Let's Get Healthy!

Why aren't we the healthiest nation in the world?

We love stuff. How did we get so much? Can we ever dig out?

Ms. McCall, who helps run the community gardens in Black Mountain, will offer tips on gardening.

Dr. Elliot Engel looks at Kipling’s Indian origins and his later imperialist prejudices to reveal his unique contribution to world literature.

The Kid's Fishing Tournament is open to all children ages 15 and under.

The Senior Games for 2009 are on their way...

Pack Memorial Library is honored to have the Andrea Clark Catalog: Photographs of Asheville’s East End c. 1968 available for sale at our adult circulation desk.

Please consider giving a home to one of these wonderful pets! The shelter is okay, but I would love to have a home of my own!

Congratulations to Joan Kittner for her Blackened Shrimp Pineapple Salad recipe!

How many times have you thought that there aren't enough hours in the day, or that there's just no time to exercise? Even though we're pressed for time most of us spend hours each day in front of the TV. Why not switch off the TV and find time to reconnect with your family and your life.

Celebrate TV Turnoff week this April 20 - 26. Take time this week to switch off the television, computer and video games. Instead of spending hours in front of the screen, play a game, go outside, get creative or spend time with others. It has been shown that just turning the TV off has resulted in children being more physically active, even without planning specific activities to do.

Too much time in front of the screen has been linked to overweight and obesity. Switch off the TV and free up time to get active and plan healthy meals for you and your family.

Take this time to set up a plan for watching TV and other non-educational screen time. Families who plan their TV time end up watching less TV and are more physically active. For more tips on decreasing TV and planning your screen time, go to Tame the Tube.

Saturday, April 25 -- 2pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700

Celebrate the end of the winter doldrums by laughing your head off. Join Bold Life film critic Marcianne Miller on four Saturdays in spring as she presents a quartet of hilarious films from the 1980s. Each film is a winner in the test of time -- they are all as funny today as they were when originally released a generation ago.

There’s a favorite film for every funny bone:  an outrageous heist flick, a wild road trip/buddy film, a nose-y romantic tale, and a historically significant revenge fantasy. Prizes and refreshments add to the fun.

The comedy film for Saturday, April 25 is Midnight Run.

How many of us have been crying when someone told us “it’s not that bad,” “come on don’t cry?” Did those comments really make us feel better?

Imagine you are a child just learning to communicate or just starting to recognize different emotions or feelings. Hearing an adult tell you “it’s not that bad,” “stop crying,” “everything will be alright” or “be a big girl,” can be very confusing. This can make the little one cry even more since his or her inner-self needs to prove that there IS something to cry about.

One suggestion for a better reaction in such a situation is to say to the child, “It’s okay to cry. I know it hurts (or that you feel bad).” You can also say, “cry until it stops hurting.” When children are given “permission” to cry, it is often all that is needed to stop the flow of tears. Even if it doesn’t, children feel they have a right to their own emotions, have the freedom to release them and will end up feeling consoled.

In helping a child deal with a hurt, the importance of having a right to his or her own feelings cannot be overstressed. When doing this we help children to develop emotionally and build their sense of self and self esteem. You may even want to try this with an adult. Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to make people feel better or fix situations that we forget that sometimes it is okay to just cry about things.

For more information, call Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.

Although having an herb garden near the kitchen door for ready use can be delightful, herbs do not have to be limited to a separate garden. Many plants combine well in flower beds and perennial borders. According to the National Garden Bureau, the ten most popular herbs today are chives, basil, rosemary, lemon verbena, sage, oregano, sweet marjoram, parsley, French tarragon and thyme.

Not only are most herbs easy to grow, they actually don’t want too much pampering. Many popular herbs originate from Mediterranean climates where they are adapted to growing in poor soils and dry conditions. Give them plenty of sunlight and only modest amounts of fertilizer. Water to get plants established, then only when conditions become quite dry.

Most herbs do need very well drained soil. This is especially true for rosemary and lavender to survive the winter. Heavy clay soil should be well amended with pine bark soil conditioner or small gravel. Herb plants are also quite adaptable to growing in pots. Container herbs are a nice addition to the deck or patio. Don’t forget about the WNC Herb Festival the first weekend in May. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about different herbs, as well as purchase plants and products. Visiting all of the plant vendors is a fun “scratch and sniff” experience.

For more information, call Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.