GAO report on Secret Service's failures in Butler, Pa., ‘absolutely crucial,' expert says
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Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
I'm letting my kids sleep in, look at screens, and do absolutely nothing all summer. I want them to enjoy lazy days while they can.
When I was young, I enjoyed lazy, golden summer breaks. I want my kids to have restful, easy summers, too. I know this time can't last forever, but that just makes me want to enjoy it even more. Growing up in South Florida, summer breaks were a blur of pool days, sleepovers, mall trips, and a lot of sleeping in. My days fell into an easy rhythm: I'd roll out of bed around noon, toss on a swimsuit, grab a Diet Pepsi and a granola bar, then flop into a lounge chair by the pool. Afternoons were spent reading and swimming laps, and in the evening, I could be found on the phone or hanging out with friends until curfew. I got my first part-time job the year I turned 16, and my schedule shifted around work hours. But I still slept in whenever I could and spent a ridiculous amount of time on the phone when I wasn't working or practicing my driving. I remember those summers as relaxed, carefree, and fun — three months of doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. My parents rolled their eyes when I was still in bed at lunchtime, but it was the 1980s — helicopter parenting wasn't a thing. As long as I did my chores, I was golden. And so were my summers. We're four weeks into summer break, and I'm happy to report my kids have settled into their own version of a 1980s summer. Some people call it "kid rot" — lounging around on screens, staying up until midnight, and generally doing a whole lot of nothing. But as an older mom, it feels just about perfect to me. My kids aren't attending camps or academic programs, and I have (almost) no guilt about letting them sleep in as late as they want. In fact, I want them to enjoy these long, lazy days with no agenda. Soon enough, they'll be headed back to school, to SATs and geometry class, to clubs, part-time jobs, and volunteer hours. After that, they'll be off to college, jobs, and a busy life that leaves no room for weeks and weeks of downtime. Knowing these lazy days of summer can't last is one reason they're so special. As we get closer to the start of school, I'll start nudging my sons to go to bed earlier and crack open the summer reading they've ignored since May. I'll begin tugging gently on the loose boundaries that this season has allowed. They'll push back — of course they will — and there will be late nights come September when they think they can stay up past midnight and still function at 7 a.m. My kids will learn, like I did, that summer's easy, breezy flow doesn't carry over into the structure of a jam-packed school year. They'll wistfully say, "I miss summer," and I will silently agree as I send them off to school — backpacks full of books, folders, goals, dreams, and the first hints of their future just coming into view. My kids' summers have always looked like this — relaxed days and mostly empty schedules, aside from the occasional beach or lake trip. I've spent years feeling vaguely guilty that I haven't packed their break with classes and camps and educational field trips. But then I remind myself that we live in a culture that glorifies being busy, where self-worth is often tied to paychecks and accomplishments. Even being truly at rest takes effort — rearranging personal and professional schedules and front-loading or back-loading work just to steal a few days of true downtime. I think back to my younger self — happily sleeping in, reading for hours, or lounging by the pool with no goal beyond a Coppertone tan — and I wonder what changed. When did a four-day weekend start to feel decadent and undeserved? When did I start calling it a "vacation week" if I only put in 20 hours of freelance work and checked off a couple of big chores? I'm trying to relearn how to relax while letting my kids do what still comes naturally to them. I'm less focused on preparing them for the "real world" than I am on giving them memories of a carefree summer spent resetting and refueling. This isn't "rot" to me — it's the kind of downtime that gives them space to think, dream, and even get bored. They need it — and I'm reminding myself, so do I. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bill OBoyle: Ensuring the Christmas tree industry stays healthy
Jul. 13—WILKES-BARRE — You may have noticed recent stories about "Christmas in July" events happening throughout our region. It's a fun thought — especially with these recent hot and humid days we've been having. It's nice to think about Christmas and snow and Santa and family celebrations and, oh yeah, Christmas trees. So it was very comforting to hear that Pennsylvania's Christmas tree industry has a new, reliable, competent friend in Kelly Piccioni — Penn State Extension's horticulture educator — who has been hired to support the state's Christmas tree industry with field visits, scouting reports and clear, easy-to-follow guidance. Before I get into why this is so significant, just know that those of you who still enjoy the long-standing tradition of having a real Christmas tree adorn your homes for the holidays, Piccioni has your back. When I was a kid, my mom always insisted on having a perfectly proportioned Douglas fir in our front room — centered in front of two large windows for the neighborhood to see and admire. Mom, Dad and I would head over to Last Chance in Breslau to pick one out, strap it to our car and head home to set it up and then decorate. Back then, most homes had real trees of varying species, and all were magnificent. Which is why Piccioni has a big job to do — to see that the tradition of real Christmas trees continues and that tree farmers have all the information and guidance they need. A news release from University Park states, "At one time, Christmas Eve was the most popular day to buy and decorate a Christmas tree. The evergreen would stay up through the holiday season and into the winter, offering a symbol of life during the darkest months. "For Penn State Extension Horticulture Educator Kelly Piccioni, Christmas trees are a family legacy. Her roots in the Christmas tree business stretch back four generations, starting with her great-grandfather, who bought trees off the railroad and resold them. Her grandparents grew trees in Schuylkill County and sold them from their backyard on Centre Avenue in Reading, Berks County." Piccioni knows all about the Christmas tree tradition. "Growing up, we did every job on the farm," Piccioni said. "There's even a special 'Christmas tree waddle' we learned as kids for planting seedlings." Piccioni provides educational resources and support to commercial producers of Christmas trees, cut flowers and other horticultural crops in the region. Her role is especially significant given that Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation for Christmas tree production. "I've been out as much as possible, which has been so fun," Piccioni said. "You see the challenges people face, their strengths and the progress on their farms. Christmas tree growers are some of the best people. That's always drawn me to the green industry and ag world. I get to geek out every day as they let me walk around their farms." Each Thursday, growers subscribed to the Christmas Tree Production Area of Interest list receive a new report noting pest and disease activity observed in the field, along with pesticide guidance and management tips. Piccioni collaborates closely with the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association to deliver content and support grower meetings and information sharing. "Yes, we're always competing with artificial trees, but so many people keep coming back to a real tree because they miss the tradition, they miss the smell, and they want their kids to experience it," she said. Piccioni cited a 2024 consumer survey by the Real Christmas Tree Board, in which more than 80% of respondents agreed that the scent of a real Christmas tree makes their home feel festive, relaxes them and enhances their holiday experience. "I think everyone feels a bit of the innocence of childhood seeping away with technology," she said. "There's so much pressure and chaos at that time of year, but going out to get a real tree forces you to slow down. It's childlike in the best way." For real. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Washington Post
4 hours ago
- Washington Post
Sunday worship after Texas floods filled with sorrow and fear
KERRVILLE, Texas — Service had just started at St. Peter's Episcopal Church on Sunday when worshipers' cellphones began buzzing with another flash flood warning. The Guadalupe River was rising — again. 'We need you to be here,' Rev. Bert Baetz assured the nearly three dozen people in the congregation. The church had held a funeral for one of their own the day before: 8-year-old Renee Smajstrla, one of two dozen girls who died in this month's flooding at nearby Camp Mystic.
