Thought of the month - Get Rid of the Splinter

At the start of a new year, everyone is focused on improving things.

New Year's resolutions abound, everything from vowing to wear more skirts to the office to committing to advanced education or maybe even trying for another baby! Everybody seems to enter the New Year with refreshed hope that all those wonderful things that we dream could happen will really come true this time.

But, is there something that you already HAVE in your life that is holding you back?

The other day, I saw my four year-old was limping noticeably. I asked him if something was wrong with his foot but he replied "no". This happened three or four times before he finally admitted that he had stepped on something and it had gotten into the bottom of his foot.

If there is one thing Douglas does not like, it’s Mommy or Daddy having to remove splinters. He was willing to put up with the pain of the splinter rather than admit that he had a problem. It was hard for me to understand why he preferred the pain of the splinter to the solution but, he was in denial. He had talked himself into believing that the splinter wasn’t that bad, that it would go away and that the pain would get better.

We laugh when we see a child behave this way but do you have a splinter in your life that you are ignoring?

Maybe your health isn’t so great or you owe too much money. Maybe you are having family problems or are afraid to fly in a plane. I’ll bet almost everybody has something that they are choosing to ignore.

I have a splinter but I’m not going to tell you what it is - and I won’t ask you about yours. Because I think the thorns in our life are too personal. It is easy to talk about our goals, our dreams and our schemes. It’s fun to share with people our hopes for the future, especially when we have set solid resolutions to see them to fruition but the splinters in our life are different.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/314-thought-of-the-month-get-rid-of-the-splinter.html

Hay Fever and Mowing Grass - Some Solutions

Do you have hay fever symptoms when you're mowing the lawn?

If you're in doubt, an allergy to grass (and other) pollens can result in one or more of the following:

• red, sore and runny eyes
• a blocked nose and/or sneezing
• skin rashes and blotches plus a general 'itchiness'
• a blocked and catarrh-ridden throat
• a tickly cough perhaps combined with wheeziness
• sinus headaches
• a general feeling of malaise.

Of course, if you're suffering any such symptoms, it would always be sensible to get a doctor to check your assumptions about hay fever as a cause. Assuming it is though, what can you do about it?
Don't Ignore It
Hay fever was once laughed-off by many, including some heath care professionals, as being a trivial thing or 'in the mind'.

In today's more enlightened times, it's recognised to be a potentially major problem that can seriously reduce sufferers' effectiveness in work or when doing jobs around the house.

There are some medications you can take to help and your doctor will discuss those with you including the traditional anti-histamines, although other treatments are also possible. They may also advise taking some tests to try and specifically identify just what type of pollen or dust you're allergic to.

Precautions

In some cases, those working with agricultural machinery and lawnmowers might wish to consider a few additional tips that may help.

Depending upon your specific allergy, research which times of the day offer the best working conditions. Some pollens are far more active in the early morning and others in the late evening etc. Avoid those times!

If the main effects on you are respiratory and throat-related, consider using a mask. Make sure it's rated for pollen elimination.

If you're mainly affected in the eyes, think about goggles but you'll need special varieties that don't have unfiltered ventilation holes or you'll be wasting your time.

Consider using overalls and 'covering up' if the worst effects are skin-related. There are also some barrier creams that can be effective.

Remember that some allergies commonly called "hay fever" are nothing to do with pollen at all. Your allergies might be due to, say, harvest dust or just the dust thrown up when driving around on the land. Another culprit is often household dust, the largest component of which is usually dead human skin cells! If you're really allergic to harvest dust and related issues, then you'll need to take some of the above steps or also look at working in a vehicle with a cab providing filtered air

When you've finished your cutting, make sure you undress outside the house and try and shower quickly once inside. There's little point keeping lots of the pollen on your overalls and mask if you then take it all into your home at the end of the day, shaking it about as you move around!
Most employers are sympathetic to employees who suffer from hay fever, so if you need anything to help you get through the day and perform adequately, let them know.

If it's a personal rather than a work related issue, then you might just have to ask your spouse, kids or a well-disposed neighbour to lend a hand in the peak allergy season!

Read more about second hand machinery, agriculture machinery, mowers and tractors.

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Check this video out to learn if The Weakening Dollar is a Good or Bad News for Farmers! Visit http://www.whitestractors.com.au/ to check out for more.

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There are a few basic safety awareness steps that can help to significantly reduce the risks of fire starting and for it getting out of control.Learn more on how to Be Alert for Fire Risk in the Countryside. Visit http://www.whitestractors.com.au/ for more info.