More Lifestyles category, Page 82
Husband pressures introvert into another uncomfortable vacation with the in-laws
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: About three years ago my husband and I (no kids) went on a big vacation with my husband’s family. I REALLY wasn’t interested in going but his mother had pushed for a family trip for a long time, his father had just...
Kitchen islands evolve to meet today’s needs
Prep surface. Gathering spot. Storage solution. The kitchen island is one of those home elements that seems to have known its purpose from its inception: a utilitarian divider between kitchen and family zones, the heart of the home. Over the years, the kitchen island has come to offer far more...
Regional artistic, maker opportunities abound
From sipping while painting to sketching with charcoal, molding hot glass, dyeing fabric or woodworking, opportunities exist for crafts people from novice to advanced to practice their artistic and making skills. Throughout the region, children and adults can find places to let their creative juices flow, with minimal or step-by-step...
Living with Children: Parenting vs. childrearing
There is “parenting” and then there is bringing up, rearing, or raising children. The difference is night and day; so are the outcomes, short- and long-term, to all concerned, meaning every single one of us. Parenting is what the vast majority of American parents have been doing since the early...
Brother’s marital strife is beginning to affect his young children
Dear Carolyn: My brother and sister-in-law have two little girls, 5 and 2, and I love the four of them very much. My brother is a doctor and works many irregular and overnight shifts; my sister-in-law must necessarily manage the girls by herself a lot. My brother and sister-in-law fight...
Politics burnout craves a newsbreak
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Hi, Carolyn! I try to keep informed with politics and the state of the world, but I’m getting so, so tired. I have depression and anxiety and struggle to deal with my daily first-world issues — how do people deal with watching the world...
Mother abandons fulfilling volunteer gig at the soup kitchen
Dear Carolyn: For the holidays this year, my mother was torn about her regular “gig” — volunteering at a local community center serving as a “soup kitchen.” She has volunteered there for many years for the less fortunate. My mother ultimately decided never to return to the soup kitchen. She...
Level Green furniture builder wins customer service award
Penn Rustics, a Level Green company that offers hand-built furniture made from solid wood, has been awarded a “Best of Customer Service” badge from Houzz, an online forum for architecture, interior design and decorating, landscape design and home improvement. The custom rustic furniture company was chosen by the more than...
Tom Davidson: For the love of ‘Truck’ and the weather
My latest son could be born at any time. That’s what my wife and I have been saying for the last two weeks. Any time will likely mean Tuesday, but that’s a guesstimate at best. It’s made work and life interesting as I continually pelt her with “Are you OKs?”...
Husband opts out of Valentine’s Day the moment they’re married
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: Valentine’s Day is coming and once again my husband will do nothing for me. He said, after we got married four years ago, he shouldn’t “have to” anymore. This was a huge shock since, when we were dating and engaged, he would...
Ohiopyle State Park celebrates season with annual WinterfestVideo
Skiers, sled riders and snowman builders all are hoping a significant amount of the white stuff is still to come to the region before the winter season ends. So is Barbara Wallace, environmental education specialist with Ohiopyle State Park, where the annual Winterfest is set for 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb....
Beverly’s Birthdays founder gets surprise party from ‘Returning the Favor’Video
Megs Yunn is used to throwing birthday parties for others, founding Beverly’s Birthdays in 2011 to ensure homeless children in the region get to celebrate their special day. Mike Rowe, who spearheads “Returning the Favor,” which streams on Facebook, thought it was time for Yunn to have a celebration of...
Lifetime’s ‘Love You to Death’ delves into Munchausen syndrome by proxy
LOS ANGELES — It’s easy to judge the incidents that inspired the Lifetime movie “Love You to Death” as extreme cruelty and abuse. It’s a case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy when a mother forces her healthy young daughter to pretend she is ill so she can reap the rewards...
Point Park University student turns assignment into benefit for kids
Point Park University student and grandmother Christina Wonnacott, 65, saw a way to turn a classroom assignment into a way to help others. “I needed to create a four-minute film for my screenwriting class and thought, ‘Why not make a promotional film that an organization could use to increase awareness...
My friends say my boyfriend is ‘tough to like’
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My boyfriend and I are going to visit some friends who have invited us to join them at their lake house. A few months ago, my friends told me my boyfriend is “tough to like.” I realize his sense of humor isn’t...
Human trafficking happens everywhere, Blackburn Center program notesVideo
Local residents may be surprised or shocked to learn that human trafficking happens in Westmoreland County. According to Human Rights First, human trafficking enslaves nearly 25 million people a year worldwide, exploiting victims for sex or labor, sometimes both. The Blackburn Center is collaborating with Reunion Presbyterian Church and the...
Resented by sister since the day she was born
Adapted from a recent online discussion Dear Carolyn: I ruined my sister’s life the day I was born, which was cute back then, but we’re almost 50 now. Starting with childhood, most decisions I make (hair, clothes, musical instrument, sports, college, career, house, etc.) somehow ruin her day. She gets...
Living with Children: The children-need-lots-of-attention myth
One of the more difficult facts for today’s parents, as a rule, to wrap their heads around is the … I’ll say it again, with emphasis … FACT that children do not need (as a general rule) a lot of attention. I was there, working as a journeyman psychologist in...
Son struggles with intimate relationships after death of father
Dear Carolyn: My adult son, now 29, lost his father in a freak accident the day before he turned 13. For more than two years after the accident, his dad lingered in a near vegetative state. A grief counselor I consulted back then told me that as a result of...
Dealing with a ‘Debbie Upper’
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: I have a dear friend who won’t allow anyone to say anything bad about ANYONE. My youngest son was trying to make a point about one of his teachers, who treated him like dirt — we as parents got involved as well...
Boyfriend from Brooklyn won’t cater to her communication style
Dear Carolyn: I would love some perspective on how to accept my significant other’s communication style. For 20 years I have told him I would appreciate it if he would initiate conversations about what’s going on in my life and ask me how/what/why questions instead of yes/no questions. At this...
Greensburg antique show and sale promises items for all tastes
Whether you have $5 or $25,000 to spend, you should be able to find something you like at the annual antique show and sale at the Greensburg Country Club, says organizer John Mickinak. “Not everyone has the same taste, so there’s something for everyone,” he says. The show, which benefits...
Feeling relief, not grief, about her beloved father’s death
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: It was the 15th anniversary of my dad’s death recently. I know it should have been a day marked by profound grief, but instead the primary feeling I had was … relief. This sentiment would have been easier to accept if he...
‘Flip or Flop Vegas’ star to give tips at Monroeville Home Show
Aubrey Marunde has a knack for turning neglected properties into paradises that often are over-the-top Vegas-style transitions. She and her martial arts champ/handyman husband, Bristol, have made HGTV’s “Flip or Flop Vegas” one of the cable station’s hottest home improvement and real estate shows. The show has been renewed for...
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg hosts one-woman ‘They Call Me Q’ show
The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg will present “They Call Me Q,”a one-woman show written, performed, and co-produced by Qurrat Ann Kadwani, at 8 p.m. Jan. 24 in Ferguson Theater on the Hempfield campus. The event is free and open to the public. “They Call Me Q” is the story...
