A WHIFF OF MEMORY SENDS ME BACK IN TIME....

By OLIVENE GODFREY

It takes just a whiff of memory to send us back in time. And, music often does that for me. I was recently listening to Sirius Roadhouse country classics on T.V. and the sound of an old recording of the Everly Brothers evoked a memory of the late 1950s.

My late husband, Ralph, and I were living in Florida when we attended a live performance of comedian, Bob Hope, at Tampa, Florida. One of the opening acts was the young brothers, Don and Phil Everly. who were top selling country influenced rock and roll performers but known for their steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing. We didn't know it at that time but critics now say the brothers had a strong influence
on the rock and roll groups of the 1960s, such as the Beatles and The Beach Boys. The Everly Brothers had a long career and still perform occasionally. Their young voices evoked a happy period of my life when Ralph and I were young and carefree.

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Son Barry has been putting bird seed out for the birds that flock to our yard, especially during the winter months. Since our next door neighbors have two large cats who occasionally wander over into our yard, they seem to be keeping the pesky squirrels who steal the birdseed away from the yard. I know cats and the birds don't get along,too, but so far no problems have developed. We enjoy watching the different birds that come to our feeder. A red male cardinal and his spouse, the drab one, come to our feeder every year. We wonder if they are always the same pair as we have read that they mate for life and live in one area year round.

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Barry told me this week that my jonquils are peeking up out of the ground, giving me hope that once more, spring , in time, will arrive in all its glory. Despite my allergy, spring is my favorite time of the year, especially in Northwest Georgia when everything turns the greenest of green and flowers bloom and it's a wonderful time.

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For folks who suffer from arthritis pain, and may not know about the benefits of glucosamine & chondroitin & MSM, I have been taking a three a day formula of a dietary supplement with the name of Joint Soother, that has given me a lot of relief from my knee arthritis pain. I used to take this supplement but for some reason stopped. But, I was suffering from severe pain in my knees until I resumed taking it.It won't give immediate relief but if you take it awhile it may work for you, too. I know several people who have had good results with it and I take it with my doctor's approval.

Quote: "Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else." J.M. Barrie

See you next time.

BRUNSWICK STEW UNCERTAIN ORIGIN & PROPER TEETH BRUSHING

By OLIVENE GODFREY

We have been having cold, wintry weather here in northwest Georgia. Last Sunday, the temp was in the 20s all day and that night son Barry ate a large bowl of his Aunt Joyce's delicious Brunswick stew, which is a traditional dish from the southeastern United States. When Barry finished eating, he recalled the times when his late dad, Ralph, had spoken of the delicious Brunswick stew that was served at Georgia church camp meetings when he was a kid. And, Barry, being curious by nature, researched the stew on the Internet after supper.

The stew resembles a very thick soup with meat. The key distinguishing factor between the stew and soup is the consistency. Brunswick stew must be thick, otherwise, it would be vegetable soup with meat added. Most variations have more meat and vegetables than liquid. A debate currently exists, according to Barry's research, as to whether the stew was actually originally made near the town of Brunswick, Georgia, or from Brunswick county in southern Virginia. Since I first heard of the stew, I assumed it was a Georgia food.

According to Barry's research, there is a plaque on a pot of Brunswick stew that states that the first Brunswick stew was cooked July 2, 1898. on nearby St. Simon's Island. A competing story, however, claims the dish hails from Brunswick County, Virginia. According to one legend, the camp chef of a Virginia State Legislator invented the recipe in 1828 on a hunting expedition and everyone was immediately hooked.

Today, Brunswick is most notable for being sold for church fund raisers throughout the South. The research article points out the main difference between the Georgia and Virginia version has been the type meat used. The Virginia version tends to favor chicken as the primary meat while Georgia tends to favor pork and beef. There is no "official recipe" for the stew and it's possible to find chicken, pork,beef and other types of meat included in the same recipe.

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I had a dental appointment, my second one the past year with a new, for me, dentist and hygienist. In the medical history form I filled out for them, the question was asked if anyone had ever taught me how to brush my teeth properly. I can't remember when I first brushed my teeth and I always assumed I did it right. After my teeth were cleaned, the dentist checked my teeth and he told me to pay attention to my gum line when I brushed my teeth. Later, Barry researched the subject and we were surprised to learn that proper brushing required two full minutes. The research article pointed out that most adults don't come close to brushing that long. According to the article, that to properly brush your teeth, use short, gentle strokes, paying extra attention to the gum line and back teeth and areas around fillings, or other restorations. The research gives a complete guide, with illustrations for proper brushing which I have been doing for two minutes. I hope to get a good report at my next dental appointment in six months.

See you next time.

SNOW & FRIGID WEATHER STRIKE NORTHWEST GEORGIA

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Snow and frigid weather moved into Northwest Georgia last night. The snow became a wintry mix and then turned to rain. As I write this, it is cloudy and very cold and more snow is forecast here for the weekend.

Chances are you'll spend more time in the house this winter and it's a good time to do the exercises you may have skipped during the recent holidays. I have been doing my balance and arm exercises the past few weeks. And, I read in Consumer Reports ON HEALTH, an article by Betty-Perkins-Carpenter about the value of balance exercises and some other suggestions for improving balance. Besides doing exercises, the article says a limp body bends and a stiff body breaks. The author says you will have to learn to fall correctly. In an accident, you won't have time to remember what to do. The author suggests you stretch in bed. She says when you wake up, you're relaxed and all your muscles and tendons are warm. You're not fighting gravity. By stretching, you have alerted your sensorimotor system and gross motor system. She also says to walk while you are on the phone. It's more challenging to stay balanced because you're thinking about something else. Another suggestion is to play ball. As you balance a tennis ball, you are looking down at the patterns on the floor which helps you become more alert to the edge of a rug, or a curb outdoors.

