Lifestyles category, Page 208
France’s fencing federation officially recognizes lightsaber dueling as sport
BEAUMONT-SUR-OISE, France — Master Yoda, dust off his French, he must. It’s now easier than ever in France to act out “Star Wars” fantasies, because its fencing federation has borrowed from a galaxy far, far away and officially recognized lightsaber dueling as a competitive sport, granting the iconic weapon from...
Cheers to National Drink Wine Day
It may be just another dreary Monday, but there’s a little something special about today. It’s National Drink Wine Day. Sure, it’s just another made-up pseudo holiday … but hey, there’s wine. Don’t worry, even though it’s President’s Day, Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores that are normally open on...
Welcome-home illnesses an unexpected ‘bonus’ of traveling
You’ve returned from vacation, and that post glow is fading fast. Your nose is dripping, you’re sneezing and your throat is sore. Or your stomach is upset. Really upset. Why is this your reward for travel, and how can you prevent it? And what if your symptoms don’t go away?...
Don’t wait to start your winter-recovery checklist
Though spring is still more than a month away, there are important tasks you can do around the house this month to prepare your home for the coming season. “It’s vital to start on your winter-recovery checklist as soon as you start to feel the first shy breezes of spring...
Out & About: Action for Animals celebrates canine ‘newlyweds’
What better way to assure that Love Is in the Air than to have a wedding? The 12th annual event hosted Feb. 16 by Action for Animals Humane Society had a wedding reception theme, and the happy couple were Ruby and Flash, two new residents at the Derry Township shelter....
Out & About: Humane Society supporters ‘Have a Heart’ for pasta
Always a popular event, the annual Have a Heart Buffet hosted by the Humane Society of Westmoreland County drew its largest crowd ever in 2019. A crowd of 350 flocked to Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield on Feb. 10 to dig in to the Pasta Palooza buffet, take their chances on...
Out & About: Animal Friends host ‘senior night’ cash bash
You know your fundraising event is a success when there’s a long line of people waiting to get in. Such was the case Feb. 16 as the crowd queued up at Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield for the winter cash bash hosted by Youngwood-based Animal Friends of Westmoreland. It was “senior...
Out & About: ‘The Art of Love’ decks Greensburg venue walls
Around Valentine’s Day, (almost) everyone is interested in “The Art of Love.” For the second year, artist Moira Richardson has brought the concept to life by curating a group exhibition with the same name in the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center. A reception for the 2019 version was held Feb....
Husband refuses to go on any kids-free dates with wife
Adapted from a recent online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My husband does not want to spend alone time with me, leaving me feeling frustrated. We have two very young kids and both work high-pressure, full-time jobs. We both are desperate for more time with our kids and try to maximize any...
Customers flocked to opening of Allegheny Township chicken jointVideo
There’s a new chicken joint in Allegheny Township. Big Shot Bob’s House of Wings opened last Monday, Feb. 11 in Kiski Park Plaza. Customers were lined out the door, according to co-owner Kara Jo Brank. Brank and her husband, Frank, left the corporate world for the culinary scene. After downsizing...
‘Golden Girls’ themed cruise to launch in 2020
Gather your pals and confidants, a “Golden Girls” cruise is sailing in 2020. Seems Flip Phone Events is throwing a party and inviting everyone they know — and it’s a “Golden Girls” fan’s dream. The five-night Western Caribbean cruise — aboard the Celebrity Infinity — will set sail from —...
Wife discovers husband’s long-term infidelity, inflicts pain on entire family
Dear Carolyn: Cast: Wife of 33 years and mother of three; all of whom are college-educated and in careers. Husband, worked out-of-town during the week for the majority of the years. Scene: Wife, who is not a suspicious woman — too busy rearing children alone — has a “feeling” and...
Students, artists craft bowls for regional Empty Bowls fundraisersVideo
On a recent rainy, chilly morning, Hempfield Area High School art students fashion ceramic bowls to fill with warming soup to benefit the area’s hungry. Students in instructors Ed Lasko and Hillary Haponski’s art classes are once again preparing vessels for an upcoming Empty Bowls event. Held annually by food...
Otter-spotters invited to Cook Forest State Park activity
If you’re looking for a different kind of outdoor winter adventure, you’ll find one on Feb. 23 at Cook Forest State Park. An Otter Watch driving tour is set for 7:30-11:30 a.m. that day along the banks of the Clarion River in the 8,500-acre park spanning Clarion, Forest and Jefferson...
For more streamlined chicken enchiladas, use a slow cooker
Chicken enchiladas offer a rich and complex combination of flavors and textures, but traditional cooking methods can be tedious. We wanted a more streamlined recipe for chicken enchiladas—one that utilized our slow cooker to make the filling and that enabled the enchiladas to be quickly assembled and finished in the...
6 ways to make kitchen prep work easier and tidier
When you spend as much time in the kitchen as I do, you pick up a few tricks along the way. Some are designed to simplify recipe prep work. Others help make cleanup easier, which means I can instead use those precious minutes to enjoy what I cooked — or...
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...
Pick Pa.’s best root crops
Root crops have long been popular with gardeners. While our ancestors dug wild roots to supplement their diets, modern humans have spent decades breeding and selecting root crops to develop the delicious and nutritious root crops we grow today. Many root crops contain a broad diversity of vitamins and minerals,...
Snowbirds trade vacation homes for winters at 5-star resorts
When Upper East Siders Adelle and Robert Rathe boarded a flight to Saint Martin in mid-January, they left behind a typically cold New York day. By the time they return from their resort getaway in mid-April, the trees in Central Park will have started to bloom. The Rathes are hardly...
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...
Beer from 1886 shipwreck may yield new brew
COBLESKILL, N.Y. — Ahoy, beer lovers: A bottle from a 133-year-old shipwreck may yield yeast for a new brew in upstate New York. Biotechnology students at the State University of New York at Cobleskill uncorked a bottle from the shipwrecked SS Oregon on Thursday. Serious Brewing Company of Howes Cave...
A few feel-good moments to remember from NY Fashion Week
NEW YORK (AP) — Fashion Week has ended in New York, leaving a trail of sequins and feathers, worn-out stilettos and blisters and traffic jams. But sometimes, fashion feels good: there were some moments of genuine, happy emotion. Here are a few feel-good moments of the week: —— BARRY IN...
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...
Prantl’s offering free Burnt Almond Torte for a year
Get ready for two phrases that taste great together: “Free year’s supply of” and “Prantl’s Burnt Almond Torte.” In celebration of National Almond Day, the famed Pittsburgh-based bakery is offering patrons a shot at the sweet prize. That’s right, the very same cake that Food Network named best cake in...
Foodscape expert Brie Arthur to speak at Uniontown program
Noted horticulturist and foodscape expert Brie Arthur will speak at a March 23 program in Uniontown. Hosted by Penn State Master Gardeners of Fayette County, the event is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Grayson House at 157 Riggin Hill Road. Arthur will discuss how to interplant ornamentals with...
