Happy Mother’s Day!

With all sports event called off and the inability to do any more gardening, it leaves this mother begging the question, ”What are we going to do today?”  Well, there is laundry to be folded – well,  it is actually in need of washed before folded…..dishes to be put away – well, they actually should be cleaned before put away…..and  projects to be completed – well, actually started before they can be completed…and the list goes on.

Then it dawns on me that there are also books to be read….cookies to be made….nails to be painted….and maybe even naps to be taken.   What is it about the rain that beckons its listener  - well this one at least – to just throw everything off her desk and to do list and forsake all productivity for laziness?

Perhaps instead of viewing this day as another opportunity to satisfy my to do list, I need to take my own advice that I give to my clients to take time to just hang out as a family.   To spend some time actually conversing with one another over meals rather then shoveling food in our mouths as we travel back and forth to school, music lessons, soccer practice, church and our other whereabouts.  Or listening to their hearts as we get our nails done.  Time is  fleeting as they grow up and I often wonder how much of it I end up squandering rather than enjoying with them.

So today I’m thankful for the rain and the much needed prioritizing it brings.

Rain Rain Don’t Go Away

The first bee – helium shortage.

The first started when a few friends were organizing an event for another friend to celebrate the grand opening of her business venture. One of our cohorts went to buy some helium balloons, but found there were none to be had at the place where she went. Instead, she bought a pack of balloons we blew up the old-fashioned way.

It transpires there’s a world shortage of helium and, after reading around the subject, I found out this was no April Fools’ Day joke. Experts say the world’s most commonly used inert gas could be depleted in 30 years. The price of helium on the commodities’ markets makes it too cheap to recycle. Helium can’t be made artificially; it’s either produced by the sun’s nuclear fusion processes or by slow radioactive decay of the earth’s rocks over millions of years. The world’s helium reserves are by-products from the extraction of natural gas. Once helium is released in the air, it’s gone forever.

Do you know what helium is used for, apart from helping party balloons float? It’s used for many essential processes, from cooling the magnets in medical MRI scanners to the mix of helium, oxygen and nitrogen that deep-sea divers use to breathe while under water. Now that I know helium is a precious commodity, I’ll never squander it on balloons again. I urge you to preserve and conserve by blowing your own balloons.

The second bee – food conservation.

Earth Day is today, and as I think widely about our environment, for me, it becomes more than just filling bags of recyclables every week or switching lights off. I live by the philosophy of balance and moderation, which includes food consumption, too.

When I first moved to the United States, I was shocked by the huge portions of food American were used to being served, as well as the waste and spoilage of tremendous amounts of uneaten food in those large portions. One of my family goals is to use up what we have in the fridge before we buy more, and to never throw out spoiled produce just because we didn’t consume it in time. Although I love to socialize with neighbors and friends at my local grocery store, my aim is to reduce my trips there.

It’s great to see a well-stocked pantry, but it means there’s food being unused. As a family, we’ve challenged ourselves to cook only from the cans and boxes we find in the pantry at least once a week. We’ve, also, set a goal to never throw out leftovers, but to make a second or third (different) meal out of them.

Wow, these two bees are really starting to crowd my bonnet. I better get going on my “mystery dinner” from stuff I find in the pantry.

Happy Earth Day, April 22!

Susan Shifay Cheung has turned her hand to many forms of writing in her various roles, over the years, as corporate trainer, management consultant, journalist and writer. You can contact her at y2s2cheung@yahoo.com.

We have all heard of the NFL lawsuits for dementia caused by chronic concussions. No one questions the idea that large men hurling themselves into each other at large speeds could cause a head injury. But it might surprise you to learn that the highest number of concussions in female athletes is soccer. I have a friend whose middle school child has already had several concussions from soccer.

