I realize I was being followed by the terrible “Black Dog”.  meaning the Black Dog of depression.  This metaphor came from an article on a blog called “The Art of Manliness”, (which you could find with a google. http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/03/09/leashing-the-black-dog-my-struggle-with-depression/)  Someone who loves me has interceded and is helping to point me in a new direction. 

 Yup!  That darn dog was and is “dogging” me.   I’m sure glad my little Bozie is mostly white.  Were it not for him this winter, the “Black Dog” would have likely eaten me up by now.

Now I know about this thing, I am fighting.  That same loving person who brought to my attention what was likely wrong with me now, gave me some suggestions, one of which was to start a blog aimed at people like me, people pushing 80.  Well, don’t now how many are out there, but what the heck.  I’ve got to fight.

So, here I go.  Let’s call it “THE ART OF ELDER HOOD”  or maybe “Growing old gracefully”.  But the “growing old” has already happened.  What do you, whoever might see this out on the web, think?  Any ideas for a better name?  I have an old blog kept when I used to write a column for the little paper that went out in Panguitch, Utah.  I'll dump this there for now and then try to figure how to rename it.

I got a jump start start later the same day as  decided I really needed help.  I was being driven on a little errand by my daughter-in-law--one I could have probably gone to by myself, had I not been in that beaten-down mode.  Anyway, she stopped to be friendly with a friend who was walking her five-year-old son to register for kindergarten.  The littlle fellow was beaming with importance and anticipation.  He was literally full of light and, of course, we watching felt happy for him .  He was entering into a new phase of life.  I sat there comparing.  Why couldn’t I see something positive in this new phase of life I’m in? 

Elder hood.  I think I’m ready to wear that label.  What is positive in it?  I’m asking for suggestions here.

I think one way of looking at where I am is not to think of the “looking back” part as liken to Lot’s wife, but maybe as my own grandmother must have done about a week before she died when she drew a little picture of a figure looking back over her shoulder at a dreary-looking road lined with dark trees.  Perhaps, and I like to think this the case, she was experiencing a sigh of relief to have come through the past, which I knew held much heartache, and now had it behind her.  My busy mother had not noticed the meaning I, at age 35 or so,  saw in the picture and so it was on its way to the trash.  I rescued it and framed it and it is hanging in my ranch house to this day.  I seemed to sense that some day I would understand the feeling I had then.   Now I do.
So, much like that little five-year-old headed for kindergarten and perhaps looking back and being glad he is out of his babyhood, I decided could start feeling grateful that most of the “wine press has been trodden”.  I can now spend more time pressing my blurry eyes up against the “glass” that is described as only being able to be seen through “darkly.”  What can I see?   Hummmm.  Perhaps that’s part of what this blog could explore.

Join me.  Veda hale

polishing silver jewelry

Thursday, July 10, 2008

It Makes Cents - polishing silver
Oh Boy! Did I ever uncover a good "It Makes Cents" (and sense) hint this week! Thanks to Debbie Callison of the Indian Jewelry Store on Main Street in Panguitch. I had some Sterling Silver-strand necklaces that were nearly black and I could hardly stand thinking of the rubbing I would need to do to clean them. I took them to Debbie who has lots of beautiful silver pieces that she keeps looking wonderful and asked her what she would do. She said, in that great matter-of-fact way that makes us on the street love her, "Here, give them to me and I'll wash them with my dark load." "Whoa!" I said. "What do you mean 'wash them with your dark load'". "I'll put them in a sock, safty pin them in so they don't tangle and wash them with the dark load I've got ready to go in the washer." said Debbie.I could hardly imagine how this would work, but let her have the long strings of silver and went home. In a little while here she came with my bright, shinny silver.Naturally, I was interested in the whole process. It seemed too easy to believe.Here's what she did: As said above, she put the silver in a sock and fastened them in with safty pins. These silver pieces were on string, so they wouldn't have bent, but some necklaces are on wire and if they were whipped around in a washing machine, you can imagine how bent looking they would come out. I suppose if you were washing any silver piece you should use your imagination and think how rough treatment by the washer's agitator will affect them. If they were thin silver pieces, like a silver pitcher or something, you might not want to use this method. (But I could imagine my silverware, one in each sock and maybe only a few socks in each washer load being okay.) Then she simple washed with the normal recommended amount of oxyclean, detergent and bleach.While we are thanking Debbie for sharing this secret of her business, I feel to thank her for always making herself available to be on the ambulance and rush to the aid of any of us who find ourselves in a life or death situation. Thanks, Debbie. Go in and see her adorable bulldog puppies. Maybe one will take your heart.Send suggestions to Veda Hale Box 956 Panguitch Utah 84759 or email vedahale@hotmail.com

