If there’s a pretty white tree in front of your house in spring, chances are it’s Bradford pear. And it looks something like the blossoming tree above. What’s wrong with that, you say? Here are just a few of the imperfections Grumpy refuses to tolerate. 1. Bradford pear has a very weak branching structure. So when a nice 30-foot-tall tree encounters a wind gust of 40 mph, it breaks up into little pieces and ends up as a pile of debris in the street....
A naughty crocodile went for a joy run Tuesday when he escaped from a transport van and fled on foot across a busy highway. Zoo personnel from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida were making the last run of the day transporting crocodilian species to a new zoo habitat, when a particularly active croc made a run for it. General curator Gen Anderson said she and reptile keeper Karsyn McCreedy were taking a quick trip up the road with four crocodilian species in the back of their van when the unexpected incident took place....
From Thanksgiving to Christmas and all the potlucks, there’s no avoiding the buffet table during the holiday season—Not that we’re complaining! Though they’re more casual than a traditional sit-down meal, we love buffets because they’re simple to organize, easy to navigate, visually appealing, and, when done right, less stressful on the hosts and their guests. So, this holiday season, make sure your buffet goes off without a hitch by avoiding four of the most common serve-yourself snafus....
Candace Pimentel was headed home from church last Wednesday night when she faced every parent’s worst nightmare. Her 9-year-old son Raylen began choking on a piece of hard candy. The Gardendale, Alabama mom of three immediately pulled over on the side of the road and attempted to dislodge the candy from her son’s throat. Frantic and not finding any luck, she told her older son to call 911 and began trying to flag down other drivers for help....
It’s the news many feared might never come. After 10 months in the hospital, Buddy, the Mississippi dog that was intentionally set on fire back in April, is finally going home. “This is the day we prayed for,” Tunica Humane Society wrote on Facebook Tuesday. “Today, Buddy stepped back into life and a kinder, gentler world awaits him.” “As horrific as Buddy’s injuries were, he never lost his faith in the goodness of mankind....
Almost anyone who grew up in the Appalachian mountains, or were fed by someone who did, will attest that soup beans are one of the most common and beloved dishes. Most of them will quickly add, however, that the two other integral parts of the meal are skillet cornbread and a jar of chowchow. Yes, for many families, chowchow is a staple whenever dried beans or peas are served. The role of chowchow is meted out a heaping spoonful at a time, there to perk up a plate of food that needs some acid, twang, and color—especially soup beans and cornbread, a humble meal that, although delicious, is otherwise drab....
It’s no secret: HGTV’s Hometown’s Ben and Erin Napier are head over Laurel-made heels for each other. Now, with the addition of baby Helen, the sweet family is giving us even more aww-inspiring moments. This past weekend, parents Ben and Erin took the chubby-cheeked Helen to church for her baptism, which coincided with Father’s Day — and no detail was overlooked. “For @scotsman.co’s first Father’s Day, Helen was baptized by his parents in a gown made by my mama from her wedding dress,” Erin wrote on instagram....
The scents emanating from the kitchen smell so good you can hardly wait to dig into a plate of turkey and dressing. Turns out those smells are also very enticing to your dog, who has been lingering around the kitchen and shooting hopeful looks at you for the past two hours. This is a special occasion, so why not share your Thanksgiving feast with your fur baby—or should you? Veterinarians say you should think twice before letting dogs eat the turkey and trimmings....
What is the Capitol of Kentucky? Frankfort, Kentucky, has served as the capital since 1792 and features not one, but two beautiful state capitol buildings. Better still, lots of attractions in town are free. But it’s not politics as usual in Frankfort. In addition to its history, this winning city offers a wonderful getaway, complete with a downtown that would make any visitor vote yes for a pleasant escape. Where is Frankfort?...
When spring rolls around, we all know what that means: spring cleaning. To make this annual process of shaking off winter doldrums a bit easier, we wanted to let you in on a little secret. If you really want to maximize spring cleaning, you need to tidy up, of course, but what you really need to do is declutter. If you have binge-watched Netflix’s Get Organized with The Home Edit or Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, you already know that decluttering is pretty much what it sounds like....
