The Neepers say goodbye to beloved elm tree. Courtesy photos

 

How the Hen House Turns: A Memorial For A Tree—An Old Friend
Column by Carolyn A. (Cary) Neeper, Ph. D.

Our girls called it the Lollypop Tree when we moved into our new (old government) house in 1969.

It stood at least six feet tall on one straight trunk, now a lovely old elm stump two and a half feet in diameter.

The branches on the young tree formed a perfect sphere and stayed that way for years. Miraculously, the tree rounded up after a long spell of single-digit freezes that killed one third of its branches. The wound left a dramatic hole Read More

Help With The Hard Stuff

This column begins a five-part Managing Student Loans series on some things to know and think about in managing student loans.  

At this time, student loan debt is the second highest form of consumer debt behind home mortgages and is at the $1.2 trillion dollar mark. Yes, trillion.

Student loans are how many of us got to and through college and some into professional programs and practices. It was almost automatic and usually without much Read More

Your Money: Do You Have A Social Security Strategy?

Last month, I wrote about several Social Security rules or factoids that tend to be widely misunderstood.

The rules themselves can be confusing enough, which is why it’s a good idea to consult a financial planner for some input. By law, employees of the Social Security Administration cannot give advice for your individual situation. Likewise, stockbrokers are largely unfamiliar with these nuances, as they get paid to trade stocks and sell financial “products,” rather than do comprehensive financial planning in their customers’ Read More

Fitness Column

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the central nervous system.

Myelin, a lipoprotein that provides a protective cover for the nerves, is destroyed, leading to a disruption of nerve function. This disruption causes numerous symptoms including muscle weakness, tingling or numbness, stiffness, awkward movements, loss of coordination, poor balance, and affected gait. Additionally, MS can cause visual disturbances like loss of vision, blurred vision, or double vision, and sensitivity to heat, chronic fatigue Read More

Skincare Column

Topical vitamin C is effective in preventing skin damage and treating compromised skin.

The antioxidant is essential for healthy skin, but is not produced by the human body. For this reason, skin care regimens must be supplemented with topical vitamin C products. However, just because a product label lists vitamin C as an ingredient doesn’t mean it contains it in a bio-available form.

In fact, L-ascorbic acid is the only form of vitamin C that’s effectively assimilated into the body topically and orally. However, L-ascorbic Read More

Hygea Health Bite: Health-Wrecking Ingredients to Avoid like the Plague

My favorite post on Facebook this week said, “You are what you eat – so don’t be fast, cheap, easy, or fake.” 

That’s easier said than done in this crazy, fast-paced world we live in. While it may not be possible to home-cook 100 percent of our meals, simply avoiding the following “health wreckers” will go a long way in protecting you and your family. The only commitment you need to make is to flip over the package and read the label. You can do it!

Noteworthy health wreckers to avoid…

• •GMOs– GMO stands

How the Hen House Turns

Strolling Coyote, Poncho and Raccoons

The coyotes are back in Walnut Canyon, far off somewhere. Or it could be Pueblo Canyon that reverberates with their cascading chorus of high yips at 3-5 a.m. every day this week.

Their concert reminds me of the days in the ’70s when a singular coyote haunted our neighborhood with his tortured sopranino yodeling

One day Strolling Coyote came by, the one who sang as if being strangled, who also made a habit of moving along the back fence, setting all the neighborhood dogs to barking their heads Read More