Stroke Recoverer's Review Feb 2013

“Dedicated to Excellence” Vol. 13, Issue 155 February 2013

Feb. 21, 2013

Photos by

Jose

www.templetonstrokerecovery.com

Inside this issue:

Page 2

February 2013 Volume 13, Issue 155

Page 2

RECIPE: Asian Carryout Noodles

Common sense is like

deodorant. The people

who need it, most never

use it.

It’s funny, how you can

do nice things for people all the

time and they never notice it. But,

o n c e y o u m a k e o n e

mistake, it’s never forgotten.

HOPE is the little voice you hear

whisper. MAYBE when it seems

the entire world is shouting NO.

Don’t start your day with the

broken pieces of yesterday.

Empty pockets teaches you a

million things in life, but, ‘full

pockets spoils you in a million

ways.’

Success seems to be connected

with action. Successful people

keep moving. They make mistakes

but they don’t quit.

Don’t just belong, participate.

Don’t just care, help others. Don’t

just believe, practice. Don’t just

dream, work.

IN THE END, we only regret the

chances we didn’t take. The rela-

tionship we were afraid to have.

And, the decisions we waited too

long to make.

—submitted by Loy Lai

Stroke survivor

Templeton Branch-SRABC

ENCOURAGEMENTS

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package, Angel hair

pasta

1 tsp ............. Canola oil

1 tsp ............. Sesame oil

1/2 ............... Onion, chopped

1 clove ......... Garlic, minced

1 .................. Skinless, boneless chicken breast half, cut into bite-size

pieces

1 tbsp ........... Fresh ginger, grated

2 leaves ....... Bok Choy, diced

1/4 cup ......... Chicken broth

2 tbsp ........... Dry cherry

1 tbsp ........... Soy sauce

1-1/2 tbsp ..... Hoisin sauce

1/8 tsp .......... Salt

2 .................. Green onion, minced

Directions:

1. In a large pot with boiling salted water, cook angel hair pasta until

al dente. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat canola and sesame oil over medium high heat. Saute onion and garlic until softened. Stir in chopped chicken, and cook until chicken browns and juices run clear. Stir in ginger, bok choy, chicken stock, sherry, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce. Reduce heat, and continue cooking for 10 min-

utes.

3. Toss pasta with chicken mixture until well coated. Season with salt. Serve warm, sprinkled with minced

green onions. 2 servings. “There’s life after stroke”

Templeton Newsletter

Mailing Address:

204– 2929 Nootka Street,

Vancouver, BC V5M 4K4 Canada

Published every month, if possible. Contributions are always welcome. The articles should be in, not later than day 25th day of every month.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in Stroke Recoverer’s Review newsletter: articles, submissions and spotlights are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Templeton Branch-SRABC or the editor of Stroke Recoverer’s Review. Editor reserves the right at any time to make changes as it deems necessary. It is the purpose of this periodical to share a variety of viewpoints mostly from stroke

survivors.

February 2013 Contributors: Loy Lai

Kiyoko Akeroyd

Deb Chow Helen Singh Jim Walmsley Werner Stephan Jose Suganob

Production of SRR:

Jose Suganob

Email: [email protected]

Printing Pick-up Person:

Ollie Stogrin

Recipe..Asian Carryout Noodles 2

Encouragements 2

Last Month’s Happening 3

BLAST..Jim i-joke.. 4

Jose Notes.. 5

Making Jam 6

December 2011 saw

Templeton Stroke

Recovery close the

year with yet another

successful fund-

raising Christmas

dinner and raffle.

The sad note was that Valerie

Offer, our coordinator of six

years was unable to join our

group when we reopened in

January 2012. She was hospital-

ized in August 2011, so we

started September without her.

Cancer claimed her in May of

2012. At our annual July picnic,

our members wished her bon

voyage by writing her messages

of love on helium balloons and

releasing them at Trout Lake.

Kiwassa installed a bench at

their Community Center in her

memory. During her 10 month

hospital stay, many trekked to

St. Paul’s to fill her room with

flowers and love. There was

never a time when my sister

and I visited that she was alone.

