•October 25, 2023•

Individuals have to juggle many different responsibilities on a daily basis. Those with full- or part-time jobs, children, spouses or partners, or aging family members that require assistance, will often find they are pulled in different directions. In many cases, work takes priority over family time because people rely on their jobs for the income that funds their lifestyles. Rather than jeopardizing that income, certain individuals will make time concessions that favor employment over personal relationships and family time.

Recent data indicates that many people are trapped in unhealthy work-life balances and can’t find the time to unwind and enjoy themselves. The e-commerce company Groupon asked 2,000 Americans about stress at work and 60 percent indicated that pressures and responsibilities of the workplace and home life do not have boundaries. Learning to balance work and life better may come from following these tips. Read More

•October 25, 2023•

“What a sight!” I exclaimed as I gazed across the Cliffs of Moher on the west coast of Ireland. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

A higher-up in the Chicago Bears organization might have stood on the site of the former Arlington Park racetrack and exclaimed, “What a site! I’ve never seen anything like this.”

We’d both be right.

Of course we would, because “sight” and “site” are homophones, so you’d hear no difference. But for the purposes of a written word column, we simply have different perspectives on what we’re looking at. Read More

•October 18, 2023•

By Cheri Burcham

Family Life Educator

A very important topic but one that no one really likes to talk about is assigning a power of attorney. I would like to share this great article by Kathy Sweedler that addresses why this topic is so important and how to proceed with it. Kathy says: On a good day, I wonder if my family hears what I say or if all they hear is “blah, blah, blah!” However, when I talk about what I want to happen if I’m in an accident, hospitalized, or die, I’m SURE some of my family completely block my words. That’s why I think it’s so important that I write down how I want my health and my property handled if I can’t talk for myself.

Luckily, we have legal documents that we can use to communicate our wishes. Writing down what’s important to us helps:

· communicate exactly what we want, and

· reminds people of our wishes in stressful times. Read More

•October 18, 2023•

Fall in Illinois includes high school football, spectacular scenery as the leaves change colors and... the arrival of deer mating season. The Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Natural Resources are reminding motorists to be alert for deer, which are entering their peak active season, especially at dawn and dusk now through December.

“While your natural instinct is to steer quickly out of the way when you see a deer, remember to not veer suddenly because you could lose control of your vehicle and swerve into another lane or off the road,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “Always prepare for the unexpected. A deer might stop in the middle of the road or double back. They also frequently travel in groups so when you see one there likely are others nearby.” Read More

•October 11, 2023•

The local VFW Post 6410 in Sullivan is announcing that the entry deadline for the Patriots Pen Essay Contest and Voice of Democracy Contest is at the end of this month. Students in sixth through eighth grade can participate in the Patriots Pen essay contest and students in 9th through 12th can participate in the Voice of Democracy contest. The top three winners will move on to the district level with a chance to win and move on to the state judging. The state prizes for 17 district winners range from $300-$2500 and an all-expense weekend trip to Springfield for students and family. National awards for State Winners range from

$1000 to $35,000 and a very memorable trip to Washington DC.

Deadline to submit is October 31st.

More information on these contests can be found at https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships

If you have any questions please email Jennifer Hobbs at jenrosebuff@gmail.com.