Quality Time?
From the book Spider's Big CatchGary Andersonwww.abciowa.comThere's a phrase that's become popular over the past few years that fills me with wonder. That phrase is "quality time." We've all heard it, and we all seem to accept it as a real concept. But to the average country person, that phrase is difficult to comprehend.Here's what I mean. Last summer, my 10-year-old son Cody and I spent an entire day walking the fields, checking fences. When we saw a post that needed straightening or a strand of wire that needed to be tightened, we set right to work.
Sweat poured across our faces, our shirts grew soaked from the hard work we were engaged in. But as we strained against the task at hand, we talked about his little league baseball team and how he could improve his hitting to the opposite field. Then, as we walked a little farther down the fence line, we laughed till we cried when a covey of quail nearly gave us a heart attack as they exploded out of the grass in front of us. We heard the amazingly varied call of a cardinal in the woods off to our right. We saw two red-tailed hawks circling lazily over our heads, and marveled at how they could see field mice at such a height.It was a typical day for us, father and son.
We weren't doing anything "special." We were working. And yet, I know from similar experiences with my own dad when I was Cody's age that days like these would be the ones that came to mind once he'd grown up and had children of his own.So I ask again: was that "quality time?" Think back to your own childhood. What things do you remember most about your parents? Was it the fact that your dad worked 16 hours a day at the office, and fell asleep on the couch on the weekends because he was too exhausted to move? No, I'm willing to wager that's not what you remember. More likely, you remember the time you went for a long walk along the country road in the rain and came home looking like not only something the cat had dragged in, but something he'd dragged in and forgotten under the refrigerator for a month.It's been said that kids spell "love" ... t-i-m-e, and I couldn't agree more.So the next time you hear yourself thinking that you'll make it up to your daughter when she asks you to play "Chutes and Ladders" for the seven millionth time, remember: your kids are watching you, and it doesn't matter how young they are; they know how to spell the word "quality," too.
Strangely enough, to our kids, the word "quality" is spelled exactly the same as the word "love."They're both spelled T-I-M-E.? 2004. Gary E. Anderson. All rights reserved..
Gary Anderson is a freelance writer, editor, ghostwriter, and manuscript analyst, living on a small Iowa farm. He?s published more than 500 articles and four books. He?s also ghosted a dozen books, edited more than 30 full-length manuscripts, produced seven newsletters, and has done more than 800 manuscript reviews for various publishers around the nation. If you need writing or editing help, visit Gary?s website at www.abciowa.com. abciowa@alpinecom.netLatter-day Saints Mobilize 4000 Volunteers in Chainsaw Brigade?s First Wave
Atlanta, Ga (ContentDesk) September 17, 2005 --
"We have not had such help since we were liberated by the Americans after World War II."
So concluded a retired Hungarian couple finally able to enjoy a respite from the overwhelming task of digging out from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
They had been trying for some time to chop up the seven uprooted trees that littered their yard, using a Boy Scout hatchet, when volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, moving through the area with ladders and chainsaws, stopped and offered help.
Within a couple of hours, the yard was cleared of debris.
In a weekend that saw a massive mobilization of Latter-day Saint volunteers from throughout the Southeast, the Georgia crew of five was part of a force of 4000 who took the buzz of chainsaws to hurricane-stricken areas throughout Louisiana and Mississippi.
Setting aside their weekday routines as bankers, accountants, contractors,...
Ladders > Latter-day Saints Mobilize 4000 Volunteers in Chainsaw Brigade?s First Wave
The Art Of Gutter Cleaning
Many homeowners clean their own gutters or hire someone each season to properly maintain their homes. What you may not realize is that most gutter systems should be cleaned 3-4 times a year with each season. You may be wondering why should I clean out my gutters so often? The reason is each season trees go through various cycles that can clog up your gutters. In spring, most trees drop seedlings and dead twigs. Spring is also the best time to inspect your gutters for any damages that may have occurred during the winter snow.
In summer, trees lose leaves from heavy storms and high winds. In early fall, you should remove leaves that have fallen early to keep your gutters flowing freely. At the end of fall or early winter, you want to make sure everything has been properly cleared from the gutter system to help prevent ice dams or buildup of ice in your gutters. The extra weight of frozen water in your gutters can easily cause them to pull away from the fascia and in many cases,...
