FARM TO MARKET DAYS

Written by Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes


Contact: info@togetherparenting.com Category: Parenting/Family Activities Description: Family activities/recipes for St. Patrick’s Day and spring Word Count: 551 Copyright 2004 Nine Twenty Press URL: _____________________

Summer may begin in June but, for many parts ofrepparttar country, gardens don’t reach their peak until August. Modern grocery stores manage to keep us satisfied with produce year round, but there is nothing likerepparttar 110994 flavor of farm fresh tomatoes, peaches, or sweet corn. And there is nothing likerepparttar 110995 experience of buying from local growers who are proud of their wares.

The first farmers’ markets started over a century beforerepparttar 110996 Declaration of Independence. Since then, it has become an American tradition to buy fresh produce, flowers, eggs and cheese from markets and roadside stands. Inrepparttar 110997 beginning, farmers would brave muddy roads in their horse-drawn wagons. As time went on, farmers maderepparttar 110998 weekly trek to town in pick-ups, where they’d pile bushels of fruit and vegetables high onrepparttar 110999 tailgate of their trucks. Today, many lucky city dwellers visit markets that are open every day.

My favorite though, is our county farmers’ market held onrepparttar 111000 courthouse grounds. It’s open only on Saturday mornings, and only June - October. It may sound inconvenient but, for my family, it’s a summer ritual. We wake early and arrive disheveled, rarely takingrepparttar 111001 time to comb through our hair. For breakfast, we buy scones from our favorite bread stand and snatch uprepparttar 111002 best looking fruit we see. My son is an expert at choosing “chin dripping” peaches, always looking forrepparttar 111003 most fragrant andrepparttar 111004 heaviest peach that can sit inrepparttar 111005 palm of his small hand. My husband lounges onrepparttar 111006 grass and watchesrepparttar 111007 people go by as I scribble a list of what is available, anticipatingrepparttar 111008 culinary treats that only summer brings. There is nothing like fresh corn onrepparttar 111009 cob, cold gazpacho with homegrown tomatoes, or homemade fruit sorbet. We always have a batch of sorbet on hand, each week a different flavor. Sometimes we experiment by combining fruit with fresh herbs, but most ofrepparttar 111010 time we simple puree 2 cups of fruit with a little citrus juice and a bit of honey, and then freeze it in an ice cream maker. My boys and their friends think it’s a decadent treat.

Let’s Get Serious About the Nursing Home Tour

Written by Tammy Gonzales


Before you tour your facility choices be sure you have done your homework. Go online and visit Medicare.gov. They have wonderful resources available to you for free. They are user friendly. Please seerepparttar end of this article for details.

To narrow down your choice between two or three nursing homes or just consideringrepparttar 110993 only available nursing home to place your family member or friend, it takes two visits. Take someone with you and if at all possible takerepparttar 110994 person who will be moving intorepparttar 110995 nursing home.

Your first visit torepparttar 110996 nursing home is what I call “THEIR PITCH”. Set it up forrepparttar 110997 morning anytime before 11:00 AM on a Saturday and plan to be there at least an hour. Get there 15 to 20 minutes early with a magazine or a newspaper and letrepparttar 110998 receptionist know you are there. Take a seat inrepparttar 110999 lobby and wait. This is not waisted time. Open up your newspaper or magazine and eaves drop without calling attention to yourself. Let your senses leadrepparttar 111000 way. Have you been offered refreshments? Doesrepparttar 111001 facility smell? Doesrepparttar 111002 interaction of others sound pleasant?

When you openedrepparttar 111003 front door intorepparttar 111004 nursing home did you smell urine, bowel movement, vomit or body odor? Did it to smell like flowers or antiseptic? Or like bad odors are being covered up by good odors. Broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts arerepparttar 111005 only offensive smells that come fromrepparttar 111006 kitchen when they are being prepared.

After a short while close up your magazine or paper and reseptive to your visual surroundings. If there is someone else sitting there try to start a conversation aboutrepparttar 111007 nursing home and find out what they think. Listen torepparttar 111008 tone of their voice, watch facial expression and body language. By nowrepparttar 111009 admissions coordinator or someone is going to invite you into their office or take you for a tour and give you “THEIR PITCH”.

When they take you intorepparttar 111010 office they are going to ask you questions. Names, name of potential resident, age, diagnosis, who their doctor is, where are they now, do they have Medicare, insurance, are yourepparttar 111011 health care power of attorney, do they have a living will, have you applied for assistance, how soon do you plan to place them here, etc. They are going to try to emotional connect with you as well. They are looking for potential problems too. Pleasantly answer their questions. If you have a few questions ask and be sure to ask if you can have a copy of an information packet or pre-admission packet.

So on torepparttar 111012 tour. The tour is about showing yourepparttar 111013 best of what they have to offer. They will introduce you to everyone and show yourepparttar 111014 facility. Let “THEIR PITCH” happen and go along with it. Don’t ask too many questions now because you will distract yourself from observations that you need in order to make a sound choice.

Duringrepparttar 111015 tour you will be introduced torepparttar 111016 different department managers and shown their offices. You won’t be expected to remember names and it is more important how they respond and take an interest in you. Also, during this tour pay attention torepparttar 111017 interaction between staff and residents in every area you are toured through. This is important.

Observerepparttar 111018 residents. Are their clothes clean and in good repair? Are they wearing footwear? Dorepparttar 111019 men look clean and shaved? Does their hair look cared for or is it a mess? Dorepparttar 111020 women have appropriate hairstyles (I have seen them put pigtails on top of balding 90 year olds)? Do they still have bibs on from their last meal? Does any one look cold and not have a sweater? Do you see a number of residents that are wet or smell of urine or BM? Dorepparttar 111021 hands look clean especially underrepparttar 111022 nails? Dorepparttar 111023 wheel chairs look clean and cared for with no sharp edges or tatters? Dorepparttar 111024 residents in wheel chairs look comfortable? Are residents in wheel chairs being pushed too fast or backwards? Are residents that are being walked rushed or are they allowed to walk at their own pace? Is a resident yelling outrepparttar 111025 whole time you are there?

The flooring should be clean and free from any debris. The walls should be clean. The lighting should be good. Carpets free from spots. Decorative items should look well kept. Drapery should be open to allowrepparttar 111026 natural sunlight in.

You will be taken torepparttar 111027 nurse’s station. The nurses should be pleasant and responsive torepparttar 111028 residents and family members. Listen to their tone and responsiveness in their voice. Watch their body language as they acknowledge you or others atrepparttar 111029 nursing station. Is this representative of how you would like your loved one to be responded to?

One area you will be taken to, will berepparttar 111030 Rehabilitation area where physical, occupational and speech therapies are provided. How arerepparttar 111031 therapists interacting withrepparttar 111032 residents? Are there residents inrepparttar 111033 area alone? Is privacy being respected? Is it busy with activity or is no one there? Listen to find out if they have at least a full-time physical therapist and occupational therapist, it is important to know, as your loved one may require these services from time to time. Do they mention at least a part time speech-language pathologist? It is always good to have one available to screen your loved one if they ever begin to have speech problems or eating problems like swallowing.

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