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Just a spoonful of sugar…making the humdrum enjoyable

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By Sr. Christina M. Neumann

Last week,  I made a couple of rhubarb coffee cakes for people to enjoy after Sunday Mass.  I’ve also made a couple of batches of rhubarb sauce recently for our residents to enjoy.  One thing I’ve learned about rhubarb is that it needs sugar.  In fact, I wished I had pre-soaked the rhubarb in sugar before I made the cakes last Monday morning at 2 a.m. (I was working the night shift.)  This lesson about a little sugar making the whole batch better is a good analogy for life as well.

Yesterday, we were cutting up yet another batch of donated rhubarb (two big bags this time).  Doing this isn’t the most exciting activity.  However, during our “rhubarb parties” at St. Anne’s, we’ve learned to “sugar-coat” what could otherwise be a little bit of a sour job; we end up joking and even sometimes singing while we work.  Yesterday, we sang “I’ve been working on the rhubarb All the live-long day.”

Another way that humor (unintentionally) helped “the medicine go down” yesterday came about when one of our ladies kept trying to throw her pieces of rhubarb into the bowl.  It was kind of far away, and she didn’t make it into her target.  I kept telling her to stop throwing it, and that I would take the pieces for her.  However, she would not stop throwing them.  In frustrated fun, I took a big piece of rhubarb (resembling a plank or a bat) and swung it a little, telling her to knock it off or face the consequences (jokingly, of course).

If we didn’t have a little humor in life, things would certainly be boring.  Our slogan, “It’s great to be alive at St. Anne’s” is true, in part, because of the fact that we are not afraid to incorporate humor into the humdrum things of life.  Just as “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down” (or the rhubarb taste better), so a little bit of good-natured humor and positive attitude sweetens all of life for us.

Today, let’s give thanks for the gift of humor and use it wisely!

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A Thank You to our “Fathers” for Fathers’ Day

from our 60th Anniversary Celebration
from our 60th Anniversary Celebration in 2012

Here at St. Anne’s, a lot of our men are not biological fathers.  Therefore, our activities staff have taken to celebrating “Men’s Day” the week after the annual Fathers’ Day observance.  This is a way of honoring the men who live here, regardless of their role in life (be they fathers or not).

I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank some other men, who, while they also lack the title of “Dad,” are affectionately, gratefully, and respectfully referred to as “Father”- and with good reason. We are very grateful for our priests who have served us over the years.

I won’t attempt to name all of them here; there have been many who have come to offer Mass for us; the service of priests to St. Anne’s dates back to when the Home was located at the former location by the river.  I would guess it even dates back to the time when St. Anne’s was in Fargo.

I could not, however, fail to mention Fr. Gerald Potter, whose link with our Sisters dates back to his school days at St. John’s in Collegeville, MN.  He was a waiter there as a student and worked with our sisters who ran the kitchen there.  In later years, he offered Mass at St. Anne’s innumerable times before coming to reside here.

Also, I’d like to thank our priests from St. Michael’s parish (past and present) who have come to offer Mass atSt. Anne’s (both the current and the former locations).  I am very grateful to Fr. Braun, Fr. King, and Fr. Haman for offering Mass here every Tuesday, and on other occasions as needed (as well as Fr. Pfeifer when he was here) .

We very much appreciate the generosity and thoughtfulness of our priests.  It has been very, very seldom (during my six years here) that we have not had daily Mass offered in our Chapel.  Thank you for helping to look after “our little flock.”  A special thanks goes out to Msgr. Vetter and Fr. Bernie Schneider for also making a commitment to us more than once a week!  Fr. Ed Sherman and Fr. William Callery also deserve a special word of thanks for so often filling in.

I’d like to thank all of our priests as we celebrate Fathers’ Day.

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From “I – Scream” to Cherry Su-preme

As you may know, we had our annual pie & cake ice cream social yesterday afternoon.  I think people had a good time and enjoyed their desserts.

