Uncategorized

When it comes to history, I’m always entertained by uncovering the surprising chain of connections that link the past with the present. To illustrate this game of connect the historic dots, let’s take this year’s centennial celebration of Silicon Valley’s Villa Montalvo estate and connect it, along a winding avenue, to the reign of the great Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne.

What does it mean when a wine is “balanced?” It’s a wine that incorporates all its main components – tannins, acid, sweetness and alcohol – in a manner where no one single component stands out. Tannins come from grape skins, seeds, stems and oak barrels - it’s the astringent taste you get when you have bitten into a grape seed. Tannins give body and structure to the wine - too much tannin can be mouth-puckering and drying. The right amount of acids give wines their characteristic crisp, slightly tart taste. Too much acid and the wine can taste sour. A wine with too much sugar will taste cloying and sugary and will not be refreshing. A balanced wine is when all the components work in harmony.

Morgan Hill's Shadow Mountain Baptist Church (17810 Monterey Road) recently announced several special events.

A vital component of effective community leadership is getting feedback from the people who are most impacted by the quality of that leadership. Leaders need to know if what they are doing is working and taking the community in the right direction. If it isn’t working, they need to know the reasons for that failure. They also need to be open to hearing ideas from the public that can improve their organizations.

Come and walk on the ocean floor and experience a colorful, spiritual adventure that is also dramatic, romantic, mysterious and entertaining. This is what the Monterey Bay Aquarium offers in all its wonder. This is a place to savor and enjoy over and over again.