Fun

Your family and friends — especially those who garden or enjoy watching birds — will appreciate gifts from your garden that you can make yourself. Read on for some suggestions from our gardening blogger, Donna Hessel. ...

Christmas will soon be here, and on its heels will be New Year's Eve! What to do? The grandchildren always want to celebrate the New Year’s Eve holiday but they (let’s face it, and we grandparents, also) have a difficult time staying awake until midnight! Why not host your own party? We call these parties Noon Year’s Eve since the magic hour is at 12 o’clock noon! ...

Every kid who grew up in Cleveland in the mid-’50s and ‘60s remembers Captain Penny, who hosted a popular, locally produced children’s show. In his trademark railroad engineer uniform, Captain Penny introduced his young audience to classic comedy shows like The Three Stooges. Other regular features were an adoptable pet segment called “Pooch Parade,” Jungle Larry’s exotic animals, and conversations with Mister F.W. Nickelsworth. He encouraged picky eaters to join the Clean Plate Club. Mr. Jingeling stopped by at Christmastime. ...

The weekend before Labor Day, we were in one of those warehouse clubs and they were putting out Christmas trees and decorations. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen it, but it’s still rushing the season.  The holiday season used to start on Thanksgiving. Kids would see a new episode of Mr. Jingeling every day on WEWS in a thinly veiled commercial based on some new toy. ...

As much as many of us enjoy field-fresh fruits and veggies from summer farmers markets, there’s something to be said for the heartiness of winter market offerings. ...

Connect with other family and friends with a Zoom meeting before, during or after your meal. If some relatives are unable to join in, be sure to find a way to reach out to those who are close to you and the grandkids. ...

“The idea for the display began organically,” Bill says. “I have fond memories of the decorations my grandfather built for the holiday season — which included a lighted windmill and an animated eagle. So every year, I put something new in the yard to honor him. In 2010, one of the decorations I added was a sidewalk garland. I began thinking, how great it would look if our neighbors put them up, too.” ...

If you have a chance to travel for the holidays, it is still great to bring something made by you to the gathering. I often like to make a dessert, but if you know the menu your host is preparing, you might want to bring a savory side dish. The host may even appreciate the offer to bring a potato dish, as it would provide a little relief in what they need to prepare.  ...