Crunch July 2013

THE IN-HOUSE MAGAZINE FOR CHURCH RESOURCES

Volume 1, Issue 8 July 2013

CRUNCH Special

Thanks for a great result for 2012-2013!

clover points of interest According to Irish legend, St Patrick used the Shamrock's three leaves to teach the pagans about Christianity.

It symbolized the Holy Trinity with each leaf representing the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

When it's found with the additional fourth leaf represents God's Grace.

You might have noticed in the June CRUNCH the photo I included with the poor bloke on the bicycle piled up with 20ft of boxes, peddling like a maniac.

If you did, then the picture (right) shows the fruits of your labour… it’s all smiles.

Not wanting to get too ahead of ourselves, but I can report we have succeeded in FY12/13.

Luke and Carolyn greeted by green and four leaf clovers for 2013/2014

The details of our results won’t be known until the end of July when Finance wraps up all their work in conjunction with the auditors.

way, a charming characteristic of this business…where it never ceases to throw challenges, but our culture is that we rise, adapt and grow.

We met our revenue targets (by a good margin, so well done!), we stayed under our expenditure target, and I am just waiting to confirm and guarantee we met our surplus target.

I thank each of you for your hard work, your understanding and belief in what we do here for our Members and Readers.

Your work as individuals, and as a collective, are to be commended, no matter what the result.

You have again ground out a successful 12 months; you have met and tackled obstacles along the

Very recently I had the opportunity to pass on those same sentiments and your achievements to Bishop Hanna (from the Wagga Diocese), our ultimate boss as the Chair of Bishops Commission for Administration and Information, to which the Board reports.

Bishop Hanna is a great supporter, of Church Resources and thanked us for all that we do for those we serve.

Each of you is truly appreciated in what you do.

Please know your achievements are not lost on all the members of the Leadership Team, nor do they escape the attention of the Board.

I am proud to be the CEO of CR, and I am proud of all of you.

Thank you - Luke

Inside this issue: EOFY Masked Ball 2-9 Sibu’s wedding

10-11

Out of this world! 12-15 5 things I would like to do next year

16-17

Best strategy for reducing stress

18-19

Salute the Sun

20

22 Tips for a

21

Lemony health!

22-24

Winter Safety

25

Page 2

CRUNCH EOFY party preps… and the location First, paint your mask… Cibu gets arty while Damien has oversight….

The Social Club, headed by Anushri and Onni , chose the South Steyne for the location of the 2012/2013 EOFY do...

Page 3

Volume 1, Issue 8 The Masked Wall… Part 1

Luke’s mask

Leonard's mask

Cibu’s mask

Page 4

CRUNCH EOFY party on the South Steyne…

Thirty plus CR staffers— including Debbie from Brisbane and Damian from Melbourne—turned out in force for the first CR masked ball.

Best mask prizes went to Julie and Mark O; best leader was Mark H, best all rounder was Linda D; and the CEO’s award for the employee who best embodied the CR ethic went to Tony White.

Thanks to Anushri and Onni for all their efforts to make this an outstanding evening.

Geoff and Cibu

Colleen and Shane

Page 5

Volume 1, Issue 8 The Masked Wall… Part 2

Jenny’s mask

Mark O’s mask—winner of Best Male Mask

Page 6

CRUNCH EOFY party on the South Steyn Julie - Winner of Best Female Mask, and Anushri

More images— professional quality from Tony White— here on the P drive

Nick, Jenny and Rachel

Page 7

Volume 1, Issue 8 The Masked Wall…. Part 3

Christine's mask

Geoff’s mask

Page 8

CRUNCH

Michelle and Damian J

The man of the moment—Tony White!

Page 9

Volume 1, Issue 8

Jenny’s mask

Vantien and Nick

Debbie

Mark O’s mask

Christine

Page 10

CRUNCH Congratulations Sibu and Rakhi!

There has been another CR wedding… and another wedding in an exotic location.

Well, exotic to us—not perhaps to the bride and groom.

Sibu from the Members Call Centre team , and his new bride Rakhi, were married in a Hindu wedding in his home town of Kerala, India on 12 May 2013.

In line with tradition, the wedding began at the bride’s home and concluded with the reception on the following day at the groom’s house.

The rituals included the lighting of the Sacred Fire, blessing the couple, henna ceremony, exchanging rings, tying the knot and the placing of a necklace worn by married women as a symbol of their marriage.