No matter how clean you keep your trash can or how often you switch the bag, there can still seem to be a stench left behind even after you’ve taken out the trash. There might not appear to be any leftover trash or leakage at the bottom of the trash can, but the nose doesn’t lie. The stink can make an unwanted appearance at any time, and there’s little you can do....
Love is (150 feet) in the air in Gatlinburg, Tennessee! For the third year in a row, the city’s world-famous SkyBridge is celebrating Valentine’s Day by transforming into a “Tunnel of Love.” The immersive experience begins on the SkyDeck, where lovebirds are greeted by twinkling lights synced to the sounds of classic Motown songs. From there, visitors are invited to stroll through the swoon-worthy tunnel of made from 18,000 red-and-white lights spanning the length of North America’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge....
I can’t think of a vine that offers a better combination of beauty and fragrance than wisteria. The pendant chains of blue, purple, pink, or white blossoms transfix all observers, and their scent is so sweet you can smell them from 100 feet away. But be careful if you plant one. You could be planting a monster. The two most popular species, Japanese wisteria (Wisteria japonica) and Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), demand the most caution....
Our favorite flowering trees never fail to brighten up our gardens. One tropical tree has unforgettable blooms that never fail to remind us of warm weather. Found in the southern reaches of Florida and Texas, jacaranda trees produce abundant purple flowers that are sure signs of spring and summer. Jacarandas thrive in the tropical South, but they do not grow well in more temperate regions. In the right conditions, they grow quickly and can reach towering heights....
The late former president, George H.W. Bush, in his inaugural address in 1989 said, “I have spoken of a Thousand Points of Light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding… I will go to the people and the programs that are the brighter points of light, and I’ll ask every member of my government to become involved....
Kathie Lee Gifford and her family have plenty to celebrate this Christmas! The former Today host—whose son Cody made her a first-time grandmother earlier this year—reacted to the news that her daughter, Cassidy, 29, is pregnant with her first child. Using the same photo Cassidy shared in her social media announcement, Kathie Lee expressed her joy for her expectant daughter and her husband over the weekend. “Beyond thrilled for my darling girl @cassidygiff and @letsgetwierda,” the longtime television personality wrote on Instagram alongside Cassidy’s photo of two Christmas stockings and a tiny one hanging over a fireplace....
Enjoy a new tradition of streaming some of your favorite classic Christmas stories this holiday season. We all love reading a great Christmas novel, but to celebrate with the entire family, try listening to an audio version instead. In this spirit, we’re thrilled to have unearthed this audio video on YouTube of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas from Loretta Lynn’s 2016 Christmas album, White Christmas Blue. Listen to Lynn’s soothing and warmth-tinged drawl in the track and as she reads the classic Christmastime poem....
Joey Chestnut has a big appetite. The professional eater is best known for winning the annual Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest a record 14 times. If you tuned into the special on ESPN last Independence Day, you may know that Chestnut gobbled 76 franks (bun included!) in just 10 minutes. But it’s not just hot dogs that Chestnut can put down. On November 13, Chestnut will make his way to Baton Rouge to defend his title in the Fat Boy’s Pizza Eating Championship....
There’s nothing quite like giving a big bear hug to someone you love. A group of occupational therapy assistant students at Arkansas State University is working to give that feeling back to those who have lost motor function after suffering a stroke, paralysis, or other health conditions. Occupational therapy assistant students Erica Dexter, Larissa Garcia, Lisa James, and Casey Parsons created the HugAgain after their professor Emily Sisco challenged them to create a piece of adaptive equipment for her father, Kevin Eubanks, who suffered a stroke eight years ago....
Mum’s the word at Stony Point High School in Round Rock, Texas. Nearly 100 students and four teachers from the Austin area school’s Floral Design program created a super-sized 8.5-foot by 15.5-foot mum for homecoming, KEYE-TV reports. The “Mega Mum,” as it’s known, was displayed in the school last week. “This has been a learning experience to say the least,” the program captioned a photo of the mum hanging from the second story of the school’s atrium....
