Weekly family rail, with tips for a creative kids room, a review of “Takers” and more.

Travel: Since our group’s arrival in South Africa, Arthur had to remind us that it was winter time, even though we were experiencing beautiful sunny, springlike weather instead.

Kevin Shannon, 68, said he believes the art of writing and a chance friendship banished the demons of his post-traumatic stress disorder – a condition not diagnosed until 2005.

Arnold Feliciano remembers fondly his days as a strolling troubadour, walking through restaurants singing love songs to couples over food. Now he is skipping the middle man: Feliciano starts his mornings by singing to a pumpkin. And the pumpkin clearly loves it: It is 3 feet tall and growing every day.

Graffiti artist is starting over after a stint in jail, and now he has message for young people.

She wrote the ultimate tale of blind obedience to tradition - “The Lottery” – that still retains its primitive, chilling power, even as the horror genre nowadays is overrun with pinup boy werewolves and fidgety vampires who sparkle.

School buses will soon bustle down the streets. Students will be armed with lists of items their teacher want them to purchase for the school year, followed by the frantic dash to various stores to find the paper, pencils and notebooks.

Weekly canine Q&A, with advice on neglected dogs and new dogs.

You get very quiet at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, because that’s what you do at a church. But you get quieter here because this is the eternal resting place of the man who has drawn you to Stratford, the home where he was just Will, long before he was Shakespeare.

Think your morning cup of coffee is too small to make a difference? Most Americans (56 percent) drink coffee every day, according to the National Coffee Association of USA. This volume is what makes coffee beans the world’s most-traded commodity after petroleum. It’s not difficult to green your daily jolt of caffeine, whether you brew your own or hit up your neighborhood coffee shop.

This week’s suggestions: Don’t miss the Emmy Awards on Sunday night, observe the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and more.

Driving 1,000 miles through parts of New Mexico gave me a taste of travel that began — and ended with chili. Green or red? That’s the question asked by many restaurant servers. I opted to taste them both.

Weekly family column, with dog-care tips, a review of “Nanny McPhee Returns” and more.

Fall doesn’t begin for another month, but the itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing and coughing of fall allergy season are here. Use these tips to feel better if mold and pollen make you miserable each autumn.

With a new school year in full swing for some and looming for other families, getting things done will be the major goal — whether it’s getting out the door on time in the morning or making sure homework is finished before bedtime. Experts say being organized can help students and their families reach the finish line.