Friday, April 27, 2007

I am brainwashing my children

Since my kids were born every time we come across a smoker I tell them, “Smoking is yucky, it makes your breath stinky and your teeth yellow”. I am hoping that this will have some effect on them. They are 4 and 2 now. I should know in about 4 to 5 years if it works on my oldest.

My logic is that telling people that smoking is bad for them and can kill you does not seem to be working. Take a look at all the Dr.’s and other health professionals huddling outside to get that puff they need. They know better and yet they cannot get away from the hold nicotine has on them. My goal is to keep my kids from even trying smoking so nicotine never gets them. If health does not work maybe vanity will. Look at the extremes people go to so they look good, the money they spend. Maybe they will not do some thing like smoking to look good. A lot of people started smoking because of the images of sexy sophisticated or cool people smoking, lets turn it around and say if you want to be sexy, sophisticated or cool then you don’t smoke.

Why is this so important to me, well on my fathers’ side every one has died of lung cancer from smoking. Yes, every one of them. My father died at 49, his father died about the same age, his mother died in her 60’s and all the uncles and aunts also died of lung cancer. They are all gone, my kids and I are the last of the line. My mother smoked, and most of the people I used to know smoked, so although I never smoked I breathed in second hand smoke for about 25 years. Do I worry about cancer, hell yes! I am worried that I will end up with it and may not see my kids grow up. My husband’s father is currently dieing of lung cancer, and has already lived past the time they gave him. We don’t know how much longer he will be here. My husband is an ex-smoker and he stopped when his Dr. told him he had to stop smoking and drinking or he would die.

I don’t want my kids to smoke; our family history shows this is a bad thing. So I can put up with the dirty looks smokers give me when I tell my kids “Smoking is yucky, it makes your breath stinky and your teeth yellow”. I hope other people start telling there kids this.




Thursday, April 26, 2007

Made a leather spider shield

My son loves the TV show spider riders. Great, but we could not find any spider rider toys in any stores, not even on eBay. So I decided to make him a shield with a spider on it. Well I knew if I made him one I had to make one for our daughter. So I made three so they could each pick one and I would have one to sell. I made sure the shield was the same size as my sons forearm. The shield is 6 ½” in diameter and is made from 16 oz. Armour grade leather. I originally was going to have the shield fit over the arm, but changed it to a hand strap. The shields are designed drawn, burned and painted by hand. My son loves his, the blue one. My daughter liked the green one, so I have the pink one for sale on my web site www.medievalmagic.ca.




Burned, Painted and Waxed. I forgot to take pictures as I did the work. Here the wax is drying.








All done.


Sunday, April 22, 2007

What type of person are you – the one who risks all, or sacrifices the dream for your kids?

If you have ever had just one of those days, worried about keeping a roof over your head and food in your kids you will understand the video Pursuit of Happyness. In some points it hits too close to home, other times they tell it like it is. Its bad, but they don’t show as bad as it is for those who are homeless. They touch on it and let you have a good idea, but you will never know unless you live it.

This is a great movie for every one who struggles every day, looking for a light, or a better pay cheque at the end of the day. Some days it is hard not to give up and cry, it was nice to see some one win. Me being me, living the life I have had, I have to feel for the other 19 people who did not make it. Who gave their best and still did not get the job, not because they were not good at it or did not give their all but because there was only one job. What makes some one succeed is the ability to pick them selves up and going on any way. That is what Chris Gardner played by Will Smith did. He did not succeed at what he was doing but he kept on going until he found some thing he did succeed at.

This was a very hard movie to watch at times. It hit that fear of loosing every thing, and struggling to find a bead for your child to sleep in, food for him to eat, a safe place to be. At the same time it took a lot for Chris Gardner to put every thing into this one thing, to work for nothing for 6 months for the chance at a job, when he did not have money to live. What type of person does that. I don’t know if I could take that chance at the expense of my child. I think I would have had to find a job just to pay the rent, and gave up that dream to survive. What type of person are you – the one who risks all, or the one who sacrifices the dream for your kids?

How safe are you in your own home?

From what I saw on the Montel Williams show today, not as safe as you might think. Today they had a show called “ANYTHING TO PROTECT MY FAMILY”. One person killed to protect her child and another died to protect his children. I watch true crime shows and CSI and the like so I know things happen. However there is knowing it happens and thinking about some thing happening to you.

I am not saying that we should be in fear of our safety all the time but that we need to be more aware of how we can make ourselves safer. The truth of the matter is that if some one is out to get us they are going to figure out how. All we can do is make it as difficult for them as possible, hopefully so hard that they give up. There are a lot of new things out there to help, personal safety features in our cars (hart beat monitor on your key ring), personal safety products like pepper spray and the like. There are self-defense classes and more books then one person wants to read. So what can we do?

If you have a lot of money there are lots of things you can do but what can people with little or no money do. What I got out of the Montel Williams show is that there are things we can do that are simple and not to costly. Lets look at our homes. If you have an alarm, use it. Lock your doors and windows. Do a safety check on your home, how can some one get in, what can you do to make it harder with out turning your home into a prison. I liked the idea of motion sensor lights on the out side, and making sure your locks and door handles are as good as you need them to be. Having a safe room with a cell phone is a great idea as well. Do not have your valuables visible to people outside, even if you have to buy some blinds or some thing – if people don’t know what you have they are not going to be as temped to break in to get it. Only you know your home or apartment, look around and use common sense about what you can do to about making your home safer. See if the police in your area have a program to educate people on improving the safety of their homes.

Other places again we need to use common sense to not be a victim. Park in lighted areas; look to see if someone is in your car before you get into it. Don’t go out in unsafe areas by yourself if you don’t have to. Don’t accept drinks from some one other then the wait staff or bartender. If you have kids you think about their safety all the time, now the shoe is on the other foot. Take the same advice you give your kids and use it on yourself.

I would like it very much it you have a safety tip please add it to the comments so we can share them. We need to take preventative measures to not be a victim. It may only be a small thing that makes the difference. I have to tell you, if making sure I lock my door, put on the alarm, lock my windows even when I am home keeps me safer it is a small thing to do.