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Weekly Feature Articles

Get Ready, Get Set, Knit
Knitting, Linda Vinnedge, Weekly Feature Articles, Home and Garden Subject Guide, Crafts and Hobbies, Self-Help and Instructional
07/02/2010 - 10:40am
Bag of knitting gear

With cooler weather just around the corner, now is the time to knit something to keep you or a loved one warm this winter. If you are not a knitter don’t worry, it’s easier than you think. Don’t let words like knit, purl, cast on, yarn over or decrease two fill you with anxiety. They are the terms used to guide you through your project and are explained in almost every knitting book or Web site.

Storm Warnings!
hurricane, Nancy Buck, safety, shelter, Tornado, Weather, Weekly Feature Articles, Natural World, Science and Technology
08/27/2009 - 7:19am

The afternoon breeze, humidity, and thunderheads cued the adults to listen to the radio. The broadcast confirmed their suspicions of impending, severe thunderstorms. We went about the business of stowing the toys, the lawn furniture, and garden tools into Grandma and Grandpa's sheds.

The Flu Bug Bites Back
1910s, Epidemics, Infectious diseases, Michele Brown, Vaccinations, Virginia Johnson, Weekly Feature Articles, Health and Medicine, History
09/03/2009 - 11:04am

Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the social scene, the bad news hits. That shot in your arm wasn't such a shot in the arm. In recent years, the doctors who designed the vaccine had to make a decision as to which strain to fight, Panama flu or Fujian flu. From their data, it looked like Panama would continue to grow strong and the beginnings of the Fujian strain would peter out.

Blond Bombshells: Sirens of the Silver Screen
Actors and actresses, Christie Hoerneman, Film, Weekly Feature Articles
05/27/2009 - 2:26pm

 
Mae West . . .
Jean Harlow . . .
Marilyn Monroe . . .

These three actresses are part of the iconic women in Hollywood’s history known as the blond bombshells. The blond bombshells craze began when Jean Harlow (“The Original Blond Bombshell”) appeared in the appropriately titled film Platinum Blonde (1931). After the film, peroxide flew off the shelves so women could mimic Harlow’s blonde tresses.

Netbooks for Newbies
Buying guides, Chuck Gray, Computers, FYI Articles, Tech, Weekly Feature Articles, Tech Answers, Science and Technology, Self-Help and Instructional
06/21/2010 - 5:23pm

It has been fascinating to observe the rising adoption rates of netbooks. Think of netbooks as filling the technological niche between smartphones (such as the Blackberry and the iPhone) and full-sized laptops: they are compact, light-weight, and inexpensive computers for the price-conscious mobile user. Netbooks generally feature a diagonal screen size of 7–10 inches, wi-fi, a slower processor which consumes less power (resulting in often considerably longer battery life), a smallish hard drive, and no built-in optical drive (CD/DVD).

Time for Tapas
Appetizers, August, July, June, Recipes, Spain, Virginia Johnson, Weekly Feature Articles, Cooking
09/10/2009 - 4:07pm

You and your out-of-town guests have survived a blistering day of fun in the Virginia sunshine. Now comes the gracious hour to unwind in the shade. Something icy or relaxing to drink is certainly called for. And, as the conversation continues, your guests realize they are just a little bit hungry. Although it's too soon for dinner plans, this late afternoon sojourn is a perfect time for tapas. The light and delightful nibbles from Spain are memorable way to treat your guests—and yourself.

About Tapas

Plan a Perfect Picnic
July, Outdoors, Recipes, Virginia Johnson, Weekly Feature Articles, Cooking, Families, Travel
09/10/2009 - 4:06pm

The long, lazy days of summer aren't quite over, and in Virginia, picnic weather continues through most of the fall, to include tailgate season. The library's shelves are brimming with cookbooks of all kinds to suit most every taste. Come browse our shelves, and try out some new recipes for your next friendly get-together in the sweet sunshine.

Just Peachy!
July, Recipes, Weekly Feature Articles, Cooking, Travel
09/10/2009 - 4:04pm

Quick Jumps to Recipes
Peach Ice Creams: Low Fat or Organic | Western Slope Peach Salsa | The Duchess of Windsor's Spiced Peaches

No sodium. No cholesterol. Extremely low in fat. High in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and niacin as well being sweet and juicy—what's not to love about a peach? Unless sugar is a concern, they are certainly one of summer's most delightful guilt-free treats, and they are in season locally.

Legendary Origins

Muddling Through Midlife
Aging, Family Life, Personal Finances, Virginia Johnson, Volunteer, Weekly Feature Articles, Business and Finances, Families, Health and Medicine, Self-Help and Instructional
09/10/2009 - 4:03pm

Good health, enough wealth, long life, happy families—the stuff that dreams are made of. But most Americans' lives fall short in one or more of these areas, and often it's the midlife years (40s to 50s) where things start to go haywire. If you're one of the many, many people who feel that just when they got the hang of the game, the rules completely changed, read on.

 

Work, Retirement, and Financial Planning

What's different about money management at midlife?

Discovering Jacques Cousteau
Environmentalism, France, June, Movies, Oceans, Scuba, Weekly Feature Articles, World War II, Autobiography and Biography, Natural World, Science and Technology
09/10/2009 - 4:01pm

Naval officer, inventor, explorer, environmentalist, filmmaker, writer, and international media sensation—Jacques-Yves Cousteau's life was the stuff of legends. He was born in June of 1910. In our modern era of environmental concerns and done-nothing celebs, it's time to revisit the life and work of an extraordinary man.

Childhood among the Rich