Did you know that the month of April is Autism Awareness Month and we celebrated World Autism Day on April 2? As the number of autism diagnoses continues to rise there is an increase in awareness, but it seems at times that autism acceptance is a bigger issue. With the latest numbers from the CDC indicating that autism affects 1 in every 36 children, most families in the US have been impacted either directly or indirectly by an autism diagnosis. With the numbers on the rise, it is vital that we promote autism acceptance.

Being the geek that I am, I didn’t take any fun or interesting electives in high school. But my daughter Sara was more adventurous in that she signed up for the Drama Class.

I am sure that if you looked up the meaning of “insanity” in an honest-to-goodness printed dictionary that several meanings of the word would be found. There are some that would say it is insane to use a printed dictionary as it is now so much easier to “look it up on Google”.
One definition of insanity used lots in education and business is “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”.

I often forget how many ways a fish fliet can be prepared. Check this one out. Dip filets in lemon juice, then in a mixture of remaining lemon juice and mayonnaise. Combine Parmesan cheese and crushed potato chips. Place in shallow baking dish and bake in preheated 375 F. oven or 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Note: For variety, use a different flavored potato chip.

One of the most beautiful wildflowers to see in the Spring are trilliums, which are members of the Lily family. They are easy to find this time of year in rich, moist woods along rivers, streams, and in deep hollows. There are several species growing in our area, and all are easy to identify. The average trillium is 12 to 18 inches tall with a stout, erect stem. At the top is a whorl of 3 broad leaves and a single flower with 3 petals. Most trilliums have a flower supported by a stem just above the leaves (botanists call this pedicellate). But sessile trillium, also known as toadshade, (Trillium sessile) has no flower stem and the 3 petals appear to come directly out of the leaves. The sessile trilliums I have found locally have yellow petals, but some are dark red. The leaves of sessile trilliums have whitish splotches.

Brothers Matt and David Browder were young when they began traveling with their dad, Tommy Browder, in 1990. Matt recalls that at the age of 10 or 11 he actually began singing with his dad and around the age of 13 he learned three-part harmony. Tommy Browder had started singing gospel music at the age of 5, despite being stricken with polio. “My right hand was completely paralyzed from polio,” he recalls. Then one day, his thumb started working, then his fingers and then he regained enough strength in his right hand to be able to play the guitar.

Members of the American Legion Post 212 and their volunteers helped the Easter Bunny this year by stuffing plastic eggs for him to hide for Union County children. And hide he did! Over 60 kids descended on Wilson Park on an absolutely gorgeous Easter Sunday afternoon to find these eggs – and, boy, did they!! No matter how well the eggs were hidden, these young people (some with a little help from their parents) found all the eggs. Three of these eggs contained a $50 gift card to Walmart.

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and a major driver of healthcare costs in the United States, according to the World Health organization. Over the last 20 years, recommended treatment of low back pain has shifted from use of pain medications including opioids to early use of nonpharmacologic treatments such as spinal manipulation and therapeutic exercise, which are commonly provided by chiropractors and physical therapists.

“Seek and ye shall find,” is a phrase I’ve heard most of my life. It’s taken from Matthew 7:7. Even though this verse refers to finding the Lord, it has been used in connection with searching for just about anything. Nowadays, many people dig into their family history in hopes of discovering who they are and where they came from. Also, they probably hope to find something amazing. My dad did just that years ago and I couldn’t believe it at first.

If you have children, you’ve probably asked them what happened at school, only to receive the standard reply, “Nothing.” I once received an email that pointed out that more pointed questions might elicit more conversation. The email suggested one hundred questions that parents/guardians could ask their children to stimulate discussion.