First of the Month: Public Service Messages

Well, how did that happen? Where did Summer go? These turkeys are looking for it too! This year our garden and flowers have taken a major hit with the wildlife. There is little left. While making dinner last night I saw two of the little stinkers (we have 3 sets of twin deer this year) and their Mummies munching what little hosta and flowers we have left. Down to the ground, nothing left but nubs. Our Fall clean up in those areas will be lighter this year.

After reading some health related news I wanted to emphasize a few things. Not to rag on friends, just to inform. What you choose to do with this information is up to you.

• Lets start in the kitchen. Recent testing has shown (again) that your kitchen sink is likely less clean than your toilet. Mama Mia! So how do we solve this? Clorox! Every day, after every raw meat or vegetable preparation you must disinfect. I have a stainless steel sink and keep a dish drain rack in one sink. I use Clorox Clean Up spray. Every morning (and most mornings) I spray the entire area. I let it dry. Then rinse it all off with scalding hot water. I can hear the mumblings....I have never done that and never had a problem or my Mother used to set raw chickens on the counter top and never did that, we all survived. Well, that's nice.
• Make-up: don't keep the old stuff around. If you aren't using it...you probably won't, toss it. In addition, lets be super careful with eye makeup. Current guidelines feel you should toss mascara after 3 months. Look at that under a microscope and your trash can will fill up quickly. 
• Brushes for make-up or other applicators. Again, I used to follow the monthly guidelines. Well, with the super germs munching away on our epidermis new guidelines have been established. We are talking weekly cleaning for brushes now. It is frightening to think that you may have picked up a hitch-hiker germ from some care giver on her/his way home from work at the supermarket. Your hand brushes your face, you apply some face powder in the car to look good for the Mr. And, blink. your make-up brush now has a hitch-hiker germ. 

Am I germ-a-phobic? I don't think so. I am really careful, however. I want you to be as well. And now a little personal habit you may want to consider.  Please remember I am an old-school nurse and aseptic technique was taught with an iron hand in my school. A long nursing career also exposed me to a fact that I want to share. Urinary tract infections are very common in post-middle age women. Common. Why you ask? Several factors are involved including the fact that simple aging causes the structure of the pelvis to drop after menopause. Things get flattened, things shift in there.

Fluid intake also tends to decrease at this time. Because the pelvic structure changes "frequency" becomes an issue for many women and adding volumes of fluid seems to make it worse. One must remember that the urinary system works best with a good flushing. Just saying. Unless you have a fluid retention heart condition or already failing kidneys, low fluid volume and dehydration are your enemy.

Last, hands. Hands are everywhere. Touching door knobs, tables in public places, shaking hands....they are picking up stuff people. Not always bad stuff, of course, but who wants to risk that? My solution, wash hands BEFORE using the bathroom, and after. Use warm water with soap, not hot. Hot water tends to dry the skin creating little cracks that can open and cause more problems. Friction, rub those babies well. If it helps, sing Happy Birthday to yourself as you wash and this period of time will be sufficient for cleansing. Keep your hands away from your face. Just remember that your hands can be carriers to vulnerable open parts of our anatomy.

That's all folks.