Spilyay Tymoo
Warm Springs, Oregon
December 1, 1989 PACE 7
Begin planning for the Christmas holiday
The holidays can often be a very
stressful time for families. Single
parent families and blended fami
lies often have to deal with compli
cated schedules, as well as com
plicated feelings.
Although some parents have
holiday details in their legal agree
ment, others work out plans every
year. It is important to be reason
able, flexible and plan ahead.
The following are some practical
suggestions for divorced or separ
ated parants to consider.
1. Consider your hopes for this
holiday season the times with the
children, the times without the
children. Have several versions, all
acceptable to you.
2. Present these alternatives to
the other parents. (If you don't
commuicatc well, use the mail.)
Give the other parent time to think
about your proposals and respond.
3. Try to plan your holiday times
well ahead. Two months notice is
not too much.
4. If you talk in person or by
phone, follow up your understand
ing of the conversation with a brief
and informal note of confirmation.
When emotionally laden post
divorce holidays tangle with prac
tical matters such as dates, plans,
expenses and responsibilities, writ
ten confirmation is essential.
5. Be very specific when making
plans. Which parent will have the
children, which dav? For how lone?
Who will do the' transportation?
What about transportation costs,
etc.? Remember the holiday season
is the perfect time to fan the anger
and resentments from the past, to
reignite unfinished emotional busi
ness.
Plants need light in. fall too
Information on this page provided by the
by the Warm Springs Office
of the Oregon State University
Extension Service
Phone: 553-1161, ext. 238 or 239
During tall and winter, indoor
plants frequently suffer from lack
of light.
By November the sun is tracing a
lower angle in the sky and the days
are getting shorter. A check of light
levels on indoor plants is advisable.
The ideal position for most plants,
especially flowering ones, is a large
window with a southern exposure.
Foliage plants generally need less
light than flowering varieties and
most of them grow well in all expo
sures. Window light also can be
supplemented with artificial light.
If you are unsure of a plant's
light requirements, inquire at a
garden store or nursery.
High indoor temperatures in the
fall and winter can also cause plant
problems. Houseplants respond best
to temperatures from 60 to 74
degrees F. They also need a definite
change in temperature, just as
occurs in nature. This means a five
to ten degree drop at night so that
plants can build up new tissues
from the food supply they manu
factured during the day.
When the room is too hot, plants
tend to become spindly and less
resistant to disease and insect
attact. They also produce poor
quality flowers.
Pellets should burn clean
Protect perennial plants
Moisture affects house
Your house can't cough and
sneeze. It doesn't suffer from itchy
skin or an irritated throat. But in
; its own way, it suffers as much as
; you do from too much or too little
moisture in the indoor air.
Finding the right humidity bal
ance is the key to a healthy envir
onment for both you and your
house.
Humidity problems are a major
cause of dissatisfaction with new
homes.
If the humidity in the house is
healthy for its occupants, chances
are its's healthy for the .house as
well. You can easily monitor the
relative humidity with a hygrome
ter. They're available in all price
ranges, from $5 up.
What is the right balance? Keep
ing the relative humidity between
40 and 60 percent. People whose
homes are drier than 40 percent
have more respiratory infections
because their nasal passages dry
out. But when the humidity level
rises higher than 60 percent, people
with allergies have problems with
molds, fungi and dust mites that
flourish in high humidity.
The house itself reacts to overly
dry air with static electricity. But if
the air is too moist, water con
denses on windows in the winter.
These drippy windows can rot
window sills and stain window
coverings.
Corrective actions exist for both
situations.
For relative humidity above 60
percent, you need to tind and reduce
moisture sources in the house.
Moisture comes from people, pets
and plants. Bathing, showering,
cooking, watering plants, and
washing and drying clothes all add
moisture to the air. So does brea
thing (yes, even plants breathe).
Moisture also seeps into the house
from the ground underneath.
It's unlikely that you can elimi
nate any of these sources, so your
best bet is to get rid of some of the
moisture they produce by using
ventilating fans in the kitchen and
bathrooms and by covering the
crawl space with a ground cover.
