Tag Archives: march

The Return of Spring

18 Thursday Mar 2021

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Mother Nature may have been giving us mixed signals this week, but we are only days away from the Spring Equinox. We know that the fresh powder on the ground makes it seem like we are a long way off, but here’s how we know the new season is fast approaching:

The Sound of Birds

As we write this post, we are being serenaded by the sound of chirping birds. Yes, we may have seen cardinals and robins during the cold, winter months, but we can now look forward to seeing the ducks, sparrows, songbirds and other feathered friends again.

The Upcoming Forecast

Although today’s blustery weather makes it feel colder than it actually is; however, we are currently experiencing above normal temperatures. Local meteorologists are calling for sunny weather and over 50-degree temps. If this trend continues, March will definitely be going out like a lamb.

More Daylight

Many of us don’t much care for the turning of the clocks, but once Daylight Savings Time arrives, we need to remember that we are gifted with more sunlight and longer days. Tonight’s sunset is scheduled for 7:08 pm.

Baseball Season is Back

There’s no question that COVID-19 impacted all areas of life last spring, including sports. The baseball season didn’t start until late July 2020, but this year appears to be back on track. Spring training is well underway, and the MLB is planning a full 162-game season starting on April 1.

The Continued Rollout of the Vaccine

We’ve all been anxiously waiting for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, so we can all return to some sort of normalcy, and it sounds like we are on the homestretch. As of 3/16/21, over 2 million shots have been administered in the state of Wisconsin. At this rate, it won’t be long until we can enjoy the company of friends and family in the beautiful spring weather.

We know that winter in Wisconsin is usually challenging, but this one was especially trying due to the pandemic. However, many evident clues are signaling the return of the spring.

Which signs of spring do you look for each year? Let us know in the comments below.

All of us at Lions Pride would like to be the first to say, “Happy Spring!”  

Celebrate Popcorn Lovers Day

12 Thursday Mar 2020

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healthy snack movie popcorn

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Popcorn fanatics unite! Today is Popcorn Lovers Day, which always takes place on the second Thursday of March. Don’t confuse this celebration with National Popcorn Day, a holiday that happens annually on January 19.

You may be wondering why did someone believe we needed a date to celebrate popcorn? The reason was pretty simple. The unofficial holiday was created only eight years ago by a man named Bob Matthews of Rochester, New York. The reason for its creation? It was Bob’s favorite snack, and he and his wife would eat it most Thursdays all year long.

You might scoff at the idea of popcorn for dinner, but when properly prepared, it can be a guilt-free indulgence. Let’s celebrate this poptastic unofficial holiday with some healthy fun facts:

  • A cup of plain popcorn contains only 31 calories.
  • Popcorn has more fiber than pretzels or potato chips, more protein than any cereal grain and more iron than eggs or roast beef. It really sounds like the perfect treat to us!
  • Many do not realize, but popcorn is a whole grain food, making it naturally high in key nutrients, including fiber, magnesium, phosphorous and manganese.
  • A study from the University of Scranton found that popcorn contains substantial amounts of polyphenols, antioxidants commonly linked to various health benefits, including better circulation, improved digestion and a reduced risk of many diseases.
  • Both the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly known American Dietetic Association, and American Diabetes Association agree that popcorn can be exchanged for bread for people on weight control diets. We probably don’t have to tell you, but this is our all-time favorite fun fact. Learn more about how Lions Pride works to support Community Diabetes Education in Wisconsin.
  • With its low calories, high fiber content and low energy, popcorn has all the characteristics of a weight loss friendly food.
  • Even though it has a multitude of health qualities, preparation can make or break the nutritional value of popcorn. The best way to prepare healthy popcorn is on the stove or in an air-popper with no oil.

Learn more satisfying health benefits of popcorn.

How do you feel about popcorn? If you have a favorite way to enjoy popcorn or have chosen a bowl of popcorn as an alternative to make dinner, let us know in the comments below.

Happy Popcorn Lovers Day from Lions Pride!

Springing Ahead Without Losing Sleep

05 Thursday Mar 2020

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closeup photography of adult short coated tan and white dog sleeping on gray textile at daytime

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March has officially arrived! The third month of the year brings a multitude of emotions. Many of us are hopeful that the coldest winter days are behind us, excited knowing that spring is right around the corner and perhaps a bit anxious after realizing that the start of Daylight Saving Time is less than 48 hours away.

You might be surprised to learn that that anxiety is not exactly unwarranted. While some of us may have no problems springing forward, others may not fare as well. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, some people can take up to seven days to adjust to the time change, though it might feel even longer! Anyone has ever experienced a sleepless night will empathize with these unlucky souls knowing that a lack of sleep can have a serious impact on mood, productivity and alertness.

