Lifestyles category, Page 173
Out & About: WCCC student artist’s work evokes the surreal
For the title of her exhibition in the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, artist Stephanie Oplinger of Hunker borrowed from the Bard. She tweaked Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” into “A Midsummer’s Night Dream,” shifting the emphasis from the season and setting to the surreal, dreamlike quality of her acrylic...
Out & About: Greensburg artist’s ‘Cloudy Mind’ inspires new exhibitVideo
Greensburg artist Brian McCall dubbed his exhibition in the Greensburg Art Center “Shadows of a Cloudy Mind.” Questioned about the significance of that title during the July 13 opening reception, McCall said it refers to the starting point of all actions: “Why do you do anything? In making art, you...
Clickety clack, let’s look back: Typewriters return
For most of us, the clickety clack of a manual typewriter — or the gentler tapping of the IBM Selectric — are but memories, if we’ve heard them at all. But at the few remaining typewriter repair shops in the country, business is booming as a younger generation discovers the...
Out & About: Party debuts 28th edition of ‘The Loyalhanna Review’
Editor Ruth McDonald said she took inspiration from Sen. Bernie Sanders for the 2019 publication of The Loyalhanna Review. For his presidential campaign, the Vermont Democrat shuns big money in favor of small-dollar donations. So, when funds were short to print the usual 1,500 color copies of the Ligonier Valley...
Out & About: Aspiring teacher shows artwork at Greensburg library
Most endeavors are easier when you know someone has your back. During a July 12 reception for her “Picture This” exhibition in the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library, artist Sara Thomas of Southwest Greensburg was quick to acknowledge people who have supported her. Now entering her senior year as an art...
Regional restaurants lauded with Wine Spectator awards
Numerous Southwestern Pennsylvania restaurants are on Wine Spectator’s 2019 Restaurant Awards list, highlighting restaurants around the world offering the best wine selections. Among those earning a place on the list are The Carlton, Eleven, Lidia’s, LeMont and Altius, all in Pittsburgh; Helen’s at Seven Springs Mountain Resort; and Bistecca Steakhouse...
Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau hosts ‘rustic retreat’
Just a few months after its May 19 “Journey of Self: A Wellness Tour of the Laurel Highlands,” the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau is planning a new farm-to-table tour. “Rustic Retreat: A Farm-to-Table Tour” in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands will be a full-day group tour on Aug. 24. “Following on the...
Travel tip: Kennedy Space Center events celebrate moon landing
TAKE A TRIP KENNEDY SPACE CENTER CELEBRATES MOON LANDING Visitors to Florida this summer may want to take a break from sand, surf and sun for a stop at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Merritt Island. An ongoing series of events, exhibits, films and giveaways honors the 50th...
French country-style fish dish is perfect for Bastille Day
Celebrate Bastille Day on July 14 with this light French dish. Sole meuniere, or pan-fried sole and mushroom drizzled with a butter sauce, is a typical French country-style recipe. The simple dish is a great way to serve fresh fish. A meuniere is a miller’s wife, and literally translated, the...
Braising maximizes beets’ sweet, earthy flavor without mess
We sought a streamlined stove-top recipe for beets that maximized their sweet, earthy flavor — with minimal mess. Braising worked perfectly. We partially submerged the beets in just 1¼ cups of water so that they partially simmered and partially steamed. Halving the beets cut down our cooking time. In just...
Woman finds weight loss challenging without husband’s support
Dear Carolyn: My husband and I have both gained significant weight since we’ve been married, but I’m trying to mitigate that with diet and exercise. He isn’t, and every time I try to talk about it, he makes me feel like the bad guy for bringing it up. Look, we’re...
Living with Children: Do kids ‘have’ ADHD or autism?
I am perennially asked whether I do or do not “believe” in autism. I suspect that on most occasions, it’s a test. Nonetheless, it’s a fair question that usually takes this form: “I know you don’t believe in ADHD; but do you believe in autism?” To be clear, it would...
