Happy 2024 from the Nebraska Extension County Offices! We all have families, so here’s a few suggestions to get your new year started right. Even if you don’t have kids in the house a lot of these ideas pertain to adults too.

My family has a fondness for crime dramas and thrillers. It isn’t uncommon to watch a scene in which a peacefully sleeping individual wakes when a shadowy figure approaches their bedside with a pillow. Predictably, the assailant calmly presses that pillow over the face of their victim and waits until the struggling stops.

Recently I had the privilege to join the Governor, various leaders of Nebraska religious groups, and my fellow Senators in the tradition of declaring January 16 th as Religious Freedom Day. Religious Freedom Day was first signed by proclamation by President Bush in 1993 and has continued to be proclaimed by every President each year after. President Bush chose January 16th as the date based upon Thomas Jefferson’s draft bill for Establishing Religious Freedom in Virginia.

The United States champions the right of free and fair elections around the globe. Wherever political machines are abused to interfere in elections, American administrations have spoken out against those abuses — and the Biden administration is no exception.

As we begin a new year, consider how a little planning could help relieve stress and make best use of your resources. In an effort to eat more meals and snacks from home, set aside 30-60 minutes each week to do menu planning, suggests Nebraska Extension Food Educator Kayla Hinrichs working in Greeley, Howard, Sherman, Valley counties .

It’s the season for New Year’s resolutions, although by now, I am certain half of those are already toast. My spouse is an efficiency expert. She can take one look at what I am doing and immediately come up with a solution as to how I could do it better or more efficiently. It’s simply incredible!

My father-inlaw is a farmer. He grew up on the family farm in southwest Minnesota, where his dad grew up, too. Blessed by fertile soil, the farm has provided for the family for several generations. It is invaluable for my children to experience the farm, see the crops grow, help with animals, and learn about the cycles of life on the farm.

At any time of year, a slow cooker can make life a little more convenient because by planning ahead, you save time later. Opening the front door on a cold winter evening and being greeted by the inviting smells wafting from a slow cooker can be a diner’s dream come true.

Government should be open, effective, and responsive. It should serve taxpayers well.

With the New Year underway, resolutions are being made as we speak- or read, in your case. And while I am no expert in New Year’s resolutions or life advice, I am a fairly reputable source when it comes to books. Last year, if I remember correctly, I read roughly one hundred sixty books. All I got for Christmas this year was books, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. So, when Cody suggested I write some book recommendations, I jumped at the chance to share my favorites. Please keep in mind that I’m a nerd and all of these books are fiction.