Sharing your life and home with a beloved pet is one of the best things in life. But for some low-income pet parents, inflation, housing costs, and the rising cost of pet food and veterinary care make it difficult. A movement is growing to help connect struggling pet parents with resources that will help them be able to live happy and healthy lives with their pets.

Ohio winters pose quite a few challenges for our native animals, but they have managed to come up with a variety of ways to deal with those challenges. Whether they are migrating, tolerating, hibernating or brumating, Ohio animals are sources of wonder all season long.

Have you ever thought, "Gosh, it's really cold; I should hike to a waterfall"? Nah, we haven't either. But that doesn't mean it's not a good idea. From now through February, join a Cleveland Metroparks naturalist for a hike to a waterfall. The hikes include some of the park system's most beautiful places.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects millions of people in northern climes. Often known as the Winter Blues, it is more than just feeling "down." Symptoms can include depression, sleep problems, lethargy, overeating (!), irritability and feeling unsocial. Here are 10 suggestions for alleviating the Winter Blues. 

Asking for help may be difficult for some people, so even when you offer support to an overwhelmed caregiver, it can be equally challenging to figure out what might be appropriate. Starting out simple can lead to other ideas once your offer of assistance has been accepted and appreciated.

Consider the start of the new year as an opportunity for you to engage with Social Security online. This begins with creating your free and secure personal my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount.