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By Diane Wetzel The North Platte Telegraph dwetzel@nptelegraph.com Being a good mom means everything to Tracy Wiezorek, LincMom of the Quarter. She and her husband, Rocky, are parents to five daughters with a sixth baby due the first of January. A big part of being a good mom means showing her children the importance of helping others. Six months ago Wiezorek, 29, founded the Lending a Helping Hand Facebook page. The site allows people to ask for and to donate items to people in need. It’s based on the same spirit that moves a neighbor to bring a home-cooked meal to someone who has had a death in the family. It’s community service at the grass roots level and it has taken off in a big, big way. There are more than 4,000 members. “I wanted people who are struggling to know that they aren’t alone,” she said. “We have all struggled at some point in our lives. I have. We get so caught up in our own lives that we don’t realize how much help we can be to someone else. It may seem like something super small to me, but it’s big to someone who needs it.” No buying or selling is allowed on the site. It’s based completely on donations. Wiezorek administers the site, helps arrange transportation of donations and organizes fundraisers. She is planning a silent auction to raise money. “I always have to do things differently,” she said. “Instead of going around town asking local businesses for auction items, I put the word out on the site. I am getting donations from all across the country including Georgia and New Hampshire. I am also getting donations from the United Kingdom.” If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Wiezorek should be very flattered. Imitation websites are popping up in New York and Wisconsin. “I would like to see it in every state, as long as they are doing it for the right reasons,” she said. People who need ask for help and those who can, do. “Often people who have received help turn around and help someone else,” Wiezorek said. “I am so thankful for my own life. Reading about and
Above and Cover Picture: Linc Mom of the Quarter Tracy Wiezorek with her five daughters, Jestena, Lilye, Mystre, Novalia and Kaurlee. (Dad Rocky was at work.)
hearing these stories of people who are struggling, I realize that it could easily have been me.” Recent posts on the site offer donations of mattresses and box springs and requests for used children’s clothing. Someone else needs advice on how to fix a lawnmower. Search Facebook for “Lending a Helping Hand” to locate the website. “We have helped so many families,” she said. “People I have never met are working with me. It really is amazing.” The Wiezorek’s are the parents of Jestena, Kaurlee, Lilye, Mystre and Novalia, “My husband teases me that when this baby comes, I am going to be spending my time at the hospital on my cell phone working on the website,” she said. “I probably will be.”
PUZZLES & COLORING 3
COLOR ME!
4 HOLIDAYS
Gift-Giving Alternatives By Tresa Erickson Adbuilder.com Gift giving is a time-honored tradition, but how do you keep it affordable with a great number of people? If you have a rather large family and buying gifts for each and every person is out of the question, what can you do? You can have a gift exchange, and there are various ways you can go about it. Here are a few of the more common ones. Be a Secret Santa Secret Santa exchanges take place over a series of days. Participants draw names, purchase several small gifts for the person whose name they draw and arrange for a gift to be delivered daily in secret. Gifts may be themed, and the identities of the Secret Santas are revealed on the last day of the exchange. Draw Names Name drawings are fairly straightforward. You set up a time for the drawing to take place, throw the names of everyone
participating into a hat and have each person draw a name and tuck it away. This is the person for whom they must purchase a gift. Parents of young kids are responsible for purchasing a gift for the names drawn by the kids. The actual gift exchange takes place later at the date, time and place designated. Give Back Charity exchanges work well for individuals who don?t need anything and would rather give back something to their community. Participants write down the name of their favorite charity and insert it into a hat. They then draw a name of a charity from the hat and pledge to support it with either a monetary donation or volunteer work. Go the White Elephant Way White elephant gifts are generally inexpensive, sometimes funny, sometimes used gifts. For your white elephant gift exchange, you may select a theme and price limit, such as gag gifts for under $5 or odd items from home. Participants must then wrap a gift that meets those specifications and bring it to the exchange. The person first in line selects a gift, unwraps it and holds it up high for everyone to see. The next person selects a gift, unwraps it and either keeps the gift or swaps it for the other person?s gift. The fun continues until everyone has a gift. Exchanges may be limited to a certain number, and participants may be given one final opportunity to swap gifts if they so desire. Regift Regift exchanges usually take place after the holidays and require participants to bring something they received but do not want or need. Participants then get to swap what they don’t want for something that they do. Any gifts not selected may be donated to charity. None of these ideas appeal to you? No problem. Design your own gift exchange and theme it anyway you want. Themes can run the gamut from board games to cooking gadgets to pet supplies. It’s your choice, and with only one gift required instead of several, participants are sure to have fun whatever is involved.
EASY TO MAKE RECIPE 5
Ingredients: 2 cups - boiling water, divided 4 pkgs. - (3 oz. each) JELL-O Lime Flavor Gelatin, divided
1can- (5 oz.) Evaporated milk Âź cup - multi-colored sprinkles
Directions:
Photo & recipe courtesy of kraftfoods.com
Total Time: 5 hours Prep Time: 15 min Servings: 28 servings
Ingredients: 12oz. - BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate 4tsp. - shortening 1pkg. - (3 oz.) JELL-O Raspberry Flavor Gelatin
ADD 1-1/3 cups boiling water to 2 pkg. gelatin mixes in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Pour into 8-inch-square dish sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate 25 to 30 min. or until set but not firm. MEANWHILE, add remaining boiling water to remaining gelatin mixes in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in evaporated milk. Refrigerate 15 min. or until slightly thickened; pour over gelatin layer in dish. REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm. Unmold onto cutting board just before serving; cut into 4 rows, then cut each row into 7 alternating triangles. Garnish with sprinkles. Reserve gelatin trimmings for snacking.
