We all know how good it is for us to walk. Now we know it is even better if we can get in 10,000 steps per day. The benefits are many, according to American Cancer Society research: "  Walking has been associated in previous studies with lower risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. “Going for a walk at an average to brisk pace can provide people with a tremendous health benefit. It’s free, easy, and can be done anywhere,” says Alpa Patel, PhD, Strategic Director, CPS-3, American Cancer Society.  Even more encouraging for older adults, "the findings from a 2017 study of almost...

A friend who is an ER nurse once told me that 80% of people who wind up in the ER are dehydrated. This is not always the cause for their hospital visit, but it can dangerously exacerbate some existing conditions and be life-threatening in others.    The Red Cross has these recommendations for staying safe in this heat   Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol. Avoid extreme temperature changes. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Avoid dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays. Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part...

                 Any social worker will tell you that you learn more in one home visit with a client than you can in hours spent listening to someone in an office. This is the concept behind Person-Centered Care. Seeing people who use health and social services as equal in planning, developing and monitoring care. Viewing the person, and their families at the center of decision making, knowing they are the experts who can give the professionals their recommendations and help in assessing the best overall care for that individual.  Healthcare and social services are going...

David Kirby wrote in his New York Times obituary of former United States poet laureate Donald Hall:  "the bulk of his poetry over a 60-year career emphasizes the cycle of life as it plays out in the natural world and those who live in it, though often in a way with which urban readers could identify. " Beyond poetry there were two great loves of Donald Hall's life; Eagle Pond Farm in Wilmot, New Hampshire and his wife, poet, Jane Kenyon. In 1993, Hall and Kenyon were interviewed at the farm by Bill Moyers for a PBS documentary, “Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon: A...

The second dictionary definition of STYLE is: "a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed." What about someone who is considered to have style? They choose clothes, hairstyles, make-up (or not) and accessories that communicate to the world who they are and how they feel. And this communication doesn't end with how they adorn themselves; it often extends to an attitude that informs their entire lifestyle.  For some women this sense of their own style take decades to evolve for others they find their niche and stick with it. Think Diane Keaton's, male-inspired clothing choices including high...