Birds possess a curious dichotomy. They’ve captivated human imagination for millennia with their ability to fly, coming to symbolize our highest aspirations. Yet their otherworldliness and often mysterious nature lead many cultures to view them as bearers of death, conduits to and from the afterlife, or even as immortal souls.

As a grade schooler outside Gary, Indiana, Patrick Farabaugh noticed he was different. “I started to know who I was. … What I didn’t know is that there was a word for it, or that there were other people in the world that felt what I was feeling.” This was pre-internet, and there was no easy network for Patrick to connect with to learn about himself. “I really thought I was mentally sick. I thought it was a mental illness, and there was no one else in the world like me.”

No matter what you do in life, at some point you will experience rejection. Bummer, right? Not all rejections are created equally, which means our reactions and the side effects can differ greatly. Some rejections we can quickly get over, while others are experienced as deep trauma that can lead to depression and isolation. More traumatic rejections can stick with us for a lifetime and inform our decisions and our life—if we let them.

Green Owl Café has been Madison’s only vegetarian and vegan restaurant since 2009. The café appeals to everyone, including meat eaters and others who want more plant-based food in their diets. Simply put, they provide vegetarian cuisine for people who love food.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve referenced the increased building of stressors that many of us experience, particularly within an age of a 24/7 news cycle in a volatile political environment. It doesn’t matter your political affiliation, we’re all affected. Conflict in government on a state or national level and the inability to focus on the best interest of the people rather than the politics varies in impact for each individual, but every one of us confronts immediate and lasting effects, whether through avoidance or direct interactions.

A cozy winter day inside with close friends and loved ones—Hot Toddy. A summer day at the beach—Bahama Mama. A long day at the office—Long Island Iced Tea. There isn’t a moment in life that can’t be punctuated by the craftmanship of a cocktail, and it seems the imbiber has access to a prevalent culture the abstainer, whether for the night as a designated driver or someone who chooses the sober life, is neglected from.

Raise your hand if you ever brewed a beer. Okay, I was just making a point. Put your hand down. Now, if you ever made a homebrew, then you know what I mean when I say brewing a beer is cooking. That’s really it. You follow particular recipes using water, grain, hops, and yeast to create something that’s fundamentally different than those ingredients on their own.

It’s fitting that a building erected to help tuberculosis patients in the early 20th century should house the current Dane County Department of Human Services, whose mission, among others, is to provide effective services that support well-being and community safety.

Buy-local movements play pivotal roles in shaping their communities all across the United States, and for the Greater Madison area, Dane Buy Local (DBL) has been going strong for 15 years. But every buy-local movement has to fit wherever it exists, taking into account socioeconomic, political, and lifestyle factors. To bring all those perspectives into one room, the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) is having its annual member meeting in Madison this April 22 through 25.

As Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) nears 100 years of providing tools and services for people to help animals in their communities, we look back at the history of the organization—the successes, pitfalls, and dedication it took for them to become a nonprofit shelter providing refuge, healing, and new beginnings to over 9,000 animals every year. This story is the first in a series leading up the DCHS Centennial Celebration in 2021.

Spring’s a wonderful time at a veterinary clinic—there are more puppy and kitten visits! While we love cuddling them, giving lots of treats so they love coming to us, and cooing over their cuteness, there’s a lot more that we do for them.

When the record books closed on the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s women’s soccer season for 2019, the numbers pointed to a lengthy series of triumphs for a team that ultimately clinched the Big Ten championship crown. Team representatives say the coveted award is an outward sign of years of hard work and collaboration between coaches and players alike.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are foundational to a healthy diet and lifestyle. Still, as urban centers expand, the barriers to healthy food become increasingly problematic. Fresh and local is touted across the country, yet the pressures of development make it economically challenging to preserve farmland near cities. What is happening to our farmland, and can we keep food production near our urban centers?

Gyrotonics was created by Juliu Horvath, a Hungarian born in Romania in 1942. His love of movement, expressed in his childhood through swimming, gymnastics, and rowing, turned into a love of dance. After having much success with the Romanian national ballet and New York City Ballet, his career ended abruptly when he ruptured his Achilles tendon.

It takes courage to enter into psychotherapy. You’re trusting private thoughts and feelings to someone you don’t know. You expect them to protect your privacy, treat you with respect, and have your best interest in mind. Ordinarily, this is exactly what happens, but sometimes it doesn’t.