It was Easter Sunday. I was 17 years old. I had a new hat and I was about to go to hell, of that I was certain.

April 1 brought a new season to harvest abalone in California. This comes as no April fools joke; the season is serious for sport fishing. There is no commercial harvest allowed for any abalone in California.

There are so many great plants that don't require a lot of water to look beautiful. It's always a plus if they attract hummingbirds and other wildlife. Some favorites are so reliable that we consider them tried and true. Who doesn't want to include more plants like this in the garden? On the lookout for cultivars of old favorites, I came across a few that I plan to include this year in my own garden and also in upcoming drought tolerant designs. I'm excited.

We human beings spend a great deal of time seeking happiness and avoiding distress; we do this as a constructive means of handling the inherent ambiguities of human life. Contemplative practices like meditation and Mindful Yoga can be a tremendous aid in this endeavor, because they help us rise above life’s inevitable ups and downs. As a veteran yoga student and teacher, I have to come to appreciate my yoga mat as a living laboratory for training my mind. I’ve found that incorporating mindful practices into yoga improves my emotional and physical health.