Happy Valentine’s Day! Where would we be without friends and loved ones? Valentine’s Day gives us an excuse to celebrate all of our friends and family. February is the month of love, and hopefully, we are surrounded from all directions. Love and kindness make a difference and are never wasted. Please add a random act of kindness to your to-do list this month. We also celebrate American Heart Month, National Senior Independence Month, and President’s Day. Specifically, Feb. 9 is Chocolate Day, Feb. 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day, and finally, Feb. 25 is International Sword Swallower’s Day. Valentine’s Day is also the one day that chocolate is not fattening!
This month, the Sherburne Library will be showing movies that are all Oscar nominees. That doesn’t mean they are all noteworthy, so please Google them before you come. Check the titles on the library website.
A second ladies’ night will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. to make laser-printed jewelry.
Stop in and take a look, as these creations are amazing.
The Volunteers will continue to meet on Tuesday afternoons. The library is the official partner of the Valentine Phantom, so that has been the focus. The group is also working on the summer theme of Color Your World. No special skills are needed! They need fabric scraps for some of the projects.
Last month, the Thoughts on Aging Group discussed Happy/Well, Sad/Sick, and Prematurely Dead.
You can figure that out. This month’s discussion will focus on Finding the Joy Again. The group will meet at the library on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at p.m. All thoughts and opinions are respected, and nothing leaves the library so we can express our feelings freely.
“Gather” by Kenneth Cadow is the selection for the February meeting of the Book Club. It’s the story of a young Vermont teenager facing horrendous problems. One reviewer said she usually reads very fast but had to slow down for this book, adding that the book simultaneously broke her heart but then filled it so full that she walked away happy. The book club will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 1 p.m.
I am a big tea drinker and have mentioned the benefits of drinking tea in past newsletters. I recently read about the five healthiest teas and why they are the best for our health. First, did you know that tea is the most widely consumed flavored beverage in the world? In fact, you may be overwhelmed by the options available. True teas are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Differences in color and flavor depend on how the leaves are harvested, rolled, crushed, and exposed to air before drying. So, let’s talk about the five top tea choices. First, black tea has a much darker and stronger flavor when compared to green tea. That’s because it goes through an oxidation process. The tea leaves are crushed and exposed to air, turning them brown and intensifying the flavor.
Types of black tea include English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, assam, and chai tea. Green tea leaves keep their green color because they’re picked while they’re young and immediately heated to prevent oxidation. This gives the tea a much milder flavor. Green tea is considered a “super” food thanks to its sky-high antioxidant content. Matcha tea is like the superhero version of green tea. Made of finely ground green tea leaves, matcha is a powder you dissolve in water. Since you’re consuming the entire leaf, you get even higher amounts of antioxidants than in green tea. Oolong tea falls somewhere between green and black teas, making it a great option if black tea is too strong and green tea is too mild. Rooibos tea has many antioxidants but no caffeine. It typically has a nutty, malty, earthy, and sweet flavor. Whatever you choose, drink tea often. Many experts recommend two or three cups per day to enjoy the health benefits of lower risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline. There’s nothing better than a cup of tea in your hands with the snow coming down, the wind blowing, and a temperature below 10 degrees. Try it!
I don’t cook much anymore, but I love reading recipes. I came upon one the other day that costs pennies and seems to alchemize out of nothing. It’s a Depression-era pie that requires six ingredients. I cannot imagine what this tastes like, so if you try it, please give a review.
Water Pie
1 ½ cups water
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
5 T butter cut into pats
1 pie crust
Directions
Pour water into the pie crust.
Mix sugar and flour and sprinkle over water.
Do not stir.
Drizzle vanilla over the pie.
Place pats of butter on top of the mixture.
They will float.
Bake at 400 for 30 min.
Then 375 for another 25-30 min.
As we age, we all notice changes in our physical being and our thought processes. Some call these changes signs of becoming “frail.” This may not sound like a big deal because we expect these changes as an inevitable stage of aging. But frailty is an actual medical condition that might make it harder to come back from health-related setbacks as well as cause earlier mortality. It affects your independence and quality of life and makes you more susceptible to medical curve balls. How can we recognize this condition, and more importantly, how can we reverse it? First, recognize little signs like not being able to open jars or walk at a good pace. Any dip in energy, unexplained weight loss, and trouble exercising are all warning signs. Staying active in any way can lower risk, but strength training is the real MVP here. Two muscle strengthening sessions a week are recommended, plus 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week are necessary tools for reversing frailty. The third essential element in frailty prevention is balance, which prevents falls. Any adult is susceptible to becoming frail, so take notice and focus on building strength. As I read through this article, I thought about myself and the fact that I can’t always open jars anymore, nor do I run up and down steps. I go slow and hang on to the railing. This really got my attention, but lucky for us, we have the perfect strength training class in Killington. Bone Builders is held every Monday and Thursday at 10 a.m. at the library. See you there!
None of us wants to end up living with our children. Virtually no one has ever said they plan on living with their children. That is why the following poem is so funny. It was sent to me on Facebook and written by Joanne Bailey Baxter.
When I am an old lady, I’ll live with each kid.
And bring so much happiness just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they’ve provided.
Returning each deed! Oh they’ll be so excited!
When I’m an old lady and live with my kids
I’ll write on the walls with red, whites and blues,
and I’ll bounce on the furniture wearing my shoes.
I’ll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I’ll stuff all the toilets and, Oh, how they’ll shout!
When I’m an old lady and live with my kids
When they’re on the phone and just out of reach
I’ll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, they’ll snap their fingers and then shake their head.
When I’m an old lady and live with my kids
When they cook dinner and call me to eat
I’ll not eat my green beans, salad, or meat.
I’ll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table
And when they get angry, I’ll run if I’m able.
When I’m an old lady and live with my kids
I’ll sit close to the TV, through channels, I’ll click
I’ll cross both eyes and see if they stick
I’ll take off my socks and throw one away
And play in the mud til the end of the day.
And later in bed, I’ll lay back and sigh
I’ll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes
My kids will look down with a smile, slowly creeping
And say with a groan, “She’s so sweet when she’s sleeping.”
The Little White Church is planning a takeout lasagna dinner on the day of the Town Meeting. Between 4:30 and 6 p.m. on Monday, March 3, can drive by the public safety building and pick up homemade lasagna, salad, and dessert for a $5 donation. Signs will be placed telling you where to drive, and the takeouts will be brought to your car. All you have to do is roll down your window. Please put this on your calendars, as the donations help the church spread the good word throughout our community by helping those in need. Also, remember that the food pantry is open to anyone. Remember, we all need a little help every once in a while.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Enjoy the month and all the good things that come your way, including all the chocolate you can eat.
The very best,
Gerrie
