BALTIMORE — At many schools, the third-grader would have landed in the principal’s office. But in a hardscrabble neighborhood in west Baltimore, the boy who tussled with a classmate one recent morning instead found his way to a quiet room that smelled of lemon grass, where he could breathe and meditate. The focus at Robert […]

The Great Stuffing Incident of 1975 began the day before Thanksgiving. My mother casually announced that she was going to add dried apricots to the mix. That displeased my brother. Speeches were made about the appropriateness of the combination. My mother, not one to back down, suggested that nuts were another form of tree fruit, […]

If cranberry sauce were a person, it would have a chip on its shoulder (or, more topically, a tinypile of mashed potatoes). Fair enough: The Thanksgiving staple is too often pumped with sugar and smothered in spices or citrus. And that’s when it’s not exiting a can with a brisk shlwwwerrrp. The canned stuff might […]

Produced by Maine Poetry Central and Dennis Camire This week’s poem, by Claire Hersom, explores the deep sense of connection many Mainers feel with their departed loved ones via the land all of them have worked and cherished.   Norman Lee A family farm memory, Pittston Maine By Claire Hersom   If he got his […]

The can. The loo. The facilities. The throne. By any name, the humble toilet is actually a marvel of efficiency and good health. And, depending on your wallet, far from humble. Frankly, I don’t know how any of us are getting along without the K-3901 Numi toilet. Going to the bathroom without ambient lighting and […]

It should come as no surprise that plants play a vital role in maintaining our atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen through the well-known process of photosynthesis. (Thanks, high school earth science class.)But certain plant varieties go a step further by reducing airborne toxins, including carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and benzene, from the air […]

She’s one of the new faces of CoverGirl. And she’s wearing a hijab. Nura Afia’s YouTube channel has thousands and thousands of subscribers.You can see her there, giving a smoky eye makeup tutorial or going over a skin care routine.And now you’ll be able to see the 24-year-old Afia — a beauty blogger who wears […]

There has been a lot of talk about beans this year — well, pulses, really, a category including dried beans, lentils and peas — no doubt propelled by the United Nations’ declaration of 2016 as the International Year of Pulses. But more than just talk, there has been action, too, with a new crop of […]