It is customary for the bridegroom's family to gift the bride a wedding sari, so Rakhi actually ended up wearing two saris at her wedding!

Above: Sibu and Rakhi after the exchange of garlands - a gesture that signifies acceptance of each another and a pledge to respect one another as partners

Sibu and Rakhi honeymooned catching up with family and friends.

Page 11

Volume 1, Issue 8 Left: At the ceremony, the bride wore a traditional white sari adorned with gold and the groom wore a kafni (long shirt) and a dhoti.

Multiple courses of sumptuous vegetarian food were served on a banana leaf.

Below: Sibu and Rakhi and their parents

Page 12

CRUNCH Out of this world! Some of the most beautiful, For more amazing shots, go to : http:// myscienceacademy.org/2013/04/1 4/the-33-mostbeautiful-abandonedplaces-in-the-world/

DISTILLERY, BARBADOS

HOLLAND ISLAND, CHESAPEAKE BAY

SS AYRFIELD, HOMEBUSH BAY, NSW, AUSTRALIA

CHRIST OF THE ABYS

Page 13

Volume 1, Issue 8 abandonned places

SS, SAN FRUTTUOSO, ITALY

KOLMANSKOP, NAMIB DESERT

Page 14

CRUNCH EL HOTEL DEL SALTO, COLOMBIA

Page 15

Volume 1, Issue 8

SUNKEN YACHT, ANTARCTICA

THE KERRY WAY WALKING PATH, KENMARE, IRELAND

Page 16

CRUNCH ‘5 things I would like to do in the next year.’..

Shane’s rehearsing for his singing debut…

1. Continue to be the best dad I can.

2. Learn how to play the Keyboard.

3. Be able to sing a song at my 10 year wedding anniversary in 2 and a bit years time.

4. Go to England or Europe to watch Manchester United play soccer.

5. Enjoy watching my children continue to grow.

Shane McC

If you're bored with life, if you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things, you don't have enough goals.”

- Lou Holtz

Studies and career change for Linda K 1. Learn and develop my skills and knowledge in my new role 2. Complete my Open Foundation Course 3. Buy a new car 4. Go on a big family holiday to Parkes to check out the stars 5. Holiday with Tane and Rhys to Hawaii.

Linda K

More travelling for Carolyn The CR Travel Solutions manager, likes to travel, natural. She was away in Europe earlier this year, and seems to be spending time in Manhattan too.

For her, ‘Lots more travel for next year. I am saving to take the family to Greece and Croatia next year - two places I have never been. Egypt is also on my bucket list.’

Carolyn McL

Page 17

Volume 1, Issue 8 5 CR Staffers spill the beans on their dreams

Onni’s healthy eating success If you are starting to see less of Onni over the last few months, it is purely because of her weight loss achievement which she attributes to her lunchtime soup diet.

“I am a big fan of the soup diet, it is my healthy meal replacement for 1 or 2 meals a day.

I eat solids at night which consists of chicken breast and greens.”

“I have been trying to lose about 13 kilo’s all of last year with not much success. But since I started on the soup diet in February I have lost 11 kilos and have 2 more kilos to lose.”

Margi continues her search for a home Margi’s main focus for 2013/14 is to find a new home for her family.

She and her husband have been searching now for 6 months for that special place to call home.

She says she is getting close and hopes to move later this year.

“We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal and then leap in the dark to our success.”

- Henry David Thoreau

Page 18

CRUNCH

The best strategy for reducing stress - B y Peter Bregman Imagine you're sailing in the Bahamas, sipping a cold drink and listening to the water lapping the sides of the boat.

Relaxing, right? Not for my friend Rob.*

“We can substantially reduce our stress by recognising that in many situations, we have become perfectionists in realms where perfection isn't necessary, realistic, or even useful.�

Rob is not usually stressed-out.

For many people, Rob's daily work would be hair-pulling stressful - he's a real estate developer who routinely deals with a multitude of nagging problems related to renters, banks, lawsuits, property management, and rapidly changing valuations. But Rob routinely handles it all with steadiness and perspective.

So why was he stressed that blissful day on his boat? The same reason most of us get stressed: frustrated expectations.

Rob had an important call to make and his cell phone wasn't working. He was experiencing the gap between what he expected to happen and what was actually happening.

That's the underlying cause of stress and it's afflicting us more these days than ever because our expectations keep rising, thanks in part to exponential improvements in our technology.

