“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?'” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.   Autumn – September through December – feels like a wonderful time to focus on service. Many schools integrate service and helping others into...

September is National Hunger Month, so I wanted to share some simple ways to get involved. 1. This one is easy: Join Team No Kid Hungry at nokidhungry.org. 2. Spread Awareness. One in 5 (that’s 16 million) children in the U.S. struggle with hunger. Help raise awareness. Share information about...

Through blogging and focusing on kindness, I’ve connected with Sheila of Pennies of Time, and I’m grateful for the way she reminds me daily that we can all make a difference: “No matter your age, where you are from, your hobbies, or your background – you can help others.” Her words...

I’ve been glad to see coverage and growing interest in the Chiquita Canyon Landfill, which I think many in the Santa Clarita Valley just don’t think about too often. As a Val Verde resident, I’ve always been very aware of it, and now, with the landfill seeking to expand rather than close as it...

Fifteen years ago I arrived in Cairo, six weeks ahead of my first day of my “study abroad” program at the American University there. I would be staying in a Cairo suburb for four weeks and taking a basic Arabic class. Upon my arrival, I knew little of the language beyond a simple “hello.” My...

As I went through the airport security line, I could tell I moved too slowly, was too deliberate in my process … laptop in this bin, shoes in another, purse in this last one, wheelie suitcase in front and push. The eyes of the woman behind me sent the message that I should be picking up the pace, but...

When the boys and I met up with a friend for a play date at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center, I was expecting the boys to learn many things: names of plants and birds, facts about snakes, little tidbits of the history of the area, etc. What I had not expected was for Sky, age 4-1/2, to learn so much...

Seven summers ago, I was in the final months of training for a 30-mile trail race I planned to do for my 30th birthday. Through my training and run, I was raising money for charity, as well. I was back in Northern California recently, amid some beautiful natural settings with a good friend who also came...

“Gold and Red Memories” a poem for my dad   A Gold Self-Winding Wristwatch hanging on the turn signal switch of a red ’66 Ford Mustang that I “helped you fix up” and that you eventually sold to help pay for me to go to college.   Broad Shoulders that I rode atop...

As we all know, the Santa Clarita Valley is very family-friendly, with special events happening every weekend. It’s also an area with a thriving nonprofit community – which means many fundraising events. Although I support many causes, as a parent on a tight budget and with two young children,...