Red Alert
There are three good reasons to wear red this month. 
Do you know what they are?
I’m Zulah Talmadge, editor of The Shady Pines Gazette and we’re working on a story about that very thing.
You see first of all it’s Heart Month. This is the time each year to really focus on your heart health. More on that in a minute.
And of course, Februray 14th is Valentine’s Day. That’s the day we set aside each year to express our deepest affections for our loved ones. Bring on the flowers and chocolate!
Dragons Rule
Finally, this month marks the begining of the Chinese New Year of the Dragon. And the color 
associated with that is – you guessed it. Red!
What do you really know about this Year of the Wood Dragon? It runs from Feb. 10, 2024 – Jan. 28, 2025.
Someone very well known here in Shady Pines was born under this sign.
And he’s our very own mayor, Beauregard P. Fibbs.
A zodiac sign in the 
Chinese calendar is an animal that represents each year in a 12-year cycle.
A person’s Chinese zodiac sign is determined by his or her date of birth. Which one is yours? GO HERE
You might be interested to know that people born in the year of the Dragon are: charismatic, intelligent, confident, powerful, naturally gifted, and lucky.
Sounds a lot like Mayor Fibbs to me!
Heart Health
Heart Health Month is a good time to protect yourself against heart disease.
It’s never too young to start.
Rita Malena can tell you all about this topic. She’s the Director of The Shady Pines Community Center. A couple of years ago Rita discovered heart disease runs in her family.
Rita says even
youngsters like Ray Robinson can help themselves by doing small heart-healthy actions like running around more with Boomer and Halley.
Besides exercise, choosing to eat healthy foods also helps. Just doing those two things can 
have a big impact on protecting our hearts.
Because she’s an adult, Rita says her doctor also suggests that she have some basic screenings.
She should be checked for blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and body mass index.
The Heart Of The Matter
Now we come to the red day in mid February devoted to love. Valentine’s Day means different things to different people.
But at the heart of it, February 14th is the day set aside to remind that special someone in your life how much they mean to you.
In the Sanders household there’s a twist. The love between Harold and Edna Sanders is widely known.
But ever since that Australian Shepherd dog, Boomerang and the silver streak of a cat, Halley’s Comet came to live 
with them, well the love has expanded four-paws fold.
Oh sure, there are times when Harold and Edna
freely admit those two rascals get on their last nerve!
On the other hand, this once 
childless couple now has two spunky kids that they wouldn’t trade for anything.
So you tell me. That’s love isn’t it?
Happy Valentines Day from all of us at Shady Pines Story Town to you!
Enjoyed this post!
So glad you did!
Enjoyed it!
So well written!
I wish there were more sites like this one for kids
I always look forward to these posts. They’re so positive
And you know what? I think Boomer and Haley love each other too.
Great post that ties many important themes together.
Tank you Sheri!
Great job as always – informative as well as entertaining
Thank you Joanne!
Now I’m seeing red too. Very nice
Thank you Shady Pines for always being a positive ray of sunshine. I enjoyed the post
Wonderful ❤️
Glad you liked it Tricia
Great reminder of keeping a healthy heart. Love checking on Chinese zodiac each year. Of course, ❤️day is the day most people think about in February. Thanks for sharing your Shady Pines reminders.👍🏻🤗
Happy you liked it Linda!
I liked the heartfelt themes in this post
This so smart. I like the way you’ve talked about these three topics by tying them to some of the residents of Shady Pines. Good job
This was really good
What a great way to pull a lot of information together in an entertaining way. Love Shady Pines