Debbie Chow and her supporters

successfully organized their

second ‘BLAST’ for Easter week-

end at the Lion’s Squamish

Camp site last year. Kudos to

Debbie. Her mother passed

away the day before Good

Friday but she still turned up

early Good Friday morning

at Squamish Camp. With that

same kind of commitment

BLAST 2013 is well on it way

to another successful event.



Page 3

LAST MONTH’S HAPPENING —by Key Akeroyd, Templeton Branch-SRABC

Many thanks to Hastings Community

Centre for your financial support

both for the BLAST 2011 and BLAST

2012. Thanks also to Hastings

and Shannon of Templeton for

their help in the ‘Debbie-organized

-and-Templeton Stroke Recovery’s

first ever ‘Strides for Stroke’ fund-

raising event on June 23, 2012.

That I aware of, no other Stroke

Recovery Association of BC

group’s fund-raising walk have had

information tables on site.

Once a month, our members were

meeting for dinner at local restau-

rants but had to give them up

because Handy Dart had d if f i -

culty prov iding us group

evening transportation.

During the month Templeton was

closed for maintenance work,

Kiwassa offered us space at the

Nora Davis Gardens’ common

room.

Until we were to hire Valerie

Offer’s replacement the middle of

June, Katelyn Akeroyd, a volunteer

who t rained under Valer ie,

filled in under the end June.

We offer our members beverages,

treats and a $3.00 lunch usually

of soup and sandwiches.

A visit to the Bloedel Conservatory,

lunch at the Four Seasons restau-

rant, the Vancouver Aquarium,

lunch at VCC’s J.J. Fine Dining

and Grandview Bowling were

some of our activities in 2012.

It is our fervent hope that we can

manage to get more attendees to

BLAST 2013 this Easter.

We appreciate the space offered

us. Thank you.

—Key Akeroyd

Templeton Stroke Recovery

THE JIGSAW PUZZLE poem by Helen Singh

The puzzle was finished

Altogether, in dazzling glory

Then someone dropped it

It flew into pieces

My life flew into pieces

Some pieces are missing now

They can never be found

The puzzle will never be complete again

My life will never be complete again

This is what happened

When I had a stroke

The puzzle fell apart

Pieces went back

Where they weren’t before

I can’t find

The piece for remember

The piece for walk

The piece for move my hand

I’m trying my best

I’ll take what’s left

And build another puzzle

Not the same as the first one

Not as beautiful

Not as perfect

But dazzling in its own way

I tell myself

I still have choices

And this is what I choose

I choose to not give up. —by Helen Singh

Templeton Branch-SRABC

“There’s life after stroke” Page 3

DID YOU KNOW?

“Hand me the tinfoil, will you?”

To this day, it’s not uncommon

for folks to ask for tinfoil

when they want wrap leftover.

Household foil was made only

of tin until 1947, when alumi-

num foil was introduced into

home, eventually replacing tin-

foil in the kitchen drawer.

THE GOLDBERG

BROTHERS...The Inventors of

the automobile air-conditioner

The four Goldberg brothers,

Lowell, Norman, Hiram

and Max, invented and developed

the first automobile air-conditioner.

On July 17, 1946, the temperature

in Detroit was 97 degrees.

The four brothers walked into old

man Henry Ford’s office and sweet

talked his secretary into telling him

that four gentlemen were there

with the most exciting innovation in

the auto industry since the electric

starter.

Henry was curious and invited

them into his office.

They refused and instead asked

that he come out to the parking lot

to their car.

They persuaded him to get into the

car, which was about 130 degrees,

turned on the air-conditioner, and

cooled the car off immediately.

The old man got very excited and

invited them back to the office,

where he offered them $3 million

for the patent.

The brothers refused, saying they

would settle for $2 million, but they

wanted the recognition by having

a label. ‘The Goldberg Air-

Conditioner’ on the dashboard of

each car in which it was installed.

Now, old man Ford was more than

just a little anti-Semitic, and there

was no way he was going to put

the Goldberg’s name on two

millions Fords.