7,06,08 -- Good enough

Perfectionism may seem like a desirable trait, but to boost your health, aim for "just enough." "Trying to do everything right promotes an all-or-nothing attitude," says Martin Binks, PhD, a psychologist at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, NC. So if you can't do something perfectly (i.e., work out an hour a day), you don't do anything at all (i.e., watch TV instead). A better mindset: Believe that every little bit counts. "It's small changes that are most effective," Binks says.So forget perfect!Here, the "good enough" guidelines for nine common get-fit recommendations that will ensure you're on your way to a longer, healthier life.FRUITS & VEGETABLESGold StandardUp to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a dayGood Enough -- 5 a dayThat's all it took for men and women to lower their stroke risk by 31%, according to a Harvard University study. "Five servings provide significant antioxidants and fiber to reduce heart disease and cancer risk and keep your weight in check," says Rosa Mo, RD, a nutrition professor at the University of New Haven. (One serving is equivalent to one medium piece of fresh fruit, ½ cup of cut fruit, a cup of raw leafy greens, or ½ cup of other cooked vegetables, such as broccoli.)Boost the BenefitKeep 'em cool and eat a rainbow of colors. Refrigerating berries, citrus, and fruit with edible skin (think apples), as well as veggies, preserves antioxidants. And aiming to eat from at least three different color groups (such as green, orange/yellow, red, white, and blue/purple) a day will ensure you get a wide variety of nutrients.EXERCISEGold Standard30 minutes of cardio 5 or more days a weekGood Enough -- 17 minutes a dayA new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that women who exercised just 2 hours a week (or 17 minutes daily) reduced their risk of heart disease and stroke by 27%. "You don't even have to do it all at once. No fewer than 10 studies since 1995 show that breaking up physical activity into small segments of about 10 minutes is just as effective," says Barry Franklin, PhD, director of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise laboratories at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI, and spokesperson for the American Heart Association's national "Start!" program.Boost the BenefitPick up your pace for 30 to 60 seconds several times during your workout. A study from McMaster University in Canada found that people who did a total of 2 to 3 minutes of high-intensity exercise in the form of 30-second all-out sprints improved their cardiovascular fitness and muscle endurance as much as those who did 40 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise.Well, this makes sense. I think I can handle these goals. Let's give it a try! Send suggestions to Veda Hale Box 956, Panguitch, Utah 84759 or email vedahale@hotmail.com

6,23,08--rhubarb

Rhubarb is the only eatable plant I have growing around my house. If it comes to starving someday, it makes sense that I learn how to use it. Actually, it makes sense and cents to learn to use it now. I know it has a good reputation for being good for the body. Some think it prepares the stomach to taste the coming food. When it reaches the stomach its digestive effects come into full play, causing an increase of the flow of gastric juice and inducing their movement, thus favoring the processing of the contents of the stomach. Besides stimulating the secretions from the liver which convey the bile salts, it assists the intestine in regulating the absorption of fats. That is good to know. But my research leads me to believe that the really good medicine kind only grows in the Himalayas, Tibet and Mongolia, where it has been prized for centuries. And it is the roots that are medicinal. Whatever the case, our common kind seems a good thing to eat, especially in the spring. Anything eatable that is early must be a special nature gift, as a body usually craves certain vitamins after the long winter. Putting rhubarb with strawberries in a pie seems to be the most popular way to use it. Stewing it with frozen raspberries is also good. Without lots of sugar, though, it is a hard sell. I think that is why the pie recipes usually have another fruit with it so the sugar can be cut down. Using itt makes cents because it can extend the quantity of other fruits. Some would even go so far as to say "quality", too. If a neighbor has a few plants, they are very likely to share, if you express a desire to have some. A good conversation about rhubarb never hurt a relationship. That is if you don't try to force everyone to like it. One unusual use I found for rhubarb is for an effective organic insecticide for any of the leaf eating insects (cabbage caterpillars, aphids, peach and cherry slug etc). • Basically you boil up a few pounds of rhubarb leaves in a few pints of water for about 15 or 20 minutes,• allow to cool,• then strain the liquid into a suitable container.• Dissolve some soap flakes in this liquid and use it to spray against aphids.So, next time you pick some rhubarb stems to eat, you can put the leaves to good use rather than just composting them (which isn't in itself such a bad use, I guess). Send suggestions to Veda Hale Box 956 Panguitch, Utah 84759 or email vedahale@hotmail.com

