Lifestyle

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is offering a series of three free classes at 11 locations statewide for maturing gardeners. The “Gardening Smarter as We Mature” series teaches how to garden more easily as the body changes and ages.

Oh, the vagaries of gardening, landscaping and predicting the weather in Northern Nevada! I recently wrote about trees needing water after months of little to no precipitation. Then, lo and behold, Mother Nature took charge providing a thorough soaking. It rained five inches at my house.

This warm winter weather makes weeds grow. A few weeks ago, I saw filaree blooming. Cheatgrass is growing, even with the drought. As these and other winter annual weeds grow and before the spring weeds get started, people are thinking of spraying. They want to kill weeds that have started and prevent any new weeds from germinating in the first place.

Both beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome at this silent meditation retreat. In addition to guided meditations and instruction, there will be ample opportunities for personal exploration while sitting and walking. Supplemental practices will be suggested as needed.

There will also be opportunities for personal practice questions.

The peaceful setting under great pines offers a unique opportunity for silent meditation in a setting of stunning natural beauty.

Looking to meet your match made in heaven? Why not try Furry Speed Dating? This unique event pairs people and pets during a true — you guessed it — speed dating affair.

Join Nevada Humane Society on Saturday, Feb. 14 to meet some of the most eligible dogs and cats in the shelter. They’ll put their best paw forward and try to impress prospective adopters who will meet multiple eligible furry bachelors and bachelorettes with the goal of falling in love.

Little to no rain in January doesn’t bode well for trees and shrubs this spring and summer. Unless you provide them with the water lacking from Mother Nature, you probably will see plants dying back on top or losing limbs and branches. This is particularly true for plants such as birches and roses or for those newly planted this past year.

Getting to the finals of the Walt Disney Imaginations Design Competition was a pinnacle for three University of Nevada, Reno engineering students, who spent a week in a fun and intensive competition with five other finalist universities.

I asked my husband this morning if a coconut was a fruit. This started a conversation about what is a fruit versus what is a vegetable. Tomatoes and string bean are fruits that everyone thinks of as vegetables. If you are a botanist, a fruit is a structure that holds the seeds of a plant.

Warmer weather may still be months away, but Nevada Humane Society wants you to Beat the Heat by spaying your cat in advance of her heat cycle and preventing unwanted litters from being born this spring.

Planning that perfect wedding? We can help! Complimentary tickets are available online here for the Fall in Love Festival Bridal Show on Feb. 21 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Walley's Resort in Genoa, Nevada.

Thigmomorphogenesis – When I first saw this word, I thought it was a joke; but no, it’s a real response of plants to touch. I’m not referring to the “touchy-feely” idea of hugging or caressing plants.

Think instead of the active trapping mechanism of carnivorous plants or of the leaf response of the “sensitive plant” (Mimosa species). Some vine tendrils coil up when touched. However, thigmomorphogenesis refers to “more long-term changes in the appearance of a plant (‘-morpho-‘) in response to repeated touch (“thigmo-“) (Chalker-Scott, Washington State University).

You can now support Nevada Humane Society just by taking your dog out! Walk for a Dog is a simple, year-round fundraising app. It promotes healthy interaction between dogs and their owners, and raises money every day to support the mission of local animal shelters like Nevada Humane Society. It also gives people a reason to think about Nevada Humane Society every time they take their dogs for a walk.

Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms indoors is a fast-growing hobby. A colleague used to grow them in her bathtub. The North American Mycological Association says, “You too can grow mushrooms at home. It’s easier than you think.”

Still looking for the perfect 2015 calendar? The inaugural Pets on Patrol Calendar is still available at Nevada Humane Society — and they’re now on sale for a reduced price of just $10.

Nevada Humane Society has teamed up with another local business in support of helping homeless pets find loving homes — this time partnering with a pet store that, as of October, stopped selling puppies.

Pets R Us, a retail pet store located in the Meadowood Mall, will be hosting its first ever adoption event this Friday, January 16 from 12 Noon to 5pm. This event is the first of its kind since the business made the decision to end the sale of puppies in October.

Nevada's culinary scene is full of fine dining and local food options. Website Theculturetrip.com named four area restaurants to its "10 Best Restaurants in Nevada: Local Food & Fine Dining" list. They are: The Basil in Carson City, Cafe Del Rio in Virginia City, Brooks' Bar & Deck at Edgewood Tahoe in Stateline and Le Bistro in Incline Village.

