Hints of spring appear in February

Hints of Spring appear in February. Although officially it's over three weeks away, we've seen clusters of bluets dotting the yard. Daffodils are up several inches high and some even have buds almost ready to open. Hyacinths too are springing up out beside the cellar. Even the birds seem to be heralding a new season as we hear them singing sweetly on the occasional warm day.

But Old Man Winter is reluctant to give up his grip. A Sunday night snowstorm at mid month left four inches or more of snow. Temperatures stayed low enough that it lingered several days, causing postponement of some meetings and cancellation of others. The youngsters even had to use their first snow day at school. A sunny day last Saturday melted most of the snow. But, just the next morning, flurries were flying again.

We had a busy weekend just preceding the storm. We attended the Chamber of Commerce banquet at Horton Farms and enjoyed visiting with several representatives from area businesses. There was a good turnout the next evening for the potluck at the Senior Center. Then, this last Saturday, I enjoyed gathering with friends from quilt class and had a special surprise when one of the ladies brought me a lovely pair of earrings. That evening, Jim and I drove to Siloam for a buffet meal and stayed for a short listen to a young guitar player who once worked with him.

Blustery winter days are a good time to read and to catch up on letter writing. I wrote and mailed a few letters this month and received a couple in return. Our friend in Florida wrote with good news, saying she got along fine while her daughter took a week's vacation. Then, a nearby tornado bypassed her area. My friend in Tulsa sent the welcome news that her husband was home after 10 weeks in the hospital.

We're still celebrating American Hearth Month and I promised to share more news about foods to help keep us healthy. Citrus fruits, loaded with vitamin C, are also rich sources of antioxidants and have been shown to reduce the risk of many cancers. Broccoli and its cousins cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are also loaded with antioxidants and cancer-fighting compounds such as sulforophane.

Low-fat dairy products are a great source of bone-building calcium and protein. Low-fat milk and related foods may also be a key to a healthy weight-loss program, according to the American Dietetic Association. Apparently, including low-fat milk and milk products in your eating plan helps promote the loss of body fat while maintaining more muscle.

Tomatoes are a great source of vitamins A and C and a substance called lycopene. Lycopene, a member of the carotenoid family of plant-based compounds, is what gives tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit their reddish color. Harvard University studies found that men who included more tomato products in their diets had higher levels of lycopene in their blood and a 36 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Lycopene is also believed to protect against other cancers and cardiovascular disease.

Whole grain products are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals, as well as complex carbohydrates. They can help reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease and studies have shown that products such as oatmeal are helpful in lowering cholesterol levels. Wheat germ is a rich source of vitamin E. It contains about 16 times the amount of vitamin E in a slice of bread. Top cereal or yogurt with wheat germ for a healthy boost or add it into fruit smoothies.

In February the days are growing longer by about two minutes per day. Keep on eating healthy, try to stay warm and spring will be here before we know it.

Susan Holland is a reporter for the Westside Eagle Observer and may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.