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THE FRU-GAL

Deborah Morris' weekly column, The Fru-Gal, can help you get through these economic hard times a little more easily. If you know of a way to save some money, feel free to share it on The Fru-Gal blog.
David Stephenson | Staff

Acupuncture: go with flow

The ear, apparently, is "a happy point." It's a place where, when a thin steel needle is inserted just so, the body's natural energy begins to flow more like it should.So again and again, as acupuncturist Kathleen Fluhart whispers soothingly and leans in to insert a slight steel needle into the top arc of a patient's ear, one patient after another smiles in anticipation.

    • Commentary

      With no more free kid labor, I'll pay

      Merlene Davis

      We packed up our son and dropped him off at the University of Louisville last week to start a journey that eventually will result in his getting permanently out of our house and wallets.

    • That isn't flirting

      UK psychology professor's study shows that teen girls face sexual harassment daily

      By Amy Wilson

      Sometimes a teenage girl's biggest problem isn't ­getting a guy to talk to her. It's getting a guy to stop.

    • Sarcoidosis comes to light

      By Judith Graham

      CHICAGO — Andrea Wilson felt sick to her stomach when she heard that comedian Bernie Mac had died in a Chicago hospital.

    • The Fru-Gal

      It pays to check for online offers before you go

      Deborah Morris

      The Internet is a ­wonderful asset to save ­money. And you can save money by using it for ­everyday adventures. For example, my children use the Man o' War Golf Learning Center driving range quite ­often. When you register on its Web site, www.manowargolf.com/golf/proto/manowargolf/index.htm, you can receive special coupons.

    • Sleep tips for children

      Herald-Leader Staff Report

      When helping your child get to sleep, these guidelines might help:

    • School bus safety tips

      Herald-Leader Staff Report

      Here are some tips your children can follow to ride the school bus safely.

    • Essential back-to-school info

      By Raviya H. Ismail

      Fayette County students return to school Wednesday.

    • This Dad's a pro

      Dennis Ross stayed home to raise 9 kids, plus he runs a day care

      By Mary Meehan

      GEORGETOWN — The passenger van started rumbling down Scott County roads last year. The signs for a baby-sitting service started showing up on utility poles last spring.

    • Commentary

      Honor Network serves the deserving

      FREE FLIGHTS TAKE VETS TO SEE WWII MEMORIAL

      By Merlene Davis

      The day before Veterans Day 2006, Charles ”Chuck“ Stoner of Wilmore drove to Dayton, Ohio, so he could be at the airport early the next morning.

    • Stepdads are better dads, says study

      By Queenie Wong

      WASHINGTON — Stepfathers make slightly better parents than married biological fathers, researchers found in a new study of at-risk urban families.

    • "I'm now reading a story on microblogs'

      By Wailin Wong

      In cyberspace, no status update is too small to share with friends, family and strangers, including this:

    • School rules: tips for parents

      By Mary Meehan l mmeehan1@herald-leader.com

      As hard as it might be to believe, kids are heading back to school soon. And even if you think you are a pro at handling the beginning of a new school year, you never know what this year's start might hold.

    • The Fru-gal

      Folders for a penny? Buy a bunch

      Deborah Morris

      Are you shopping for school supplies? I know I say don't buy stuff that you don't need, but if a store is selling back-to-school items for a penny or 50 cents, get it and put it away. Your child will ­always have a report that needs a folder or will say to you at 9 some evening that he needs a notebook for tomorrow.

    • Forgive me, but I can't help but gloat

      By Merlene Davis

      This page is filled with information and suggestions, compassion and empathy for those parents of younger children who will be headed back to school.

    • Hey, kid, I love you, but don't call me "Grandma'

      By Jackie Burrell

      WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — It wasn't that Adair Lara wasn't thrilled about her daughter's pregnancy. It's just that at age 52, Lara was, well, way too hip and young to be a grandmother. And she spent the next nine months trying to avoid the name ”Grandma“ — a word, she says, ”that lay in wait for me like a pair of dentures in a glass.“

    • School supply list grows as classroom needs increase

      By Mary Meehan

      The back-to-school supply list seems to get longer every year, and it raises the question that if millions in tax dollars are spent on schools then why, in addition to paper and pencils, do lists include items like cleaning supplies and ink cartridges.

    • Commentary

      Everything's coming up duct tape

      Merlene Davis

      Anna Kate McFarland, 17, stood in the middle of a group of women old enough to be her mother, or possibly her grandmother, teaching us how to fold a 2-inch piece of duct tape into a pentagon shape that would, with our patience and her nurturing, become a petal on a rose.

