A Walk of 1,000 Miles

I just finished reading a book about one woman's walk around Lake Michigan. Yes, the entire lake, quite an undertaking which turnd into quite the adventure.

Loreen Niewenhuis, the author of A 1000 Mile Walk on the Beach: One Woman's Trek of the Perimeter of Lake Michigan, set out to do something big when she turned 45. So she gave it a little thought as to how she could challenge herself and decided to walk the lake. She planned her hike to leave from Chicago and finishing there, stopping at B and Bs or hotels along the way; taking some time off between segments and enjoying the company of her two sons and friends along certain parts of the walk.

Through her writing, the author provides good information about the lake and its current condition, and her love for this body of water shines through every chapter.

You will have to pick up a copy to find out what exactly Loreen learned from her adventure and how she overcame sore muscles and blisters to find the courage to keep going. Not one to sit around idly, Loreen is planning to do another 1,000 mile walk this year, this time touching upon all five Great Lakes.

For more information, visit her website.

Nursing Home Honored

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR NAMED TO US NEWS & WORLD REPORT HONOR ROLL 2012 FOR BEST NURSING HOMES


After my Dad died in 2001, my sister and I took some of his medical equipment to a local nursing home because we knew the items would be put to good use. The Little Sisters of the Poor Home's reputation in the Pittsburgh area is stellar. So it was with no surprise that I read the following news release and decided to post it to my blog:

The Little Sisters of the Poor, who are celebrating their 140th year of serving Pittsburgh, received another reason to celebrate this week: Their Home in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood was named to the 2012 Honor Roll for Best Nursing Homes by U.S. News and World Report. The Home was one of only 39 Homes in the nation named to the list out of more than 15,500 that U.S. News reviewed. Achieving this honor was a result of the Little Sisters’ Home receiving four straight quarters of perfect five-star ratings from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in all three areas including health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality of care.

Sister Judith Meredith, Administrator of the Little Sisters of the Poor Home in Pittsburgh, was pleased to hear the news. “I am so proud that our Home has received this achievement. Everyone involved in the care of our residents from the staff and volunteers, to the benefactors who help us carry out our ministry should be thanked for helping our Home attain this special recognition.”

The Pittsburgh community invited the Little Sisters of the Poor to establish a home for the elderly poor in 1872. Over the years the Sisters have cared for more than 12,000 aged poor regardless of race or religion. Their Home on Benton Avenue provides personal care, nursing care, and independent living apartments for low income seniors.

For more information, visit the Little Sisters of the Poor website.