I was reminded recently of how important friendship is to all of us. Friendship is a very special bond with another person. Unique. Caring. Fun. Compassionate.
Are you having a bad day? Feeling on the blue side, but not sure why. A phone call comes and your friend calls to say that you’ve been on her mind. She asks, “How are you?”. Your spirit lifts and the day starts to get brighter.
You unexpectedly get offered tickets to a play for that evening. You reach out to friends and you all rally together and gather to see a wonderful performance. A fun-filled night made special by your sharing the night with friends.
Need help with a project at home? You reach out to your friend who is handy around the house. He makes the time to come over and help you. You serve lunch during the project. What a nice way to spend an afternoon.
As you can see, we all need a friend in our lives. Friends keep us from being lonely. Friends help us manage life’s challenges and keep us centered.
In our world today we hear of tragedy in the news on many occasions. Oftentimes we learn that the person involved was a loner without friends. These instances call out even more the importance of friendship.
Private Home Health Care appreciates all of our friends. Here’s a poem from anonymous.
A friend is someone we turn to
when our spirits need a lift. A friend is someone we treasure
Haiku poetry. “Submit to nature, return to nature.” This was written by a seventeenth-century Japanese poet named Matsuo Basho to describe Haiku poetry.
If you read about the beginnings of Haiku poetry you will discover that it began back in the thirteenth century in Japan. It was originally the beginning of a longer oral poem. In the sixteenth century Haiku broke off and became its own form of poetry.
To write a Haiku poem, you would have three lines and use seventeen syllables in a 5/7/5 count. Matsuo Basho is a famous Haiku poet. He wrote the following:
An old pond!
A frog jumps in—
the sound of water.
The poetry usually focuses on nature. It centers around simplicity, intensity and directness of expression.
Fast forward to the nineteenth century when Haiku started to influence poets outside of Japan. The exact rules using the same number of syllables were not always followed, consequently the poems had a different cadence.
You can see this in the poem by Ezra Pound. The interconnecting different images were however the same.
In a Station of the Metro
The apparition of these faces in the crowd:
Petals on a wet, black bough.
You may find that Haiku poetry is not easy to write but it can be very rewarding. If you are interested, find a poetry class to join to learn more and practice this old, traditional Japanese art.
Private Home Health Care wishes you creativity and peace in your writing.
Do you know what nut is native to North America? If you guessed the pecan you’d be correct!
Georgia has the most pecans but other southern states grow them as well.
Pecans grow on trees and they need cross-pollination to achieve the most yield. If you were to grow pecan trees you need a warm and humid climate and a lot of space.
You can’t be disturbed by a mess because pecan trees shed flowers, leaves and branches. The trees need full sun for 6-8 hours and water, lots of water. A young tree needs 10 to 15 gallons every week!
Did I mention that you also need patience? Those pecan nuts in the shells with the proper sun and water will be available in about eight to ten years! There is no wonder these delicious nuts tend to be on the more expensive side
The nice part about pecans is that you can eat them as a sweet or a savory. For your best health benefit you should eat natural pecans without sugar or salt.
Pecans are high in calories so if you are watching your weight be careful but there are many health benefits to pecans so moderation is key. You should stick to about one ounce or 20 pecan halves at a time.
You’ll get a decent amount of fiber from pecans along with copper, vitamin B, and zinc. You can add a bit of magnesium and phosphorus to the list too. All of these nutrients are good as part of a healthy diet.
Private Home Health Care does not grow pecan trees but we do enjoy them because of all the health benefits they provide. We hope you will enjoy some too.
Music is enjoyed by so many people that it’s called a universal language. Music therapy is dedicated to helping and healing people. It is for people of all backgrounds, ages and cultures.
Music therapy can happen in all kinds of settings and be administered with all ages. Your setting might be a hospital, school, nursing home, mental health facility or residence for individuals just to name a few.
A music therapist is not only a skilled musician but also a health care provider.
If you want to be a music therapist you will need to get a bachelor’s degree. After that you’ll need to participate in 1,200 clinical hours and pass a national exam.
Your goal as a music therapist is to help a person emotionally, psychologically, physically, spiritually, cognitively and socially.
You can help your clients lower blood pressure, reduce stress, reduce muscle tension, and increase motivation. People with Alzheimer’s disease can benefit greatly from music therapy.