If, on the other hand, the
hygrometer shows the relative
humidity to be below 40 percent,
you need to add moisture to the air.
A humidifier will do this. Just be
sure you don't turn it so high that is
pushes the relative humidity above
the 60 percent mark.
Above 60 percent relative
humidity, moisture in the air might
be considered a pollutant. Not only
does high relative humidity boost
molds, fungi, and dust mites, but it
also seems to increase chemical
interactions among indoor air
contaminants.
It all comes down to finding the
right balance. That means high
enough relative humidity to clear
up your itchy skin and nagging
respiratory ailments, but not so
high that moisture condenses on
the windows and drips onto the
sills.
While preparing the home garden
for the winter layover, don't forget
to check perennial garden plants.
There are several things you can do
to help them.
The most common garden per
ennials are rhubarb, asparagus,
horseradish and Jerusalem arti
choke. Some care now will keep
these perennials in better shape
through the winter and ready them
for next spring.
Rhubarb plants need only occa
sional attention. Every three or
four years, around late October,
drive the blade of a shovel down
through the middle of the plant.
Then remove half of the plant,
crown, roots and all.
Fill the hole with compost, rot
ted manure, or fertilizer mixed
with organic matter to help assure
a good crop next spring. The plant
half you have dug up can be
replanted in another spot.
Asparagus beds can last 20 years
with very little care other than
keeping grass from invading. But,
with a little extra care, you can
enjoy an earlier and bigger harvest.
Mulch the asparagus beds with
four to six inches of chopped leaves,
weed-free straw, hay, or similar
materials. Next spring remove the
mulch from half of the bed. The
asparagus will come up more quick
ly where the mulch is removed and
the mulched section will emerge
later, thus extending your aspara
gus season.
Remove the mulch soon after
spears begin emerging, otherwise
they will curl over. Add some nit
rogen fertilizer in the spring.
H orseradish is known as the lazy
man's perennial because it is so
carefree. You need to plant this
vegetable where it has room to
spread.
Horseradish is best (and most
potent) when harvested after sev
eral good frosts in the fall. It win
ters over with just a light mulching
in severe weather.
Treat Jerusalem artichokes in
the same way as horseradish, with
the same watchful eye on the sur
rounding garden.
Q. I recently bought a pellet
burning stove. What should I look
for in a good quality pellet?
A. There are several things to
look for:
Pellets should be clean and dust
free.
They should be firm and hard to
break.
Better pellets are of uniform size
with few small chunks. They are
generally about one-quarter inch
in diameter and up to one inch
long.
They should be relatively free of
chemical additives, which some
times are used to hold the pellets
together.
Pellets should have a potential
heat content of at least 8,200 Brit
ish thermal units (Btu) per pound.
They should have a high bulk
density (at least 40 pounds per
cubic foot).
You should be able to find most
ot this iniormation in the product
literature.
Good quality pellets burn with
little or no visible smoke or pollu
tion in a properly designed stove.
They produce little if any creosote.
Their price compares favorable with
cord wood when their relative heat
outputs are considered.
Pellets are manufactured from
sawdust, other wood wastes and
sometimes agricultural by-products.
The raw materials are dried and
ground to the proper size, then fed
into a pellet mill where they are
squeezed under high pressure into
chunks that resemble rabbit feed.
They generally are sold in bulk or
in 40-pound bags.
Pellets made from agricultural
wastes may produce more residue
because of their higher silicate con
tent. Your stove may require more
frequent cleaning as a result of
using them.
Serine turkey burger
Turkey, like all poultry, is gener
ally low-fat and delcious. A three
ounce uncooked turkey breast has
only 99 calories and 1.4 grams of
fat, compared with a four-ounce
uncoked regular hamburger, which
has 243 calories and 18 grams of
fat.
But don't just serve poultry
instead of hamburger serve it as
hamburger. Ground turkey is now
available in manv supermarkets. If
you can't find it in the frozen poul
try section or right in the meat sec
tion, ask your butcher to grind it
for you.