In a hilarious interview with Conan O'Brien, the comedian Louis C.K. talked about how everything is amazing right now and nobody's happy. He tells the story of being on a plane and, for the first time, experiencing working internet at 30,000 feet.

He was amazed. The person in the seat next to him was also surfing the web happily until the

connection dropped. The man immediately threw his arms up in the air and yelled, "This is bullshit!"

with an employee? Try to help him improve his competence. If that doesn't work, you can fire him.

"How quickly the world owes him something he knew existed only 10 seconds ago." Louis C.K. said. I fall into this trap, and most people around me do too. We expect more not only from our technology, but from each other and from ourselves.

But often the reality around you is difficult to change. What if it's a peer with whom you're frustrated? Or maybe an entire department? You can't fire them all.

Maybe you can stop working with them, but that's probably

Rob is usually laid-back in the face of his everpresent problems precisely because they're ever-present. He expects them. Renters always have complaints.

Banks always want more information. Lawsuits happen. Valuations always change. These things are routine and he has routine responses to them, so they don't stress him out.

But that day on his boat, Rob was expecting his cell to work. So the cell outage far from land, where there's no alternative means of communicating his absence on an important phone call created a stressful unmet expectation.

So what can you do about the stress and frustration that comes from unmet expectations? You have two choices: Either change the reality around you or change your expectations.

Sometimes it's possible to change reality. Continuously frustrated

not in your control. You could quit, but that brings with it a host of new stress.

In my experience, trying to change reality isn't usually a stress reliever, it's a stress creator. A small thing - like changing my seat on an airplane - can be such a pain that even if it works it's often not worth the struggle.

Page 19

Volume 1, Issue 8

And the bigger things - like getting more accomplished in a day - can be even more frustrating. That last example is especially frustrating because it's an expectation I have of myself so I really believe it should be in my control.

Which leaves us with what I've come to believe is the best strategy for reducing stress: Change your expectations.

If changing your expectations proves too hard, your next best move is to get some perspective.

Imagine a scale from 1-10 with 10 being the worst reality you can imagine. Like living in a war zone or being in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Maybe 9 is a serious illness that most probably will result in death. Perhaps 8 is something that will forever alter your life, like going to jail or an accident that puts you in a wheelchair. Let's say 7 is something that temporarily alters your life like losing your job or having to move out of a home you can no longer afford.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

In other words, get used to not getting what you want. I know this isn't consistent with the kind of go-get-'em attitude most of us have been taught to embrace. But most of the time, fighting reality is not worth the effort. Either you can't change what's around you, or the fight is more stressful than the reward.

Almost everything we freak out about is somewhere in the 1-2 range of dashed expectations. In other words, our moods and our stress levels are determined by events that actually matter remarkably little.

That's useful to remember when you find yourself utterly irritated at your cable company because they erroneously added $5 to your bill or keep you on hold for 30 minutes while they investigate the matter.

Or when a direct report gives you work you consider sloppy. I'm not

saying don't correct the work.

I'm simply suggesting it may not be worth getting worked up about.

That's not always easy. A number of small stressors add up to a lot of stress and it's natural to be stressed by things that don't really matter in the whole scheme of things. I do it all the time.

But we can substantially reduce our stress by recognizing that in many situations, we have become perfectionists in realms where perfection isn't necessary, realistic, or even useful.

Rob's stress was highest when he thought the problem was just with his cell phone. But, eventually, he found out that there was a cell outage throughout the Bahamas.

Somehow, that helped him change his expectations. He knew there was nothing he could do.

And once he settled into his new reality, he was able to get some perspective. Where was missing that call on the scale from 1 to 10? No more than a 1.

And just like that, no cell service for 12 hours turned into a real vacation. *Name changed - Peter Bregman is a strategic advisor to CEOs and their leadership teams. His latest book is 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done.

Page 20

CRUNCH Surya Namaskar - TIME TO SALUTE THE SUN? Forget fancy fitness fads. Your body is the only equipment you need for some of the hottest fitness trends this year: bodyweight workouts, Back-to-basics exercise plans and Mind/body workouts.

One of the most popular mind/ body trend seems to be the Surya Namaskar workout – Sanskrit for Salute the Sun. Not surprising, the world is going crackers over this ancient yogic tradition of worshipping the rising sun, with the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Victoria Beckham endorsing it over gym workouts and bizarre diets.

