Community

From supplying water pump bicycles to undeveloped countries to empowering impoverished women and orphans, Bob Pagett, the founding president of Scotts Valley-based Assist International, learned about giving at an early age.

I never want summer to end. Who doesn't love those long days and warm nights? The calendar might say fall is near, but Indian summer is one of our best seasons so I love this time of year. But, then I get all excited when spring rolls around and everything is in bloom. It's all good. I have a check list of some garden tasks I need to do at this time of year, so I’d better get to them between hiking and trips to the beach.

I plan to turn over a new leaf next year. I'm talking about gardening. The rest of my New Year's resolutions are too numerous to list here! I wish I could tell you that I'll never put in another plant that might freeze during the winter. I wish I could tell you that I'll really start that compost pile this year and duke it out with the raccoons. I wish I could tell you I'll make more garden journal entries and not rely on sketchy memories. But the reality is gardening shouldn't be so much about regrets. It's about the delight we get from coaxing plants from the earth. A garden reflects our lives; there’s always room for growth as well as reflection.