Yoga instructor, pharmacist, custodian, fast-food worker — these are ordinary people. But they have rich lives, interests and history.

The specialty at Sam Nimer’s restaurant is its sweet namesake. But its pasta dishes, like rigatoni carbonara with penne, aren’t to be missed, either.

This creator of statement pieces got her start in Austin’s vibrant local arts scene. She settled down in Far North Dallas just a few months ago.

Each month, the Advocate talks with District 12 council member Sandy Greyson about issues being discussed Downtown and how they affect Far North Dallas. This month’s discussion: The 2012 bond program.

The Annual Scent Bottle Invitational, featuring glass perfume bottles from more than 60 contemporary glass artists, kicks off at Kittrell-Riffkind Art Glass.

This month we chat with Sr. Cpl. John Burke, neighborhood police officer for the Spring Valley, Forest, North Central and Dallas North Tollway area.

Don’t dismiss a wine just because it doesn’t have a cork. Screwcap, Tetrapak, box … The type of closure is no longer a reflection of quality. These wines show just that.

They grabbed and were gone.

Richardson High grad Courtney Parmalee donated toys to Khloe Kardashian’s toy drive and got a snapshot with the star.

I don’t spend a lot of time wondering what it would be like to be rich, but I have to admit it does cross my mind from time to time. What would I do first, I wonder, if money was no object? Of course, all of the time I’ve spent thinking about being rich isn’t really helping me or anyone else. And just thinking about it isn’t going to get it done, either.

As a society, we’ve lost the art of quiet reflection. The French philosopher Blaise Pascal once wrote that “Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries, and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.”

Nosh Euro Bistro has opened a location on Park in Plano. Chef Avner Samuel’s four-star, European/Mediterranean eatery features a “Chef Bar.”