By Emily Schilling With the preponderance of pink surrounding us this month, there’s no doubt that it’s October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Most everyone has been affected by cancer — either they have battled the disease or have family members or friends who have battled the disease. On this month’s Reader Submissions page, we salute… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling There’s an old quote: “Good, better, best. Never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best.” Most of us aspire to be the best we can be. We like being the best, experiencing the best and applauding the best. This month’s issue showcases Indiana’s best as voted… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling For me, it’s all about the deep fried (of course!) spiral potato chips. I’m embarrassed to say it’s one of main reasons I look forward to the State Fair each year. The chip vendor booth is the first stop I make after parking the car! If I had my druthers, I’d declare… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling Things that can be refreshed: hat glass of iced tea you’re sipping our computer our attitude our wardrobe our electric cooperative magazine Welcome to the first issue of a refreshed Electric Consumer. Your electric cooperative magazine celebrates its 67th year with this issue. It’s an opportune time to change things up a… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling I’m a perennial list maker and most of what I commit to paper are my “to dos,” also known as “the list that never ends.” I may check stuff off, but, alas, the list continues to grow with new tasks that must be completed, usually ASAP. Therefore, any sense of accomplishment is… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling Baddies of gotham city, beware! The Caped Crusader is out there — and so is the city’s striking royal blue flag. But did you know that Batman’s hometown flag is inspired by the current Indiana state flag and our state’s previous banner which featured Indiana’s state seal? Why a fictional playground for… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling I’m what you might call an “aspiring crafter.” I scout Pinterest with every intention of making something cool and cute. I wander craft store aisles picking up charms and chains for necklaces I plan to design. I just never get around to it. I’m also obsessed with Ball jars. Others seem to… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling Screaming. shaking. weeping. hiding. It could be another Monday morning. Or perhaps it’s something more. One million Americans suffer from panic attacks each month. One in 75 Americans experience a panic disorder sometime in their lifetime. Although debilitating fear is not something I would choose to celebrate, someone decided to do just… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling Growing up during the heyday of Apollo space program, when rocket launches were the norm and the moon became an attainable destination, I was awestruck, like so many others, by a famous photograph of our planet. It was shot by the crew of Apollo 17 on our country’s last journey to the… Continue reading.

By Emily Schilling Coming up with resolutions may be the customary way (besides champagne, noisemakers and kisses) to ring in the new year. But, inspired by a Chinese takeout dinner over the holidays, I’ve decided a new beginning-of-the-year tradition is in order. So, instead of making promises to myself that I’ll likely break by month’s… Continue reading.

It’s said that a part of who we are is defined by those landmark events that are seared into our memories. Depending on how old we are, those key points in history vary. Perhaps for you it’s when World War II ended, or when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, or when the Berlin Wall fell…. Continue reading.

Cold, snowy winter days are especially challenging when you live off a narrow, winding gravel road surrounded by acres of trees. On the rare occasions when we don’t have to venture out in the season’s elements, I do admit it’s quite nice to look out the window and admire the pristine snow carpeting the ground… Continue reading.