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.

Senior-cize!

Stayin' alive... and having a good time at it apparently. Good for them.

Thermostat Wars

We often have an odd little passive-aggressive turf war in the Feedin' Mama household over the thermostat. Mama has lost most of her insulation (body fat) over the years and like most older adults is prone to chilliness. I, of course, have enough insulation for the both of us and more. This leads to surreptitious thermostat fly-bys, each of us thinking we're getting away with something. We do try to address the issue but it's the same old argument that never has a solution. I keep telling Mama that she can always put on a sweater but nobody really wants me to run around here naked and I would still be hot with the temperature sweltering in here like it is. I even bought her a Snuggie (TM) but it's too bulky and cumbersome for her and I can't blame her for not wanting to be smothered by a pile of blankets and sweaters.

Now it may not be news to most of the country but for this native Floridian I was amazed to find lightweight long underwear that actually keep you warm. Imagine that. We purchased a couple of sets for Mama and have finally been able to find a happy medium. They keep her warm without a lot of bulk and I can keep my clothes on. So at least for the next month or so we can dial the thermostat down and have peace in the land. Hooray for light weight long johns and compromise!

The Prophecy of Jim Croce

Let me be the first one to say it...... You know, Christmas will be here before you know it. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.... oh, sorry. Ahem. But seriously, you know what I'm talking about. Every passing year seems to fly by faster than the one before it. They say time flies when you're having fun but apparently it's pretty speedy even when you're in the midst of a high-unemployment economic freefall as well. I cannot believe how quickly the days keep zooming by. Which is why I cannot figure out the thought processes behind those folks who either treat their aging parents like naughty and/or incompetent children or ignore them altogether. I don't think those are the best life choices to make when loving, respecting and valuing them is A) One of God's Big Ten, B) Setting a good example for your own children to follow and C) Plain old good karma. And Karma? She can really be such a Bee-yotch. Srsly. Especially when you're going to wake up what will seem like tomorrow and Whoops! Look who needs a little help with their ADLs now Sparky! Time really do fly... use it wisely.

Why is it So Dad-Gum Difficult to Find Low Salt Alternatives?

I have to wonder why some stores make it more difficult to find low and no sodium alternatives than others. Is it their customer base that they're stocking for? Let's take canned tomatoes for an example. At Publix I can find canned crushed tomatoes and tomato paste with very low sodium. I can also find chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce in a box with almost no sodium. At WalMart the pickings are a bit slimmer but I can still find low-sodium crushed tomatoes and they even have a low sodium version of their store brand chopped tomatoes. Not to mention that the prices are way lower, yay. So yesterday I went to Winn Dixie because they have this new Fuel Perks program where you get $$ off of your gas fill-up - the more groceries you buy, the lower your gas cost. BUT - I couldn't find a lot of the things I need to cook Mama's low sodium meals. There was not even one choice in the canned tomato selection, not one. Boo. And since dil and I are back on the weight loss challenge I was looking for other things I couldn't find such as 100 calorie whole grain english muffins. They're working real hard to re-image themselves but I still get the feeling that they're still reaching out to the bologna, moon pie and kool aid demographic. The big draw special they had was if you buy 2 frozen pizzas of a certain brand you get a box of fried cheese sticks, a box of garlic bread, ice cream and soda for free. Geez Louise. For those of us trying to eat healthy it was kind of a frustrating trip. Which is sad b/c I could really use the lower gas prices.

New Low Sodium Recipes

Here's the latest batch of low sodium recipes from Dick Logue. I think I'll try the cranberry orange relish first but I'll use stevia or splenda instead of sugar.

Spice Up Your Life in 2010

Here's a great article on how spicing up your menu can lead to a longer, healthier life. Check the last slide for a spice blend you can make yourself that will add some zing and good health to lots of your own recipes.