Ciao

Can you do this?  

How about this?

Certainly you can do this!

So, while Nancy has been up in D.C. learning and talking more about Alzheimer’s (ALZ) with her fellow National Alzheimer’s peers and professionals and I’ve been waiting for the sores on my feet to heal, Brenda, as you can see, has been busy working to build strength and mobility in that leg of hers.  Brenda’s slow progression may sometimes frustrate her, but her walking, stretching, bending and extending are indeed making a difference.  She may not see big changes occurring each day, but it's happening just the same.  I, on the other hand, had to allow time, along with some ointment, for the healing to begin on my feet.  And I can assure you, Nancy is making all kinds of differences in D.C.

They say, in order to make a difference, you must start by taking small steps.  I chuckled when I read that, because that is literally what Nancy and I will be doing in Italy.  Taking small steps along the Franciscan Trail, in order to make a difference in how Alz. is so ignored, underfunded and well, scary.  It has always been important to me live a purposeful life and most of the people I surround myself with adhere to this same principle.  True, we can’t always make what some would consider a big difference, leading them to ask “so why bother?” 

There's a story about hundreds of sea stars that washed up on a beach somewhere.  Well, a couple was walking along the beach and the woman (maybe it was the guy) began picking them up one at a time and throwing them back into the ocean.  Her companion asked why bother throwing them back into the water since most had already died or were close to it, plus there were just so many.  The woman calmly replied, “it will make a difference to one of them, and isn’t that good enough?”  (The story goes something like that.)  Point being, if we can make a positive impact on even one person’s life isn’t that something wonderful to aspire to?  Isn’t that what makes you smile as you walk or drive away after helping someone?  Or being helped by someone?  Even observing one person helping another brings a smile to my face. Especially those random acts of kindness!  Wouldn’t you agree, when you do something kind, be it extraordinary or quite simple, those good feelings can last for days?  And when you share the story, be it hours or years later, whether you were the helper or the helpee, those same feelings of goodness and happiness begin to bubble up like sweet, sticky, popping bubbles of melting caramel?  Yum.  Someone get me a spoon.  

Or at least an apple

So here we are in early April, just five weeks away from our adventure, one that may impact hundreds of sea stars or just a few.  Either way, there will be lessons learned, experiences had and stories to share.  It is our  hope this adventure will in some way touch you, even if you haven’t had any direct contact or interaction with Alzheimer’s disease.  Memory loss isn’t a fun topic to discuss, neither is cancer, mental illness, nor whatever other malady you may have dodged or have been a direct target of; there is something you can do to help.   

Please join us in giving support to the Alzheimer’s Association, to those who have been diagnosed, or work with people diagnosed.  Those caregivers who spend long hours working, lifting, stretching, bending and extending to care for their loved one or charge.  You never know, you may end up giving just one person exactly what they need, right when they need it most.  Trust me, you’ll be remembered.  Please donate by visiting our Generosity Funding Site (a subsidiary of Indiegogo): <http://j.mp/FFALZ>  Log on and donate at the link. (Be careful though, you may want to click on the button of the page, allowing you to change the fee to donate from $10.00 to $0.00)

Meanwhile, here's something that will serve Brenda, or anyone else out there trying to expedite healing an injury. 

 Since vitamin A promotes the production of white blood cells, known as the "keeper (in this case, the caregiver) of the injury" as they help our bodies to fight off infection while increasing the rate of healing, a recipe rich in vitamin A is called for.  I thought using those tasty Sweet Potatoes (yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing) would work well today.  Sweet Potatoes are chock full of vitamin A, besides, both Nancy and my daughter Sharon love them. Here's a simple dish you can cook up for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  

Notice the discrepancies between the photos?  The bottom one indicates the white interior is the Sweet Potato while the picture above that one, leads you to believe the white interior is the Yam.  Hmmmm.  According to what I learned while in culinary school and what is explained in one of my cooking text books Yams have that brownish colored skin with white flesh inside.  They tend to be sweeter and more moist than Sweet Potatoes but alas, carry less sugar and vitamins A and C than the Sweet Potato.  Sweet Potatoes have that pinkish skin with yellowish flesh while the Dark Sweet Potato has a darker, more reddish color with a true orange interior.  The Darker Sweet Potato (Garnet) also cooks up to be a bit sweeter and more moist than it's lighter kin.  But it's that vitamin A I'm after here.  

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

2 Sweet Potatoes - baked until tender, but not mushy         2 cups shredded/grated Gruyere cheese

4 tablespoons unsalted butter - room temp                              1 teaspoon cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste                                        1 tablespoon ground sage or 3 tablespoons fresh chopped

4 eggs                                                                                 4 slices bacon - cooked and rough chopped

Slice each potato in half, then scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl, being careful not to tear the skins.  Combine the potato flesh with half the grated cheese, all the butter, cinnamon and half the sage.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Spoon the potato mixture evenly into each potato skin half then top each with one egg.  Divide remaining cheese on top of each potato half along with the cooked bacon then garnish with remaining sage.  

Placing potato halves on a baking sheet, cook in a preheated, 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until eggs are done to your liking.  

                                                               Eat - Enjoy - Heal  

That link to donate again is: <http://j.mp/FFALZ>