In the past, sometimes the ice cream has gotten rather soft by the time our servers got toward the bottom of the pail.  Rather than toss the “soupy” stuff (or try to re-freeze it and hope it isn’t too crystallized), I’ve been known to make “cherry supreme.”  This is a family favorite recipe we enjoyed as kids.  You make a crumbly crust and serve the dessert with hot cherry pie filling (see recipe below).  Shelly (our Activity Director) was too efficient this year and got the ice cream back in the freezer.

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Next time your vanilla ice cream gets a little soft, you might want to try out “cherry supreme” – it might become a family favorite of your own.

Cherry Supreme
(9 servings)
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream (softened)

Heat oven to 400.  Mix butter, sugar, flour, and pecans.  Press evenly in bottom of un-greased baking pan – 9X9X2.  Bake until light brown (about 12 minutes). Crumble with spoon.  Cool.  Reserve 1 cup of the crumbs, press remaining crumbs evenly in bottom of pan.  Pack ice cream on crust.  Sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top and refreeze for at least 4 hours.  Just before serving, heat a 21-oz. can cherry pie filling and serve ice cream dessert with hot cherries on top.

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Beans, potatoes, carrots, and self-esteem…growing in our little garden at St. Anne’s

vegetable garden

This past week, we planted a little vegetable garden in a soil-filled bathtub on our west patio. But did you know that gardening is actually considered “moderate cardiovascular exercise” by the CDC, according to one online article. It burns calories (200-300 per hour) and doing so several times a week can be a good way to fight obesity, according to this same source.

They also noted that, according to the American Horticultural Therapy Association, “gardening can benefit people who are recovering from physical illness by retraining their muscles and improving coordination and strength.” Gardening is also good in that it causes you to stretch and move around. It is a form of exercise which is easier for people with certain health challenges that make more strenuous exercise not practical, according to the below-mentioned CNN article.
However, nextavenue.org suggests that one change body positioning frequently to avoid “overusing or overburdening any one area of the body.” Proper bending technique (using the knees rather than the waist) is also recommended to avoid problems.
According to care2.com, gardening can increase your muscular volume and strength., An article by CNN cited some less tangible benefits of “getting down in the dirt,” including stress relief, fighting depression, and possibly even decreasing risk of dementia. They say that a bacteria found in soil can increase serotonin in the brain.
I started gardening with our residents last spring as a fun activity for them to enjoy. I don’t expect much of a vegetable yield from such a small space, but I do hope it yields the fruit of improved mood and a sense of accomplishment.
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Rhubarb…ND State Weed or blessing indeed?

Our first rhubarb party of the season
Our first rhubarb party of the season

From as early as mid/late May until into October, St. Anne’s Guest Home receives donations of Rhubarb. Sometimes I feel like having rhubarb parties (that is announcing, enticing, organizing, and supervising our residents to cut rhubarb) is my summer hobby or part-time job.

Although we may refer to it as “the North Dakota State Weed,” it does have many uses. You just want to mistake burdock (which really is a toxic weed) for rhubarb, which is technically part of the vegetable family.

Did you know that the court system actually ruled that it be considered a fruit for legal purposes because of its customary uses. Its roots in our country date back to a gardener in New England in the late 1700s, who got some from Europe. Rhubarb was actually used in China for medicinal purposes as early as 2700 BC.

I’d like to share a couple of interesting stories from its long history. In the mid-to-late 500s, it was given to an emperor of the Liang dynasty. According to http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/history, this was only after he was warned that “rhubarb, being a most potent drug, must be taken with great moderation.”

About 500 years later, “a Christian sentenced to a hard punishment is pardoned after using previously collected rhubarb to heal some soldiers.” I guess rhubarb can be handy to have around.

You’ve probably heard of Marco Polo, the famous explorer…He was well acquainted with Rhubarb from the East and relayed a lot of information when reporting on his travels.

Besides the above-mentioned medicinal and culinary uses, rhubarb (leaves) can also be used in your compost pile as they break down quickly, according to another online source. That same article also suggests that rhubarb can be used as a pink hair dye. It also suggests that its leaves can be used as a cleaner for your pots, adding a shine. They add a warning, however, which I have known for years: the leaves are poisonous so you need to be careful not to ingest them.

