Christmas 11 days away, yet who knows who will be here to enjoy it.

We can reflect on the past but the future is unpredictable. Rage, Anger and being unprepared can hamper one from seeing Christmas.
Every day in the 'news' no matter where you are there is tragedy. The young people are most likely to be involved. In the past two days two young men lost their lives in tragic situations. The first murdered in anger by his neighbour. Not everyone can take 'teasing'. The murderer said he had enough and with a screwdriver stabbed and killed the victim. Two families in mourning. One son in prison and the other on a slab of cold metal. One family looking for a lawyer and the other for the undertaker. This 11 days before Christmas.
Less than 24 hours ago another young man lost his life. He decided to hold up a business place and threaten to kill the workers if they did not hand over the money. He met his match, the owner decided, he had worked too hard to just hand over his money and while the gunman held a customer as ransom the owner shot and killed the would be thief. Again, one more family looking for an undertaker instead of 'enjoying' the Christmas.
Why the rage? We cannot blame it on the economy, there are many things that can be done to make money. Why nit ask to clean someone's windows, what about cutting someone's lawn, what about walking the dogs, cleaning a vehicle? And the list can go on.
Yes, Christmas is in the future, yes it is only 11 days away, the question is how many more families would be in grief instead of in celebration?
What advice are you giving your family members? Think about it!

Reading is Fundamental

The ability to read is so important. Today too many children are unable to read. Parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, and other family members must take a keener interest in children and help them to learn how to read. Take 10 - 15 minutes a day and read them a story and ask them to tell you what it's about. Teach them alphabetical sounds, sight words and show pictures of words to help the children retain what they have learned.
Once a child is able to read, he would be able to do so many other things. Reading gives a child his independence. He knows which bus to take without being a follower. He can choose different topics to read about. He can improve in every other subject area. He can research things that he wants to know by himself. He would no longer have to rely on some one telling him, with the ability to read he can see and know for himself.
If you know of a child who needs help in reading become a mentor and help that child read. Help him to expand his world. If each one teach one or two it would make a big difference and make this world a better place.

What do you think/

It's early October. This month is celebrated for so many 'things'. It is Breast Cure month, Careers Awareness, Teachers' Appreciation, Public Service month, Senior Citizens month and Youth Month. There is so much overlapping and some of the things that should be celebrated is lost in the fray.

Do we need to re think what we emphasize? Or do we need to go to week instead of month? What do you think?

And these all require some funding as each group would like their own celebration by themselves. And even as the financial situation improves slowly, we need to spend thrift.

Let's re think the things we are celebrating where money is needed. Maybe we can pay in time.

Teachers

World Teachers' Day is in a few days.

Take the time to speak to your former teachers, your children's teachers and if you are a teacher take the time to congratulate each other.

Teachers are under appreciated.

Let us remember that no matter where we are in life we passed through the hands of a teacher. Some of us may have listened and others may not have, but we all have something that we can thanks you to a teacher for.

Freshly Grown Food

Today with the high cost of living growing one's own food stuff is necessary.

If we grow our own food we will eat better. When we plant the vegetables, we will plant those we like and can share with family and friends. We know that fresh vegetables and fruits are essential for overall health.

Apart from being a way to produce fresh food stuff, we implement exercise so we have a two fold thing going on. It can also bring together friends and family members, encourage young people to explore the way food crops are grown. It would be more benefitting to pick your own tomatoes, did your own potatoes and pull your own onions.

Not only will you eat healthier you make some money. You can sell your excess produce, start a farmer's mart in your neighbourhood.

Think about this, we will eat straight from the garden, fresh to the table. And when you grow it you can grow organically instead of using pesticides or other chemicals.

Plant a tree to provide food, ornaments are good bit you can't eat them.

Make no excuses, do.

We must stop making excuses for not doing the things we want to do. Whatever you want to do, especially if it's to make things better for family, friend and the community just do it.

When we make excuses, things don't get done. We stand still, at times in a rut. If we do we move forward. This forward movement allows others to examine themselves and think they to can improve. So let's stop making excuses and do what we know we should be doing.

Investing and Celebrating Our Youth

How do we invest in and celebrate our Youth?
This is a question we should all consider. Today too many of our young people die too early. Some never get out of their teens.

Why is it so easy for our young people to get ahold of weapons of any kind. Some have east access to guns, knives and home made weapons. Should parents not periodically check their children's rooms, bags, cars? Why do they have so much privacy in your home?

It is time to take back the power over the youth from the people outside the home who are using them to kill themselves and others. We need to deal with anger management, respect for others no matter the creed, race or class.

We must put in place things that the youth can strive to do and be rewarded for. Why not start a real dialogue? Why not encourage them to join 'debate teams' speech organization, geared to them not adults. Why can they not be taught how to own and operate a small business, be it making holiday, speciality cards, design business cards, make pies and other home made candies and market these to the food store or just to home owners. If the adults invest the time into teaching the skills than the investment would pay off.

As a community the youth with the best product can be encouraged to expand his market.

What are your thoughts?