I’m excited for each new year even though as I age they seem to be going faster and faster! A new year is the perfect time to consider signing up for a class and learn something new. Extension is known for providing lifelong learning opportunities in our community.
In our recent move to a new office location in Great Bend, I found some treasures. Files contained photos and news clippings of furniture refinishing workshops, class rosters from parenting classes and pictures of completed projects in our 4-H sewing classes. Many of these 4-Hers have grown up and have children of their own, ready to join us in 2022!
I have a couple of neat learning opportunities just around the corner so read on for the workshop details.
A couple of years ago my husband and I started experimenting with fermenting vegetables in a wide mouth canning jar. Now it has become a regular occurrence to make a couple of quarts of sauerkraut or kimchi on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Fermented foods are easy to make and the health benefits of including a small serving daily are in the news. If you would like to learn how to make sauerkraut in a wide mouth canning jar, consider signing up for the workshop I am leading on Tuesday, Feb. 8 from 6-9 p.m. Your $25 registration includes: quart jar and lid, one way valve, weight, and ingredients for sauerkraut. Class size is limited, so call the Extension office at 620-793-1910 to sign up. I’ll keep you posted on a date to offer a similar evening class in the Hays community in March.
Another workshop that I love to teach is the Stay Strong, Stay Healthy, workshop. This class meets every Tuesday and Thursday, from 10-11 a.m., for eight weeks beginning Feb. 15 and ending April 7. Stay Strong, Stay Healthy emphasizes strength, flexibility and balance for the older adults who register. During each session, a prescribed set of eight upper and lower body strengthening exercises are done along with warm-up and cool-down stretches.
Participants are made to feel comfortable regardless of their current fitness level, so they can safely participate and gradually build the strength beneficial to health. This is my eighth year to teach this workshop at our Great Bend Activity Center, which is the perfect setting. The cost to register is $20 and classes fill up fast, so call our office to sign up. At the time of your registration, I will set up an appointment to complete a short pre-assessment prior to the first class.
It’s kind of catchy don’t you think? “Learn something new in 2022.” I’m looking forward to your call!
Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. Contact her at 620-793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu.
