By Merle Lee Ann Pratt – Merle Lee Ann’s Kitchen, author of “A Baker’s Dozen”

Senior's Scene

Let’s Get Wordling and Moving

Mar 15, 2024 | 10:06 AM

“The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Pattison Media and this site.”

March has proven itself to be true so far – in like a lion and out like a lamb (still to be seen).

The snow was welcomed by the majority of people. The moisture is badly needed for the farmers as well as our gardens, the forests and our water-table. Typically, we don’t think about this as the seasons come and go and mother nature seems to get it figured out for the most part. Global warming has affected our world in various ways. Moisture and temperatures are just two of the effects.

I recently started playing Wordle and Spelling Bees that are available on the New York Times website. I quickly found out that there are a lot of other word games out there to play as well. The majority of them are free and you just need to have access to a computer or a smartphone and the internet. Here are just a few of these word games: Soduko, Quordle, Blossom, Octordle, Canuckle – the Canadian version of Wordle, and Canoku – which uses Canadian emoji’s.

Check these games out and find one that you like and challenge yourself to do one every day. They are fun and often very challenging! The strange thing is that the majority of these names of word games are words that are not words but which are completely made up.

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Games like Wordle, crossword puzzles and more are good for the brain. They stimulate the brain and help prevent dementia and cognitive decline. Games like these also improve your spelling, vocabulary and your cognitive skills. Games also help to relax and de-stress.

Research says that keeping physically and mentally fit might help the symptoms of dementia or improve symptoms when they occur. Brain food for thought – so start Wordling!!

I looked up the word cognitive to provide a better explanation as to why this is important. Cognition is defined as our thinking process. It is the act of acquiring knowledge through perception, imagination, thinking, judging, remembering, problem-solving, and selective attention. (Something I really need to work on!)

What else can we do that is easy to keep feeling younger? I have definitely noticed a decline in my energy level and overall well-being as I age. And I know there are certain things I can do to help feel better – but do I always listen to this advice? NO!

Staying active and exercise is essential for maintaining physical health, mental well-being and overall quality of life. Here are just a few reasons. Regular physical activity helps maintain flexibility and mobility, reducing the risk of falls and injuries. Activities like stretching, yoga, and tai chi can improve balance, coordination, and flexibility. I know something about that. I am really good at is tripping and falling.

Just the other day I wasn’t paying close enough attention to my movements and completely tripped over my vacuum cleaner. Fortunately, I didn’t break anything, just lots of bruising. Falling over a vacuum cleaner wasn’t very pretty. A vacuum has the main body part, the long wand and the vacuum head. As I tripped over the vacuum I managed to fall onto my hands, bruising the bottoms of both of my hands. I hurt my chest on the right-hand side – opposite of the heart, and then bruised my abdomen as well.

I am very lucky that I didn’t fall on my shoulder that has my rotator cuff injury and finally doesn’t ache 24/7 after six months.

A few cuss words later and I was back up running and vacuuming.

This falling as we get older is often not a very good thing. Broken hips, arms, elbows, knees, etc. all take a very long time to heal. Sometimes we never really recover. There are some who have fantastic recoveries after having various types of surgery and others who never do fully recover and wonder if it was worth having the surgery. I am patiently or impatiently waiting for my rotator cuff surgery. It is not an easy surgery to get over and involves six weeks in a sling, trying not to use it (that will be tough) and then physio for a few months.

I just hope I can return to doing the activities I could before injuring it such as pickle ball, which was how I injured it. There was little snow this winter so I didn’t miss going for a snowmobile ride or participating in the various rally’s that we usually take part in. Some communities had a gathering of people serving lunch, desserts, beverages and selling 50/50 tickets; as these rallies are a major source of fundraising for many communities.

As spring approaches are you starting to think about flowers and gardens?

I plan to start some seeds this week and maybe have a few flower pots on the deck this year. Knowing that I have a shoulder that will be somewhat useless, I am not planning to put a garden in or very many flowers. I won’t be able to maintain them and it will frustrate me if I look at weeds vs plants!

Are you ready for St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday? It’s aready the middle of March. The clock just keeps ticking and time keeps flying by. Are you going out to celebrate and drink some green beer? I’m sure there will be many Irish parties to attend on Sunday and a few green feeling people on Monday.

Our local curling rink has their annual 2-Man Tough Bonspiel this weekend and the finals are on Sunday. They just may decorate the rink and get some lively Irish music going and some good green drinks. This is a very well attended bonspiel and the Calcutta raises a lot of money for the rink. It is a definite fun event.

And speaking of curling , I am pretty sure a lot of you were watching the final game last Sunday in Regina when team Gushue took on team Mike McEwen. We were all hoping to end the drought of Saskatchewan not having a win at the brier since 1980 when Rick Folk won it. The McEwen team did well, they just didn’t play as well as they could. They made all of us proud and it was fun to watch a Saskatchewan team in the final. I never used to enjoy watching curling – it must be a senior thing I think. I have found myself putting more hours into watching curling than ever before. Being able to PVR – tape the games and fast forward through commercials helps a lot.

As winter changes to spring, it is a good time to re-align your goals and maybe change your habits. Having longer days is one of the most noticeable changes heading into spring. With the days becoming longer and more daylight it can have a positive effect on mood and energy as we all have more opportunities to spend time outdoors.

With milder temperatures coming our way and more daylight it is easier to go for a walk after supper, watch sports or participate in them – depending on your age and well-being. It’s fun to go watch kids play soccer or ball on a nice evening. Check your local community bulletin board or the internet to find out what is going on and what might be of interest for yourself. Find a friend to go walking with, walk your dog or someone else’s dog, just get out there and do something!

Your body will thank you for getting some regular exercise. As we age it is essential for maintaining physical health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life. And it is never too late to start reaping the benefits of exercise. Even the smallest amount of physical activity can make a significant difference in your health and longevity. Isn’t that what we all want?

So as “BodyBreak” with Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod would say “Keep fit and have fun!” I know some of you will remember these commercials. They had really good tips – even though they seem kind of corny now.

I decided to dig way back in the archives for a song – Let’s Get Physical by Olivia Newton John released on February 8^th, 1982; just a short 42 years ago. Oh, the workout clothes that went with this era. The 80’s what a time for music. As we think back – it’s like what songs were we listening to in the 80’s? We all remember the 70’s, but the 80’s just kind of came and left. Enjoy and let’s all get a little more physical this spring!

Merle Lee Ann Pratt – merleleeannskitchen.com – Email: merleleeann@gmail.com

This column is sponsored by MacKenzie Funeral Chapel and Crematorium – We will be there when you need us – Bev and Brian Stobbs

130 9th St. E, Prince Albert, SK

Phone: (306) 763-8488 – https://mackenziechapel.ca/