Here’s an interesting fact. It was back in 1945 that formal music therapy began. The United States War Department used it to help military service members recovering in Army hospitals.
As you can see music therapy has grown and it is now a significant part of our healthcare system. You can spread awareness about the week on social media using #WorldMusicTherapyWeek.
Private Home Health Care wishes you a song in your heart this and every week.
It feels appropriate to talk about hope this month. Hope is such a positive force in one’s life.In the spring season with the early bulbs blooming, buds coming on the bushes and longer days you can really feel hopeful.
Look in Merriam-Webster and you’ll find hope defined as “an expectation of fulfillment or success” and “to await some occurrence or outcome”.
Are you hopeful? Do you help others to feel hopeful? Does helping to lift someone’s spirit make you feel hopeful?
Life can bring us much goodness and happiness but also curveballs and difficulties that we need to manage. Having hope can help you deal with both the good and difficult times.
Sharing a ray of hope with others can make you feel better yourself. You might be able to share kindness or spend time with someone. Volunteering is another way to spread hope and often it can help your own feeling of self worth and hope.
During this month of April during #NationalMonthOfHope, try and offer hope to those around you. You may find a friend to chat with or a school volunteer that might be offered.
Writing letters to those in nursing homes or prisons is another outlet for you. If you are active on social media you could find hopeful things to share.
Private Home Health Care understands that in our world hope is definitely something that should be spread. Let’s each of us do what we can in our little place in this great world of ours.
Private Home Health Care would like to wish a very Happy and Blessed Easter to all who celebrate. Easter is the holiest of days for Christians.
If you are a Christian, you observe 40 days of Lent. These 40 days represent the time that Jesus Christ spent in the wilderness being tempted. The Lenten season begins with Ash Wednesday.
You would then observe Palm Sunday the week before Easter. Palm Sunday represents the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem. This is followed by Holy Thursday, the day of the last supper and Good Friday, the day that Jesus was crucified.
Easter day is the day that Jesus rose from the dead, saving believers from sin. Christians around the world celebrate and commemorate the sacrifice made by Jesus for his followers.
In addition, we would also like to wish our Jewish friends a very Happy Passover. Passover celebrates the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt.
Passover is currently being celebrated. It began on Wed., April 5 and will end on Thurs., April 13. Passover and The Last Supper have close ties. The Last Supper celebrated by Jesus was a Passover meal the same as the Israelites.
Happy Easter and Happy Passover from Private Home Health Care.
Walking. An easy way to improve your overall health. It doesn’t cost any money and just about anyone can do it.
Every year the American Heart Association encourages all of us to get out and stretch our legs and walk. Walking is the perfect low maintenance way to get your body in shape.
Your heart benefits, your muscles benefit, it increases your energy and helps with your mood. Walking can even help you manage some health problems. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure or if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic, walking can help lower symptoms..
You don’t have to plan on a 5-mile walk to get the benefits either. It’s true that the faster, farther and more often you walk the greater the benefits but If you can only handle a 30 minute walk that’s great too.
You need to be sure to start at your own pace. Try beginning with a 30 minute walk at a moderate pace. If you feel ready, pick up the pace and add some distance. It really is whatever works for you.
Additionally, when you walk it’s important to have a good pair of sneakers and comfortable clothing. Carry a phone, wear sunscreen and stay hydrated. Choose a neighborhood or a park . Wherever you like to walk.
Private Home Health Care believes that walking is good exercise and a relaxing and easy way to stay healthy. Enjoy!
Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, helps your body to form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle and collagen in your bones. It also helps to ward off illnesses.
This vitamin also has a low current daily value (90mg) so it’s easy to eat to add it to your body.
Your body does not produce vitamin C so you do need to get it from the foods you eat. For most of us this is not a problem because it can be found in so many foods.
If you eat vegetables and fruits daily you will get plenty of vitamin C in your diet. Foods high in vitamin C include citrus fruits, bell peppers, guava, strawberries, cantaloupe, papaya, tomatoes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, spinach and mangos.
You could be at risk for a vitamin C deficiency if you are a smoker or if you have certain gastrointestinal conditions. Limited fruits and vegetables in your diet can also cause problems.
Private Home Health Care knows that a deficiency of vitamin C can lead to diseases. Scurvy was a disease caused by a lack of the vitamin. Back in the 18th and 19 centuries it was deadly for seafaring people. Thankfully, we have many options of fruits and vegetables so we we can stay healthy.