The Art Of Gutter Cleaning
Ladders > The Art Of Gutter Cleaning
Trampoline Parts & Supply Jumps Into Affiliate Marketing with Share Results
Montreal, Canada (ContentDesk) February 6, 2006 -- Share Results, a pay-for-performance affiliate network, launches the Trampoline Parts & Supply affiliate program this January, offering a flat 5% commission on all sales of its trampolines and accessories.Affiliates promoting Trampoline Parts & Supply attract customers shopping online for trampolines plus parts, pads, mats, springs, ladders, covers and safety enclosures in a range of sizes, from top manufacturers such as JumpKing, Hedstrom, Airmaster and more. With the International Trampoline Industry Association (ITIA) reporting an increase in consumer trampoline sales of approximately 395% from 1989-2002 in the U.S., and trampolinings introduction at the 2000 Summer Olympics, affiliates marketing trampolines on their websites should springboard this popularity into high conversions and profits. Trampolines are a common sight on American lawns, used by entire families for both safe fun and exercise, says Nicky Senyard, CEO of Share...
Trampoline Parts & Supply Jumps Into Affiliate Marketing with Share Results
Ladders > Trampoline Parts & Supply Jumps Into Affiliate Marketing with Share Results
5 Ways To Protect Your Bond Portfolio From Rising Interest Rates
The Federal Reserve recently raised its target federal funds rate for the first time since March 2000.
This could be just the tip of the iceberg, though, as many experts believe rising inflation and a strengthening economy will spur continued rate hikes for the foreseeable future.
This is bad news for bond investors, since bonds lose value as interest rates rise.
The reason stems from the fact coupon rates for most bonds are fixed when the bonds are issued.
So, as rates rise and new bonds with higher coupon rates become available, investors are willing to pay less for existing bonds with lower coupon rates.
So what can you do to protect your fixed-income investments as rates rise?
Well, here are five ideas to help you, and your portfolio, weather the storm.Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS)First issued by the U.S. Treasury in 1997, TIPS are bonds with a portion of their value pegged to the inflation rate.
...
Ladders > 5 Ways To Protect Your Bond Portfolio From Rising Interest Rates
Library Ladders
Libraries contain huge stock of books, periodicals and information that needs to be accessed by a great number of its members. To be able to reach items efficiently, a library ladder is a must. Library ladder help retrieve books, periodicals and magazines that would otherwise be out of reach.
Traditionally, library ladders were straight, portable ladders that could be kept and moved anywhere. Simple hook ladders were also an option for better grip.
Even stepladders were common in libraries. But nowadays, special rolling track library ladders are available. Rolling track library ladders have a steel rod installed above the library racks. The grab bars at the top of the rung are inserted into steel rods. Thus, the ladder moves along the rod and the shelves without toppling over.
At the bottom of the ladder, wheels are fixed to move the ladder from one place to another smoothly. Double track rolling library ladders are available for very narrow aisles. They have...
Library Ladders
Ladders > Library Ladders
Create Your Own Garage Storage Design with Storage Systems Solutions From Slide-Lok Garage Storage Cabinets. Get Organized Today in Texas, New York, and All Across the United States and Canada.
The Slide-Lok Garage Storage Cabinet Dealer Network, continues to expand in New York and Texas as well as across the U.S. and Canada.
"This is a direct result of increased sales," says President, Gary Smith, "and, since we make house calls, expansion is necessary to insure the perfect storage system for your home regardless of the configuration of your garage."
Smith asks the question, "Where do you put all the stuff that accumulates in the garage?"
"We have designed so many garage storage solutions that we remember to ask the questions that custom garage cabinet makers forget to ask.
This means the Slide-Lok Garage Storage Cabinet Systems that we design include all the things that the custom cabinets guys forget to include.""And what do the custom cabinets guys forget?"Clean Up Your Garage First - This means decide what you want to keep, and keep only what you use.
That which you do not use is just taking up space.Develope a Plan or Garage...
Ladders > Create Your Own Garage Storage Design with Storage Systems Solutions From Slide-Lok Garage Storage Cabinets. Get Organized Today in Texas, New York, and All Across the United States and Canada.
Graphic Designers Save Time Using Digital Camera and New Measuring Tool
LA MESA, CA (ContentDesk) July 17, 2006 -- Emerge Industries announces that graphic designers and sign makers report savings of up to an hour on every sign job using The Amazing Sticky Yard" Digital Measuring System.
For about the price of a tank of gas, sign makers and graphic designers can easily take measurements of any size object in a snap with a digital camera, a computer and the Sticky Yard software.