Made primarily from dark meat,
ground turkey has 50 percent less
fat than regular ground beef and
it's cheaper, too. Use it in your
favorite burger, meat loaf or casse
role recipes. It's milder than ground
beef, so you might want to spice it
up a little.
Safety urged during winter outdoor activities
Keep tabs on money
Make 1990 the year to start
keeping a closer tab on where your
money goes and to organize your
records and business papers.
Extension offers these record
keeping ideas to make the job
easier.
First, choose one place to keep
, your records. This could be as
elaborate as a home office or as
simple as a drawer in the kitchen.
. The important thing is to find a
place where all your family finan
cial papers can be stored.
Second, decide who will take
major responsibility for family
records. Of course, all family
members need to know how the
filing system works and how to
find information easily. Also, some
tasks may be shared or delegated.
But one person with the skills and
interest in the job should take
leadership.
Third, develop a regular sche
dule for bookkeeping and resolve
to stick to it. A routine will reduce
the time you spend on record keep
ing. Set up a regular time each
month to balance the checkbook,
fill in the family income and expense
records, and pay the bills.
For more information on setting
up a family record-keeping system,
ask for Extension's publication,
"Organizing Your Family Records,"
EC 1302. .
While some people spend the
winter months indoors avoiding
cold and snow, other people see
winter as the time to be outdoors,
for activities like skiing, skating
and sledding. The benefits of win
ter sports include good exercise,
fresh ajrY winter xceneTy and of
course, fun.
But winter sports have their own
hazards along with the benefits.
The National Safety Council offers
these tips for protecting yourself as
you enjoy winter sports:
Dressing for the cold
Dress in layers. Layers of thick,
loose clothing insulate the body by
trapping warm, dry air. Also,
dressing in layers allows you to
remove one or more if you warm
up. This is an important considera
tion since clothing damp from sweat
loses its insulating ability and can
result in hypothermia, a dangerous
cooling of your body.
To help absorb and evaporate
sweat, wear loose, thin cotton
underwear for your first layer, and
two-piece thermal underwear for
your second.
For your torso, wear a cotton
shirt under a wool shirt or sweater,
and as many size-graduated wool
shirts and sweaters as the cold dic
tates. For your legs, wear wool or
thermal trousers, either quilted or
specially lined.
As a final body layer, wear a
windproof and waterproof outer
garment. It should fit loosely on
the body and snugly at the waist
and neck.
The feet, hands and head require
special protection. Since hands and
feet-are farthest from the heart,
they become cooled most easily.
This factor plus exposure can result
in frostbite. And, if you don't wear
a hat or hood, up to 40 percent of
body heat can be lost through your
head.
For feet, wear light cotton socks
next to the skin and heavy wool
socks over them. Waterproof boots
are essential. Wool mittens keep
hands warmer than gloves. You
might want to wear gloves under
mittens for extra warmth. And be
sure you wear a hat or hood and
scarf to protect your face and neck.
Skiing
Make sure equipment is up-to-date
and well-maintained. Boots
should be snug but not tight. Be
especially sure that bindings release
properly they are your most
important safety feature.
When you hit the slopes, follow
the National Ski Patrol System's
Skier's Responsibility Code:
1 . Ski under control. Don't go so
fast you can't stop or turn to avoid
other skiers or obstacles in the
trail.
2. Look out for skiers below you
when skiing downhill or passing
another skier.
3. Don't stop where you block a
trail or where skiers can't see you
from above.
4. Yield to other skiers when
entering a trail or starting downhill.
5. Always use safety straps or ski,
brakes to prevent runaway skis.
6. Keep off trails or slopes that
are closed.
In addition to the code, remember
the right way to fall: on your bot
tom with legs extended in front.
Bracing a fall with an arm or knee
can cause injury. Learn how to get
up from a fall by tucking knees
under, placing skis across the slope
and pushing up with your poles.
