The Joys of Kitchen Improvement
Home improvement has always been a big deal to a homemaker-weather it is a big project like bathroom remodeling or just a simple window replacement. Let us go with the popular trend and place mothers as the ones in charge of home beautification. I understand that there are fathers who are also interested in this kind of thing. Mostly, though, they tend to favor do-it-yourself projects than contacting an actual contractor. Just for the sake of popular knowledge though, let’s just go with the moms. I have seen many beautiful remodeling all over the Internet: from dens and bedrooms to bathrooms and living rooms.However, what I have always been fascinated about are those stories that feature kitchen improvement. It does not matter if it is an overhaul of the kitchen or if they just focused on specific areas like cabinet or color scheme. They are all very charming to me. I guess this springs from an original love for the kitchen and the sensations and values it brings us. The kitchen is like the heart of every home. This is where the family gets together to eat, to discuss everyday matters, and even to discuss important matters, come to think of it.That is why I believe it is such a joy for mothers when they get to add more beauty and improvement to the kitchens. They will even discuss it at length with family members. Do you want to paint the kitchen yellow? Are these tiles okay? Will this lumber material do for the cabinet project I am planning? Will glass look better for our new kitchen cabinets? Do you want new place mats? The questions go on. Sometimes, the family members get annoyed. But take it easy on your mom, kids. This is one of her joys.When you think about it, planning a kitchen improvement (big or small) takes a lot of thinking. And that is not the mothers’ only job. For heaven’s sake, they are not paid to do this. They do it willingly and lovingly for their families. The least the families can do is to show support and lend out a hand now and then. Support and encouragement can do a lot to keep moms do whatever magic they do with your homes. Believe me when I say that without mothers, a home loses its magic and comfortable aura as well.Kitchens may seem like a small deal to single people who live in studio apartments and eat on their beds. However, once they have started a family and moved to a real house that they can call a home for many years (maybe even for the rest of their lives), their views of this amazing room will become altered to a great degree. They will realize that a kitchen can’t go under supplied or under-furnished, especially when their family keeps getting larger and larger through the years.
Passengers and Pilots
“In the case of emergency or a change in cabin pressure…place the air mask on yourself before helping others.”
Anyone who has flown on a commercial aircraft has heard this standard advice from the airline staff while buckling up to take a flight. It is important to take care of yourself first in any emergency and then assist others as you can. These safety tips have found their place into our current philosophical discussions.There is an emergency. Black America airlines flight 314 is experiencing major structural problems. Graduation rates have dropped below 50%. Murder rates have exceeded the casualties of the War in Iraq. Teen pregnancy, AIDS, and incarceration rates have breached the community hull and threaten the structural integrity of the family. These dire conditions are common among minority communities in the United States. The ship is going down and everyone is screaming, “What are we going to do?”Too often the answer is, “save yourself.” Too many of us have adopted the advise of the stewardess and made self preservation our first priority. It’s the norm for blacks to use the resources of the black community to come up from poverty, save themselves and disappear into the wilderness of America society. This is to be expected of most of the passengers of any sinking ship or plane in trouble.However, there is a higher responsibility for the ship’s staff and leadership. Their primary responsibility is for the safety of the crew. From the pilot to the stewardess, every staff member is responsible for the safety and well being of the passengers. They are trained to handle emergency situations. They are prepared to be calm in the face of turbulence. And god forbid, the plane experiences engine failure. They know how to safely land the plane.Leadership challenges us to make saving others our first priority. Yes, things are failing apart in the Black community. The community appears to be separating at the seams. There are definitely signs of engine failure. And worst of all the community seems inadequately staff to handle this emergency. Yet, the truth is that we have been trained and equipped to handle this challenge. No situation has come upon us that we are not prepared to handle, survive and thrive. In the case of blacks, we have overcome slavery, Jim Crow, segregation and inferior educational systems to become the world’s leaders in sports, academics, economics, entertainment, politics and government. Surely, we are ready to meet the challenges of a little engine failure.Black people are capable of saving black people. It will require that we commit ourselves to helping the people in our communities. It means helping your neighbor in need. We must open our eyes and answer the calls of our communities. Answering these calls requires money, time and commitment. Being a community member means being available and accessible to the people who need you. Like the staff of a first class flight, we are to be servants to our community.The new question for us to answer is this: “Are you a passenger or a pilot on this flight?” Is your first concern you or the crew? As a leader do you have the faith to believe that the ship can be saved? Are you willing to ride the winds down to the last moments and beyond? Are you willing to risk your own life to save the lives of others? These are tough questions but the reality is, there is no bailing out for the captain. There is no parachute for the leader.
Understanding Stone Masonry
Stone masonry is also regarded as fancy brickwork. This does not imply that materials are not used. The other materials may be used to construct awesome walls, fences, porches, driveways and even patios. The above forms of work are known as stone masonry. Other forms may be disguised in concrete, stone, tile and glass.Stone masonry offers your home amazing aesthetics and also increases the resale value of your home. The main reason for this is because stones provide extended durability and stronger protection against fire, flooding and strong winds.Brick masonry is also commonly used. In fact it is one of the most poplar forms of stone masonry used nowadays. It usually comes out in two different basic looks that include solid and veneered. It is important that you understand the difference between the two. Veneer brickwork is just only a “coat” made of thin bricks which are attached to another surface. The solid brickwork is generally made by use of entire bricks. The veneer is mostly used in both weather-proofing and finishing a surface or a wall.What is Veneer Brick Masonry?It can be defined as an attachment to a surface via brick ties. Such kind of brick ties, those are usually used together with mortar and does not cement to a given surface. There is a small gap between the surface and veneer which is attached for ventilation purposes. Since bricks are not waterproof, there is a need to treat any surface that is beneath the veneer cover by use of a moisture-resistant surface.Experts have noted that brick masonry is usually preferred to solid masonry because it can be supported with steel and therefore offers more stability and also it allows insulation through the gap between the surface and it.What is solid Brick Masonry?This form of building does not allow a gap with the surface its coming in contact with. The way it is laid provides a great appeal. This form alternates with the placement of bricks and can vary greatly in number. The variations bring out particular patterns with unique names.Another form off this artwork is concrete masonry that is built by use of concrete blocks, cinder blocks and hollow tiles. It is a faster way of construction than use of bricks because of their large bricks. This makes it more water-resistant than brick. It is widely used in industrial type of environments.