A sparkle in Mom’s eye

BY HELAINE R. WILLIAMS

Michelle Duggar of Springdale is inarguably the state’s most famous mom, if not the nation’s. Featured numerous times by various national news media outlets, she and husband Jim Bob Duggar are the proud and prayerful parents of 17 children. - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

HEART & SOUL : Teachers, employers want kids who’ll try

JENNIFER HANSEN

Responses to a recent column about teaching kids a work ethic were emphatic and supportive. Not surprisingly, educators had plenty to say. - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

THE DAD ZONE : Some graduate gifts withstand test of time

STEPHEN CALDWELL

The blue metal toolbox on top of an old filing cabinet doesn’t get much use these days, but it functions just as well as the day it was unwrapped. The card said something along the lines of “Congratulations, graduate.” That was 27 years ago and, based on a memory that’s fading like the paint on the toolbox, it’s one of two high school graduation gifts I still can put my hands on. - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Creature feature

We have a 5-year-old neutered male — mostly Siamese — cat that loves to nip. He just tweaks a bit of skin and holds on. It is annoying as a good swat will not deter him. He’s very friendly and everyone that comes to our house better love cats, as he’s in their face. Is there any way to break him of this biting habit or do we just live with it as we have been? Cats bite for a variety of reasons — fear, aggression, play, affection. Since your cat merely nips, he’s probably showing affection or trying to get your attention. - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Book suggests how to nip mother-daughter dust-ups

BY CASSANDRA SPRATLING DETROIT FREE PRESS

DETROIT — Let’s get this straight right away: Julie Halpert loves her mom dearly. In fact, the writer — who’s a mom herself — says there’s no more precious relationship than that between an adult daughter and her mother. - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

PARENTING : Fear your child’s not measuring up? See Ferdinand

JOHN ROSEMOND

Today’s parents believe in psychology, a predominant paradigm of which is behavior modification; therefore, today’s parents tend to believe that behavior, any behavior, can be modified by properly manipulating reward and punishment. - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Natural care, food for Fido

FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM

Make Fido a meatloaf or feed him beans and rice. Turn your old jeans into a bed for your buddy. Those are projects featured in the just-published Eco Dog: Healthy Living for Your Pet (Chronicle Books, $17) by Corbett Marshall and Jim Deskevich. - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Check your knowledge

1. Is maple a soft or hard wood? 2. Identify the Rosetta stone. 3. Who was vice president when Dwight Eisenhower was president of the United States? 4. Who made the famous remark: “People of the Philippines, I have returned” ? 5. Did the federal income tax begin in 1913, ’18 or ’23? 6. The square root of 400 is... 7. Which state is called the “Free State” ? 8. Name the capital of China. 9. Francis Scott Key wrote the words of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which is sung to music composed by whom? Answers 1. Hard 2. It’s a black tablet once thought to be basalt unearthed in 1799 in the Egyptian town of Rosetta. The tablet has parallel inscriptions in Greek and ancient Egyptian demotic and hieroglyphic characters, providing a key to decipher ancient Egyptian writing. 3. Richard Nixon 4. Gen. Douglas Mac-Ar thur, on Oct. 20, 1944 5. It began, in a modest way, in 1913. 6. 20 7. Maryland, also known as the “Old Line State” 8. Beijing 9. John Stafford Smith - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

ART SMART : Mother’s Day project one to dye for

BY GRETCHEN GOETZ SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

When I think back on the Mother’s Day presents I gave my mom as a child, I always smile — and sometimes grimace. An occasional gift would be purchased, but most of the time my sister and I wanted to “Be creative!” as Mom was always encouraging us to do, so we handmade most of our Mother’s Day offerings. - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

It’s best to fit jewelry to the mom

— Helaine R. Williams

Susan Shieldkret is a jewelry connoisseur and founder and president of Newport Coast, Calif.-based The Passionate Collector (thepassionatecol lector.com). You won’t find mother’s rings on her Web site — the company offers one-of-akind or limited quantity pieces of jewelry that “you won’t find everywhere else.” But because people’s tastes vary, Shieldkret offers these general tips for selecting jewelry for Mother’s Day: If the woman you’re buying for has small children who might tug on her jewelry, select smaller chains and earrings, especially if you’re selecting jewelry she might wear every day. Also, consider smaller bracelets for everyday wear for this type of person. It’s uncomfortable to lift a child with a large bangle digging into your wrist. - Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Family shopper

— Rhonda Owen

HOMEDICS BRETHE AIR REVITALIZER What it is: A system that can veil the aroma of wet dog or provide relief from litter box fumes, and even override other noxious odors. How it works: Air is drawn into the machine, which uses water as its filter, and a scented mist comes back out. The machine comes with three bottles of scent: citrus, lime and vanilla. - Wednesday, May 7, 2008