Lifestyle

Cool, windy days remind us how useful windbreak trees are. Effective windbreak plantings save energy dollars, paying for themselves many times over the years. They also make our lives easier and our homes more comfortable.

The following births were reported by Grady Memorial Hospital:

Are you tired of fixing potholes and washouts in your gravel driveway? Is your paver patio settling into the ground? Do you have a sagging, collapsing retaining wall? These problems can have one thing in common; they were installed without using any “geotextile” fabrics or “geogrids”. Geotextiles are high-strength fabrics used to restrict the flow of fine particles and contaminants while allowing air, water, and fertilizer into the soil. “Geogrids” are high-strength netting, used as reinforcement between layers of block or gravel.

Have you ever considered having a home greenhouse? It’s certainly an appealing thought. Perhaps you could start your vegetable garden and bedding plants extra early from seed, saving money and getting the jump on the gardening season. In your wildest dreams you could over-winter delicate plants, or get extra years of life from your ferns, geraniums and poinsettias, or even harvest fresh vegetables in the dead of winter. From the smallest, cheapest greenhouse kits to elaborate “sunrooms” attached to your house, the daydream of having a climate-controlled growing space of your own is a pleasant fantasy.

Seventeen children came beaming in the doorway. There was a slight shuffling as they placed their coats on the couch and lined up in three rows to sing. Our country school next door was having a special day, and we got to be a part of it. The three little boys and I stood at the doorway and listened as the lower grades sang a favorite of mine.

As spring unfolds, the deep red blooms of red maple trees along the roadsides and in the woods really stand out. Within days, the blooms fall onto the pavement like blood-red snow. Did you know that red maple gets its name from these distinctive blooms?

The sun is shining. Ah, the wonder of spring becoming reality! Doesn’t it take the winter chill to enable us to appreciate the soothing rays of sunshine?

The following births were reported by Grady Memorial Hospital:

In my girlhood years, Mom always did her best to make our birthdays special. Not only did she help sing Happy Birthday for us and bake a cake; we also got to choose what was on the menu for our birthday supper. To our childish delight, we didn’t have to help with the dishes that evening.

Two years ago was our last Valentine’s Day together. Daniel had come home from town a few days before with heart balloons fastened to a clear container hosting a huge chocolate kiss wrapped in red.