Ask Mary Beth: Controlling silverfish
Q: Every once in a while I see a silverfish in my house. How can I get rid of them?— Opal Shively, Cuyahoga Falls A: People sometimes think silverfish come from the plumbing, since they’re often found...
View ArticleHome and garden happenings — Week of April 20
When you’re fueling up your outdoor power equipment, be sure to check the ethanol content of the gasoline.The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute cautions against using gas with more than 10 percent...
View ArticleLights go on when power goes out
A Solon company has developed an emergency home lighting system that uses wireless technology to turn on the lights automatically in a power outage.The heart of the Mr. Beams ReadyBright system is a...
View ArticleHGTV’s Mike Holmes takes on kitchens and baths
Mike Holmes’ new book helps homeowners remodel their kitchens and bathrooms from the inside out.Holmes, the builder known for righting construction wrongs on his HGTV shows Holmes on Homes and Holmes...
View ArticleInformation on impatiens downy mildew
Questions and answers about impatiens downy mildew.Q: What is this disease?A: Impatiens downy mildew is the common name for a disease caused by a fungus-like organism called Plasmopara obducens. It can...
View ArticleTips for making a dishwasher, drain work better
Your dishwasher, sink drain and garbage disposal do the major dirty work in your kitchen, and you can keep them smelling fresh and running efficiently with a few easy steps.If there are spots or...
View ArticlePlant Lovers’ Almanac: Signs of spring at last
Finally spring is busting out all over, from the chartreuse flowers and redolent stems of spicebush to the ethereally beautiful magnolias, including star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) and the Loebner...
View ArticleImpatiens disease sends gardeners searching for alternatives
It used to be so easy. You had shade, you planted impatiens.Not anymore.A disease called impatiens downy mildew is ravaging the popular bedding plants, so much so that some retailers aren’t selling...
View ArticleWake-up call for cat owner
Q: I have a 2-year-old rescue cat that wakes us up with loud meowing at 6 a.m. I put her in the dark basement at times or leave her upstairs, and it makes no difference.She sleeps most evenings so I...
View ArticlePet Place: Celebrate hairballs and holidays
Several years ago, one of my dearest friends and co-workers was about to mark the passage of another year. I wanted to make her birthday special and dispense with the usual office ho-hum birthday that...
View ArticleJohn Rosemond: Parents should correct one problem at a time
One of the reasons — it’s probably in the top three reasons, in fact — that parents fail at solving discipline problems is they try to solve too many at once. In so doing, they scatter their...
View ArticleNews of the Weird: Weird science
Beware of bicyclesIn March, Washington state Rep. Ed Orcutt, apparently upset that bicyclists use the state’s roads without paying the state gasoline tax for highway maintenance, proposed a 5 percent...
View ArticleBest-sellers
HARDCOVER FICTION 1. Starting Now, Debbie Macomber. A Seattle lawyer loses her job and remakes her life; she finds support at the local knitting store. A Blossom Street novel.2. Manuscript Found in...
View ArticleLife in Brief — week of April 21
Washing car is part of maintenance routine Routinely having the outside of your car washed and waxed is not just a good idea for aesthetic reasons; it’s also a maintenance duty that should not be...
View ArticleWhat’s for dinner? Sweet Asian-Grilled Salmon
When it comes to coming on strong, this spring has been a wallflower.We’ve had a few days that flirted with 70 degrees, but that’s about it.But that hasn’t stopped plenty of us from dusting off the...
View ArticleBook review: In ‘The Interestings,’ six lives intertwined in youth are...
The InterestingsMeg WolitzerWhen we first meet the Interestings on the night of their ironic self-naming, the six teens gathered in a teepee at a summer camp for artistic types are impressed and amused...
View ArticleCreed Bratton of ‘The Office’ returns to music
For the past nine years, Creed Bratton has played a rather strange version of himself on the NBC comedy The Office. Bratton’s dealt with the series coming to an end May 16 by focusing on the musical...
View ArticleBook Talk: ‘The Man from Scratch,’ ‘Daybreak’
‘The Man from Scratch’humor should be clonedRhonda Keith’s 2012 novel The Wish Book was a sweetly imaginative story about an antiques dealer whose elderly aunt asks her to place an order out of a 1947...
View ArticleThings to consider when buying a diamond ring
Buying a diamond ring can be intimidating. What do you look for? How much should you pay? Should you buy online or in a store?First learn about the four C’s: carat, color, clarity and cut. This system...
View ArticleA guide to exploring Jackie Robinson’s Brooklyn
With the movie 42 bringing the Jackie Robinson story to a new generation, fans young and old may be inspired to visit some of the places in Brooklyn connected to the African-American athlete who...
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