Growing Greenup Handcrafted Weekend Part 2 of 3 Anne Stephens If you are a weekly reader of this column, you know that last week started a three-part series about the Handcrafted Weekend event at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park, sponsored by the Greenup County Tourism Commission and organized by the Community Arts program at the Greenup County Extension Service. This week, we will focus on some of the demonstrations and hands-on activities that you’ll find at the lodge on A

I Hope You Dance Loren Hardin                    Shirley was in her seventies when she enrolled in our outpatient hospice services with terminal cancer. Shirley married at age fifteen and explained, "I got pregnant and then I got married, but I think you’re supposed to do it the other way around." Shirley reminisced about how she and her deceased husband, used to love to dance: "My husband had to have a few beers before he would dance, but I didn’t need anything. I just loved

Ships That Don’t Come In Loren Hardin          How can I describe Cinda without it sounding like exaggeration? Cinda was tough-minded, determined, untamed, resilient, and downright ferocious at time. But on the flipside, Cinda was passionate, honest, empathetic, and generous.       Cinda had type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile onset diabetes. Cinda was diagnosed before the advancements in diabetic treatment, before insulin pumps with continuous monitoring and insulin dosi

Justice Lora Parsons The Ashland Beacon   I’ve been thinking lately about the word “justice” and how much it sounds like our two words “just us.”  I also have thought a lot about how we as humans long for that when things go wrong. When crimes are committed, we want justice. Sometimes we talk about it in terms of wanting justice for the victim, but at other times we talk about it in terms of wanting justice for the perpetrator. That’s odd that it’s possible to want one thing

Growing Greenup Ticket Handcrafted Weekend Part 1 of 3 Anne Stephens   The Quilt Show at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park is a long-standing Greenup County tradition. In 2023, the Greenup County Quilt Guild partnered with the Greenup Extension Community Arts Program and Greenup County Tourism to grow and expand the quilt show into a whole lodge artisan demonstration event we call Handcrafted Weekend that takes place on the second Saturday in April every year at the Jesse Stu

Precious Memories of Springtime Jarrod E. Stephens     Sitting on a hard pew in our church, I recall as a child hearing the song “Precious Memories.” One verse says, “And old home scenes, of my childhood, precious sacred scenes unfold.” I never really gave it a thought at the time because I figured every kid lived on a farm like I did and would never grow to miss the labors of the field and the simple country life. Boy was I wrong! While I’m not old, I am not a child eith

But I Didn’t Take Their Advice Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon       Gene was seventy-nine years old when he enrolled in outpatient hospice services with end-stage prostate cancer. Gene owned and operated a local floor covering business for fifty-three years.  His radio advertising jingle was, “Go scootin’ to Euton’s”. Gene was a free-thinker and nonconformist.  He declared, “I’m a Baptist Catholic.  I won’t totally follow any man or preacher.  I’ll only worship God.”       G

Growing Greenup Quick Stops Smart Snacks – PART 2 – If you missed it, please read part 1 in last week’s paper! Anne Stephens For The Ashland Beacon     Healthy Eating at Convenience Stores By: Heather Norman-Burgdolf and Anna Cason, Dietetics and Human Nutrition, and Laken Campbell, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Convenience stores, often found attached to gas stations or within neighborhoods, are a reliable source of food in the community. In some areas, they may

I’ve Never Been Without Something To Love Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon     Daisy enrolled in hospice services when she was ninety years old. Daisy was born in Kentucky, married when she was fifteen and shortly afterward, she and her husband moved to a farm in Pike County, Ohio. Daisy worked as a nurse aide, and her husband owned and operated a small sawmill.  Daisy reflected, “We didn’t have much but I always wanted a real pearl necklace, and my husband sacrificed an

“I MEANT TO” Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon               Bill enrolled in our outpatient hospice services with end-stage Alzheimer's disease. Bill and his wife, Betty, were both in their eighties.  Bill was bedridden and required twenty-four-hour total care.  Betty waited on Bill hand-and-foot even though she desperately needed a hip replacement. She hobbled across the floor, trying to conceal the pain, as she catered to Bill’s every need. Betty explained, “My doctor in

