Relaxing

I'm confused about choosing a color to paint my kitchen. I've heard that green is the color of the year. And then I hear about gray being the new neutral. What are the best colors to paint the kitchen? A kitchen should be an inviting gathering space, so warmer or brighter tones are ideal, such as deep ivories, rich coppers, luscious reds, golden yellows and yellow-greens. Be sure to take countertops, appliances and floors into consideration when selecting your color. You'll want something that complements these accents and flows naturally into the surrounding rooms of your home.

The sweat and nerves that accompanied St. Mary's journey to the NCAA tournament turned into a leisurely jaunt after the team had upset reigning national champion Salisbury, 13-11, in Sunday's final of the Capital Athletic Conference tournament and earned the automatic qualifier. It was a relaxing moment for a Seahawks program that had never advanced to the NCAA tournament until Sunday. “Well, it definitely took a little pressure off,” coach Chris Hasbrouck said with a chuckle Monday afternoon.

SPENDING AN EVENING relaxing in our back yard has become interesting this summer. We've had our usual crop of ants and beetles, but the population explosion of mosquitoes has everyone smearing on the bug repellent.In the past, we have survived with just a light coating of mosquito repellent. Citronella candles and torches provided extra protection against the hungry pests and added a relaxing, festive glow. We grilled, swam and ate in relatively bug-free peace.Not this year. Experts warned that we would have a bumper crop of bloodthirsty bugs this year, and boy were they right.

Towson became the second team in Division I (after Lehigh) to seal its path to the NCAA tournament when it knocked off No. 9 Penn State, 11-10, for the Colonial Athletic Association tournament championship last Friday. So unlike area neighbors like No. 5 Loyola, No. 11 Maryland and Johns Hopkins, the Tigers enjoyed last weekend. “It was actually pretty nice after being away for four days,” coach Shawn Nadelen said with a chuckle Sunday night. “It allowed our guys to catch up with some of their school work, and it gave us two days of a little extra rest.

ELVA COX loves tea. Her stationery is decorated with teacups. She almost always wears a pretty teapot pin on her jackets, and she loves to relax over a nice hot cup of tea just about any time. Cox also loves English country tea, a delightful tradition that features hot tea with tasty sandwiches, rich scones and sinfully delicious trifle.Twice a year, Cox organizes the parishioners of Epiphany Episcopal Church in presenting an English Country Tea in the World War I-era chapel in Odenton. Church pews give way to tables filled with people who enjoy the lovely food and the relaxing atmosphere.

Baltimore CFLs coach Don Matthews has dubbed the day dTC before each game "Hat Day," and yesterday's session at Memorial Stadium included some creative attire.Offensive lineman Shahriar Pourdanesh has been the most outrageous. Two weeks ago, he wore a jock strap on his head. Last week, it was a red bra. And yesterday, in what could be termed a more conservative look, he wore a miniature Florida Marlins baseball cap, attached to a long string, which tied under his chin."I've already got next week's planned out," he said, "but it's got to be a surprise.

Mothers have a soothing way with little problems. They wipe sticky faces and muddy toes. They snip bubble-gum clumps out of tangled hair. They kiss ouchies, dab lotion on sunburn and rub congested chests with VapoRub.And they do it with a light touch and a smile.When is the last time mom was patted and tucked in for quiet time to herself?It's time.Mother's Day approaches, and it can turn into a stressful Sunday. The obligatory spilly breakfast in bed, a church service, a crowded restaurant for brunch or dinner and a special outing can leave mom pleased but worn out from all that loving.

Good morning --Tom Lehman --The fun and relaxing atmosphere you sought to create as U.S. Ryder Cup captain didn't appear to help.

Relaxing sounds from your computerQ. I have purchased many items about which you have written that relate to computer stress. I now use a wrist rest, a special back support and an anti-glare filter. What else can I get to help me through my computer day?A. Environmental science has shown that sound can contribute JTC to your state of mind. So it was a natural leap to make the computer generate relaxing sounds to soothe you throughout your business day.Zounds is a little background program that plays your choice of relaxing sounds while you use your computer.

Two of the nation's top older fillies and mares, Ajina and Relaxing Rhythm, will meet for the first time Sunday in the $500,000 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park.That's right, $500,000 -- the largest purse ever offered at Delaware Park, situated in Stanton just off Interstate 95. The purse for the Delaware Handicap last year was $350,000. The year before it was $150,000.Of course, slot machines are the force behind the increases. Delaware Park and the state's two other horse tracks began operating them at the end of 1995.