The Center for Disease Control reports that from 2001-2009, concussions among youth increased 60%, leading the agency to label concussion frequency as reaching “epidemic” proportions. 70.5% of sports-related emergency visits for traumatic brain injuries were among youth aged 10 – 19.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a fancy term for dementia caused by multiple concussions. Researchers believe the concussions are caused by the development of Tao protein that basically inhibits the brain from communicating with itself… like a road block. It is a terrible condition that causes Alzheimer type symptoms and eventually death. The symptoms can include memory loss, speech loss, personality changes, depression, etc. Unfortunately, my father has CTE from his college football days. In the sixties you were told to “shake it off” when you “got your bell rung” according to my dad, when he could still speak. It is his symptoms that have inspired me sue those who tell our children to “shake it off”.

Up until this past fall, there was only one way to determine whether someone had chronic traumatic encephalopathy. You had to biopsy the brain; i.e. post mortem. This is why Junior Seau shot himself in the chest when his doctors suspected CTE. He wanted the NFL to know what was happening and preserved his brain for biopsy. His family has now filed a wrongful death claim. Since, Junior Seau’s and others deaths, the ability to find CTE while the player is alive has changed. In the fall, studies at UCLA have developed a brain scan that can find the TAO Protein. (See my website: cmannlaw@msn.com under football injuries)

So what about our youth? 43 States have passed Legislation to protect the youth athletes. Tennessee is not one of them, yet. However, the Tennessee Legislature has finally written and passed Senate Bill 882. It will now be sent to Governor Haslam’s desk for signature. It is Legislation designed to protect student athletes who suffer concussions from risking further medical complications. In part, the Bill makes the following changes to our youth athletic activities:

-Requires coaches, volunteers, and team medical providers to complete a “concussion recognition and head injury safety education course” program. (which will be on the Department of Health website free of charge)

-Requires schools and organizations to have a policy of removing youth who show signs of concussions from activity for medical evaluation.

-Requires a doctor trained in concussions to provide written clearance to return to the activity.

This is a good and important step towards a safer future for our children. Even so, I am hopeful for more studies, treatment, and a cure for CTE.

Constance Mann, Attorney
The Law Offices of Constance Mann
Website: www.cmannlaw
Email: cmannlaw@msn.com

As I search my cupboards under the sink, I take out, one after another, a cleaner for the stovetop, one for the granite countertops, one for the wooden floorboards, yet another for cleaning glass and, finally, a general all-round cleaner. It struck me: “Wow, how many cleaning products do I need?” and then: “What happened before we had all these manufactured cleaners?”

Okay, I’m a realist; I accept and live with the breakthroughs in technology, the manmade and processed, and I’m grateful for the modern conveniences, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make informed choices about what I use.

This spring, I’ve set myself the challenge of finding natural products to use around the house. Lest you think I’m going to turn into an “earth goddess” or “household warrior,” I can only say, I’m not the “live in a log cabin, kill and clean my own food, and make my own clothes kind of gal,” (even though my granny in rural Hong Kong taught me how to kill and pluck a chicken and that experience was more than enough!) But, I do want to do better with the resources I have.

Perhaps, my granny, mom and mom-in-law did know best when they passed on to me their natural remedies and techniques for house and body. However, knowledge is useless unless applied, so I have work to do.

Here, I share advice I’ve been given and have started to use.

Lemon juice is a great way to clean countertops. After using the juice to clean, I put the used lemon halves in the corners of the fridge to act as natural deodorizers.

Chinese believe that iced-cold water or orange juice is too much of a shock to the body first thing in the morning. Boiled water, left to cool, either plain or with a squeeze of lemon is the healthy way to wake the body’s systems and flush out toxins.

Lemon juice, honey and fresh ginger root, boiled together, make a great tonic for a cold or sore throat. Ginger root boiled in water is good for nausea.

Cinnamon powder mixed with honey to make a paste and used instead of jam is a yummy way to lower cholesterol. Likewise, you can add honey and cinnamon to tea to help reduce cholesterol.

Vegetable oil is a natural leather shoe shine. Remove any dirt with a damp cloth and use a drop of oil to polish the leather.

Who knew that standard school chalk tied in cheesecloth and stored alongside your good silverware slows down tarnishing?

I remember my father using distilled white vinegar and baking soda in scalding water to clean grease from restaurant appliances. Guess what, Dad? It works like a treat on my stove.

