ur cover stories last year covered a wide range of subjects including theater, arts, music, great books, many of them by local authors, along with the environment, and mental health.

But there was one theme we returned to time and again, and that was encouraging people to get out and try new things, visit new places, and engage in new experiences.

We wrote about several citizen science projects, including the Osprey Nation Project and the FrogWatch project. We explained what you needed to know to become a beekeeper, an endeavor that can provide both honey and a sense of helping to save the world. We told people about death cafés, where people gather to discuss the “death positivity” movement that they say leads to a greater appreciation of life.

Farmers’ markets were a frequent subject, including one of our favorites, the City Seed Market that runs through the winter in New Haven, providing area farmers with a way to get us local goods and produce, even in the middle of winter.

For people who like to make things, we explained the makerspace movement and how to connect with like-minded people, some of whom like to sew costumes and others who prefer to operate a Gerger CNC router in the woodworking room.

Two of our most popular stories focused on mental health, including one on two mothers who are helping people who hear voices, and another on why it’s best to be direct if you worry that someone might be thinking of killing themselves. In both stories, we provided our readers with resources and tips on how to proceed and connect with others who can help in a time of crisis and afterwards.

Thanks to our beloved local booksellers, we brought you tips on what to read every other week in PageTurners, and wrote several cover stories on local authors as well. And we brought you the latest food news and recipes in Food Court.

Here are some highlights from stories we wrote last year, in case you missed it. And with some of those stories below, we explain not only what we wrote last year, but how to enjoy those experiences in the year ahead.

If you have any ideas for stories or for our Living section in general, please contact me, Pem McNerney, at p.mcnerney@shorepublishing.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Visit this story online to click through the links easily. You can do this by visiting zip06.com and entering the headline of this story into the search field at the top right of the page. You can also review all of our cover stories from 2018 online by visiting www.zip06.com/livingYIR.

Looking for a New Relationship? Consider Some Busy Bees www.zip06.com/living/20180109/looking-for-a-new-relationship-consider-some-busy-bees Published: Tuesday, Jan. 9

For beginning beekeepers to have the best chance at success, they should consider joining one of several organizations in the state that provide classes to find out the best way to care for bees, and make sure they acquire bees through a reputable source. This article explains the steps that should be taken before you commit to acquiring bees, to ensure they have the best chance for survival. Those interested in attending Bee School in 2019 can do so on Saturday, Jan. 12 in New Haven, or on Saturday, Feb. 2 in Falls Village. More information on that is available at ctbees.org.

Citizen Scientists Sought for FrogWatch www.zip06.com/living/20180117/citizen-scientists-sought-for-frogwatch Published: Friday, Jan. 19

Admit it. That incessant sound of frogs trilling in the backyard that sometimes sounds so annoying by the end of the summer, you yearn for it now. Participants in the FrogWatch USA Program, sponsored by the Association of Zoos and Acquariums not only listen, but they also write down what they’ve heard and enter it into a database. Anyone who loves frogs is welcome to participate. It’s an ideal citizen science project for older children, those who are old enough to stay up about a half hour after sunset in the summer, which sometimes can be around 9 p.m. Education level required? From elementary school to Ph.D. The organizations in Connecticut that participate include the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport and The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, along with the Yale Peabody Museum and the Connecticut Forest and Park Association in Rockfall. Contact any of those organizations to find out more.

For Food to Make You Happy on a Cold Day, Check Out CitySeed Winter Market www.zip06.com/living/20180124/for-food-to-make-you-happy-on-a-cold-day-check-out-cityseed-winter-market Published: Thursday, Jan. 25

Those of us who love our local farmers are looking forward to Saturday, Jan. 5, when the indoor CitySeed Winter Farmers Market reopens at the Metropolitcan Business Academy, 115 Water Street, New Haven. The market will run on most Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the end of March. Just like last year, this year’s market will include cooking demonstrations and tastings of multi-cultural cuisine, and cooking-on-a-budget workshops, a sofrito demo by the New Haven Land Trust, and a Food Business Expo featuring emerging entrepreneurs within the Food Business Accelorator by CitySeed and Collab. There will be yoga and indoor musicians and Saturday brunch items to numerous to list. Farm fresh food items will include root vegetables, greens, apples, cider, chicken, beef, pork, seafood, eggs, mushrooms, dairy products, cheeses, jams, and more. Knife and tool sharpening services will also be featured. If you love food and if you like people who love food, this is the place for you on a Saturday morning. Find out more by reading our story from last year, which includes a link to Winter Farmers Market recipes, or by visiting CitySeed on Facebook. Note that Feb. 3 will be a one-time special Sunday Market, and that there will be no market on Saturday, Feb. 2.

