Pumpkins come in all sizes and various varieties.

We all look forward to seeing Mr. Jolly Pumpkin in the autumn – that wonderful big round orange fruit hiding in the pumpkin patch.  What excitement to see one fully grown, ready to be picked.  Of course, immediately one thinks of carving a jack-o-lantern  or you might think of delicious pumpkin pie.  Whatever the association it is a time of year when nature is exploding in its autumn colors with rich yellows, reds, oranges…  And the pumpkin is a definite part of this.

Did you know that  pumpkin flowers may be eaten?  The bright orange color tells us, of course, that it is full of beta-carotene, such a necessary substance in curing eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts, cancer and heart disease.   Pumpkins are also full of minerals such as magnesium and iron and contain essential vitamins. Studies involving many men have proven that pumpkin seeds can slow down and even cure prostrate cancer.  Pumpkin seeds should be eaten daily on a regular basis in order to be effective.

So enjoy all aspects of the pumpkin’s decorative, nourishing and healthy aspects to enhance your age esteem.

Grandma Nature

Bonnie Health Factors, Nourishing Factors age-esteem, Grandma Nature, jack-o-lantern, macular degeneration, prostate cancer, pumpkin flowers, pumpkin pie, pumpkins

These pumpkins may all look alike to us, but not to a child.  She sees them as unique forms and shapes like people.  To this little girl, visiting a pumpkin patch with her grandparents, it is an outing of discovery and delight.   Picking out a special pumpkin for Halloween can take all afternoon as each one is considered with care.

Halloween, which is celebrated in several countries, offers a perfect opportunity for inter-generational fun.

• Take one or several youngsters to choose pumpkins.
• Organize a pumpkin carving party in the yard or garage with neighbors of all ages to make jack-o-lanterns.
• Give a colored ribbon as a prize for the funniest, prettiest, ugliest…  Make up as many categories as possible so each person wins a ribbon.
• Make pumpkin pie and cookies together.
• Ask each person to put their jack-o-lantern in a front window of their home with a candle in it so others in the neighborhood can admire them.

AgeEsteem includes fun with all ages.

Bonnie Across-generations AgeEsteem, Halloween, jack-o-lantern, pumpkins