    • the fru-gal

      Don't underestimate leftovers, clotheslines

      Deborah Morris

      I spend time each week with two wonderful older women. One I cook with every Wednesday at the Ronald McDonald House. I laugh sometimes because she scrapes the bottom of the bowl to make sure every last bit is out. I throw away the grease, and she tries to find a way to use it or save it for next week.

    • Helms' name on an AIDS relief bill? Shame on Dole

      By Merlene Davis

      The U.S. Senate passed the HIV/AIDS relief bill last week, allotting $48 billion over five years toward fighting that disease, as well as malaria and tuberculosis, worldwide.

    • the fru-gal

      Am I cheap? Hey, I'm just giving my 50 cents' worth

      Deborah Morris

      When I have told people about my Fru-Gal column, some of them ask: You teach people how to be cheap?

    • Commentary

      Mandela finally removed from U.S. list of terrorists

      Merlene Davis

      Dignitaries from several countries and entertainment stars from all genres gathered in London on June 27 to wish former South African President Nelson Mandela a happy 90th birthday.

    • Destination: nearby

      By Cheryl Truman

      Jim Madden of Lexington has this mini-vacation thing down: two gallons of gas each way, and he and his companion, Dewey, an Australian shepherd, are on vacation.

    • COMMENTARY

      Happy endings can take time

      By Merlene Davis

      Although James and Jeanette Robinson did not have a fairy-tale romance, they nonetheless think their marriage will have a happy ending.

    • THE FRU-GAL

      The power of the rebate

      By Deborah Morris

      Cutting coupons and watching for deals can save money. But so can applying for rebates. Although they take a little more time, some rebate offers give you back the entire purchase price and/or will reimburse you for a product you don't like. This week's ­column includes information on all of that.

    • Final child's college orientation is bittersweet

      By Merlene Davis

      My last child, the son who made my growing old a very ungraceful act, has graduated high school and is now about to enter college.

    • THE FRU-GAL

      Freebies for pets, health, kids

      By Deborah Morris

      I've received responses from lots of people who are applying for and receiving their free stuff. That's great.

    • Music industry banking on video games

      By Derrik J. Lang

      Tapping on fake instruments and screeching into microphones connected to video game consoles has become lucrative for both the music and gaming industries.

    • 5 things you should know about bad-breath causes, treatment

      By Desonta Holder

      1. The No. 1 cause of halitosis — bad breath — is oral bacteria. It often congregates on the surfaces of the tongue, produces a waste that is rich in sulfur compounds and creates a dreadful rotten-egg smell.

    • Commentary

      Young naval recruit has me worried

      Fine y0ung man doesn't seem to realize the risks that come with the benefits

      Merlene Davis

      One of my sons' friends dropped by recently to proudly tell us he had joined the Navy and couldn't wait to start basic training.

    • The social seen

      Revelry a sure bet

      For many, Derby Eve parties are the big events, even days later

      By Howard M. Snyder

      Pitch a tent, invite 1,500 or so of your friends, and voilà: Derby party. That's the way Bill Morgan has been doing it since 1972. But it didn't start out quite so big.

    • Commentary

      Too many kids with mental illness go undiagnosed

      Merlene Davis

      Our mental health determines how we view the world around us, how we think, feel and react, and it affects the choices we make.

    • The Diet Detective

      How what goes in comes out

      By Charles Platkin

      Warning: If you have an aversion to your body's waste, don't read any further.

    • Makeup tips for sunny seasons

      By Amy Wilson and Harriett Hendren

      It's a brave girl who will let herself be photographed without makeup. Yet three already beautiful teenagers (and members of the Herald-Leader Teen Board) agreed to give their faces a good scrub at 7 a.m. and show up ready to face the cameras.

    • The Diet Detective

      Comfort food can be low-cal

      Charles Platkin

      The stock market roller coaster, the housing crisis, the dreaded ”R“ word — it's stressful out there. Where can we turn? How about comfort foods? Unfortunately most comfort foods are notoriously high in calories. Knowing that, we thought it would be helpful to reach out to a few foodies and chefs to find several tasty, low-calorie comfort food recipes.

    • Pharmacist on call

      Ad campaign revives tanning bed safety debate

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: I recently heard that tanning beds might be safer than previously thought and that they promote health by stimulating vitamin D production. Can you comment?

    • Commentary

      Hair clippings clean up oil spills

      Merlene Davis

      Susan Burgess Laux looks ”normal.“

    • PHARMICIST ON CALL

      Continued use of Vytorin should be OK

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: After reading about problems with Vytorin, is it safe to take, or is it true that this drug might cause a stroke?

