Life Style & Travel

UNITED STATES—The first storm of the year has a way of reminding us if our trees need attention. Whether they need to be worked on this year or not, we tend to notice how they blow in the wind, or if they are full of dead and deteriorating debris that falls into the garden or onto the roof. As...

UNITED STATES—The big day is less than a week away, and unless you’re living under a rock, I’m referring to Thanksgiving. I promised we’d talk about the bird this week and I’m indeed a person of my word. I’m going to harp on this right now because it’s critical. It’s time for you to pick out that bird, if...

UNITED STATES—Radical love is to let play out the intention that a kind impulse dwells in others as it does in oneself. Goethe said something to the effect that if you treat people as if they displayed good qualities, they will actually start to display them. Radical love exalts kindness beyond one's own skin and the empathetic view of being...

UNITED STATES—I love desserts America, but at the same time, Thanksgiving can be overwhelming when it comes to sweet treats. I would argue pies are way more popular than any other sweet treat when it comes to the Thanksgiving feast. Of course we know the Apple pie is the star, and there are various ways to make it. Preferably,...

UNITED STATES—Winter is coming, and for many, that means that it’s time to change up your hair. While many prefer to go blonde in summer, I find that an icy blonde best contrasts with the somber aesthetic that winter provides. Having personally gone platinum myself, I can vouch for the visual reward that it provides despite all of the...

UNITED STATES—Autumn is for more than planting. It is when most of the aggressive pruning gets stared. It might be the best time to work with compost and conditioning the soil. Bulbs get planted. Gutters get cleaned. Leaves get raked. Perennials get groomed. We might think of it as a time of slowing down after such a busy summer,...

UNITED STATES—As we speak America, Thanksgiving is a mere 2 weeks away. Yes, I know the feeling it just seemed like we were talking about Halloween. It’s amazing how fast time flies sometimes. Last week we discussed a bit about getting things in order for those planning to host Thanksgiving dinner. Now, that you’ve decided to cook, the next...

UNITED STATES—Comic strips were a window onto the world for Gilbert. They provided all his major news and gave him the veneer of being a well-informed person, aware of the latest brouhaha, literate in pop culture because artists like Sean Hillenbrand loaded their strips with such stuff as well as steadily mined a rich vein of politically incorrectness and...

UNITED STATES—There is one thing that I never look forward to in the fall. Any guesses America? It’s raking leaves. Yes, this does depend on the region of the country you live in, but if you are from the Midwest, East coast or upper West Coast, you are quite familiar with a brown paper bag and the rake. This...

UNITED STATES—As zinnias, petunias, cosmos and other warm season annuals fade in the cooling weather, we might add a few chrysanthemums or marigolds for color through autumn, or we might go straight for pansies, violas or other cool season annuals that will provide color through winter. In the locally mild climate, there is always potential for some sort of...