Category Archives: Golden Rule

It seems like the global fashion set have a well-kept secret when it comes to layering necklaces, managing to throw together a mix of gold chains, dainty chokers and retro pendants with sartorial ease. But, if you've ever actually tried to nail the look yourself, it's not as easy as it would appear.

Finding the perfect combination has become an art that our favourite It girls and style stars have quickly mastered, and we've set out to find out how.

Chi Mai, director ofS-kin Studio, has givenInStyleher expert advice on building the perfect necklace stack. Her golden rule is to always pair different lengths, starting with a feature piece and building around it, or starting with the shortest and adding piece-by-piece from there.

"Having a two-inch difference between the length of each layer is key so each piece can work as a collective," she says. "While still giving space for the feature pieces to stand on their own. Two-piece stacks are the simplest to begin with, with mid-length combinations working well with a low neckline or hanging over a tee."

Scroll down to shop a selection of necklaces to get your perfect stack started.

S-kin Studio Custom Single Initial Necklace, $79; s-kin.com.au

S-kin Studio Rebecca Medallion Necklace, $85; s-kin.com.au

Reliquia JewelleryHernan Necklace,$169.00; reliquiacollective.com

Isabel Marant Gold-Tone Horn Necklace,$126.43; net-a-porter.com

Celine Alphabet Necklace, $660; celine.com

Holly Ryan Misshapen Pearl Choker, $280; hollyryan.com.au

Read the rest here:

How To Layer Your Necklaces, According To An Expert - InStyle

Without tough conversations, real solutions will also prove out of reach on matters of race and equality.

Willy Wonka may have been on to something in the famed movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Rarely leaving the confines of his candy factory, the fictitious candy man spent enough time inside that the ills of the world seemingly disappeared.

From chocolate and fudge to gumdrops, jelly beans, taffy and gooey gummy bears, any sweet treat ones heart desires can be found in a candy shop. Be careful though, as too much of anything can have unintended consequences cavities the most noticeable of those.

Sports can be considered a candy shop of sorts, allowing fans to lose themselves in daily displays of athletic brilliance. With every flip of the channel, theres an option for whatever taste one may have.

Football, basketball and baseball tend to get the lionshare of attention, but theres softball, car racing, tennis, golf, wrestling, competitive cheerleading, track and field and a host of other sports sprinkled in.

Unfortunately, since March such means of escape have been in short supply. With COVID-19 blossoming from a health concern into a fully involved pandemic, sports has taken a backseat in importance to the health and welfare of Americans.

Daily discussions have barely blipped the radar in recent months, with sporting events suspended far and wide. Instead of choosing all-area baseball and softball teams, salivating over the potential of a LeBron James-Giannis Antetokounmpo meeting in the NBA Finals or getting mentally prepared for the Euro 2020 soccer tournament, such has been limited to the business of sports and the means necessary to get the ball back rolling.

Without the distractions of the world sports included to occupy their time, many have turned to purging those items and habits obstructing one from becoming a better version of themselves. But as the world sought to mitigate the effects of coronavirus, another virus that has gone unchecked too long was permitted to rear its ugly head.

The killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd each of whom are black have again ripped the blood-soaked band-aid off the scab that is racism in the American consciousness. Chants of No justice, no peace! have echoed through American cities, with protestors clamoring for fairness to prevail.

During previous instances in recent years of social unrest resulting from the unjust killings of minorities, the chants of protestors have been drowned out by the roar of crowds cheering their team to victory. With all athletic events short-circuited due to COVID-19, all eyes have shifted toward the cause of social justice and creating an environment for all to be on equal footing in all facets of American society.

The current wave is way different.

In the past weeks, countless celebrities in the sports world and otherwise have put their voices behind the movement, hoping to be engines of change on a national level.

The thorny subject has become all too personal on a local level as well, with recent Ashbrook graduate and Gardner-Webb football signee Kendall Massey being profiled while merely performing his job as a store clerk.

