Tag: Life & Tradition

The Gracious Host’s Guide to the Holidays: 3 Rules for a Memorable, Stress-Free Dinner Party

Years ago, I invited both sides of my family to a Thanksgiving dinner. This meant that there were 25 little children from 1 to 9 years of age; we had to deadbolt the door lest any neighborhood children wander in. The adults were 27 in number, which included my brothers and sisters, our parents, various…


Ancient Tales of Wisdom: Do Not Pursue or Indulge in Vanity

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. This retold tale, “Do Not Pursue or Indulge in Vanity,” is one of many…


British Soldier Who Saved a Dying Man During WWII Was Reunited With Him 4 Decades Later

A British soldier who saved a dying man after the latter’s leg had blown off in the World War II trenches was reunited with him four decades later when he bumped into his wife at the local supermarket. In lieu of the 13th death anniversary of the late soldier, his family has shared the incredible…


Vet Nurse Who Helps Save Animals’ Lives Wins ‘Dogs at Work’ Contest With Hilarious Photo

A New Zealand veterinary nurse who spends her days helping save animals’ lives has won a photo competition with a funny snap of her dogs posing doing the very same thing. Rosie McCarthy, 28, organized the winning photo at her clinic in Hamilton on New Zealand’s North Island with the help of her co-workers, and…


Formerly ‘Homeless Piano Man’ Goes Viral, Shoots to Fame Overnight, Soon Releasing Biopic Movie

He was living on the streets of Sarasota, Florida, off and on—until a video posted on social media captured him making magic on the piano and catapulted him to fame. That was in 2015 when the Sarasota Keys Project gave Donald Gould, 57, a formerly homeless Marine veteran and musician, his big break. A dozen…


The Ultimate Guide to Flawless Regifting

The act of regifting—passing on as new a gift someone else gave you—is controversial but only because of those who do a noticeably bad job of it. If every act of regifting were carried out flawlessly, no one would have the occasion to find it distasteful. The secret to flawless regifting is to know and…


The Family Table: A 4-Generation Holiday Side, From Germany to America

Submitted by Kent Higgins, Highlands Ranch, Colorado When I was a teenager, my grandmother Margarette (1888–1966) taught me how to prepare a few traditional German meals, which her mother, Caroline (1853–1936), had taught her. These recipes all originated in northern Germany in the Eschersand and Sonderborg, Schleswig-Holstein areas near Flensburg. Blaukraut, this simple red cabbage…


Film Review: ‘Unsilenced’: A Timely, Real-Life Thriller About the CCP’s Campaign Against Falun Gong

 1h 48min | 22 October 2021 Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient, peaceful spiritual discipline from China that is practiced by a considerable number of people—not only the Chinese but also many other folk—worldwide. Falun Gong has graceful exercises and meditation for health, but unlike tai chi or other forms of…


Film Review: ‘The Soul of a Farmer’: Chef-Turned-Farmer Raises the Bar on Growing Perfect Food

Some folks live to eat. Others eat to live. I’m not a foodie, but after listening to a foodie client’s enthusiastic descriptions of his gustatory creations for almost 20 years, I learned to appreciate what goes into gourmet-level food prep. What 20 years of recipe cheerleading did for my cooking appreciation, “The Soul of a…


Thanksgiving With the Isacs: Turning Grief Into a Celebration of Gratitude

For the past 19 years, the Isacs family has hosted Thanksgiving dinner at their home in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut. Each year, anywhere from 8 to 20 extended family and friends swelled the ranks of the family of four: Peter and Nadine, the consummate host and hostess, and their sons PK, 27, and Christopher,…