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Siblings take opposite stances on sleepaway camp

DEAR ANNIE: My husband and I are at odds over whether to send our two children to sleepaway camp next summer. He went every year from the time he was 8 and talks about it as one of the happiest parts of his childhood. I never went to sleepaway camp, and the thought of sending our children away for several weeks makes me very uneasy. Our older child is excited by the idea, but our younger one is sensitive, has trouble falling asleep in unfamiliar places and still gets homesick during overnight visits with relatives. I worry that we would be pushing them into something before they are ...

Swallowtail butterflies — beauty or beast?

Swallowtail butterflies are large (2¾ to 5 inches) and easy to identify. They are found in a variety of types and colors (spicebush, black, eastern tiger, zebra and pipevine blue). Each one actually resembles the name it is given. They normally are bold black and yellow or black and blue, ...

Older woman can only shower

DEAR HELOISE: More than anything, I’d love to be able to sit and soak in a warm tub of bubbles to ease my aching bones. However, I am 81 years old and cannot get out of the tub, and I can’t afford a walk-in shower. I have tried to bathe a few times, only to acknowledge my stupidity and yell at Alexa to please call somebody to help me out. Sometimes people shower just because they have to. — Carolyn R., in Slidell, Louisiana DEAR HELOISE: I taught English for 10 years — 5 in high school and 5 in college. I directed the freshman composition program. My takeaway is that ...

Identifying animals through droppings

Every animal, when crossing through a forested area or meadow, leaves a sign behind, whether intentionally or not. Deer leave eaten vegetation, broken branches and, if it has just rained, footprints can be found, all indications of recent animal behavior. Another interesting and useful ...

Starches should be modest part of mixed meal

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 77-year-old man who’s prediabetic. I was told by a longtime diabetic that sugar (candy, soda, cake, etc.) doesn’t need to be avoided — just carbohydrates such as pasta, potatoes, etc. I was surprised to hear this. Is it really true? — Anon. ANSWER: We often use terms like carbohydrates, starches and sugars imprecisely. Strictly speaking, sugars are small molecules (usually 5 or 6 carbon molecules long), like glucose or fructose, which are called monosaccharides. These can also be combined into a single molecule (a disaccharide), which, in the case of ...

Valley Grows Calendar

Here are upcoming gardening events through the Ohio State University Extension Office. For more information and a complete list, contact: • OSU Mahoning County Extension Office, 490 S. Broad St., Canfield. 330-533-5538. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. • OSU Trumbull County Extension Office, 520 W. Main St. Suite 1, Cortland. 330-638-6783. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Plant and Pest Clinic You can submit your questions by calling the Mahoning County office at 330-533-5538 or emailing us at ...