Over the course of a lengthy shift, the 17-year old was told by a customer that he got more ammo for my kind of people, yelled at for not having on gloves saying I might still have gas on my hand, blamed for the local Walmart being closed and asked why he wasnt elsewhere protesting.

Such is one of countless stories shared by minorities, including yours truly.

Racism has no place in America or elsewhere, regardless of age or socioeconomic status. All of Gods creatures should have the same opportunity to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. All too often, though, some are not afforded that luxury.

Regardless of age, sports has often proven to be one of the greatest teachers, offering lessons good for a lifetime and revealing those of different races and religions can come together to do great things.

Speaking often with current and former athletes, they refer to the locker room as a place of camaraderie and support, where a great many lifelong relationships have been forged.

In the wake of recent events, it could also be one of the places where dialogue on race is had while openly displaying the golden rule of treating others how we want to be treated. But right now, maybe its best we wait.

In grade school, when a disagreement needed a resolution, teachers would separate those in conflict to let them cool down before coming together to figure out how to move forward. With the candy store sports bolted shut, it offers the perfect opportunity to have tough discussions without the artificial sweetener.

Im as eager as anyone for the return of athletic competition. Normalcy would do us all a lot of good, and the crack of a bat, sight of a beautiful pass or breathtaking goal is a step in the right direction. But when family business is on the table, sports in all its candy-coated glory would certainly diffuse the situation but would it help bring a resolution?

Currently, were in a race to find a vaccine in hope of warding off the next COVID-19 outbreak. Fortunately, no miracle cure is needed to stop racism, only a change of heart.

Remember, were all in this together.

You can reach Joe Hughes at 704-914-8138, email jhughes@gastongazette.com and follow on Twitter @JoeLHughesII.

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COLUMN: Awaiting a sports fix, nows the perfect time for a tough conversation on race - Shelby Star

For chef and culinary historian Michael W. Twitty, studying the food of the past doesnt just uncover what people used to eat; it reveals the stories they wanted to tell.

When you talk about people surviving to the next day or the next decade, what youre talking about is them making a commitment to their descendants, Twitty said. He was talking about the generations of enslaved people who lived, labored, and died in antebellum America, for whom cooking was one of the few ways to preserve, adapt and pass down their traditions.

Since the launch of his blog Afroculinaria in 2010, Twitty has emerged as a committed chronicler of the cuisines crafted over generations by enslaved African Americans. As a historical interpreter, hes recreated antebellum cooking methods at former plantations and spoken out against tourists who visit those sites without wanting to learn about the people who were forced to labor there.

As a chef, Twitty has led culinary tours to West Africa, teaching about the traditions that still influence contemporary American cuisine. And as a writer, hes won the James Beard Award for Best Food Writing for his 2018 book The Cooking Gene, a memoir that traces the origins of Southern food culture and his own family history. Hes currently working on his second book, Kosher Soul, which will explore the intersection of Jewish and African American cuisines.

I asked Twitty about his work and the food history behind Juneteenth, a holiday that marks the end of slavery and takes its name from June 19, 1865, the day when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, bringing news of the Confederacys demise to the last enslaved people in America.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Irene Katz Connelly: What makes food such a good vehicle into the past?

Michael W. Twitty: Its one of the most intimate ways to know people of the past, including your own ancestors. There are very few ways we can know the people who fed into our gene pool. But when we eat the same food, theres this sense of continuity. Thats always been it for me.

Tell me a little about the food traditions behind Juneteenth.

Juneteenth has a tradition of red foods: red soda, barbecue sauce, sweet potatoes, baked beans, watermelon. Even red velvet cake gets in there. It symbolizes perseverance, because for our ancestors in West and Central Africa, red was one of the most important colors: its the color of creativity, the color of fire, the color of war, the color of resistance. When red shows up, you know its a most spiritual moment.

Its one of the deeper parts of our culture, and in that sense Texas [as the birthplace of Juneteenth] is particularly interesting. According to the 1870 census, Texas had the most people whose birthplace was in Africa. Many were brought here via the Caribbean, in the clandestine slave trade that developed after [Congress abolished] the African slave trade in 1808. So they had the memory of that tradition.