Sun Salutation is said to be the complete body workout. Yoga experts say that doing 12 sets of Sun Salutation (preferably at sunrise and on an empty stomach) translates into doing 288 powerful yoga poses in a span of 12 to 15 minutes! Sun Salutation is another example of how good things come in small (read quick) packages.

Why Sun Salutation is good for you if performed correctly, this workout composed of 12 bodily poses does not strain or cause injury. If performed in the morning, it relieves stiffness, revitalises your body and refreshes the mind. Do it during the day and it will instantly boost you up, prac-

tice it after sundown and it helps you unwind.

Doing the 12 sets at a fast pace provides a good cardiovascular workout; if done at a slow pace, these postures help tone the muscles and can be relaxing and meditative. Moreover, it allows you to enjoy the stretch and feel the body getting flexible.

But that’s not all. Regular practice of Sun Salutation offers a lot of interesting benefits for every part of the body. These powerful yoga poses have a great impact on the heart, liver, intestine, stomach, chest, throat, and legs – the whole body from top to bottom. It purifies the blood and improves blood circulation throughout the body, and ensures proper functioning of the stomach, bowels, and nerve centers. It is ideal exercise to cope with insomnia related disorders, and can help lose extra calories. http://www.yogawiz.com/suryanamaskar-sun-salutation-step-bystep.html

Page 21

Volume 1, Issue 8

22 ULTIMATE TIPS FOR BETTER LIFE! 1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. & while you walk, SMILE. This is the ultimate antidepressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

3. When you wake up in the morning, Pray to ask God's guidance for your purpose, today.

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, and almonds.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Forgive them for everything !

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12.You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

17. Help the needy. Be generous. Be a 'Giver' not a 'Taker' 18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. Time heals everything. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

20. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

21 Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

22. Be thankful. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

Page 22

CRUNCH Some uses for lemons that will blow your socks off!

Most people are familiar with the traditional uses for lemons to soothe sore throats and add some citrus flavor to our foods.

However the diversity of applications for lemons far exceeds general knowledge and once you read the following list, you’ll likely want to stock at least a few lemons in your kitchen 24-7.

Freshen the Fridge

Anti-Aging Lemon water reduces the production of free radicals which are responsible for aging skin and skin damage. Lemon water is calorie free and an antioxidant.

Remove refrigerator odors with ease. Dab lemon juice on a cotton ball or sponge and leave it in the fridge for several hours.

Make sure to toss out any malodorous items that might be causing the bad smell.

Prevent Cauliflower From Turning Brown Cauliflower tend to turn brown with even the slightest cooking.

You can make sure the white vegetables stay white by squeezing a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice on them before heating.

Refresh Cutting Boards No wonder your kitchen cutting board smells! After all, you use it to chop onions, crush garlic, and prepare fish. To get rid of the smell and help sanitize the cutting board, rub it all over with the cut side of half a lemon or wash it in undiluted juice straight from the bottle.

Keep Insects Out of the Kitchen You don’t need insecticides or ant traps to ant-proof your kitchen. Just give it the lemon treatment. First squirt some lemon juice on door thresholds and windowsills. Then squeeze lemon juice into any holes or cracks where the ants are getting

in. Finally, scatter small slices of lemon peel around the outdoor entrance. The ants will get the message that they aren’t welcome. Lemons are also effective against roaches and fleas: Simply mix the juice of 4 lemons (along with the rinds) with 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water and wash your floors with it; then watch the fleas and roaches flee. They hate the smell.

Fruit and Vegetable Wash You never know what kind of pesticides or dirt may be lurking on the skin of your favorite fruits and vegetables. Slice your lemon and squeeze out one tablespoon of lemon juice into your spray bottle. The lemon juice is a natural disinfectant and will leave your fruits and vegetables smelling nice too.

Treat Infections Lemon water can fight throat infections thanks to its antibacterial property. If salt water does not work for you, try lime and water for gargling.

Deodorize Your Garbage If your garbage is beginning to smell yucky, here’s an easy way to deodorize it: Save leftover lemon and orange peels and toss them at the base under the bag.

To keep it smelling fresh, repeat once every couple of weeks.

Keep Guacamole Green You’ve been making guacamole all day long for the big party, and you don’t want it to turn brown on top before the guests arrive.

The solution: Sprinkle a liberal amount of fresh lemon juice over it and it will stay fresh and green.

