by Dana Blaszkowski Here in Michigan, we’ve learned to prepare ourselves for winter. We do fall clean up in our gardens and landscaping. Our vehicle tires are changed out for snow tires. We weatherproof our homes, campers and boats. We locate the shovels, boots and winter gear and tune up the snow blowers. We stock […]

by Mary Schwark End-of-garden canning is one of my favorite things to do. I learned a lot about canning from my mom, Helen King. Then I discovered more on my own as I got older. It is a lot of work, but very rewarding. I love to give my kids and grandkids my home canned […]

Let’s be Friends by Dana Blaszkowski Strong friendships may be key to protecting the brain in later life. Researchers at Northwestern University (NU) found that people who maintain close friendships during their twilight years have a stronger memory and show slower cognitive decline than those who live quieter, less social lives. Friends care about each […]

by Mary Schwark I love to go barefoot in my garden. Maybe not when I’m hoeing rows or using tools, but definitely when I’m pulling weeds. I like to work in the garden a little every day. Getting my feet in the soil is a stress reliever, plus it’s healthy to be outside, and gardening […]

by Eugene S. Macario My mother, each spring, would take us kids to the local nurseries to select the perfect flowers to go into the yard. Her favorite—pansies.  I recall her speaking to each one as she planted them. “Mother, why do you speak to them? They can’t hear you,” I would ask. “Oh, but they […]

Time—there’s no greater gift by Dana Blaszkowski Introducing Active Aging, a new column sponsored by the Stockbridge Area Senior Center. Regardless of your age, join us each month for some pearls of wisdom inspired by the community’s most experienced residents! Folks are placing a new value on their time. Perhaps it’s a post pandemic state […]