Youre giving a talk this weekend on Juneteenth and the power of African American foodways to communicate techniques for survival. Can you elaborate on that?

Im talking about people using those foods and customs as a mnemonic device. People forget that the goal of ethnocide within slavery was to kill [African] culture. So anything you could do to remember and perpetuate your tradition was resistance. Anything you could do to perpetuate your family story was resistance. Its all about being able to perpetuate your culture.

A Jewish conversation about Juneteenth. Jodi Rudoren, editor-in-chief of The Forward, hosts Rabbi Sandra Lawson of Elon University and Tema Smith, a contributing columnist, in celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. Click here to join the conversation June 19 at noon EDT.

How did you find your way to this work?

Today a kid can read a book about food history. I didnt have that. Its become more popular recently, but its not a major anywhere, its not a class. You cant go become a food historian by studying.

So when I was growing up I used to do ridiculous experiments. I tried to make hominy from Indian corn you know, the stuff in the store thats already shellacked. I tried to boil water using hot stones. It got to the point where my mother was like, Please dont kill yourself, and if you do, leave the kitchen clean first. Her favorite phrase was, Michael, what the hell are you doing? I thought that was my name for a time.

Did you actually get the water to boil?

I did. But I found it didnt last very long. So already that taught me that those that used this cooking method had to cope with certain things.

As an adult, I learned a lot about food history when I taught Hebrew school, which I did for 15 years. I often taught about the Shoah, and I started doing some cooking and reading from In Memorys Kitchen, which is a book of recipes collected by women imprisoned in Theresienstadt. They were recalling the grand cuisine theyd enjoyed all those Central European pastries and desserts and fantasizing about what theyd had before the war. That collection let me have a conversation with my students about life and resistance, not just death and victimization.

At some point I thought, wouldnt it be interesting if someone had been able to do that during the time of slavery? What would our African grandmothers and Afro-Creole grandmothers and African American grandmothers have said? What would the enslaved pastry chefs and tavern chefs and free people of color have said? And thats what really started me focusing on the foodways of the enslaved.

One thing that really strikes me about your work is your willingness to relive extremely painful histories. Youve led cooking tours while dressed in the clothes of enslaved people. Why is that approach important to you?

Ive never been happy as an armchair historian. I really want to understand why things were the way they were. You dont understand how someone felt during the cooking, unless youre wearing their clothes. People come to historic kitchens thinking it was really quaint, that everyone was happy being an 18th-century Ina Garten, but it was not like that. Those clothes teach you how it would have been: how sweaty you get, how much water you need to drink during the day. I do that so I can pass it on to someone who would rather not go through the experience themselves.

Image by Courtesy of Michael Twitt...

Twitty wearing period clothing during a cooking demonstration.

Youve also spent days picking cotton.

I did. Picking cotton is hot, painful, backbreaking, endless work. Its a kind of labor that is completely draining. I had an emotional breakdown one time I did it, because I just didnt know how [my ancestors] did this. I knew I could go home. Thats the part that broke me the most. I could go home, my ancestors couldnt.

A lot of the black people I grew up with picked cotton. My daddy, my grandfather, his father, his father. I want people to understand when their elders say, The hands that once picked cotton pick presidents, how powerful that is.

How does food history play into the moment were living through now?

I think the values are there. Making sure your neighbor doesnt starve, making sure people know theyre welcome that they shouldnt be lonely thats the same thing as the Golden Rule.

Look at this time period were living in. A lot of people are still sequestered, or living with very limited human contact. Why do we have people over for Pesach? Why do we have Juneteenth and Kwanzaa? Why do we have these massive table-based celebrations around life cycle events? To bring people together, to recall and rehearse who they really are.

Youre steeped in two diaspora cooking traditions: African American and Jewish. How do they come together at your own table?

I try to make sure that when they intersect, that they play off each other. For example, Im throwing together my own Juneteenth spread for a few people, obviously, because of COVID. Its barbecue chicken time and sweet potato time and hibiscus Kool-aid time. But Ill also have harissa, red horseradish, and shakshuka. And those are all red foods, but from the Jewish diaspora.