Skating
Be extremely careful in choosing
an ice skating surface. A shallow
pond, rink, or specially flooded
field or parking lot (closed to cars)
is best. Ice should look clear or
blue. Look for ice that has been
designated safe for skating. Ice
over deeper water should be at
least four inches thick. Ice over
either the center of a deep lake or
running water may be dangerously
weak. Also avoid ice that has melted
and refrozen, which looks granular
and cloudy. On sunny days, watch
for cracks, puddles or dark pat
ches these are signs of weak ice or
melting.
Planning for holidays can combat lonliness
Christmas is promoted as the
most wonderful time of the year,
filled with family gatherings, feast
ing and celebration, and loving and
giving. But for some people, the
holiday season can be a very lonely
time.
The "holiday blues" can hit
anyone, especially those who
become depressed when their own
lives do not match the idea of the
holidays. People who live alone are
particularly vulnerable.
The happiness of the holiday
season may have evaporated for
older people who have outlived
relatives and friends, are estranged
from their families, or are unable
to be with family. In such situa
tions the emphasis on "family toge
therness" may only deepen feelings
of loneliness.
Some older people who do spend
holidays with relatives experience
a "let-down" afterwards when they
are alone again and life's routine
returns.
Holiday loneliness can strike even
persons surrounded by family and
friends. People don't have to be
alone to feel lonely.
Being housebound or suffering
from loss of . vision, hearing or
ambulation can increase feelings of
loneliness. When people don't feel
connected to others or if they lack
needed emotional relationships they
tend to experience loneliness.
The lack of an intimate or close
relationship is often felt more
acutely during the holidays. A
woman caring for a husband
afflicted with Alzheimer's disease
stated, "At Christmas, the changes
4-H awards presented
"The Circle Continues" was the
theme for the 4-H Awards Pro
gram held at the 4-H Center
November 12. Pator Rick Ribeiro
opened with a prayer and was fol
lowed by pledges, led by Jacque
line Langley, a 4-H member.
Awards were presented to the
members of the Beadwork, Em
broidery, Grooming. Net Making.
Rabbit, Search and Rescue and
Shawlmaking clubs.
Specual awards were presented
to Keith Baker, leader of the SAR
Club and to Dan and Joann Bris
bois for their trememdous support
and volunteer work. A special thank
y ou goes to Clint Jacks, Clay Pen
hollow, Sal Sahme and Judith
Charley for their participation w ith
the awards program. Much time
and energy went into inis event by
all Extension staff members.
in Ted always seem magnified,
partly because of how things used
to be. Although he is here with me,
he's not the person he used to be
and our relationship is no longer
husband and wife. It's more like
mother and son, or nursemaid and
patient."
The holidays can be especially
difficult for the bereaved, particu
larly the first Christmas following
a divorce or death of a spouse. All
around are messages saying we
"should" be happy, "should" be
having a good time. The contrast
between these "shoulds" and the
actual feelings of the bereaved can
intensify the pain of loss' and
loneliness.
We also tend to approach the
holiday with great expectations.
Disappointment may result when
holiday joy is less that what we
hoped it would be the call that
was not received from a daughter;
the family conflict that erupted; the
spouse who drank too much; or the
children and grandchildren who
did not visit.
While individual reactions to
loneliness vary greatly, for some
people the feeling simply does not
pass. Intense or prolonged feelings
of loneliness can develop into
serious depression or the worsen
ing of an existing medical condi
tion. Loneliness also can bring on
self-destructive behavior such as
excessive drinking, failure to take
needed medications, or even suicide.
Allowing honest expression of
emotions is important. The availa
bility of a family member or friend
willing to listen is a great help to
persons coping with loss, or
memories of happier times that
heighten present feelings of
loneliness.
People need to talk about their
losses and feelings, and they need
to be understood. It doesn't help to
tell someone to "cheer up,"that the
loss was so long ago it should be
forgotten, or that "the holidays are
for happiness, not sadness."
Planning ahead is one way to
combat loneliness and depression.
For older adults who will be alone
during the holidays, a "family"
may be created by getting together
with others who are in similar
situations.
