Did you swap your umbrella for sunglasses last weekend? After many rainy days we enjoyed bright sunshine although a chilly breeze Sunday.

Families were out walking, cycling and even throwing footballs and baseballs. Family dogs enjoyed neighborhood walks. It was obvious that everyone was out grabbing sun rays.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac forecasts March temperatures to be 1° above average of 56° and precipitation 2” above average.

COVID-19 still ranks as top news. Mid-March will mark a year since the pandemic was declared. Our daughter Sally has been concerned about the deadly disease’s spread. She and husband Russell actually experienced it. Last week she volunteered with vaccine administration at Baptist Hospital due to rain at Gamecock Park.

She felt it was historic seeing life-saving vaccine given to vulnerable recipients. This shot has already brought a dramatic decline in case numbers. She was rewarded with receiving the shot herself.

ANNE BULL has good news and bad. According to experts at Johns Hopkins, the pandemic may be over by April. But the bad news is the rise in gas prices. In South Carolina, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was at $2.42 Feb. 21, up 14.3 cents (6.2%) from a week earlier and up 25 cents (11.4%) from a month earlier. At this rate, we may be staying home longer than we planned.

DONNA BUNDRICK Griffin advises to keep your heart healthy and happy,:

• Read labels and avoid foods that are high in salt and saturated fat. Include in your meals fruits, vegetables, low fat meats, low fat dairy products, tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans), whole grains and fish rich in Omega 3 (salmon, tuna, sardines, herring). Exercise daily to reduce stress.

• Eat heart-healthy meals including breakfast parfaits, heart smart sandwiches for lunch and salmon with steamed asparagus and kale salad for dinner.

The parfait is made by alternating low fat yogurt with fruit and topped with chopped nuts. Lunch sandwiches are easy since they are made with whole wheat bread, a thin slice of lean meat, spinach topping and a spritz of Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. Enjoy a bowl of fruit in season for dessert.

For a healthy dinner, kale salad is easy to prepare. Massage kale with organic olive oil. Let stand 5 minutes. Add sliced lightly sweetened peaches or nectarines, drizzle honey over kale and fruit and toss. Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Snacks include salsa or Pico de Gallo enriched with a can of black beans and served with whole wheat crackers. Or apple, pear or avocado slices – all good sources of soluble fiber. If you have a sweet tooth, dark chocolate contains heart-healthy flavonoids.

MISSION LEXINGTON has re-opened the Food Pantry & Donation Center Monday – Friday 10 am – 12:45 pm, Thrift Store Monday – Saturday 9 am – 12:45 pm. Social service requests can be emailed to ss@missionlexingtonsc.org or call 803-957-6656.

LAST WEEK in It’s a Dog’s Life, Scoop Bellune dished on the men. Here’s one more humorous jab for our good natured guys – What’s the difference between a husband and an investment? An investment matures.

THE LEXINGTON Firefighters free Spring Festival to benefit the Jeff Chavis House will be 2 pm – 7 pm March 20 at the Icehouse Amphitheater and will feature Tokyo Joe.

A SPECIAL birthday to celebrate this week is Murray Price’s 100th. The Lexington resident was a 40-mission WWII bomber pilot, CEO of PYA-Monarch, leader and supporter of local causes. Happy birthday, Murray!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Buddy Roberts, Sandra Cazier, Teri Walker, David Wiman, Lauren Griffin, Haines Hargrett, Beverly Kyzer, Ken Mathews, Brooke Perry, Murray Price, Kacey Looney, Cyn Taylor, Chase Carter, Lila Miles, Trey Stoudemire, Will Berry, Jared Juhl, Lynwood Lybrand, Claudia Wheeler, Denise Carr, Richard Felton, Margaret Taylor, Al Hornsby, Emily Wright, Jennifer Stewart, Tara Grigsby, Don Horton, Beverly Jeffcoat, John Wayne Parrish, “Corky” Richardson, Chris Rogers and Lisa Minini Sox.

Daisy Harman’s column is sponsoRed by Riverbanks Press. For a free copy of Jerry Bellune’s “Uncover Your Inner Sales Genius,”’ go to JerryBellune.com