Irene Katz Connelly is an editorial fellow at the Forward. You can contact her at connelly@forward.com.

Originally posted here:

The chef who blends kosher and soul talks Juneteenth, food as a form of resistance - Forward

The gains and revolutions, both political and musical, of the past sixty years can be measured in many ways, but few methods are more insightful than tracing the path of Sonny Rollins, a tenor saxophonist whose life is a portrait, which is to say a reimagining, of American freedom. When Rollins was twenty-seven, in 1958, he released Freedom Suite, one of the first recordings in postwar jazz to acutely protest racial injustice and demand civil rights. The liner notes, written by Rollins, are no less resonant today: America is deeply rooted in Negro culture: its colloquialisms; its humor; its music. How ironic that the Negro, who more than any other people can claim Americas culture as his own, is being persecuted and repressed, that the Negro, who has exemplified the humanities in his very existence, is being rewarded with inhumanity.

For Rollins, who is eighty-nine, the pandemic, the protests, and the President are familiar features of an ongoing civil-rights movement which Rollins bore early witness to. Much has changed, and much has not. I dont think things will change in this country, Rollins told me last week, by phone, from his home, in Woodstock, New York, two days after George Floyds death and five days before National Guard units deployed tear gas on protesters outside the White House, clearing the way for the President to lift a Bible, fix a wooden smile, and pose for the cameras.

The occasion of my call with Rollins was not the death of Floyd. It was not the compounding crises of police violence and militarized assaults on constitutionally protected assembly. But these themes are scarcely separable from our conversations original focus: Rollinss music and memory; the wish to hear if hes O.K.if hes safe and settled, spared of a virus that has claimed his compatriots Henry Grimes, Ellis Marsalis, and Lee Konitzand firmly aware that he is not just admired and loved but heard. This interview has been edited and condensed.

How are you doing? I want to hear what life is like for you right now, especially during this pandemic.

This is O.K. for me because I am trying to live in a different world, besides the world of the illness. Im trying to live in a world of the spirit wherein I am concentrating on things such as the golden rule. This is my big thing; I am trying to live by it. The main thing is do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Sure, everybody knows it, but nobody lives by it. We live in a world where its about Ive gotta get mine, andtoo bad for youIve gotta get mine first.

Six years ago or so, you were diagnosed with respiratory issues. You told Hilton Als at the time that it limits your breathing and you get fatigued. How are you now?

My breathing seems to be O.K. My main problem is that I cant blow my horn anymore. Im surviving, but my problem is I cant blow my horn.

How does it feel not to be able to blow your horn?

[Laughs] Well, thats where living in the spirit world comes in. It felt pretty bad. I had a rough time getting through it, because I like blowing my horn. When I had to stop, it was quite a traumatic deal for me.

Do you see this pandemic bringing into focus certain meanings in life? Do you sense changes with all the distancing?

For one thing, Im ninety years old in a few months, so thats no big deal, living. Im not trying to live. Ive lived all this time, way beyond any of my compatriots. The universe doesnt owe me anything as far as the length of my life is concerned.

I lived through 9/11. I was right in my apartment six blocks from the World Trade Center when I heard a plane come inpow. And then another plane hits. We all came downstairs. I had to be evacuated the next day. So, by that, no, I dont think this pandemic means anything.

Look, people will turn around and do the same thing. If everything is straightened out next week, people are gonna live the same way theyre living now. Theyre not going to give a fuck about the golden rule or anything else besides whats comfortable for them.

Thats all people do. I dont expect this pandemic to mean anything. People will go back to the way they aremost people. There might be a few who might try to get the bigger picture of what this pandemic might mean, but I thought that was going to happen at 9/11, and, indeed, it did, for about three months. Everybody was nice to each other, kind to each other. For three months. And then it came back down: Me first.

That brings to mind your album Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert. Youve shown real strength and contributions to the world in response to crisis and trauma. What lessons might you have for younger musicians, such as Akwetey John Orraca-Tetteh, who are processing trauma and trying to stay focussed on their music?

