Some idle thoughts on a Wednesday

Why do they give you a watch when you retire when it's the first time in your life you really don't care what time it is?

Life is tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid.

For every person with a spark of genius, there are a hundred with ignition trouble.

God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers

Love isn't only blind, it's also deaf and dumb!

The doctor took his patient into the room and said, "I have some good news and some bad news."

The patient said, "Give me the good news."

"They're going to name a disease after you."

True.

At first glance, it's just your average, innocent cookie tin. But upon closer inspection, you'll notice an image that's not so clean - a hidden drawing of two dogs having sex in the grass. Unaware that an angry employee had hidden sexually explicit images in the scene of a 20th-century illustration of a genteel picnic, biscuit makers Huntley & Palmers sold thousands of these cookie tins. The artist, who was not identified, had been fired from the cookie company and decided to get back at his employers with this final project. He included the small picture of the canines in the act as well as a pair of naked lovers.  The dirty tins have now become collectors' items and Lawrence’s Auctioneers in Somerset, England, hopes that collectors bid 250 pounds ($446) when one of the tins goes on sale.

I bought a package of low-fat cookies that had 50% more cookies in the box than usual, so if I ate the whole box, I would gain more weight than if it was a regular size box of cookies. They should call these types of cookies "Hi-Fats" cause that's what everyone's going to say when I walk into the room.

And finally 

Why is it that the easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

Remember the food bank this fall.

Fall is half over and before we know it winter will be here. At any time of the year, your neighbours need your help. Food Banks Canada is a national charitable organization dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. They support a network of Provincial Associations, affiliate food banks, and food agencies that work at the community level to relieve hunger. Their work is focused on maximizing collective impact, strengthening local capacity, and reducing the need for food banks. 

Support your local Food Bank and Food Bank Canada offers several programs that help food banks enhance their ability to acquire a safe and steady supply of nutritious food and distribute it to people in their communities.  More importantly and perhaps not recognized as much is that the Food Bank programs not only help food banks to deliver food but they help deliver a range of other supports, including education and skills training in nutrition, meal planning, food preparation, and food growing. These programs help individuals and families lessen their reliance on the Food Bank.

One program that the Food Bank offers is The National Food Sharing System (NFSS), which is a cornerstone of its network support. Through this program, they acquire safe, nutritious, good quality food and essential consumer products in large quantities from corporate donors. These donations are transported to a national or provincial hub for sorting and then distributed fairly to provincial associations and the network of affiliate food banks.

Each year this program provides community food banks across the country with on average 5-6 million kg (11-13 million pounds) of non-perishable and fresh foods and consumer products worth approximately $32 million. By working in partnership with corporate donors, Food Bank Canada help them achieve their corporate social responsibility objectives, environmental goals, and financial goals, while also helping millions of Canadians in need.

To participate, please contact   ooddonations@foodbankscanada.ca. 

Do you play?

As I watch the grandkids in the garden, running through the sprinkler I am delighted by their sense of fun and adventure. I got to thinking as adults how often do we experience that same joy and stress? In times of play which can bring us great stress and/or great joy, we are completely surrounded by loved ones wanting to share whatever we are experiencing. If you have a pet, you probably will admit to playing with your pet. You can play on your own or with a pet, but for greater benefits, play should involve at least one other person. Play helps:

Relieve stress. Play is fun and can trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Improve brain function. Playing chess, completing puzzles, or pursuing other fun activities that challenge the brain can help prevent memory problems and improve brain function. The social interaction of playing with family and friends can also help ward off stress and depression.

Stimulate the mind and boost creativity. Young children often learn best when they are playing—a principle that applies to adults, as well. You’ll learn a new task better when it’s fun and you’re in a relaxed and playful mood. Play can also stimulate your imagination, helping you adapt and solve problems.

Improve relationships and your connection to others. Sharing laughter and fun can foster empathy, compassion, trust, and intimacy with others. Play doesn’t have to include a specific activity; it can also be a state of mind. Developing a playful nature can help you loosen up in stressful situations, break the ice with strangers, make new friends, and form new business relationships.

Keep you feeling young and energetic. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Play can boost your energy and vitality and even improve your resistance to disease, helping you function at your best.

Play and relationships

Play is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. Playing together brings joy, vitality, and resilience to relationships. Play can also heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Through regular play, we learn to trust one another and feel safe. By making a conscious effort to incorporate more humour and play into your daily interactions, you can improve the quality of your love relationships—as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends.

Play can heal emotional wounds. As adults, when you play together, you are engaging in exactly the same patterns of behaviour that positively shape the brains of children. These same playful behaviours that predict emotional health in children can also lead to positive changes in adults. If an emotionally-insecure individual plays with a secure partner, for example, it can help replace negative beliefs and behaviours with positive assumptions and actions.

So, when you are playing if you can remember to be calm and quiet and go within, you'll feel them, you'll remember them, and you'll benefit most from their presence. 

Dementia and Social Isolation and Loneliness.

Dementia can add a very complicated layer to the already complicated issue of isolation and loneliness in older adults. 

Oftentimes with dementia sufferers, the problem with communication and connection is the initiation of the interaction.  Good conversations can and do happen with dementia patients, but just relying on the patient to get the interaction started can be the stumbling block. 

Robots.  Build or program a robot to get a dementia sufferer’s attention.  For example, when a remote family member wants to talk to the person on the phone, the robot would be programmed to approach the dementia-ed person and then just start talking or initiating the phone conversation.  Thus, the interaction is initiated remotely for the family member via the robot and it is easy for the dementia sufferer to join in.

A lower-tech option: A big sign.  For the same goal of helping to remotely initiate the interaction, you could also use a large sign on the wall in the room.  So, when a phone call from a family member comes in for the dementia sufferer, a special noise will be created.  Correspondingly, a large sign on the wall of the room will say “If you hear a noise, then press the red button on your pad.”  This will help the dementia sufferer get started in the interaction, from a remote location.

Other interesting points regarding dementia were:

 Visitors may need advice and instruction.  Interacting with dementia sufferers can be difficult and challenging at times.  Not all well-intentioned visitors know how to interact with folks with dementia.  Thus, visitation can be boring and awkward.  Basic advice and instruction could be helpful and keep visitors interested incoming back again.

Pets and music can also be beneficial for making a connection with a dementia sufferer.  If regular personal or family visits are not very successful, pets or music may be an option that opens the door to connection and communication.

Housing Solutions for Social Isolation. 

Some interesting options in housing can help combat isolation and loneliness among older adults.  Especially as we get older, the type of housing we occupy can greatly affect not only our physical but also our mental wellbeing.

All-age residential hotels.  There are "all-age’ living facilities, compared to more age-segregated communities.  More specifically, they like the atmosphere and higher energy, as well as the increased opportunities to connect with different ages and learn new things.   

Accessory unit rentals.  As one becomes older, and as family situations change, a current house could become too big for one person.  Accessory units (or ‘granny units’) on the property can be rented out, or maybe separate living quarters can be made of current house space.  Housing rental could also be exchanged for home maintenance, help, and companionship.  Graduate students would be good candidates for this option.

Co-housing.  Somewhat of a newer option that seems well-received thus far is co-housing, where residents (old and young) share living facilities.  The benefits for older adults are shared help, companionship and contact with younger generations.  However, such facilities are few in a number of areas, and efforts need to be made to ensure residents are harmonious with each other.

Apartment-complex social programs.  Some apartment complexes also provide organized social programs, which can provide multigenerational contacts to avoid isolation.