Tips to stay sane

I wrote this on Monday,  the CBC ran it today. (Wednesday)
Things are changing fast,  I hope this will help if you are home, have kids, and are considering hitting the booze early! (Joke!)
Top tips for families to stay sane

The piece went online fast. Here are a few additional ideas, off the top of my head, that may help.

-If you have stairs in your home, and are healthy, consider stair climbing as exercise.  No, it is not Stairmaster!  It is running up and down your stairs to get our heart pumping and do aerobic exercise.  It will burn off some energy! (use caution, do not do this if you aren’t up to it!)

-If you’ve got a multi vitamin right now at home, it is not a bad time to take it.  Our diets may change during this time and this may be a helpful boost to your immunity.  I say “may” because doctors disagree on this one, but a single multivitamin is not generally harmful. (Again, practice moderation!) On a personal note, I know that Vitamin D really does help me get through Winnipeg’s winters...

-Step away from the news!  If it is stressing you out, take breaks from media.  24/7 newsfeed is bad for our mental health.

-This is a stressful time.  Make sure you talk about it with your family, especially your kids.  We have had a lot of meltdowns in my house, we are all worried.  It is only natural.

Take care!  Stay healthy!
Joanne

Everybody, WASH!

Nearly two weeks ago, I wrote this piece, which appeared in the Vancouver Jewish Independent newspaper on Friday:
Be sure to wash your hands 

A quick summary?  Handwashing and social distancing are ancient ways of preventing the spread of disease.  Hoarding's not new either.  You can find it all spelled out in the Torah.

That said, here is a particularly funny memory I had (and mentioned in the article) --of Sesame Street.  You can see that this skit was done long ago, when Mr. Hooper was still alive.  The news, about washing, isn't new...but this skit? Well worth seeing it again!

I hope you are healthy, washing your hands, and practicing social distancing. 
Wishing you all good things,
Joanne

What's on in March...

Sorry for the blog silence.  It's been a season of colds, Sally, our old dog, isn't feeling good and needs vet trips, and we've had a few other human medical appointments.  And meanwhile, I've had some articles run as well...

Over on the CBC, I had a piece come out about how the current Manitoba government is offering us $45 million in road infrastructure repair for the province's 150th birthday..and isn't prioritizing anything for a greener, more sustainable future or a future that celebrates or recognizes our diverse population.  (Happy anniversary, honey!  Here's a new vacuum cleaner?)

I didn't post anything about it at the time because I didn't know when it would run, and then the comments were full of some inappropriate stuff.  (so inappropriate that the comments were removed...)

I had a column run in two papers about how we can keep learning if our libraries stay afloat.  This winter I spent several weekend afternoons on the couch with a sick kid and good books.  Here's a link to Words of praise for libraries.

My article about how basic tools make a difference for handspinners went live over on the Spin Off Magazine's blog: 6 Handspinning Hacks....

Here's a photo of how you can use a dog waste roll core (a cardboard tube cut open) to create a bobbin for your spindle...when you are done spinning, slide the roll right off the spindle!  It's a Spindlewood spindle, in case you are curious...

Or you can use a toilet paper roll for your ball of handspun, and when you are ready, you pop out the roll, insert your thumb in the space left, and use both ends of the handspun for making a 2 ply yarn.

The hack that got left out?
Cotton bedsheets from the thift store: Every now and again, I end up with a lot of free or inexpensive fleece. I skirt and sort, shake out vegetable matter and contain the washed fleeces in countless number of sheets from the thrift store. 

Next topic: And, if you're a knitter and celebrate Purim? In honour of increasing your joy in Adar, you can download The Hamantaschen Noisemaker pattern for free, using the coupon code:
Adar
(ends midnight, CT, US & Canada--on March 10th, of course.)
Please consider this some virtual shalach manot from me to you!
Have fun! Have a great holiday!

Last, but not least...happy International Women's Day. Yes-We still need it...equal pay, equal opportunities, adequate healthcare and childcare access...we still need a day to talk about all this and more.