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Show Feature SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 1, 1SS3 How can protect my food storage from rodents and hantavirus? By Barbara Pyles Its that time of year again. Stress! Stress! Stress! Tis the season for shopping, family reunions, parties, programs, scribbling holiday notes, baking Christmas goodies, decking the halls, and a lot of prancing around. Sad but true, these material things sometimes override the reason for the season. Dont get me wrong, theres nothing wrong with trying to make the holidays a little extra special for those you love. But this year why not take a d eep breath, slow down and prepare for Christmas in a spiritual way. Perhaps the key word between material and spiritual preparation is balance. Instead of getting caught up in a whirlwind of activities, many people celebrate the season of Advent. Advent comes from the Latin word adventus which means coming or the arrival. The season of Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. During those four weeks, Christians throughout the world prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ. This is not to say that Christians are saying that Christ is not yet bom. Instead, they are on a journey to the manger to celebrate the birthday of the Christ child bom some 2000 years ago. During that journey, they focus on the events leading up to Jesus birth, and prepare their hearts for the cel-- , ebration. They also anticipate and prepare their personal lives for His second Advent. For He is coming again, whether we are ready or not. Of course people who celebrate Advent still make trips to the mall, bake batches of cookies, and deck the halls. But their focus is kept on the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. The Advent season can be observed in the home as well as at church. Probably the most widely recognized symbol of Advent is the Advent Wreath. The wreath can be or handmade. The traditional Advent wreath is made of evergreen tree branches in which four candles (three purple and one rose) are arranged in a circle. One purple candle is lit on the store-boug- ht first Sunday ofAdvent. The original candle is lit on the second Sunday as wrell as a second Durnlpcnd,t f'MfetHTd S,,n-dathe first two candles are lit along with a third purple candle. On the fourth Sunday, all four candles are lit. Some Advent Wreaths have a white fifth candle in the center of the about to celebrate his birth. Its said that this beloved holiday tradition originated with the German Lutherans. By the 16th century Catholics and Protestants throughout Germany used the Advent wreath in homes and , the Answer by: Charlotte Brennand, Advent candle. They say a prayer and meditate briefly, then enjoy a simple feast of gingerbread. Another popular tradition that has been used for centuries and churches as a symbol to celebrate originated in Germany is the their hope in Christ. This tradi- Advent calendar. Elaborate or tion spread from Germany to handmade Advent calendars, other parts of the Christian with pop-owindows, are used world. In churches, this wreath to count down the days until of waiting is placed on a table or Christmas. A family member, a stand near the pulpit. usually a child, opens a new window of their Advent Calendar each day until Christmas. They may recite a prayer for the ut day. Long ago, it was the custom to decorate the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. After the tree was lit, a family member usually read about the birth of Christ from the Bible. Sometimes there was a birthday cake for Jesus. Joy! Joy! Joy! Its time to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. Families attend church. There is a lot of ripping and In many homes families gather tearing as presents are opened. weekly to light the Advent A grand feast is served. The candles. They may sing tradi- waiting is over. Its Christmas tional Christmas hymns, or take Day. About 300 years after Christ a moment of quiet to reflect on was born, Church leaders in Gods presence. But the Advent wreath is not Rome declared December 25 as the only way to celebrate the His Birthday. These first season. Many churches have mid Christmases were serious and week Advent services and soup very holy. Church leaders ins prior suppers. Others may add a troduced the wreath-buildinand to Christmas (Advent) as a time workshop create devotional booklets to be of prayer and preparation. It was hoped that pagan customs read at home. During this time of prepara- would be forgotten and that tion and anticipation, many Christs birthday would be celfamilies observe a variety of ebrated instead. The bottom line is that Adcherished traditions, perhaps some were handed down from vent, for some, is a very sacred generation to generation. One season. It is a meaningful way to family may have an Advent prepare for a spiritual Christtree. Each day of Advent a pic- mas. For others, it sometimes acture and devotional card, per- gets lost in taining to the birth of Jesus, is tivities, and many have other hung on the tree. A special card beliefs. For those of you who keep this is hung on