Joint Pain? Knock It Out!!

Happy Wednesday, time for another health post....

Everyone overdoes it now and then and comes up limping or with a sore elbow, shoulder or wrist.This usually happens when you simply do too much of something, like shoveling snow or playing a sport.

You may have an inflammation of the bursa sacs, which feels like a dull ache, or an inflammation of the tendons, which feel like a sharp pain.

The most confusing thing when you have an injury is whether to use heat or ice.What follows are tips and tricks to get you back in the swing of things quicker than usual....

First of all, keep the swelling reduced as much as possible. One way to do this is to wrap an elastic bandage around the injury, then elevate it higher than your heart. Use pillows for propping, if necessary.

Ice the joint. You need to keep this treatment up for several days, if possible. This will reduce pain as well as inflammation. You can wrap ice in a towel and place it on the joint for 10 minutes at a time, leaving it off for 20 minutes. Do this a couple of times per treatment. You can also use a commercial ice pack, or make your own flexible ice pack. Apply this treatment every four hours.

After about three days of icing, or when the joint is no longer warm to the touch, begin the cold/hot alternating treatment. The heat will increase the blood flow to the injury, speeding recovery. Use a heating pad or commercial hot pack.

Some find relief with menthol pain creams such as Tiger Balm. They have never helped me, but a lot of people use them.

If you will follow these steps, you will reduce swelling and help your body to start healing much quicker.

Please see your physician if, after three or four days, your joint is red, warm and sore to the touch. You may have developed an infection.

Do you have a special treatment that works? Please respond and let us know!

We Survived The Blizzard of '09!!

If you’re reading this, then you made it through the Great Blizzard of 2009.  The usual Monday recipe post will be back next week, but it's being bumped today by the big storm.

I never want to hear the song White Christmas ever again after going through this monster! The storm hit central Oklahoma hard and turned quickly into a blizzard early on Christmas Eve, forcing me to miss my Christmas Eve trip two hours south to Mom's in Clarita for the first time in my life.  Seriously.  The first time in my LIFE.  Well, I'm nothing if not consistent.

At least most of us kept electricity and phone service. We were snowed in here for 2 ½ days, finally getting out for 45 minutes Saturday to run to the grocery. We spent the time in my house playing Facebook games (Thank you, Farm Town! Thank you, Café World!), and trying to deal with a 14 week old pup that has constant cabin fever, whether it’s snowing or not.

The television meteorologists said that the blizzard conditions with almost zero visibility were a once or twice in a lifetime situation for Oklahoma, which gets plenty of snow but rarely blizzards.

At least seven people died in Oklahoma during the storm. An elderly lady in OKC went outside, fell and died of exposure. Several people died after they got out of their stuck-in-the-snow cars and were hit by sliding automobiles. One man was attempting to get to another car to assist the driver when he was hit. I guess the lesson is to stay in your house, if possible, and stay in your car if it becomes disabled in the snow.

We stayed happily at home for 2 ½ days, did not stock up on food and drink in advance, and fared just fine. Most middle-class homes probably have enough food in the pantry to last a month. When we finally got to the grocery on Saturday, the soft drink shelves were cleared out. Not a good sign for our health when soft drinks are the things a lot of people feel they can’t be without.

There were numerous stories of heroic Okies risking life and limb to rescue others in trouble, but this is no surprise. It’s the Oklahoma Standard.

We failed to receive our Daily Oklahoman on Christmas Eve, and this caused great consternation, since I am addicted to my main news source. The network news was preempted by constant coverage of the blizzard, so I had to turn to Internet news, which I hate.

So, where were you during the great blizzard of ’09? If you experienced it, how did you fare? Please comment and let us know.

Are You Curious About The United Methodist Church?

There are numerous options these days when considering faiths or denominations. One option is the United Methodist Church, a large, relatively modern Christian denomination.

The United Methodist Church is the second largest Protestant church in the United States. About 8 million of its approximately 12 million members are in the United States or Canada.

The following is some information on the United Methodist Church which may help to guide you in your spiritual search.

History:

The United Methodist Church started as a tiny group of fellow students at Oxford University in England in the 1700’s. The group, members of the Church of England, included two brothers who would eventually be known as the founders of the United Methodist Church, John and Charles Wesley. Because the group was extremely methodical in their studies and lives, they became known as Methodists.

The Methodist Episcopal Church in Maryland was formed in 1784, and is considered the first Methodist Church in the United States. The formation of this church officially severed ties between the Methodist Church and the Church of England.After several divisions, the churches came together in 1968 to form the United Methodist Church.

Beliefs:

The United Methodist Church members believe in the Holy Trinity – that God exists in three persons: The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost is God within the person, which comforts and guides him/her throughout life to live as Jesus Christ, the Son, lived.

Members believe that there is one God, the sovereign ruler of the universe and the creator of the universe. They also believe that Jesus Christ was human, lived as a man and was crucified.

They believe that he is the son of God and that he was raised from the dead on Easter Sunday.

They believe that Christ is savior, and a person’s forgiveness rests within Him.The church is considered an extension of Christ’s life and ministry, and that the church exists to make more disciples of Christ.

Members believe that God’s word is the Bible, and they study both the Old Testament and the New Testament. They believe that all people are sinners.

Sacraments:The church has two official sacraments – the Holy Baptism and the Holy Communion.The Holy Baptism is done only once in a person’s life, and can be accomplished by water immersion, pouring or sprinkling.

The Holy Communion is based on the Last Supper, and affirms the presence of Christ with bread – representing his body on the cross, and with unfermented grape juice – representing His blood shed for the sins of humans.

The United Methodist Church practices open Communion, which means that anyone is welcome to partake in Communion regardless of whether they are church members, so long as they seek peace, love Christ and repent of their sins.

Stands on Social Issues:

The United Methodist Church is considered relatively liberal and diverse. It appeals to a wide range of religious and political beliefs. Both George W. Bush and Hillary Clinton are members of the United Methodist Church. This allowance of diversity and opinion is considered one of the strongest points of the United Methodist Church.

The church does not officially affirm abortion as acceptable, but recognizes that circumstances may warrant an abortion. The church recognizes the right of women to choose after careful consideration of all options.The United Methodist Church opposes gambling and capital punishment and supports abstinence from alcohol.

The issue of gay rights has long been discussed and debated within the church, and has created quite a bit of controversy. Officially, the church considers the lifestyle to be contra to the teaching of Christ. However, it supports contractual relationships like guardianship, power of attorney, etc. for everyone, regardless of orientation. While it prohibits celebrating same-sex unions within its churches, it welcomes gay people into its congregations and requests its churches to refrain from making any judgments or distinctions regarding gay church members.

As with gays, the United Methodist Church includes and welcomes people of all ages, races and ethnicities. It is one of the most inclusionary Protestant churches.

If you have more interest in the United Methodist Church, I encourage you to find a church in your area and make a visit. I have always found their congregations to be outgoing, welcoming and friendly. You can also visit their official website at http://www.umc.org/.

***This article reflects my opinions and is not associated with the United Methodist Church or any other group.

The Friday Dog Blog

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!!!

It's Friday, so here's the cute dog picture....

This happy clown gets a stocking full of bones and treats at Christmas, so it's her favorite holiday. It's......Santa Schnauzer!!!

An Okie Christmas

When a person thinks back on his/her childhood, often Christmas memories are the first to spring to mind.  Whether we grew up rich, poor or in the middle, most of us had parents or caretakers who did their best to deliver a happy Christmas, even in the worst of times.  At some point after I was grown I came to the not-so-happy realization that the Christmas tree and gift opening is largely all about the children, and Christmas is never really the same once you graduate into adulthood.  But, ahhhh, those memories!!!


How did you celebrate Christmas when you were a kid?  Here's how I did it in Oklahoma, back in the day....

I grew up in a tiny Oklahoma town populated largely by my relatives and good friends.  My parents and I lived on a ranch about a couple of miles from my two sets of grandparents and two sets of aunts and uncles.  Other relatives lived within 10 miles, so Christmas back then was a terrific blend of lots of family and lots more family.

The Sunday before Christmas meant lots of Christmas songs and the Christmas story at our church instead of the usual stuff, which excited me a lot more than normal.  This was the one day of the year that I actually paid attention at church. 

We celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve, for some reason.  Lunch was at my maternal grandparents, with all the aunts, uncles and cousins.  We always looked forward to the arrival in December of my Uncle Larry and Aunt Juneiva, who seemed to always be moving further and further north - from Oklahoma to Colorado to Montana and finally, Alaska.  But they always managed to drive back with their kids and dog Digger every Christmas.

My dad would be the last to arrive for lunch, usually at exactly noon, shedding his coveralls and dirty boots at our house (and unbeknownst to me, putting Santa's gifts under the tree) before driving to my grandparents' house for lunch.  Anyone who grew up on a ranch knows that cattle don't celebrate holidays and need to eat, regardless of the date.  In mid-winter, it's critical that they are fed every day, so my dad would spend the morning tending to that task before celebrating the holiday.

After lunch the race was on to the living room for gift opening.  This was always a flurry of colorful gift wrap flying like confetti, while the adults kept an ear toward the television in the den that was blasting the Dallas Cowboy game.  Later everyone would crowd into the den to give their full attention to the game - men, women and kids - everyone was a fan.  Oh, and we always had to take the obligatory family picture (which I really appreciate now).

When it started to get dark, my mom, dad and I made the 30 second trip to my other grandparents' house (yes, my grandparents were neighbors - how great is that?), where we gathered with another group of aunts,uncles and cousins in the living room for gifts.  However, this gift-opening was a bit more stressful.  My grandfather, who loved kids, would offer a dollar to every kid that stood up and sung a Christmas song.  Of course, we all did, but it was always a little nerve-wracking.  I never liked being the center of attention, but I did like dollars....

I started bothering my parents to go home soon after the gifts and songs, because I knew that Santa had been to our house by then.  My parents convinced me that Santa came early every year to Oklahoma, because he had so many places to visit, and Oklahoma was one of the first stops on his intenerary.  Of course, I bought it.  And why not - there were always wondrous gifts under the tree!  I loved seeing my parents open their gifts from me more than opening my own, although thinking back on it I believe I chose pretty lame gifts.