Page 4

January 2013 Volume 13, Issue 154

Page 4


“There’s life after stroke”

BLAST

(Building Life After Stroke Together)

March 29 to April 1, 2013 Good Friday to Easter Monday - 3 nights/4 days

All inclusive. Charter pick up from

Lower Mainland including ferry terminals

Only $225

Give the gift of BLISS (Better Life In Stroke Survival)

Gift Certificates are available or maybe some-

one will give it to you.

For more information:

Please go to website: TurtleTalk.ca

29 days to go!!! And 41 people registered

(8 newbies)...18 people more...

Easter 2013 will be a

BLAST!!!

HandyDART

They haggled back and forth for

two hours and finally, agreed on $4

million and that just their first

names would be shown.

And, so, to this day, all Ford air-

conditioners show—Lo, Norm, Hi,

and Max—on the controls.

...Control yourself!!!

—i-joke submitted by Jim Walmsley

Stroke survivor

Delta Branch-SRABC

JIMY I-JOKES BLAST - Easter Long Weekend 2013

TAXI BILL OF RIGHT… The Taxi Bill of Right is a state-

ment of principles, outlining ex-

pectations of both taxi drivers and

passengers. The purpose is this

bill is to improve taxi service in

Metro Vancouver.

As a taxi passenger, you have the

right to:

Be picked up & transported to

your stated destination by any

available on-duty taxi driver.

Pay the posted rate by cash, or

accepted credit card or Taxi

Saver voucher.

A courteous driver who provides

assistance, if requested.

Travel with an assistance dog or

portable mobility aid.

A taxi that is clean, smoke free &

in good repair.

Direct the route, or expect the

most economical route.

A quiet atmosphere, upon

request; and

A detai led receipt , when

requested

—www.taxirights.gov.bc.ca



Page 5

DID YOU KNOW?

As most Canadians know, the

star of The Red Green Show

on the CBC and PBS, has

been known to use duct tape

for everything from fixing a

spare tire to re-webbing a lawn

chair. Red’s real-life persona,

Steve Smith, admits he doesn’t

use ‘the handyman’s secret

weapon’ as much as his screen

character. “I live in a pretty nice

neighborhood, where duct tape

is discouraged as a renovation

tool,” he says. Nevertheless,

when he had to prevent his

front door from locking, he put

a small strip of duct tape

across the bolt. He points out

that this was the first time he’d

used duct tape ‘to stop some-

thing from working.’

Handle every stressful situation

like a dog.

If you can’t eat it or play with it.

Just pee on it and walk away.

TEMPLETON POOL CLOSED

For one month (March 22 to April

25, 2013) Templeton Pool building

will be closed for maintenance.

We will meeting at Norah Davis

Garden: 2320 Franklin Street,

Vancouver, from March 28 to

April 18, 2013

STROKE SONG — poem by Duncan Holmes, Delta Branch-SRABC JOSE’s NOTES

“There’s life after stroke” Page 5

Don’t tell me your troubles

After all that I’ve been through;

Sorry about your aches and pains,

They simply don’t ring true;

Until a stroke has hit you,

Broke you brain in half,

Hearing about the stuff you’ve had,

All I can do is laugh.

There’s nothing like a stroke good

friend

It can kill you just like that;

Change your world in a blinding flash,

Out for the count on the mat;

Kiss off vital functions,

Can’t run, or jump, or play,

And until you say I’ll beat this thing

You won’t last another day.

But once you say I’m still alive,

You can beat the fear and pain;

So get off your butt, and tell the

world

I’m gonna get better again;

A choice to make when you’ve

been there

There’s a better road ahead

Take hold of yourself and smile

again

Much better than lying there dead.

So don’t tell me your troubles

After all that I’ve been through

Make way for a stroke survivor

Clear a path, he’s comin’ through.

Make way for a stroke survivor

Heads up, she’s comin’ through.

