From The Editor
St. Paddy's, Veterans and ACORN
Hope everyone is staying warm. This has been some crazy season, and I am ready for the extreme temperature changes to cease and desist so I can stop dragging my potted plants in and out of the house. Not sure why I do this each year, because they nearly always freeze at least once (which is all it takes). This year is no exception. My corn plant would be at least 20 feet tall by now if not for the innumerable freezes.But enough about the weather.
This month Senior Times debuts a new feature, "Community Voice," wherein you, the reader, may upload stories to our Web site. Agnes Bierbaum's story about strange sounds in the night has been chosen for publication this month. Thank you to all who have contributed to the Community Voice. Your works are 'live' and can now be perused by anyone in the world with an Internet connection. Please keep in mind only stories submitted through the Senior Times Magazine Web site are eligible for publication (www.seniortimesmagazine.com).
We continue with our profiles of those brave men and women who helped saved the free world. This month, Allison Candreva visits with World War II veteran Harry Dresser. This vital Senior is going strong after all these years and plans to go skydiving on his 95th birthday (as he did on his 90th). I have to admit, that is one thing not on my "Bucket List."
Laura Kubitz took a drive out to Brooker to meet with the volunteers and staff of the Alachua County Organization for Rural Needs (ACORN) clinic. This month, ACORN celebrates 35 years of providing medical assistance to those in need.
Laura also writes about the lost art of beautiful penmanship, in her interview with a handwriting hobbyist. Senior Times is still looking for hobbyists, so please let us know if you have an unusual hobby that you would like to share with your fellow readers.
They are considered by many to be the first environmentalists; I'm not talking about hippies, either. I'm referring to farmers. Senior Times writer Sarah Henderson writes about the Florida Farm Bureau CARES program. CARES (County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship) farmers across the state are recognized for their land-friendly farming practices. It's good for the farmers and it's good for the environment.
Hope everyone has their green clothes picked out for St. Patrick's Day. When I was in grade school, if I didn't wear green I took the risk of being pinched. I don't know who came up with that tradition - - probably the same person who invented 'punch buggy,' wherein you punch the person beside you when a VW Beetle drives by -- but pinching certainly has little to do with the holiday. Laura Wright provides a brief history of the holiday in this edition of Senior Times.
So find your green beverage of choice (green tea is always good), kick back, and have a Happy Spring!