All of this added up to tradition - it wasn't a fancy, regimented tradition but it was a tradition all the same....A secure, happy, and dependable tradition.

If we were lucky, we had snow before we went back to school, but usually it was just bitter cold.  If we did get a good snow, I would meet up with my best friend Diane and her brother Jimmy, who lived about a mile away.   We did a lot of slipping and sliding on frozen ponds (yes, terribly dangerous!!) and hitching up numerous makeshift sleds to Jimmy's old horse ( a small ladder worked best).  I'm shocked now that we all survived.

At some point after I was grown and far away from Clarita, I realized what an incredibly lucky kid I had been to grow up in Oklahoma and be raised by the village that was my family.  Like every other kid, I always focused on the prizes at Christmas, but in the process, my family surrounded me with security, love and memories to last a lifetime, and THAT was the most important thing.

So, how did you celebrate Christmas as a kid?  Please comment and let us know!

The Monday Recipe Blog

How About Some Super-Easy Mint Chocolate Ritz Cookies??

Happy Monday!  How about an easy, easy cookie recipe, with the holidays coming up?  If you need a super-easy recipe for cookies, you won’t find one much easier than Mint Chocolate Ritz Cookies. The only ingredients are Ritz Crackers, chocolate and almond bark!

Make them up ahead of time – they are perfect for office parties or family gatherings. Beware, though, they are addictive!!

Mint Chocolate Ritz Cookies:

Ingredients:

1 Sleeve of Ritz Crackers

1 package of meltable chocolate mint candies – I like Wilton Dark Cocoa Mint, sold where Wilton cake decorating supplies are sold – I get mine at Michaels Crafts stores.

2 squares of vanilla almond bark

Melt the chocolate mint in the microwave, it takes about 30 seconds. Stir after 15 seconds.

Dip 1/2 of a Ritz Cracker into the melted chocolate, and set on wax paper to dry. Do this with each Ritz.

When the chocolate has dried, melt the almond bark in the microwave for about 30 seconds, stirring after 15 seconds.

Dip the other half of each cracker into the almond bark and set on wax paper to dry.

You can also dip the entire cracker into the chocolate, and use the almond bark as a drizzle over the cracker.

Dipping mini vanilla wafers into the chocolate makes a great cookie as well. Mixed with the larger Ritz cookies, they make an attractive platter.

Save Money On Your Winter Energy Costs

When winter winds start blowing, our energy costs threaten to skyrocket. Every little bit that we can conserve will help our pocketbooks and our environment.

Here are some steps to take that will lower your energy bill this winter.

Switch the direction of your ceiling fan... Hot air rises, and changing your fan direction to counter-clockwise will push the hot air down into the room. When summer rolls around, changing it back to clockwise will pull the hot air up and away from you.

Laundry....Save up your laundry to fill up the washer. Smaller loads go through the same number of steps as large ones. Yes, you might conserve a little water by using small loads, but washing smaller loads more often rather than large loads less often will cost you in the long run.Use cold water to wash your clothing when possible, and always use cold water for the rinse.

Close the doors.... Particularly closet doors. Closing the doors to all rooms and closets will keep the house warmer.

Take showers...Taking showers rather than baths not only conserves water, but conserves energy as well. A shower generally uses about 10 gallons of water, but a bath takes 20-25 gallons. The shorter the shower, the better - both for your energy costs and your health.

While you're in the bathroom, be sure and turn off the faucet while you're brushing your teeth.

Dishwashing...Let your dishes air-dry by turning off your dishwasher before the drying cycle starts. Partially opening the dishwasher door after you turn it off speeds up the drying process, and you might want to use a product such as Jet-Dry to minimize spotting.

Use a humidifier....You will be much more comfortable during the dry winter months and you get an added bonus - Because moist air holds heat, your home will be warmer and your furnace will have less work to do.

You might also consider using a de-humidifier in the summer because, well, moist air holds heat.

When you heat up the oven for a meal, leave the door open a little afterward so that the heat won't be wasted. Only do this if you don't have little kids or pets that might get burned.

Lower the thermostat when everyone is out of the house at work or school.

Also lower the thermostat when bedtime arrives - It's much easier to sleep when the house is cooler, and you can always put on another blanket.

Clean the filters....Furnace filters should be cleaned or replaced every month, and lint filters in clothes dryers should be cleaned after every use.

If you have a traditional fireplace, invest in a glass, fitted screen to keep out the cold. Be sure the damper is always closed tightly. You might also consider converting your wood-burning fireplace to gas. Fireplaces are notorious energy-wasters, but I love the smell of a fireplace in the winter and can't bear to convert it to gas.

Learn to crochet. Make your family some nice afghans to cuddle up in while watching television or playing video games, and turn the thermostat down.

There are plenty of other steps that can be taken to lower your heating bills in the winter. I didn't even touch winterizing your home in this article. If you can get into the habit of doing even a few of these, you will notice a difference in your bills this winter.