Its not about your musicits about what makes your music your music. Youve got to have a feeling like that. You have to have a reason for your music. Have something besides the technical. Make it for something. Make it for kindness, make it for peace, whatever it is. You know what I mean?

I do. Youre very clearly describing it, and youve said that art outlives technology and the political moment, that art survives the material life of our bodies.

Exactly.

Can we talk Presidents? Starting with Lester Young. I say President because everyone calls him Pres. Do you think we should write Lester Young in as President this November? Do you think hed make a better fit than the current occupant of the Oval Office?

[Laughs] Well, I dont really know the present occupant personally, but I knew Lester Young personally, and I would go with Lester Young. His music speaks for itself, and hes a human being whose personality, whose humanity, made his music what it was. A great musician, but also a great person.

One of the first records you got was Lester Youngs Sometimes Im Happy. On the subject of happiness, what gives you happiness?

Ive been blessed to do music all my life. I didnt get where I wanted, but I was always trying to get there. I had a career, people knew me, liked me, so I cant be sad about it, but its still one of these things that I have to really keep on top of.

You mention self-criticism in almost every interview. Id like to ask what your relationship to self-criticism is today, but also to self-acceptance, self-praise, self-compassion. How do they relate?

I focus much more on the negative side. I understand that people appreciate me, and Im so happy about that, but, as for myself? No. I could have done more. If I had my druthers, I would have started playing earlier, done what my mother wanted me to do, which was play piano, instead of playing stickball on the streets of New York.

If you hadnt played stickball, you wouldnt have seen W.E.B. DuBois walking the neighborhood, like youve said. You wouldnt have joined the parades for him or Paul Robeson, or rallied outside for the Scottsboro Boys in exactly the same way. Would you really take back stickball?

Read more:

Sonny Rollins on the Pandemic, Protests, and Music - The New Yorker

Its disappointing to see the often casual ways people in public are dealing with the virus. For far too many in these parts, it seems like the attitude is Hey, man, no problem. Im not sick. Lets party. Even among the more reserved there seems to be little agreement about the value of wearing a mask out on the street. From what Ive seen, about a quarter of the folks out there are maskless. At the same time, our Sonoma County Health Officer told Sonoma West that the number of infections jumped significantly in recent days.

Whats going on, I wonder. Is the political divide really causing people to either wear a mask or emulate our barefaced national leader? I hope not, for if so, we humans have further to go toward sensible living than I would like to think.

Far as we know, everyone is susceptible to Covid 19. Were not even sure those who have recovered from it are immune. Nor do we know who among us might be carrying the virus without being sick at all. And we know the virus can kill a significant percentage of those it infects. Among older folks, older starting around age 60 so far as this virus is concerned, as many as one in five who get infected die, depending on underlying conditions. Far as I can tell, almost all of us in this age group have underling conditions. And death might not be the worst of it. The virus can cause blood clots all over the body; it can weaken vital organs and make the rest of ones days a terrible trial; and it appears to bring horrible illnesses to a small percentage of the children it infects.

Putting this all together, its crucial that we do what we can to avoid getting infected and to avoid infecting others. Wearing a mask and maintaining social distance are the ways we do this. Its that clear and that simple. But this doesnt work unless virtually everyone does it. Thats whats so disturbing about the haphazard pattern of masked and bare-faced folks interacting in public.

This new reality makes it especially hard on our business people. But if we want to help them, if we want to restore the economy, the best thing we can do is make sure we take all the precaution while shopping. We wear masks and stay safely apart.

Taking these simple precautions are the way we practice the Golden Rule in the time of Covid-19. I dont want people infecting me just because they dont want to wear a mask, and so Im morally bound to wear a mask myself. And in this situation, the stakes are really high. Doing unto others as you would have others do unto you is a matter of life and death these days.

Bob Jones is the former minister of the Guerneville and Monte Rio Community Church.

Link:

Keeping the Faith: Covid 19 and the Golden Rule | Opinion - Sonoma West

I just got done reading an opinion article in the Hawk Eye submitted by a supposed Democrat about their core beliefs and I nearly spit out my coffee.

