Category: Family & Home

The 5 Best Beaches in Bahamas

The world is full of beautiful beaches, and you can make an argument for any number of sultry destinations as being the best. But there’s probably no place on earth that can boast the sheer variety and vivid, almost otherworldly wonder of the beaches in the Bahamas. Here, the water is just bluer, the sand…


Coffee Shop Owner Builds Scarecrow Iwo Jima Flag-Raising Tableau for Festive Tribute to Military

A coffee shop owner-operator in Georgia has been setting up scarecrows outside her establishment for a number of years—not to frighten off birds, but for a festive contest to raise community spirit. Kristy King, 42, who runs Elliano’s Coffee in Waycross, won that event—SwampTown Scarecrows—in 2015, with her scarecrow display depicting the Last Supper. Then,…


Morbidly Obese Man Loses 160lb for Newborn Son: ‘If You’re 406lb, You Need a Life Change’

Overweight since childhood and peaking at 406 pounds (184 kg), a California native had all but given up on weight loss until his son was born. It was then he realized that getting healthy, albeit the hardest thing he would ever do, was a choice. And he made the choice for his son. Tony Reyes of…


Ancient Tales of Wisdom: Picciola

Ancient tales of wisdom remind us of the traditions and moral values that have been treasured all over the world. We hope the stories and messages in our Tales of Wisdom series help uplift the hearts and minds of our readers. “Picciola” is about a man who was wrongfully put in prison and felt that…


Make Invisible Joints When Applying Drywall Tape

Dear James: I just moved into an older house, and a lot of the drywall tape is coming loose and needs retaping. Why did it come loose, and how should I replace it? —Randall N. Dear Randall: It is not uncommon for drywall tape to come loose after many years. A change in humidity and…


How to Get $1,000 Into Your Emergency Fund Painlessly

The most important thing you can do to make your personal economy strong is to have an umbrella—an emergency fund with enough money in it to pay all your bills for six months. And it needs to be safe and secure in a bank account. You read that right—half a year’s income! Wait. You can’t…


Comedy Pet Photography Awards 2021 Releases Finalist Photos—And They’re Hilarious

Sure, it’s been a crazy few months (going on years) lately, but our furry friends at home have softened the blow and made it bearable. Our pets provide constant hilarity and unconditional love—no matter what’s going on in the world. Looking on the bright side, many pet photo opportunities presented themselves at home. All the…


Diagnosing Plant Problems

Q: Your answer on a lawn that suddenly appeared dead sounds like what many lawns in our area suffered through. We had army worms. One day the grass was green and the next day it was dead-looking. A: I tell people all the time that there are only three things that affect plants: insects, diseases,…


Teaching Children to Recognize Propaganda

Commentary When the pandemic hit, school went online and learning seemed to be thrown to the wind. As the pandemic stretched on, many teachers were loath to return to the classroom because of apparent COVID fears. Parents began to question whether teachers were really concerned about or eager to foster their children’s learning, especially as…


Rare White Albino Wallaby Baby Peeks Head Out of Mom’s Pouch for First Time at Manhattan Zoo

Zookeepers in Manhattan got a surprise this summer when a white baby wallaby popped its head out of its mother’s pouch for the first time ever. Wallabies, a species of miniature kangaroo, are typically grey-brownish but are sometimes born with a condition called albinism—which causes a melanin pigment deficiency, leaving their fur white and eyes…