In Poland, you greet someone by saying “dzien dobry,” which means hello or good day. You hear it at every restaurant and market, and even high on a mountain trail. I had a hard time trying to pronounce the Slavic words with so many consonants, but I used this phrase daily. So began my adventures to visit the gardens and natural landscapes in Poland earlier this month.

- Submit Datebook items to [email protected] or drop off press releases or photos at 5215 Scotts Valley Drive, Ste. F, Scotts Valley 95066. Deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Entries are subject to editing, and publication is not guaranteed.

- Scarlette Justine Scott Stephens was born at 10:05 p.m. Aug. 14, 2012, to Theresa Marie Scott and Shad Edwards Stephens of Boulder Creek. Scarlette weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces when she arrived at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz.

Scotts Valley Host Lions Club

Last year, my daughter complained to me about back pain. I wasn’t sure what was causing her discomfort until one day when I had to lift her school backpack out of my car. I almost threw my own back out.

EDITOR:

Until about eight years ago, not a single bunch of kale, collards or Swiss chard made its way into my grocery cart. Those giant coarse leaves intimidated me. I had no idea how to cook them, and I wasn’t even sure if I would like them.