

Let us remember those who have given their lives for us, those who have been wounded physically and mentally in their acts of service, and those who came back whole.

Lest we forget.....

PLEASE WEAR A POPPY

"Please wear a poppy," the lady said
And held one forth, but I shook my head.
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
And her face was old and lined with care;
But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.

A boy came whistling down the street,
Bouncing along on care-free feet.
His smile was full of joy and fun,
"Lady," said he, "may I have one?"
When she's pinned in on he turned to say,
"Why do we wear a poppy today?"

The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered, "This is Remembrance Day,
And the poppy there is the symbol for
The gallant men who died in war.
And because they did, you and I are free -
That's why we wear a poppy, you see.

"I had a boy about your size,
With golden hair and big blue eyes.
He loved to play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird he would race about.
As the years went by he learned and grew
and became a man - as you will, too.

"He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
But he'd seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out and he went away.
I still remember his face that day
When he smiled at me and said, Goodbye,
I'll be back soon, Mom, so please don't cry.

"But the war went on and he had to stay,
And all I could do was wait and pray.
His letters told of the awful fight,
(I can see it still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.

"Till at last, at last, the war was won-
And that's why we wear a poppy son."
The small boy turned as if to go,
Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
That sure did sound like an awful fight,
But your son - did he come back all right?"

A tear rolled down each faded check;
She shook her head, but didn't speak.
I slunk away in a sort of shame,
And if you were me you'd have done the same;
For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
Thought our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!

And so when we see a poppy worn,
Let us reflect on the burden borne,
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace might live.
Then wear a poppy! Remember - and give!

by Don Crawford


I share this to bless all who serve...wherever they may be.

Fran

Life Lesson - Fix it before it fixes You

There are so many things that this life lesson can apply to. Our vehicles, our relationships, our houses and much more. In my case it applied to a job I have been putting off for quite a while.

On Saturday I was working around my house cleaning up and putting away things in the garage and then trying to fix the door on my garage. After I examined the old door which wasn't fitting properly, I realized that I needed to cut a portion off the post which attached to the outside wall and so I carried the door and frame over to the top of my dug well where I had some support.

I wasn't really looking where I was going and as I stepped onto the well, I stepped on a rotten board on the top of my well which broke. My right leg fell through and was hanging inside the well just above the water. Luckily for me my left leg was still on the cement and the next board was still solid.

I pulled myself out, a little bruised and sore, but I then continued with my project, put the door back on the garage, put the chairs in the garage, went to the dump and then came home and changed my clothes.

It wasn't until later that I realized how lucky I really was.

I realized that If the second board had also been rotten, I would have fallen right into the well which was about 15-20 feet deep and filled with water. There was no way for me to get out.

My boyfriend had gone to get his mom from the hospital, so he didn't get home until around 6:00 pm. He would have called me, wondered where I was, but he wouldn't have looked for me until about 8:00 - 9 hours after I would have fallen in. I live in the country and my closest neighbour was gone hunting, so there was no one nearby. I had no cell phone with me to call 911. There was no way to climb out of the well.

I realized that if I had fallen in, I probably would not be here to tell the tale.

We had talked often about putting something more over the well, filling the well, etc. but hadn't gotten around to it.

Often in our relationships we talk around a problem, but fail to actually deal with it until it becomes much worse.

Sometimes with our vehicle we hear a funny noise, but we wait for a while before we take it to the garage and what might have been a $20 part has now turned into a $500 (or more) repair.

There is a saying that applies here: "A stitch in time saves nine."

Before I left I put a flat over the top of the well. My grandson suggested putting some stakes around it with rope - a good idea.

Luckily I am here. The life lesson - take care of things before they become dangerous - or fix it before it fixes you - and watch where you walk.

BANABU

Fran