    • Film festival is for, by and about women

      By Merlene Davis

      For those of us short on attention spans but long on intentions, the Lexington Public Library downtown is where we should be on Saturday evening.

    • Beach bound?

      By Jan Jarvis

      That translates into eating healthful low-cal meals, doing cardio five days a week along with strength training for three days, and staying focused, said Cynthia Knapen, an Arlington, Texas, personal trainer accredited with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

    • PHARMICIST ON CALL

      Grapefruit can affect estrogen dosage

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: I read your column on grapefruit-drug interactions, and this was the first time I’ve heard about an interaction with estrogen. I take Activella. What are the effects on this drug?

    • Geraldine Ferraro seems so bitter

      Her outspokenness has gone too far

      By Merlene Davis

      I was so proud to be a woman in 1984, when ­Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale selected Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate.

    • Commentary

      Democratic party must win black vote or it'll lose big

      Merlene Davis

      Several news agencies are wondering aloud whether last week's Pennsylvania primary was a harbinger of the demise of the Democratic Party if Sen. Barack Obama were to be its presidential nominee.

    • commentary

      Need to dig, but have no soil to turn?

      Community gardens may just do the trick

      Merlene Davis

      Something comes over me in the spring that compels me to dig in dirt and to plant and transplant things and throw mulch wherever I can.

    • Make your own Derby button (PDF)

      Political campaigns, with all the talk of front-runners and favorites, are in full swing as the best of the thoroughbred world charges into Kentucky for the Derby. Create your own politically-themed Kentucky Derby button (click here for details).

    • Fifth-graders interpret an American classic

      By Amy Wilson

      A policeman and a kid in a diner having a chat. Tell people it's called The Runaway.Lots of ideas come to mind if you've just got that to go on. But put on the red knapsack nearby and figure it's 1958 and you'll know that you are seeing this cop and this kid and this diner through the bespectacled eyes of American artist Norman Rockwell.

    • Pharmacist on call

      Steroids come in different forms

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: My doctor prescribed pills for an allergic reaction. Afterwards, I found out they were steroids. With all the news about athletes taking steroids and the harm they can cause, should I be worried? I only took them for seven days.

    • A necessity for women in need

      By Amy Wilson

      Twice a year, women who might not be able to afford it otherwise are invited to have mammograms and Pap tests done by the professionals at the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. » More in Health | Family

    • Diabetes isn't an inevitable destiny

      It seems to be all over, but you can prevent it

      By Merlene Davis

      Before I started elementary school, my mother worked part-time as a domestic, cooking and cleaning for rich folk, as we called them.

    • Classifying your talented child

      Understanding the system for gifted students

      By Mary Meehan

      Even the most well-intentioned parents can have a hard time understanding how school systems work. To help, we are answering some often-asked questions. This is our second installment. For information about the previous topic and to suggest a topic for us to write about in the future, go to our new Web site, www.bluegrassmoms.com.

    • Pharmacist on call

      Issues and benefits of using statin drugs

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: My husband, who is 69, was taking a statin drug to lower his cholesterol but had to discontinue it because of muscle pains. I know other people who have experienced similar problems. How ­common is this?

    • Man vs. mess

      Author tells guys: Housekeeping is easier than you think, and it might help your love life

      By Cheryl Truman

      Guys, we have a few words for you: Man up and grab yourself a feather duster.

    • Breast cancer study needs sisters

      Merlene Davis

      The bad news is that the Sister Study, which is seeking 50,000 sisters of women who have had breast cancer, is still looking for participants.

    • Inventive mom builds a better bib

      DaBib designed to keep kids and clothes cleaner

      By Kyveli Diener

      SAN MATEO, Calif. — Shea Kelly is raising two fast-growing babies. One is her 26-month-old daughter, Marissa, the focal point of Kelly's life since her adoption in January 2006. The other is Chez Shea Baby LLC, her baby-products company responsible for what she hopes is the next big thing in baby bibs, DaBib.

    • Do you have these common symptoms?

      First of all, don't worry; second of all, enjoy the day

      By Avril F. Day

      In what some are calling an important breakthrough, scientists studying historical research have noted several quizzical physical symptoms in human beings that might lead to a widespread diagnosis for many Americans.

    • Pharmacist on call

      Younger folks can get shingles shot

      By Richard Harkness

      Question: I'm 48 and recently had shingles. My doctor says she's seeing more cases of shingles in younger adults. Many of my friends had shingles or had a close friend or relative in their age group (40s to early 50s) who had it.

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