I have a pet maranta. It doesn’t have legs or a mouth but it can say “good night.” When it’s dark this common houseplant closes its leaves, unfolding them the next day with the light. Because it’s easy to grow, my prayer plant, the common name, is one of my favorites. Doesn’t hurt that the foliage is an absolute stunner with vivid red veins over a two-tone green background.

Well, it’s happened again — the sun made its way around our planet once more. As the calendar turns to a New Year these are some of my thoughts for 2018.

I spent my tender years in the small seacoast town of Aberdeen, Washington — a town filled with lumbermen and fishermen and smells of freshly harvested lumber and the fishy smells of the sea just a few minutes away by car.

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the garden,

Second Harvest Food Bank brought public servants and community volunteers together on Monday to make sure families in need are able to have a Christmas dinner.

A citizens group took over an important holiday tradition in Scotts Valley for the first time this year.

The Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce announced the recipients of their annual awards — including a Navy veteran, new favorite spot for Greek food and two community leaders who have helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local causes.

Kids from Baymonte Christian School may have a new item for their wish list — a hula hoop. Physical education teacher Patrice Fernald introduced “hooping” as a fitness activity for the kids and it has taken off. Last week Fernald and the school hosted the Good Golly Miss Molly Hooping Honeys troupe from Santa Cruz to come and teach the students new tricks.