From Searing Personal Pain to Providing Support: Two Devoted Mothers Seek to Help Others www.zip06.com/living/20180207/from-searing-personal-pain-to-providing-supportfrom-searing-personal-pain-to-providing-supportfrom-searing-personal-pain-to-providing-support Published: Tuesday, Feb. 6

Judy Murray, a school nurse who lives in East Haven, and Claire Bien, a writer and editor who lives in Hamden, know that it’s possible for voice hearers to lead fulfilling and productive lives. Unfortunately, the path to that understanding included searing personal pain. To help others avoid that, they have started training from the Hearing Voices Network (HVN) and are helping others understand how to develop coping and recovery strategies, and to avoid the confusion and fear that can complicate mental wellness and recovery. Their story is about this particular phenomenon and about how two strong women overcame personal loss to go on to help others.

’Being Part of Something Bigger’ www.zip06.com/living/20180307/x2018being-part-of-something-biggerx2019 Published: Monday, March 5

After the toxic insecticide DDT was banned in the early 1970s, Connecticut’s government began a program to monitor the devestated population of osprey in the state. The magnificent predator made such a huge comeback that volunteers were sought to help. Osprey Nation is yet another citizen science project, one that helps monitor this highly engaging species that is a vital harbinger of our aquatic system and overall environment. Since they are close to the top of the food chain, osprey eat large fish that eat smaller fish that eat smaller species. So if there is a problem in the environment, it’s likely that it could affect osprey and participating in this program can give environmentalists and government officials early warning. Preliminary data from 2018 posted on the Connecticut Audubon website shows that there were 314 stewards in Connecticut in 2018, up from 100 in 2014. Active nests accounted for rose from 201 to 450 during that same time period. And fledglings counted rose from 356 in 2015 to 622 in 2018, according to the preliminary data. Want to get involved? Visit www.ctaudubon.org. And you can find out more about the program by reading last year’s story.

Creative Thinkers Start Small, Dream Big at Makerspaces hwww.zip06.com/living/20180411/creative-thinkers-start-small-dream-big-at-makerspaces Published: Tuesday, April 10 If you like to tinker and build and hang out with creative people who know how to start small and dream big, then a makerspace might be the place for you. Among the organizations featured in our story last year was MakeHaven in New Haven, which holds an open house every Tuesday, between 7 and 9 p.m. at 770 Chapel Street in New Haven. Visit www.makehaven.org to find out more about MakeHaven, and check out our story to find out what people do in these spaces.’Though This Be Madness, Yet There is Method In’t’ www.zip06.com/living/20180509/x2018though-this-be-madness-yet-there-is-method-inx2019tx2019 Published: Thursday, May 10

What kind of crazy person would open a new arts venue in an 100-year old building? Ask the folks from Legacy Theatre, which announced its 2018-’19 season at the end of this year. Performances in 2019 include Private Lives by Noel Coward, Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, The Wicked Stage by Joe Landry (about true tales of events in the historic Stony Creek theater), Merrily We Roll Along by George Furth, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and more. Visit www.legacytheatrect.org to find out more about what it’s offering in 2019, and read our story about its future plans.

When it Comes to Suicide Prevention, Direct is Best www.zip06.com/living/20180829/when-it-comes-to-suicide-prevention-direct-is-best Published: Tuesday, Aug. 28

If you think someone might be thinking of killing themselves, you should ask them, “Are you thinking of killing yourself.” What next? This story helps explain what you can do next, which is help them get the help they need, and be there for them. With a list of warning signs, risk factors, and protective factors, this story also provides information on training and resources that can help people cope with this vitally important mental health topic. The four steps include asking, keeping them safe, being there for them, and helping them connect. One always valuable resource is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

An All-Apps Party, Perfect for Some Easy Fun www.zip06.com/living/20181212/an-all-apps-party-perfect-for-some-easy-fun Published: Tuesday, Dec. 11

Easy. Fun. What more needs to be said? With recipes from some of our favorite shoreline cooks and my mom.

For Family Pets, ‘Tis the Season to Get Into Mischief www.zip06.com/living/20181219/for-family-pets-x2018tis-the-season-to-get-into-mischief Published: Tuesday, Dec. 18

If your pet looks sick, get him or her to the vet sooner rather than later. And, better yet, keep them healthy during the crazy holiday season and the cold winter season. Here are tips on how to do that along with information on two new emergency vet centers on the shoreline, in case you run into trouble.