Lifestyle

The Heartland Chess Club meets on the first and third Monday of the month from 6-7:30, at the Oasis. 3556 Kirby Lane in Heartland 75126.

It all started with the Thanksgiving dressing. That, in and of itself, was a departure from my plans. I place all blame on the school district. See, we hadn’t planned on having Thanksgiving at all. Last year, for instance, the live-in kiddos went out of town. My sons always work on Thanksgiving Day. The college one generally has finals and can’t come home. It boils down to two empty nester parents without plans. We are fine with this situation, too. In the middle of holiday pandemonium, Thanksgiving Day is a calmness that we can bask in for exactly 24 hours before the storm of Christmas descends. Yet, the school did us dirty this year.

“I would be singing, praying, reading the Bible, doing the moonwalk, thanking God and then pretending to be miserable when I see the guard coming,” says Langdon, age 11.

Handy Hacks to Take the Stress Out of

Each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of December, the East Texas Arboretum will open for an evening walk through light display immersed in the main garden loop.

Did you realize that December 17 is National Say It Now Day? It is a day that encourages you to tell friends and loved ones how important they are to you by expressing gratitude for how important they are to your life and all the positive ways they have impacted it. With the year winding down, it’s the perfect time to show gratitude to those around us for all they have done for us during the year. We all need to make time for gratitude, and National Say It Now Day gives us a reason to pause and reflect on what our people mean to us.

Imagine this scenario: A family is gathered around exchanging presents. There is one last gift tucked away. You hand the present to a child, and he or she opens it to find a puppy or kitten. The tears of happiness start flowing and the big smiles on all involved will be forever captured in photos and video. The pet immediately becomes a cherished member of the family.

The month of December has been home to many historical events over the years. Here’s a look at some that helped to shape the world in December 1924.

Though a holiday trip to a far off locale can provide a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of this often hectic time of year, millions of people feel there’s no place like home during the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. The familiar, cozy confines of home certainly make this festive time of year a little warmer.

It’s 5 am when Anna hits the streets of NYC. She’s on foot. Were she to be driving and subsequently stopped by police, there’s a good chance she would be detained based on appearance alone. Her signature lion’s mane of red hair is tucked into a watch cap. She is dressed in all black. Her tool satchel is filled with essentials: cut resistant gloves, a flashlight, zip ties, large, reusable tote bags. If not for the cherubic face, she could easily be mistaken for a perp on the way to a crime. Except, Anna is on her way to do something many find applaudable and many others find disgusting. She’s digging through the trash.

The key to long friendships is a short memory, says humorist Michael Hodgin.

Nutritious foods are a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. The World Health Organization says a healthy diet protects a person against many chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Nutritious foods also help a person get to or maintain a healthy weight, promote stronger bones and teeth, and positively affect long-term mental health.

Stress about money can take a lot of the joy out of the holiday season, but a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert has some tips to help make your holiday season a little merrier through budgeting, prioritizing and considering gifting alternatives.