Sherwin Williams Paint Factory Tour/ Field trip

This morning we went to one of the neatest field trips we have ever been to. A trip to the Sherwin Williams paint Factory in Orlando Florida. We were lucky to attend because the factory only shuts down production for about 5 days out of each year to do maintenance, and today was one of them. The homeschool group I belong to arranged it. We learned a lot, including that they will hire lower level employees, and that they have a college tuition assistance program for those interested in furthering their education and moving up in the company. Just in case you were wondering Chemistry and Engineering are BIG here! We also learned that they are involved with local non profit charity projects- Way to go Sherwin Williams!!  

SO ........the pictures, and yes, I asked permission before snapping any photos :) 

Welcome to Sherwin -Williams

Because I am a nerd I took a picture of their lobby. The door to the office is cool ... and carved!

Safety glasses in place before touring the facility...Safety first...

A video to prepare us for the tour before going in...  you can see it here, it's only 5 minutes but it is exactly what we saw !   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9Kx3V40bao

Here we are outside looking at the silo's filled with dry/ powdered raw materials 

Learning how the raw materials are delivered by freight and pumped through the system

 Silo signage

Raw Materials

Mixing a large batch of paint, surprisingly it really didn't smell at all.

We learned that every batch of white paint has a little bit of black paint mixed in which actually makes the white " whiter"

These large factories typically produce only base colors. Dyes are added at the store to make the colors we request

The white hoppers on the right that look like they have chimneys are used to mix smaller batches

Welders Welding ...well, welders who stopped welding so we could take a closer look

More paint mixing

Hoses

The lab!!!

A display of the different paints they produce

A viscometer to test the paints viscosity just like in the video

This machine tests tint strength

The paint is mixed and tested and now goes into cans, they roll down this apparatus

If you look up... lots of cans waiting to be filled. This plant produces something like 9,000 gallons a day

Once your paint is in the can it needs a label and this is the machine that does it

These little chips are glue. They get fed into the machine above and melt

The can rolls through the conveyor and through the melted glue- you can see some dry strands here

And just a moment later, the can rolls further down and a label goes on...... here is a stack

Lids and handles go on here

 A coil of metal that will be turned into a handle(s)

Here they were showing us a machine that scans the bar codes to make sure the paint in the can is what the can is labeled with. Sorry, I didn't get a good pic of that machine.  

Assorted paint can labels.

All in all it was a wonderful experience. The tour was amazing and they were SOOOO kid friendly. They even told the kids to stop them at any time if they saw something in the plant they wanted more info on or to go see. They brought us back to the break room afterwards for more Q &A's  and even gave the kids snacks, drinks, and a souvenir Sherwin - Williams pen.  I am sure there is more I am forgetting but a big thanks to Sherwin- Williams, I think they just may have made a new customer out of me.  

Did I mention I love homeschooling? 

Nutcracker Fun

Today was a long, but FABULOUS day! 

We were able to attend a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center. A fellow homeschooling mom friend and her children are part of a local homeschool community and they are rocking some really cool field trips!   

We were there before 10 a.m. and if you know my family, you know that that is no small feat. We are soooo not early risers .  But it was well worth it!  Here are a few pics. Mind you , it's a ballet, and they are moving, so um... not the clearest of pictures, but I tried. 

When all was said and done we were ready to eat and luckily one of my girlfriends also went to the ballet with her family, so it was an instant playdate. Lunch eaten, a quick stop at Starbucks , and .... can you guess where we are????  

Yup, Krispy Kreme, and they were hot!! It was all for the kids ....really!

And no day is complete without stopping at the castle playground! All six kids ran around and burned off their donuts before long.  

A pretty pond! The kids watched the ducks, walked over bridges, and collected empty clam shells 

and snails

Then it was dinner time, so away we went , and wouldn't you know it, downtown by the lake they had Christmas lights set up, so we spent the evening strolling around looking at Christmas trees, lights, and the fountain show. The fact that it was cold out tonight made it really feel like Christmas. It was a really lovely day , spent with really lovely friends, and we are really blessed.  

  

Diabetes and Giving Thanks

It will be exactly 4 years ago, on the day after Thanksgiving, that Lucas was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

Four years ago, I could not have written what I am about to write. There was nothing to be thankful for, at least in my eyes, in relation to diabetes.But things have changed.

So here goes........

1. I am thankful for the fact that Lucas' Pediatrician/ his office, was in fact open the day after Thanksgiving. Lucas was much sicker than I could ever imagine. In fact the hospital staff even said " Thank God you brought him in today" that's how sick he was.

2. I am thankful for the fact that he received the proper diagnosis- it / Type 1 Diabetes is not always recognized right away.

