TOPICS ON MY MIND....

By OLIVENE GODFREY

My jonquils are up and are budding and Barry and I saw our first robin this week. For us those are harbingers of spring even though some experts don't agree with us. The warm weather we have been having probably won't last but the jonquils and the robins always give me hope that spring in all its glory will
arrive on time here in the northwest Georgia high country.

The mail this week brought a letter from my cousin, Ernestine, and a picture of her 102-year old mother, my Aunt Helen, and two of her great-great grand babies. Ernestine reported that Aunt Helen still recognizes all the family members and is doing well. Aunt Helen is a remarkable woman who has always enjoyed good health and lived alone until she was nearly 100.

I have been having a little pain in my right shoulder and arm that were broken last April. I know it healed fine as I saw the x-rays and I am able to do everything I always could with my arm. At first, I thought of phantom pain but then I remembered that phantom pain may occur in any of the limbs of a person's body after having an amputation of the respective parts. And there are a lot of suggested causes for it. But, Barry looked up post-fracture pain which may be what I have been having
in my arm and shoulder. While therapy and various casting may help the bones heal, injured tendons and ligaments may not have healed at the same time, which leads to pain, according to the Internet. And that makes sense to me.

Recently, Barry came across a packet of old letters I had saved as they were replies to my letters to relatives and friends when I announced that I was pregnant after 12 childless years of marriage to my late husband, Ralph. The letters were warm and loving and funny and caused me to feel nostalgic for that time in my life.

Since we cook a lot in our Crock Pot and Barry has the job of cleaning the pot after cooking a pot roast which was a tedious job until now. We discovered the new slow cooker liners in the grocery store which work great. If you haven't tried the liners yet, you are in for a pleasant surprise. I am cooking a pot roast today in the Crock pot with little red potato wedges which should make a good supper with a green salad.

See you next time.

WHERE HAVE THE BIRDS GONE, & WHATS HAPPENED TO THE ROBINS?,
AND WOE IS ME--ANOTHER ACCIDENT

By OLIVENE GODFREY

As I have written in the past, our yard is a bird sanctuary and over the years we have enjoyed watching a variety of birds that visit us and partake of our seed buffet in the winter months. So, we have been puzzled this year as fewer birds have flocked to the yard.

Last year, we were surprised that a large flock of robins spent the winter with us. We wondered if the mild winter we had last year confused the birds and they didn't realize it was time to fly south. Barry did some research on the Internet and found that seeing robins in winter isn't unusual. The research found that the wintering range of American robins is affected by the weather and natural food supply. And, as long as food is available, the robins are able to withstand quite severe weather.

An interesting finding was that in winter, robins form nomadic flocks, which can range in size from anywhere between 50 birds
in the north to thousands in the south. The flocks break up in the day while foraging and then gather again at night to roost in trees.

So far we here in northwest Georgia have had a mild winter but we haven't seen a single robin. At first, son Barry speculated that no robins indicated we would have a harsh winter but that hasn't happened yet. And, I hope it doesn't.

ABOUT THAT ACCIDENT---In my last column,I wrote about how my balance exercises had helped me avoid anymore falls. A few days later, I experienced an episode similar to two others I've had this past year.

One moment, I was standing at the foot of Barry's bed, folding laundry. In the next instant, I slammed against the bedroom door, nearly knocking the breath out of me, feeling like a giant had slung me at the door. I was aching all over, especially on my left side,but I didn't think any bones were broken, Thank God! I think my feet got tangled in the electric blanket cord but it was out of sight and I don't know how that happened.
My next reaction was anger. Since I was injured seriously last year in a fall, I have tried to be so cautious about avoiding falls.

My body was throbbing and I was shaken all day. I am more calm now but still have some aches and pains. I have taken it easy this weekend, and should be back to normal in a few days.

See you next time.

TRIPLE WHAMMY STRIKES & OTHER STUFF

BY OLIVENE GODFREY

I've been under the weather, to put it mildly, the past week.
I had a wicked spell with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and arthritis pain in my knees and suffered from insomnia. But, I am happy to report that I awakened this morning, feeling rested and well, and ate a good breakfast, took a refreshing shower, and did a few chores and am now working at my desk for the first time in a while.

As I went about preparing my breakfast in the kitchen about a week or so ago, I laughed loudly, something I don't do often so early in the morning. The slice of bread that I had put in my 30 year old toaster seemed to propel out of the slot and landed on the counter top, toasted and ready to eat. Later, I told Barry about the incident and he thought it was amusing. He told a co-worker who thought it was cool.

