ArcaMax

In case you hadn’t heard, the Pantone color of the year is Mocha Mousse. Mocha Mousse is a scrumptious light milk chocolate. I’m not sure I could have it on the walls and resist a deep dive into my dessert cookbooks.

Mocha Mousse is encouraging because, for years, the chosen colors primarily have been neutrals. There was Drift of Mist (gray...Read more

There’s a point early on in James Gilbert’s "Reunion by the Lake" when Grace, entering the twilight of her life as she and her husband Richard confront his terminal illness, loses her grip of a glass in the kitchen, and it breaks in the sink into long sharp slivers.

The moment is the perfect metaphor for the book’s primary storyline.

“...Read more

At a recent gathering of my book club, the conversation turned to our pregnancy and delivery stories. This was prompted by the difficult delivery that the host’s daughter-in-law had just been through. Some stories were truly “scary” and even horrifying, while others were not quite as bad — but no one said it was a wonderful and special ...Read more

In today’s fast-paced world, where work, packed schedules and endless digital distractions compete for our focus, children sometimes struggle to get the attention they need. Although your child probably won’t say it directly, they often signal it through other behaviors.

“Whether a child admits it or not, parents are the center of a child...Read more

My wife and I have been married for almost 40 years. In all that time, I can count on one hand how many weekend afternoons we have spent together. She goes in one direction (shopping, show, friends) and I go in another (house projects, the dog, watching sports). I don’t want to do her activities (she doesn’t even suggest I come along) and ...Read more

'DOG MAN'

Rated PG for some action and rude humor.

What it’s about: A half-man/half-dog cop patrols Ohkay City, fighting evil supervillains

The kid attractor factor: The silly humor and animation, plus familiarity with the book series.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Seeing the good in others might be able to help you see the good in yourself. ...Read more

Q. My breakup with my ex was messy, and I stayed away from dating for a couple of years. However, I’ve recently signed up on a dating app and I’ve started to date again. Unfortunately, the first question everyone wants to know is why did I break up with my ex. I don’t want to talk about it. He was abusive and almost killed me and he is now...Read more

We blew out all the stops to celebrate the husband’s birthday with a last-minute meetup at McDonald’s. Do we know how to party or what?

Three carloads. Five adults. Six kids, all girls.

If we squeeze six into the bench against the wall that spans two tables and grab extra chairs, we can make it work. Kids squirrel around as adults take ...Read more

"Shy Creatures" is one of those rarities in literary fiction, a quiet celebration of the complex human interactions that form lasting genuine friendships and heartfelt relationships that are retained in golden memories. Award-winning British novelist Clare Chambers has written nine novels including Learning to Swim which won the 1999 Romantic ...Read more

In Laurie L. Dove’s "Mask of the Deer Woman," Carrie Starr has hit rock bottom. A former Chicago police officer, she lost her job after her daughter was murdered and she emptied her gun into the back of the fleeing man she held responsible. Now, drinking and toking just to get through the day, she’s started the only job she could find, as ...Read more

The first time I spoke with author Humberto “Bear” Garcez, he was telling me about his new book based on very detailed recollections of one of his own dreams. That book is the recently released "The Blue in Your Eyes," a most unusual and intriguing novel that, just like dreams themselves, blends elements of reality with imagination and ...Read more

Ebony Smith-Thomas was juggling the demands of a hungry 2-month-old boy while keeping her 11-year-old son and two teenage nieces entertained when her air conditioning went out.

The humidity of a St. Louis evening in May was too much to bear, so she packed up the kids and drove from the south side of town to her mom's house on the north.

All ...Read more

TikTok went dark in the United States for a little while, but is now back online here thanks to a stay of execution from President Donald Trump. The newly inaugurated president seems to be working toward some sort of a deal to help TikTok comply with federal rules prohibiting foreign agents from owning and controlling social media platforms in ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Watching the big game at the bar? Run out of booze for your barbecue?

You might be tempted to pop into the nearest pub or liquor store with your kids in tow.

Is that actually legal in California?

“Are kids allowed in bars, or is it only in those that serve food?” one Reddit user asked Sacramento residents in 2023.

...Read more

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, filed a bill Thursday to block all federal funds from being allocated to the reproductive health care organization Planned Parenthood.

Dubbed the “Defund Planned Parenthood Act,” the bill would simply require that “no federal funds may be made available to Planned Parenthood Federation of ...Read more

The giddy texts and videos came rolling in from my bundled-up sister in New Orleans on a historic day in the Big Easy.

“It’s snowing, it’s snowing, it’s snowing,” she whispered, her eyes wide in disbelief, as she stood on her front porch in a rarely worn winter hat and scarf.

In fact, it snowed on Tuesday in record amounts across ...Read more

CHICAGO — Citing a “financial shortfall,” Planned Parenthood of Illinois announced Wednesday – on the 52nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade – that it will be closing four clinics across the state, including one on Chicago’s South Side.

The health center shutdowns come as Illinois is already grappling with a surge in patients traveling ...Read more