FAITH

Since energy is substance too, so faith, no less can be
The outward manifestations of the forces we can’t see
Faith knows that it already is, in psychic zones not seen,
Man only needs to tap this source, to bring it into being.

The outlets in life’s workshop are designed for all to use,
But man must still plug in this source, so power and light diffuse.
Engage, develop, use and prove, are ground rules of the plan,
With time and space with patience comes to the family of man.

Events each form a puzzle part, and everything things we do,
Depends upon beliefs and prayers - through faith we find it’s true.
The seeds of faith wait patiently when time and space are right,
On land and sea will rise for you - morning, noon or night.

Then should the sea of life get rough, dark days the way obscure,
Our being hears the “Peace be still,” Faith’s lifeboat is secure.
To safely guide through reefs and shoals, back to the harbour home,
With thanks and care should other gales, Blow us in danger’s zone.

WEEKEND SCHOOL

Though formal school may not be there, still children learn from you,
With parents, still each life is built, while watching all you do.
As children of the universe, through you they find a way,
Upon this jeweled planet set, a soul spun forth in clay.

Your love they need to nurture life, their thoughts are all their own,
Each orbits an eternal soul, like stars they shine alone.
Yet not alone, but one with all, reflecting through the night,
‘Til heavens gold and fiery ball, obscures them from your sight.

The longing of their hearts seek for - your understanding too,
That transcends through to spiritual things, and values that ring true.
And while you house their bodies, and give them tender care,
Tomorrow’s land their search compels, as minds become aware.

To fly as arrows leave the bow, like comets in the night,
They mark upon the infinite, a pattern in their flight.
Their plan upon the loom of life, a fabric new, yet old,
Their hope to live The Golden Rule, the way of love unfolds.

NEW DAY AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES

The music spilled its silvery notes into the starry night,
To dance on ribbons of moonbeams with rhythmic patterns bright.
Its beauty struck a kindred note I could not quite define,
I longed to understand its touch, and make its secret mine.

The instruments as one sent forth their unseen pulses through
The seeming empty airwaves – and through my being too,
And touched each moment rhythmically to register in tones,
Sending clear to human ear, the words by which they’re known.

Thoughts from within will find the way to gladden other hearts,
A musical will form and play, as true notes play a part.
True actions formed within the heart brings great joy and peace,
Forming pleasant musicals and negatives will cease.

And join with other musicals as ideals point the way
From the misty realms of theory as new melodies are played.
Faith’s inner spiritual knowledge joins life’s universal force,
And move from silent psychic form to physical resource.

The rhythms that form within the heart are first felt deep within,
The master matrix of the psyche brings forth its outer twin.
Things that happen physically begin in rhythms fresh
With feeling tones that rise and fall as spirit blends with flesh.

Life’s music forms from thoughts within to shape beliefs we hold,
To alter actions, change our lives, and world that we behold.
Each day an opportunity to set beliefs afresh
And play this music from the soul, life’s energies made flesh.

DINNER CHOICES

Our choice for the noon meal of the day here at Carrington Retirement Home is requested by the server at supper time the day before so the chefs have enough time to order the groceries needed and ready for the chefs to cook it. Two “sittings” make it possible to select the noon meal from 11:30 to 12:30 and the second sitting from 12:30 to 1:30 PM. Mine is the first sitting and when I wish to buy dinner for a guest I remind them to be here on time at 11:30 AM. The same servers are available for both sittings so the chefs have everything ready for the nearly 75 residents at each sitting.

