Out and About Blog by Norm Stutesman

School used to start the day after Labor Day, but as far as when the school bell rings this year will depend on where you live. School has already started in parts of Indiana and Illinois. No matter when school starts for your children, it’s not too late to shop for those back-to-school clothes and supplies. The Stone House, located …

This time next month, college students should be settled in their living quarters. If your son or daughter is returning to college for their second year, the problems that existed a year ago should be forgotten. They will be familiar with the campus and dorm life, so the stress level should be lower and easier to deal with. What I’d …

I must apologize to my Canadian friends. I failed to mention earlier that yesterday was Civic Holiday in Canada. I’ll try to do better when it comes to holidays celebrated by our neighbors to the north. As we begin the month of August, there aren’t any real days of celebration this month, unless you want to consider the fact that …

At this time of the year, everyone should be aware how important it is to keep yourself hydrated. We should consume more water even if we’re not thirsty. Staying hydrated year-round is equally important, yet is easily overlooked. Driving while dehydrated might cause you to lane drift or be late in braking your vehicle. According to “Men’s Health”, a person’s …

I feel that I must apologize for the actions of some individuals of my generation. We are the ones responsible for raising children who were never taught manners or responsibility. Now I’m not saying that all of us failed at parenting, because most took the responsibility seriously. What I’m saying is that many things have changed over the years, which …

I recently had blood drawn, per a request from my family doctor. I have this done every several months or so, because I’m diabetic, and this helps me keep everything under control. I’ve come to realize that getting needles stuck in you is all part of growing older. As a kid, I dreaded getting shots, but now I don’t mind …

July and August have the reputation of being the two hottest months of the year. Normal heat isn’t too bad, but when you throw in the heat index, the atmosphere becomes extremely uncomfortable. However, this is Michigan, so we must learn to deal with the heat and humidity. Most of us have come to rely heavily on air conditioning. Just …

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t appreciate ‘FREE stuff. It’s difficult to find anything these days that doesn’t come with a price. This year’s Water Festival had quite a few activities that didn’t cost one cent. It hasn’t been a month and yet here’s another event that is absolutely FREE. Core Community member Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma would like everyone to …

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale authored “The Power of Positive Thinking” quite some time ago. I’ve never read the book and I’m pretty sure that if I had read it, my life and attitude would have been much more positive. There are those individuals that live almost every day in a negative attitude. The glass is always half empty instead of …

This Thursday, June 21, is the first day of summer, at least according to my calendar. Unfortunately, my calendar has no way of knowing that this is Michigan. In Michigan we’ve been known to experience several different seasons in the same week. This makes it difficult to keep separate closets for winter and summer clothes. I have faith, however, that …