I learned another tidbit of helpful information when looking for a rhubarb cake recipe to use for our upcoming pie and cake ice cream social; one pound of rhubarb yields three cups of cut, raw rhubarb, or a little more.

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What would you like to see?

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I just wanted to get some feedback from people…What would you be interested in reading about on the St. Anne’s Scoop?  Are there topics you’d suggest or other feedback that I could use to make this a better blog for my readers, as well as to encourage new readership as well.

Would you please let me know by posting a reply here or emailing me.  Thanks so much.  I hope you enjoy getting “The Scoop!”

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Honoring our Older Americans in May

Older Americans MonthThree-fourths of our residents are 65 years of age or older. Therefore, it seems appropriate that we mention May’s observance which recognizes and honors our seniors.

Each year, the government’s Administration for Community Living sponsors “Older Americans Month.” This dates back to the Kennedy administration in 1963, when May was originally named Senior Citizen Month. It honors “older Americans and celebrating their contributions to our communities and our nation.” (See www.agingkingcounty.org/olderamericansmonth/)

This year, the agency is encouraging older Americans to Get into the Act, take charge of their health, be engaged in their communities, and make a positive impact in the lives of others, according to online materials they provide.

An interesting hypothesis they also provide is that “by the year 2020, more than 55 million U.S. adults will be over the age of 65.”

This month can be both a time to recognize the invaluable gift that older Americans are to the rest of society and a time to encourage them to engage in healthy habits and community engagement.

This month, why not thank an older American for who they are all they have done. And, why not stop by St. Anne’s and spend a little time visiting with our older Americans.

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Nurse needed

nurseI just wanted to help get the word out: we are looking for another nurse to assist with the care of our residents.  If you, or someone you know, is interested in the positions, I’d encourage you/them to visit: www.stannesguesthome.org/employment.html or stop by to fill out an application.

Click here to view and print a job application which may be turned in at St. Anne’s front reception desk.  If you would prefer, the MS Word version can be completed and emailed to stannesguesthome@gmail.com.

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Got Spring Fever?…Get some fresh air!

walk

It’s wonderful to again be able to take our residents for an “outdoor walk!” During the winter, we confine ourselves to walking the first floor halls of St. Anne’s. While they are spacious, it’s not the same as getting some good, fresh air. I am looking forward to seeing the blossoms on our flowering ornamental crab tree someday soon when I walk with them. I’ll probably even pick some to set on the reception desk here.

Trees, in fact, are very healthy. According to a study cited in a Huffington Post article, 850 lives were saved and almost 700,000 acute repertory symptoms were prevented in a single year by their mere presence. Did you know that trees actually remove pollution and make the air healthier to breathe, especially for people living in the city? This same article would have us believe so. It also shared the fact that polluted air can cause difficulty breathing for asthma victims as well as cancer, birth defects, lung injury and brain/nerve damage. Oxygen gained from a breath of fresh air can help energize you as well.

Stepping outside can be beneficial, even to one’s immune system. Being in close quarters with other people “exposes you to all sorts of germs,” according to . Exercise stimulates numbers of “natural killer cells.” Also, the scents of flowers can help your mood, and even pine can help with relaxation and lowering stress. Actually, with greater oxygen intake, more serotonin is produced, which also helps your mood and sense of well-being, according to yourstandardlife.com.

Fresh air actually cleans your lungs and gets more oxygen to your cells, improving your lungs’ cleansing action. Breathing fresh air can help your mental clarity. Your brain, in fact, uses 20% of the body’s oxygen. Fresh air also helps with effective food digestion, according to this source. Consequently, according to goodrelaxation.com, fresh air can even help you lose weight. Furthermore, it is noted, that blood pressure and heart rate are improved by fresh air.

So, be advised, don’t just stay indoors all the time, breathing the same air over and over. According to yourstandardlife.com, “breathing this stale air will not supply your body with enough oxygen to keep your cells fueled and functioning properly.” When you get a chance, get outside and enjoy some fresh air and exercise. If you live in the area, you could even take a walk over to St. Anne’s and visit our residents!