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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2009)
health and wellness august 2009 Better Parenting: Summer Fun for Kids of All Ages 17 help with the planning and enjoy the ideas they come for the winners. up with. Anything that breaks the daily routine will 8. Put on a family play: Go to the library, check out make it fun. books with one-act, two-act, or three-act plays and 3. Treasure hunts: This can be as big or small as act them out as a family for other relatives, or as a you wish. Ask the kids to find something “purple” dinner theater. Or go to the Senior Center and act and as soon as they find it and bring it back, ask out your play at a luncheon there. Ask a family for something else. At the end, give a little treat or friend, relative or neighbor to videotape for future reward. To make it bigger, give them a list of things Academy Awards if you decide to do this a lot. It you have hidden and let them go. would be nice to have everyone sit in a circle and 4. Eat like a pig: Kids love a mess. So, break the share, one by one, about what they liked about each rules one night and have a dessert-eating contest person’s performance. with one rule-- no hands-- any excuse to eat without 9. Play board games or cards by candlelight: Years silverware will be funny. ago, there was a terrible snow storm. The power was 5. Culture and Dinner Night: This is a great way out for several days. I placed two large candelabras to get kids to try new foods, and learn about other on the dining table and six of us played a Monopoly cultures, even from your family roots. For example, game late into the night. For years, the kids would get them involved in cooking Greek food, play ask if we could turn out all the lights in the house 1. Sleep-over movie night: Move all of your mattresses Greek music, dress up in the colors or the ethnic and get out those candelabras and play Monopoly in onto the family room floor for an energetic and fun clothes and watch the movie “My Big Fat Greek the dark! You don’t have to lose your power to have family sleep-over night. The kids will love it as you Wedding.” Have each member of the family bring this kind of fun! pop some corn, make root beer floats and watch a one fact about that country and have fun with it. 10. Draw the music: Get a roll of butcher paper, large funny movie. Or better yet, family movies. 6. House Camp-out & Flashlight Fun: This one art tablet, or poster board, crayons, markers, colored 2. Backwards day: Take a day and reverse everything has been a favorite over the years and now with the pencils or pastel crayons. Without talking, put on to create your own backwards day. Have breakfast grandchildren, as well. Make a fort with blankets, different types of music the family is not familiar for dinner and dinner for breakfast; put your clothes or sheets over chairs, or over the dining room table. with, and have everyone draw what the music sounds on backwards, watch a movie first thing in the You might use a wardrobe box from Uhaul; or call like using soft and hard scribbles, strokes, figure- morning and cartoons in the evening. Have the kids an appliance store for refrigerator, dishwasher, or eights or lines in different colors expressing creative stove boxes. For an individual play fort, pictures of the music. When the family is finished, cut pretend windows and doors on the have each share what they were experiencing while sides. Give each child a little flashlight or playing the music again. Learn now – avoid costly problems later use larger ones for finger shadows inside 11. Which is true and which is a lie? At the dinner table What you don’t know about are already enrolled, but need to be the forts or on the walls. or sitting around the family room, have each family Medicare health insurance could hurt aware of changes. For example: 7. Have (your last name here) member take turns telling a true story-- something you financially. For example, if you Olympics: Hold Olympics just for your that actually happened. And tell a false story that miss important enrollment deadlines, family. Events can range from cakewalks, did not happen. Everyone take turns guessing which • Did you know that in your Medicare can cost more for walking relays with an egg on a spoon, and story is true and which is a lie. A prize and cheers to October you may receive life. If you don’t understand what include the famous water balloon toss. Use the winner that can trick the family. This is fun for a a letter from your health your health insurance covers, you your imagination for individual and team gathering of teens or adults. insurance plan announcing might pay bills you don’t owe or miss events. Make sure everyone is included. 12. Junk trade-off hunt: Have the family each get that your premiums will out on benefits you may have been Use your imagination on this one; you can something weird-- the tackier the better-- from go up and you will receive eligible to receive. even make gold, silver and bronze medals your attic, basement, or garage. Pair up in teams or fewer benefits? out of cardboard and put them on ribbons groups and go door to door and try to get someone to On Tuesday, August 4, you have a chance to learn about • Some private Medicare continued on page 19 Medicare and how you can get free, Advantage health plans may personalized help with Medicare. discontinue coverage in Promoting Health of the Mind, Body, Spirit and Community A free, two-hour class titled your area. “Medicare ABC and Ds” at Vernonia by Heather Lewis, LMT, CLT, NT In warmer weather, with the tendency to Senior Center starts at 9:30 AM. • Your drug plan will probably be more active, those needs increase. Dehydration Register by calling 503-429-3912. change its rates and increase Phew! Bridgette and I just finished our sets in when there is a loss of the water and In addition to learning about co-pays and drop drugs walk around the lake and back home again. Even minerals needed for proper bodily functions. your Medicare benefits, you will learn from coverage, too. If you though we set out early, it is already building up to Physical signs can range from fatigue, loss of about the Senior Health Insurance don’t review your benefits be another warm one. As we step into the house, the appetite, heat intolerance, and low quantities of Benefits Assistance program each November/December, first thing Bridgette does is head for the water dish. dark yellow urine. Severe dehydration can cause (SHIBA). SHIBA is sponsored by you may find out at the Smart dog. The importance of proper hydration is muscle spasms, high body-core temperatures, and Medicare and the State of Oregon pharmacy in January that not something she dwells on, I’m sure, it just comes complete exhaustion. The best way to counter the and offers free Medicare counseling. your plan no longer covers naturally. possibility for dehydration is to frequently drink It also produces “user-friendly” one of your very important As people, we tend to let “busyness” plenty of water. materials that explain your health medications. By then, it will take priority in our day, while pushing the signs Often, we replace fluids by consuming plan and drug coverage choices. be too late to change plans. and signals of our bodies’ needs to the back of our beverages such as milk, fruit juices, coffee, tea, These materials will be provided at mind. This time of year, that can be a danger. and sodas. Our bodies will extract the water the class. If you can’t attend the class, Did you know that more than 70% of the from these sources through digestion. However, This class is for anyone who but would like help with Medicare, body is water? For someone weighing 120 pounds caffeinated beverages tend to hinder more than help is interested in learning more about you can reach SHIBA at: 1-800-722- that equals roughly 10 gallons of water. Water in hydrating as they actually act as a diuretic; so Medicare. That includes people who 4134. plays essential roles in every major system of the don’t count them (sodas, coffee or energy drinks, body. It is key in eliminating toxins, regulates body caffeinated teas and alcoholic beverages) toward temperature, helps maintain muscle tone, and aids your daily intake. in transporting nutrients to our cells. In the normal So, enjoy the warm weather, but stay safe process of bodily functions, we lose between 1/2 out there with plenty of readily available beverages! and 2/3 of a gallon in fluids a day. It typically takes Here’s wishing you good health… 8+ glasses of water to replenish that loss. By Sonia Spackman A lot of us are experiencing economic times that stink, right now. But we don’t have to go to Disneyland to have fun with our kids. We can have great family fun without leaving Vernonia or even our own homes or back yards. As families, we can have old-fashioned fun and create cherished memories with our kids without spending lots of money! Doing things together can bring us closer as we get away from the TV, video games and the computer, and we choose to hang out doing new and crazy things together. I have listed several of our favorite family activities. I pulled a few off the internet and thought up a few fun things for Vernonians. I hope these ideas trigger some new ones for you to try. Don’t forget you can videotape some of these outrageous activities to watch later this winter while drinking hot cider. Free Class Teaches About Medicare For Goodness Sake... ANONYMOUS DONOR In support of Vernonia’s Voice!