Mrs. Jones received a postcard with information about “MyCare Ohio” and did not understand what this was all about, so she called the Ombudsman for more information.

Soon, autumn’s frost will bring an end to another Northwest Ohio growing season, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait until the spring thaw to indulge your green thumb. Flowering houseplants, if thoughtfully selected and properly cared for, are a great way to satisfy your craving for color and fight off cabin fever during the upcoming cold months.

Are you interested in running but afraid of the first steps? Here are a few tips to get you off on the right foot and on your way to enjoying the sport of running. Most important, consult your physician before starting any exercise program.

Nick, my barber, said his parents were looking into buying an RV. Like many people confined by the pandemic, they were eager to break out and feel free again. RV sales and rentals set all-time records this year. His father suggested they might take three years to see the country and then sell the RV. Which is an interesting concept. With rigorous research and planning, you might be able to plot a course that would take you to all the places you ever wanted to go in only three years.

Just how many times will we need to be reminded that love is the answer to many of the challenges in our society these days? I have almost stopped watching the news because I find myself getting upset with what I see and hear going on around me. Increased killings on our streets, people destroying rather than demonstrating, forest fires burning out of control, Covid 19 still taking lives, politicians sounding divisive rather than uniting, and I could go on and on. Where is the love in all this?

In the first part of the 20th century, the average life expectancy was only 45 years. Today the average life expectancy has increased to 78.6 years. With the added 33 years to our life expectancy, we need to work toward a new image of aging, one that includes active, productive, vital years that are full of love, laughter, and intimacy. Some scientists tell us that 70 percent of the characteristics of aging are based on the choices we make every day—that is, our personal lifestyle choices. Our attitude and our sense of control over our lives are the keys in determining whether we just add years to our life or we add life to those years.

For youngsters all across our nation, the month of October means but one thing—Halloween is on its way. On this one special night of the year, kids get to fan out through their neighborhoods, dressed in outlandish costumes, with the goal of collecting a sack full of sugar-laden goodies. However, in their haste to accumulate as many treats as possible before the “witching hour” arrives, kids are also quick to forget some basic rules of safety. Though we don’t yet know exactly how various communities across our region will handle the tradition of trick-or-treating in light of COVID-19, parents should set the stage for a safe, healthy Halloween with a little planning.

There’s no question that the arrival of a newborn is both a blessing and a challenge to parents. The seemingly endless nights with little or no sleep, constant feeding and diaper changes, and ever-present, ear-splitting crying can be a trial for even the most patient, mature moms and dads. In all the excitement and stress, it’s easy to forget that older children, too, have a lot of adjustments to make when a newborn sibling arrives. After all, there’s now competition for the parental time and attention that was, until recently, focused exclusively on them. It’s normal for children to feel a little resentment under these circumstances, even if, on one level, they’re thrilled about having a new brother or sister.

“The Room Where It Happens” is a song from Act 2 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. The musical relates Hamilton’s life and his relationships with his family and Aaron Burr. Lin-Manuel Miranda composed the song, which detailed the Dinner Table Bargain of 1790 when Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison met privately and hashed out the compromise that set the location for the new US Capital on the Potomac River in what is now Washington, DC.

I really don’t know the answer to the title of this article, I can only share what I think is the Creator’s plan as I’ve experienced the deaths of so many loved ones over the years and especially in these last several months. Since January I’ve experienced the deaths of eight Sylvania Franciscan Sisters, three of them in the month of July alone. My last surviving uncle, Richard Thill, died in March just as we became aware of the pandemic, and my cousin, Peter, and my dear sister, Bobbie, died in June. None of the deaths were attributed to Covid-19, but that is little consolation as they have indeed all passed on from this earth to heaven. At least that is my hope and prayer.