Columns

I had been tweaking an apple cake recipe for several years and just couldn’t seem to get “it” quite right, until my last effort, and bingo, I finally succeeded when I added sweetened shredded coconut to its batter. Closing my eyes, I took my first...

As a beacon of innovation and enlightenment, TEDx Santa Cruz shines brightly on our community’s horizon, inviting us to explore the depths of human creativity and ingenuity countywide. This year’s theme, “Rising Together,” features 22 talented and insightful individuals sharing their perspectives. TEDx Santa Cruz Firstly,...

As the pandemic wanes, we are moving, going outdoors, connecting and mingling with others because hope is in the air. We are getting full of it. So, I decided to go out on the town, downtown Felton. A Wee-bit of History In the '90s, I moved...

Hopefully these cold mornings will be a thing of the past by the time you read this. My plants were much happier right after the rains when nights were mild. I’m waiting patiently for the buds on my pink flowering currant to start showing...

In today’s news and on social media, you've probably heard the phrase, “The Genie is out of the Bottle,” referring to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a “new” technology. But let’s take a step back in time. AI research dates back to the 1950s and...

The current crisis in property insurance merely echoes the financial horrors of the CZU fires worsened by the catastrophic legal environment for rebuilding cherished homes. Leading insurers like Farmers, State Farm and USAA are cutting back on California home insurance and our area is...

Summer has arrived, finally. Seems like it took long enough to get here, but I’m enjoying the warmer weather. The sun is shining, the bees are buzzing and the scent of fragrant flowers fills the air. While hiking recently in Oregon, I encountered many Mock...

I love it when a nice reader takes the time to call me to suggest a topic they’d like to see me write about or remind them what needs to be done at a certain time of year. Take Helen, who lives in Spring...

Alaska, where the Crows created the world And the Ravens brought the sunlight - Native quote I have been in Alaska and my hometown of Aberdeen, Washington for the past two weeks and my traveling shoes are beginning to show serious wear, not to mention wear on...

Millions of Americans are affected by mental health conditions every year. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 21%—experiences mental illness in a given year; and we know this is increasingly an issue...