It has been reported that Walt Disney once said, “It may not feel like it at the time but a kick in the teeth might be the best thing that happens to you.” Really, Walt? A dirty, well-aimed booted foot to the dentition? “Ouch,” is what I say, spitting out a handful of teeth andContinue reading “A Kick in the Teeth”
Category Archives: Health
Don’t Start Too Sweet
In a nutrition class I took this spring, Dr. Erlandsen taught us that, for optimal long-term health, adults should consume no more than about 25g of added sugar daily. There are about 12g of sugar in a tablespoon! By added sugar, he excluded naturally occurring sugars such as fructose in your fruit and lactose inContinue reading “Don’t Start Too Sweet”
High Butt Pressure
My poor sons were raised in an adult foster home so they have some rather peculiar perspectives on life. Yesterday I was taking residents’ blood pressures when one of my boys said, “Did you just say blood pressure? All these years I thought you’ve been saying ‘butt pressure’.” ____________________________________ One of my residents, Judy, wasContinue reading “High Butt Pressure”
Grief Gauntlet
Today marks the end of my annual grief gauntlet. It starts subtly enough with the passing of summer, my favorite season. The weather gets cooler and the days shorter. Then I know it’s time to get my game face on. On September 29th five years ago, my sister passed away from ovarian cancer at theContinue reading “Grief Gauntlet”
Meant to Belong to a Herd
Part I: OXYTOCIN I took a magnificent Dementia class by fellow occupational therapist Teepa Snow. She taught a contact technique to use on people with dementia. She elaborated that it led to the release of Oxytocin, a hormone produced in mammalian brains. I call it our herd hormone. I later learned it controls social recognitionContinue reading “Meant to Belong to a Herd”
If You Believe
If you know anything me, it’s my feelings about cows. You can find contributing factors here: https://thukumainen.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/wild-about-cows/. And to think I am married to a man who calls himself a rancher. Very sad. I posted that blog a year ago and my feelings haven’t changed much. Shortly after that, Emma who’d grown up on aContinue reading “If You Believe”
Knock Your Ass to the Floor
I’m scraping my left overs into the kitchen-scrap bin for my chickens. I smile sadly as I think of Coach. I wish it was his left-overs I was scraping … As far as I can tell he has always commanded authority, even though he is the biggest kid on the planet. I would watch hisContinue reading “Knock Your Ass to the Floor”
Ash Tuesday
This is a tribute to one of the most dignified people I have ever had the privilege of caring for. He and his family impacted my life deeply for almost 2 years. Some people grow deep roots into our hearts in no time… Our beloved Gorge flares in a fury of flames and ash StartedContinue reading “Ash Tuesday”
There’s a Dead Duck Out There
Robert was a rough-hewn character. He lived in a nursing home outside of Melbourne where I worked as a caregiver. We heard him before we saw him. He walked with a cane which he leaned into heavily. “Old injury from the war,” he explained, when I asked about the limping hip. The cane tapped a beatContinue reading “There’s a Dead Duck Out There”
The J Factor
This past week in my life: Johnston awaits serious cardio-pulmonary decision, Jan had trigger finger hand surgery, Josiah broke his femur & was life-flighted to a trauma center, Jake is emerging fabulously from a coma, Jason unexpectedly (for us,) went home to Jesus. Just saying… https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/organize/