the tree on Christof waiting in your hearts, time mas morning. Some families have the tradi- we hope that your Advent Seation of buying food, clothing and son will be blessed as you pregifts for the needy. Others pass pare for the birthday of Jesus of out cookies in religious shapes Nazareth, whom we Christians to their neighbors. They wrant believe to be the Savior of the to give gifts to others because World. Embrace the season with joy. God gave the world the gift of let frantic preparations Dont bake families Some ginhis son. gerbread. As the wonderful cause you to miss Christmas smell fills the kitchen, the fam four-week- g pre-Christm- as Thank You I y, wreath. It symbolizes Christs birth and is lit on Christmas Day. The lit candles are reminders of the light Jesus brought into the world and that we are ily comes together to light Thanks to all our International Colour Contestants. Winners of our Drawing are : Heather Tait, Jessica Caruso, Carol Lane, LeAnn McDonald, Debbie Brussette, Jill Armstrong, Cynthia Noteman, Audra Luck and Cindy Gibbs. For Free Makeovers, call Judy - Herbalife Independent Distributor at 644-835- 8. I Begin by critically evaluatUtah State University Extension ing the storage area. See if the Food Safety Specialist end ofa pencil will fit into cracks One of the problems in storing or gaps. Check for areas in cupfood is that it can attract ro- boards, walls and floors where dents. Rodents have been iden- there are electric, gas or water tified as carriers of hantavirus, pipes running through them. Is so care needs to be taken when there a gap under the door? Seal cracks and holes with working in an area that shows signs of rodent infestation. If materials that are resistant to storage area shows signs of mice gnawing. These include concrete mortar, metal pieces, steel droppings or nests: Wear protective clothing, in- wool and screening. cluding latex or rubber gloves. Package food defensively. Masks are desirable, but inex- Metal containers, glass bottles pensive painters masks are not and heavy plastic containers effective and may give a false with tight fitting lids are resisfeeling of security. Masks need tant to rodents. Paper boxes, to have HEPA or 0 filter. plastic bags and cellophane closed If a area, let it air out packages or packages that do for 30 minutes before beginning not close thoroughly are easily accessible to rodents. Sacks of cleaning. DONT SWEEP OR VACUUM flour and bags of grains need a DROPPINGS. This may spread better barrier. the virus through the air. ThorFor simplicity, pasta prodsoak or dead oughly spray ucts, rice, dry soup mixes, pudany mice, traps, droppingornests with ding mixes, etc. in their original a commercial disinfectant solu- packages can be placed in a tion or a 10 percent solution of nt-proof package. This keeps chlorine bleach. To make a 10 the labels and cooking instrucpercent chlorine solution: mix 1 tions with the products. and 12 cups chlorine bleach in 1 If products such as rice, bargallon of water. ley or other grains are transcounters ferred to plastic or glass conand Wipe shelves, cabinets with disposable rags or tainers, cut the cooking instrucpaper tow els soaked in the dis- tions from the label and place in infectant. Mop floors using dis- the container with the food. infectant solution. Cracker boxes and large cereal Double bag wastes and dis- packages also need protection card. and can be placed intact in larger Disinfect gloves or discard. safe packages. Wash hands or shower. If food is transferred from the alis the Avoiding problem original container, be sure the ways the preferred method. This new container is safe for food is not easy since the cartilage in storage. Any container that origirodents heads allows them to go nally held food can be reused for g lid. through very small holes. A food if it has a mouse can get through a hole as Empty coffee cans, 'mayonnaise small as 14 inch (size of a pencil jars, even plastic milk jugs can eraser) and rats can go through be cleaned and reused for proda 12 inch hole. ucts such as grains. N-10- rode- tight-fittin- Otoscope tests offered to seniors Barbara Marshall, MS-CC- C Audiologist, will provide free video otoscopic tests at the Kanab Dental Clinic, 77 East 100 South, on Thursday, December 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The otoscope will provide a picture of wrhat is happening inside the ear. With state of the art equipment, a hearing health professional uses a tiny camera to videotape the inside of the ear canal. While the camera is running, you can watch the inside of your ear canal on a TV monitor. The Miracle Ear professionals will offer audiometric hearing evaluations to help further identify your hearing difficulties and assist in amplification selection. The public (all ages) is invited to this special hearing evaluation. There is no charge or obligation for this sendee. The exam may reveal such common problems as excessive wax build-up- , damage to the eardrum, fluid accumulation in the middle ear, and other conditions which may make it difficult to hear clearly. To schedule your appointment for this special evaluation call |