Summer has always been one of my favorite seasons. With an abundance of fresh produce at the farmer’s market, veggies in the garden, and summer family activities, it’s nearly perfect… Except for the bugs, poison ivy, and occasional sunburn! Since we moved to the south years ago, I get to enjoy even more warm, summer weather. And with it comes even more mosquitoes.  Of course, homemade bug spray helps ward off most of the mosquitoes, and homemade sunscreen helps avoid the sunburn in the first place. Still, it seems that at some point, someone forgets one or the other and…

When you walk up to the Denver Convention Center, it’s impossible to miss the giant, blue 40-foot bear peering through the glass. Officially titled “I See What You Mean” by artist Lawrence Argent, the sculpture is a symbol of curiosity and wonderment. It was inspired by a photo of a bear looking into someone’s window during a Colorado drought, and Argent’s creation captures the interest the public has around “the exchange of information, ideas, and ideologies” during events like this year’s National Laboratory Information Technology (NLIT) Summit, held May 5-8, 2025 (source). Inside the convention center, that same spirit of…

Rage, fatigue, mood swings, memory loss, hot flashes, itchy ears, inability to sleep, loss of libido, hair thinning, depression, weight gain, sore knees, night sweats, incontinence. These are all symptoms of perimenopause — or possibly just occupational hazards of midlife. As Generation X and millennials ease into their 40s and 50s, they are ready to shake off the stigma around menopause and the time leading up to it — called perimenopause — in favor of embracing treatment. An army of influencers are pushing diet supplements and other products promising to help women through this phase. But how do you know…