The Optimist: This couple fell in love, moved in, had a kid and got engaged — all during the pandemic

Fighting food waste, one apple at a time; Grandma mistakenly invited a stranger to Thanksgiving. Six years later, they still celebrate the holiday together. ; 'We are still here'; How to beat inflation and empty shelves this holiday shopping season; She is 105 and runs the 100 meters. Here's how Julia Hawkins stays physically and mentally fit.; Saying grace: How a moment of thanks, religious or not, adds meaning to our meals; Cycling is on a roll; Komodo dragons hatched at zoo, a big win for the endangered species ; A huge interactive project lets you explore a trove of artifacts and stories from the Smithsonian's African American museum ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sign up for this newsletter Read online Stories that inspire.     (Corrie McGury) The grand slam of covid dating: This couple fell in love, moved in, had a kid and got engaged — all during the pandemic Sarah and Nolan experienced every relationship milestone in a year unlike any other. By Lisa Bonos ●  Read more »   Fighting food waste, one apple at a time Katherine Sizov is only two years out of college, but her high-tech sensors — which monitor ethylene, a gas key to the ripening of fruits and vegetables — are keeping watch over 15 percent of U.S. apples. By Michael Birnbaum ●  Read more »   Grandma mistakenly invited a stranger to Thanksgiving. Six years later, they still celebrate the holiday together. The Internet is still swooning over their feel-good friendship. By Sydney Page ●  Read more »   'We are still here' For Native American Heritage Month, we talked with several American Indians and Alaska Natives about their work to remind nonnatives that we are still here. Perspective ●  By Dana Hedgpeth and Rachel Hatzipanagos ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   How to beat inflation and empty shelves this holiday shopping season Don't let spiking prices and scarcity cause you to break your holiday budget. Perspective ●  By Michelle Singletary ●  Read more »   She is 105 and runs the 100 meters. Here's how Julia Hawkins stays physically and mentally fit. Julia Hawkins, who recently set a new record as the oldest woman to run the 100 meters in official competition, explains how she's kept running at age 105. By Matt Fuchs ●  Read more »   Get breaking news alerts, offline reading lists and more. Download the app   ADVERTISEMENT   Saying grace: How a moment of thanks, religious or not, adds meaning to our meals At Thanksgiving, even more families than usual will say grace before the meal. And the act is as varied as recipes for stuffing. By Emily Heil ●  Read more »   Cycling is on a roll Travel writer Andrea Sachs explores a fraction of the more than 2,900 miles in the West and Midwest that have been added to the U.S. Bicycle Route System's national network. By Andrea Sachs ●  Read more »   Komodo dragons hatched at zoo, a big win for the endangered species Herpetologist Craig Pelke has been beaming like a proud new father for about a month now, ever since the first of 10 baby Komodo dragons hatched. By Cathy Free ●  Read more »   A huge interactive project lets you explore a trove of artifacts and stories from the Smithsonian's African American museum The Searchable Museum's exhibition opens with words from the late poet Maya Angelou: "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived; but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." By Michael E. Ruane ●  Read more »     We think you'll like this newsletter Check out Book Club for our weekly selection of book reviews and recommendations from Book World editor Ron Charles. Sign up »

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