We need to examine these so-called beliefs that were stated in this article, and I quote from the article.

"Being a Democrat is not hard to understand. We value the lessons of history particularly as to the American government, Constitution and presidency. Hard work, love of family and community and the Golden Rule are at our core. Its not that complicated."

So for the last several decades the so-called "Democrat Party" has done it's very best to re-write our country's history in order to help move along their socialist agenda. The tearing down of Civil War monuments, the removal of teaching American History, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and our belief in God from our children's classrooms and our universities is just the beginning.

The constant assault on our Constitution by the left trying to silence conservatives by any means they deem necessary is increasing daily. Their assault on our Second Amendment rights is a constant and continuous effort by the Democrats.

The Democrats yearn for the day they can abolish the constitution forever. Hard work? They would rather tax our industries and companies into oblivion, put them out of business and put everyone on welfare at which time their socialist style of government would feed you, house you, educate you, and provide you free third world type health care while they rule over you and continue to live their lives of luxury. The last thing they want the citizens to do is work hard and be independent.

Love of Family The Democrats believe in abortion of every kind, even after birth. They want nothing to do with a strong family unit or a belief in God. These things go against the very nature of their socialist beliefs. Lastly, The Golden Rule? Really now, The Golden Rule. I believe that has something to do with treating others as you would want to be treated?

Well let's see now, for the last 3-1/2 years since the election the Democrats, including 95 percent of the media, Hollywood misfits, and misinformed and under educated talk show hosts (all vote democrat by the way) have been brutally and savagely attacking President Donald Trump and conservatives 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Name calling, physical threats, lies, non stop day after day.

To top all of that, the Democrat party has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on fake Russian collusion charges against Trump and his campaign while in reality that is what was being carried out by Hillary Clinton, the DNC, Obama's corrupt justice department and the Democrat party.

Add to that the total insanity of the impeachment hearings and your so-called do-nothing Democrat party has wasted millions of dollars and thousands of hours trying to overturn our last election. This is your idea of the Golden Rule?

If I were you I would consider re-reading your history and re-examining your democrat party of socialism and hatred.

Dave Hensley, Burlington

Continued here:

Do-nothing party - Opinion - Burlington Hawk Eye

Veronica Lorson Fowler, the Iowa Gardener

Everyone knows how to water plants, right? Well, actually, wrong. I was reminded of this during a recent community landscaping project, where we planted hostas, daylilies, grasses and more for a local nonprofit. It was all good, until watering time. Those plants wed all labored over were given the lightest baptism of water, and the volunteers prepared to head out.

Fortunately, some of the experience gardeners in the group realized the problem, got out the watering gear and gave everything a good soak. Another volunteer came back a few days later to give them another soaking.

Watering is critical for healthy plants and an attractive, productive garden. Its also an immensely time-consuming task and it can cost you money if you lose plants because of improper watering. Be sure youre doing it right.

Seeds should be watered lightly every day or two to keep the top of the soil moist. Small seedlings, such as tomatoes, and established annuals and perennials (those grown in cell-packs or pots of one gallon or less) should be watered every day or two. Water deeply and well applying around a gallon of water per plant with each watering.

With newly planted trees and shrubs, water them for about a half-hour or so with the slowest trickle of the hose.

All new plantings need a good soak not only to give the new plant moisture but also to settle the soil so there are not air pockets that can dry out roots.

The golden rule of watering gardens is to water deeply and well rather than shallow and often. Frequent, light waterings result in the roots staying where the moisture is the surface and growing shallow. Watering deeper and less often encourages roots to grow down deeper where the soil stays moister longer.

Most plants in our Iowa landscapes do best with approximately 1 inch of water a week. If you dont have one already, install a rain gauge so you can monitor it.

If the rain falls short of that, you may need to do additional watering, apply a half inch or whatever of water from the hose or sprinkler. How to know how much water youve applied? Set out an old cake pan, tuna can, or any other shallow, flat container where the sprinkler will hit it and collect water so you can see how much has been applied.

