May June 2022

Our May/June issue is full of suggestions for putting the fun into summer. No matter where you are in Northeast Ohio, you can find ways to embrace the next three months and recapture that childhood anticipation that we all felt when the school year ended. We may have replaced scabby knees for stiff knees, but it’s still there inside us: the need to make summer special. Start with our summer fun issue, then let us know how you celebrate this season of possibilities.

You can also go to ISSUU.com to view this issue and previous issues.

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Remember when summer was one, long, sun-filled season of possibilities that lasted forever?  Then, suddenly, it became a muggy flash interrupted by Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. Reclaim the season! Our May/June issue is full of suggestions for putting the fun back into summer. ...

Native plants have evolved to our seasons and soil types, so they thrive in less-than-ideal conditions. Native flowers flourish in their natural habitat, even if the soil is depleted, if there’s not enough or too much rain, or if you see caterpillars and other insects on the plants. If your ornamentals are failing to thrive, plant to native flowers in your garden. ...

The relevance of libraries, with their books, magazines, music and videos easily and freely available for downloading, was underscored prominently during the pandemic. This summer, look no further than your local library. ...

Cheap, chic and oh-so-fun, furnishing your home with thrifted and consigned items is exploding in popularity. While many of us are right-sizing at this stage of life (and depositing unwanted items at consignment and thrift stores), others have discovered those very places are also great spots to unearth new-to-you treasures. ...

We all know that location, location, location is important, both in real estate and living situations. When a loved one is told they need to leave their home for their own safety, it can be one of the biggest transitions of their lives.  ...

There are two things I loathe about spring. Tax time, for one. We give our tax preparer a thorough catalog of receipts and expenses that resembles the Manhattan phone book. (Note to younger readers: Ask your parents what a phone book is.) The second is spring cleaning or, as it’s called around our house, “the purge.”  ...

Memory mishaps happen; they don’t always mean something serious is behind them. Stay sharp with this latest brain game by Kathryn Kilpatrick. Forgetting where you left your phone or car keys is beyond annoying. Our negative, internal chatter adds to our stress as we search for an item or can’t think of a word. ...