Your child’s pencil grasp: What to expect and when
The pencil grasp (or crayon, or chalk or pen) — it’s a major developmental milestone for kids, and if kids can’t hold a pencil to write comfortably and…
Author: Rick Good
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader's money, real estate, and business coverage.
Keep these invasive plants out of your garden
It’s pretty, it would look great in your garden, and since your local garden center carries it, there’s no way it’s a destructive invasive species, right?…
Safety first for fireworks and kids
Independence Day is coming, and for many families, that means fireworks, big and small. If handled improperly, fireworks can cause serious injury, so if…
Dennis Quaid adopted
In 2020, a six-year-old black cat was awaiting a new family at the Lynchburg, Va., Humane Society. The cat’s name was Dennis Quaid. He was adopted by…
Rotten fishy smells
Research has shown that the ability to detect the smell of rotting fish is located on a gene named TAAR5. But in October 2020, new research showed that 2…
The national happy march satisfies the urge to conduct the band
If you are older, you may not have heard it for a while. If you are younger, you may never have heard it. Either way, on July 4, find the The Stars &…
Franklin’s quip tells of the high stakes of independence
Franklin’s quip reveals the high stakes of independence It was a blast heard round the world, a declaration of treason as much as independence by a…
Dogs can suffer in scorching heat
Dogs need walks every day, but be sure to protect them so they don’t get overheated or burned. 1. Look for shady and grassy routes. You and your dog will…
Swollen legs? Move more often in hot weather
In hot weather, if you get some puffiness around the ankles or an unpleasant tautness in your calves, it is because “heat causes the blood vessels to…
Keep your cool in the dog days of summer
Dog days of July 3 through August 15 are the hottest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Contrary to folklore, the sea won’t boil and dogs won’t…