Tag: health and wellness
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Ludwig Van Beethoven wrote some of his greatest works when he couldn’t hear a note
While America was struggling to define its independence in the late 1700s, the upper echelons of European society were exploding with creativity. In a small Austrian town, a young musical prodigy was performing in the court chapel. The boy was studious and serious. He was taught by his father until the age of 11, when…
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Savvy Senior: How to help a hoarding parent
Dear Savvy Senior, My dad has always been a pack rat, but since mom died a few years ago he’s become more of a hoarder. The clutter in his house has gotten out of control and I don’t know what to do. Any suggestions? — Distraught in Centerville Dear Distraught, Unfortunately, hoarding or clutter addiction…
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Cowboy chuckwagons were manned by veteran cowboys who cooked, sewed, repaired equipment and acted as mediators when tempers flared
The iconic chuckwagon seen so often in movie Westerns came about shortly after the American Civil War. As the country expanded, cattle ranchers moved their herds along the Chisholm trail to Abilene, or across Texas to Dodge City, where cows fetched a good price and could be shipped to faraway markets. Beef was the mainstay…
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Savvy Senior: How long to keep tax records and other documents
Dear Savvy Senior, Is there a rule of thumb on how long someone should keep their old financial paperwork? I have file cabinets full of old receipts, bank and brokerage statements, tax returns and more that I would like to toss. — Recently Retired Dear Recently, It’s a great question. As we get older and…
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Savvy Senior: Be wary of winter heart attacks
Dear Savvy Senior, I’ve heard that people with heart problems need to be extra careful during the winter months because heart attacks are much more common. What can you tell me about this? — AFib Alan Dear Alan, Everyone knows winter is cold and flu season, but many don’t know that it’s also the prime…
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Nikola Tesla’s mother encouraged him to look beyond his humble beginnings to the world stage
The last name that is most famous today for the car that bears his name began as a knowledge-obsessed schoolboy. One of five children, Nikola Tesla was intelligent and curious about the unknown forces in the world: electricity and magnetics. His father, an Orthodox priest, hoped his son would become a man of the cloth,…
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Don’t forget amuse-bouche on your dopamine menu | Live Well
I love a good neurotransmitter. Glutamate, GABA, serotonin, endorphins. And the always reliable dopamine, which just plain makes you feel like this precarious life thing isn’t quite as hard as it often feels. Dopamine helps us feel pleasure and enjoy better focus, concentration, memory, sleep, mood and motivation. There’s a reason why people do super…
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Barron Prize winner co-founded Growing the STEM, a nonprofit that creates math and science programs for students in 14 underserved schools
The roots of STEM education, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics, go all the way back to 1862, when universities that received land grants began promoting agricultural science. In those days, having the foresight to see the need for disciplines in science to improve output was revolutionary. Early scientific education focused on reaching young American…
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Colorado Springs artist practices and teaches ikebana, Japanese art of flower arranging
Ikebana found Heidi Almosara when she needed it most. The ancient art of Japanese flower arranging, with its meticulously arranged branches, flowers and other materials from the natural world, creates beauty through asymmetrical balance and a less is more philosophy. There’s a purpose to the aesthetic — to mirror the human experience. “Think about our…
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Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick was the first woman to jump from an airplane using a parachute
Watching paragliders and skydivers these days is thrilling. They float and control their gossamer sails like giant birds. Imagine the first parachutes and the thrills they evoked in crowds who had never seen a human drop from the sky. The year was 1913. Airplanes were new and a great attraction around the country. Fifteen-year-old Georgia…