To kick off College Days, the Wellness Committee is hosting a series of events to eat, meet and greet, and move your feet. If you’re an RRC staff member, you can register for all the Wellness events here.

Come out for a free Wellness Breakfast

On the morning of May 30^th staff are invited for a free Wellness Breakfast at the Roblin Centre and the Notre Dame Campus (Voyageur Cafeteria) beginning at 8:00 am and going till 9:30.  The buffet breakfast includes a yogurt parfait bar, oatmeal, turkey bacon, back bacon, eggs, toast and beverages. Wellness Committee members and other helpers will be on hand to take pledges and answer any questions you may have. Please register for the breakfast using the link above.

Help support staff dependents to study at RRC

If you’re participating in the Wellness Walk-a-thon or the Rebel Run, you can drop off your pledge form for the Bursary for Dependents of RRC Employees at the breakfast or the over the lunch hour. If you do not wish to gather pledges we encourage a donation of $10 towards the award. The bursary was started back in 2009 from an endowment fund, which the Walk-a-thon has helped grow to over $20K. For more information about this award  and/or to get an application form, head to the RRC website and look under General Awards.

To date, the award has been given to eight recipients including Taylor Schapf (Business Administration, 2012) daughter of instructor Glenn Schapf.  Taylor shared these words with us:

It is outstanding how Red River College strives to open doors for their students to guarantee their education is being put to use in the real working world. When deciding where to pursue my post-secondary education, it was evident that Red River College was the perfect match for me. I knew that I wanted to receive practical training within a closely-knit student/instructor environment. I also knew that I wanted to receive my diploma in only two years and immediately start getting on-the-job experience after graduating. I can truly say that Red River College has exceeded my expectations and is preparing me for a successful career in the business industry. In receiving the RRC Dependents’ Award, I feel motivated to continue learning and enhance my skills as a future businesswoman.

Glenn and Taylor Schapf

Wellness Walk-a-thon Read More →

Tips on fighting boredom
Have you ever been bored? I have been on occasion. But I think I might be a lucky person because I don’t feel bored very often. Unfocused – yes, absent from my brain – far too often for comfort, bored – not so much. There are some good tips available for dealing with boredom when it sneaks into your mind. I’m amazed at how often I end up stuck somewhere without my usual ways of keeping my mind happy – favourite diversions include books, people watching, and humming (but only that only works if I’m alone.) Next time I might try one of the tips, like seeing things from a different perspective.

Gangster Gardening
If you are at all interested in gardening or greening up your community, watch the TED talk by Ron Finley. I’ve certainly been looking at my parking space and boulevard with different eyes ever since I watched it.

Shared Words, Shared Worlds
When I read a story-poem about kindness and new friendships formed during an airport delay, I realized I should have taken my nose out of my e-reader the last time I was in an airport. I smiled at lots of people and some of them smiled back. I had a few conversations with a couple of people but they were what I call waiting-for-the-bus conversations (brief, partial conversations while everyone involved is hoping the bus is coming soon.) The story in the poem was such a lovely example of people coming together in a trying situation. Kindness, caring and sharing can work wonders.

Global Oneness Project
At first what caught my breath about the Global Oneness Project were the photos but this website has articles, photo essays, interviews, short films and study guides. Maybe it will inspire and inform you and make you want to explore further as much as it did for me.

When the weekend is upon you, do you get cold sweats thinking about finding something to do to keep the kids active and engaged? Have you exhausted your activity selection in the city limits and need to find some fresh new ideas to keep your family entertained?

Oak Hammock Marsh has many family related wellness activities that are open to the public, and only 20 minutes north of Winnipeg. Check out the events page on their website to see all they have to offer. Read More →

Back in the 1940s, did lentils hold real estate in my Grandma’s cold room?  Were they included in any of her German dishes? This is one question Google can’t answer for me, unless there is a Time Machine Camera App which can take a photo of my Grandma’s Lowe Farm pantry circa 1940.  Passing on information between family members through story-telling and through sharing memories & traditions is one of the most fundamental and purest ways humans pass on knowledge.

German Spaghetti

I do know that Canned Tomatoes coloured my Grandma’s shelves & globs of everything fat was put into casseroles. See the recent post on German Spaghetti as a gooey example.

Let’s give our arteries a breather &  use canned tomatoes in a heart happy recipe.  It takes no time at all to make, is colourful, and will absolutely make you the potluck star at your next picnic.
Middle Eastern Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 19 oz can of lentils (drained & rinsed)
• 1/2 English Cucumber
• 2 chopped tomatoes (Roma)
• 1/4 chopped onion
• 1 minced garlic glove
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
• Feta

Instructions:

• Whisk together:  olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard & salt
• Stir in:  lentils, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, garlic & dill
• Crumble feta over the top

Looking for signs of spring, well then you will enjoy this edition of the Monday Mash. Here are a few great sites dedicated to helping you spring into wellness this week.

• If you are looking for a great way to catalogue the best and brightest of ideas related to – almost anything – check out Pinterest. I have recently “pinned” their info on gardening and started my own “pin” collection on home organization.
• A new book called the UnDiet, is making waves in Canada. Winnipeg born author  Meghan Telpner has told a compelling story related to her diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease and her battle back to health using what she calls the UnDiet.
• Are you looking for new ways to get more local food on your plate, check out Food Matters Manitoba for upcoming workshops and menu ideas. You can also “Dig In” to Local Food by attending the next Sustainability Speaker Series on May 14th.
• I just discovered a local food group called Urban Eatin‘. They are a local gardeners workers coop that promotes building edible urban spaces. One workshop I am interested in, is learning how to make a cob oven in my own backyard.
• If you are you good with a camera, you may want to submit your favourite photos to the Manitoba Sustainability in Focus EcoCalendar Photo Contest. Winning entries will be featured in a future Manitoba EcoCalendar.

