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She set out as she had done every Sunday afternoon for years. She locked her door, turned to the weather, and held the hand rail as she stepped carefully down from the porch. Once on the ground she adjusted her hat on her gray head. As this was a winter day in the Christmas season, a cold day, she also adjusted her coat. Had it been raining, she would have pulled a large lawn and leaf bag, as if it were a poncho, over her head and upper body. Most times she shouldered her hand bag. This day she also shouldered a bulging plastic shopping bag. She walked along the dirt road that would lead her to the paved road that would lead her to the highway. Her only company was her shadow, small and indistinct at her feet. She walked without the deliberate care of someone unfamiliar with the terrain, but neither was her gait quick.
Democrats Seek a Rocky Mountain High
But Reagan, whose father died relatively young from a heart attack after a life of heavy drinking and smoking, stopped smoking a pipe when he went to Hollywood. I know of no one (and I interviewed hundreds of people from the period) who said that Reagan was a smoker after that." Lou adds, "When he did ads for Chesterfields, the cigarette was � a bit crudely � painted on his lips. Overall, his health habits were terrific, which is why he lived so long (but, sadly, for many years with Alzheimer's)." HAIL AND FAREWELL: Heartfelt best wishes go out to Ed Greelegs, the chief of staff to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), who is leaving Capitol Hill after 30 years for the private sector. Ed is one of the few people I know who will talk about the Yankees and not hate me � he is a fellow fanatic � and he can talk campaign trivia and history as well as anyone I know.
Filing up for fitness
The new Fall River Fitness Challenge got off to a kicking start on Saturday when folks of all shapes and sizes pledged to lose weight and help the city shed 2,000 pounds by May 5. By 9 a.m., they were lined up outside Community Development Recreation at 72 Bank St. And, until noon, people poured in ready to give their names and get weighed in — all in the name of health and perhaps a little healthy competition. "I'm sick of being fat," said Carlene Beckius, who wants to lose 29 pounds. "I'm sick of struggling with my clothes." Beckius was one of about 150 people to sign up for the challenge in the first two hours of registration. Ten or more teams of people from various organizations have also signed up. The Fall River Fitness Challenge was devised by CD REC, the Diabetes Association, the Thomas Chew Memorial Boys & Girls Club and Healthy City Fall River.
Getaways to Coddle New Mothers (or Just Inspire Some)
At the intersection of procreation and recreation, the Parrot Mill Inn is one of many inns, hotels and day spas around the region that cater to people who want to become parents, are about to become parents or just became parents. There are "procreation vacation" packages for couples who need to relax and get away in order to get busy. "Babymoons" romantic getaways for couples in the last weeks of a pregnancy are offered by an inn in Westbrook, Conn. Guests can relax with a "delectable cravings" basket, along with nonalcoholic cider for her and chilled Champagne or wine for him. And a New York company, Sparty, provides spa parties including baby showers with pedicures for the guest of honor, who might be having trouble reaching her toes. A 2006 survey on BabyCenter.com, a Web site for new parents, showed that three quarters of 1,052 participants had taken "conceptionmoons," or baby-making junkets, and 40 percent of those had been successful.
Curing Kids' Cancer Announces 2007 Pediatric Cancer Research Grants
Curing Kids' Cancer also awarded a $2,000 grant to Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, NC to fund pediatric clinical trials at this new hospital that opened in Oct. 2007. Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland was given a $1,000 grant, raised through the "Restaurants Curing Kids' Cancer" program in affiliation with Local Flavor. Details of the program are available at http://www.localflavor.com/curingkids.htm. In all, Curing Kids' Cancer provided $217,000 in research funding in 2007. Curing Kids' Cancer has two national grassroots programs -- Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer and Teachers Curing Kids' Cancer. Both programs urge parents and children to donate money to pediatric cancer research in the name of their coach or teacher rather than buying gifts. Details of the programs are available at www.curingkidscancer.org.
Gardening With Charlie - Gardening During Global Warming
In areas that are seldom used or where grass doesn't grow well, consider planting native trees. I had an area on the north side of my house where lawn grass struggled. Instead of planting more grass or even ground cover, I turned the area into a small forest for wildlife to enjoy.Landscape to Conserve EnergyConsider using landscaping ideas that conserve energy and reduce pollution. Plant deciduous shade trees on the south side of your house to keep the house cooler in summer yet warmer in winter when all the leaves have dropped. Build a rain garden to collect storm water runoff instead of having it run into the sewage system and potentially pollute streams and lakes.
Grow FoodPlant a food garden, or at least buy as much locally produced food as possible. By growing your own food and buying it locally, you're reducing the amount of fossil fuels needed to ship the produce long distances, such as from California and Mexico.Charlie Nardozzi, a nationally recognized garden writer, book author, speaker and radio and television personality, has appeared on HGTV, PBS and Discovery Channel television networks.
Ask Our Experts: Toddler's Weak Reflux Valve
My 3 yr-old is a bright, intelligent boy in a stable, loving environment. However, he's intolerant to egg, cows milk, cocoa powder, some fruits, acids, preservatives, colourings, flavourings and much more (his 15 week-old brother is intolerant to cows' milk and soya). Every so often, when unsettling things happen e.g. when great-grandad died, when Great Nan was very poorly, and when I went into hospital to have the baby, my son makes himself sick after he eats. He finds this really easy as his reflux valve is very weak. My son 's god-mother (and ex-nanny) has got a new job so he hasn't seen her this week, and he's made himself sick after every meal since. I'm so concerned about him, and worry that he's developing an eating disorder. What can I do to break the cycle and stop this from happening? Dave's advice
There are a number of different issues here.
Jury-rigged, jerry-built: Maybe a problem?
The word had popped up the week before in The New York Times Magazine article, "The Sleep-Industrial Complex," all about the mattress and pharmaceutical industries. The piece included a reference to a man who was such an enthusiast for Sleep Number Beds that he "jury-rigged something similar for his bulldog." On the subject of exactly how the dog expressed its preference for a particular Sleep Number, the author was silent. Jury-rigging is a term with nautical origins. "Rig" is one of those little words so short that it contains nearly infinite meanings (an early form of nanotechnology). One of its meanings is "the arrangement of masts, sails, etc., on a vessel." In the days of the tall ships, when a vessel on the high seas lost a mast in a storm or a battle, the ship's carpenter would fashion what was known as a jury mast from spare parts down in the hold.
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