From flags to feathers, space waste will greet next moon walkers
The mission on the moon then over, astronaut Buzz Aldrin peeked out from the Apollo lunar module onto the powdery grey surface before him, the U.S. flag planted into it — just about the only color as far as the eye could see. But as the ascent engines on the...
Tips for getting more blooms from your dahlias
Dahlias are a beautiful addition to summer gardens. Grown from tuberous roots planted in the spring, dahlia blooms come in a near endless array of colors and forms. From spiky-petaled cactus-types to round and tight pom-pom dahlias, this tender plant brings some serious bloom power to the garden. Planting dahlias...
WCCC to offer Culinary Quick Start program
Aspiring chefs can dip a toe in the water at Westmoreland County Community College next month. Citing “hundreds of immediate openings for line and prep cooks in professional kitchens,” WCCC officials announced they will offer a Culinary Quick Start program, encompassing three weeks of evening classes, beginning Aug. 19 at...
Minnesota State Fair shoots down doughnuts paired with syringes
Minnesota fairgoers this summer will being dunkin’ their doughnuts instead of injecting them. One of the new foods slated for the 2019 Minnesota State Fair had been a batch of fill-your-own doughnuts. Well, those little spherical doughnut holes, actually. The filling were to be Bavarian cream, chocolate custard and Minnesota...
Surge of ‘sea lice’ are stinging swimmers at Virginia BeachVideo
Swimmers are getting a stinging surprise when they hit the surf at Virginia Beach. Lifeguards this week are seeing an increase in reports of people being stung by sea lice at the Oceanfront district, reports WTKR-TV News 3. “Sea lice” is the common name for these thimble jellyfish larvae and...
Songs, songbirds highlights of Ligonier Country MarketVideo
Pittsburgh-based acoustic guitarist Daryl Shawn will perform at the Ligonier Country Market from 8 a.m.-noon July 13. Shawn is a Boston Berklee College of Music alumnus who has performed all across North America. He is known for creating the sound of a full band and putting a unique spin on...
Want a bumper crop of tomatoes? Listen to this guy’s advice
David Freed spent most of his adult life in the restaurant business, but when he sold the 8th Street Grill, his Los Angeles coffee shop, in 2007, he discovered there were plenty of other things to do with his time. Such as unlocking the secrets to growing tons of tasty...
Longtime Rolling Stones keyboard player also a steward of the environment
As Mick Jagger performed a powerful version of “Angie” last week on stage in Canada, the beautiful, melodic piano lines weaving through the song were deftly being played by The Rolling Stones’ musical director and keyboard player Chuck Leavell. He’s been with the band 37 years and has also played...
How to control viburnum leaf beetles
Question: Help! We have some little slug-like creature eating one of our shrubs. I don’t know the name of the shrub, but it gets white flowers in the spring and then clusters of red berries in the fall. We’ve always called it a cranberry bush, but I don’t think it’s...
Flight 93 National Memorial exhibit recalls first decade
As the 18th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the Flight 93 National Memorial will open a special exhibit, “Memories from the Memorial — Looking Back 2001-2011.” The exhibit looks back over the first 10 years of the park’s evolution, from a chain-link fence filled with tributes to the 2011 dedication of...
Gay square dancers add new spin to centuries-old dance style
PHILADELPHIA — There wasn’t a crinoline in sight as 850 square dancers at the International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs opened its annual convention last week in a Philadelphia hotel, bringing their best promenades and do-si-dos to a slightly sped-up version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Correction: There was...
Outer Banks lowers speed limits as tourists arrive
Speed limits on some roads have been reduced as tourist season begins in the Outer Banks. The North Carolina Department of Transportation on Tuesday announced a drop in posted speed limits on two roads. The National Park Service requested the slower traffic between Avon and Buxton and between Hatteras and...
Kecksburg, investigator inspire Helltown’s ‘Aliens’ beer
Helltown Taproom will ponder the unexplained with local paranormal investigator Stan Gordon and hold an early release party for its new beer with a two-night event this month at its 5578 Old William Penn Highway, Export, location. The event is billed as “Kecksburg and Beyond: Two Nights of Paranormal Pa....