We know that losing an hour of sleep is not exactly anyone’s preference, but it means that the Spring Equinox is only weeks away! The best way to create a better transition is by planning ahead. Follow these tips to start preparing your body for the new season:

  • Go to bed earlier

The AASM recommends that people start adjusting their sleeping and waking times by 15-20 minutes two to three days before DST. If you start going to bed 15 minutes earlier tonight, it will only feel like you are losing another 15 minutes on Saturday night, instead of the full hour.

  • Establish a healthy bedtime routine

To effectively get to sleep on time, you’ll want to make sure you include relaxation before bedtime. Engage in an activity that calms you, such as taking a bubble bath, reading a book, or meditate. Whatever you decide to do, stay away from your mobile devices. The blue light from these electronics suppresses melatonin and make it harder to fall asleep. Read through other reasons why you should consider putting the phone down at least 30 minutes before getting your shuteye.

  • Soak up the morning sun

On Saturday and Sunday morning, try to get out in the sun – even if it’s just sitting in a window. We may spend much of our days indoors, but don’t forget that sunlight still helps regulate our sleeping patterns. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the sun will alert our brains and set our bodies into motion.

  • Plan to nap on Sunday afternoon

Ideally, on Sunday morning, you would be waking up your new waking time (15 minutes earlier), but treat yourself to an afternoon nap. Make sure that you’re not snoozing too close to bedtime and try to keep it short. Studies show that most people do best when allowing 10 to 15 minutes for napping.

What other tips do you have for surviving DST? Let us know in the comments below.

Here at Lions Pride, we are also not thrilled with the idea of losing a precious hour of sleep when springing forward, but we keep trying to remind ourselves that winter is almost through. Always remember to look for the bright side and enjoy the passage to spring!

 

Celebrate National Puppy Day with Adoption

21 Thursday Mar 2019

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two yellow labrador retriever puppies

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Let’s play a game! We’re going to describe a creature; see if you can guess. This fellow typically has a wagging tail and a wet nose, has been known to be clumsy and receives the title of man’s best friend. What is it? A puppy, of course.

This Saturday, March 23, is National Puppy Day, and we don’t think there’s a better time to celebrate your favorite, furry companion.

National Puppy Day was first established in 2006 when Colleen Paige decided to dedicate a special day to honor “the magic and unconditional love that puppies bring to our lives.” But even more importantly, it’s a day to bring awareness to dog adoption.

Did you know that approximately 6.5 million US companion animals enter animal shelters each year? Of those animals, about 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. The ASPCA estimates that 710,000 animals that enter the system as strays are returned to their owners, and approximately 3.3 million are adopted. But that still leaves over 2.5 million animals in the shelter.

If you have room in your heart and in your home, we’d encourage you to consider adopting a dog. We’ve compiled a list of a few reasons to adopt, rather than shop:

  1. You’re saving not one life, but twoWhen you decide to adopt from a shelter, you are providing your dog with the second chance he or she deserves. Consequently, you are also allowing the next animal the opportunity to receive care from the shelter until he or she finds their furever home.
  2. Adoption fees are typically less than those from a breederCostHelper has found that purchasing a puppy can cost anywhere between $300 and $1500, compared to adoption fees, which can fall between $70 and $300. Additionally, when you choose to adopt, you will find that many follow-up expenses will be covered in fees – vaccinations, spaying/neutering and microchipping.
  3. Find nearly any breedMany dog lovers have preferences when it comes to dog breeds and assume that they can’t be found within a shelter. You may be surprised to learn that nearly any breed can be found in a shelter, including purebreds and young orphans. Start with a simple online search – you’ll never know who you’ll find.

There you have it! Just three of countless reasons to adopt your best friend. If you are an advocate of adoption, why did you choose to rescue your pet? We’d love to hear in the comments below.

Happy National Puppy Day from Lions Pride!

Early Signs of Spring

14 Thursday Mar 2019

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Do you smell spring in the air? May, not quite yet, but believe it or not, it is right around Screen Shot 2019-03-14 at 5.51.46 AMthe corner. Next Wednesday, March 20, marks the beginning of the vernal equinox.

