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School is officially back in session. A new school year can also bring new stressors. New teachers, new classmates, new routines. Change can be hard. We all want our children to succeed in school, and there are some specific things parents can do to...

I have always been in awe over the way the elderly citizens of Japan are taken care of by their families as mothers and fathers become grandmas and grandpas, their faces no longer smooth and supple, but because of age, wrinkles have become the...

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” —Eleanore Roosevelt My traveling shoes had taken me to Washington State; I was on my way to my hometown of Aberdeen for a class reunion. While waiting in the train station in Lacey, I had purchased a...

I like to keep up with new garden research as well as the new trends. We humans started growing food about 12,000 years ago when we shifted from nomadic hunter gatherer lifestyles to settled farming. This happened independently in places like the Fertile Crescent,...

“All of us at some time or other, need help. Whether we are giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors in our own ways, each...

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. This disorder has particular meaning to me because when I married my dear wife Beth, I gained not only a wonderful wife but also an equally incredible Down syndrome brother-in-law named Danny. Coincidentally, Danny had been a patient...

We’ve been told this all our lives, but today’s lesson came from a reader in Scotts Valley who shared a harrowing experience she and her husband had when removing the tall, massive flower spike of their century plant (Agave americana). The birds must have...

Summer is finally here! At the end of May, many students were excited to finish their school year. Particularly excited were the fifth graders, eighth graders and high school seniors who advanced to the next chapter in their lives—either to a new school or...

I love Asparagus, whether fresh or canned, or green, purple or white. And I just recently discovered that asparagus seems to resonate with people and their likes and dislikes, much the same way as do brussels sprouts. Asparagus falls into the “love it or...

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,...