JUST THROW THE DARNED THING AWAY!

That old sponge is a Petri dish!

We use two sponges in our kitchen. One, the little one with the rough and smooth sides, we reserve for  dishes. The other larger one has a less defined purpose. It gets used for cleaning the sink and performs occasional counter duty. 

The wet sponge is a perfect place for bacteria to live and prosper. The bacteria in the sponge get regular  feedings as we clean up the crumbs on the counter or the lasagne in the casserole, and so on. Bacteria love it!

It helps to  let the sponge dry between uses because bacteria do need moisture, but eventually the big one gets stinky. Washing it out  with Chlorox, abates the nasty smell left on my hands from the old sponge for a few days. Some microwave their sponge, some run it with the dishes or in the laundry. Actually, recent research has shown that attempts at cleaning household sponges can only make the matter worse. It turns out that none of these methods of cleaning is all that effective in getting rid of the most noxious bacteria. We might get rid of a lot of the bacteria in these cleanings, but those bacteria that remain are resistant and can prosper in the absence of  competition.

For most of us whose immune  systems are in good working  order a little bacterial contamination is not a problem. So we can hold off on replacing that sponge for a while longer. Overlook that funky smell. It's a different story for those whose immune systems are stressed, for example from a cancer or maybe somebody fighting a serious infection. At these times our bodies are not well defended and opportunistic bacteria, like some of those that can live in funky sponges, can be dangerous.

Economics aside, you would be better to think of using paper towels (if you are a gardener, paper composts at home very nicely), especially when cleaning up, for example, vomit or 'cat urp.' Restaurants use cloth towels that are frequently washed, and a restaurant must maintain a strict standard of cleanliness if it hopes to pass a health inspection. At a minimum, don't use the kitchen sink sponge to clean messes on the floor. 

The overarching recommendation is that you replace that sponge frequently, even weekly, or more often if somebody in the house is ill (think about cross contamination in the kitchen). 

There is no virtue or economy in keeping a kitchen sponge that fails the sniff test. It's a reservoir of bacteria -- your own kitchen Petri Dish. Ditch it!

Want to read more? Here are two articles from the New York Times for you:
https://nyti.ms/2uNnbBd and https://nyti.ms/2urCwap

SENIORS ALIVE! FOR AUGUST

HERE IS YOUR AUGUST 2017 ISSUE OF SENIORS ALIVE! 

 Lots of things going on for us seniors!  

 How about the annual chicken barbecue on August 24th, at noon, at the Deering Community Church? Bring a plate to share and get a break of a buck off the $5.00 price of admission: a salad if your family name ends in A-L and a dessert if you're an M-Z. To reserve your chicken, call Marie Merrow (464-3067) before 17 August.

There will be several shopping trips in August and on  21 September GHSS is heading for Foster's Clambake in York, Maine. There's a whole bunch of things on the menu in addition to clams. Check it out in the newsletter and then give Marie Mogavero a call (464-4726) to reserve your place. The all inclusive price is $38.00 to get you there, fed, and safely back home again.

One of the best vacation deals in the country is going to disappear before long!

The price for a lifetime America the Beautiful -- The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass is going to jump from $10.00 to $80.00 on 28  August. Now, mind you, at $80.00 this pass is still a bargain and the additional funds will go toward 'enhancing the visitor experience' at our national parks and other lands (even though it could be said that we seniors have paid our dues and this is just one more way to stiff seniors.) Even if you are only sort of, kind of thinking that you  might one day visit a national park sometime in what we hope will be a very long life, it would behoove you to buy the pass while it's still only $10.00. You can get your National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass application at Hillsborough's Fuller library or, on line, at thttps://store.usgs.gov/senior-pass.

Your application must be postmarked no later than 28 August 2017.

VILLAGE PROTECTED BY SLEEPLESS GRANDMOTHER

A friend died recently. She was ninety-eight years old. I was never to try to call her before noon.

She explained that she only could sleep in the morning, that she was awake through the night – while I was sleeping.  This happens with older people. We tend to go to bed and rise earlier than the rest of you. For many of us the night brings only fitful sleep, a period of wakefulness. We replenish what remain of our brain cells, or whatever it is sleep does for us, by napping during the day.

Why is it this way? It just might be evolution, something written in our genes to promote survival of our – village.

Scientists recently reported (Proceedings of the Royal Society B and reported in the New York Times) results of a study of sleep patterns of an east African hunter-gatherer people, the Hadza. The Hadza sleeping environment may have similarities to that of earlier humans, researchers said. They sleep outdoors or in grass huts in groups of 20 to 30 people without artificially regulating temperature or light. These conditions provide a suitable window to study the evolutionary aspects of sleep. In their study they found that somebody was always awake. During the period of the study everybody was sleeping for only an average of 18 minutes in a twenty-four hour day. During the night and in the wee hours of the morning it was the grandparents who tended to be awake. And watchful.

The scientists hypothesized that the young folks needed their sleep more than the grandparents. This  is because the young folks were the ones who needed light for their work, whether it was gardening, hunting, or caring for the family and protecting against predators and other intruders. The grandparents were tasked with the job of watching through the night. Keeping an eye out for encroaching threats to the village.

So, I thank my friend for her sleeplessness. I am quite sure that her inability to sleep during many nights over many years provided our small village an important degree of safety. 

Is it my turn?

SENIORS ALIVE! FOR JULY

Here is your July issue of Senior's Alive! 

There is something for everybody in here.

The dinner cruise/dance on MV MT WASHINGTON on August 14 looks like a lot of fun.. put those dance lessons to a good use!

Then closer to home, and completely free!, are the musical evenings in Hillsborough's Butler park. You'll find the summer schedule here!

No excuses now! Get out and DO SOMETHING! It's on us!

SENIORS ALIVE! FOR JUNE

Here is your June issue of GHSS newsletter SENIORS ALIVE!

There is a bunch of trips including including a visit to HAMPTON BEACH via CONNOR BOTTLING WORKS in Newfield, the home of  Squamscot 'Oldfashioned' Beverages (more commonly known today as 'tonic' or 'soda' with lots of flavors to chose from). Check out the sandcastles at Hampton  Beach on this outing. All for only $11.00! The date is coming up quickly, on Friday 16 June, so if this tickles your fancy, you'd better get in touch with Marie Mogavero (464-4726) pronto!

In August there will be a dinner/dance cruise on the MV Mt Washington. Sounds kind of romantic romantic. Think: A  georgeous lake Winnipisauke. It won't be a full moon on 14th August, but it will be the third quarter and still pretty bright! At only $44.00 per person it's a cheap date! Get the 'pahticklas' in the newsletter and sign up!

There's lots more in the newsletter so .. enjoy!

SENIORS ALIVE! FOR MAY

HERE IS YOUR MAY COPY OF SENIORS ALIVE!

Road trips and luncheons and other good stuff. Read about it all in this issue of SENIORS ALIVE!

GHSS NEEDS YOUR HELP