I have three maples -- two silver, one red -- and want to find a perennial ground cover for their beds. I would like to use epimediums. Are there any varieties that would thrive under the trees?

Dear Dr. Fox: My son has a 6-year-old male Great Dane. A couple of years ago, the dog began to get an open sore on his leg. We took him to our vet, who treated him, but it continues to grow. When asked to have it removed and the wound closed, the vet said that because of the location, that would be...

Fifty years ago this month, Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens became the first goaltender in NHL history to wear a full-face protective mask in a game.

These food establishments were closed because of health code violations. The list, compiled from health department reports, reflects actions taken by the departments.

Dear Dr. Gridlock : Your article about the District reviving streetcars [ Commuter page, Nov. 1 ] made me recall my experiences in the Boston area in the late 1960s. Streetcars were in use on several lines then, but the suburb of Watertown, Mass., used electric buses, powered by overhead lines.

It may be getting colder outside, but in the kitchen things are starting to heat up. I think of November and December as the Grand Slam season for the cook and entertainer: a blur of Thanksgiving feasts, holiday buffets, open houses, brunches and New Year's parties.

A rundown of this year's gift wrapping trends, and tips on creating beautiful environmentally-friendly packages.

The second Sunday of every December, you'll find Eileen Milner of Alexandria pulling a filet (medium rare, hopefully) out of her oven as 20 friends crunch on homemade coleslaw and trim her tree.

Scared of having a holiday party with everything else you have to do? Take this advice from those who throw festive gatherings every December.

Learn how to create homemade napkins featuring photos of beloved people and places.

Do you know of any place that could repair my several pieces of antique white wicker furniture? One piece, a chaise, has attached upholstery.

"Help! We have a walkout basement that is one large room. We currently have multiple uses for the space, including a home theater and kids' play area."

Growing a vegetable garden is an exercise in humility, disappointment and pride. And sometimes, anger. Hungry deer or rabbits undo the gardener's hard work, but you can accept that there is no mischief involved.

Sow corn or Shirley poppy seeds in garden beds for a display in the spring. The seed should be sown on the surface of sunny beds that are free of heavy mulch and fallen leaves. Winter weeds are beginning to germinate, so weed the beds before sowing the poppy seeds.

Gift wrapping advice from Paper Source in Georgetown.

Despite your best efforts, certain apple varieties will still be more prone to scab than others.

The theme of this year's three-day festival held by the Indian Dance Educators Association is "Traditions in Translation," focusing on traditional dances being reinterpreted for a modern audience. Local performers as well as world-renowned guest artists from India will present a variety of styles....

A quick primer on the balalaika: It's a three-string guitarlike instrument that comes in five sizes (prima, sekunda, alto, bass and contrabass), and it's pronounced "ba-la-LIE-ka." The Washington Balalaika Society Orchestra will put them and other instruments to use in a program titled "Russian...

It's thrilling to get a package in the mail, but not so great if the box looks as though it has been through the mulcher. Here are ways to make sure your holiday gifts get to their destinations in one piece:

For delivery by Dec. 25, send cards and packages by these dates:

No report was available from the Alexandria Department of Real Estate Assessments for today's Local Living section.

Rich Williamson and his girlfriend were talking about kids. Not necessarily whether they'd have them, but what sport their hypothetical offspring might play. "I don't want my children to play football. It's too violent," the 38-year-old Alexandria resident decided. Baseball was deemed boring. And as...

Along with the joy of holiday gatherings comes an intense fear of your child doing something egregious at the table: chewing with his mouth open, burping the first half of the alphabet, constructing a volcano with her mashed potatoes.

-- Put your napkin in your lap. -- Have a clean face and hands when you sit down at the table.

Doris Burton taught U.S. history in Prince George's County for 27 years. She had her students write 3,000-word term papers. She guided them step by step: first an outline, then note cards, a bibliography, a draft and then the final paper. They were graded at each stage.

Does your pet ever try to paw or chew on the cables and wires sticking out all over your house? This is a very dangerous habit. But fortunately, many things can be done to keep dogs, cats and other pets from putting themselves in harm's way. A Web site, http://www.cableorganizer.com , offers many...

This case was handled by the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, which operates the city animal shelter and provides animal control services to the city. The shelter is open from 1 to 8 p.m. weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. weekends. For information or to report emergencies involving animals 24 hours a...

The nation's economic leaders have declared that the country has begun to emerge from the deepest recession in decades. But with the holiday season approaching, a return to prosperity feels more distant than ever at many Washington area food pantries.

Alexandria, like many local governments, is struggling to find ways to cut millions of dollars from its upcoming budget because of estimated declining tax revenue. City officials said that this is the first time in decades that projected commercial real estate property assessments, which have...

The Columbia Pike Farmers Market will be open year-round from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Sundays at South Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike. The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, which hosts the market, decided to extend the market's operations because of its growing success.

Officials in Alexandria say that despite a downward trend in the city's adolescent pregnancy rate, major barriers exist in the fight to prevent teen pregnancies.

These were among incidents reported by the Alexandria Police Department. For information, call 703-838-4636 or visit http://www.alexandriava.gov/police .

SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPPORT GROUP , for parents of children with disabilities. 10 a.m.-noon, Jefferson-Houston Elementary School, 1501 Cameron St., Alexandria. Free. 703-706-4552.

"HOLIDAY DESIGN IDEAS," discussed by flower show school instructors Muriel and Harlin Turner, sponsored by Rock Spring Garden Club. 10 a.m., Little Falls Presbyterian Church, 6025 Little Falls Rd., Arlington. Free. 703-532-1107 or http://www.rockspringgardenclub.com .

St. Thomas More Cathedral, 3901 Cathedral Lane, Arlington, will hold a "10, 20, 40 Festival of Praise" at 8 p.m. Friday. The Arlington Diocesan Choir and the St. Thomas More Cathedral Choir will perform Mozart's "Te Deum" and James Biery's "The Lord Will Reign For Ever." 703-524-2815 or...

The gift was simple but the message far-reaching: a multicolored scarf in a white box with a bright-pink ribbon and a button pinned on top that read, "My bald head is cuter than your bad haircut."