And Here Comes 2025

We have been fortunate when it comes to weather. We have experienced a fairly mild winter. We had a lot of snow in late fall, which brought smiles to all of us who enjoy winter and snow. Bring out the skis, snowmobiles, good warm clothes and enjoy the freshness of a crisp winter day.

I have been fighting a cold since Christmas and one good thing the cold days are for is to clear out your sinuses. That cold air brings your breathing almost back to normal for a short period of time. And as much as I like being out there, -39 with a wind chill to -46 is a little too cold for me to be outside any length of time.

The upcoming temperatures of -5 during the day will make for lots of smiles and fun in the snow. Little kids can start making snowmen in those kinds of temperatures. Outdoor adventurists will be out there cross country and downhill skiing, walking, jogging, as well as other outdoor sports.

Some of the snowbirds have flown or driven south to escape the cold. Some go for months; others may choose only a week or two. Whichever you choose – enjoy! We all know the value of Vitamin D that comes from the sun. If you aren’t heading out for some warm sunshine don’t forget to stock up on Vitamin D for these long winter days. On the bright side – the days have started getting longer. Winter solstice is over!

I continued to follow my physio over the fall and I am closing in on the 6-month recovery date. I can do the majority of tasks with my right arm that I used to be able to do. It has been recommended that I don’t go snowmobiling this winter.

And as much as I would love to go for a ride with all of this snow I do not want to go through surgery and recovery again.

Therefore, I will listen to what the physiotherapist says and take it easy as far as sports go. Any repetitive motion still makes the arm ache after a certain amount of time, but I can go a lot longer than I could 2 months ago. Such as stirring a batch of buns, cookies, muffins, etc.

That has been one of the hardest motions to recover from. The circular motion of going round and round makes my arm sore within a few minutes. I seldom need to take Tylenol anymore for the pain and that has been a good thing.

The postal strike made for a lot of Christmas gifts not being delivered this year. But, I must say, once the workers went back to work it didn’t take long for the mail to get going again. I am pretty sure local stores saw a surge in sales with people not being able to depend on Amazon to get their gifts and other necessities from them. Stuff you couldn’t find locally you learned to do without. Maybe even managed to save some money. Maybe!

Now for a little bit of health advice. I periodically suffer from plantar fasciitis. I have to be aware constantly of what type of footwear I am wearing. No high heels for this gal. Not that I ever learned to properly walk in high heels. I could definitely fall over wearing them. Walking the runway like a model – never did learn how to do that. And there is proof that inappropriate footwear contributes to foot discomfort. Be aware of your feet. They are your foundation. Just like a house. If you don’t have a good foundation your body will cave in.

What can you do to help chronic foot pain? There are a few simple exercises that will help. One is the standing calf-raise. Doable anywhere and in very little time. Stand, holding onto a chair or table for stability. Place your feet side by side not quite touching and slowly rise onto the balls of your feet as far as you can. Hold for a second or two and then lower back down. Then lift the front of both feet as high as you can and hold for a second or two while balancing on your heels. Repeat these two steps 10 – 15 times, 3 times a day. Your feet will thank you!

Another easy one to do is to place a ball or a can under the foot and roll it back and forth. You can use various pressure depending on the soreness of your own feet. You want to feel it but not make it painful. I find a tennis ball or a small yoga ball works well for this exercise. Do this on both feet and try to do it 3-4 times.

And of course, there are many others a person can do to relieve chronic foot pain, these are just a few that are easy to do while sitting around and watching television or enjoying your morning coffee / evening wine, etc.

As we step into 2025 don’t forget to go for a walk once or twice a day. Start with 5 minutes if you aren’t a walker and work your way up to 15 or 20 minutes. Having a dog is a great excuse to go for a walk. Your pet loves when you go outside with them. You can see the joy in them the way they run around and circle you. It brings a smile to your face every time. There are many benefits to owning a pet, but they are also a huge responsibility.

Another benefit to walking is that weak legs often make for painful backs. By strengthening your legs your back will improve in strength too. Our backs are an amazing part of our body, but man when our back is sore, it makes our days and nights miserable. Squats and lunges help strengthen your legs, but for myself I think I will work on stairs and walking. Squats are not always a friend to many. If you decide to do squats make sure you are doing them correctly. Or you may have more trouble than just a sore, weak back!

What does 2025 hold for me? I am really not sure. I hope to do some travelling, but that will be part of the future as I have nothing planned for right now. Staying close to home for now.

I have the usual goals – lose some weight, exercise more, blah blah blah. My life has been a diet and never happy with where I am at weight wise. Not sure why women like to beat themselves up about weight, but I know many of us do. This past summer for the first time in over 30 years I finally allowed myself to enjoy ice cream! How crazy is that? Always worrying about those extra calories. Which ones to choose? I ate more ice cream this past summer than I had since I was a kid. And I enjoyed every ice cream cone or bowl that I did eat. A simple pleasure denied because of weight. I hope you enjoy ice cream this year or another favorite food that you have denied yourself for too long. Life is short – eat the ice cream!

Anyways, I am going to close on those tips. Cheers to health and wellness for 2025. Before we know it another year will have gone by and we will say the same thing – where did the time go? Make the most of yours.

The song I have chosen is “Time” by the Alan Parsons Project. Some of you will remember them and a lot of you won’t. It was released in 1981.Their most popular song was “Don’t Answer Me” from 1984. The Alan Parson Project was a British rock band formed in London in 1975. The two main members of the band were Alan Parsons – singer, songwriter and pianist; the other member was Eric Woolfson. Woolfson co-produced the recordings with Alan; they were accompanied by various session musicians. They released a total of 11 studio albums. A lot of their albums focused on science fiction, supernatural and sociological themes.

Until next time – enjoy the winter of 2025, it will be gone before you know it.

Merle Lee Ann Pratt – merleleeannskitchen.com -YouTube: @merleannskitchen

Email: merleleeann@gmail.com

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

130 9th St. E, Prince Albert, SK

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

by Merle Lee Ann Pratt - Merle Lee Ann’s Kitchen, author of “A Baker’s Dozen”

And Here Comes 2025

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