10 minute read
Garlic Garden
Nov. 17 - Huddle of Hope - virtual, 11:30-11:45 a.m., recurring event, Renown, “Your Word is My Source of Hope,” conducted in the Evangelical Christian tradition, Christian denomination. For information email Chris Wood at cwood@renown.org, to join class call (775) 325-5409, ID: 257 787 299#, https://bit. ly/2U3Qm2g.
Nov. 17 - It Starts With Hello, 12-1 p.m., 775.843.9687, connect on your computer by Zoom, https://zoom. us/j/96269295417, or phone at (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 962 6929 5417. This event is a part of Renown Health’s Sterling Silver Club, a free program offered for men and women ages 55 and over. Learn more and sign up to be a member at renown.org/
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Nov. 19 - It Starts With Hello, 12-1 p.m., 775.843.9687, connect on your computer by Zoom, https://zoom. us/j/96269295417, or phone at (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 962 6929 5417. This event is a part of Renown Health’s Sterling Silver Club, a free program offered for men and women ages 55 and over. Learn more and sign up to be a member at renown.org/
Nov. 24 - Huddle of Hope - virtual, 11:30-11:45 a.m., recurring event, Renown, “Your Word is My Source of Hope,” conducted in the Evangelical Christian tradition, Christian denomination. For information email Chris Wood at cwood@renown.org, to join class call (775) 325-5409, ID: 257 787 299#, https://bit. ly/2U3Qm2g.
Nov. 26 - It Starts With Hello, 12-1 p.m., 775.843.9687, connect on your computer by Zoom, https://zoom. us/j/96269295417, or phone at (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 962 6929 5417. This event is a part of Renown Health’s Sterling Silver Club, a free program offered for men and women ages 55 and over. Learn more and sign up to be a member at renown.org/
Garlic Garden - A Fall Planting Project
Can garlic scare away blood-sucking vampires and evil spirits? In the book Dracula, written by Bram Stoker in 1897, garlic is mentioned many times as protection against vampires. Garlic and vampire folklore have roots in the Middle Ages in Europe, but similar legends are also found earlier in many other cultures. Maybe garlic’s pungent odor and strong taste could scare a vampire away, but it is actually a beloved vegetable that has many beneficial properties! Garlic grows from a bulb and is related to onions, shallots, leeks, and chives. Its scientific name is Allium sativum. Like most bulbs, the top of the plant is above ground and produces green stalks, flowers, and tiny bulblets. These parts of the plant are edible but the bulb, which is found in the soil, is the most commonly used part. Each bulb has many sections, called cloves, often 8 to 15 in a single bulb. Garlic is easy to grow. It has been raised for food and used as medicine for several thousand years. Garlic was used by the ancient Egyptians who fed it to the slaves working on the Great Pyramids to make them stronger and capable of doing more work. An ancient Egyptian document called the Ebers Papyrus lists 22 different medicinal uses for garlic!
Garlic is used to flavor all kinds of foods throughout the world. Current research has shown that garlic has many health benefits, such as its ability to reduce blood cholesterol (a waxy fat-like substance) and fasting glucose (sugar) levels. It also has proven antibacterial and antifungal properties. Garlic doesn’t have much of a smell until it is peeled and sliced. When garlic is cut, a chemical called alliin and an enzyme, alliin lyase, combine and produce an organic sulfur compound called allicin. This gives garlic its strong smell and provides many health benefits. Allicin is only one of as many as 40 other compounds in garlic that may contribute to these benefits.
Garlic / from page 20 Procedure for planting outdoors:
1. Find a sunny spot in your garden, and prepare the soil. Dig it up to a depth of about 6 inches. 2. Add compost or organic material to the soil, mix it up, then smooth it out. 3. Separate each clove of garlic from the large bulb, leaving the papery skin on the cloves. 4. Lay them out and count them 5. With a small trowel, dig small holes 3 – 5 inches deep and 6 – 8 inches apart, one for each clove. 6. Place one clove in each hole with the pointy end pointing up, root pointing down. 7. Cover with soil and an inch or two of mulch. 8. Water if the soil is dry. 9. Be patient and now let nature do its work.
What happens
next? 1. Garlic takes about 6 months to mature. If there is normal rain and snowfall, you won’t need to do a thing with the bulbs during winter. If it is very dry, occasionally give them some water. The soil should be damp, but not waterlogged, or the bulbs will rot. 2. During the spring and early summer, keep them watered as you would with any other kind of plant. When the leaves are green, they will grow stronger if you feed them some vegetable fertilizer. 3. In late June or early July, when the leaves stop growing, it is time to stop watering. 4. When about ⅓ of the leaves turn brown, your garlic is ready to harvest! 5. Use a shovel or trowel to gently lift your garlic, being careful not to slice the head. Each clove you planted will produce a full bulb. 6. Your garlic can be eaten now, or it can be cured (dried out) to store and used for months to come. 7. To cure the bulbs: With the withered leaves still attached, hang in a well-ventilated shady spot (a garage works well) and let them sit for about 2 weeks. 8. Once dried, cut off the stalks, remove a few outer layers of skin and any dirt. Store them in baskets, terracotta pots, mesh or brown paper bags in a cool, dark place.
