Weather, Learning, Challenges & Food ??? What A Day It Was !!!

"My yesterday started with rain, continuing to do so as I made my way to the VON SMART program course in Tara."

"This little town of Tara has used a "play on words" very nicely ....... "

"Tara boasts quite a few businesses lined along each side of it's streets.

 "This is the Tara Legion where I have been attending the VON SMART course the past few weeks.  It is such a nice Legion, boasting a newer addition at the back of the building of which an outside patio goes off of."

"The inside of the Legion's addition is an absolutely "wonderful" room.  Oh there is our Course Material Instructor, Cathy McDowell, in this picture as well.  Cathy, herself has been doing a "wonderful" job instructing all of us on the material required for us to become SMART volunteers/instructors.  Cathy is also kept very busy being a part-time Coodinator for the VON SMART Program as well, which I am sure she puts in "full-time" hours at, as she appears to me to be quite the "Go-Go" kind of Gal."


Once we had covered the required material for this day, we had a "bonus", as Cathy had invited Judy Porteous, Area Manager, Bruce/Grey/Dufferin Ontario Osteoporosis Strategy, of Osteoporosis Canada to come speak to us.  Let me tell you, did that 1 1/2 hours ever go fast.  I could have sat another hour or so listening to more of what Judy had to say on Osteoporosis.

Should Osteoporosis Canada be so happy to have such an upbeat informative representative in all their areas .... thanks so much, Judy.

Osteoporosis at-a-glance

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue. This leads to increased bone fragility and risk of fracture (broken bones), particularly of the hip, spine and wrist. Osteoporosis is often known as "the silent thief" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. Osteoporosis is sometimes confused with osteoarthritis, because the names are similar. Osteoporosis is a bone disease; osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints and surrounding tissue.

Prevalence
As many as 2 million Canadians suffer from osteoporosis.

One in four women over the age of 50 has osteoporosis. At least one in eight men over 50 also has the disease. However, the disease can strike at any age.

Costs 
Financial
The cost of treating osteoporosis and the fractures it causes is estimated to be $1.9 billion each year in Canada alone. Long term, hospital and chronic care account for the majority of these costs. Given the increasing proportion of older people in the population, these costs will likely rise.

Human
The reduced quality of life for those with osteoporosis is enormous. Osteoporosis can result in disfigurement, lowered self-esteem, reduction or loss of mobility, and decreased independence.

The statistics related to hip fractures are particularly disturbing. There were approximately 25,000 hip fractures in Canada in 1993. Eighty percent of hip fractures are osteoporosis-related. Hip fractures result in death in up to 20 percent of cases, and disability in 50 percent of those who survive.

For more extensive information on Osteoporosis, please go to their website, as it will be well worth your browsing time:  http://www.osteoporosis.ca/index.php/ci_id/6385/la_id/1.htm

I have noticed a few Facebook challenges going on the past couple of days for people to donate to their local Foodbanks to make ready for the fast approaching Christmas Season.  One of these challenges have been made by Kraft Canada ~ Kraft Food for Families !!!

There will be a bonus of $10,000.00 going to the local Foodbank with the names showing the most support.  As of this morning the Owen Sound was leading with 6,410 names.

There is no cost incurred by us, so please show your support by going to the Kraft Food for Families website and adding your name.  Here is the website:

http://www.kraftassists.ca/prod/?lang=en#home

Please "bookmark" this website, as you are able to go in daily and re-add your name until January 31st, 2012!  Thanks KRAFT CANADA !!!

Food, one of my most favorite subjects.  One of Cindy's Recipe Exchange members posted a Pepsi Cola Rib Recipe the other day.  Since I have been doing the "Don't buy any Meat until the Meat in my Freezer Is Used Up" Challenge, I am thinking I could "use up" some ribs I have in there by trying this recipe out.

Since I also love sharing, I thought I would share the recipe with others so they may try it out as well:

Recipe Submitted by Group Member Reenie Gurr

Pepsi Cola Ribs

Cook ribs in a 350 degree oven until browned then mix 

1/2 cup of liquid honey 

1/4 cup of soy sauce

3/4 cup of ketchup

Add garlic salt or powder to taste...I used the garlic salt. 

Blend well and add one can of Pepsi * NOT DIET* and mix well, your mixture will foam as you blend, pour over ribs, cover and simmer in oven for 40-50 minutes at 300 degrees. OMG, to die for. 

DO NOT use coke either or it won't turn out !

Trust me, if my friend Reenie says they are to "die" for, take that to the bank !!!  I am thinking maybe tomorrow Rob and I will be having ourselves some "to die for" ribs for our Dinner.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot.  Another reason I didn't mind "Tarrying Awhile in Tara", I was able to take my own picture there!!  LOL."

Let see now, yesterday was a damp, wet, but not too cold of a day; at 5:00 a.m. it was not too cold this morning, but extremely windy when Mercedes and I were out there ..... so what will the rest of the day be like?  Must go see ....

Not too promising, but of course when one has no choice, one tends to make the best of things .... You must think positively.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  The mind must believe it can do something before it is capable of actually doing it.

I think at the moment I will be positively taking something for this headache I do not want to be nursing the whole day through, get the woodstove fired up to take the chill from the house and maybe then have myself a second cup of Java to "kickstart" myself for rest of the day ahead.

Not only is there another new day ahead of me, but surely there will also be a new adventure to go along with it, "Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard".