My teenage son loves to cook (Italian Wedding Soup last night for supper) and, as a parent who loves to encourage -- and loves coming home to supper on the table -- I'm happy to buy whatever ingredients he needs to make his creations. But I can still remember a time years ago when I painstakingly planned out my menus for the week and my grocery list to match my tiny budget.

If you are a parent or grandparent who wants to feed the children in your life healthy foods but feel restricted by a small budget, help has arrived! A free program is starting March 5 at the Minersville Library to give you tips about Healthy Cooking on a Budget. The class will include recipes, meal planning, getting the best groceries for your money, food labels and more. The classes will be held from 1 pm to 3 pm on March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2 and 9.

Don't tell my children but...growing up seat belts were not a thing in my world. I remember them being stuffed between the seats, never to be seen again. But now you, I, just about everyone can't imagine starting a car without clicking that seat belt first. I also remember a time when smoking was everywhere -- restaurants, family picnics, workplaces. Now, the non-smokers far outweigh the smokers. How did we switch from no seat belts to seat belts for all? From smoking to non-smoking? It was a combination of many things and one of those things was education programs.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is planning to take on underage drinking and irresponsible drinking by funding programs to promote legal drinking and responsible drinking. They will be awarding grants of up to $20,000 per year and $40,000 for two years to make a program plan a reality. The deadline to apply for this grant funding is Friday, March 20. Applications can be found here. The following organizations can apply for grant money:

• Pennsylvania school districts
• Pennsylvania institutes of higher learning (technical, trade and post-secondary schools)
• Community organizations
• Municipal police departments
• Municipal officials
• Non-profit organizations
• For profit organizations

Need some help navigating the world of grants? Penn State University is sponsoring a Grant Writing Workshop on four Tuesdays (March 10, March 24, April 7 and April 21) from 5 pm to 6:15 pm. To learn more contact Susan Williams at sxw831@psu.edu

My mom's family ran a small town bar for generations and I always wondered how things worked -- or didn't work -- during Prohibition. After all, we weren't the Yuenglings and couldn't turn the bar into an ice cream parlor. If you're interested in what happened in Schuylkill County during Prohibition, stop by the Schuylkill County Historical Society this Wednesday at 6:30 pm for a Prohibition Talk by Guy Graybill. Graybill is the author of "Prohibition's Prince: The Bizarre Life of America's Millionaire Moonshiner". The cost is $5 for the public and free for members.

Interested in genealogy? Well, here's a new twist -- property genealogy. Jean Dellock will be conducting a class on researching the history of your home or other property. Remember that family bar I told you about? I'd love to research the history of that building! The class will be held at the Schuylkill County Historical Society on Saturday, March 7 from 10 am to noon. Cost is $20 for the public and $15 for members and includes some light refreshments. To reserve a spot contact them at 570-622-7540 or sch.hist@comcast.net

I'm sure we'll all agree that we have happily escaped most wintry weather. Yahoo! But what we missed in snow and ice we more than made up for in miserable colds and flu this season. Egads! I feel like for the past six weeks we have gone from one person to another being sick in our family. Will it never end?  Because of these dreary colds that seem to never end, I am more than ready for Spring. 

To help speed the arrival of Spring, folks in Schuylkill Haven are celebrating Hoodie Hoo Day complete with noisemakers, leis and crazy hats. If you want to join in the fun come to the Schuylkill Haven High Rise, 255 Parkway on Thursday, February 20 at noon for this free but fun celebration.

Personally, I'm not a gun gal.  To me they're loud and scary. Of course plenty of people in my family are hunters and are comfortable with guns. In this day and age so many people feel more comfortable and protected when armed...every day seems to bring a new mass shooting or other violent event. If you're thinking about registering for a Concealed Carry Permit, attend a seminar on the subject at the Tremont Fire Company on March 19 from 6 pm to 9 pm. The free event is being organized by Rep. Mike Tobash and because of limited seating you should register as soon as you can here.

This information session will educate attendees about the Concealed Carry Laws and Castle Doctrine.  There will also be a question and answer session so think over the issue and bring your questions along. There are strong feelings on both sides of the gun issue but more education is always a good thing for people wishing to make an informed decision. So come learn more about gun ownership.

Want to share a special event with the children in your life? There are plenty of events for families happening this month.

Friday, February 21 - Sunday, February 23
Frozen Jr. at the Majestic Theater at 2 pm (22nd & 23rd) and 7 pm (21st & 22nd)
Children ages 3 to 18 will perform the songs and story made popular by the Disney movie released in 2013. Tickets are $10 for all ages and available at the box office or by calling 570-628-2833.

Friday,  February 21 - Saturday, February 22
Rainbow Fish Musical at Tamaqua Community Arts Center, 125 Pine Street, Tamaqua 
February 21 at 7 pm and February 22 at 2 pm & 7 pm
Although it is based on the children's book Rainbow Fish, the entire family will enjoy the story found in this play. Tickets are 48 and $10. Tickets can be purchased online

Thursday, February 27
Read-In Chain at the Pottsville Library from 6 pm to 7 pm
A celebration of African-American literature including storytelling for children of all ages. Please register by calling 570-622-8880.

Friday, February 28 & Saturday, February 29
Putting for the Pottsville Library
Friday's game from 6 pm to 9 pm is for adults (over 21) only: $35 per person
Saturday's game is family fun from 10 am to 3 pm: $5 for adults and $3 for children under 16
***Each day features 18 holes of mini golf sponsored by local businesses set up inside the library as well as food and drink appropriate for their age group
Call the library for more info at 570-622-8880

We can all agree that physical activity should be an important part of all our lives. But let's face it, riding a bike to nowhere can get boring fast! One way to keep exercise from getting boring is to do it with friends. Team sports come with built in friends. If you're looking for a few workout buddies, think about joining the Adult Co-Ed Volleyball League organized by the Blue Mountain Recreation League (Blue Mountain residents and non-residents are welcome). Team members must be at least high school students and there are two divisions, Power and Recreation, depending on the skill of your team. The cost per team is $120.

The league will meet on Monday evenings at the Blue Mountain Middle School starting on February 24. The deadline to register is February 18 by contacting Jason Boris at jboris@bluemountainrec.com or 570-366-1190.

Come out to have some fun, get some exercise and maybe even make some new friends!