“October, tuck tiny candy bars in my pockets and carve my smile into a pumpkin,” said Rainbow Rowell.
There is a chill in the air and maybe even the smell of wood smoke. The days are shorter and the night’s are cooler. October is considered a time when both nature and people start preparing for winter. We get out the crock pots and start to cook more. We all make pumpkin bread but how about considering the sweet potato. They are very tasty and contain multiple vitamins and minerals including beta-carotene, known to help lower inflammation. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A, helpful in preserving your vision and safeguarding against night blindness. Sweet potatoes are good for digestion because they have so much fiber……actually two kinds of fiber…..soluble and insoluble. Their Vitamin A (which in topical form called retinol) is very good for our skin. You can boil, mash or fry them and add them to that first batch of fall chili.
Thanks to Laura Djordjalian for sharing an opportunity for our senior group to help out at our elementary school. It would be one hour any day between Wednesday and Friday. The “work” would involve simply staying in the cafeteria while the children eat, ensuring good manners and giving permission to return to their classrooms or go to the bathroom. Then we would wipe the tables down after they leave and be gone by 1 p.m. The teachers and the principal would really appreciate the extra time. Get in touch with Principal Mary Guggenberger at the Killington Elementary School.
The Little White Church is a busy place. They are currently hosting bus tour dinners to earn funds for the operation of the church. They also have a year round food pantry that gives to those in need as often as they are contacted. Currently they have a need for the following: Tissues, canned pineapple, peaches etc., paper towels, hash, dish soap, mayonnaise, cereal, oatmeal, mustard, cake, cookie, brownie mixes, packaged potatoes, rice and pasta, canned chicken, stuffing.
When you go shopping pick up a few things for those who are in need. It will be appreciated far more than you can imagine. Call Nan Salamon for pick-up 802-422-9244. Monday afternoon at the movies is popular at the library. The movies start at 1 p.m. and there is even popcorn! The next two upcoming this month are: “Boston Strangler” on Monday, Oct. 17 and “Hocus Pocus” Monday, Oct. 30.
Book Ends Book Club meets the last Wednesday of every month. This month’s selection is “The Whistling Season” by Ivan Doig. “Can’t cook but doesn’t bite” begins the newspaper ad offering the services of an A-1 housekeeper with sound morals and exceptional disposition that draws the attention of widower Oliver Milliron in the fall of 1909. So the ever whistling Rose Llewellyn and her font-of-knowledge brother, Morris Morgan, arrive in Marias Coulee, along with a stampede of homesteaders drawn to the area by the promise of the “big ditch,” a gargantuan irrigation project intended to make the Montana prairie bloom. When the schoolmarm runs off with an itinerant preacher, Morris is pressed into service, setting the stage for the “several kinds of education” none of them textbook variety, that Morris and Rose bring to Oliver and his three sons and the rambunctious students in the region’s one room school house. Please pick up your book at the library and join the group on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. at the library to discuss.
I read an article the other day where people of a certain age were sharing things they no longer tolerate. It was a long list and I’m sharing part of it with you more as food for thought to prompt you into thinking about things you no longer tolerate. We are allowed to be cranky once in a while! Here are some of the things our contemporaries no longer tolerate: daylight savings time, passwords, amusement parks with long lines, the hassle of getting in touch with companies, going anywhere that doesn’t have a parking lot, caring about what people think of them, rudeness, blaring music and digital coupons. I’m sure you can think of a few more things. It’s nice to have choices and to say “no more” every once in a while!
“52 Small Changes for the Mind” by Brett Bluementhal is still with us. We are on weeks 45-48. What a journey this has been. Listening to music, being creative, reading, being a mentor and the many other little things that we have added to our life should have some effect if we keep it up.
We just have this month and November to go and we will have finished this project!
Week 45: Build close relationships
“Friendship is like money, easier made than kept,” said Samuel Butler.
Having dozens or or even hundreds of friends may seem worth a great deal, but, having just a few true close friends is priceless. We live in a world where social media has resulted in accruing friends by the hundreds or thousands. This has given friendship a whole new meaning. However, studies show a few close friends provide the most benefits to our health and happiness.
Week 46: Schedule to-dos
“He who fails to plan, plans to fail,” said Winston Churchill.
No matter what you want to do, scheduling activities and tasks increases your chances of actually doing them. Things easily slip through the cracks. Planning helps eliminate wasted time and energy and frees up your mental energy because it relieves you of the responsibility of having to remember everything that needs to get done.
Week 47: Play
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation,” said Plato. When life is packed with work, have-tos and obligations, it is easy to forget to have fun along the way. Building fun into your life, even at work, is essential to happiness. It has the power to help you manage stress, strengthen relationships and boost creativity and productivity levels.
Week 48: Set intentions
“Our intention creates our reality,” said Wayne Dyer.
Setting intentions connects us to our values, our aspirations, our character and our beliefs. This can bring a sense of peace to our life. All of us are works in progress and so are our lives. We are always shaping and navigating our lives as we respond to changing circumstances. In consciously setting expectations we give ourselves a chance to step back and remind ourselves of the good and the bad, the things we care about the most and the type of person we want to be.
Helpful little hints
I have enjoyed this book but have not been 100% successful in carrying out all the changes. However, I’m certainly more aware of what’s going on within myself.
As you must know by know by now I love books and I love sharing what I believe to be helpful little hints. For instance, I am always reminding you to practice getting up off the floor. Growing older is a normal part of life and there’s a lot to learn on how to do it well. Losing our balance is one of the most common issues in old age. A friend made me aware of a book called “5 Minute Balance Exercises for Seniors” by Alfred Allen. I have read through it and for the last week have been doing the exercises that are suggested in the book. I will be sharing a few each month so we can all work on improving our balance. I found these to be very easy and not at all time consuming.
The first is called “weight shift.” Stand up as straight as you can and lift one leg off the ground. Hold this position for 20 seconds. Then lift the other leg and do the same. Practice at least three times. The second is called “rock the boat.” This is very similar to weight shift but you raise your legs out to the side and hold for 20 seconds. These simple exercises require no equipment and will provide you with more mobility. I know they sound simple but it is a start and I will share a few more next month.
Our monthly Discussion on Aging continues this month with the theme of relationships. Why do we sometimes have to be careful with what we say to our adult children? Is it really worth the effort to start dating again if you suddenly find yourself alone after many years of being a partner? — Yes, we talk about everything. But the best part is what is talked about at these sessions stays at these sessions.
Everyone’s opinion or story is respected. We don’t solve many problems but we sure have a lot of ideas. Join us on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. at the library.