Betty Perkins-Carpenter is the author of "How To Prevent Falls"
(2006, Senior Fitness Productions, Penfield, N.Y.")

For years, I have wished there was a T.V. show on Saturday and Sunday nights that would appeal to me. And then son Barry switched from cable to DISH Network Satellite television service.
Barry then introduced me to the Sirius satellite music channels included as part of the DISH network versatility service and is broadcast 24 hours daily and commercial free.

My favorite of the channels is SR Roadhouse country music classics. I detest what I call "new country" music. I think it is really what we used to call "soft rock." There seems to be a market for this music, but I just wish they wouldn't call it "country music." As I listened to songs last Sunday night by the late artist, Marty Robbins, and the late Patsy Cline, I realized I haven't heard anyone within recent years whose voices could compare with these two great artists. I also like that the viewer can see the song information on display on the series while listening to the music.

QUOTES: "Some smart alec said the reason Robin Hood robbed only the rich was because the poor had no money" Snap Shots"

See you next time.

HEAT PUMP PROBLEM, DENTAL,& BLOOD WORK AT DOCTOR OFFICE & KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS
By OLIVENE GODFREY
Have you ever had a day when you were bombarded with things that had gone wrong? That happened to Barry and me about a week ago when several minor things got mixed up. These things were taken care of with phone calls this past Monday. But, the worst thing to go wrong dwarfed the other problems.
Our heat pump that had been so reliable and efficient since we had it installed nearly three years ago stopped working.
I called our heating and air company's owner and left a message on his answering machine. Fortunately, the weather had turned warm and with the emergency heat being used until the heat pump could be repaired we were not uncomfortable.

Still, I called the heat-air owner early last Monday. He had got my message and was about to call me.. He said they were very busy so it was Wednesday before two repair men came out to check the heat pump. Then, they told me that a part had burned out and that they would need to order a new one and it might be several days before it would come in.. But,
the next day, the repairmen came back and installed a slightly used part to use until our new one came in. So, we are comfortable now with the heat pump working properly with no cold spots in the house like the electric emergency heat had.

I had a dental appointment last week for a cleaning and check up. The dentist said that I have some old crowns that may need replacing in the future. He said with the cost of the crowns, I may not want to do anything about it now. He is right. I will just pray that the crowns last as long as I do. The dentist gave me a container of fluoride concentrate to use on my gums twice a week, something I don't like to do but I will do it.

Barry didn't have to work last Friday, so he drove me to my doctor's office to have blood work. I should have a report next week if I am still anemic. I was weighed by the nurse and I haven't gained any weight since the previous visit about a month ago. But, I have been tempted to go off my diet. Yesterday, Barry bought groceries and when he returned, he said he had a surprise for me. He brought out a box of delectable Krispy Kreme doughnuts I loved so much. This was the first time the doughnuts had been in our house since I started on my diabetic diet in November, 2004. Barry has eaten one of the doughnuts and I intend to indulge with one later today. I intend to savor each bite of the delicious sugary delight. Then, I will go back on my diet. I promise!

See you next time.

SHOPPING SPREE IN FRIGID WINTER WEATHER

By OLIVENE GODFREY

As I write this, we here in Northwest Georgia are having frigid winter weather. The temp on our patio this morning was 15 degrees and the past two days it has been very cold. But, warmer weather is in our forecast for the upcoming weekend. I hope to be able to have a Sunday outing with son Barry.

The weather on New Year's Eve was sunny but cold. Barry and I went to the Dalton mall late that morning. We took my wheelchair with us and Barry rushed me across the mall parking lot to get us inside out of the cold wind. We ate lunch at Chick-Fil-A and enjoyed it. Then, we went to Mastercuts and both of us got much needed haircuts.

I told you last week that we were given Christmas gift cards and Barry had given me a gift of money. So, we had about decided how we would spend our cards and money before we left home. Right away, I found an all-weather coat that easily adapts to seasonal changes with its removable liner and hood. This coat was the only one like it left and it was reduced 60 percent off the regular expensive price. And, luck was with me as it was in my size. So, I purchased it and I can wear it year round as a casual coat.

The next item on my list was new bath towels which we needed.
We found what we were looking for-- large, luxurious bath towels marked down to an affordable price. So, I bought five towels.
And by using Barry's gift of money and my sister, Jeanette's gift card, I only had to spend $16 of my own money to pay for the coat and towels which I think is a good bargain.

Barry bought a smart remote control that does remarkable things. He loves gadgets and used Jeanette's gift card to help pay for the remote control. He still has a gift card from Jeanette's daughter,Charlene, and will be out shopping tomorrow, I guess, to use it. Charlene also gave both of us gift card to be used at Western Sizzlin which we will enjoy using soon.

We have both had more stimulus in our lives the past two weeks than usual and have been hyper and are now relaxing. A week or so ago Barry switched from our cable company to the DISH network, a direct broadcast (DBS) service that provides satellite TV and audio programing to households and businesses in the US
We are satisfied with the service so far and best of all, we will be saving money. Barry also switched this week his Internet service to a different network.

We had planned to drive up to Chattanooga to shop at Hamilton Place, their huge mall, and to eat lunch at the Piccadilly on New Year's day. But, alas, the weather was miserable and I was beginning to feel tired from all my gadding about so we stayed at home and rested. I cooked supper and served Barry black eye peas which is a Southern tradition for New Year's day.

Despite all the food temptations, I didn't gain any weight over the holidays and my blood sugar has been normal. I have resolved to eat right and exercise more during 2008. It's been said that "nothing taste better than being slim". I don't know about that....

See you next time.