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It’s not too late, but time is running out if you’re looking to add fruit and nut trees, berries and vegetables to your garden while they’re still available in bare root. Did you know just how long that new fruit tree will be around...

Starting one’s own business is an archetypal American dream and I have personally prepared Schedule C proprietorships as small as part-time jewelry sales gigs or as large as a property management business that pulled in over a million dollars a year. Twenty percent of returns...

“The Old has gone, the New is here.” —2 Corinthians I have just wished you, dear readers, “prosperity” in the Chinese language—Fú—a greeting that we need now, more than ever, with the rising prices today. On Feb. 10, Asian peoples will be celebrating their most important...

I’m embarrassed to confess that I don’t always take my own advice. Take my houseplants, for instance. Decades of research have shown that houseplants reduce stress and anxiety. They can sharpen our attention, make us more productive and give us a happier outlook. They...

What is self-care and how many of us incorporate self-care in our lives? Self-care means a conscious act you take in order to promote your own physical, mental and emotional health. Practicing self-care isn’t always easy, but it is essential. Most of us claim we...

Hula, Rosie Chalmer’s dog, a breed of dogs known as Louisiana’s Hunting dogs, Catahoula, came into my life six months after I lost my beloved hubby Norm. But wait…this is NOT about my life, this is about Hula herself, and about Hula and her...

On this rainy day, I’m picturing my garden and deck this summer filled with colorful flowers. The bumblebees will be happy, the hummingbirds will be happy, I'll be happy. Or will I?  I recently read about a study in France that suggests that humans are...

“Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge penned these words in the “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” He referred to a fateful ocean voyage in the 1800s, but it could very well reflect our need for clean drinking water today. To...

Homeowners may gloat at long-term home price growth, but others struggle to enjoy the blessings of mountain home ownership. Redfin states: “In November 2023, Santa Cruz home prices were down 20.8% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $1.2M.” With interest rates...

How many times have I uttered the words “if only” during my lifetime. I had been shopping at Safeway last week for a 10-pound pork shoulder roast, and while putting that roast into my refrigerator, I uttered, “if only” I had bought two, the price...