PEORIA, Ill. (Aug. 1, 2013) ? While many volunteers generously responded to the emergency  call for blood donations from the American Red Cross in July, donors of all blood types, especially O negative, A negative and B negative, are still needed this summer. Blood products are being distributed to hospitals almost as quickly as donations are coming in.

Blood and platelets are needed for many reasons. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery patients and organ transplant recipients, as well as those receiving treatment for cancer or sickle cell disease, may depend on lifesaving transfusions. In fact, every two seconds a patient in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion.

The Red Cross, on behalf of the hospitals and patients it serves, appreciates all those who take the time to help save lives. Visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS to learn more and schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Carroll County

Aug. 16 from 12-6 p.m. at St. Wendelin's Catholic Church, 102 S. Linn in Shannon, Ill.

Aug. 19 from 12-5 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 502 Third St. in Savanna, Ill.

Aug. 23 from 1-6 p.m. at Church of God, 816 S. Clay in Mount Carroll, Ill.

Henry County

Aug. 21 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kewanee Hospital, 1051 W. South St. in Kewanee, Ill.

Aug. 21 from 12-5 p.m. at Kewanee Hospital, 1051 W. South St. in Kewanee, Ill.

Aug. 28 from 2-6 p.m. at First Christian Church, 105 Dwight St. in Kewanee, Ill.

Mercer County

Aug. 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at VFW Hall, 106 SW Third Ave. in Aledo, Ill.

Aug. 26 from 3-6:30 p.m. at First Christian Church, 20th and Main Street in Keithsburg, Ill.

Aug. 28 from 2-6 p.m. at Alexis Community Center, 204 W. Palmer Ave. in Alexis, Ill.

Scott County

Aug. 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hy-Vee, 4064 E. 53rd St. in Davenport, Iowa

Whiteside County

Aug. 20 from 1-5:15 p.m. at River Bend Senior Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.

Aug. 21 from 2-6 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

Aug. 22 from 4-7 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

Aug. 27 from 1-5:15 p.m. at River Bend Senior Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.

Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.®

How to donate blood

Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The Red Cross is supported in part through generous financial donations from the United Way. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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Lighten up!!

That's the buzz phrase for fall as a recovering economy fans a collective determination to put the bad news of recent years - from layoffs to natural disasters - behind us, says Roy Joulus, CEO of the award-winning, design-forward Greenbo, LLC, (greenbo.co).

"We'll see an insistence on hope, optimism and joy in the simple things in life reflected in bright, happy colors and clean designs with strong lines,'' says Joulus, whose innovative new railing flowerbox, Greenbo XL, won the prestigious international Red Dot Design Award for product design in 2012.

As a manufacturer of high-quality products for urban homes, Joulus says he and his team must forecast global style trends two to three years out. That's why their new line of garden containers is made from sustainable and recyclable materials in uber-upbeat colors, with attached drainage trays that can be mixed and matched for custom color combos.

The Greenbo designers also see a growing demand for products whose form is as appealing as their function. That's why the Greenbo XL railing planter is a flowerbox "that you don't have to hide with flowers,'' Joulus says.

"Consumers' desire for sustainability and 'green' products is only going to continue to grow; in fact, that was one reason we launched our company in 2008 even though the global economy was tanking at the time," says Joulus. "The interest in gardening will continue to grow, as will demand for high-grade products that can either be recycled or are made from recycled materials."

The fall colors, which you'll see in everything from fashion to furniture to the garden, include bright greens, deep fuschia, bright orange, fiery red, ochre yellow and violet. How can you brighten your garden with these colors? Joulus offers some tips:

• Forget terra cotta - use containers that offer a vivid pop of color. Colorful containers add a carefree, cheerful element to any garden - whether it's a full yard, a patio, a balcony, or a cluster of plants indoors by a south-facing window. "Plastic containers require less watering than terra cotta or unglazed ceramic, but be sure to get a very high-grade plastic," Joulus says. "Nothing looks worse than plastic that has faded and cracked, which will happen quickly when low-quality plastics are exposed to the elements." Mix up the colors, just as you would wildflowers in a garden, or use all one color for more impact."

• Coordinate plant color and pot color. Play with different combinations to see what you like. One extreme is the monochromatic approach - where container and plants are all the same color, although shades may vary. On the other end of the extreme, a "cottage garden" with a jumble of colors (polychrome) will work beautifully, too. You might try pairing containers and plants from opposite sides of the color wheel, such as red and green, violet and yellow, or blue and orange. Or use colors that reside side by side on the color wheel, such as salmon and violet or fuchsia and bright red.

• Create a pattern of repeating colors and textures. Containers and plants with different colors can create an eye-catching display when arranged so that each color repeats at a regular interval.  For instance: blue, purple, violet, green, blue, purple, violet, green. This technique is sometimes used with border plants, or plants in linear beds. The addition of colorful containers heightens the effect and adds to the options for placement. Create a repeating pattern on a railing, along a patio or even using hanging containers.

About Roy Joulus

Roy Joulus is CEO of Greenbo, which was founded with a focus on simplicity, efficiency and innovation in creating urban agricultural products. Its Greenbo XL flowerbox, designed to hang securely on any balcony railing up to 6 inches wide, won the prestigious 2012 Red Dot Design Award. Greenbo products are manufactured in a multi-cultural Israeli-Arab setting using sustainable and recyclable materials, and with safety the No. 1 priority. Find Greenbo products at garden centers and independent nurseries in the United States and Europe, and online at amazon.com.

New book helps readers see themselves in new a light

Wayzata, Minn. - In "The Great Awakening" (published by AuthorHouse), author Mark Elsen's new collection of poetry and short stories, readers are treated to lessons the author has learned throughout his life.

"These poems and stories cover things I have struggled with and things that I feel need to be said," states the author. "Life is good and we need to celebrate it."

Each poem and story takes readers on what the author hopes will be a spiritual journey into themselves and their lives. Each piece has been specifically written to talk about God and direction in life. This way, Elsen believes, readers will come away with a positive outlook on life that will help them - inspire them - to develop good habits and leave their old habits behind.

An excerpt from "The Warrior" in "The Great Awakening":

"Push me to strive for my goals. As I get old the story is never left untold. Behold the bravest warrior and his sword made of steel guarding his gold protecting himself from the cold. Its well known that the dragon guards the cave where the men try to slay the dragon before he flies away. It causes terror to the strange they try to slay the dragon before he leaves his cave and a pot of gold is portrayed to the warrior that slays the dragon in his cave. For the town will be saved from the terror of the flame of the dragons heart for it will tear apart the town square and everyone that lives there. So beware of the dragon and his heart it takes a mighty warrior to tear apart the mighty dragon and his heart."

"The Great Awakening"

By Mark Elsen

Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 148 pages | ISBN 9781477227831

E-Book | 148 pages | ISBN 9781477227848

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Mark Elsen grew up with a supportive family. Over time, he fell into drugs and alcohol as a teenager, dropped out of high school and earned his GED. He went to college at Dunwoody Institute. He continued to drink in his 20s while working several jobs. In March 2011, Elsen was admitted into a hospital and proceeded to sober up. He started taking medication to manage his bipolar disorder and started writing inspirational poems, prose and short stories to inspire him and others to go further in life. Now, he is in transition readiness, moving along with treatment with a better grasp on reality. He has written seven other books.

. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.

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