By Jane Valencia Spring is here, and behold! Many of our beloved herbs are in vibrant form, with new leaves unfurling and some actually in flower. This is a fine time for you and your children to forage for herbs, as the new growth that beckons us mirrors the vitality the plants impart to us….
By Amber Matusky In the first weeks and months after a baby is born, sleep is elusive and fragmented at best. Newborns need to feed frequently and parents are on high alert, tending to their infant’s needs. Sleep is a basic human need, and long-term sleep deficiency can have a negative impact on parents’ mental…
By Andy Valencia This article is a early “heads up” on some very interesting research coming out of Germany. Dr. Michael Nehls is a physician, as well as a molecular geneticist, and has been chasing population-level brain health issues for many years. He is a published author with works in the area of Alzheimer’s disease, for…
By NIchole Banducci I love a good salad. They’re such a great opportunity to cram a bunch of veggies into one meal, while delivering on flavor. Bonus points for a salad that can hold its own at any time of year. This hearty antioxidant salad certainly makes the grade! To me, each salad needs to…
By Marjorie Watkins and Suzanna Leigh Marjorie With the thermometer on my balcony reading 40 degrees, the temperature in the kitchen is cool enough to make a baked dish for dinner. How about a custard or a quiche? People have been eating mixtures of eggs and milk heated to thicken them since at least ancient…
By Daniel Hooker Q. How do you ask a country girl out on a date. A. Attract ‘er! ~ Q. You know it’s springtime when you look out your window and you see two black birds stuck together. A. And then it snows, and you realize they were just vell-crows. They stick together until the…
In Sycamore Park A narrow path overseen by a few metal benches leads to the massive wonder this place is named for, limbs the size of trunks, and a plaque that dates it back to 1650. Today, beneath that great latticework of shade, my friends discuss what is known about the communal network of roots. Even a stump, otherwise dead, still shares what it…
By Eva DeLoach The beans we cherish most come from older varietals grown in high mountain altitudes, where they thrive without the use of pesticides. Here, the coffee plants are allowed to adapt naturally to their environment, resulting in beans infused with deep, complex flavors. But it’s not just the growing conditions that contribute to…
Update 3/14/2024 5:00PM… turns out this is the creation of local artist Matt Beursken, whose previous fame was that troll costume you saw last Halloween. He doesn’t really want to sell the saucer and alien, but he has some expenses coming up. The UFO started out as a satellite dish, and had been partially converted…
By Marc J. Elzenbeck Call me stupid. My auto and home insurance stayed nearly unchanged for the most part of a decade, with only minor upticks reflecting an occasional policy adjustment. Towing coverage was added on a couple vehicles, plus a separate umbrella covering teenager mishap, malfeasance, or vandalism. Starting in January 2022, both basics…