Farming advocates are pressing Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski to reverse a little-noticed measure approved by Congress last month that rescinded tough new rules on the poultry industry - a move that has strained the already rocky relationship between mom-and-pop chicken farmers on the Eastern Shore and Salisbury-based Perdue. Under lobbying from the poultry industry, Congress quietly rolled back U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations that required chicken companies to give contract farmers 90 days' notice before yanking their business, mandated independent testing of scales used to weigh certain birds, and prohibited unfair or discriminatory business practices.

Former Baltimoreans Bob and Barbara Reese paid $25 each for the privilege of sitting in the lower bowl of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Tuesday. He wore a Joe Flacco jersey. She wore Ray Rice. This was as close as they could get to the Super Bowl - an opportunity to watch the Ravens and San Francisco 49ers face a horde of international reporters and broadcasters that numbered in the thousands and listen in on the combination of serious journalism and fringe media foolishness that has become a very popular component of the tightly packed Super Bowl event schedule.

Wearing a dark suit and a purple striped tie, an outfit that he said his wife picked out, Ravens coach John Harbaugh met the media for the first time here and set the tone for his team ahead of Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. His message was simple: the Ravens will enjoy all that comes with playing in the Super Bowl but they will be ready to play Sunday. Harbaugh joked with reporters, playfully encouraging them to ask repetitive questions to his younger brother, Jim, the head coach of the 49ers.

Maryland's casinos will be allowed to open 24 hours a day under new regulations approved Thursday by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission that also relaxed limits on ATMs and lending to gamblers in the facilities. With the advent of full-scale casino gambling in Maryland after voters approved table games in the November election, the commission is updating the regulatory regime and relaxing some restrictions. The changes also added new rules, including some governing junkets that casinos provide to high-rolling gamblers.

Welcome back to Morning Shootaround, a regular feature this season the day after Maryland basketball games. While we can't bring you into the Terps' lockerroom after games - reporters haven't been allowed in there since the last couple of years under Gary Williams - we will recap what was said in the press conference afterward by Maryland coach Mark Turgeon and his players. We will give some of our own insight into what transpired on the court during the previous night's game and what the Terps will be working on at practice looking ahead to their next game.

For his 50th birthday, Patrick Sutton got down - but not dirty - on the farm. The Baltimore interior designer is known for his elegant, understated and carefully curated spaces. To celebrate his milestone birthday, he and his girlfriend, Tracy Kwiatkowski, kept the elegance but added a few rough edges. That approach - mixing high-end style with less refined elements - is a popular one among Baltimore's party planning elite. Sutton's "Rustic Renaissance" birthday festivities took place outside, overlooking the rolling hills of Sagamore Farm, the Reisterstown horse farm owned by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank (and decorated by Sutton)

If your idea of a big vacation is a week in Ocean City putting a golf ball into the stegosaurus' mouth and sipping cocktails on the deck, you do not want to go away anytime soon with Richard and Kendra Keiser and their kids. Here are just a few of the relaxing things the Keisers did on their last vacation: Family feature The Keiser family of Harford County will be featured on Animal Planet's Get Out There! tonight at 8.

This week's question Do you give thanks on Thanksgiving? Yes, of course I give thanks every day No, never If the mood strikes My family has a different tradition I don't celebrate Thanksgiving Last week's question: What are you most looking forward to doing before the holidays? 39.3 percent Relaxing (11 votes) 17.9 percent There's nothing to look forward to until January (5 votes) 14.3 percent Shopping (4 votes) 10.7 percent Cooking (3 votes) 7.1 percent Having parties (2 votes)

Ken Niumatalolo's life changed dramatically the day he was named to succeed Paul Johnson as Navy's football coach after the 2007 season. Niumatalolo went from being a relatively unknown offensive-line coach to a first-time head coach following the man who had revived the program. He and his family went from living in a modest home near the academy into a grander residence that once housed a number of his predecessors. Something else happened that few outside his own family knew.

There was a time before the three heart attacks, before he was effectively paralyzed in the lower half of his left leg, when Army Spc. Stephen Ramsey wouldn't do much on his Georgia farm other than pick cotton and peanuts, and hunt. Actually, he can still remember the first time he went hunting. He watched a commercial on television, turned to his grandfather and told him he wanted to hunt deer. The next day, the two sat silently in the deer stand and, in the glow of the sunrise, they watched turkeys and other small animals move past them until, finally, Ramsey spotted a deer.