Columns

“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor.” —Mr. (Fred) Rogers The house stands empty now, its windows have been washed, its yard tidied and awaiting a “For Sale” sign to be planted. I am excited! Somewhere I read that neighbors...

Now kids will be born with tax deductions and savings checks! Without these, parents save for children after taxes up to 37%. And they can’t gift assets to children in low tax brackets because the IRS charges a “Kiddie Tax” (Forms 8615 or 8814)...

With our gardens coming to life at this time of year, we are hopeful that each plant will achieve its full potential during this growing season. But that doesn’t always turn out to be the case and sometimes it’s hard to figure out what...

To my business readership and leadership audience: as AI platforms boost efficiency, how do we ensure we maintain authentic, human-centered leadership rather than becoming overly dependent on automation? Are we using automation while still maintaining emotional presence? I use ChatGPT. I attend AI conferences. I explore...

When we think about mental health, we often picture stress, anxiety, burnout or life transitions. But one of the most powerful influences on our emotional well-being isn’t something we manage alone—it’s our relationships. Our connections with partners, friends, family members shape how safe we feel...

I live on Boulder Creek, where the native red alder is in full bloom. Their catkins release wind-borne pollen, which along with the redwoods wreak havoc for my friends with seasonal allergies. According to Pollen.com, the allergy alert today is medium high. Birches and...

“I selected an S Corporation to safeguard my personal assets through limited liability protection while enjoying pass-through taxation, allowing business profits to flow directly to my individual tax return and avoiding the double taxation faced by C Corps.”—Marwan Mezher Many taxpayers build lasting companies with...

How is your posture and how do you know if you have good or poor posture? To test your posture, you can simply check yourself at home. This involves standing with your head, shoulder blades and glutes against a wall, with heels 2-4 inches...

“Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” —Alfre Lord Tennyson Each day as “Eventide” approaches, I find myself looking at my sweet Hubby’s empty chair that sits alongside mine and repeatedly remind myself that I have been so...

One of my favorite classes when I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was Plant Taxonomy. On the surface the subject sounds a little dry, but the professor was all about plant reproduction, which is quite exciting and more varied than you think. So...