Plants that need water look less shiny or glossy. If they start to wilt, the plant is becoming stressed and needs immediate watering. Avoid wilting. A wilted plant instantly becomes more susceptible to insect, disease, and other problems.

Pay attention to the soil, too. Wiggle your finger or a stick into the soil to check. Another trick: Look at your impatiens. These thirsty plants are usually the first to show signs of dryness.

Watering right before sunrise is ideal, so set up a timer. Youll avoid the heat of the day and prevent evaporation. Early watering also allows plants to dry off well before nightfall, when fungal diseases take root.

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If you cant do the pre-sunrise thing, no worries. Just be sure to water by midmorning, when the days heat sets in.

As much as reasonably possible, avoid spraying plant foliage during watering since it makes them more prone to disease. Of course, sometimes youll need to use a sprinkler and getting the leaves and flowers wet will be unavoidable. But when using a hose or watering can, water just the soil.

Even better: Consider a drip-emitter system, micro-sprinklers, or black soaker hoses. All of these types of hoses slowly apply water without waste exactly where you want it. Black soaker hoses work best with row crops or plantings of shrubs that are placed altogether, rather than assorted annuals and perennials. Also, theyre unsightly, so they need to be covered with soil or mulch. Another problem is that if you bury them, they always seem to get sliced with a spade.

Veronica Lorson Fowler is co-publisher of The Iowa Gardener website at theiowagardener.com.

Originally posted here:

How to water your plants - The Gazette

Do unto othersas you would have themdo untoyou.Known as the golden rule. I think that we can all agree that, in principle, this sounds good to us. It makes perfect sense. Its interpretation is for all of us to love one another. To be kind. To forgive.

This, of course is predicated on the idea that you, in fact, love yourself. It would hold little meaning if you didnt give yourself the same respect. It may not even occur to you to reciprocate the gesture if you werent in a good place.

In actuality, its when you dont feel good about yourself that you tend to want to throw stones. It goes something like this; Youre not pleased with yourself for whatever reason you see someone else (or others) doing well and flourishing you think;Why them, not me?Youre not where you want to be, so you project onto others. Now, Im not saying that this is what you do. Im saying that this tends to happen. Human behavior is our fickle friend. You may not be able to stop yourself from feeling compelled to compare your life to others. Realistically we know that this kind of thinking sabotages our efforts.

Not only would you be a lot happier, imagine if you really embraced and practiced this idea of doing unto others. In fact, why wouldnt you want love, justice, integrity and equity for all people?

It would no longer be random acts of kindness. It would mean to love others at all times. Prejudice and racism would vanish (I have a dream Martin Luther King Jr.) your fellow human would be treated as, guess what? A human being.

Dont get me started with the current state of affairs in our world. We have a long way to go before the human race is one big global community. In fact, it wont happen in my lifetime. Differences of opinion are skewed. Reality is out of whack.

One way to proceed, particularly during worrisome and fearful times, (although it shouldnt make a difference) is to be even more aware of our actions, and how we treat ourselves and others.

Times have shifted. A new reality has given way. Were being told a lot of things. Our life circumstances have changed. Have tightened. Government is playing a more prevalent role in our lives by telling us what we need to be doing. This does not sit well. Especially whendo unto others isnt really part of the conversation. Its one-sided.

Protesting is inevitable when there is inequality, unlawful acts, human rights violations, and ones dignity being compromised. This is a far cry fromdo unto others and more like aneye for an eye.And yet, weve swung so far over, that we need some kind of consideration. Consideration of others.

We have a responsibility. Each and every one of us. It must start with us. If you lead with love and kindness, guess what, the world will start to be a more loving and kinder place. Intolerant to anything else.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto youis a smart place to start.

Go here to see the original:

Do Unto Others - Thrive Global

Here in Kilgore, we live together, we work together, we worship together, we watch sports together, we eat together, we shop together, and we laugh together.

