Hearing loss is one of the most common health complaints of older adults. But today’s technologies are making hearing loss easier to live with, and research is holding promise for new treatments in the future.

MAY

Story: Chance and Money have been friends since childhood. They struggle to pay the bills in their Spin City neighborhood, but dream of having careers as hip-hop artists. When Money’s girlfriend Joi tells him that she is pregnant, Money sees joining the Army as the only way he can make a steady income to support his growing family. He departs for active duty, leaving Chance and their No Plan B hip-hop duo in mothballs.

Eric Rhone didn’t start out to be in the ‘funny’ business. Growing up in Normandy and Pine Lawn as the son of a Bi-State bus driver and city school district employee, he probably did not see himself running an entertainment company, making multi-million-dollar decisions and living in a palatial home in Frontenac.

Weather conditions and human activities affect the population of monarchs. And according to Dr. Chip Taylor, a continued decline could mean the migration of these butterflies could be lost.

I have been a pet owner for many years—sometimes successfully; other times, not so much. I have had a towheaded 3-year-old come to me with a goldfish in his hand, and ask with utter sincerity why Gil doesn’t seem to like playing in the yard. I have had a guinea pig give birth not once, not twice, but three times on my watch. We had an albino gecko. Why, you ask? I wonder the same thing every day. I think it may have taken its own life, but the official cause of death is ‘accidental.’ Apparently, it accidentally stopped eating and drinking. I have had a puppy sit on my lap while I scratched her head and rubbed her back as she—unbeknownst to me—devoured a bird. But now, I fear my patience may have run its course. It appears our puppy—our adorable, precious, impossible-not-to-love puppy—has discovered a nest. Or a herd. Or a pack—of voles.

With spring weather finally upon us, kids and adults alike are anxious to experience the great outdoors. Lucky for us, St. Louis abounds with family-friendly ways to enjoy natural beauty.

Story: Caleb has returned home, or rather what’s left of his home, following the conclusion of the Civil War. The Confederate soldier has been shot in the leg and is badly in need of surgery, but he resists the efforts of Simon, his former slave, to take him to the hospital in Richmond.

Seeing stars…St. Louis will welcome a couple of big names beginning next month. On Tuesday, April 23, BOB DYLAN and his band will perform on the Peabody Opera House stage. Tickets went on sale March 15, and may still be available at the box office, by calling 800-745-3000 or through ticketmaster.com. Dylan, who will turn 73 in May, became the first rock musician to be voted into the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Letters earlier this month.

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New Planting Opportunities

No party is complete without décor, and what better option this spring than the very blooms that represent the season? We talked to three local floral designers to find out which stems scream spring and picked up some ideas to make sure everything at your gathering comes up roses—or perhaps tulips, in this case.

So last week my family and I were spending an uncharacteristically quiet evening at home. Homework was finished, and Cranky Whiny and Punch inexplicably were not bickering (I wondered idly if they had run out of ideas). Anyway, we were lolling around the family room, watching some vaguely inappropriate crime show when Pebbles, our puggle, hopped onto my lap and settled in. Wow, how Norman Rockwell! I guess every family deserves one night like this…and then I heard the noise.

DATE AND LOCATION CHANGED, CATERER ADDED FOR INAUGURAL ST. LOUIS THEATER CIRCLE AWARDS

Performances by local professional theater companies, ranging in size from The Muny and its productions in the 11,000-seat Forest Park amphitheater to small companies performing in modest spaces throughout the area, will be recognized at the inaugural Louie Awards.

Story: Mrs. Sorken, title character in the first skit, greets the audience to inform us about protocol and purpose behind the experience of attending the theater. She’s lost her notes, so she relies upon her somewhat scattered memory to give us a quick history about theater, drama and ancient Greeks, and how closely Dramamine is tied to drama. Who knew?

In the world of professional gardening, winter brings on different tasks. Hopefully, most of these jobs will be indoors when the weather is at its worst, as snow-shoveling and ice-chipping rank near the very bottom of our favorite jobs list. About the only things lower on that list are cleaning up the bird messes under the seed feeders, mucking out the pond on a cold spring day or spreading ripe manure in the heat of the summer. Gardeners usually use the winter season to plan future plantings, research new materials, order specialty items and peruse plant catalogs.

Story: Ten-year-old Joe Shostak has a problem with anger management. His Little League baseball manager tells him so after seeing him get in a fight with a loud-mouthed player from another team. There are problems at home, too, as Joe’s parents have separated over money issues.

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We love giving gifts of plant products to friends near and far. One of my favorite treasures to send is maple syrup from our relative’s farm in New Hampshire. It takes 100 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, but don’t look for the romantic image of draft horses hauling a sleigh of sap. Today, sap is extracted from trees with a web of plastic tubing and a giant vacuum cleaner. You can find the result in gift-sized cans or bottles at many local retailers.

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Q: Chef, with the holidays around the corner what to cook is the center of conversation at my house. It always comes down to deep-fried turkey or a Louisiana-style turducken. A family divided. Please help me, what do you think?