Today’s choices of entrees needed for the following day will be known the evening before when your waitress asks for your choice and writes it on a dated clipboard so it will be ready for the next day. Monday offered Pork Rangers or Chicken Breast. After the green salad, the always-pleasant servers bring the one you chose the evening before. Mashed or baked potatoes arrived with spinach and mushrooms, along with tea or coffee. For dessert most varieties of ice cream are available, fruits or puddings and other specials to suit the day of the month. Thanksgiving and Christmas Day included the offer of pumpkin or apple pie. Today offered a blueberry combination which can melt into the cake that holds it in place and nearly every diner was attracted to the blueberry combination dessert. I was also, but the blueberries had already completed their lovely art work on the cake part that served as an easel that held the blueberries in place while the fancy whipped cream added a white top hat that an especially designed kitchen tool had squeezed in place and completed the view of this delectable combination. I wanted it also. But the blueberries would lose much of their nourishment while holding the cake in place - a no-no for those avoiding the flour and fat baked into any cake. By the time the offending part was removed, there would be little left, and that would be wasteful. I can almost hear you say, “Eat what you can and leave the rest.” I would, except my mother’s tapes of yesteryear start playing in my mind. “If you let food go to waste, some day you will regret it and wish for even just one bite of it.” My mind furnished a picture of some possible future time of near starvation that displayed prominent ribs that make the steps falter. I chose the tropical fruit,- it was good also. While having my eyes checked I once asked an eye surgeon if there are special foods I could eat to improve my sight. He replied "All colourful fruits and vegetables,"and that includes BLUEBERRIES.

THE LION AND THE LAMB

There is only one week left in February for the lion to retreat and let the lamb claim victory for March with promise of spring to come soon.
This day began with minus 12 degrees below zero. If we could all cheer for the lamb we may be able to claim victory for this gentle creature. But since Mother Earth has the final word, we will await her decision. She has not been in a very good mood lately. It may be she has not been appreciating the oily sand we have been flinging in her face and polluting the air other ways, even as she keeps busy growing trees and many other foods that keep the residents of our wonderful planet alive. We have just now watched the sun make its cheerful entrance over the Silver Star Mountain as some folks look forward a day of skiing from its slopes.

For dinner yesterday, Carrington residents here were offered a green salad as usual and a choice of roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes or oven baked, green or yellow beans, cauliflower: or baked chicken breast as the other main entree. Rhubarb and strawberry pie topped with whipped cream was chosen by most people for dessert but not for me as I adhered to tummy-talk routed through the mind and chose strawberry jello instead. “Sorry,” my mind intoned once again, “you must remember what that medical doctor told you when you consulted him while on a California vacation – FLOUR AND FAT baked together give many of those wonderful organs of some digestive systems a rough ride through its many parts and will thank you later.”

As the trees of our beautiful Silver Star Mountains take their places for today’s viewing they also have some advice, “Remember those first gentle soft snows of winter that now lay hidden under the stern upper crust of the slopes and can now create avalanches that give no warning and in seconds can take a life and already has taken too many this season. Just yesterday, an Alberta family lost three members while they were snowmobiling on B.C. slopes and brought great sadness to the family, as well as to their entire Alberta town and to all of us.

BIRD WATCHING

It may be that I need more training in bird watching. I heard one of the residents at this “Carrington family” say he saw a sparrow feeding her young from the porch of her spring season home and that was the week of February 5th, 2011. It seems that the sparrow couple may be rushing the season a bit. The father sparrow must have been on guard duty or else searching for a favourite food for their newborns. Nearby tree branches have not begun leaving out. I am checking all the windows at the end of the halls to take a peek myself but have not found that particular sparrow family. Lloyda, (at our table and a resident here of nearly seven years here)says she knows of three birdhouses on our side of the property. We love having her around because she always has accurate answer for us. Today at fitness class one of our members said a massive flock of robins was spotted and must have returned early to last years nest or be looking for other housekeeping spots.

Noon dinners here offer a fresh green salad and a choice of which entrée you have chosen and given to the server the night before at supper from the two that were offered. Each choice has been written down to be sure the proper amount of food is on hand and ready for the chefs to prepare for the noon meal the next day. Today, after a green salad offer - the entrée each one chose the night before - consisting of baked salmon or grilled steak, with carrots, green peppers, and mashed potatoes. Dessert choices include various kinds of fruit, puddings, green or red jello and sometimes pies to celebrate a special holiday season. Yesterday it was blueberry pie that was very delicious but I noticed all the crusts at our table and many other tables were not eaten, perhaps fearing the bad cholesterol LDL in the pie crust but the good cholesterol HDL in the rest. Since the failure of wheat crops in many countries of the world is making wheat so high priced it might be a good idea to give the consumer a choice of pie with or without the crust and then figure out the percentages.
The sandwich spreads here are interesting and last night the crab salad sandwiches were super delicious. I can buy my own gluten-free bread downtown at several health stores. Next time I see one of the chefs I am going to let them know that I have not yet found their website: http://www.chefshirley.ca/ to determine how to fix some of their recipes myself so I can come early when I am invited to join my family on weekends and fix samples for them. For a modest fee our families can join us here for meals if we make reservations a day or two earlier.