Growing Greenup Quick Stops, Smart Snacks Healthy Eating at Convenience Stores PART 1- Be sure to read part 2 in next week’s paper!   Convenience stores, often found attached to gas stations or within neighborhoods, are a reliable source of food in the community. In some areas, they may be one of the few accessible places to grab a quick meal or snack. These stores offer shelf-stable items, refrigerated options, and even ready-to-eat hot foods. Nutritious options are often

Growing Greenup Effective Meetings For The Ashland Beacon   An important part of my job as an Extension Agent is to attend and facilitate meetings. Meetings can be useful and exciting or painful and frustrating. I have attended both types! Have you? This week’s column is about planning the perfect meeting. Is that possible? Not really…but even seasoned professionals can benefit from the intent to make meetings better and more meaningful for all involved. I believe in usi

Who Will Be Jesus to Them? Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon        This is part two of a series about Carl, who was seventy-two years old when he enrolled in outpatient hospice services with end-stage lymphoma. Carl is a plain-spoken country fellow, a farmer, and retired stone quarry worker. Carl and his wife, Mary, raised their children on their farm but moved to an apartment about two years before being diagnosed with lymphoma. Carl’s lymphoma is now taking a toll on hi

The Boston Massacre Jarrod E. Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   The date was March 5, 1770. In the snowy streets of Boston, Massachusetts an event occurred that would become yet another piece of kindling for what would become the most important rebellion in American history. At the time, Boston had only about 16,000 residents and King George III sent nearly 2,000 British troops to the city to keep and enforce the law. Unfair taxes on everyday goods such as tea, glass and pap

Touched By An Angel Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon      This is part two of a two-part series about Chuck, a retired warehouse manager, truck driver and school bus driver. Chuck and his wife, Eva, had seven adult children and Chuck pointed out, “All my kids took after me. They’re all tall.”  Chuck was passionate about sports. He coached Little League for several years. And when Chuck was employed as a truck driver, he would drive home for ballgames and then drive back to Da

Growing Greenup OPEN BURNING – HOW DOES IT APPLY TO ME? Anne Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   Amanda Abnee Gumbert, Forestry and Natural Resources - Extension; Eric Byrd, Kentucky Business Environmental Assistance Program; Elizabeth Robb and Roberta Burnes, Kentucky Division for Air Quality; and Kate Shanks, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, authors. Disposing of our waste items by open burning has been a way of life for many years. Many of us grew up with a backyar

Like A Tree Planted by The Rivers Of Water Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon               Flo enrolled in outpatient hospice services with terminal cancer when she was in her sixties. Flo was widowed, had no children, and lived alone. She was soft spoken and perhaps even a little shy. There was something mysterious and intriguing about Flo. Despite having a terminal illness, Flo appeared reconciled, at peace.              I had to know the secret of Flo’s apparent contentment.

Grounded Lora Parsons The Ashland Beacon     One of my favorite things to talk about from our growing up years is how bad our parents were at grounding my sister and I. It was always our favorite form of punishment for whatever we’d done wrong, because it lasted approximately 1.2 hours before it was revoked. They wouldn’t ground us from church activities, because there was a spiritual implication with those even if it was just a fun event. Those were where you built relation

Growing Greenup Power outage? Tips for Staying Warm and Safe   This week’s column is by Robert McCool,   Program Coordinator at the   Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) . Power outages can happen at any time. Damage to power lines due to severe weather is most often the cause, but other hazards — fires, motor vehicle crashes, and problems with electric distribution equipment — can also cause a loss of electrical power. Regardless of why it occurs, a pow

Cast Your Bread Upon the Water Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon      Robin was forty-years old when she enrolled in outpatient hospice services with end stage lung cancer. Robin was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and had enjoyed living and working there as a nurse’s aide for several years. However, anticipating the eventual need for her elderly parent’s support, she moved into their home in southern Ohio.       Robin was petite. I’m estimating, about four-feet-ten-inches t