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Great winter….tough time for colds and flu

Warm and cool rotation of weather is prime time for colds and other bugs

As much as we are enjoying this mostly mild (El-Nino) winter, all these quickie warm and cool down days can also be the prime time for catching all sorts of pesky bugs. These warm and slushy days are great for folks of all ages to cast off the ‘winter blahs’ and dash outside to enjoy frolicking and fun in the sun and snow, heading for the ski-slopes or the ice fishing hut, skating or shinny on the outdoor rink or road or just casually going out for a walk or a run.

The only problem with these balmy January/February Chinooks is that when they come along, many of us have the urge to toss aside our bulky and boring old winter clothes for some flashier and lighter fashions. Of course, it usually cools down in the evenings or quickly goes back to the nippy normal, but before we do the quick-change back to three layers, some of those miserable old cold or flu bugs may have invaded us without warning. When those unwanted sneezes and sniffles start to invade our space, we usually rush down to the drug store and try to decide which one of those hundreds of cough and cure elixirs we should choose to get us out of our grumpy misery and accompanying aches and pains, which my wife fondly calls ‘a man thing.’ Needless to say, yours truly got my annual February cold, shared it with my wife, and got the usual advice from my doctor to get lots of rest, drink lots of hot liquids, and avoid getting chilled by wearing the proper clothes to suit the season at hand. Please be mindful of the health and care of yourself and others, carry lots of Kleenex and remember that those free flu shots are still available.

A senior reveals his medical adventures

Evan is a dear old friend in his mid- 90s who lives in our condo complex, was born and raised in the early settlement of the Rimbey district, and loves to chat about history. Last week he posted this delightful poem on the bulletin board along with an appreciation and thank you card to everyone who has made him and his son feel so welcome at Aspen Ridge. He calls his poem The Seniors’ Way.

A row of bottles on the shelf has caused me to analyze myself

One yellow pill I have to pop goes to my heart so it won’t stop

A little white one that I take goes to my hands so they won’t shake

The blue one that I use a lot tells me if I’m happy and when I’m not

That purple pill goes to my brain and tells me that I have no pain

There are those capsules that tell me not to wheeze or cough or choke or even sneeze

The red ones are the smallest of them all and go to my blood so I won’t fall

My orange ones that are so big and bright prevent my leg cramps in the night

Such a vast array of pills and frills are helping to cure all kinds of ill

But what I’d really like to know is what tells each pill where to go

The best wishes for our Golden Years…. Just grant us the senility to forget the people we never liked, the good fortune to remember the ones we do, and eyesight to tell the difference. It was a whole easier to get older than it was to get wiser. Have a great week, all of you.