Author Archives: Diane Osborne

Nebraska’s Riches

On March 1, 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state admitted to the Union. ‘Nebraska” is derived from the old ‘Otoe’ words ‘Ni Brasge’ or the Omaha words ‘Ni Bthaska,’ which means flat water. It makes a reference to the Platte River that flows through the state. I was born and raised in this wonderful state. So, to celebrate Nebraska’s 156th birthday, I want to share my pride in Nebraska by talking about 20 items that you may not have known come from Nebraska.

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Heart Disease Awareness Month

When we think of February, we think about Valentine’s Day and love. Well, this post is about one where I love you enough to share some hard facts about your heart health. Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States? One person dies every 34 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease.  Just a couple years ago, in 2020, about 697,000 people in the United States died from heart disease, that’s 1 in every 5 deaths.

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National Hot Breakfast Month

Breakfast is often said to be the most important meal of the day, and that’s why so many of us make a point of getting up in the morning and pouring ourselves a bowl of our favorite cereal. If not cereal, than a cold bagel smeared with cream cheese, and if we’re in a particular hurry, then we’ll have a protein bar or one of the many breakfast bars on the market to see us through the day.

National Hot Breakfast Month encourages us to break this cycle of coldness and start the day off HOT!

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Library Subscription Boxes

The Freeman/Lozier Library offers subscription boxes. Well, if you look at it in a certain light, you could say we do. The definition of a subscription box is a group of physical products packaged in a box and delivered to customers on a regular, recurring schedule. There are all kinds of subscription boxes out there such as: meal kits, clothing, pets, crafts, babies, learning, and beauty products all catered to meet your needs. The Freeman/Lozier Library offers this service in two unique ways.

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Thyroid Disease Awareness Month

Did you know that there is something in your body that has the shape of a butterfly that is responsible for producing hormones that play a crucial role in many of the body’s systems?  It is in charge of systems from cells and tissues, to organs like the heart, brain, liver, and kidneys. It is called the thyroid gland and it is found in your neck. Dysfunction occurs when the thyroid produces either too much or too little thyroid hormone. Either can disrupt healthy functioning of vital organs – leading to a wide range of symptoms. The good news is that once it is diagnosed and treated, it is possible to live a normal, healthy life. Since this gland controls so much and can affect many areas of the body, the month of January has been dedicated to bring awareness to thyroid diseases.

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Thankful in January

Whew! We made it to January and a new year. Now that things have quieted down a little, January is a good time to reflect on what you’re thankful for. You may be saying we did that at Thanksgiving. Did you? Did you really take the time or were you getting ready for the next holiday and didn’t have the time to truly sit down, breathe, and think about how blessed you really are. Looking back over the past few months, I feel thankful about quite a few things.

 

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National Impaired Driving Month

In December 2012, President Obama designated December as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month and invited families, educators, health care providers, and community leaders to promote responsible decision-making and encouraged young people to live free of drugs and alcohol. Continue reading

History of Christmas Cards

People have been sending Christmas greetings to each other for hundreds of years. The custom of sending Christmas cards, as we know them today, was started in the UK in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole.  He was a dedicated civil-servant and scholar. He had just worked to pass a reform that lowered the cost of postage to a single penny (the “penny post”) to encourage British citizens of all walks of life to use the postal system. However, he needed to find a way to get more people to using the mail to help finance the change.

 

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