I learn about the earthquake last Tuesday night when a text message comes from a friend in New Orleans, with the kind of news you never want to hear. Haiti had been devastated. “Have you heard from your daughter and other family members?” my …

I learn about the earthquake last Tuesday night when a text message comes from a friend in New Orleans, with the kind of news you never want to hear. Haiti had been devastated.

We’ve all been thrilled by that big-ticket present, but the best gifts have a deeper meaning.

It was the kind of phone call that just brightens your day. Aiden Payne called to give a shout out to the Faculty Association at Tompkins Cortland Community College

I mean, don’t get me wrong, we want to be the kind of good parents who celebrate and cherish their son’s masterpieces, dutifully displaying them in a place of honor on the wall behind the kitchen table.

W e spend so much time discussing what’s new on the Hub restaurant scene that we often ignore what’s old. Can any other American city boast as many heritage restaurants as Boston?