The War on Coal

I tuned in to the news tonight so I could hear what the president had announced at Georgetown University today and I caught that he had made his decisive environmental policies.

The news report fell on deaf ears because the statement was clouded by hearing that this decision was, “for the sake of our children and the health and safety of all Americans”.

I am tired of the president of the United States including my children in every powerful message he needs to make. My children have always been resilient and they speak their minds but I dare say they might see through the smoke and mirrors and suggest that if he feels this is the right decision for our country he should stand up at the podium and accept responsibility for his decisions.

Questions rush through my mind. What employment options are available to people that will find themselves out of work? What resources do we have available to replace the power that we will be losing because of the “war on coal”? What are we going to replace the $16 billion of exported coal with? When will we be able to see the cost-benefit analysis of the plan? Is coal really combative?

My questions are unanswered but I urge you to let the “war on coal” be your reason to contact your representatives and ask your own questions. http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

Sad News From Iron Gait Percherons Draft Horse Rescue

My last blog told of the wonderful experience we had at the Iron Gait Percherons Draft Horse Rescue's open house.  It's hard to believe that I am passing along the sad news that Iron Gait Percherons announced through their facebook page this past Friday as follows:

I am so very sorry to announce to you...At 12:53pm yesterday afternoon we had to euthanize our dearly beloved Randolph. His heart rate was 80 bpm, we suspected strangulating colic that was causing him unbelievable pain. Even after given pain medication, the meds. did not help him at all. He did not have much time left and would had never survived the trailer ride to UGA. It was the only thing I can do to help him and to stop his pain. I could not bare to see him in so much pain it was heart breaking.

He is now buried beside our Valerie and they can spend eternity running through green pastures together.
Rest In Peace my dear boy...
We all loved you very much and I will see you again when it is my time to leave this earth.

It's strange that some of the horses at Iron Gait Percherons made a big impression on us, and Randolph was one of those horses.  We are sure that he had the best care possible at Iron Gait and we extend our sympathies to everyone within their organization.


 

Our Visit to Iron Gait Percherons Draft Horse Rescue

This past weekend we visited Iron Gait Percherons Draft Horse Rescue.  We expected to see a few horses in a tiny barn and some small fields.  Instead we saw one of the most impressive facilities that we have seen in years.

We are enthralled by draft horses and believe they are one of the most fascinating animals on earth. Years ago while visiting the Clydesdale stables in New Hampshire we set their establishment as the standard for care and accommodations provided to horses. Accommodations at Iron Gait Percherons were not quite the same as the corporate run facilities but these rescued animals have not been slighted in any way.

IGP rescues and rehabilitates horses by means of donations.  No one at IGP receives a salary and one-hundred percent of donations go directly to supporting their cause. The IGP website is set up so that individuals or corporations can easily make monetary or material donations.    

Some of the horses require so much help that they are placed in the Sanctuary Community of IGP.  Randolph is one of the horses that was placed in the Sanctuary and his story is best explained through this video of Randolph arriving at IGP.  

Please take a look at the Iron Gait Percherons wish list help them in any way you can.

The Grandmother Test

When we were in the process of updating our web site we found information that we felt was both timely and important so decided to share it.  

From GHC site:

While seeking employment it is important for you to consider things from the employer's perspective.  It is not unusual for companies and schools to search for concerns that they have about potential employees or students.  I think the idea is best called, "The Grandmother Test".  Most employers are seeking information about drug and alcohol use.  (This is due to insurance requirements.)  Let's face it, even though we might decide to tie-one-on, none of us are stupid to the fact that our grandmother would probably rather not see any of us in that condition.

Employers, just like your grandmother, do not have the desire to see inappropriate photos, nor do they care to read about inappropriate behavior.  Most people decline this offer!

Social media allows for much to be said in very few words.  Employers can and will judge your communication skills by comments you post.  I set a standard for myself on this.  I've always believed that if I had the nerve to write it and send it, I needed to have nerve enough to claim it by putting my signature on it.  The Grandmother Test holds true again.  Simply remember, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."  

You can use the World Wide Web to your advantage but don't forget that everybody else can too.  There are plenty of sites that offer information about this subject but do your own research about yourself before the potential employer calls.  You can do that by searching for your name through any major search engine.  Seeing yourself the way your future employer will might just save you some embarrassment.

~Kara Miller

Visit us and Like us on facebook

Tear Mender Craft - Easy & Fun

We have a whole list of things to use Tear Mender on but this past weekend we decided to give it a try for crafting.  We had seen some primitive flags while we were on vacation a few years ago and have been planning to repeat the idea.  We purchased a set of cloth napkins, a bandana, and a wooden dial rod and set up to craft our artsy replica.

We folded a corner of the napkin over the dial rod to create a pocket and applied Tear Mender to secure it.

We attached the bandana to the dial rod in the same manner.  Then we added another cloth napkin. 

This most difficult part of the craft may have been waiting for the Tear Mender to dry.  It was raining and we had to allow fifteen minutes before the product could be exposed to water but we gained patience by passing the time with snacks!  Finally we were able to hang our flag!  

This is a fun and easy project for children and since the glue balls up when it is not applied to fabric it makes for easy clean up.  We are currently at the 96 hour mark of having the flag hanging outside.  It has been exposed to rain and 90F heat and the Tear Mender is still secure.   Once again, Tear Mender provides great satisfaction.  We suggest that you keep some at work and home.  No more searching for needle and thread!  

Who are/is They?

Tonight I log onto Twitter and six of the first ten Tweets I receive are making comment about how our personal information is being mined by the NSA as well as businesses.  Yes, this is ridiculous BUT...

Remember when you closed on your house?  I remember being a little surprised when the attorney asked me to confirm my alias name.  Fortunately I remembered that many years ago I had received a check that was made out improperly.  I was able to deposit it to my account as long as I was willing to wait the ten days for it to clear.  Yes, I did use that alias and yes, the check cleared but years later "they" still knew.

I'm not sure who "they" are.  I'm thinking "they" are the same as "everybody else's mother" but I do know that there are times this works to my advantage.  There was the time that my credit card company had placed a hold on my account because I used the card for an unusual purchase.  It wasn't convenient to call the company and confirm that I had bought gas and used their card but "they" noticed.  Good catch, "They"!

Facebook, Microsoft, and Google are all on the list of place that tapped into their user's communications.    It raises questions but you need to be aware that this happens and it has been happening for some time.  Remember you read it here and be sure to be nice, polite, and well behaved!

http://www.georgiannahardwarecorporation.com/Pages/default.aspx