CRACKED POTS

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect & always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one & a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of it's accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of it's own imperfection, & miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?"

That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, & every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks & flaws that make our lives together so very interesting & rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are & look for the good in them.

So, to all my crackpot friends, have a great day & remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

THE FESTIVE SEASON IS A TIME OF JOY....

"Christmas is a time of year when we often get caught up in the seasonal celebrations & fire safety is the last thing on our minds & brings a wide range of new fire hazards to our homes. Think about it - lots of guests, candles, extra decorations, people smoking & it's easy to be careless when you are tired or if you have been drinking, all the everyday fire risks become greater, but don't let fire safety stop you enjoying yourself, but instead know the risks & plan ahead".

"I am particularly concerned about candle fires. Candles are actually a growing cause of fire & have seen examples in books & shop displays advocating the use of lighted candles as Christmas tree decorations, it is obviously extremely dangerous & I would advise you never to do this". To ensure you have a safe & Happy Christmas I offer the following fire safety tips.

CANDLES

• NEVER use a lit candle as a Christmas tree decoration.


• Blow candles out before you leave a room.


• keep candles away from anything that can catch fire, like curtains, clothing & hair.


• Don't leave candles burning unattended or where children can touch them.


• Trim candlewicks to 1/4 inch each time before burning, long or crooked wicks cause uneven burning & dripping.


• Always use a candleholder designed for candle use. The holder should be heat resistant & large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.


• Keep burning candles away from draughts, vents & this will help prevent rapid, uneven burning, smoking & excessive dripping. Draughts can also blow lightweight curtains or paper into the flame where they could catch fire. Ceiling fans can cause such draughts.


• Don't put candles under shelves.


• Never move a lit candle.
  
  

CHRISTMAS TREES

• Check that your Christmas tree lights conform to the British Standard. Test your Christmas lights before putting them on to your tree. Replace sets of old lights, especially those that are not in perfect working condition.


• Natural Christmas trees are highly combustible, particularly as they dry out & should always be kept away from fires.


• As Christmas decorations are often made of combustible materials, never attach them to lights or heaters or place garlands immediately above or around fireplaces.


• Check the maximum amps that can be handled by the fuse in the plug of your Christmas lights.

FIREPLACES

• If you have an open fireplace but only tend to use it at this time of year, make sure that the chimney has been cleaned & swept.


• Never burn Christmas wrapping paper in your fireplace.

COOKING

• Take extra care in the kitchen & never leave cooking unattended on the hob or under the grill.


• The risk of accidents, especially in the kitchen, is greater after alcohol is consumed.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

• Let your guests know where to find door & window keys.


• Look out for elderly people, children & anyone with problems getting around.


• Make sure exits are kept clear.


• Make sure cigarettes are completely extinguished before going to bed & never empty ashtrays into waste bins.
  

FIREWORKS

• Only buy fireworks marked with British Safety Standard 7114.


• If you are planning to celebrate with fireworks, store them in a metal box & read the instructions.


• Never go back to a lit firework & keep a bucket of water nearby.

Remember to check your smoke alarm & NEVER remove batteries from your smoke alarm to use in your children's Christmas toys or in the TV remote control.

"All it leaves me to say is, I wish you, your family & guests a very safe Christmas".

A COST-CUTTING CHRISTMAS?

With the credit crunch among us, this is the year to have financial discipline. I'd like to give you my top tip this Christmas. The aim is to buy christmas presents, not to be paying for Christmas past.

Admittedly the perfect time to plan your Christmas is in January when you still have an entire year left to save up. You can get baubles, cards & wrapping paper at reduced prices & leave yourself well-placed to slash the cost. But for those who aren't so well prepared, there's still enough time to get your Christmas preparations underway.

Act now & there are still substantial savings to be had, wait any longer & you'll be leaving it to late to get the best savings.

1. It's about what you can afford, not what you want. Too many people are driven each Christmas by their aspirations. They sit down & work out everything they want for Christmas, from the plasma TV to the huge dinner for all the family. Only afterwards do they sit down & think about how they are going to manage to pay for it, yet that's completely the wrong way to do it.

Your starting point should be how much money you have & can afford to spend this Christmas, then the real question is, "What's the best Christmas we can have on that amount of money?"

If you have nothing or very little to spend don't think, "It's Christmas, we've got to spend it". Remember financial discipline! Draw up a budget, & plan what you are going to spend, it may not seem as romantic as spending willy nilly, but it should mean having a merry Christmas won't give you a financial hangover in the new year.

2. Don't use Tesco Clubcard vouchers for Christmas food, lots of people store up vouchers earned via loyalty points from spending there, to supplement the Christmas lunch budget. Instead, use your vouchers on the special Clubcard deals brochure which you can find on-line or instore, that way they will be worth four times as much.

Something that would get you £5 off your food bill will give you £20 towards gifts, magazine subscriptions, days out or even dinner at Pizza Express.

Instead of getting a few pounds off food for your Christmas dinner, find things that you are looking to give as presents & you'll get better value.

3. Why not have a NUPP campaign. NUPP stands for No Unnecessary Present Pact. How many times have you been given a present that you know you are never going to use hmm? You smile politely, say thank you & then throw it in the drawer, well, you are not the only one it happens to everyone. We spend millions of pounds each Christmas on things that are never going to be used by anyone.

By giving presents we often create an obligation for people to give presents back to us, & that may be something they can't afford to do. So why not sign a Pre-NUPP with family & friends? Agree not to exchange presents. But if that's a step too far for you, go NUPP-lite & agree to spend no more than £5 or £10 pounds on each other.

4. Take advantage of supermarket bonuses. Supermarket saving stamp schemes are designed so that you can save up money all year & spend it at Christmas. Asda's bonus date has already gone but Tesco's, Morrisons & Somerfield's haven't. Morrisons will give you a 3 per cent boost on your stamps, while Somerfield & Tesco offer 4 & 2 per cent.

Why are they so generous? Well, if you buy the stamps you are locked in to spending that money with them & for their administration purposes it's much easier for them to add the boost on one day. They hope people will save across the year, but there's no need to, simply buy stamps & earn the bonus on the day you want to spend.

Finally, the biggest danger at Christmas is borrowing. If you are thinking, "How on earth am I going to pay for it?" I'd say don't buy it in the first place, you don't need it, Christmas is one day. The last thing you want is still to be paying for this Christmas next Christmas.

© Copyright Tina Kay 2009

HAVE A COST-CUTTING CHRISTMAS & A DEBT-FREE NEW YEAR