Sunday Post: Sunrise…A New Beginning For Everyone

Posted on June 3, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is SUNRISE.

In the summer of 1969, my husband and I packed up our 1967 Pontiac Catalina and left the east coast with a sign that said, “California or Bust”. We were teachers at the time and had the summer off…and we spent the next six weeks traveling across the country. I still have the journal we kept that tells what cities we stayed in and how much we spent for everything. The entire trip, including gas, motels, food, keepsakes (we still have a bunch of oil on velvet paintings that we bought in Ensenada, Mexico) cost us $1200. Amazing!

Sunrise is also a perfect theme because Wednesday is World Environment Day…if we want the sunrise to greet our grandchildren and their grandchildren, we need to be thoughtful about preserving and caring for our planet by reusing and recycling wherever we can.

We knew we wanted to experience the sunrise over the Grand Canyon and drove all night from Las Vegas through Zion National Park, finally arriving at the Grand Canyon at 5am. We made our way along the trail…which was no easy task in the dark. Fortunately, we met another tourist who offered to take our picture. I apologize for the poor job of editing these photos…my scanner was not cooperating and my editing program decided to join the strike.

Less than a minute later, he snapped the picture below.We will never forget that moment!

For me, every sunrise is a new beginning. No matter what your situation, every day is the first day of the rest of your life. We have a fresh opportunity each day to be kind to someone…to help another person…to encourage a child…to follow our dream. What will you do when the sun rises tomorrow?

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

And here are some other bloggers who are doing Jake’s Sunday Post:

http://aliciapics.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/sunday-post-sunrise/

http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/sunday-post-sunrise/

http://motherwifestudentworker.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/weekly-sunday-post-sunrise/

http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/the-sunday-post-sunrise/

SUNDAY POST : Sunrise (jakesprinters.wordpress.com)
Sunday Post: Stairway to Self-Esteem (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
Sunday Post: Door (bringingeuropehome.com)
Judge Chuckles on SUNDAY POST : Pet (seraphim6.wordpress.com)

Parent Alert: Hand Sanitizer Poisoning

Posted on April 25, 2012 by viviankirkfield

CleanWell is the only hand sanitizer that is all-natural and alcohol free. The Ingredients in CleanWell are safe for kids, non-toxic, and come from rapidly renewable resources that grow abundantly worldwide. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Moms: Have you checked your purse lately? Do you have any of those convenient travel-size bottles of hand sanitizer?

Most parents are careful about child-proofing their home when they have infants and young children around…but many may not be aware of how toxic hand sanitizers are.

On the news this morning, I heard a report of teenagers who are ingesting hand sanitizers to get high…and the results may be deadly.

What can parents do to protect against this new danger?

Child-proof your purse as well as your home.
Be observant…know where your children are and what they are doing…don’t be shy about speaking with them or looking in backpacks or pockets if your suspect there is a problem.
Be engaged…talk with your children about the dangers of ingesting or inhaling toxic substances. Ask if any of their friends are doing this.
Be involved…participate with your children. When you build a strong connection in those early years, your children will be more likely to come to you with problems and concerns…but it is never too late to strengthen or improve that relationship.

For more information about the dangers of hand sanitizers and other toxic household products, please click on the links below. The first has excellent tips for parents.

http://safety.lovetoknow.com/Hand_Sanitizer_Poisoning

http://blogs.webmd.com/whats-new/2012/04/the-new-teen-drinking-trend-hand-sanitizer.html

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/indiana/poison-control-responds-to-hand-sanitizer-abuse?ref=scroller&categoryId=10001&status=true

Just a reminder: Nominations close on April 30…please leave a comment telling why your library should receive a free copy of the award-winning Show Me How!