6,09,08 -- 6 best cleaning aids

Ericka Reed ask me to reprint a formula for carpet cleaning. I makes me wish I had an easy way to look through back columns. There is one with computers, but I just need to set it up. So Ericka, until I find just what you ask for here are reminders of the six biggies in the cleaning catagory. Sure, it’s great to find that one magical product that solves a very specific household problem. But the truth is, you need little more than the following six ingredients—baking soda, borax, lemon juice, salt, olive oil and white vinegar—to clean just about anything in your home (pet hair excluded). Here are just a few of the many uses for these, well, magical multi-taskers: (remember that used fabric softener sheets pick up pet hair) 1. Baking soda: Acts as a scrub to remove hard water stains; polishes metal; deodorizes pretty much anything it touches (try stashing some in the fridge). 2. Borax: Mixed with three parts water, it makes a paste for cleaning carpet stains; mixed with ¼ part lemon juice, it cleans stainless steel and porcelain. (Note: although borax is a natural substance, you still shouldn’t eat it—and neither should your kids or pets.) 3. Lemon: Deodorizes and cuts grease on counter tops; rubbed on cutting boards, it bleaches stains and disinfects; combined with baking soda, it removes stains from plastic food storage containers. 4. Salt: Another natural scrubber—sprinkle it on cookware or oven surfaces, then rub; add citrus juice to turn it into an effective rust remover. 5. White vinegar: Deodorizes and disinfects; combine with water (and a little liquid soap—I know, it feels like cheating) to clean windows, mirrors, and floors; use at full strength in a spray bottle to fight mold and mildew. 6. Olive Oil: Mix two parts oil with one part lemon juice and use as a natural wood polish. (Save the really good stuff for dinner.) Then there are those troublesome smells from pet urine or from sour milk. Use dry 20 Mule Team Borax found in laundry aisles. vacuum it up after working in.

5,18.08---Happy people

It makes sense and cents (and dollars) to have as much happiness in your life as possible. Happy people usually have more good things (including enough money) in their lives than unhappy people and they usually just go along expecting it to be that way. And life just flows good things to them. Funny, isn't it. We usually think of someone who expects to be handed what they want as being "spoiled". Like when we see a happy child who asks for something and the caregiver quickly gives it to them, we say "Oh, you'll spoil him." Maybe we "spoil" people by wanting to teach them that life is hard, that we live in an unfriendly universe. Yes, they have to be careful around strangers. Yes, they have to use caution crossing a street, etc. etc. etc. But what is wrong with hoping and dreaming and imagining yourself getting what you need? In other words "acting as if". I live with a man who sends his "genie" out to find a good parking place, when we go where parking could be a problem. More often than not it works and the parking place is there. Another close friend who wants to find a particular thing for her home, asks "the universe" to help her find the right thing. It happens and she skips around happy and positive and making all around her think she is magic or something.The ones who make this kind of thing work usually have enough practicality in them to know they have to do something to help matters. They have done some kind of preparing, like getting an education, taking care of their health and hygiene, following through on commitments, making themselves fun to be around and involved in activities where it is possible for their wishes to come true.The book writers that make sense to me talk about gratitude, forgiveness and compassion. The Church folks talk about "forgetting self" and serving others.It is sure a lot easier to be happy when you feel connected to a greater whole. So meditation, prayer, walking in nature, listening to good music and dancing helps. Yes, dancing, moving the body. You don't need a partner to move around the house in time to some music. Probably some of the good that comes from exercise is just that the body is moving.
Of course, if one feels physically "yucky", along with game-playing, you better do all you can to improve your physical health.. A good goal to help keep good health is to follow as much as possible the suggestions put out by a group called "Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension". . . . (called DASH) Handful of nuts, one hour walk, soy products (tofu and soy milk), cornola or Olive oil, little meat, (even fish), Potatoes and artichokes for magnesium, potassium and calcium and lots of fruits and vegetables. Send suggestions to Veda Hale, P.O. Box 956 Panguitch, Utah 84759 or email vedahale@hotmail.comIt makes sense to be involved in a meaningful work or activity. _________________________________________________________________

5.26,08 -- easy omelets

Bernice Henrie Miller sent me the following. It seems someone else sent it to me last year. Whatever, now many of us are having a lot of company that means feeding them breakfast, so this idea could come in handy. Have a pot of boiling water going and when anyone is ready to eat let them fix their own omelet Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into a bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them. (This means into a plastic freezer bad that closes tight.)Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc. If there are a number of people wanting to eat at the same time, have them write their names on bag with a magic marker.Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Or slit and eat from bag. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and it makes for a great conversation piece.I'm thinking that, if you are out camping and everyone is wanting to go fishing or something, you could eliminate most of the clean-up with this trick. No dishes if you make each person eat their omelet out of the bag. Then you simply put away what is left of the "makings" and off you all go together to do your adventure.I sympathize with anyone trying to quit smoking. I doubt any of us who have not had to struggle with this challenge can have any idea how hard it is. Whatever help they can get is usually appreciated. It is said by some that short-term relief from nicotine withdrawal symptoms can come by simply using the old friend Alka-Zeltzer . As long as they are not on a low-sodium diet or have peptic ulcers, suggest the smoker drink two Alka- Seltzer tablets dissolved in a glass of water at every meal. The insects that bite will soon be out. Remember you can soothe insect bites by dissolving two Alka-Seltzer tablets in a glass of ater, dip a cloth into the solution, and place the cloth on the bite for twenty minutes.Send suggestions to Veda Hale, Box 956, Panguitch, Ut 84759 or email vedahale@hotmail.com