Editor, I loved Susan Velasquez’ column today (“A Season for Change,” Arts, May 10 edition). Had my name, the band concert, the Laguna Tunes, the Healthy Girls Festival and all the news of each expressed so well. I think her writing is exquisite and I look forward to reading what she says and the way [...]
Creating A Social Future My eldest daughter, Lisa, shared a profound insight about the differing parenting experiences between herself and her sister Jennica. “Mom, I realize that I have been a lazy parent in a lot of ways, simply because I could get away with it since my children fall within the ‘norm’ in [...]
Slip-Sliding Away My mother is in her 90th year and lives in Houston, Tex. Three weeks ago, she had her appendix removed, spent three days in intensive care and seven more in the hospital regaining her ability to breathe without a ventilator. From there, she was moved to a skilled nursing facility where she [...]
The Problem Express The topic of how to care without becoming overwhelmed by problems that aren’t yours has surfaced more than a few times in my consulting work lately. Let’s take a look at this common dilemma. Check and see if you are being held hostage by your capacity to care. Caring about others is [...]
Ways of Seeing I moved to Laguna Beach back in 1986 because this is a small town with big opportunities for involvement in a community lifestyle. This week, I stopped by the Wyland Gallery and met someone new to me. Krissie Marriner is a beautiful woman with a sparkling smile. She wore a bright purple [...]
Stepping Courageously into the Future The Laguna Beach Woman’s Club, located on St. Ann’s Drive, is in a creative mode. They’ve added a free monthly speaker series. The events are both free and easy. No long night meetings or early morning appointments. No expensive lunch dates. The intent of this noon meet-up that happens on [...]
Exercising Your Own Voice My friend of 38 years came to stay with me. She needed to get away from home. She is 90 and recently had a mild stroke. Though the damage done is almost imperceptible, she has had to do physical and speech therapies to regain the mental and physical strength lost. All [...]
Funeral Divas Just Want To Have Fun By Susan McNeal Velasquez On March 27, my Aunt Marie died at age 89. She lived in New York City and had Alzheimer’s disease. Her husband was her sole caregiver. As death approached, many decisions had to be made, and I became his long-distance partner. It has been [...]
Funeral Divas Just Want To Have Fun On March 27, my Aunt Marie died at age 89. She lived in New York City and had Alzheimer’s disease. Her husband was her sole caregiver. As death approached, many decisions had to be made, and I became his long-distance partner. It has been an intense experience of [...]
Your Friendship Quotient “Life without a friend is death without a witness.” (Rose Macaulay-1928) A benefit of living in Laguna is the easy involvement opportunities like the L.B. Woman’s Club or the American Association of University Women (AAUW), to name just two. There are over 150 non-profit organizations contributing to our community. Why not jump [...]
Plain Speaking Mark Dressler, a drama teacher extraordinaire who has supplied leadership for the drama programs at Laguna Beach schools for many years, took the time to write a note to the editor in response to my column of a few weeks ago about the “Think It Over” parenting project at Thurston Middle School. As [...]
Plain Speaking Mark Dressler, a drama teacher extraordinaire who has supplied leadership for the drama programs at Laguna Beach schools for many years, took the time to write a note to the editor in response to my column of a few weeks ago about the “Think It Over” parenting project at Thurston Middle School. As [...]
Think It Over As I reached the Peppertree Lane entrance, the teenage girls standing nearby were regrouping. “Oh my gosh! This man across the street yelled at me, telling me I was filled with sin and I’d be hearing baby cries for the rest of my life!” The girls each had their arms wrapped [...]
Think It Over As I reached the Peppertree Lane entrance, the teenage girls standing nearby were regrouping. “Oh my gosh! This man across the street yelled at me, telling me I was filled with sin and I’d be hearing baby cries for the rest of my life!” The girls each had their arms wrapped [...]
An educational and informative program devoted to mother-daughter communication will be held on Thursday, Jan. 21, at the Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach. Three speakers, all mothers of daughters and all trained professionals, will share practical information and answer questions on a topic that challenges many women today. Co-sponsored by the Woman’s Club and the American Association of University Women, this program is the [...]
Ill Prepared Hiker Rescued from Hillside
A sheriff’s helicopter was used to extract a hiker who suffered an anxiety attack and was unable to move from a steep trail in Laguna Beach’s open space about 6 p.m. Sunday, June 9, police said. Lifeguards in an all-terrain vehicle coordinated the extraction from thick brush and a steep slope between Alta Laguna Park [...]