4-time Super Bowl winner, Rob Gronkowski posted on his social media page last night that the trio of Super Bowl Champions are coming back to where it all started. With the NFL Draft approaching, and the Patriots coming off their third straight disappointing season, New England was hoping for something big. The 3 potential Hall of Famers are coming back together at the place where it all started. Brady, who announced his second Retirment after this last season was convinced by his two former teammates to give it another shot.
Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski & Julian Edelman are back for another Super Bowl run.
Back to New England
Edelman who played his entire career with the Patriots, retired after the 2020 season. The only season which he did not have Brady and Gronk on the roster with him was a disappointing one. Taking time off from the game has let his body heel and he says he is feeling as good as he ever has. “Once my body had the time to recover, those 2 years off, I’m finally back close to 100%,” Edelman said. Moreover, he still says he has more in the tank and has been keeping in football shape.
The Patriots all-time leader in receiving touchdowns played his last game as a Patriot in 2018. Then he linked back up with Brady in 2020 to win another Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2021 before retiring. Gronk made the most out of his time off the field. The tight end turned NFL analyst for FOX, competed on the Masked Singer, Hosted WrestleMania 36, and joined girlfriend Camile Kostek on Nickelodeon. However, another chance to bring together one of the NFL’s greatest trios was just too enticing to pass up.
Brady, who played just last season with the Bucs, finished the season 8-9. He had previously won the Super Bowl with the team the year before. Brady, statistically has nothing left to prove on the football field. However, retirement is not an easy thing for him to do as we have seen before. His first retirement didn’t last a full year like Gronkowski’s. Nevertheless, the competitive drive that has propelled him to 7 Super Bowl victories has him desiring more.
Winning Ways
With 14 combined NFL championships, these three looks to bring the winning culture back to Foxborough. This comes at a great time for their coach who is in search of becoming the all-time leader for wins in NFL history. What better way to accomplish that feat than with bringing the old band back together. Christmas has come early in Foxborough, that is for sure.
This all comes at the perfect time as for the first time in almost two decades, the Patriots have become just another average football team. The Patriots Big 3, who have always played with a chip on their shoulder, have something to prove. Edelman’s Final season in Foxborough, was the first time the team had missed the playoffs since 2008. Brady had just the first under .500 season as a quarterback in his career. While Gronkowski may have gone out on top, what would the reunion tour be without him? With 3 of the best to ever play on the football field together coming back with something to prove, this should be a very exciting season to watch. Watch the press conference here, Brady, Gronk, Edelman Press Conference.
April Fools
Hey, we can all dream, can’t we?
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Private Home Health Care. Marblehead MA 781-639-8696
Today is a day to celebrate the crayon, Crayola crayon being the most famous name. No matter your age, coloring a page with crayons can be very soothing and nostalgic.
Here is a brief history of the Crayola crayon for you.
In 1864, the Binney and Smith company began in Peekskill, NY. The company started with a pigment for foundries and cast iron stoves called “lampblack.” They used waxed marking crayons for the cartons.
You’ll find the company next in Pennsylvania where it works with teachers to come up with a dustless chalk to be used on slate boards in schools. The Crayola division began in the company.
You can flash to 1903 when the first box of Crayola crayons hits the market. Much research was done in order to create something safe for children to use.
The first box was made up of eight crayons. The colors were red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, and black. Each crayon was wrapped in paper and labeled with the color.
Over the years the boxes changed. In 1949, the box grew to hold 48 colors placed in a box with “stadium seating.” Later In 1958 the classic 64-color box was introduced with a built-in sharpener. Finally in 1993, ninety-six colors were packaged into what they called the Big Box.
Consequently, Crayola crayons are in most school classrooms today. There are other brands but Crayola is still among the best and most favored of crayons.
Here are a few fascinating crayon facts for you:
Mrs. Alice Binney is credited with the Crayola name. (“Craie” means chalk in French and “ola” is short for “oleagineux” which means oily.)
Involving the public, the company has changed crayon names over the years.
Crayola has many products now including markers and pencils.
In 1984, the company became a subsidiary of Hallmark.
You can visit two museums called The Crayola Experience. These are designed for children. They are located in Easton, PA and Orlando, FL.