3. I am thankful for the way the pediatrician broke the news. He was kind and gentle, reassuring me the entire time, as I sat in his office, tears streaming down my face. He even called the Pediatric ER ahead of us so that when we arrived we would be brought  straight back.

4. I am thankful for my father in law who went with me to the Pediatrician's office on that day, I don't know if I would have been able to make the drive home.

5. I am thankful for the fact that Paul Langerhans recognized/ discovered "Langerhan" cells and their importance in the late 1800's. As well as for the other individuals whose work led to the production of insulin in the 1920's. Because of them diabetes is no longer a death sentence and my son lives. Though a cure would be nice too!

If you would like to know more about how insulin came to be:  http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/insulin/discovery-insulin.html

6. I am thankful for the family and friends who supported us the best that they could during a time when we ourselves weren't sure what our needs really were. In reality, there is not much anyone can do for someone at a time like this but show love and support.

7  I am thankful for the fact that despite the fact that Lucas was in Diabetic Ketoacidosis when he was diagnosed he did not suffer any swelling or damage to the brain, fall into a coma, or die. This was a very real threat, in fact, when we were at the hospital I could barely keep Lucas awake and they made it clear we had to start treatment immediately. Before they treated him in the hospital though, I had to sign a waver stating I knew the risks and what the possible outcome could be. It hurts to write that one......when you are in the moment it really is like someone takes over your body and you are just watching from above.

8. I am thankful for the fact that we have access to insulin and testing supplies. There are kids who do not have access and the result is devastating. The movies linked below really put things in perspective.

Here is the trailer for a short film called " In the Hearts of Africa"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yea93cgqXNM

Here is the complete 37 minute film:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu4I5lJ3krM

Here is another excellent film trailer for " Life for a Child"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1OcjjoXnZo

Even if you don't watch the full movies, I hope you will at least look at the trailers.

9. I am thankful for the fact that over the last few years God could heal this broken heart of mine and give me the hope, strength, and joy I needed.

10. And last but not least I am thankful for the fact that if you asked Lucas what the worst part of his life was, he would probably say something like cleaning his room. Despite the fact that some days we check his sugar up to 10 times- like when he is sick, and he gets 5 shots a day, more if he is sick, he doesn't let diabetes hold him back. There is nothing he believes he can not do! Sometimes, the fact that he is so positive about all of it, actually helps me to make peace with it.  



1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Tower Garden Update

About 2 months ago I blogged about my experience growing aeroponically on a Tower Garden. At that time my tower was 4 weeks old. In case you missed that post, you can look at the picture below, that is what it looked like.   

At that time I was very happy with the results but now, I am thrilled!! 

This is a picture I  snapped tonight. At this point some of the plants have been changed out already since we have eaten them.

If you look at the left side of my tower you will see one large plant that takes most of that side. It is 1 eggplant plant!! We have eaten off of it several times and there are more small eggplant coming in and lots of flowers!   

This is one of my beloved kale. You can not see it in this picture, but in others you can see the side view. You will notice a long "naked" stem on the bottom and then the foliage on top. The stem on the bottom is "naked" because that is where we have eaten the kale from in the past. You eat the leaves from the bottom up leaving the centers which will continue to supply you with more .  

Ah, this green little guy is Swiss chard. Only 6 weeks ago it was a seed. That may not seem like a great big deal but Swiss chard and kale take a longer time to get going and then one day you turn around and they are huge!! 

Mesclun greens..... I have tried twice before to grow these in soil without success. But here they are 6 weeks old and flourishing in my tower! 

Closer view of the Mesclun, so pretty ( to me anyway) 

HA! THIS PICTURE!  This is Jason just a little over 2 weeks ago with our cilantro harvest. He cut everything off, down to the bare stems, but left the roots and about 1 inch of stem in the tower.

Today, 2 weeks and change later, lots more cilantro!

This is my experiment, I took the rock wool and put in a pea (seed)  and then popped it in the tower. Today is day 5. Love it!  

More Kale, can you tell I love Kale, I have several in my tower

TaDa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! O.k. go back to the top picture from 4 weeks ago and look at the tiny tomato plant on the right. Now come look at it (on the right) today! Yes, all of that trellised plant, the one that is almost as tall as my sliding glass door, is the same tomato plant!!!! Notice it's size compared to my 9 year old. I made her stand there as a reference. I just don't think you can grasp the size of it unless you have something to compare it to.   

The plant is covered in tomatoes and flowers. Come on little guys- ripen!!! This happens to be a  tiny purple variety- yup purple tomatoes!  Did I mention it's November, I have NEVER had tomatoes in November. 

So, that was my post on "tower love" 3 months into my experience. My only regret, not, doing this sooner!