Wednesday, September 21, 2011

It's that time of year again for.......HEAD LICE!

I am not a bug person at all and just the mention of head lice gives me the heebee jeebee's. I have been scratching my head ever since dear hubby came home from driving the school bus one day couple weeks ago and then on Monday one of the daycare Mommies informs me "The girls have head lice." Oh, how I hate those dreaded words. So then last night I was dreaming of head lice. Eww! As I am typing I am itching not just on my head but all over. lol 

Luckily I had washed all the blankets and pillows over the weekend so that was already taken care of and put away after naps on Friday. So I began the other clean up in the daycare room and I have all that done. I just wanted to post a little information that I found on the Center of Disease Control website today. 





As you can see, the eggs and the adult lice are not very big and can be hard to see and find. Trust me it is no fun having to search through a child's hair for hours everyday until you no longer find any. I had to do that years ago and I decided then that I did not wish that on my worst enemy.


Head lice are not known to transmit disease; however, secondary bacterial infection of the skin resulting from scratching can occur with any lice infestation.

Getting head lice is not related to cleanliness of the person or his or her environment.

Head lice are mainly spread by direct contact with the hair of an infested person. The most common way to get head lice is by head-to-head contact with a person who already has head lice. Such contact can be common among children during play at:

  • school,
  • home, and
  • elsewhere (e.g., sports activities, playgrounds, camp, and slumber parties).

Uncommonly, transmission may occur by:

  • wearing clothing, such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, or hair ribbons worn by an infested person;
  • using infested combs, brushes or towels; or
  • lying on a bed, couch, pillow, carpet, or stuffed animal that has recently been in contact with an infested person.
You can call your Doctor and get a prescription shampoo for this or you can buy the over the counter stuff, which I find to be quite expensive. To read more on the treatment you can do so over at the Center of Disease Control.

Now, I am off to comb my hair once again with the nit comb and praying it still comes out clean.

    siggy

    Saturday, September 10, 2011

    When Do You Put The Flag At Half Staff?

    I don't know about all of you but I have always wanted to know the answer to this because I have a flag out in my front yard. Well I was searching for some images to use for the 9/11 tribute and came across a handy widget for my blog. Can you see it up there in the upper right hand corner? It will put that flag at half staff on the days that it should be. Also you can sign up for emails telling you the days to lower your flag and you can print off a calendar of half staff days



    Half-Staff
    We provide an email alert service of when to fly your American flag at half mast.

    The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day.
    Days the American flag should be flown at half-staff:

    • May 15th – Peace Officers Memorial Day
    • Last Monday in May  - Memorial Day (half-staff until noon only, then raise to the top of the staff)
    • July 27th – Korean War Veterans Armistice Day
    • September 11th – Patriot Day
    • December 7th – Pearl Harbor Day

     By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of the State, territory or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory.

    In the event of the death of other officials of foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to presidential instructions of orders, or in accordance with recognized customs practices not inconsistent with law. In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory or possession of the United States, the Governor of that State, territory or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff.

    Flags flown on poles affixed to a home or building are not to be flown at half staff but a memorial streamer can be affixed to the top of the flagpole to signify half staff.


    Now, hopefully with all this I don't miss any more half staff days.



    Now, here is something that is a pet peeve of mine. If you can't hang the flag correctly, then don't hang it. So here is some info on how to hang it:


    General Flag Display

    It is the universal custom to display the American flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

    The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

    1. When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's left. When displayed in a window, the American flag should be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street. No other flag or pennant should be placed above, or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea...for personnel of the Navy...when the church pennant may be flown above the flag.

    No person shall display the flag of the United Nations of any other national of international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory of possession thereof; provided, that nothing in this section shall make unlawful the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag of the United Nations in a positions of equal prominence of honor, and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or honor, with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the United Nations.








    siggy
     
    b4baf0de5792b3a43fa9202e40632dd054525e1aeb1313185b