Inspired by Mama Scout, I selected a guiding word for 2014. That word was compassion. As the year has gone on, I’ve seen how important compassion is and how appropriate the word feels for this year. With the marking of another 9/11 anniversary, I circled back to this word and felt the weight of its...

Keeping it simple this week with a gratitude list. My 37th birthday is coming up, so I decided to focus on all things positive and make a list of 37 things I’m grateful for in or near the Santa Clarita Valley. Enjoy, and then share your favorite things, too. 1. So many wonderful parks for my kids to...

“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...

Summertime According to Sky, Age 4 Summer is a time to play games like Star Wars Lego, baseball and soccer, too. It’s a time to watch movies together as a family, like “The Lego Movie.” In the summer, I love to dance and play with Legos, and my favorite thing this summer is when we went to Long...

Cassie Nguyen, a pediatric brain cancer survivor, University of California-Riverside student and American Cancer Society ambassador and advocate, is also a Donald A. Strauss Public Service Scholarship Honoree. She received a $10,000 scholarship to fund her unique public service project: Spotlight On...

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...