Lifestyle

My Favorite Groundhog

My Favorite Groundhog

February 2 is Groundhog Day for most of America, and in Forney, this year it is the official ribbon- cutting for The Keith Bell Opportunity Central. But for me, it is my Auntie Ann’s birthday. Ann Glynn was a force to be reckoned with if you were less than when interacting with children, dogs, or old people. She was an amazing volunteer when she became a stay-at-home mom and a great example of being an involved citizen. She served on the Planning and Zoning Board for the City of Grapevine when that municipality was starting its growth phase– her time on the board saw the development of the Historic District at its beginning. She was educated as a speech pathologist for elementary and preelementary children and returned to that in her later years after moving to Cedar Hill with her family.

Fill Up on Healthy Eating Pointers

Fill Up on Healthy Eating Pointers

Diet and exercise are the key components of maintaining a healthy weight and protecting yourself against chronic disease. According to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, eating smart and being active have similar effects, including reducing risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some cancers, and diabetes. In addition, these healthy living strategies can improve personal appearance and improve overall well-being - helping people live longer and maintain their independence.

Signs You’re Exercising Too Much

Signs You’re Exercising Too Much

The formula for healthy living has remained the same for decades. Healthy eating paired with regular exercise can lower risk for a number of ailments, including chronic diseases. But it’s important that individuals avoid overdoing it in regard to exercise. Too much of anything can negate its benefits, and exercise is no exception.

3 Ways People Can Boost Their Mental Health Every Day

Spending time in nature has been found to be beneficial to psychological well-being.

3 Ways People Can Boost Their Mental Health Every Day

Mental health issues have garnered considerable attention in recent years, but the scope of the global mental health crisis may be even greater than people realize. A recent study co-led by researchers at Harvard Medical School and the University of Queensland that was published in The Lancet Psychiatry in fall 2023 concluded that one out of every two people in the world will develop a mental health disorder at some point in their lifetime. That makes mental health disorders a more common problem than cancer, heart disease and other physical ailments that tend to garner more attention than mental health issues.

Ask Aunt B

B Dear Aunt B, I have young children. I want to make Christmas special. I want there to be meaning, not just flash. I do like the flash of the holidays, but I want more. I don’t know how to compete with all my children’s friends and their families. How can I have fun and make meaning too? I also want to start traditions, and I don’t have a clue. Any ideas?

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Here’s Your One Chance, Fancy

“I want to quit my job.” I said these words to my husband through tears one evening. He knew it was coming. I had been unhappy for years. In fact, I hadn’t wanted to return to this particular job after the death of my daughter. 2008 had been a horrifying year, financially and otherwise. It is hard to lose the sorts of things we lost: a child, my health, our home, both of our jobs. Recessions are not for sissies. So, eventually, I had returned to that career. It was as awful as I remembered, but a home to rent and the smell of food on the table was more important than my feelings. Yet, there we sat, in 2010, living in that rented home we could not afford to buy, driving cars purchased more for impressing our neighbors than commuting, and working hours that left us impossibly strained and exhausted. Welcome to America, huh? From the outside, we looked fine. If you got close, however, the strains and cracks and imperfections were showing, like a China pitcher with a chip. Just turn it to the back of the cabinet. Hide it. That conversation netted us more than just a game plan to escape. It led to a chain of events that culminated in owning Fancy, the best truck in the free world.

Did you know?

The majority of people hear Christmas and naturally think of December 24 and 25. For millions of Christians, these two dates mark Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, respectively, which is when Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. In fact, the word Christmas comes from the phrase 'Mass of Christ.' However, there are certain faithful who will not be celebrating Christmas on December 25. These are namely those who belong to Orthodox, Greek Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox churches, among others. These churches primarily trace their origins to Eastern Europe and portions of Asia and Africa, including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Serbia, Greece, Armenia, and Ethiopia. The churches utilize the former Julian calendar for religious observations. This places Christmas on January 7. It also is believed that 12 days after Jesus was born, three magi visited him to shower him with blessings and gifts, an event known as the Epiphany. Some recognize Christmas as occurring on this day, which is January 6. In fact, the 'true' Christmas holiday takes place between Christ's birth and the Epiphany, or the 12 days of Christmas. Candlemas, which comes 40 days after Christmas, also is considered the official end of the Christmas season for some.

The Other Dina

The Other Dina

I remember that random Sunday in the fall, somewhere in 1987. Dillan was just a baby. It was the first, or maybe the second, year car seats for babies became a thing. He wasn’t walking yet, at any rate. We had been to my in-law's house that day, a lazy, enjoyable family time. It had gotten dark on our way home. We had a dog in the backyard, and I was anxious to see him, feed him. Our bedroom in this tiny first house had a door to the outside you could enter from the carport. That’s the one we used as a daily entrance/exit. I had Dillan on my left hip in order to turn the key with my right hand and use my alternate hip to bump the door open, a classic mom move. The air smelled funny, as I recall. I saw many things all at once, though none of them made sense. The curtains were blowing. I had left a window up. But, the window opening was pitch black. Where was the window screen? Why were my underwear on the floor? Where was the lovely console television we’d purchased from the rent-to-own store? It wasn’t until I heard my husband’s voice that I snapped into reality. “We’ve been robbed. Get back into the car, now. He could still be inside.” One drive to the police station later, I sat at the desk of an officer with a very tired and hungry baby, worrying about my very hungry dog, and still trying to sort out my parallel universe of feelings. Had I walked in on a burglary in process? Or, was there another Dina in a world that existed 15 minutes behind the one I currently occupied who’d met a much different fate?

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Forney Messenger

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 936, Forney, TX 75126
Physical Address: 201 W. Broad St., Forney, TX 75126
Phone: 972-564-3121
Fax: 972-552-3599