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.

What Are The Dangers of Using Facebook to Grow Your Business?

Several years ago, if you wanted to grow your business, Facebook was the most popular method. And many people still feel today that using this Social Media Platform is practical.

This thought process is nativity glorified. When Facebook launched in 2004, my friend called and invited me to join her. After about a year I finally did it. It did not occur to me that I could grow a business using it.

Several years later after I closed my brick and mortar business, I helped other small business owners develop and grow their business on social media. And like most consultants, I recommended and used Facebook. My small business owners were successful, so I was successful.

Later when I retired from small business consulting, I decided to open my doors to on-line marketing. And it was enjoyable as well as educational. Like so many other people, I learned from failure. Marketing anything on-line is challenging because of the scams.

When I finally earned my master’s degree from the University of Hard Knocks using Internet for my business adventures, I found that I too could use Facebook to grow and expand my bank account.

Using Facebook Groups, and building relationships was easy. I opened four groups of my own. All was going very well. Although I was not completely happy with Facebook it was producing results. And I did buy Facebook advertising occasionally.

Several of my business associates cautioned about changes on the horizon. But I was successful and did not listen. That was my mistake.

The point here is this; do not trust this platform. They have a unique way of selling our personal information, and an even more unique way of tracking our posts. (Yes, even our business content).

The insidious fact checking is primary. Mostly because the fact checking is not fact checking, it is a way to silence and control our content.

Be careful if you are building your business on this platform. At any moment they can disable your account. And much of the time you are not told exactly the reason.

I lost all my personal groups, plus my thousands of followers and my account. If I had only listened to my associates before this happened, I would never used this platform.

My business was moral, legal, ethical and above-board. I lost my Facebook account because my content didn’t fit their narrative.

I have opened a new account. But never again will I trust a platform that controls my content; business or personal.

Anyone who suggests that you build your business with Facebook is naive. The marketplace and business environment is not what it was five or tens years ago. Today, it’s about control. Your business is your livelihood; it’s your hard work. Think about it before you move forward. Perhaps you may want to make changes.

$5,000 Personal Loans With Bad Credit: Consider Some Alternative Solutions

Getting cash injection from time to time can be hugely beneficial when trying to get through the myriad of financial demands of everyday life. But with bad credit rating, getting approval for even modest loans can be tricky. However, it is possible to get even a $5,000 personal loan with bad credit.There is no doubt that a sum of $5,000 can prove to be extremely useful. It can finance a vacation, pay for college fees and also be used to clear some existing debts. But securing loan approval is impossible if the basic criteria set by the lender is not met, and tricky if the application is not approached correctly.People with poor credit ratings also need to accept some compromises if there is to be a chance of these personal loans being approved. But there are alternative loan sources to traditional banks that offer better terms.Family LoansLenders can place a number of conditions when granting a $5,000 personal loan with bad credit, ranging from higher interest rates to strict repayment schedules. The problem is this ensures the pressure is on to make repayments on time every time. But there are more informal loan options.Going to a family member, for example, can be a better choice. For a start, securing loan approval is easier because a family member is unlikely to turn another down. The only question is whether a member of the family has $5,000 to lend. Also, in most cases, there is no interest charged on the loan, making it also the most affordable loan option.But remember, it is a good idea to write the terms of any family loans down, and have both interested parties sign it. That way everything is kept clear and there is no risk of confusion. Such personal loans should not end up coming between family members.Consider Payday LoansThough rather expensive, one of the best loan options when in a hurry for fast cash is a payday loan. Getting a $5,000 personal loan with bad credit is pretty simple, with no credit check needed, and the lender approving the application within a hour. That means the financial emergency can be dealt with within 24 hours.However, the size of the loan can be a problem. Many lenders are reluctant to lend any more than $1,500, unless there is a special arrangement made with the borrower. Sometimes, borrowers may need to take out a series of payday loans instead. This can prove extremely expensive with each loan having interest as high as 30%.On the plus side, securing loan approval is almost guaranteed, and the repayment term is so short that there is no lingering debt over a number of years. In fact, 90 days is usually the longest term on this kind of personal loan.Consider a Company LoanOften, this is the last option considered by those seeking a $5,000 personal loan with bad credit. But, in fact, it is probably the most logical one. Your boss may be willing to advance the equivalent of 2 or 3 months salary, since it will have to be paid anyway. They may even be able to make a slight profit by charging a small interest rate.In terms of getting their money back, they can simply deduct the due repayments from the salary check each month. But securing loan approval is not just a good thing for your boss. As a bad credit borrower, the interest rate will be lower than that charged by any lender. Therefore, costs are lower and the loan itself is more affordable.On the down side, however, repaying this personal loan will have no effect on your credit rating, as the loan did not come from a recognized lender.