As you may already know, the equinox is a moment in time when the sun positioned directly above the equator, so night and day are of (approximate) equal length. We know that it may not yet feel like spring, but if you would consider yourself to be a skeptic, we have some additional signs to help you see the light:

  • The snow is disappearing slowly but surely. February brought in record-breaking amounts of snow. In fact, the city of Wausau set a new personal best with 39.1 inches of accumulation, well exceeding their previous record of 28.4 inches set back in 1964. Understandably, it will take some time to get rid of the snow banks completely, but we are making progress.
  • Mother Nature is celebrating with well-above average temps. Today, we are expected to reach 52 degrees here in Rosholt, which will feel like a treat. But we’ll need to stay tuned because it appears that 50-degree temperatures will become the new normal in the upcoming weeks.
  • The birds are back in town. Sparrows and sandhill cranes are making their way back home, and the robins will get back to their usual routines.
  • The days are getting longer. We may have lost an hour of sleep last week due to Daylight Saving Time, but we are now getting more sunlight. We’re looking forward to seeing a little bit more of our old friend, Mr. Sun.
  • It’s almost time to play ball! The 2019 MLB will open on its earliest day ever. All 30 teams will play on March 28, excluding international openers. The previous earliest opening day was only last year on March 29, 2018.

There are many ways to show us that spring is almost here. From now until June 21, 2019, we will be witnesses to the rebirth of the beautiful, Wisconsin landscape. What is your favorite part of the new season?

Happy Spring from Lions Pride!

MLK Day of Service

17 Thursday Jan 2019

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“Everybody can be great because everyone can serve.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK Day of Service.png

Photo Credit to Corporation for National and Community Service 

Each January, we honor and celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1983, Legislation marked the birthday of Dr. King as a federal holiday. But in 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service. Each year, on the third Monday of January, we are all encouraged to look at Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthdate as a “day on, not a day off.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. In 1948, he received a BA degree from Morehouse College, at the age of 19. He was awarded a BD degree after three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary.

Shortly after, he became the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. He was always a strong advocate of civil rights, so he joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as a member of the executive committee. In early December 1955, he accepted leadership as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott lasted a total of 382 days. On December 21, 1956, the Supreme Court of the United States declared bus segregation as unconstitutional. From that point on, people of all races rode the bus together as equals.

In 1957, he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a newly created organization that was formed to provide leadership for the civil rights movement. In the next eleven years, Dr. King would travel over six million miles and give over 2500 speeches. Meanwhile, he wrote five books as well as several articles and led enormous peaceful protests. He may be most known for leading the 1963 march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people and delivering his “I Have A Dream” speech. During his lifetime, he was arrested more than 25 times, awarded five honorary degrees and was the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1968, while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, he was shot. He died on April 4.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all. The Day of Service is intended for engaging in community action that works to solve social problems. Service has an incredible ability to unite people of all ages and backgrounds while building stronger communities.

Honor the memory of Dr. King on Monday, January 21, by choosing to serve. Looking for a new service project? You need to see the Lions Club’s complete list of ideas for families. What project will you and your club start next? We’d love to hear in the comments below.

Happy MLK Day of Service from Lions Pride!

Eye Donor Awareness Month

22 Thursday Mar 2018

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When you think about the month of March, several topics probably come to mind. YouNatl Eye Donor Month may think about the first day of spring, St. Patrick’s Day and the start of baseball season, but did you know that March is also Eye Donor Awareness Month?

In 1983, President Reagan established the first National Eye Donor Month as a way to recognize its donors, celebrate the recipients and bring awareness to eye donation.

Approximately ten million people around the world are affected with corneal diseases that have resulted in blindness or other visual impairments. Corneal transplants have become one of the most frequently performed transplant procedures. According to the National Eye Institute, doctors perform approximately 40,000 corneal transplants each year.

Have you ever considered becoming an eye donor? Regardless of whether you have thought about donating in the past, or this is the first time you’ve carefully considered the idea, here are a few areas of to note that may help you make your decision:

There is just no substitute for human corneal tissue. If you have considered becoming an eye donor, you can rest assured knowing that your donation can make a world of difference for someone in need. Just think your gift could help restore someone’s vision, support the advanced treatment of blindness or other vision impairments – and beyond.

To get started, be sure to discuss your wishes with your loved ones, and thank you for your precious gift.

Happy Eye Donor Awareness Month from Lions Pride

Predicting the Weather Before Punxsutawney Phil

01 Thursday Feb 2018

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Here we are again – another month has come and gone. Now that we’ve flipped themarmot in the alps calendar to the month of February, we are anxiously awaiting Phil’s prediction about the upcoming spring, but is there a way to beat him to the punch?

Yes! We think we know of a shortcut. Before we had Punxatawney Phil, we had the Old Farmer’s Almanac, which may be a better resource than our furry friend – but we’ll let you be the judge.

