Mmmmm.... pork roast

Haven't done many cooking-related posts lately so here you go...

I'm marinating a pork loin roast in some peach nectar and balsamic vinegar with ginger and pepper. Low sodium and should be mighty tasty. I'll let you know how it turns out after dinner tomorrow night.

Where are the presents?

I just realized that today is Feedin' Mama's two-year blogiversary. And they said it wouldn't last.

Wait, Watch and Wonder

This article I found in one of my e-mails today might be a bit overwrought and over-thought for some but I do like the idea that giving your all to the present moment is the great key to a life well-lived. We do spend so much time projecting the future and beleaguering the past that we miss the breath we are taking right now. Such a waste of life that is. And besides, I thought the title was most excellent.

Diet and Nutrition for Everybody

I just heard about a great new site, Drgourmet.com. It has diet and nutrition information for all kinds of health conditions and issues. Here's the link to the Low Sodium section. There is also a section for people on coumadin, for gout, for cholesterol... and their own nutrition plan for everyone who just wants to eat better. It's a veritable nutrition gold mine! Yay!

Aging and Ministry

I attended a workshop on Aging and Ministry recently and came away with some insights for this ministry as a whole in the future and not just a little bit of excitement about the future for folks who are home bound and unable to attend worship services.

There is no doubt that all aspects of aging will take on new dimensions as the baby boomers continue to reach what we now know as "retirement" age. One point strongly made was that the term "Older Adult Ministry" won't exactly endear those it purports to describe. Plain old Adult Ministry will do fine, thank you very much. We're already using phrases from "Young-Old" "Middle Old" and "Old (or Oldest) Old" to try to describe a population that spans more than two generations. A monthly "meet and eat" with an occasional bus trip isn't going to work for such a widely varied group and we are going to have to re-define what it means to do ministry with older adults.

Even ministry to folks who are no longer able to attend worship services, small group meetings or Bible studies will provide new ways of staying connected with their church families. Netbooks have become so affordable and portable that it's conceivable that they would become as common in nursing homes as televisions and online conferencing and video streaming could not only allow the homebound to attend services in their own church in real time but they could still be active participants in Bible studies, on committees and other small groups. One of the saddest things I see is that no matter how involved someone has been in the life of the church, no amount of visitation and contact ministry can prevent the eventual falling away of an elder who is no longer able to actively participate in the life of the congregation. But I watch Mama as she "Skypes" with her grandchildren and great grandchildren and I am filled with great hope for the possibilities to come. As for me, I plan to have my netbook installed on a tray on my wheelchair so I can continue to be both a happy joy and a royal pain for my family and church family until the funeral home comes to fetch me. Heh heh heh....

Just because you can...

...doesn't always mean that you should.

It's a fairly common occurrence, a physician recommends a procedure and the patient, especially the elderly patient it seems, readily complies with the recommendation without investigating all the available options. I say especially the elderly patient because the older generations have lived most of their lives in a culture that viewed medical professionals as infallible authorities. Those of us who have grown up with the information age are more likely to say, "Wait a minute" and question the doctor further, investigate their options and/or ask for a second opinion.

Please don't infer that I'm bashing the medical profession, far from it. It is my opinion that we have the best medical care in the world available to us in the US. But doctors are trained to fix things. And especially in cases involving older folks I don't necessarily think they are trained to consider that not "fixing" something might be the best option. I read this article today on the possibility that anesthesia may spur the onset of dementia in older patients. That would be a risk factor I would want to consider when faced with the possible need for a procedure.

We are very fortunate that Mama's primary care doctor is a firm believer in the least worst option. We have had several occasions when a specialist has firmly recommended a procedure or a medication that in Dr. G's opinion and ours was that the risks aren't worth the possible benefit. He knows her medical history, how her body responds and reacts to things and what her personal wishes are. So when the surgeons and specialists "come at her with scalpels" (Mama's words) she refers them straight to Dr. G and then we discuss the plan of action or inaction together. It's a beautiful thing.

Modern medicine is also a beautiful, wonderful thing. One of the reasons we can even have this discussion is because our lifespan continues to get longer and longer due to continually better medical care. But common sense and investigating all the options are still and always the very best medicine.

Amazing Graciousness

Today I was witness to a beautiful example of grace in aging. Mama's Sunday School class which includes folks who have been church members for more than 60 years and has been in existence in its current form since 1979 has dwindled down to a very faithful few. Our new pastor and our children's director are faced with the happy problem of a children's program that is bursting at its seams and needs more space. We have two adult SS classes upstairs in the children's wing that seriously need to be re-located to make a safe and comfortable space for our little ones.

Now there are some things you just don't mess with in church without courting the probability of a great uproar complete with wailing and gnashing of teeth. Long-established Sunday School classes are generally on that list. But the pastor asked one of our sainted members who teaches periodically in Mama's class to host a brunch this morning so that he could present the problem to them and ask for their help. This is a man of great courage and fortitude. He told them that since they have the largest space we need to move one of the bigger classes into their room. They would have the option of joining the other older adult class down the hall or staying in their room with the younger (40-60 year old) folks.

Well now I am proud to tell you that each one of them was kind and gracious and generous of heart and they are all even a little excited about a new venture at this point in their lives. They will welcome this big group into their space even though it means changing their normal curriculum, new furniture and several other adjustments to be made. Not a one of them had a negative comment, not even a "But we've ALWAYS done it this way!"

There will be a celebration of their class during worship later in February and a new adventure in faith will begin for this lovely little group who are great examples of Christian love and grace. Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape. I hope the rest of the congregation comprehends the message of their testimony in action.