Then, I thought that the old toaster might catch on fire. So, Barry bought a new white modern one with wide slots. I thought when I saw it that it wasn't going to work with the thin sliced bread I like to toast. And, sure enough, the bread came out toasted too much on one side and not at all on the other. The directions said the wide slots were perfect for warming bagels Obviously, it wasn't good for toasted bread. I don't know why the appliance makers don't call them bagel warmers and go back to making toasters for thin bakery bread.

To sum this up. Barry repaired the old toaster and shined the chrome cover and it looks and works like new. I just hope the old toaster lasts as long as I do.

Since I still haven't got a flu shots, I read with interest an article in the Feb. 2006 issue pf Good Housekeeping about ways to avoid catching the flu. Wash your hands, get enough sleep, and boost your immunity with some healthy foods listed in the article. The first listed is citrus fruits. I drink orange juice every day which is all you need as the article points out that you don't need a megadose.

Other tips are to eat beef, dark-meat poultry and pork,orange veggies, almonds and sunflower seeds and drink tea. The article goes into detail about these foods.

I have almost fallen several times lately but was able to regain my balance and I attribute this to the balance exercises I do nearly every day. The physical therapists who helped me after my serious fall last spring taught me the exercises and I really think they are very helpful.

See you next time.

FRUSTRATED ABOUT NO FLU SHOT & NEW MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION PLAN

By OLIVENE GODFREY

It was a tiny news item in the local newspaper this morning
but it caught my attention. The item summed up the problem in the first brief paragraph and I quote, "Some elderly and
disabled people eager for a flu shot this winter have been frustrated because they can't get it where nearly half of patients usually do: from the family doctor."

The article went on to explain that many doctors complain
much of this year's vaccine went to supermarket and discount
chains instead of medical offices. And that is a problem
for some of us old people as we are most at risk of life-threatening flu but aren't always healthy enough to wait in store lines.

When I saw my doctor in the fall she was complaining about the same things but thought she would eventually get some flu vaccine. But, as of today, I haven't had a flu shot and don't know if I will be able to get one. I have been trying to avoid crowds as much as possible. I guess I 'll just have to hibernate
at home until spring.

My other gripe these days is about the complicated new Medicare
Prescription Drug Program. After reading all I could find, which was a lot, on the plan, I enrolled in an insurance plan.
All of the mountains of printed materials on the plans said that if we enrolled by the end of 2005, we would be eligible
January 1, 2006, for the benefits. As of today, I don't have a prescription card or anything else. I understand that the insurance companies are very busy processing the enrollment forms, etc.... So, I won't complain too much if I get my needed information soon.

I don't know if all of this confusion is due to incompetence
or a conspiracy to get rid of all of us old folks. I'm afraid it is going to be a long winter if we can survive it.

See you next time, I hope!

TIPS ON CARING FOR POINSETTIAS & NEW STUDY ON COMMON COLDS & WHEN TO EXERCISE

By OLIVENE GODFREY

I've read that poinsettias are the most popular of flowers
during Christmas and I believe it. Last November, I ordered a poinsettia plant from my great-great niece, Alex, for a school project. When I picked up the beautiful red plant a few weeks ago, I hoped I would have better luck with it than I have had with others in the past. I took no chances this time and asked son Barry, to research the plant on the Internet. There was a lot of good material and we have followed the advice and now the plant is gorgeous and I hope it will continue to be healthy until warm weather.

Here are some of the tips--place the plant in a sunny window;
do not let any part of the plant touch cold window panes,
indoor temp from 60 to 70 degrees F is ideal for long plants life; high temps will shorten life of plant; water ONLY when
the soil is dry; place the plant in a cool room at night'
do NOT fertilize when plant is in bloom; and avoid warm or cold drafts. Be sure to remove foil covering drain holes before
watering and don't let it sit with water in the saucer,
empty the saucer.

AVOID COLDS--Keep your feet warm and dry in winter. We have all heard that and now there seems to be some scientific evidence to support the old belief that to do so will prevent a cold.
The BBC reports on a study where half of the volunteers were asked to keep their bare feet in icy water for 20 minutes.
They found that 29 percent of the 180 volunteers developed a cold within five days, compared with only nine percent in the control group not exposed to a chill.

Professor Ronald Eccies director of the center, said that when colds are circulating in the community, many people are mildly infected but show no symptoms. But, if they become chilled, and believe they have caught a cold, what has actually happened is that the dormant infection has taken hold.

WHEN TO EXERCISE--In FITSmart by Jorge Cruise, in USA WEEKEND
recently I learned that exercising on an empty stomach may lead to burning more stored carbs and protein. And if those energy
stores drop too low, your metabolism may slow to prevent their depletion. This is according to Michele Olson, exercise
science professor at Auburn University Montgomery.

The item went on to say that because you'll burn the same number of calories whether you work out before or after breakfast, it's better to eat a balanced pre-workout meal about an hour before exercising. I've been trying to remember this advice.



See you next time.