PASSING ON

Sophia (Sue) Davis peacefully and quietly ended her journey here on earth on Friday December 25, 2015 at the age of 92.

Sue was born on July 22, 1923.  Her parents raised her and her seven siblings on the family farm at Orion, Alberta.  She attended Prairie Bible College (a ministry of Prairie Bible Institute) from 1939 to 1942.  An early accomplishment of note is when she memorized 500 Bible verses to win a Bible and a trip to attend a children's summer camp at Gull Lake in Alberta.

In 1949 she married Bob Davis who had been raised on his parent's farm at Three Hills.  They lived in Three Hills, Alberta until moving with their son to California in 1956.  The family spent time in California, Hawaii and Oregon before returning to Canada in 1969.  Sue worked as a secretary and enjoyed writing poetry.  She also had an interest in healthy eating and fitness all her life.

WHO

Who is at the feeding trough and rooting others out,
Are they the brightest and the best? There should be no doubt.
Who begged to be elected and coaxed folks to donate more,
With only empty promises like worms within the core.
Who struggles when their debts are left, wages from the poor?
The cutbacks from their health care needs,  saying "Show them to the door."
Would the brightest and the best leave kids in moldy schools?
Increasing future health care needs, expects taxpayers are fools. 

Who thinks "Let grandkids pay our debts while we're in sunny climes.
You could have changed things with your vote, so you shouldn't mind."
"Minimum wages can be slashed,  it worked for us before,
Increase monthly health care fees, they will still pay more."
"Just pay up and be silent, we don't care how you think or feel,
I'm having a great ego trip, our power keeps you at bay."
I'm having a great ego trip, and hold the Golden Purse, 
Be quiet  then, just stumble through, we could have made it worse."
So of weight and power, can someone tell us how?,
For such , there never is enough and never satisfied, 
since  power creates more needs, for such there never is enough,
Its time to take more heed.  

Anonymous author. 

JUST PASSING

Passing out of the shadow into a purer light,
Stepping behind the curtain, Getting a clearer sight,
Laying aside the burden, this weary mortal coil,
Done with the world vexations,  done with tears and toil,

Tired with earth's playthings, heartsick and ready to sleep,
Ready to bid our friends farewell, wondering why they weep,
Passing out of the shadow, into eternal day,
Why do we call it dying, this sweet going away.

Author unknown for the above poem.

THE KINGDOM CALLED EARTH

In this kingdom called Earth on its pages of time,
We are writing the script for each day,
Deeds of kindness and love fills the hours given us,
Life's signposts will show us the way.
Decorating each one with  smiles of love,
Helps to show others the way,

A breeze of love carries it on,
Cheering the hearts of all you meet.
Places upon the pages of time,
Making each moment yours and mine.
Finding for each one a sacred trust,
Each moment both yours and mine.

MONDAY NEW DAY

Monday, new day, new day of each week,
Decisions, choices, new hours of time,
We call it our working day,
And its ready its part to play.
The fuel pump plays an eager part,
In fact its first line,
Inspiring words and screens up its part.
All value the hours of time.
A menu page mentions the food to fix,
Two of water and one of grain,
You chose it last night, so to make flour soft,
Morning's simmering fifteen minutes remains.
A fruit plate offers a peach or a pear,
Asks to join the others that day,
An orange bounces around with glee,
And offers its entrance to play,
That will be best for another time,
So we will keep you all in line.
Be patient and maybe be yours or mine.

STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTING FALLS

Each year, about half the seniors who are in their 80's and 90's suffer a fall, according to Marvin M. Lipman, M.D. Ten percent of these are seriously injured and even though they have weathered cancer or a heart attack or are seriously injured in other ways, they do not survive. Sometimes death may occur immediately but a fall may cause a broken neck or a brain bleeding as a result of complication from the initial injury.

Aside from the proverbial slip on a banana peel, the causes of most falls are age related. They include painful arthritis, strokes, and nutritional deficiencies that can lead to nerve damage in the feet or other other areas of weakness. If medications have caused dizziness and decreased alertness make you suspect, you're at risk of falling during daily activities,so discuss your concerns with your doctor.

Of all the various causes of major falls, impaired gait and balance account for most. So test yourself. Are you limping or shuffling? Can you do heel-to-toe walking (taking steps with one foot directly in front of the other) without lurching off-balance. Can you stand on one leg for at least 30 seconds. Less than that suggests a balance problem. You can also do two other tests - both have a high predictive value for future falls you flunk. For the get Up and Go Test, sit in a chair without arms, rise, walk 10 feet forward, quickly turn, walk back to the chair, and sit. Have an observer time you. If it takes more than 14 seconds, you are at risk for falls.  

SHARPEN YOUR BRAIN WITH NOURISHING FOODS

Topping the list of plant foods that offer healthy eating as well as top nourishment, we could make a right turn and stop at a berry patch on our way home.  Berries are rich in plant chemicals and help the brain clear toxic proteins in the brain. One detailed disease can decrease any toxic proteins in the brain.  In Alzheimer's Disease (AD)  brain cells become clogged with these protein toxins.  A berry-rich diet activates the grain's natural house cleaning process, helping it remove toxins and other compounds that can interfere with brain function.  Blueberries in particular have been a good defense against Alzheimer's.  It encourages certain white blood cells to gobble up proteins that fouls up brain function.  Even some preliminary evidence from an experiments with rabbits shows that curcumin can help generate brains after a stroke. When  it comes to brain protection, read the following.

Fatty fish is the single food with most evidence to back up these experiments.  Salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and trout are all rich in these products.  A four year study of older adults found that those who ate fish once a week were 60 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's than those who did not, or rarely, if ever, the researcher noted.