Eschewing cloth and needle, a local retiree crafts bow ties from blocks of wood with a mallet and power tools. “It’s a lot of fun. Don’t all kids like to bang things?” said Marv Beloff, 89, of Wallingford, who started…

First cousins Carson and Coralyn Novakowski have plenty in common – right down to the same birthday. They arrived on Sept. 7, less than 10 hours apart – Carson at 8:29 a.m. and Coralyn at 6:05 p.m. The rare coincidence…

My wife and I are friends with a couple from Watertown, Ginny and Charlie Baudinet. They have five adult children, four boys and one girl. Just over a year ago, Ginny and Charlie became the grandparents of four girls and…

Recently, Lu Picard of East Coast Assistance Dogs of Torrington was training one of her clients, who is unsteady on her feet, to use one of her service dogs at a shopping mall in Waterbury. “Another woman came in with…

The toys are unwrapped. The holiday hustle is over. School is out and family is in town. Keeping the tiny set busy during winter break is an annual challenge. But in addition to the usual options – movies, bowling, ice…

It’s a snowy Christmas Eve in rural upstate New York. A despondent man leans over the railing of a metal bridge. Suddenly a police cruiser pulls up. The cop gets out and yells, “Hey George! You all right? The man…

It’s the season of giving, and that means thinking about tips for the service providers who make your life easier. But considering we use services more than ever before, who gets an extra holiday tip? And how much? Etiquette experts…

No-stir creamy risotto in half the time. Dried beans that cook up plump and quick – no pre-soaking required. Pork roast with perfectly cooked potatoes and carrots in silky sauce in an hour. Say hello to your new best friend….

Dr. Alok Trivedi, author of the book “Chasing Success” and the founder of The Aligned Performance Institute, says to reduce the stress of the holidays, try to stop doing these 10 things: Stop trying to please your family. If you…

Your sister-in-law is going to bring that horrible casserole again. Your mother-in-law will sneer at your ham. Your adolescent son refuses to make eye contact with anyone and his sister can’t take her eyes from her phone. Welcome to the…

At least once a week I see a very sad sight. I’ll stop at a convenience store to grab a coffee, and as I walk into the store I frequently see a person coming out of the store with at…

If you are a consumer, your only takeaway from the planned merger between CVS Health and Aetna is this: Nothing will change and your life will be a million times better. Because that’s what always happens when titans unite. No…

NEW YORK (AP) — The Nobel Peace Prize winners will be serenaded by John Legend on Monday and for that they can thank Legend’s infant daughter — and a second baby on the way. The Grammy winner will take the…

All of us have items in our closets – clothing, shoes, outerwear – that we never wear or haven’t worn in a long time. Often we donate bags and bags of unused clothing to social service agencies. Some of us…

Remember the good ol’ days when people would write their innermost thoughts in a diary? And then the diary would be locked and hidden under the bed? That way, only after a person died did you find out he or…

Women who say they were sexually harassed or mistreated by powerful men in television news have banded together to form a support network aimed at changing a newsroom culture they say has given men a free pass to misbehave for…

I’ve come to think of the internet the way I think about electricity. I flick a switch, and it turns on. There it is, the entire universe unfurling for me in a couple of mouse clicks. All kinds of companies…

We’ve all seen the pathetic sight on city streets: Downtrodden people, bracing against the rain and wind, huddled in doorways or back alleys, oblivious to the rest of the world and desperately indulging in their addiction. No, I’m not talking…

Makayla Hainline has been waiting for a movie like “Wonder.” It’s the tale of Auggie Pullman, a 10-year-old boy who loves “Star Wars,” Halloween and science. He also has Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic condition affecting the way the…

For the first time in many years the dentist found a cavity in one of my teeth. And so, for the first time in many years I had to go through the ol’ drilling and filling procedure. Although I have…