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Bridge to Wellness
Opioid Overdose Awareness: Don’t be a statistic. Learn about Naloxone. by Jennifer Matthews August 31 was International Opioid Overdose Awareness day. Overdose is the leading injury-related cause of death in the United States where, in 2022, almost 108,000 people died from a drug overdose. That’s 296 deaths per day. Among these overdose deaths, 76% involved […]
Rural Perspectives
Sunflowers both a garden favorite, major crop by Diane Constable The common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a tall, bright yellow addition in our gardens and often is grown as a crop in our farm fields. It is native to North and Central America, where the indigenous people cultivated this plant more than 5,000 years ago, […]
Positive Parenting
Welcome back to school; we look forward to seeing more of you. by Cathy Payne August 1st seems to be the unofficial launch of the Back to School season. Stores have back-to-school sales to inspire students, parents, and teachers to have an amazing school year. This time of year also informally marks the end of […]
Outreach in Action
Don’t let ‘thinking traps’ sabotage your mental health by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall July’s Social Hour at Outreach started with a discussion of “Thinking Traps,” and how we sometimes sabotage our mental health by falling into them. Thinking traps? They’re common—they refer to negative actions like focusing more on our perceived failures rather than […]
Clyde’s Corner: Camping makes for years of family fun
by Clyde Whitaker We have my wife, Mary, to thank for this month’s topic. She suggested writing something about our camping experiences over the years. Good idea! Mary and I have been camping for many, many years, beginning when our kids were toddlers. We started out the usual way, with a tent and air mattresses, […]
Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia
Who is the ‘Steve’ mentioned in ‘Soul Man?’ by John Robinson Q: In the song “Soul Man,” who is the “Steve” that someone shouts out “play it, Steve?” A: That would be guitarist Steve Cropper, who plays guitar on both versions: Sam & Dave in 1967 and the Blues Brothers in 1979. Cropper also was […]
Bridge to Wellness: Music is great for mind, body, and social connections
by Jennifer Matthews, RN I don’t know about you, but my summer always has a soundtrack. Music is essential to my mind, body and soul. Scientific evidence shows that music is good for everyone’s health and well-being. Here is what the research tells us about the power of music. Music connects people. Historically, music has […]
Positive Parenting: Parent like a Navy SEAL
by Kelsey Rasmussen After children’s story time one Wednesday, I skimmed the back shelves of the Stockbridge Library where they sell used books for a dollar. Mothering boy-girl twins makes me curious about the different needs of boys and girls and how to best raise each, so “Raising Men” caught my eye. Author Eric Davis, […]
Woah Nellie!
The 1960s called. They want their fish eyes back! by Mary Jo David What is it about olives—whether green or black—that led someone to say, “I think these would make wonderful fish eyes in a molded salad?” J That idea caught on in the 1960s, and many samples are viewable on the Internet today, like […]
Rural Perspectives: Groundhogs stay busy after long winter naps
by Diane Constable The groundhog (Marmota monax) is a burrowing rodent that is in the same family as tree and ground squirrels, chipmunks, and prarie dogs. It is also known as a “whistlepig” or a “woodchuck” (from it’s Algonquian name “wucack,” which means ”digger”). The adult is 17 to 26 inches long, tip-to-tail, and weighs […]