Pass on, share your tips and, this spring, do what comes naturally!

Susan Shifay Cheung has turned her hand to many forms of writing in her various roles, over the years, as corporate trainer, management consultant, journalist and writer. You can contact her at y2s2cheung@yahoo.com.

“What did he just say?”

So, this tells me a couple things:

1.  I am hiding my use of such words really well. Whew!   I seriously intentionally curbed my swearing when she tried to repeat my use of  ”Sh#!” when she was 18mos old & I was trying to get her out of her body-binding carseat one day.  I still have a resentment against those infant carseats.  Instead I started saying “Fiddle Sticks!” or “Drats” and that seemed to work.

2.  My fear of her becoming an infidel from watching iCarly is likely unfounded. Another Whew. (I like iCarly myself and especially Good Luck Charlie too:).  Apparently this content isn’t causing her any major problems.

I then thought, “How does she even know that’s a really bad word?” Well, it must be that she is already learning the meaning of Context.

What’s ur kid saying these days to crack you up? (or embarrass you to death -depending on the day).  Have a perfectly imperfect day and keep on parenting!

Susan Douglas, MD

Don’t you think after the blaze of holiday lights and decorations in November and December, January is a drab, grey month? That’s why we embrace the burst of bright colors for Valentine’s Day.

A friend, who’s knowledgeable about colors, tells me vibrations from the color red increases muscle activity. Well, I certainly need that to zap me out of my mental and physical stupor during the low energy winter months.

I hear that red is being touted as the current “in” color for modern weddings. Sorry, I hate to burst the trend forecasters’ bubble, but red has been significant in the Chinese culture for eons. Red is considered the most auspicious of colors and forms the backdrop of rituals and celebrations, signifying joy, luck and fortune.

It’s expected that a bride gets married in red. I wore a traditional bridal outfit called a “kwa” at my wedding banquet. This is a two-piece red silk ensemble embroidered with the dragon and phoenix motif in gold thread, sequins, beads, crystals and pearls.

This year, I’m more than happy to see twice the amount of red in February. As well as red hearts for Valentine’s, I’ll be putting up red decorations and lucky symbols for the Chinese New Year on February 10, the Year of the Water Snake. The year ends on January 30, 2014.

I think everyone has the basic understanding of the cycle of twelve animals that tracks the moon’s cycles and is known as the Chinese lunar calendar. The New Year falls each year between the middle of January and mid-February.

Even after the Chinese adopted the Western calendar in 1911, the lunar calendar is still used to track birthdays and festivities; hence I have a birthday according to the Western calendar and one according to the “Old Calendar,” as it’s known.

What’s less well-known is that the full Chinese lunar calendar is a sixty-year cycle. For the start of each twelfth year, beginning with the Rat, each animal is assigned one of the five elements in Chinese philosophy: wood, fire earth, metal and water.

It takes sixty years to complete the whole cycle of twelve animals and five elements. In 1965, it was the Wood Snake, 1977, the Fire Snake, 1989, the Earth Snake, 2001, the Metal Snake and 2013, the Water Snake.

The water element represents flexibility, endurance and wisdom, and these qualities should be reflected in the coming year.

Western culture often assigns a negative image to the snake, but I would caution you not to misjudge the snake. Many Chinese believe the snake is a guardian of the house, foreshadowing safety and plentiful food for its occupants. Not withstanding its scary outer form, the snake is considered a symbol of kindness, wisdom and loyalty.

Those born in a snake year are, generally, romantic, determined, wise and charming. In other words, it’s easy to love a snake person. And, not least, a snake person fights for things they believe in with good intuition. So, in a snake year, it’s reasonable for you to fight for your goals, visions or dreams.

Love in the air and dreams to be fulfilled, now doesn’t that sound good in the gloom of winter?

Gung Hei Fat Choi. San Nin Fai Lok. Wishing You Prosperity. Happy New Year.

Susan Shifay Cheung has turned her hand to many forms of writing in her various roles, over the years, as corporate trainer, management consultant, journalist and writer. You can contact her at y2s2cheung@yahoo.com.