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Catching kindness in the act

My fourth grade son, Ben, told me his teacher pretends to vomit anytime the kids start bickering with each other in his class. Isn’t that hysterical? Instead of yelling or raining down punishment, the teacher just walks over and pretends to gag. The kids immediately realize what they’re doing and are distracted enough to let it go. The principal in that same school brought Ben a chocolate bar when the Packers beat the Vikings and let him sit in his office when Ben was having a tough time transitioning to his new school. My family has always been surrounded by great teachers and ...

Small gestures can reassure anxious or lonely older adults

Dear Carol: My dad had a severe stroke six months ago and now lives in a nearby nursing home. Dad’s always been anxious, but since the stroke and some related dementia, he’s worse than ever and I know that my daily visits help. What worries me is that I have an event for work coming up that’s important, but it will keep me out of town for three days. I have to go for the sake of my job, but I worry about how Dad will handle my absence. The staff is great with him, but it’s not the same, of course. His memory is bad, so just telling him that I will be back soon won’t help. ...

Create a Festive Centerpiece from your indoor and outdoor garden

Take a break from the holiday rush for a bit of gardening relief. Grab a pruner and basket then wander through your landscape gathering a few evergreen branches, berry-laden stems and cones to create a holiday centerpiece. Most gardeners are used to walking into their summer garden ...

VEEDER: Christmas tree tumble puts things into perspective

Merry Christmas. I want to share with you all the holiday spirit that’s floating around this place. I’d really like to tell you that I’m writing this as I sip hot cocoa in my best holiday sweater while a Hallmark movie is playing on TV and the snow softly falls on the treetops outside. I would have told you that, in my other life. But this life looks less like “all is calm” and more like the giant cedar tree my family cut off of the ranch in the middle of the weekend’s blizzard toppling down in a huff of glitter and glass bulbs, timber style, just as I reached up and ...

Winter cacti are hard to name but easy to grow

Years ago, I had one of those spineless cacti that once a year splash colorful flowers out the ends of their flat, arching stems. Such plants are usually named for when they are supposed to bloom: Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter cactii. I just call them “holiday” cacti because they ...

Let’s Cook: Pillsbury Bake-Off turns 70!

Long before there were cooking shows such as Cake Boss, The Great British Bake Off and Barefoot Contessa, bakers from across America took an interest in the Pillsbury Bake-off. 2019 marks 70 years since Pillsbury first introduced this baking contest. Pillsbury introduced what they called the ...