From the Publisher

HERE’S TO SPRING, COMMUNITY AND HOPE IN A TIME OF CRISIS

As spring draws its new breath and the season begins to show its signs of bloom and rebirth, this edition of Capital Area Women’s LifeStyle Magazine is dedicated to all things home and garden. With the cancellation or postponement of so many events in the region due to COVID-19, you’ll be spending more time in your home. Take this time to de-stress and do a little dreaming about the changes you would make if you could. Read the inspiring story of our cover woman, Cheryl Underwood, on how she rebuilt after a house fire to bring the home of her dreams to life. As for the coronavirus, it’s important at this time that we remember to treat each other well. While we certainly should not panic, it is vital that we take into consideration recommendations from the CDC to keep ourselves and others healthy. Also crucial is keeping our high-risk, elderly population safe by checking to see what elderly family members, friends and neighbors need and doing our best to help them when possible. It’s been heartwarming to watch the social response to this crisis on Facebook. I’ve seen offers to take care of children due to the closing of schools, the sharing of essential supplies and more. We can learn a lot from this. A friend group of mine gathered together to get Meijer gift cards for families and students who may have trouble finding the necessary resources while school is out. They raised over $800 in a very short time. This is just one of many situations where wonderful people are doing what they can to help others. Be kind always. Finally, keep small businesses, event organizers, hospitality enterprises, healthcare workers and others in your hearts. With We can get through this by staying informed, following protocols and keeping our community in mind. events canceled, businesses feeling the effects of lost business and lost income for others; times are most certainly tough. There are still ways to support your local businesses and finding them is critical to keep our local economy going.

Here’s to spring being a time of hope in our region.

We can get through this by staying informed, following protocols and keeping our community in mind. ■

In good health,

Tiffany Dowling Publisher