We are a vibrant community that is growing by leaps and bounds. Despite what a handful of disgruntled people will tell you, Kilgore Independent School District is a very good public school system. City leaders here are thoughtful and have foresight. Our churches, while having to re-work things after the coronavirus, are God-fearing and play a major role in the community. Like anything else, there are always going to be complaints.

Trust me when I tell you: I work at a newspaper. I know ALL ABOUT complaints.

There literally is no way you can please everyone, and you cant even please most. Everyone has a differing opinion. I found out this week that even the new Welcome to Kilgore sign is polarizing to some, believe it or not.

But Ive been here for going on 19 years. My family has made Kilgore home. After moving around for a few years due to newspaper dysfunction and hospital merges, I told my oldest, Teresa Leigh, when she was about 10 that if they like it here, we would try to stay here long enough for them to graduate.

Thats been 14 years ago. My wife is now a highly-decorated RN at Good Shepherd Medical Center. Teresa is a University of Texas grad who works in Austins parks and recreation department. My son, Jacob, is a student at Kilgore College, and most of you know my youngest, Ashtyn, who was born during the 2004 football state title run. Shell be a sophomore at KHS this fall.

Do we have problems here in Kilgore? Sure we do. You cant go from one side of the city to another without having to turn 52 times, unless youre going from Johnny Ozarks to Skeeter Boats on 259. We used to have one prayer light the traffic light at the intersection of 259 and Houston Street, which holds long enough for you to say your prayers. Now it seems theyre all long enough to get that prayer finished.

I have found that most people here think a four-way stop is a suggestion. And it sometimes seems like we have an awful lot of power outages for it to be 2020 werent we supposed to all be driving flying cars by now?

Still, there are so many reasons to be proud to live here. I recently was approached to be the managing editor of this paper. I didnt have to do it. Between us, its not a lot more money, and I dont ever want to give up my true love, which is sports (OK, behind Jenna, its sports). But I care about Kilgore, care about giving you guys the best newspaper we can possibly produce.

We want to deliver a great product. Since I took the chair a few weeks ago, weve had a lot of positive news: Wagner Tuning will soon open in Synergy Park. Were getting Dairy Queen back. Popeyes is coming to down. Businesses are re-opening after the coronavirus crisis. There are other things on the horizon that I know about, but cant even tell you about just yet.

Things are happening here, like really happening. Here, we largely live in harmony. We move forward together.

When a group of us is hurting, we all hurt. When a group of us feels the need to be heard, then we listen.

But when things are great, we are all a part of that. Thats how its been since I got here, people who will lend you a hand, a shoulder to cry on, or an extra sandwich when youre hungry.

Were not better than anyone else, but maybe we have the human condition figured out: when somebody is in need, we help them. When someone mourns a loved one, we cry with them. When someone is down, we lift them up. We practice Matthew 7:12 here. You might know it under its laymans-terms name: the golden rule.

We are blessed. And a blessed community is a community in which everyone wants to live.

We are Kilgore. And we are strong.

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KILGOROUND by MITCH LUCAS | A Kilgoround like none other - Kilgore News Herald

Phase One is nearly over and we are about to enter into Phase Two of Governor Charlie Baker's four-part plan to reopen the state of Massachusetts. Baker announced the start date for Phase 2 on Saturday, June 6. Many SouthCoast restaurants are ready to see their regulars and new faces on Monday, June 8.

It has been a very long 12-week period of social distancing, curbside pickup, and contactless delivery. But now we are able to return to our favorite hotspots for outdoor seating.Please remember that the rules will be very different from what we were used to before COVID-19 happened. Restaurant owners, managers, and servers are doing their best to navigate through this. Be patient. Be kind. Remember the Golden Rule.

Here's a complete list of who is opening and when they plan on welcoming diners outdoors.Please note that these are the businesses who confirmed with us that they are opening in Phase Two. We will update this list as more information becomes available.

Please let us know if you are aware of any more spots on the SouthCoast that have confirmed their opening dates for outdoor dining following Baker's announcement. Thank you.

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Your Complete Guide to Outdoor Dining on the SouthCoast [PHOTOS] - wbsm.com