Columns

My Uncle Eli, having been born in Stavanger, Norway, had fishing in his blood, so to speak, and for as long as I knew him, every Salmon fishing season, uncle would spend Saturday’s fishing alongside the banks of the Chehalis River in Centralia Washington,...

“The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson Eighteen years ago my sweet Hubby Norm and I, after months of soul-searching to determine if that was the right time to downsize and be nearer to our children, we made...

I lost a dear “friend” sometime during the storms in January, which day or night I’ll never know…I wasn’t privy to its demise. I only know the evening during which I realized my friend Snag had disappeared from the horizon. My hubby Norm and I...

Spring IS here, at least according to the calendar. Weather Underground has predicted rain or the chance of rain for many of the remaining days this month.  There are so many things I want to do out in the garden, and the weather is getting...

The Fiscal Year 2023-24 City of Scotts Valley budget includes cautious revenue assumptions as we continue to face inflation and economic uncertainty. The last year has been marked with rebuilding and resilience as we fully emerge from the global pandemic, while experiencing ongoing economic...

Summers are getting hotter and hotter. Our winters are colder. Climate change is affecting our gardens, too. You might be on the right track of sustainability and stewardship of the environment but can you do more? How can we live more in harmony with nature?...

The TEDx Santa Cruz event on April 13 showcased remarkable stories under the theme, “Rising Together.” Among the speakers, Stephen Will Weir stood out with his profound insights into the detrimental effects of fast fashion on our planet. His speech enlightened and inspired action,...

Outside my front door are several Overdam Feather Reed Grasses that are spectacular when backlit by late afternoon sun. What’s not to love about a stunning variegated grass with white and green stripes? During the summer, pink flower plumes sway above the foliage. Now...

When you have kids who live in L.A., you find a way to visit that city on a regular basis. And when you add a sweet granddaughter to the mix, the visitation intervals really intensify. I am not, however, a fan of the drive.  I...

Hand pies are such an ingenious way to create an individual pie without the problems of serving and the opportunity of various fillings. These freeze and travel well. In my aunt’s kitchen, hand pies came with left-over pie dough and the filling from the original...