The flavor of the lemon juice is a

natural complement to the avocados in the guacamole. Make the fruit salad hours in advance too. Just squeeze some lemon juice onto the apple slices, and they’ll stay snowy white.

Make Soggy Lettuce Crisp Don’t toss that soggy lettuce into the garbage. With the help of a little lemon juice you can toss it in a salad instead. Add the juice of half a lemon to a bowl of cold water. Then put the soggy lettuce in it and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make sure to dry the leaves completely before putting them into salads or sandwiches.

Lighten Age Spots Why buy expensive creams when you’ve got lemon juice? To lighten liver spots or freckles, try applying lemon juice directly to the area. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse your skin clean.

It’s a safe and effective skinlightening agent.

Make a Room Scent/ Humidifier Freshen and moisturize the air in your home on dry winter days.

Make your own room scent that also doubles as a humidifier. If you have a wood-burning stove, place an enameled cast-iron pot or bowl on top, fill with water, and add lemon (and/or orange) peels, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and apple skins. No woodburning stove? Use your stovetop instead and just simmer the water periodically.

Clean and Whiten Nails Pamper your hands without a manicurist. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon to 1 cup warm water and soak your fingertips in the mix-

Page 23

Volume 1, Issue 8

Create Blonde Highlights For salon-worthy highlights, add 1/4 cup lemon juice to 3/4 cup water and rinse your hair with the mixture. Then, sit in the sun until your hair dries. To maximize the effect, repeat once daily for up to a week.

ture for 5 minutes. After pushing back the cuticles, rub some lemon peel back and forth against the nail.

Freshen Your Breath Make an impromptu mouthwash by rinsing with lemon juice straight from the bottle. Swallow for longer-lasting fresh breath.

The citric acid in the juice alters the pH level in your mouth, killing bacteria that causes bad breath. Rinse after a few minutes because long-term exposure to the acid in lemons can harm tooth enamel.

Get Rid of Tough Stains on Marble

You probably think of marble as stone, but it is really petrified calcium (also known as old seashells). That explains why it is so porous and easily stained and damaged. Those stains can be hard to remove. If washing won’t remove a stubborn stain, try this: Cut a lemon in half, dip the exposed flesh into some table salt, and rub it vigorously on the stain.

But do this only as a last resort; acid can damage marble. Rinse well.

Remove Berry Stains It sure was fun to pick your own berries, but now your fingers are stained with berry juice that won’t come off no matter how

much you scrub with soap and water. Try washing your hands with undiluted lemon juice, then wait a few minutes and wash with warm, soapy water. Repeat until your hands are stain-free.

Soften Dry, Scaly Elbows Itchy elbows are bad enough, but they look terrible too. For better looking (and feeling) elbows, mix baking soda and lemon juice to make an abrasive paste, then rub it into your elbows for a sootihng, smoothing, and exfoliating treatment. Rinse your extremities in a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water, then massage with olive oil and dab dry with a soft cloth. (cont>)

Page 24

CRUNCH Some uses for lemons that will blow your socks off!

Forget The Moth Balls A charming French custom to keep closets free from moths is to take ripe lemons and stick them with cloves all over the skin. The heavily studded lemons slowly dry with their cloves, leaving a marvelous odor throughout the closets and rooms.

Stomach Health

Chills and Fevers Chills and fevers may be due to a variety of causes; never the less the lemon is always a helpful remedy.

Spanish physicians regard it as an infallible friend.

Digestive problems are the most common ailments but warm water and lime juice is the solution to most digestive problems.

Lemon juice helps to purify the blood, reduces your chances of indigestion, constipation, eliminates toxins from the body, adds digestion and reduces phlegm.

Bleach Delicate Fabrics Avoid additional bleach stains by swapping ordinary household chlorine bleach with lemon juice, which is milder but no less effective. Soak your delicates in a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda for at least half an hour before washing.

Clean Tarnished Brass and Polish Chrome Say good-bye to tarnish on brass, copper, or stainless steel. Make a paste of lemon juice and salt (or substitute baking soda or cream of tartar for the salt) and coat the affected area. Let it stay on for 5 minutes. Then wash in warm water, rinse, and polish dry. Use the same mixture to clean metal kitchen sinks too.

Apply the paste, scrub gently, and rinse.Get rid of mineral deposits and polish chrome faucets and other tarnished chrome.

Simply rub lemon rind over the

chrome and watch it shine!

Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth.

Replace Your Dry Cleaner

with your firewood as a preventive measure.

