Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.

Business Loans In Canada: Financing Solutions Via Alternative Finance & Traditional Funding

Business loans and finance for a business just may have gotten good again? The pursuit of credit and funding of cash flow solutions for your business often seems like an eternal challenge, even in the best of times, let alone any industry or economic crisis. Let’s dig in.

Since the 2008 financial crisis there’s been a lot of change in finance options from lenders for corporate loans. Canadian business owners and financial managers have excess from everything from peer-to-peer company loans, varied alternative finance solutions, as well of course as the traditional financing offered by Canadian chartered banks.

Those online business loans referenced above are popular and arose out of the merchant cash advance programs in the United States. Loans are based on a percentage of your annual sales, typically in the 15-20% range. The loans are certainly expensive but are viewed as easy to obtain by many small businesses, including retailers who sell on a cash or credit card basis.

Depending on your firm’s circumstances and your ability to truly understand the different choices available to firms searching for SME COMMERCIAL FINANCE options. Those small to medium sized companies ( the definition of ‘ small business ‘ certainly varies as to what is small – often defined as businesses with less than 500 employees! )

How then do we create our road map for external financing techniques and solutions? A simpler way to look at it is to categorize these different financing options under:

Debt / Loans

Asset Based Financing

Alternative Hybrid type solutions

Many top experts maintain that the alternative financing solutions currently available to your firm, in fact are on par with Canadian chartered bank financing when it comes to a full spectrum of funding. The alternative lender is typically a private commercial finance company with a niche in one of the various asset finance areas

If there is one significant trend that’s ‘ sticking ‘it’s Asset Based Finance. The ability of firms to obtain funding via assets such as accounts receivable, inventory and fixed assets with no major emphasis on balance sheet structure and profits and cash flow ( those three elements drive bank financing approval in no small measure ) is the key to success in ABL ( Asset Based Lending ).

Factoring, aka ‘ Receivable Finance ‘ is the other huge driver in trade finance in Canada. In some cases, it’s the only way for firms to be able to sell and finance clients in other geographies/countries.

The rise of ‘ online finance ‘ also can’t be diminished. Whether it’s accessing ‘ crowdfunding’ or sourcing working capital term loans, the technological pace continues at what seems a feverish pace. One only has to read a business daily such as the Globe & Mail or Financial Post to understand the challenge of small business accessing business capital.

Business owners/financial mgrs often find their company at a ‘ turning point ‘ in their history – that time when financing is needed or opportunities and risks can’t be taken. While putting or getting new equity in the business is often impossible, the reality is that the majority of businesses with SME commercial finance needs aren’t, shall we say, ‘ suited’ to this type of funding and capital raising. Business loan interest rates vary with non-traditional financing but offer more flexibility and ease of access to capital.

We’re also the first to remind clients that they should not forget govt solutions in business capital. Two of the best programs are the GovernmentSmall Business Loan Canada (maximum availability = $ 1,000,000.00) as well as the SR&ED program which allows business owners to recapture R&D capital costs. Sred credits can also be financed once they are filed.

Those latter two finance alternatives are often very well suited to business start up loans. We should not forget that asset finance, often called ‘ ABL ‘ by those Bay Street guys, can even be used as a loan to buy a business.

If you’re looking to get the right balance of liquidity and risk coupled with the flexibility to grow your business seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor with a track record of business finance success who can assist you with your funding needs.

Why Is Organic Antioxidant Skin Care The Very Best For Your Skin?

These might at first glance sound like easy questions to answer.1. Are all skin care products out in the market place safe?
2. Can you develop skin conditions just from using certain skin care products?
3; Can skin care products actually cause serious harm to your health?
4. Are there skin care products that are effective and also good for your health and cause no harm to your skin?Question number one is a resounding no! There are many skin care product lines that are widely sold in the market place that are not safe. Many of these skin care products contain caustic chemicals, preservatives and many other additives that can cause not only skin reactions but can also lead to serious conditions both on your skin and for your overall health.The answer to question number two is yes. Many people develop skin conditions from the products they are using and don’t even know that the products are the source. They keep using the products they are familiar with and use makeup to cover the problems. When a skin care product has a variety of synthetic chemicals in it the potential for negative reactions to the skin are widely different for different people.Question number three’s answer is also yes. Long term use of chemical ingredient skin care products can cause many forms of long term health issues. Like cancer, auto immune disease. There are many types of illnesses that are related to the absorption of toxic compounds through the skin. It’s bad enough that we all absorb toxic compounds just being exposed to the environment, we live in a very toxic world these days. Then to also add more toxic chemicals willingly through the skin care products you use is insult to injury.Question number four is answered yes. There are definitely skin care products available that are not only very effective but also good for your health and for your skin.
This what the rest of this article is about, the positive message that you can take great care of your skin, stay looking younger, heal and prevent skin conditions and prevent serious health problems that can start through your skin.The concept of organic skin care has gained a lot of attention. The idea that what you put on your skin should be pure, chemical free and have no synthetic ingredients makes perfect sense. If you believe it’s better to eat organic food, as opposed to food grown with pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals, or foods processed with preservatives, additives and other unnatural food compounds, then the same should go for skin care.Of coarse you should be conscious and concerned about the food you eat and it’s effect on your health, you should also be conscious about what you put on your skin.Your skin being your bodies largest organ is the filter and the protector for your body from all the toxicity you are exposed to in the modern world. If you have healthy well treated skin that has been fed lots of antioxidants and your are internally also healthy with a strong immune system, you can fight off all the free radicals that attack you through your skin and can potentially cause serious damage to your health.Antioxidants are if not the most important compounds, they rank right at the top of the organic compounds we all need in our bodies and on our skin. We have to add them daily and keep the absorption of antioxidants at a consistently high level. It is sad to say but we do live in a very polluted world and much of this toxicity in deliberately added in the quest for profitable products. Companies get their products approved without the longer term health studies that should be completed so the consumer can be assured the products are safe.The only real clear way to know for sure whether a specific skin care product has no harmful side effects, is to only use organic products that have zero synthetic additives, chemicals or other ingredients that are not from the natural world. Of coarse there are compounds in the natural world that are toxic, and ingredients in organic products that can effect different people in different ways, so as with any product or food, read the labels and know what you are eating or putting on your skin. If the company is a reputable company with a positive track record and their skin care products are all organic it is a good bet they will do you no harm.