THE BEST SUPPER

When the server came back to our table after the evening meal here at Carrington, I told her it was the best meal I had ever eaten and had a notion to send a message to the chefs to that effect. The baked slices of sweet potatoes were so tasty and not covered with salty fats like the white potatoes sometimes are in many fast food places. Sweet potatoes are more nourishing as well with a low glycemic index and safer for diabetics who must be cautious about using too many carbohydrates. In tropical countries sweet potatoes are called yams. Sometimes it’s hard to give up what we are accustomed to and so it was for a friend who hated to give up the ordinary Irish white potato. When she became a diabetic she began to understand the advantages of using the sweet potato and now prefers them. It helps hold the blood glucose reading under 6 millimoles per litre (mmol/L.) measured after fasting for eight hours (Canadian readings.) Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are elevated above normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes which is diagnosed when the blood glucose levels hit seven mmol/L or higher, after fasting.

Years of rushed living – an unhealthy diet and not getting enough physical activity – can set a downward spiral in motion. If it turns out that one does have diabetes, it’s possible to reverse the course of the disease and bring blood glucose numbers back into the normal range. Several large studies including an impressive Finnish Diabetes Study followed more than 500 middle-aged and overweight people for three years has shown aggressive lifestyle intervention, and even at the pre-diabetes stage is effective.

Dr. Bernard Zinman, director of Diabetes at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto says the results of their research is straightforward - if a person loses five or six percent of body weight to reach the proper BMI (body mass index) and does 30 minutes of physical activity daily - such as walking – five times a week, he or she can reduce the risk of moving from pre-diabetes by 50 per cent based on blood glucose levels and risk factors that may require amputations or other complications. Thanks to the chefs here for their creative ideas that lead to improved health and greater enjoyment.

ADDITION TO FAMILY

The temperatures are hovering just around freezing this February day, as snow changes to rain and then back again so it is best for us to do our walking inside and there are many corridors here to explore and exercise equipment to use. We are able to access filtered water here at this Carrington Senior residence so I keep a quart jar handy in my walker’s basket for when I pass the kitchen area. Some prescriptions request that medications should be swallowed using filtered water. I do not have to take a prescription but do take extra calcium and sunshine vitamin D needed during the winter months. The daily vitamin some of us take likely prefers filtered water also. Last Tuesday evening I had forgotten to check the activity calendar here and heard peppy music in the direction of the dining area that sometimes doubles for evening entertainment use. Pattern dancing from Halina Senior Center was in full swing and it was clear that these couples had performed together for many years and their energy and graceful moves depicted health and youth even though their silver hair betrayed them. The Blue Danube Waltz and others made the seated viewers tap their feet with delight.

A pleasant lady was seated just across the hall by herself and gave me an inviting nod as she made room for me to sit near. "The music is a bit too loud for me,” she said “so I cross the hall to this adjunct room to watch the dancers perform and enjoy the orchestra's great music. It reminds me of days gone by and my three wonderful children, each of whom visit me every week here and sometimes take me for an outing. My husband died of cancer because of smoking. In those days the tobacco company told us it was safe. I have been here at Carrington for three years and just love it. I would never want to marry again because my children might not visit me as much,” she added.

When the Halina band paused at intervals, the dancers took a rest also and my new friend continued to share the highlights of her life. It sounded so interesting I felt like taking notes and writing a biography of her life’s journey. I did that for my next door neighbour when I lived in my condo. She had been legally blind for a number of years, and as we walked each day the story of their Manitoba homestead unfolded - something her children had been hoping to do some day. Again I felt like this new friend was almost an addition to my own family who come back to Canada for summer visits with their son and his lovely wife and their four grandchildren who of course are also my great-grandchildren. Just over 140 people live here, some for “short stays” like one yesterday from Armsrong who had broken her femur just above the knee as she stepped from her car to a glazed ice patch. Blessings and healing to you Mary.

