INSOMNIA

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Since I suffer from chronic insomnia I'm always interested
in learning more about it. The sleep experts say that insomnia
is considered chronic if it occurs on most nights and last a month or more. They say that insomnia isn't defined by the number of hours of sleep a person gets or how long it takes to fall asleep. Even if a person's sleep is short or disturbed there is no problem unless daytime fatigue occurs and a person can't function normally.

I decided this week to research the subject and I found data
going back to 1977 in my files. Then, son Barry, researched
the subject on the web and the new info was about the same
as the old stuff I had in my files which surprised me.

One difference was that the 1977 article related that
chronic insomnia affected about 30 million Americans, according to a study by Stanford University Center for Educational
Research. Then, according to the U.S. Dept of Health and
Human Services about 60 million Americans now suffer from
insomnia. They added that insomnia tends to increase
with age and affects about 40 percent of women and 30 percent of men. A number of seniors that I know suffer from chronic
insomnia.

Insomnia is classified as transient (short term),
intermittent (on and off) and chronic. Almost everyone
has experienced insomnia when they are under stress, or from extreme temperatures or jet lag or medication side effects.
Other causes listed in the Internet literature are drinking excessive amounts of coffee or alcohol, smoking too many cigarettes and excessive afternoon napping. Such persons need to talk to their doctors to be certain they don't have
a primary sleep disorder such as sleep Apnea or Narcolepsy.

Now, we come tot he treatment of insomnia. The long term
use of sleeping pills for chronic insomnia is controversial. I think it is a decision that a patient and his or her doctor need to make. Also, trying behavioral techniques to improve sleep, such as relaxation therapy, sleep restructive
therapy or reconditioning can be helpful, according to the experts.

A few years ago, I started having a quiet time for myself about an hour before my bedtime. The relaxation has helped me to fall asleep quickly most nights. I try to clear my mind of worry thoughts and think of pleasant things that won't stimulate my mind. After that, if I am not interrupted, I can fall asleep.
But, alas, I wake up in the early hours of the morning and am rarely able to go back to sleep. Often, an overactive mind and physical pain may be the cause of such a pattern, the
experts say, and I agree.

I've concluded that insomnia may just be a part of advanced age and am grateful for the good night when I sleep about six hours.

See you next time.

By OLIVENE GODFREY
For various reasons, the last movie I saw in a theater was
the Loretta Lynn story, "Coal Miners Daughter". It was a very good movie and I enjoyed it.

When Barry and I heard about the Johnny Cash movie, "Walk The Line", we thought we would enjoy seeing it. I wouldn't think about going to a theater these days with my health problems.
But, thanks to modern technology, we recently viewed the
movie on Barry's wide screen T.V. with the sound from his stereo
speakers sending the dialogue and great music in his den.
I was comfortable in Barry's recliner and only needed to take two breaks although the film is over two hours long.

The acting in the movie is superb, bringing to life the lead characters, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, to the viewers. Joaquin Phoenix and Reece Witherspoon gave
outstanding performances. Witherspoon received the Oscar for her role and I felt Phoenix deserved one, too. Both of them did their own singing in the movie and I want to get the soundtrack as the music is so good.

I'm not qualified to be a film critic but I think we need more movies for mature audiences. (I am NOT talking about porn movies). I would like to see movies about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. But, I have read that most movies these days are made to appeal to teens, especially boys, who like the car chases, crashes and general destruction which I detest.

A THOUGHT TO PONDER-"And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." Abraham Lincoln.

By OLIVENE GODFREY

IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT

At our house, we believe in the old saying that if it ain't broke don't fix it. Also, we tend to keep home appliances and our vehicles as long as they are working. Barry recently bought a new Whirlpool refrigerator to replace our 30 year old one.
The new fridge is a lot better than the old model which sounded like a freight train roaring through the house. It also used a lot of energy. The new one is energy saving besides doing a better job in every way than the old one.

This past week, we replaced our 30 year old Whirlpool dishwasher with a new Whirlpool one that is also energy saving. The old one was a good one and was working hard washing a load of dishes when it "died." It was also very loud.The new one has some of the same features as the old one, such as having the silverware basket, in the door, which we like.The new one is quiet and is really better than the old one.

The quietness is a welcome relief and may be good for your health. I read recently that too much noise can cause high blood pressure and heart attacks and it is a good idea to replace old noisy home appliances.


You may ask, why would anyone wait so long to replace old home appliances that aren't as good as modern ones? One reason is that we do tend to get used to them and as long as they work we don't see any reason to buy new ones. Our other excuse is that for a number of years, my late husband was ill and caring for him was the top priority for son Barry and for me. We let a lot of needed repairs and replacements stay on hold until his death. We have taken care of a number of improvements and replacements the past few years.

I enjoyed a recent telephone conversation with my sister-in law, Agnes, who lives in a small town in northeast Georgia which is on the other side of the mountain from the foothill where we live. We chatted about family news and cooking, etc...
and it was good to talk to her.

I talk to my sister, Jeanette, in nearby Dalton, about once a week and after we have talked about the family news we discuss politics and solve the country's problems. I have tried to get over to visit her for weeks now and the weather or my health have interfered with my Sunday outings.

See you next time.

EARLY SIGNS OF SPRING LIFTS SPIRITS

By OLIVENE GODFREY

As I looked out of my windows at intervals last Friday morning, I thought, what a pretty world it is today! It began with the gorgeous sunrise over the mountain range. Later, the reflections
of the bright sunshine on our neighbor's farm lake looked
like a thousand sparkling sequins on the water. I admired
our pear tree which is in full bloom and while spring hasn't arrived yet, I know a frost may nip the white blossoms,
The yellow jonquils are blooming and the forsythia bushes have some tiny yellow flowers on them. The plants that have spent the winter in the garage are growing and needing more water.
Later, the yard was filled with a flock of robins., some feeding
from our buffet.

The landscaping crew that prunes our many shrubs and cleans up the yard in the spring came last week. When the grass starts growing, the lawn will be ready for Barry to mow. He bought a new Sears riding lawn mower last year and enjoys mowing the grass with it.

A few days ago,I looked outside the kitchen windows and
saw what appeared to be hundreds of large black birds feeding in our backyard and a few pecked at our seed in the feeder.
The birds were only here about ten minutes and then in unison
they all flew upward to the sky and disappeared in a few seconds.

Early Saturday morning, my spirits were dampened upon my discovery that our kitchen sink was stopped up. I made a quick
phone call to Roto Rooter and presto!, in less than an hour
the plumber had unstopped the drain and with Barry's help,
the kitchen was soon back normal. Despite the service charge
my spirits bounced back and it is still a pretty world here in northwest Georgia.

See you next time.