If you have a link or a photo that you’d like to share send an email to mkrywy@rrc.ca and we’ll include it in a future “Mash” edition.

Well, it may not be a perfect May 10, but it’s a perfectly good day to announce that your Red River Rebel Riders (rrrr…) are back with a goal of raising $10,000 for MS in this, our 10th year! This year’s ride will be September 7 & 8 in Riding Mountain National Park.

Yes, 2013 marks 10 years! How can you help to make it a perfect 10?

• Come out to our first event Saturday June 1: Bowling at the Dakota Bowling Centre from 5 to 8 pm. $20 ($10 for children 12 and under) will cover your bowling, shoes, pizza, pop, popcorn, and a donation for MS. Bring friends and family for a fun evening with the team. Call Marnie at 204-949-8521 for tickets (click here for details).
• Join the 2013 team. We already have 5 registered riders: Marnie Boulet, Guy Dugas, Gurdeesh Ghuman, Dayna Graham, and Michael Poitras. Train with us this spring and summer to get in shape for the big ride Sept. 7. Email guy@spright.ca for details or simply click here and then click on the Join this team button.
• Donate securely online at http://mssoc.convio.net/goto/rrrr. All monies raised go to supporting those suffering with MS or to MS research.

Together we can end MS. Help make 2013 a perfect 10! rrrr…

Now that spring is here and in recognition of North American Occupational Safety and Health week, it is important to consider what we have, keep ourselves safe and enjoy life.

Protecting your and your family’s hearing IS important.

Once lost you do not get it back. A small little ear plug does an amazing job in helping you stay safe not only at work, but when at home and during times of recreation. Get out, enjoy whatever activity you like (even mowing the lawn!) but be protected and be mindful of those little ears who are with you.

For a brief escape try Wild Sanctuary . This site not only provides an introduction to the concept of sound ecology but lets you pause to take a walk in your mind and enjoy the forest!  This is just one of the many excellent referrals available through Quiet.org.

From Health Services

Photo by Gabriela Ludusan

Here’s your set of Wellness Links for the week of May 6th, submitted by Gabriela Ludusan, Mentor Program Coordinator from Diversity and Immigrant Student Support. Enjoy!

• The one magazine that I read every day is the Elephant Journal.  I like the focus on “the mindful life”: yoga, sustainability, conscious consumerism, non-new-agey spirituality, enlightened education, wellness and adventure…anything that helps us to live a good life that also happens to be good for others, and our planet. Read it with my morning coffee, every morning.
• The Digital Photography School is a forum dedicated to all lovers of photography. There are weekly assignments that anyone can participate in, take photos and share them with others (latest weekly challenge is “Peace”).
• Intelligence Squared is an online forum for intellectual debate. Ideas are debated by the world’s sharpest minds, experts in their fields and exciting orators. Some of the motions tackled:  “THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS IS A FREEDOM TOO FAR”, “THE TRADITIONAL NUCLEAR FAMILY HAS HAD ITS DAY: GAY PARENTS, SINGLE PARENTS, COMMUNES – ANYTHING GOES!” It’s always interesting to see the two sides of a coin, makes for a well grounded perception and critical thinking.
• I like Dalai Lama’s approach and advocacy for an educational system with a strong focus on inner strength, tolerance, honesty, co-operation and compassion as key aspects that lead to a healthy society and progress.
• Amnesty International campaigns globally for human rights for all. I follow their updates and like to get involved in their campaigns and sign their petitions as, for me, this is a small step to take action and make a difference, but I’m trying to do my part.
• Noah’s Dad is a blog about baby Noah, Down syndrome, and videos, pictures, and facts that tell the story of Noah, his family and raising a child with Down Syndrome. The reason I follow this blog is because recently the most adorable and special baby boy was born into my family with Down syndrome and noahsdad.com is a wealth of information and resources on DS. Plus, it’s so much fun watching Noah grow up, learn and enjoy life!
• Who hasn’t watched or at least, heard of TED Talks?! TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It began in 1984 as an annual conference devoted to Technology, Entertainment and Design and now TEDTalks cover science, arts, politics, global issues, architecture, music and more. Speakers come from a wide variety of communities and disciplines and it hopes that the power of ideas can change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world.
• I recently started to follow the Diversity Journal for news and updates on diversity topics. Having started a new position in the Diversity and Immigrant Student Support department, I want to expand my knowledge in diversity/inclusion, best practices workforce diversity strategies also.

If you’d like to contribute your own set of links for a future Monday Mash, please contact Mike Krywy at mdkrywy@rrc.ca

Read More →

I don’t think I am alone in my secret passion for chocolate, yes I have a vice…or two.

A flavonoid found in cocoa beans could mean the difference between remembering and forgetting. I am therefore eating chocolate, drinking gallons of green tea, and I will continue to enjoy a glass of red wine (or two) to ensure that I am productive and useful to my employer. I do it all for you Red River College.  Read on – the science is very cool as they discovered this by letting snails soak in epi flavonoids and water.

Next time you reach for that second chocolate you can tell yourself “I am working on my memory”. This in not license to throw your wellness plan out the window, it just means you may not have to beat yourself up quite so bad when you do take that extra chocolate …or second glass of wine.

Some of the members of my meditation group attend a chocolate appreciation night once a year. I haven’t gone yet, but I am thinking next time it comes up I will, as I could use some help with my memory.