More Lifestyles category, Page 81
Living with Children: Public education forecast
I receive a steady stream of missives from teachers, ex-teachers and other folks who have insider knowledge of America’s schools. They all say the same thing — classroom discipline is falling apart and has been for some time — and ask the same question: What can be done? Public-school administrators...
Wary of dating a much older man
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: I’ve recently started chatting online with a considerably older man — closer to my parents’ age than mine. I swiped right because I thought he was attractive, but I didn’t really expect to ever meet up with him. A few weeks and...
Pittsburghers vote to send Kennywood token to the moon
A tiny piece of Kennywood Park may soon blast its way into space. A token from the West Mifflin amusement park is the voters’ choice to represent Pittsburgh culture in the first commercial moon landing in 2021. More than 20,000 votes from Western Pennsylvania (and beyond) were cast as part...
Pittsburgh Glass Center’s tableware gets Architectural Digest shout out
Pittsburgh Glass Center’s line of tableware, Penn + Fairmount, is barely 2 years old. And for the (at least) second time, it has been singled out and earned high marks from design industry giants. During the recent NY NOW winter market, it caught the attention of Architectural Digest and was...
Beach house standoff
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My wife and I have a beach house. When we bought it 12 years ago, we established one firm rule — no one could use it when we’re not there. And we’re very cautious about inviting relatives or friends to stay with...
Sunrise view is goal of snowshoe hike up Laurel Mountain
Winter outdoors enthusiasts are invited to take part in a free Rise N’ Shine snowshoe hike Feb. 23 in the Laurel Highlands’ Forbes State Forest. Geared toward families, the moderately-paced, two-hour hike begins at 7 a.m. and will take participants to a scenic high point on Laurel Mountain, to enjoy...
Three Rivers Depression Era Glass Society includes Ohio exhibit in show
The Three Rivers Depression Era Glass Society will feature regional and tri-state area glass/pottery dealers in its 42nd annual show and sale, set for March 2-3 at the Quality Inn in New Kensington, 300 Tarentum Bridge Road. Included will be American glassware from the 1880s to Art Deco to the...
Should kids be forced to call adults by their honorific?
Dear Carolyn: I hate honorifics for myself and want to be called by my first name, period. Some kids in my life have parents who say they HAVE to call me Ms. Lastname or at least Ms. Firstname. They insist it’s important to them that their kids “show respect.” I...
Ligonier Valley Writers plan session on family writing projects
Ligonier Valley Writers will lead a free program on family writing projects from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 23 in the Ligonier Valley Library, 120 E. Main St. The program is aimed at parents or grandparents and children ages 4 and up, but adults who write for children or others interested in...
Daffodil Days return as American Cancer Society spring fundraiser
The American Cancer Society has announced its annual spring fundraiser, Daffodil Days. The colorful first flower of spring represents a campaign to bring hope to cancer patients and those affected by the disease, the nonprofit states. Funds raised through sales help support groundbreaking research, patient services and other cancer society...
Big Brothers Big Sisters plan ’80s-themed guest bartender event
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region will host a guest bartender fundraising event from 5-8 p.m. March 5 at Oliver’s Pourhouse, 8 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Greensburg. “Battle of the Banks ’80s Edition” will feature guest bartenders representing S&T Bank, Standard Bank and Somerset Trust Bank. Tips will benefit...
Fighting the urge to coach nervous rookie parents
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My husband and I got married and had kids relatively young, especially for his family’s standards. Our kids are now in middle- and high school and doing well. His sister is only two years younger than he is but has a 6-month-old...
Overachiever son ditches fast track after college
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My son, “Ron,” 27, works part time at a low-pressure, low-paying job. He has a four-year college degree my ex-wife and I paid for and he graduated with honors but has never worked in that field and shows no interest in doing...
Don’t wait for a disaster to take inventory of your belongings
With floods, fires, tornadoes, superstorms and even cranes toppling onto apartment buildings, no home is completely safe from natural or man-made disasters. Although many of us are prepared to either stick it out with emergency supplies or evacuate to safer locales, only 44 percent of homeowners have inventoried their belongings....
Annual Natrona Heights quilt show bursting with color
Nancy Pauli has been involved with needlework and crafts of all kinds since she was a small child at her grandmother’s side. But she kept putting off starting to quilt until she retired because she thought it would “take over my life.” “And it has,” says the former health care...
Entitled 8th-grade daughter refuses to clean the litter box
Dear Carolyn: I live in a home with two indoor house cats with a litter box. My 8th-grade daughter is supposed to be responsible for sweeping and scooping litter but does a terrible, lackadaisical job. It’s in my laundry room, where I smell and step all over scattered litter. Half...
Living with Children: In education, the old standards worked better than the new
As with nearly every public policy topic these days, myths abound, but few mythologies rival that surrounding public education. Some examples: Myth: Smaller classrooms promote better learning. Fact: The teacher-pupil ratio has little to do with student achievement, as demonstrated in the 1950s when elementary classrooms were bursting at the...
4-H fun: It’s so much more than cows and cooking these daysVideo
In case you were wondering, 4-H is more than just cows and cooking these days. That’s the word from Lyndsey Androstic, the Westmoreland County 4-H extension educator. “I tell people that we are maintaining tradition, but also changing to remain relevant,” she says. What that means is that young people...
Take some lessons then hit the slope, rink with confidence
On a recent Sunday afternoon at the bottom of the Boyce Park ski slope, class was in session. Students listened as instructors took the time to discuss everything from how the equipment works to how to turn to the proper stance when heading down the hill. It was one of...
Win it for Vivi! Whiskey the whippet revs up for Westminster
NEW YORK — Sleek and aerodynamic, Whiskey the whippet is dashing through the dog show world. He’s among the fastest breed of pooches on the planet, and his rise has been rapid: Coming off big wins televised on Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day, he’ll now try for dogdom’s Triple...
Exhausted caregiver struggles to support healing husband
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My husband is broken — there is no other way to put it. Years of chronic pain led to multiple surgeries with extended hospitals stays. Physically and mentally he is worn out. He hasn’t worked in two years, so he relies on...
Husband’s siblings refuse to help care for their ailing mother
Dear Carolyn: I spent 10 years helping my aging parents. They died six years ago. Now my husband’s mom is 91 with dementia and he and one sister do all the caregiving. His other two siblings refuse to help. I feel they either need to put in equal time or...
Sister wants to get healthy, but Mom thinks it’s sinful
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My youngest sister is 14. She recently spent 10 days at my house visiting and we had a wonderful time. She is a little overweight and concerned about how to fix it, so I spent this week teaching her how to work...
Options abound in flooring today
A stunning sofa or a beautiful wall color might catch your eye when you enter someone’s home. But flooring is the key to any room, says interior designer Elina Cardet. As the visual base for every other design choice, “flooring is the most important decision,” says Cardet, interior design director...
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra announces 2019-20 season offerings
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2019-20 season will include 20 classical weekends and seven Pops weekends. The programming includes not only new music and repertoire favorites, but also features stimulating juxtapositions. For example, three of the world’s top violinists will play violin concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, contrasting them with more...
