Opinions

Savvy Senior Dear Savvy Senior, Are there any easier alternatives to a colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer? I just turned 60 and my wife keeps nagging me to get tested, but I hate the idea of drinking that laxative solution and being sedated for the procedure. Squeamish Steven Dear Steven, While a colonoscopy remains the most accurate screening test for detecting colon cancer (94 percent accurate), there are other easier – although less accurate – tests available.

Sometimes, life is heavy. A couple of months ago, I was in the throes of motherhood, having a newborn baby as well as three other little ones. Trying to balance my career, household duties, being a mother and a wife and helping on the farm after my maternity leave quickly became overwhelming. To put it lightly, I was exhausted.

Random Thoughts I spent part of Sunday with my kids to celebrate Father's Day, just like many dads did with their offspring. My youngest son, Aaron, was there.

Extension Experienced jelly- makers will tell you one enduring fact: All pectin is not created equal. The two types of pectin – liquid and dry – are safe for most people.

As I sat with my cousin Richard Conrad in the Gaylord, Kan., Cemetery over this past Memorial Day, Richard did what he always does when we get together. He made me laugh.

To the editor, When I enlisted in the U.S. Army, I wanted to serve my country and defend the Constitution as my grandfather did during World War II and the Vietnam War. After my enlistment, I became a teacher and continued my service to country and community by educating the next generation about financial literacy. Like my grandfather’s generation, my fellow veterans and I carry a similar sense of duty and service in our hearts.

Dear Savvy Senior, How can I tell if the health info on a website is trustworthy? I usually do a Google search on a symptom, drug or health condition when I want to research something, but with so much information out there I’m not sure what I can trust.

As I sat with my cousin Richard Conrad in the Gaylord, Kan., Cemetery over this past Memorial Day, I was struck with how important the concept of extended family is to most people. Some of us never do anything about that concept of family.

Every five years, major commemorations are held in France to honor the soldiers who fought in the D-Day invasion on the beaches of Normandy in northern France, when roughly 156,000 soldiers – from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, along with other countries – came on shore in what later was recognized as a major turning point in history.

Savvy Senior Dear Savvy Senior, Are there any programs that you can refer me to that financially help grandparents who are raising their grandkids? I’m raising two of my grandchildren and could use some help. Tapped Out Tonya, Dear Tonya, Money is a common problem for the nearly 2.4 million U.S.