WINTER OF 2011

Today the sun had already melted the thin skiff of snow that arrived during the night but had melted by midmorning today. But it is a different story in many northern areas of the world. In Longjiang’s northeast east China, part of the river froze so fast that the lorries were able to cross from Russia to China that led to a temporary boom in trade. In Ciuedad Juarez, Mexico life-sized carved statues of horses poised in flight showed icicles hanging high from upraised tails and mane depicting speed as well as change. Al Gore’s blog showed climatic changes in many areas of the world climate. Chicago, Illinois scenes took the eye many miles showing deserted cars in all lanes of the state highway that had to be closed.

But here at Carrington’s Vernon, B.C. senior’s home we are wondering why the sectioned grapefruit or sliced oranges did not appear as usual on the counter lineup at morning’s Continental Breakfast - that is available between 7:00 and 9:00 AM. Perhaps the food delivery truck didn’t get across the southern border. The cold cereals are always there. Even the large bowl of yogurt was missing one day, but the coffee urn is always present along with various choices of tea, and the milk for the cereals. With my lactose sensitivities I can bring my own soy or nut milks. The same goes for the gluten-free bread needed for a supper sandwich. We appreciate the kindness of the chefs and those permitting these irregularities, and sometimes write them a little note of thanks. I am glad to buy the extra food items I require for health reasons. Since I decided to give up my car when I turned 85, my former neighbor (for a dozen years) tells me to contact her when I run short of these items that can be purchased at health food stores here in town and kept in my freezer. This is another reason to REQUIRE legal papers be signed when students need help to pay the interest on tuition fees, and have expressed their intention to fill the need for doctors and other health-related jobs with Canada’s desperate need to fill so many openings. Canada has imported over 100 doctors from South Africa and other countries.

The clock tells me it is 3:30 with the sun still shining so I am booting up for a long walk around the building. I send blessings to all and trust each one will be cautious and able to avoid the loose snowpacks that can lead to an avalanch.

THE VISIT BUT PHONE FIRST

One of the most interesting vegetables to learn more about is the cabbage because it is so versatile and if you have garden space available this is the time of the time of the year to plant the seeds in a protected area along with the tomatoes for a head-start in the warm growing season coming up.

I had rolled my walker out my door into the hallway on its way to the laundry room and saw someone there with a question. She was a new resident and had just moved into Carrington’s Senior Residence a few days before. She had forgotten her suite was on the second floor rather than the first where I reside. We chatted on our way down the hall. I usually get up at 5:00 A.M and arrive at the dining area at six where a Continental breakfast is available between 7:00 and 9:00 A.M. One lady and two men are often already there. Breakfast items are already lined up on the counter. One man who has a motorized wheel chair selects the breakfast items his wife likes and brings them to their upper floor suite. Arrangements have been made for those with special needs to have their breakfast earlier than 7:00 A.M. Half a dozen cold cereal containers line the counter, along with large bowls of yogurt, ready-sectioned pineapple and a large platter containing, orange slices, grapes, watermelon and other fruits. One of the chefs will bring the hot cereal a little later. Six pitchers containing other juices like orange and cranberry as well as hot water for other teas are situated near the coffee urn. Milk, raisins or brown sugar and jams and jellies for toast round out the counter.

Since I am both lactose (to cow’s milk) and gluten sensitive to wheat flour my former next door neighbor for a dozen years takes me shopping since I gave up my driver’s license when I turned 85. She helps others with any special needs and her fees are modest. I see my grocery bill yesterday was $149.61 – the largest item being the triple oils for $34.99 one of which is flax oil and take two tablespoons each day, always with meals. Kootenay gluten-free bread is $7.99 a loaf and I buy four each time to keep in the freezer that each suite provides. Sweets offered here at the afternoon tea often include background music, sometimes by volunteers. I haven’t eaten sweets for years but am delighted to notice when one of the two vegetables that come with dinner is a baked yam piece so I get both sweets and carbohydrates that way. The colorful pea and a green salad add extra vitamins. I hear the housekeeper at my door to vacuum once a week and help with other difficult jobs for seniors, so adios for now.