Lifestyle

I have referred to my recovery from alcoholism many times in my writing. One of the things I’ve learned in recovery is that being grateful can change how I feel—when things are good, they are better when I am grateful, and when things go wrong, it isn’t as painful when I am grateful for other things. Being grateful can give me a different outlook on what is happening around me. Even as people of faith, sometimes it is hard to imagine all that we have are blessings from God. It’s so easy to forget to be grateful for the little things, and even for the big things, and sometimes for the things we don’t have. I have learned that when I am grateful, I look more at what I have than what I don’t have. It’s often talked about as being an attitude of abundance.

My mom was gifted at handiwork. She could crochet anything, knit if she had to, sew the most intricate dresses, cross stitch, stitch hardanger, and even tat. When I was young and she was teaching me to crochet, I’d get stuck in the directions, and she’d say, “Just do what the directions tell you.” I still have to do that today. I like to read “into” the directions, rather than just follow them, and I have to have directions in order complete a project. But my projects are never as complicated or intricate as my mom’s pieces were, even though I have a few things I’ve completed when I have extra time.

“Dementia is not a normal part of aging,” said Maureen Schneider, board chair of the Minnesota Board on Aging. “Timely diagnosis that uses the right tools is key to treatment and support and can create better outcomes for people with memory loss and the family members and friends who care for them.” The Minnesota Board on Aging recently announced the seven entities across the state who were awarded funds totaling nearly $750,000 through the Local and Regional Dementia grants. The grants are intended to increase awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, promote early diagnosis and connect caregivers to resources.

Throughout September, I’m going to write about blessings. I know I personally have so many blessings in my life. For this first week, my focus will be based on James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

If you haven’t registered for Prairie Five’s Senior Expo yet, consider doing so today! On hiatus since 2019, we’re ready to welcome you back to this wonderful event once again. The Senior Expo takes place on Wednesday, September 24th at the Montevideo Community Center, located at 550 South 1st Street in Montevideo. Free transportation will be available through Prairie Five RIDES for this event with pick-up spots in Benson, Appleton, Ortonville, Madison, Canby, and Clarkfield. As of this writing, pick-up times are still being arranged. Registration forms are available at each Prairie Five office and allow you indicate if you’d like to use the free transportation; you can call also call 320-269-6578 to register. When the ride schedule is in place, you’ll receive a call with those details.

Finally, my last piece for the August series of The Continuum of Creation: Faith and the Land.

When I was five years old, my family moved from Tracy to Brookings, South Dakota. We often attended rodeos at SDSU, but I don’t remember ever going to a county fair and wasn’t in 4H. Thinking back on my younger adult years, I remember going to a county fair once or twice but, if I’m being honest, I was there for entertainment and good-looking men, not exhibits! Last year, I took the Friday afternoon of the Swift County Fair off work to listen to the polka band performing there and see what all the county fair hype was about.

As I add another week in my August series of The Continuum of Creation: Faith and the Land, I can’t help but write about how God’s creation continues personally in our lives; in each of our lives. In Psalm 139:13-14, the psalmist tells us “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

August is here. The summer goes by so quickly and yet, it’s just a regular part of our continuing lives. August seems to be the end of summer just because school starts, and we start to put away the summer equipment, and drain the pools, and oil up the snow blower. The end of summer is part of the continuum of creation. For the month of August, I’ll be writing on “The Continuum of Creation: Faith and the Land.”