A couple of years ago a friend introduced my husband and me to persimmons. The ‘Fuyu’ she gave us to eat was the flatter type of persimmon that can be eaten while still firm like an apple. It is a non-astringent type of persimmon, rather than the astringent type that needs to be “mushy and pudding-like” (Sunset Western Garden Book) to be ripe, or it will make your mouth pucker. My husband asked me if we could grow the firm persimmons here.

Are you interested in becoming a skater but have no experience skating? No problem! The Carson Victory Roller program will teach you everything you need to know about roller derby. Join us for six weeks of off-skates training and learn the game and what skills are needed before even putting on your skates.

Adults (ladies 18+) and juniors (boys and girls 7-17) are encouraged to come check it out. First class is free.

When: New skater program starts Wednesday, Jan. 21, and continues Jan. 28, Feb. 4, 11, 18, and 25. Juniors meet 6:15pm-7:30pm, adults meet 7pm-8:30pm.

In an all-emcompassing gesture of global peace and goodwill, a celebration among Northern Nevada religious faithful came together in Reno late Wednesday, New Year's Eve, to celebrate the ringing in of 2015.

Coordinated by religious statesman Rajan Zed, “Multi-faith New Years’ Eve Service” hosted by Reno Buddhist Center included prayers by Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Baha’i and Native American leaders.

Please enjoy the last episode of the Women To Women TV series. The final guest is Barbara Burgat is a senior private client advisor for Bank of The West, Wealth Management.
At the end of the episode host Carol Paz has a special message for our loyal viewers and all of the wonderful friends we made along the way. Be sure to watch the entire show to see the message. Happy Holiday's from all of us at Women To Women.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Or, when speaking to gardeners that probably should be Hoe! Hoe! Hoe! What presents are you giving the gardeners in your life this holiday season? I started looking online for unusual gift ideas for gardeners and found some curious ones.

Time is running and you still can’t figure out what to get that special angler, hunter or outdoor enthusiast for the holidays? If you are still searching for the perfect gift for your sportsman, the Nevada Department of Wildlife has some ideas that might help.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my body demanding that I change my overly athletic approach to gardening. The following are some great ideas that readers sent me on gardening smarter.

Patty suggests Flexilla lightweight garden hoses because they are easier to drag around and coil up more easily than most hoses. Another helpful suggestion was to use a lightweight plastic snow shovel with a long handle as a dustpan for raking and sweeping to reduce bending.

This week's edition of Women to Women features Donna Elliott and Irma Wilson. They operate a support group and clinic for people with depression. The women discuss how the group came about and why they started the program here in the Carson City region.

You can follow Women to Women Nevada on its Facebook page by going here.

The Carson City Photo Club will meet this Tuesday, November 25th at 6:30 at the Carson City Sheriff's Office. The theme this month is "Fall Colors." New photographers of all levels are welcome to join. See our Facebook Page or our website for more information.

This week's Women to Women Nevada is with Brenda Hungerford, a successful woman and business owner. Brenda grew up in Oregon on ranch property where she and her siblings explored the acres of wildlife and the world of ranch animals.

Visit www.facebook.com/carsoncitypix to view, share, or post interesting pictures in and around Carson City both past and present. No ads, no spam, no politics, just pix!!

Travelers seeking a digital free oasis this holiday season can find it at Camp Richardson Historic Resort & Marina at Lake Tahoe.

According to the U.S. data group Nielsen, Americans spent 34 hours using smartphone apps and on the mobile Web in December 2013, averaging at least seven sessions a day with their device. This trend has spurred numerous self-help books and articles on technology addiction. Heading into the holidays, the desire to unplug from the digital world and reconnect with family and friends has never been stronger.

With more than $100 million in revitalization efforts this year, a mountain of changes are underway at Tahoe South, the “No. 1 Ski Destination” (USA Today 2014), providing more upscale lodging, entertainment, shopping, skiing and outdoor recreation for the 2014-15 winter season.

The resort-to-recreation renaissance includes the planned winter opening of the $60 million remodel of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe, $24 million remodel of MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa, $3 million at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel and $15 million for the Château shopping center across from Heavenly Village.

The Carson City Elks Lodge #2177 collaborated with Partnership Carson City to sponsor a Character Counts! poster contest at the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada.
Contest participants were asked to pick one of the six pillars of good character: Caring, Trustworthiness, Fairness, Respect, Responsibility, and Citizenship, and create a poster exemplifying that trait.