Wash your hands. How many times have you heard those words? It’s always important, but especially now during the cold and flu season.
Imagine a mean little germ just waiting for a chance to come and attack you and you will remember how important such a simple thing it can be to wash our hands.
One of the first things to teach our children (and ourselves) is the importance of hand washing. It is like a "do-it-yourself" vaccine. It involves five simple and effective steps: wet, lather, scrub, rinse and dry. Regular hand washing, especially before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick and prevent the spread of germs to others.
While my mother worked with the Head Start program, they were instructed to teach children to wash their hands as they sang the ABC song. Singing that song was just the right amount of time to do a thorough job.
Another helpful hint to help keep us healthy is to make sure things we are going to touch are clean and free of germs. It is good to see the local grocery stores have "wipes" available to use before we grab a hold of a shopping cart.
I also believe it is just as important to use the "wipes" after you shop as well. Think of all the germs you encounter in your quest for groceries. How many hands do you think touched those cans of fruits and vegetables, those boxes of cereal, that bottle of ketchup or bottles of laundry or dish soap? The list is endless.
Another thing to consider is stair railings and door knobs. They are very good and necessary items, but don't forget how many hands are put on them every day. If you can't wash your hands, please use the disposable wipes or hand sanitizers.
Another thing we don't often think about: the beds we sleep in. There is something true about the adage that the state of your bed is the state of your mind. But whose?
There is another theory. "Opening" your bed may be a better solution than closing it up when we get out of them in the morning. Left open to the air it causes the nasty little bed mites to be exposed to air, which dehydrates them, and kills them.
Those little critters love the good bed maker who leaves nice corners and well made beds because they need the moisture and cover to survive.
Speaking of critters, we need to take a lesson from the animal world. Rabbits eat things we should eat, like carrots, greens and whole grains. "Organic" has really progressed for consumers. Some things aren't so bad if they have removable skin, like oranges and bananas, but they should still be washed before you handle them. Green beans should always be bought organic.
I don't know why, but I always wonder about all those heads of lettuce and cabbage, etc. if it has been sprayed at intervals as it is developing so it is safe to eat.
And a few more thoughts....
It if is small enough to go through a simple toilet paper tube it is a danger for small children as they could swallow it and choke. Please be careful with all those "little items" we have in our homes. We all know young children like to put things in their mouth.
How do you divide your love among your children? You don't divide it — you multiply it!
Television programs and movies used to include people smoking cigarettes in their stories, which promoted using cigarettes. We don't see that happening too much anymore, thank goodness.
But sad to say, it seems like the greedy promoters of money over peoples’ welfare now seem to be promoting wine. Wine may be fine to a point, but it is still an alcoholic beverage. Many times it appears many people treat it like a carbonated beverage instead of an alcoholic beverage.
It is always time for a new beginning. Make it happen.
How to make love endure....remember to share your hugs and kisses with your loved ones.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It is not. —Dr. Suess
Enjoy life now, it has an expiration date. Do the best you can while you can make your life worthwhile.
Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented that they like to read about events such as family and school reunions, birthdays and anniversaries, and birth and wedding announcements. In order to read about these important things we need our faithful readers to pass along the information to us. If you have an idea for a story that you think would be of interest to our readers, please contact me. If you have birthdays and anniversaries you would like to include, or news to share, please contact me via e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., by postal mail, P.O. Box 192, Geneva, MN 56035; or telephone, 507-256-4405.
Birthdays and anniversaries:
• Thursday, March 3rd: Jeff Lageson, Terri Jensen, Charlie Hanson, Jessica Tufte, John Crabtree, Valerie Tobiason Quiring, Muarine Larson, Frank Thompson, Bill Draayer, Darlene Christensen, Terri Miles, David Underland, Darren & Christine Hanson, Angie & Jeff Rasmussen, Nicole & Nathan Milender
• Friday, March 4th: Dawn David, Teresa Hove, Larry Spear, Julia Elizabeth Neitzel
• Saturday, March 5th: Dayna Schember, Nicole Ella Schultz, Tim Toft, Vickie Haberman, Steve Van Ravenhorst, Declan Dean O'Brien, his 5th
• Sunday, March 6th: Valerie Schember, Aaron Reese, Larry Reese, Dawn Dulas, Lynda Maddox Norland, Wade Wacholz, Ryan Schimek, Marlene Peterson, Lillian Weaver, Jami Ann & Travis Marzolf
• Monday, March 7th: Jace John Goslee, his 10th; Marlee Diane Dutton, her 12th; Jake Ortiz, Emily Horan, David Otterson, Chuck Hagen, Lorna Reistad, Kenneth Peterson, Lance Cummins and Peggy Evenson
• Tuesday, March 8th: Derek Alan Lee, Janice Olson Paulson, Greg Nelson, Carla Paulsen Haugen, Melissa Trindad, Kathy & Mike Plunkett, Stephanie & Tom Pulley
• Wednesday, March 9th: Reese Sharon Glynn, her 9th; Taylor Jensen, Chris Clausen, Peter Dammel, Curtis Langlie, Mark Sawyer, Joel Wacholz, Dean Waltz, Jacklyn Cromwell Olson, Chris Farr, Joleen Thompson
• Thusday, March 10th: Julie Stieglbauer Dahl, Sue Misgen, Aaron Callahan, Travis Johnson, Michelle Olson Bedney, Tom Vavra, Heidi Mattson LaFave, Chuck Hanson, Gayle Dummer, Douglas Schmidt, Linda Anderson, DeLynn Johnson Rohrbacher, Hannah Emily Brunsen
• Friday, March 11th: Arielle Lynn McClaskey (2011), Elsie Jacobson, her 3rd; Marian Mast, Carolyn Flesche, Leroy Folie, Kari Thostenson, Jon Carlson, Michelle Meyer, Larry Richards, Tim Simon, Joan Ahlstrom Diderrich, Tanya Swearingen, Tom Arbogast, David Callahan, Dean Lembke, Spener Sebastian Sommers, his 12th; Doug Blouin, Wendell Kuehni, Paul & Shirley Nelson Gould
Wishing you sunny smiles to warm your heart on your special day!
