Friday, September 25, 2020

Freedom in the United States Means You Decide What is Best

Hi Friends,

I hope you are enjoying these first days of fall. The maple trees have turned red and orange. There are so many family friendly activities to enjoy this time of year. Check them out on Indy with Kids

Each year people have many of the same conversations around the same time. Right now, people are considering their health (aside from COVID-19) because cold and flu season is moving into our area with the chilly fall weather. Protecting yourself and your family's health is a decision. People do not have to get vaccinations. People do not have to take their medicine as prescribed. People have the ability to choose what they think is best when it comes to their health. Because this is a hot topic, be sure to read more below to make the best decisions to preserve your health, your family's health and our community's health. If you can not afford to pay for family's healthcare, there are many options for free and reduced care as well as other support.

You may have gotten an Amber Alert on your phones this week. An Amber Alert is an emergency message that is broadcasted on phones and over the radios and televisions. Warning signs on highways effected by the alert will also broadcast the alert. An Amber Alert is a bulletin looking for a missing child or children. There are usually descriptions of vehicles and license plates. If you see the car that is being sought, call 911 and report it directly to the police. A similar alert is a Silver Alert where an adult is missing, usually an older person with dementia.

Vaccinations and antibiotics and prescriptions in the United States.

Medical practices and compliance are different in many countries. Understanding the impact that following the direction of your healthcare provider has a great impact on your wellness as well as those around you. In the United States you may have more leeway. Your choices have a great impact on the entire community as well as your individual health. Key questions:

  • Antibiotics kill the microorganisms that cause sickness. It is simple to cure these kinds of diseases when the drugs are taken as directed.by the doctor to kill the bacteria that is causing illness (ear infections, strep throat, kidney or urinary tract infections, sinus infections, etc.) Each prescription is written for each person given their age, weight, etc. and will work only for that person in that situation.
  • Prescriptions from a doctor are written for one person for one health situation. Take the medication as directed for the entire time. Many times people think that since they feel better they don't need to continue to take the medicine. This may cause the disease to grow and get worse.
  • Public schools (and most private schools) and all universities in the United States require students have vaccinations to  keep students from getting sick and maybe more importantly to protect others who are immunocompromised or allergic to the vaccinations and can't take them in these group settings.
Living a good life and staying healthy are choices people make every day.

There are so many interesting things happening in each of our classes and meetings. Look through each of the headings below to see what we are doing and learning throughout the week. Feel free to jump in and join us any time. You need to register and I will send you the links.

COVID 19 in Indiana

We moved to Level 5 in Indiana! Restaurants and bars are open to full capacity. Wear your facemask and practice social distance. Continue to wash your hands and use your hand sanitizer. Senior living facilities are not wide open, yet, but the restrictions on dining and social activities are being cautiously lifted. This is great news for us families!

Preschool Stories and More: Mondays, 10:30-11:30, Zoom.

We are excited to start our classes. You need to email me to get the Zoom links. We are reading a great book about going to school. We are talking about being a good friend. Moms, bring your questions about schools and learning expectations in the United States and Indiana. Your are welcome to join us for our children’s class and then stay for a Q&A.

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:30-10:30

This week we read about the miracle of Jesus’ annunciation. An angel came to Mary to tell her that she was going to be the mother of the Son of God. Mary and Elizabeth were cousins, and both were blessed with amazing children. We talked about how we need someone to “open the gates” for us, just as John’s work opened the minds and hearts of people to be ready for Jesus. We talked about how Jesus was human and we too can walk like Jesus. We talked about how God’s angel’s message to Mary gave her the knowledge and tools to face the possibility of people questioning her and her baby, since she was unmarried. We talked briefly how with comes risk.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:30-12:00

We "met" in my kitchen for a cooking session for how to make stuffed apples. While I demonstrated a sweet version, we also talked about making savory options.

September 29 week we will have a “cook along” and make oven baked wings, (and talk about other options for making them). To join in the cook along you will need a stick of unsalted butter, hot sauce (Frank’s Red Saucy, Tabasco, Siracha or one of your choice), or ketchup, ginger and soy sauce, or a package of ranch salad dressing mix (the envelop kind not the bottle kind). For serving, you will need celery sticks, ranch salad dressing and blue cheese.

Afternoon Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00

Talking about life in Indiana is always fun. Sometimes life overwhelms us. Some days we are torn in several directions at once. That was what happened to me during our meeting on Wednesday. It seems that all my responsibilities collided at 5:00! That didn’t stop the conversation. Our Friends could hold their own quite well without me jumping in!

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00

Some people are still having technical difficulties Zooming into our classes. Here are some "fixes" for you to be aware of:

  • You should be able to one-click into the class using the link in your email (your email is linked with this quick click).
  • Be careful not to use the “dial up” link if you are connected to Wi-Fi or using your computer. I included that link so that you could join classes or meetings if your Wi-Fi is down or if you are using your phone.
  •  If you choose to type in the ID and the password, be careful to type them exactly as they are written including the capitalization

Capitalization in written American English capitalization plays an important role in interpreting meaning.

  • Proper names (nouns) names of people, places and things are capitalized.
  • The first word of a sentence or bullet are capitalized.
  • The important words in the title of a book, article or major heading of writing.
  • Initials and abbreviations of places or entities (U.S.A.=United States of America or IN=Indiana or GOP=Grand Old Party or the Republican political party!).
  • People substitute the words big and little to signify capitalization: big B and little b.
  • When spelling is unusual someone may say, “My name is la Salle. That would be little l-a, capital s-a double l e.”
  • Technology has brought many new ways of abbreviating and capitalizing. Tech does not follow the usual rules (Wi-Fi…which is just how it is spelled: a catchy name).

End of the Week Conversation: Thursdays, 10:30-12:00

As the weather turns colder, people seem to feel ill more often. Colds (viruses) turn into sinus and ear infections (bacterial infections easily cured with antibiotics). The flu vaccination comes out this time of year. Getting your flu vaccination protects you from the current strain or variety of the influenza. COVID-19 has made it even more critical to get your flu shot, to protect yourself from the flu and to keep others from getting sick. This article in IU Health explains it more thoroughly.

We all enjoy cocktails, especially when we don't have to drive! We shared our favorite drinks!


sought: looked for

compliance: following or agreeing to directions
leeway: flexibility, room for decision making and action
immunocompromised: having a weak immune system
jump in: join us
capacity: full amount
Q&A: question and answer time
annunciation: the announcement to Mary by the angel Gabriel
torn in several directions at once: having responsibilities or demands at the same time
overwhelms: over runs
collided: met suddenly in the same place
hold their own: take care of themselves
jumping in: joining and participating
savory: not sweet
capitalization: use of upper and lower case letters
capitalized: usually this means the first letter of a word is capitalized
bullet: the dot or character in a list as a part of the text of a paragraph
entities: organizations
signify: indicates
catchy: memorable
cured: disease is ended
thoroughly: fully, in detail

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