Columns

Considering that February is the shortest month of the year – it grows to 29 days every four years, including 2024 – it’s filled with plenty of events and activities that will make you forget about the winter doldrums. In fact, there’s so much to do that it was impossible to keep the list short...

A few years ago, Bill Lauris, the owner of Off the Beaten Path Nursery in Lancaster, clued me in on pawpaw fruit. Occasionally referred to as “Appalachian bananas” or “custard apples,” pawpaws are the largest edible fruit native to North America. Incredibly, one of the largest concentrations of wild pawpaw trees can be found in...

The Brickerville House and its shops have become a dining/shopping destination. “People enjoy the restaurant’s historic atmosphere. They dine here and then visit the shops, or they’ll come shopping and then grab a bite to eat at the restaurant. It’s a great day out,” says George Agadis, who owns the restaurant with his brother, Tony. ...

 Valentine’s Day is all about chocolate. But what happens if your significant other dislikes the “most popular sweet treat” in the world? Options do exist!  Sweetish Love and chocolate – the connection goes well beyond our modern affixation to February 14, Valentine’s Day. In the 5th century B.C., when a mere 100 million people were...

Photo by Nick Gould Gardening and Nature at Fairmount Situated in a rural setting and with many farmers and folks with green thumbs among our residents, Fairmount is a great place to continue “playing in the dirt.” Many residents plant and care for vegetables and flowers off their patios or on their balconies. For those...

Whether she’s expecting her first bundle of joy or is an experienced mother-to-be, every baby bump can be celebrated! See how two moms-to-be were feted at showers and sprinkles that celebrated the sweet anticipation of a baby’s arrival, plus learn about some trends in welcoming baby. The “Unwrapped” Shower Abby Hobson Shank and her husband,...

It’s the perfect time of the year to take a joyride through the countryside, where you’re bound to discover hay wagons sitting along roadsides filled with beautifully shaped pumpkins and brightly colored gourds for sale. However, if you truly want to enjoy the season, I’d like to recommend a trip to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm,...

Few other trees and shrubs can compete with the sheer exuberance of the crepe-myrtle’s flower display, which comes in late summer when few others are blooming. Its colorful ornamental bark is a highlight of winter. Add good fall color, and you’ll understand why the crepe-myrtle is a first-rate, four-season ornamental. In response to last month’s...

I always go a little crazy after New Year’s and reorganize closets, drawers and kitchen cabinets, discarding anything that no longer fits or, in the case of medicine or food, is expired. This year, I found a bottle of Carolina Swamp Sauce that bore a 2006 expiration date! It was lurking in the back corner...

At age 3, when most children his age were still learning to talk, Randy Miller was singing in front of a church audience. That was 58 years ago; today you can still find Randy singing gospel … and loving it as much as ever. Randy remembers his father carrying him up to the front of...