I am starting right off by attempting to answer an email which was sent to me just recently. “How can I add 20 more yards off the tee?” The 20 yards you are looking for is somewhere out there and I will be the first to say that it might be an equipment issue. Ball …

Often, a small child’s first favorite outfit is a sports uniform, and middle-aged men and women can be seen wearing team jerseys and other logo apparel at professional and college games throughout the Bay Area. In the world of sports, uniforms can provide a rallying point for fans, especially considering the rate at which players …

Q: I have eighteen African Violet plants. They are healthy and growing in a well lit room. So why can’t I get them to bloom again? A: The most common reason why African Violets do not bloom is low light intensity. They require good indirect light all year. The light intensity can be reduced by …

Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. The angle of the light and the colors of the fall foliage make the world feel warm and embracing. It is always a period of personal reflection, and I frequently mail pre-holiday gratitude letters. But to reflect back on 2009—to encapsulate this particular year in a …

Endless to-do lists, long lines, traffic jams, frazzled nerves, short-tempered drivers—rushing…rushing…rushing…or is it dashing…dashing…dashing to survive another holiday? Sound familiar? Then you may find that your holiday cheer has turned into holiday fear: fear of survival, not having enough cash or credit for presents, fear of not being skinny enough to fit into your cocktail …

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN The holidays are filled with parties and festivities with friends and family. The best part of going out is accenting our personal style and having fun getting ready and dressed up. It is fun styling our hair a little differently and getting an update on make-up techniques. If it’s …

December is often little more than a blur on the calendar. It takes a concerted effort to slow down and keep our lives in balance: to get enough rest, keep stress to a minimum, and to not only eat well, but eat right. Now more than ever, it makes sense to patronize our local farmers’ …

The Peasant and the Pear hosted its annual “Customer Appreciation Party” on November 16, to thank loyal patrons and to help feed the hungry. Admission to the party? Customers were asked to bring some canned goods or other nonperishables to help stock the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano Counties. Joan Tomasini, a coordinator …

This has been one of the toughest years in recent memory. We have been faced with unemployment, health issues, the military conflict in the Middle East and Adam Lambert winning American Idol. On a more local level, the housing market is still sluggish, our school system lack funds and our professional sports teams are abysmal. …

There is a friend who is a “zoo” guy. He loves going to and exploring zoos. At most of our get-togethers the topic of zoos comes up. Admittedly it is rarely me that introduces the subject, but rest assured he is always ready with a new zoo tale—no pun intended. Now during most of these …