I was asked to write an article on the blue-winged wasp, and it was opportune as I have seen a few in my yard. This inch-sized wasp (Scolia dubia) is an amazing, wonderful, benign member of the group called solitary wasps. These wasps do not build communal nests or work together in ...
I used to think gardening was about growing flowers. Now I realize it’s mostly about discovering new muscles I didn’t know I had and old ones I would prefer to keep quiet. Getting older is no fun, especially if you are like me, and you’ve spent most of your time digging, planting and ...
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 ...
DEAR ANNIE: My mother is German, and my father is American. Growing up, I was raised with traditions from both cultures, but I have never felt fully part of either one. Last Christmas, my mother made a traditional German dinner and invited several relatives. I tried to join the conversation, but my German is not fluent, and everyone kept switching to English for my sake. They were being kind, but I felt embarrassed and strangely separate from my own family. A few weeks later, I brought homemade German cookies to an American friend’s party. Everyone loved them, but they treated the ...
DEAR HELOISE: My husband hates coffee and asked me to switch to tea, but I don’t like tea. He says that coffee damages our health. Is this true? — Shelly J., in Little Rock, Arkansas Shelly, studies have been done on thousands of people to discover the effects of coffee on the human body, and for the most part, a consumption of about 3-4 cups a day (roughly 400 mg of caffeine) doesn’t harm people. In fact, coffee lowers the risk of premature death, Type 2 diabetes, and heart failure. The beans also have antioxidant properties. Coffee only becomes dangerous if it’s drunk ...
DEAR DR. ROACH: A few years ago, at the age of 65, I was hospitalized and in critical condition with a calcium score of 14 mg/dL. After many tests, the diagnosis was hypercalcemia. After a 10-day hospital stay, I was discharged, and every test in the book was done to find the cause. All tests came back negative as to the cause, and still to this day, it isn’t known what could have caused this. Any ideas? — G.V. ANSWER: Hypercalcemia” just means a high calcium level, and there are many causes — some of which are quite serious, including several cancers. A level of 14 mg/dL ...
