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The Love Connection   Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year so the excuse that your business schedule is grueling isn’t going to fly. Let’s do a quick exploration of your current thoughts and feelings regarding this subjective holiday that will require an...

My Global Girls  The International Terminal at LAX was crowded with those of us waiting for the next wave of arriving passengers. I kept my eyes glued on the sloping walkway as the top-heavy carts of passengers, freed from customs, made their way up the ramp. My youngest...

  In the Home Stretch   The current City Council race has captured my attention. The level of commitment and involvement required of all seven candidates is both impressive and daunting. I’ve attended three of the forums and as a result, specific qualifications...

Moonlight Becomes You The moon has been my companion the past few nights. It dapples the covers on my bed so that it casts both light and shadows, nudging me awake and then giving me a reprieve as long as I don’t disappear into a deep sleep. Apparently, it enjoys my...

The Courage To Be Open The health of our relationships hinges on our skill in the art of openness. Openness is a powerful force that must be treated with respect and used responsibly. Blurting out the first thought that randomly bubbles to the surface of our mind is a sure...

Peace of Mind in Stressful Times   The tragedy of 9/11 sits in the background at the start of each September. The daily newscasts inform us of all the threats worldwide. Then there are the personal challenges we each face. Bombardment of outside threats that we have no power to...

Editor, Kudos to Ann for her wise counsel (Letters, Aug. 29). As the political race for the open council seats heats up, I hope we, as responsible community members, look beneath the surface so that we can listen for a deeper message that surpasses  “stirring men’...

The Temple of Memory Attics and basements were a staple of most houses on the East Coast, where I was brought up. The attic was often stifling hot, cramped and suffocating. You would ascend a steep, narrow stairway, a storage box held precariously in hand, and deposit it in the...

Unsolicited Opinions Advice giving is becoming a runaway habit in our society. I suspect it is on the rise in direct proportion to the decline of a general code of accepted behaviors that fall into the old-fashioned category of manners and politeness. Since our local political...

Are You Running On Empty? When life was more leisurely, summer was a time for increased relaxation and ease. Today, many of us are speeding down the highway of life at breakneck speeds, demanding that we operate in full-on problem solving mode but with the added pressure that we...

  The theme of the Pageant of the Masters 2014 is “The Art Detective.” Pageant Director Diane Challis was asked: “Who is the art detective?” Her reply? “Anyone who suffers from a case of curiosity. Anyone who is driven to ask who, what, where, when and...

  The festival season officially starts this week. Along with the excitement of the summer activities, comes the pervasive ritual that has been honed to a fine art for many of us who have the privilege to call ourselves locals. The Sawdust Festival preview party marks the...

  It is time again to formally honor our fathers. The masculine principle is imbued with the task of establishing our ethics and morality. It fulfills its function as a sharp tool of learning what actions and controls are necessary to manifest right choices in our lives. When...

  Imagine that your mind is like a recorder. It has play, rewind, pause, instant re-play, fast-forward and stop buttons. Most of us overuse the play and instant replay. We play out our daily dramas and do instant replay on the drive home, particularly on the parts th...

I am a daughter. I am a mother. I am a grandmother. Soon I will be a great-grandmother. My four daughters are currently immersed in the swirl of active child raising. I, on the other hand, now have a walk-on part instead of a lead role on the motherhood stage. My mother lived...