Columns

This year I happen to have lots of fall blooming perennials. Just in time for Halloween, the ornamental sunflowers, golden coreopsis and black-eyed-Susan are still providing some color. If you want to decorate for Halloween, there is plenty of plant material you can harvest from...

“The most radical thing that could happen is we’ll become a nation of financial literates. It’s within the realm of possibility.” —Don Phillips Financial freedom motivates all my writing and professional career and I trace its history. Financial life planners aided this progress with better...

As the air turns crisp and the leaves begin to change, fall offers a natural opportunity to reset. The slower pace and cozy routines can be grounding—but they can also bring challenges. Shorter days, busier schedules and less sunlight can impact our mood and...

You probably think of mums as boring. They’re everywhere at this time of year. Many consider them a bit of color on the front porch that you compost after they’ve finished flowering. But mums have a lot more to offer than that. Mums are in...

This past week, I saw a flash of hope in our small corner of the world. Our City Council was tasked with selecting a new member to fill a vacant seat. The meeting opened, as it always does, with the Pledge of Allegiance. The packed...

Did you know having a regular fitness routine is one of the best things that you can do to reduce your risk of developing dementia? It’s true. Physical exercise helps improve memory, thinking skills and motor skills. How it works is, moving your body and...

I’ve yet to come across a client who doesn’t want ornamental grasses in their garden. Well, everybody except my friend, Sue, who is allergic and was not a happy camper earlier in the summer. It’s hard to top the dramatic sight of an ornamental grass...

“Profit mechanisms…explain why so many Americans with ‘good insurance’ still find themselves fighting for care, drowning in paperwork, and facing financial ruin when serious illness strikes.” —Neal Shah, “Insured to Death” High Stakes Healthcare Choices “…as many as 66.5% of personal bankruptcies are tied to medical...

Hello Scotts Valley community! Your schools are back in full swing, and as your board president, I wanted to give you an update on what's been going on. The year kicked off bright and sunny, and all of our students, staff and teachers returned with...

I read recently that detection dogs in Lassen Park picked up the scent of the endangered red fox. They detected about 85 scat that are being tested genetically at UC Davis. This is good news for the rarest animal in all of North America....