Opinion

How we should bear good fruit

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We often think of winning one more soul for Jesus, when we hear verses about bearing good fruit. Who doesn’t want to be a good tree in order to bear good fruit. I for example, am concerned about not producing and being cut off and thrown into the fire. Sometimes I feel like a pineapple plant bearing one fruit at a time, a long time; instead of being an orange tree where I produce a lot of fruit in a short time. My point is I am not that comfortable in speaking to people. Then I re-read this verse and I thought I do not want to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I must be careful about how I act and what I say.
How we should bear good fruit

Mites, might be a problem for Mexican petunias

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Dear Neil: What can be used to kill these insects, and what are they? I’ve looked closely at your photo, and best I can tell, it matches up with this information from Florida about a microscopic mite Acalitus ruelliae, and a growth problem called an erineum. Frankly, I wasn’t familiar with it until I did research for you.
Mexican petunia Ruellia problem on leaves.

The retreat of tradition

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If I were to guess, I would imagine many of my readers, at some point in their lives, received a food gift during the holidays. At what point did this lose its appeal. Have we become so indolent that we just can’t be bothered. Is the greater drive of reliance on technology to blame. These are questions to ponder as we head towards Christmas.

Neiman Marcus Cookies

‘Do you mind if we have leftovers?’

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When my wife poses that question, I always answer, “No, that’s fine,” because (a) I genuinely enjoy leftovers, (b) I don’t want to cause extra trouble for her and (c) I can’t afford the airline tickets to transport a Tupperware container of six-day-old broccoli to all those “starving children on the other side of the world who would give their right arm for a fraction of the food you and your siblings are wasting.”
‘Do you mind if we have leftovers?’

How my dog brought joy to my dad

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Editor’s note: This column is an excerpt from Tom Purcell’s new book, “Tips from a New Dog Dad.” Read more chapters at ThurbersTail.com. My Lab puppy, Thurber, was born on Christmas Day, 2020 — the best Christmas blessing I ever received.
How my dog brought joy to my dad

Make two applications in late winter, spring for warm-season weeds

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Dear Neil: We applied the pre-emergent as you recommended last spring. It helped a great deal with this year’s lawn through the summer (until the drought). We intended to apply it again two weeks before the average date of the first killing freeze this fall, as per your book, but we had an early first freeze and never got it down until recently. Have we wasted our money?
Make two applications in late winter, spring for warm-season weeds

Pie: The ultimate ending

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We now find ourselves 24 days from Christmas. Where did the year go? It seems as if just yesterday we were ushering in 2022, in hopes that it would far surpass the chaos and mayhem of the previous two years. Holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas, I hope are more carefully thought out after the losses of friends and loved ones over the past few years, and what better way to do that than with pie.

Pecan Pie

Holiday Cookie Recipes

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Cookies, glorious cookies! I don’t believe I have ever met a person who does not have a favorite cookie.  What is nice about cookies is they taste great, and they make great gifts as well.  A real comfort food for kids of all ages.  Over the next few weeks we plan to offer a variety of cookie and pie recipes at Karan’s Korner that you can prepare during this holiday season.

Making Cookies

Giving thanks

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GUEST COLUMNIST Is the glass half empty or half full? In my experience it’s always been half full -- and that’s one of many things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. We lost my father this year, and that leaves a huge hole in our hearts — until we focus on the life he lived so well and the many wonderful, loving memories of him my family and I will always have.
Giving thanks

I would’ve liked more bed to go with breakfast

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GUEST COLUMNIST The whole concept of a bed and breakfast is pretty ingenious and fits almost perfectly with my lifestyle. In fact, the words “bed” and “breakfast” are fair representations of my favorite activities, namely eating, sleeping and eating.
I would’ve liked more bed to go with breakfast
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