Neutralize Cat-Box Odor

Ditch the expensive drycleaning bills (and harsh chemicals) with this homegrown trick.

Simply scrub the stained area on shirts and blouses with equal parts lemon juice and water.

Your “pits” will be good as new, and smell nice too.

You don’t have to use an aerosol spray to neutralize foulsmelling cat-box odors or freshen the air in your bathroom. Just cut a couple of lemons in half. Then place them, cut side up, in a dish in the room, and the air will soon smell lemon -fresh.

Boost Laundry Detergent

Deodorize a Humidifier

For more powerful cleaning action, pour 1 cup lemon juice into the washer during the wash cycle. The natural bleaching action of the juice will zap stains and remove rust and mineral discolorations from cotton Tshirts and briefs and will leave your clothes smelling fresh.

Your clothes will turn out brighter and also come out smelling lemon-fresh.

When your humidifier starts to smell funky, deodorize it with ease: Just pour 3 or 4 teaspoons lemon juice into the water. It will not only remove the off odor but will replace it with a lemon-fresh fragrance. Repeat every couple of weeks to keep the odor from returning.

Rid Clothes of Mildew Have you ever unpacked clothes you stored all winter and discovered some are stained with mildew? To get rid of it, make a paste of lemon juice and salt and rub it on the affected area, then dry the clothes in sunlight. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.

Eliminate Fireplace Odor There’s nothing cozier on a cold winter night than a warm fire burning in the fireplace — unless the fire happens to smell horrible. Next time you have a fire that sends a stench into the room, try throwing a few lemon peels into the flames. Or simply burn some lemon peels along

* If you do consume lemon peel, stick to organic lemons to reduce your pesticide exposure.

- John Summerly is nutritionist, herbologist, and homeopathic practitioner. He is a leader in the natural health community and consults athletes, executives and most of all parents of children on the benefits of complementary therapies for health and prevention.

Read more www.trueactivist.com/45uses-for-lemons-that-willblow-your-socks-off/ Note: Do not rely on the internet! Check medical advice with your doctor, please.

Page 25

Volume 1, Issue 8 Winter safety tips which might save your life!

The ACT Fire Brigade has teamed up with NRMA Insurance to help all of us reduce the risk of home fires as part of this year’s Winter Home Fire Safety Campaign.

The ACT Fire Brigade recommends the following Winter Safety Tips to assist in keeping your home safe when the weather gets chilly: 1 Never leave cooking unattended . Don’t stop looking while you’re cooking 2 Install smoke alarms and regularly check to make sure

they are actually working 3 Make sure everyone knows how to safely exit your home if there is a fire 4 Keep curtains, tablecloths and bedding away from portable heaters 5 Keep wet clothing at least one metre from heaters or fireplaces and never leave unattended 6 Clean the lint filter every time before you use a clothes dryer 7 Check electric blankets for

damage or frayed cords and never leave them on when no one is home 8 Only use one appliance per power point and switch off when not in use 9 Keep candles at least a metre away from flammable materials and always extinguish them when unattended.

For more information and Winter Home Fire Safety tips visit: www.firebrigade.act.gov.au

We’re on the Web! example.com

Some more four leaf clover facts for you!

Four leaf clover is the world most well recognized good luck symbol. Here are 25 facts you may not know about the popular Four leaf clover: A Four Leaf Clover is actually an mutation of the shamrock (a three-leaf clover), it can only happen in approximately 1 in 10,000 shamrocks.

hard to find and lucky to have." Sarah Jessica Parker of popular TV show "sex in the city".

Children in the Middle Ages believed that they could see fairies if they found a Four Leaf Clover.

It's good luck to find a Four Leaf Clover. Clover protects human beings and animals from the spell of magicians and the wiles of fairies, and it brings good luck to those who keep it in the house.

A shamrock is considered to be a young clover. Clovers are in the pea family .

It is believed that finding a Four Leaf Clover, it will bring you fame, health, wealth and a faithful relationship.

"A best friend is like a Four Leaf Clover:

The US President, Abraham Lincoln, was said to have carried a

Four Leaf Clover everyday except on the night of his infamous visit to Ford's Theater the day he was assassinated.

The late French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped assassination when he stooping down to pick up a "Lucky Four Leaf Clover".

The Four Leaf Clover is one of the most popular tattoo themes for body art.

It represent "good luck" or an Irish pride or ancestry. It is often interchangeable with shamrock.