Home Management Tip

Katherine O’Leary

In a busy household, there is a lot of work to be done from laundry and vacuuming to cooking, cleaning and taxiing the family around.

It can become exhausting and you are no help to anyone if you are tired and cranky. It is very important for your health and wellbeing to plan your rest periods during the day.

Small short breaks are better than one long one. A preferred one is to sit and have a cup of tea or coffee, maybe while reading.

A better plan is to lie down for a proper rest. Stretch the arms over the head and stretch out the whole body relaxing completely for 10 or 15 minutes. You will be surprised how revived you will feel after a proper short rest.

Growing wild

with Dr Catherine Keena, Teagasc countryside management specialist

Spindle fruit.

Look out for the shocking pink, four-lobed spindle berries called cardinals’ hats. The berries open to reveal four seeds covered in bright orange flesh, while the inconspicuous leaves turn vivid crimson, making this shrub which stand out at this time of year. Spindle grows up to six metres in height and is found mainly on limestone soils. It will grow from seed but may also be propagated from cuttings. The green four sided stems are dense and hard and were used as pegs in rakes, knitting needles, skewers, spinning wheels and looms. So unsurprisingly, it is known as pegwood and is part of our native Irish biodiversity.

Letter

Good evening Ciara,

It’s been a number of months since we spoke over the phone in relation to the article you did covering hyperemesis gravidarum and the exorbitant medication expense for pregnant women.

I just wanted to reach out in a congratulatory manner in light of recent progress made in relation to Cariban and the announcement in Budget 2023. The many initiatives and efforts made by all those invested in the HG2costly campaign really made a difference in how the campaign progressed and helped achieved an outstanding goal.

I’m very proud to be able to say that I had some small part to play in this campaign and grateful to journalists like yourself that allowed peoples’ views and opinions be heard and acknowledged.

This is a huge step forward for the care of pregnant women suffering with HG and definitely something that we can all be proud of!

All the best and many thanks once again.

Paula Clancy M.P.S.I.

Picture of the week

Wonderful Wicklow: The first frost of autumn and fog over the River Slaney at the bottom of the hill, with sun bursting out over the Wicklow landscape. \ John Wynne

Quote of the week

My brother Patsy once uncovered a piece of pottery that had a Chinese character on it. He enthused about the probability of it originating from the Ming dynasty in faraway Cathay. Not wanting to spoil his excitement I kept quiet about the pottery factory that was in Arklow.

Secrets of the Dunghill.

Number of the week: 6%

Almost 6 in every 10 babies (60%) born in Ireland are breastfed in the first week of life but only 6 in every 100 (6%) are still being breastfed at six months of age. This is way below European and global averages of 25% and 38% respectively.

Health

Tweet of the week