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Contact Your Local Extension Office!

Posted on by Nora Rhoades

COVID-19 Continuity of Operations

March 17, 2020

To Whom It May Concern,

The Post Rock District is a dedicated team with a strong skillset, and we will continue to help you solve problems, make sound decisions, and improve quality of life!

Post Rock District programs, meetings, events, and activities will not take place in a face-to-face format, regardless of group size, until further notice. This applies to anything facilitated by staff, volunteers, partners, and directed toward KSRE target audiences. Our team will make reasonable efforts to extend the mission of KSRE to local constituents and to conduct regular business through digital delivery strategies.

Until it is safe for regular face-to-face interaction, the Post Rock District Offices will be implementing a soft closure. This means there will be no walk-in traffic to the offices, and doors will remain locked. Office visits will be granted by appointment only, with social distancing and other relevant health precautions taken into consideration. Additionally, all traffic in and out of the office will be documented, collecting names of all parties and contact phone numbers.

Please visit the Post Rock District website at postrock.ksu.edu for local and district event updates. We are also using email, newsletters, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep you informed.

Contact a local office by phone to access the Post Rock District Team. While complete contact information, including staff emails, can be found at our website, our office phone numbers are:

Beloit: 785-738-3597
Lincoln: 785-524-4432
Mankato: 785-378-3174
Osborne: 785-346-2521
Smith Center: 785-282-6823

The Post Rock District Board has an approved Continuity of Operations Plan in place, and will update the plan as necessary. K-State Research and Extension is committed to the health, wellness and safety of our staff, volunteers, target audiences, and communities during this time of risk related to COVID-19.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Nora Rhoades
Post Rock District Director
nrhoades@ksu.edu

By: Nora Rhoades

Love Maps

Posted on by Marci Metz

A “love map” is information you know about someone’s likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, joys and fears. Much like being sure you have an up-to-date road map, you need to be sure your love map also stays current.

“Know what’s weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change. But pretty soon, everything’s different.” – Bill Watterson

This is a great activity for couples who are beginning their journey together or for those who have experienced a lot throughout their partnership. The activity also opens the door to great conversations with children and grandchildren of all ages. Discuss a question over family dinnertime. You can also have a “love map” conversation throughout a walk.

Answer the questions below about yourself. Then answer the same questions about your partner. Compare your answers. How well do you know each other? Did you learn anything new?

Life Experiences and Memories:

  • Who is your best friend?
  • What do you like most about yourself?
  • What relative did you feel closest to as a child?
  • What person has had the greatest impact on your life?
  • If you had a nickname as a child, what was it?
  • What is your favorite childhood memory?
  • What song reminds you of your relationship?
  • What is your favorite memory of an activity, event, or vacation you and your partner share?

Interests and Favorites:

  • What is your favorite hobby?
  • What is your favorite sport? Favorite team?
  • If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
  • What is your favorite food?
  • What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
  • What is your favorite television show? Favorite movie?

Preferences

  • Where do you like to go when you need to relax?
  • Are you a morning person or an evening person?
  • Do you prefer dinner out or dinner at home?
  • Do you prefer hugs, gifts, or when your partner says “I love you”?
  • How do you prefer to spend your free time?

Source: Elevate: Taking Your Relationship to the Next Level developed in collaboration between Auburn University and the University of Georgia.

By:  Nora Rhoades

Why Family Communication Is Important

Posted on by Marci Metz

We rarely think about our communication with loved ones. However, family communication is very important and determines our relationships with each other, setting the tone for family life. Family communication is not simple. It has many parts. Communication is more than what we say and do. Our messages depend on how we think the other person will react, so we communicate differently with individual members of the family. Each of us has several different communication patterns that develop over time. It depends on who is communicating.

K-State Research and Extension’s, Essential Living Skills: Basic Family Communication is a curriculum that guides participants toward improving everyday communication in their families. This educational program emphasizes skill-building and mindful communication techniques for improving family communication and interaction.

To access the curriculum, visit https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/S134E.pdf. For assistance, using the curriculum to improve your own family communication, and/or to explore ways you might be able to effectively use the curriculum as a teaching tool in a learning environment, contact Nora Rhoades, Family and Youth Development Agent in the Post Rock District.

By:  Nora Rhoades