Robert B. Thomas started the Old Farmer’s Almanac back in 1792. The Almanac records and predicts astronomical events such as the rising and setting and setting of the sun, tides, weather and other unusual phenomena. According to the almanac, Thomas would use a complex series of natural cycles to devise a secret weather forecasting formula. (Today, the formula is housed in a locked black box in the Almanac offices in Dublin, New Hampshire.)

Traditionally, the almanac was said to be 80 percent accurate, but in press materials, the almanac claimed to 96.3% accuracy for its 2016 predictions of a “bleak and biting winter.” Meteorologists and weather experts don’t buy it, but we think it’s worth a look!

The 2018 Long Range Weather Report for the Midwest says,

Winter will be warmer than normal, with the coldest periods in late November, early and late December, early January, and early February. Precipitation and snowfall will be below normal, with the snowiest periods in mid- to late December and early to mid-February. April and May will be cooler than normal, with near-normal precipitation. 

From the sound of this report, we don’t anticipate an early spring, although the weather report doesn’t discuss March in any detail. Here at Lions Pride, we are guessing that Punxsutawney Phil will not see his shadow tomorrow, but we certainly hope that we’re wrong. Do you think we’ll see six more weeks of winter?

Wishing all of us an early spring!

Lions Pride Current Happenings (Early 2017 Addition)

09 Thursday Mar 2017

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“Change is the law of life.” 

Where has the time gone? It’s hard to Dewey Carlbelieve we are already well into the month of March. If you’ve been keeping up with us for the past six months, you know that our organization has gone through a lot of changes during this period.

The largest difference, of course, is the loss of our founder and chairperson, Dewey Carl, who passed away last August. While we still feel the obvious hole in our hearts, we continue to pick up the pieces and find new ways to honor his memory.

One of the tasks that has been on top of our To Do list for quite some time has been the review and updates of our website with current information. Each year, there are changes to the Board of Directors, but this was the first time it was updated without Dewey. It just didn’t feel right to remove him completely – after all, where would we be without his original vision? Instead, we just moved him to his own dedicated Tribute Page.

For all of you who only knew Dewey through Lions Pride you might be surprised to learn how involved he was outside of Lions. He was very involved in his community and church and sat on the Board of Directors for several organizations. In 2011, he was presented with the Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Northeast Wisconsin. He truly was a Lion through and through.

Although LPEF has been shaken by our loss, our mission remains the same. Dewey’s voice and support started the campaign, and his indomitable spirit continues to inspire us to carry on as he would have wanted. Now more than ever, our words hold true. Lions Pride is dedicated to continuing our efforts to preserve, protect and provide for Lions Camp and all WLF statewide projects, and hope that you will help us carry out Dewey’s vision.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb? We Don’t Think So.

02 Thursday Mar 2017

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march-in-like-a-lion

Wow, another month has come and gone, and the most unpredictable time of the year has officially arrived. As we write, the all-too-familiar white fluffy snow continues to fall, adding to our fresh piles. It looks like March is coming in like a lion so it will go out like a lamb, right?

As we all know, there is no shortage of catchy weather sayings:

“Red in the morning, sailor’s warning. Red at night, sailor’s delight.”
“Doors and drawers stick before a rain.”
“The sharper the blast, the sooner ‘tis past.”
“If spiders are many and spinning their webs. The spell will soon be dry.
“When your joints all start to ache, rainy weather is at stake.”

But are there are any truths to these sayings?

You may be surprised to learn that all of the listed folklores are true, except – you guessed it – our lion and lamb saying. Read through more true weather folklores.

We have all experienced Marches that began with wild snowstorms and ended with blue, clear skies, but there are no scientific facts that provide evidence to this being a valid claim. Of course, we can hope that March starts off cloudy and snowy, and then ends with warmth and sun, but the key word is hope. Sadly, this particular lion saying appears to be more of a rhyme than a weather predictor.

Fortunately, we can quickly come up with a lion saying that we know for a fact to be true. “Where there’s a need, there’s a Lion.” Each year, Lions like you are making a difference in their communities all over the globe, and we have proof!

LCIF recently released their 2015-2016 Annual Report, where they announced that they received over $39.4 million in generous donations. The foundation then awarded 453 grants totaling over $45.2 million to support the work of Lions around the world. These grants made a positive impact on the lives of more than 44 million people. Now, that’s what we’d like to call making a difference!

On second thought, “In like a lion… out like a lamb” is obviously a false claim because Lions come in Lions, and come out like Lions, everyday of the year (regardless of the month.) From all of us at Lions Pride, thank you for all that you do and keep up the good work!