Vol. 12  No. 1                                                                                                                        January  2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR and welcome back! Your Board of Directors and I hope each of you had a wonderful, safe and happy holiday season and we wish you all the best in 2008!

THANK YOU to all who participated in the SRA - 2nd Annual Christmas Pot-Luck Supper, which was held on Monday, December 10^th, 2007.  It was another HIT!  We had turkey (with all the trimmings), ham, meatballs, scalloped potatoes, veggies, salads, buns and numerous desserts from Christmas baking, cakes, cookies, fresh fruit and cheeses.  WOW!  Once again, a Big THANK YOU to Joan McCreight for all her organizing and to Joan and Shawn McCreight for doing all the set-up!  A JOB WELL DONE! 

We hope everyone will be eagerly attending our monthly 2008 SRA meetings.  We have some new programs to present, special guest speakers and FUN get-togethers planned as well!  The Program Committee will have a calendar of events for February’s newsletter.  If you have any other ideas and or topics you would like to hear, please contact me, at our SRA number 485-3052.

Just a “friendly reminder” - please don’t forget to pay your SRA membership!  If you are “new” to our support group, we are very happy you have come out to visit us.  If you are a paid member – thank you for your financial support as a member.  If you are a non-paid member – PLEASE see Fred or Alice Chow (the

Treasurers) and they will gladly take your membership money and get you in “good standing”!  Our membership fee is very reasonable:  a single membership is $10.00/year and a family membership is $15.00/year.  We are a non-profit organization; your membership fees pay our phone, website, coffee, printing, etc. expenses.

Until next month… Bye4Now…  Gladys Marie Magega (President of SRA – Edmonton)

“Video” night with refreshments

6:30 pm for coffee and treats

For information, call 485-3052

Happy New Year

Little Old Lady

There was a little old lady, who every morning, stepped onto her front porch, raised her arms to the sky, and shouted: "PRAISE THE LORD!"

One day an atheist moved into the house next door. He became irritated at the little old lady. Every morning he'd step onto his front porch after her and yell: "THERE IS NO LORD!"

Time passed with the two of them carrying on this way every day.

One morning, in the middle of winter, the little old lady stepped onto her front porch and shouted: "PRAISE THE LORD! Please Lord, I have no food and I am starving, provide for me, oh Lord!"

The next morning she stepped out onto her porch and there were two huge bags of groceries sitting there.

"PRAISE THE LORD!" she cried out. "HE HAS PROVIDED GROCERIES FOR ME!"

The atheist neighbor jumped out of the hedges and shouted: "THERE IS NO LORD; I BOUGHT THOSE GROCERIES!!"

The little old lady threw her arms into the air and shouted: "PRAISE THE LORD! HE HAS PROVIDED ME WITH GROCERIES AND MADE THE DEVIL PAY FOR THEM!"

By Marla Stang (Sturgeon Community Hospital)

Now that winter is upon us, there are some added challenges to be considered when walking outside:

1.     Always wear rubber soled and heeled footwear, with good treads. Fasten them well.

2.  Scan the ground for ice and/or irregularities in terrain.

3.  Be extra careful when entering a building that has no rug at the door.

4.  If a rug is provided at building entrances, wipe feet, cane and walker tips. Take time to do it thoroughly.

5.  If you have to be outside on ice, keep feet flat and slide them along – do not attempt to lift feet while walking over that dangerous terrain.

6.  Take advantage of the malls. Some of them have formal walking programs that take place before opening hours. If your local mall has no program, walk during quiet hours, stay to the right, close to storefronts. Watch melted ice puddles.

7.  A clean rag in your pocket or in the pocket of your companion comes in handy for wiping cane and walker tips dry.