One 84-year-old man without
family ties said, "Too many people
talk only about past Christmases
when they could be making the
current season memorable and
enjoyable." Each day during the
holiday season he does something
which is personally rewarding. At
Christmas he is "grandpa" to sev
eral neighborhood children. Many
who are alone often find fulfil
lment in helping others.
Changing the scene and creating
a holiday celebration in a new
setting the beach or the
mountains can be an effective
antidote to the holiday blues.
One 70-year-old woman's remedy
for loneliness is to keep the pets of
her neighbors and friends w ho leave
home for the holidays. She finds
that the animals provide compan
ionship. Another woman exper
iences pleasure in waiting until
Christmas eve to open and read the
Christmas cards and letters she
received from friends.
We can help the bereaved by
encouraging them to identify their
needs and then make a plan to ful
fill these needs. People who feel
they're not an "all-right" person
unless they do certain things at
at Christmas can often benefit from
permission to banish these
"shoulds"and plan something that
will provide comfort.
This may mean following family
traditions ordoing something novel.
One person may want to be with
family, another may need some
time alone to reflect and remember,
release anger, or cry.
One widow stated, "I didn't feel
like celebrating that first Christ
mas after my husband's death. I
wanted to be alone. This was hard
on my kids. Christmas had always
been a time for family gatherings,
but they finally respected my wish.
Those days alone were tough. I
cried and cried, but it was also the
start of an emotional healing for
me."
People vulnerable to loneliness
need a little more support at this
time of the year. A caring touch by
telephone, mail or in person can be
the best gift given to someone who
finds the holidays emotionally
difficult.
Be sure that skates fit well. Don't
let children use slightly large skates
in hope that they'll "grow into
them." Kids need the fall and sprain
protection of well-fitted skates now.
If you're skating in a group,
don't bunch up on the ice. Leave
room for falls around yourself and
others. Beginning and advanced
skaters hould take care to avoid
each other.
Learn how to turn and stop well.
These skills are essential for pre
venting collisions and falls. If you
do find yourself falling, try to relax
your body, roll into the fall, and
distribute the impact throughout
your body. Landing on knees or
sharply braced arms can result in
an injury.
If ice breaks and you fall through,
don't panic. And don't try to climb
out you'll just break more ice and
fall back in. Instead, spread your
arms over the ice, get a grip and
kick your legs. This will propel you
onto the ice. Don't stand up
immediately you might break
through again. Just roll along the
ice until you are well away from
open water.
If somebody else falls through
don't walk out after the person. Lie
flat and extend a pole, rope, branch
or your arm. Several people can lie
flat and make a chain by grabbing
the ankles of the person in front.
Pull the victim out of the water and
roll safety away from the break.
Once the person is out, call
emergency personnel and get him
to shelter. Remove wet clothes and
wrap the body in warm blankets.
Give warm, non-caffeinated, non
alcoholic liquids. If the victim is
unconscious, give rescue breathing
(and CPR, if warranted) if you are
qualified to do so.
should be well-constructed
and in good condition. Runners
should curve continuously and
connect with the rail in front. Be
sure the steering mechanism works
well. On wooden sleds, sand down
rough edges.
Sled during the day on hills free
of trees, rocks, bare spots and
other obstacles. The bottom of a
hill should be wide and flat, for
smooth stops, and away from streets
and bodies of water. Never sled on
a street, toboggan run or ski slope.
Children should only sled under
adult supervision.
Different sleds require different
positions. Lie on your stomach on
traditional sleds with runners. Sit
on discs and plastic sheets. Never
ride standing up, and don't pile on.
If you cannot avoid a crash,
cover your face and head with your
arms and roll off your sled. Be sure
to avoid sledders when retrieving
your sled.
Take care of sleds. Dont leave
them outside overnight, and dry
them before storing them. Con
tinued exposure to cold and damp
can weaken and damage a sled.
When winter is over, wax wooden
parts and lubricate the mechanism
before storing the sled for the
summer.
i