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The shy smiles of anticipation, the joyous laughter, the aroma of tamales, the sound of Santa ringing his bell as he arrives, the excitement in the air: This is what makes Christmas for me here in Gilroy.  

“I just let the music come from my soul; it don’t matter if you’re young or you’re old. Down, down, do your dance, do your dance.”

The truly great thing about our community is the caring spirit for those less fortunate that goes beyond what I have experienced in any other community in which I have lived. This time of year, everyone is gearing up for the cold winter months ahead and working to make them more bearable for those living on low incomes. The Compassion Center, St. Joseph’s Family Center, the Salvation Army, and the temporary winter shelter for the homeless at the National Guard Armory are all in full swing in preparation for the upcoming winter months. Our caring community inspires even those who live beyond our borders to reach out and donate.     

“Traveling the Trans-Siberian Railway is on my bucket list as something to do before I kick the bucket!” Gilroy’s Pastor Paul Sweet laughed as he began his presentation at the United Methodist Church on Tuesday, Oct. 9, about his September trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway. A train buff, he had always had the dream of making this trip in his lifetime. But being a full-time pastor and a district superintendent in the United Methodist Church for many years made it a challenge.

This summer my husband Steve became a tomato evangelist. Every day when I come home, I find him out in the garden, communing with his tomato plants. It all began when our neighbor (a paramedic and an avid amateur gardener very aptly named Denise Gardner) gave us six heirloom tomato plants she had germinated from seeds.

I was shocked by the sad news this past week that astronaut Sally Ride passed away all too soon at the age of 61 from pancreatic cancer.

As Father’s Day approaches, I am hit with the realization that Don Quixote is the perfect image for my dad. I hadn't thought of it before, but it is so true. He was so imaginative, so creative, and so full of stories and ideas all the time. He was like a walking encyclopedia. He wanted to do things he couldn't possibly do, and he had a very thin grasp on reality sometimes – he was off tilting at windmills.

What if they gave a free concert series and no one came? Well, not no one, but not as many as we would have hoped would come out in enthusiastic support of such an excellent showcase of South Valley talent. 

“Every mile I conquer will be more meaningful because I’m doing this for something greater – for a cause I truly believe in. Most of us have been touched by cancer in some way,” Gilroy’s marathon man Manual Haro says. “This is my way of fighting back against a disease that has taken too much.”

If you’d like to do something fun yet meaningful while also benefiting others in need for St. Patrick’s Day, “Musi-Kaleidoscope” is a new, five program series showcasing professional musicians from the South Valley. This joint project of the United Methodist Church and the Music Academy at the corner of Fourth and Church streets near downtown Gilroy features the talent of your neighbors who will offer their favorite music in family-friendly concerts.