Breaking News

Columns

Ankle Sprains Can Sometimes Create Serious Complications

Accidentally rolling your ankle and suffering an ankle sprain can be a painful and debilitating experience. Acute ankle sprains are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries leading to emergency room visits, with upwards of two million people being affected in the United States every year. Routine sprains typically respond quickly to rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Guarded weight-bearing in an ankle brace or utilization of a cast boot for two to three weeks usually gets the patient back on track. Up to 40% of patients will experience more chronic pain and ...

Sparklers, Pie And Magic

Preparations for the Fourth of July holidays of my youth began days before the actual date. There was grass to be mowed, weeds to be pulled, sidewalks to be swept and coolers to be rescued from the basement. The kiddie pool in the backyard would be filled early in the day to allow the sun to warm the water. The littlest of the clan would enjoy sitting in that pool while we attempted to keep the family dogs from jumping in with the toddlers. Dozens of ears of corn were to be shucked, and the largest of kettles would be readied on the stove to cook this must-have picnic side dish. ...

The Good And Bad Of Trees

I was fortunate enough to spend my formative years in a neighborhood where maple, oak and pine trees lined the street. Those trees provided the necessary shade in the summer in a house without air conditioning. Their branches also offered a secondary entrance to a second floor window when certain siblings were late getting home at night. In the fall, those trees would gift us piles and piles of leaves in which we would play after raking them, of course. Wintertime saw the trees dusted or heavy with snow, making the street resemble a beautiful Christmas card. As a girl with seven ...

A Quarter For Your Thoughts

No one knew the value of a quarter more than my father. I know because that was the amount of coinage he offered me when I asked for milk money before heading to school or out for a night at the skating rink. Although our mother packed us sack lunches, there was always the need to buy a notebook or new pencils. All I knew is that whatever the need, it better not cost more than 25 cents or I would have to save up to make the purchase. Later when I worked in the same newspaper office with my father, the late Harry C. Hamm, I was tasked with getting him lunch each day. The quarter he used ...

The Quilts

I’m not a great seamstress, but I get by. I can stitch together a few things or hem a skirt or trousers. I made some homey curtains for the kitchen window a while back. The fabric is printed with farm tractors and roosters and I thought it would fit nicely in our rural homestead. Yet I am humbled each time I visit my sister-in-law Carolyn’s home. She is married to my husband’s brother Danny. And she is very talented when it comes to sewing. Her specialty is quilts. She creates intricate, colorful patterns and whips them together on some fancy quilting machines. The end ...

Memorial Day Meanderings

If you ask most school-aged children why we observe Memorial Day, they probably will not have an answer or at least not the correct answer. To many, Memorial Day Monday represents a federal holiday off work and school. The holiday also has expanded to include the entire weekend. It usually heralds the unofficial start of summer. Picnic tables are cleaned off. Coolers are pulled from the garage or basement. Picnics are planned in parks and backyards. Grills are heated up once again. Swimming pools are filled and awaiting visitors no matter how warm or chilly this day in the fickle ...