Lifestyle

Jordyn Dallon and Brayden Nelson have been named as the Rotary Students of the Month at Fort Osage High School. Jordyn has been recognized for her achievements during her high school years with memberships in the National Honor Society and National Art Honor Society, having been named to the A honor roll, and having been selected as a Scholar Athlete for two years.

SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, Ecuador – “Work it. Work it.” h On a black volcanic rock formation in a remote part of the Galapagos Islands, a pair of resplendent blue-footed boobies need little coaxing from a fellow traveler who wants the marine birds to remain perched while we photograph them. h The boobies are more than happy to oblige. Like runway models, they’re not bashful about posing while our small group clicks away. h With few natural predators, there aren’t many places on Earth where the wildlife is as unafraid – and even welcoming – of human visitors than the Galapagos. The result is an unparalleled chance for nature lovers to see up close everything from 5-foot-long iguanas to pink flamingos to tortoises more than 100 years old. h If Charles Darwin were alive today, he would find this archipelago of tiny islands in the Pacific Ocean – 600 miles west of mainland South America – little changed from his historic journey here nearly 200 years ago. h It was the English naturalist’s exposure to the rich diversity of wildlife in the Galapagos that led to his revolutionary theory of natural selection. Today, visitors can experience the same access to birds, animals and marine life that Darwin documented during his five-week visit in 1835 on the HMS Beagle.

I have been acquainted with numerous people who have fallen away from the faith. One I knew well and remains a friend.

Vatican No. 2 and deputy both positive for COVID-19 VATICAN CITY – The Vatican secretary of state and his deputy have both tested positive for the coronavirus, Vatican officials said Tuesday.

Dear Abby: My fiance, “Peter,” has a number of female friends I’m not comfortable with, primarily because they are women he “had” interest in before we started dating. He says he has told them he’s taken now and they can’t be more than friends, but I don’t think they got the message. He recently told me one of them told him a guy had proposed to her but she’s delaying accepting in case Peter becomes available. This is the second time something like this has happened.

Hello again, dear readers, and welcome to a bonus edition of the letters column. It’s lovely to see our mailboxes stay so full, and we’ll continue to do our best to stay abreast of your letters.

We didn’t get a lot of new smart home tech in 2021, but with many new devices debuting at CES last week – and the promise of a new unifying protocol across smart ecosystems, Matter, on the horizon – 2022 is shaping up to be an exciting year for creating a more connected and more integrated voice-controlled home. h A dual camera doorbell, a voice-controlled bathtub drain, and smart light strips that mimic the color of your TV screen are just some of the coolest smart home gadgets we saw at CES this year. Whether you’re looking to build on your everexpanding smart home or simply want a forecast on the year ahead, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the coolest smart home gadgets from CES that will be coming your way in 2022.

With home sales and renovation projects at an all-time high, it’s a great time to take a “reno-cation.” Combining domestic travel with home décor exploration and immersion, reno-cations are all the rage on the home front. h Whether a “fixer upper” from Chip & Joanna Gaines’ show “Fixer Upper,” a luxury stone house from the “Salvage Dawgs,” the Pioneer Woman’s boarding house or a design center filled with hundreds of sinks, tubs and faucets, there is a reno-cation destination to suit all decorating desires. h Try these 10 destinations on for size.

My inner circle has kept me sane since this pandemic began. No matter our views or vaccine status, we’ve been there for each other.