Lifestyle, education, health/fitness, design, home, scripps networks, gardening, food and nutrition, fashion, travel, life

Ding-dong. It's the neighbors wishing you a happy Thanksgiving.

Knock-knock. Your teen-ager's soccer pals are descending.

Yoo-hoo. Now it's Aunt Birdy stopping by before her annual girls-only holiday party.

Stock your pantry and refrigerator with these items and you'll have something to offer unexpected guests:

-- Crackers, chips, pita or bagel chips.

-- Block cheeses.

-- Olives.

-- Dried fruit and nuts.

-- Pickled vegetables, including marinated artichokes or roasted red peppers.

-- Flavored cream cheese to spread on cucumber slices.

Jan Harroun of New Port Richey, Fla., remembers sour-cream sugar cookies from her childhood. When her mom bought sour cream for something special, she used what was left to make these cookies. These are moist, cakelike cookies.

One of my favorite things to decorate is my dining table. There are so many possibilities when you combine place mats, chargers, different dinnerware, napkins, napkin rings -- and let's not even get started on the centerpieces and candles.

Solatube International, a company near San Diego specializing in tubular skylights since 1988, when it started selling a periscope-like design by Australian mechanical engineer Steve Sutton, now produces an altered version called eChoice.

A World War II veteran asked me to design a memorial for his fallen brothers in our local park. I could see in Jack's eyes a great sadness because so many didn't make it home, while he himself was lucky.

Patrick is the sole survivor of his Vietnam War platoon, and to this day, he struggles under a mountain of guilt that only he made it out alive.

Q: Fortunately, I don't have a plumbing problem with my house. But I am having a problem with a snooty friend who always tries to act smarter than me, even when it comes to plumbing. This friend is installing a new bathroom, and she had to brag that they are getting a "console tabletop"-type sink.

Even the most passionate gardeners usually need a break by the time summer draws to a close. Yet within a few short weeks, experienced gardeners are heading back outside. They know some of the most productive and long-lasting improvements to any outdoor space take place in the fall. Here are just a few things to consider for your autumn to-do list:

Landscaping

Ruhuni and Barry are the ultimate hockey parents. Sons Jacob and Noah are so heavily into the sport that their lives revolve around game schedules, ice times and practices. But when not at the rink, Ruhuni and Barry love hosting the team's social events in their large home. They recently renovated their kitchen and had plans to continue into the adjoining dining room.

Thanksgiving is the holiday sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas or Hanukkah. Thanksgiving doesn't have the glitz of costumes, the sweetness of candy or the excitement of gift giving. What it does have is lots of food with a side order of football.