Columns

Summer has its own rhythm—and for those of you who, like me, love mountain biking, the outdoors and great local music, Scotts Valley is serving up all three and more on one big community playlist. If you haven’t rolled out to the Glenwood Open Space...

Last week I was hosting a “thank you” luncheon for six of my wonderful friends—friends who support me in all my “crazy” endeavors that I get myself into and could not complete successfully without these women. I decided on a Caesar salad with grilled shrimp...

I was talking to someone recently who said she lived in Bonny Doon. When I told her I used to live on Robles Drive but lost the house in the CZU fire, she asked, “Did you live in the house with that huge Tasmanian...

“…for investment periods of 20, 25, and 30 years, the compound annual returns from equity REITs have exceeded those of the S&P 500 Index … investing in REITs helps lower risk and increase returns on a portfolio of stocks and bonds.” —Stephanie Krewson-Kelly, Educated...

I’ve visited this garden in Bonny Doon many times, including when my friend Kate was part of the Valley Churches Garden Tour back in 2018, and it’s still as spectacular as ever. So on a perfect June day recently, several of my landscape designer...

“We are always too busy for our children. We lavish gifts upon them; but the most precious gift, our personal association, which means so much to them, we give grudgingly.” —Mark Twain I had the privilege of being sworn in as a member of the...

Think like a plant. The weather might be cool one day, really hot the next day. And your plants are growing like mad in order to reproduce, which is their life’s work. All this takes water, which is the elixir of life for us...

“Gold is the money of kings, silver is the money of gentlemen, barter is the money of peasants—but debt is the money of slaves.” —Ron Paul Speculation or Responsible Investing? Responsible investors don’t buy commodities for short-term gains or gamble against professionals on squiggles of price...

Taking care of your mental health doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. Small, simple actions that turn into habits can make a big difference in how you feel and how you handle life’s stressors. Whether you're a busy parent, a student juggling responsibilities,...

Want to be able to walk outside and pick some flowers to take to a friend’s house or bring inside to enjoy yourself? Not long ago I was looking around my own little garden for good flowers to cut for a bouquet. I had...