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Holiday Celebrations During The COVID-19 Pandemic
by Connie McMullen
When Mother said we would celebrate my 94-year-old father’s birthday in the hallway, I thought “okay, I guess we can do that…”
And that is exactly what we did, however, we visited his high rise condo and celebrated in the hallway in groups of three. After a few hours his neighbors were perplexed if not irritated, never before was their privacy disturbed in such a way; but there he sat is the hallway 10-feet from the door. He heard Happy Birthday more than once from a rather large extended family.
As the months continue to go by into the holidays and no sign of COVID relief, a 4-year-olds birthday will be celebrated on Zoom. Easy enough across the country….I could get used to this technology. However, Thanksgiving …a time for family… is a lot different.
We usually have large family get-togethers for Thanksgiving and Christmas, at numbers that round out at about 26 people. How are we going to manage this years celebrations especially when so many of us are over age 65.
I already missed the birth of my grandson when the airlines canceled my flight, but now I simply choose not to take the risk. Travel brings new complications for family members who are more susceptible to COVID germs; it maybe better just to stay home.
In these times of never ending uncertainty, it is a good idea to start making plans with more predictable outcomes. So, what are the best solutions in a very stressful time?
Thanksgiving
The CDC recently added holiday guidelines for people to start thinking about over the holidays, especially those like Thanksgiving and Christmas where family share a holiday dinner, games, and time for Kris Kringle.
Assessing the Risks
Travel over holidays is very important to many but this year it will be a consideration with emphasis on destination. Local COVID-19 guidelines very by state, county, and even cities, so be aware of rules already in place regarding origin and destination. In some countries, you may have to quarantine in place for a few weeks if you suspect you’ve come in contact with someone impacted by COVID.
It is also important to consider those that you are traveling with, those you will be visiting, or those who are visiting you. Some family members will be at greater risk of catching COVID-19 by nature of their physical health, being affected more than other family members. In the case of my 94-yearold father, who also suffers from bronchial and respiratory issues, exposure may place him at greater risk.
Managing Expectations
As we approach the holidays, we have to take into consideration everyone’s feelings vs. if a gathering will severely harm another family member. Upsetting an elder who anticipates family holidays vs. harming that individual because they are inherently at risk because of their health is a discussion for a later day. Obligation to protect those most vulnerable is more important.
Holidays / from page 22
Skipping Family Occasions
Perhaps the smartest thing to do is skip holiday gatherings, and dinners all together. Families can always get together when the COVID has passed. Placing one’s life at risk is just silly.
Emotions
Sometimes it is difficult to deal with emotions over the holiday and whenever there is a holiday, there is always at least one member who enjoys family tradition, and those who could do without because of the stress. It is also hard for those who may have lost a family member, or those who are anticipating difficulty coping with situations that will eventually pass. As difficult as it is, subjecting everyone to a virus is not a good decision.
Changing Plans
COVID-19 has made us look at things in unique ways. As in having get-togethers by Zoom or FaceTime, everyone has to be on the same page to avoid close proximity with other family members. When Zoom is not an option for some family members, phone calls or short brief socially distanced get-togethers can be managed in small numbers. Dropping off gifts and food can also be done in short periods of time, with limited proximity.
Trading recipes or phone calls with family members may also work, or starting new traditions and rituals that can be kept for celebrations in years to come. It is all about adapting a new attitude, or behavior surrounding a new and difficult time. If your family or family members do not understand why certain precautions must be put in place, a discussion to explain the situation to them can be done in advance or later.
In the case of activities, some will place you in higher risk that others. Lower risk activities: • Small dinner with only people who live in your household. • Preparing traditional family recipes for family and neighbors, and delivering them in a way that does not place them in risk or contact with others. • Having a virtual dinner and sharing recipes. • Shopping online rather than in person on the day after the holiday. • Watching sports events, parades, and movies from home.
Moderate risk activities: • Having a small outdoor dinner with family and friends who live in your community. • Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards that are in open spaces, there is hand sanitizer available, and everyone wears masks, maintains social distancing. • Attending a small outdoor sports event with safety precautions in place.
Higher risk activities: • Shopping in crowded stores on or before holidays. • Participating or being a spectator at a crowded event. • Attending a crowded parade. • Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgment and behavior. • Attending large indoor gatherings with people from outside your household.
It is your goal to make sure everyone remains healthy habits, and that boundaries are kept so safety precautions continue to
work.