—poem by Duncan Holmes

Stroke survivor

Delta Branch-SRABC

www.strokerecoverydelta.com

L to R: Duncan Holmes, Joe Campbell,

Cecil, Chari

Duncan Holmes read the ‘Stroke

Song’ at our 11th Annual Valen-

tine’s hosted by Joe Campbell and

his numerous caregivers. Duncan

then followed up with an ex-

temporaneous tribute to caregivers

before presenting a framed carica-

ture of Joe and Cecil.

Chari has been Joe Campbell’s

caregiver for many years and now

serves as a part-time caregiver in

addition to Cecil. Joe has been a

Delta Branch-SRABC member for

about 12 years. This was Joe’s

11th annual Valentine’s party for

our members and friends.

—Karel Ley

Delta Branch-SRABC

www.strokerecoverydelta.com

DID YOU KNOW? Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was discovered in 1818. The most common household use for it is as an antiseptic & bleaching agent. (It’s the key ingredient in most whitening kits & all-fabric oxygen bleaches, for example). Textile manufacturers use higher concen-trations of hydrogen peroxide to bleach fabric. During WWII, hydrogen peroxide solutions fueled torpedoes & rockets.

MAKING JAM—Werner Stephan, North Shore Stroke Recovery Center - West Vancouver Group

Page 6


Page 6


Some t ime ago,

I read in a periodical

about a book by an

English woman, who

wrote about her

experiences of making jam, jelly

chutney and even baked things

with fruit, available for a specific

month of the year. I found the

subject sufficiently interesting

to get a copy of the book. Yes,

men can f ind this subject

interesting also, not just pin-up

girls. Life is not ‘all-behind’ us,

as the saying goes.

I had to learn a completely new

vocabulary. What is an aga or a

maslin or a bodge? What is a

‘blighter’? What does it mean to

‘save a faff’? I know, I can

always ‘google’ it to find out, or

at least hope to find out, what it

means if I think that it is impor-

tant or I can guess.

I am rather sure that the author

would have similar problems

with of our expressions: what

does it involve to ‘bear-proof’ a

garden? I had problems to find

a source of some of the ingredi-

ents. Which of the local super-

markets do I think carries: elder-

flowers, goose berries, sloes

(whatever that is), crab apples,

clementines or rosehips. There

is something to be said for

farmer’s markets! It was not all

confusing, I am exaggerating.

I love different fruit jams.

The book opened my eyes to the

existence of chutneys, curds and

various conserves.

Just the thought of jam making

evoker a picture of a cottage with a

white picket fence, full of flowers

and fruit bushes or fruit trees with

birds singing. This author lives in a

small apartment in Dorset, England,

which explains the ‘odd’ vocabulary.

No, she does not have a microwave

oven. That is why I liked the book:

we do not live in a cottage by the

sea with birds singing (where are

the cats or bird-of-prey to keep

everything nice and quiet). No fruit

trees (read the city by-laws). She

worries why the jam won’t set, I

would have to worry where to get

the fruit from, if I were inclined to

make my own jam, rather than

buying it (it is cheaper).

By the way, I gathered that a maslin

is a jam pan, made preferably of

stainless steel with a thick bottom.

I have never seen one. She also

mentions a jelly bag . How is such

a contraption used? Bread making

with a machine is easier! Is there a

jam making machine? Or still easier

buy the jam.

Why did I even checkout the book?

Is it a sign of approaching old age?

Am I a ‘health-nut’? You tell me

if you dare! Aren’t we all supposed

to go ‘green’? Get away from

preservatives and chemicals? Well,

I looked at this book about jam

making as a challenge for the

environmentally conscious to be

more independent of commercially

produced goods. What more can

you expect?

—by Werner Stephan

Stroke survivor

West Vancouver Group North Shore Stroke Recovery Center

STATIC PREVENTION AGENT: Vitamin C

Why do you feel like there is a

surge of electricity when you

come into contact with a metallic

object? This is primarily due to the

imbalance of electrolyte in your

body. Regular consumption of

carrots, cabbage and tomatoes

which are rich in vitamin C could

help to address the imbalance, so

that you can stay away from

‘static shock.’

Gooseberry & Elderflower Jam

Plum & Apple Chutney

“There’s life after stroke”

Documents

Stroke Recoverer's Review Feb 2013