Smithfield News

Smiffie Dames

Smiffie Dames Smiffie Dames

New Year Re-inventions!
It’s far too late to wish you all a conventional Happy New Year, even though I’m sure you Dames have all had new ideas, new resolutions and thoughts of new life styles or home improvements. Our lives should be on track by now but perhaps yours isn’t yet, so now is a good time to think of some successful ways to reinvent yourselves. This can obviously be done at any time of the year and it is most important to realise that it doesn’t have to be a huge leap. Ease yourself into change.

I’ve only made one resolution this year. “Get healthier”. The first step is to drink at least three glasses of filtered water every morning to detoxify my system. So far I’ve stuck to it and already I feel livelier and more cheerful earlier in the morning. That is truly a breakthrough.

Multi-tasking Stressful
I’m a big believer – these days – that all this multi-tasking has to be curtailed. It is actually just a brain overload. It has become a well-known fact that our brains cannot cope with more than two tasks efficiently at the same time and that background noise, such as a radio, or even random visual information, such as children playing around us is considered a “task”. Even experiencing a temporary worry or annoyance might seem irrelevant to multi-tasking, but could still be a pressure-inducing distraction
The truth is that we do things better and faster when tackling tasks one after the other. How about that for your one and only New Year resolution. You will find that focussing on a single activity will allow you to relax, enjoy and concentrate on the here and now. And that’s what life is about – the NOW! All too often we’re either living in the past or the future. It is absolutely time to snap out of it. Tomorrow never comes. All you will ever have is “right now”! Enjoy it and you will be exactly where you need to be.
Barbara von Ahlefeldt and son Brett.

Weighed Down by our Handbags
A recent research in the UK (and why should we be any different) proves that Dames handbags are becoming heavier. They apparently weigh more than 2.5 kilos on average, a 38% rise in 5 years. During the survey of more than 500 women it was found that handbags aren’t being made to cope with the heavier loads of such things as cell phones, laptops, more keys and even the more traditional items such as purses, mirrors, perfumes, brushes and tissues. Handbag suppliers have been requested to ensure the stitching and weight-bearing straps are able to cope with these heavier loads. No wonder women these days are also more prone to backache, dropped shoulders and the like!

Past and Future Events
The Gunshot Art Exhibition in Biba’s Little Gallery has just ended. It was a resounding success and hundreds of “feet” were counted as having passed through to view some “new” art in Smithfield. Interesting and varied comments in the Visitors Book resulted. Claudia Shneider, left in photo opposite page (who owns a holiday home here and lives in Germany) organised and set it up and it certainly provided a lot of different reactions because the art on display ranged from conventional, to abstract, to interesting photography and wacky jewellery. Claudia’s seemingly simple images appear to be a blending of feelings and thoughts which she transforms into shapes, sometimes frivolous, even absurd. Her captions are magical.
Claudie Shneider and Samantha Wright.

The first Garden Club meeting of the year, on Tuesday Feb 12 will be held at Pula House. Two speakers have been arranged and confirmed. We are sure the meetings this year will be as interesting as ever and we look forward to a good attendance to kick off the new year. Come and join us!
Once again I would like to thank all the Garden Club members and other friends who brought flowers and shrubs for my new garden. Come and look at it now!
It’s a riot of spectacular colour. Also, it shows what loads of manure can achieve.
The first Book Rappers meeting of the year was held at Ellen’s home. Everyone was in good form, if a little jaded from Christmas season activities but we had all managed to read a number of books which were animatedly discussed. The next meeting will be held at Barbara’s home on Tuesday February 26. We would like to introduce in-depth discussions on chosen books which should be rather fun.
Hoe om bloeddruk te verlaag
Navorsers het uitgevind dat hand-oefeninge ‘n mens se bloeddruk kan help verlaag. In ‘n toets het mense wat handoefeninge gedoen het, het hulle sistoliese bloeddruk binne 8 weke verlaag. Hulle is nie seker hoekom nie en daar sal verder navorsing gedoen moet word, maar ‘n paar handoefeninge kan in elk geval nie kwaad doen nie:
Druk ‘n tennisbal – 10 drukke per hand twee of drie keer elke tweede dag
Rol jou koerant op – nadat jy dit gelees het, rol elke blaai op so klein as moontlik
“Fingertip pushups” – vir die fiksste onder ons!
Daar is ook toestelle wat mens kan koop by sportwinkels waarmee mens jou greep kan versterk.
Onlangse navorsing het ook getoon dat eensaamheid ook jou sistoliese bloeddruk kan affekteer. ‘n Hoë sistoliese bloeddruk kan jou risiko op beroerte en hartsiekte verhoog. Hulle raad is om ‘n vriend te bel of as vrywilliger te gaan werk of met ‘n vriend te gaan stap – dit help sommer op twee maniere!
Ander raad vir bloeddruk is om minder sout te eet, maar mens moet ook bewus wees van sout in klaar voorbereide kos soos blikkieskos. Oefening is altyd goed en gewigsverlies as dit nodig is, help ook en mens moet leer om stres te hanteer. Deesdae is stres die oorsaak van baie siektes en pyne dat dit baie belangrik is om te leer om nie oor alles te stres nie.

‘n Gesonde 2008 vir almal.

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TO END WITH:
SPEAK IN THE BELIEF THAT WHAT YOU SAY MAKES A DIFFERENCE. -
IT DOES.

The Alternative Smithfield News.