1can - (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk Âź tsp. - almond extract 2 pkg. - (7 oz. each) BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
Directions: LINE 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Microwave chocolate and shortening in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min.; stir. Microwave 1 min.; stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Spread half onto bottom of prepared pan. Refrigerate 10 min. MIX dry gelatin mix, milk and extract in large bowl until blended. Stir in coconut until evenly coated; spoon over chocolate layer in pan. Press gently into chocolate layer. POUR remaining chocolate mixture over coconut layer; spread to completely cover coconut. Refrigerate 30 min. or until firm. Use foil handles to lift candy from pan; remove foil before cutting candy into squares.
Photo & recipe courtesy of kraftfoods.com
Total Time: 1 hour 10 min Prep Time: 20 min Servings: 36 serving
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Date
Time
Event
Location
Contact
Tuesdays
9:30, 10:30, 1:30
Preschool Story Time
North Platte Public Library
308-535-8036
1st & 3rd Wed
9:30 a.m. & 10am
Wee Read
North Platte Public Library
308-535-8036
November 29
5pm – 7pm
Downtown Christmas Kick-Off
Downtown North Platte
8:00 am
Jingle Bell Run
North Platte Rec. Center
9am – 6pm
Whistle Stop Market Christmas Bazaar
Garden Glove Center
10am – 3pm
Christmas Extravaganza
Wallace Community Hall & Wallace American Legion
11am – 4pm
25th Annual Craft Fair
United Methodist Church
Santa's Workshop Opening Ceremonies At 5:00 pm On Sat. Dec. 1
Cody Park
3pm - 5pm
Downtown Cookie and Ornament Decorating
Espresso Shoppe
5pm - 6pm
Downtown Christmas Parade
Downtown North Platte
7pm - 8pm
Living Christmas Tree
First Baptist Church
December 7
2pm - 6pm
Donna's Community Christmas Dinner
Harvest Christian Fellowship
December 9
10am - 5pm
Nick of Time Craft Show
North Platte Rec. Center
December 15
1pm - 3pm
Downtown Storytelling, Cookie and Ornament Decorating
Espresso Shoppe
December 19
10:30pm - 11:30pm
Santa @ the Children's Museum
NP Children's Museum
5:30pm – 8pm
Christmas at the Cody’s
Buffalo Bill State Historical Park
December 1
Begins Dec 1
December 6 - 9
Dec 20 - 23
TO SUBMIT AN EVENT FOR THIS CALENDAR Email events to: megan.dietz@nptelegraph.com Please include event name, date, time, place & contact information.
308-535-6772
308-535-6700
308.532.6772
308-535-6772
308-532-3512
No phone calls please. The Telegraph reserves the right to edit and/or omit all or portions of events.
KID’S HEALTH 7
Health Tips To Make Your Kids Be Happy And Enjoy Good Food! By Sanjeev Kmr Articlecity.com Every house can witness a tug of war between parents wanting their kids to eat healthy food and kids wanting to eat food that they find good. With a little foresight and planning both parents and children can be happy. Great health tips don’t have to be painful. Children want to have tasty food and snacks. Adults want children to have good nutrition. With a little thought it is possible to give kids wonderful tasty food and snacks and the nutrition they need. For example, watermelon makes a nutritious, healthy, tasty snack. Watermelon will also keep your kids from getting dehydrated in the hot summer months as it is 92% water. Watermelon is a great source of vitamins A, B6, and C, and one serving provides 80 calories of energy and even 7% of the USRDA of potassium. It contains no fat at all and the lycopene in it gives it a lovely red color. Lycopene is an antioxidant that will help you stay healthy and fight disease. Medical India can give you even more details on the health value of watermelon. A great snack for the whole family, and what used to be a summer fruit of choice, watermelon is now available year round. Watermelon is versatile and is great with any meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is a good snack for the entire family. Just plain watermelon is tasty on its own. It is also a good ingredient in other recipes, too. For birthdays and formal dinners, the beauty of a well carved watermelon is a good addition. Children’s parties can be livened up with just a little effort and the insides can be used to add color and value to your salads and desserts. You can make the inside of the carved watermelon attractive by livening things up with a fruit salad of blueberries, green grapes, orange segments, bits of apple, balls of cantaloupe ,etc. Children will be thrilled and so will the adults. Practical Directions to Help Make a Carved Watermelon Peacock • Firstly, select a well rounded and a sturdy watermelon since we need to put
many beautiful feathers on its back. There is no need for very big ones. • Next, you need to cut off a rounded slice from the bottom so that the fruit remains sturdy and does not roll off while doing the carving. • The next step is to sketch out the head and supporting feather structure. • It should be done in such a way that it starts with a semi circle and comes down with a long neck. • The plumage should be carved out from high in the back and then descend down low. • To get the desired affect, we need to make little wavy designs all the way up. • In the centre of the back, you need to put your finger on the head and siphon it back to get the center. • You will finally get a beautiful peacock when you carve it along the sketches made on the fruit. So its not just a health tip, watermelon is a tasty and fun way to give your kids and friends great taste and quietly help them to be healthy. Using a little creativity you can really make it more appealing to the eye as well as the tongue.
Family Medicine
Associates
Where Family Comes First! • Leland F. Lamberty, M.D. • Wendy J.Gosnell, M.D.
• Janet E. Bernard, M.D. • Joseph J Kezeor M.D.
500 W. Leota Ste. 100 • North Platte, NE 69101
308-534-4440
6-Personalized Silver Key Chains for $20 (reg. $45) from Bible Supplies
$10 for a $25 Gift Card from Brown’s Shoe Fit
$18.50 for a $37 Gift Tier from Gracie Mae’s
$10 for $20 toward Husker Posters (Framed or Unframed)