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Sweet, plump and in demand, Santa Clara Valley dried fruits continue to make taste buds tingle after all these years.

SAN JOSE – A berth in the Stanley Cup Final, 25 years in the making for the San Jose organization and fans, came true in the closing seconds of the game Wednesday night at SAP Center.

Gypsy, the musical taken from the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee by Arthur Laurents became a smash on Broadway with its music and lyrics by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim. The incomparable Ethel Merman starred as Rose in this vehicle in 1959 and it has been entertaining audiences ever since. In 1962 Gypsy was made into a successful movie with Rosalind Russell as Rose.

The South Bay is abundant with an astonishing variety of avian life. The captivating hobby of birdwatching allows you to discover and appreciate the marvelous diversity of wildlife all around us. At the water’s edge you may see a majestic Great Blue Heron or a reclusive American Bittern; you will learn how to tell the difference between Great and Snowy Egrets; you might be surprised by a crested blue-and-white Belted Kingfisher suddenly diving into the water and emerging with a fish.

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the cornerstones to living a healthy lifestyle, but it’s a message that sometimes falls on deaf ears. Don’t be one of those people who brags about being able to accomplish a lot despite being sleep-deprived—you’ll pay for it in the long run.The reality is a lack of sleep is counterproductive. Research has clearly shown that adequate sleep—seven to eight hours a night for most people—helps us to stay sharp, perform mental tasks more effectively and commit information to memory, according to a recent post in the USNews.com health section.Sleep also improves mood and quality of life. If you need any more convincing to prioritize sleep—and why would you?—here are four more reasons to put sleep at the top of your list. Sleep keeps appetite hormones in checkYour body has hunger hormones—ghrelin and leptin—and they’re thrown out of whack when sleep is cut short. Leptin, which is produced by fat cells, decreases your appetite. Ghrelin is a hormone that increases appetite. A lack of shut-eye means an increase in ghrelin levels, or appetite, and a decrease in leptin.Studies have also shown that people tend to choose foods higher in calories and fats, or comfort foods, after getting minimal rest. Health experts have said there is clearly a link between obesity and a lack of sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, more than 35 percent of adults are obese and about 30 percent get less than six hours of sleep a night (which is considered a “partial sleep deprivation”).Sleep fights off coldsA 2015 study published in the journal Sleep revealed that people who regularly sleep six hours or less each day were four times more likely to get a cold than people who slept just an hour longer. The research revealed that inadequate sleep was the most important factor in predicting who would get sick after being exposed to the cold virus.“Sleep is part of our own nature’s defense against illness,” M. Safwan Badr said in a September 2015 NBCNews.com health article. Badr is a doctor and former president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and chief of the division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit.Growing while you sleepAthletes and hard-core workout aficionados might want to take notice of this one. If you want to get stronger and faster, you better not skimp on sleep. That’s because your muscles only grow while you’re in deep slumber. That’s right, the best exercise routine and nutritional plan won’t do you a lick of good unless you’re supplementing that with a great night’s rest.If you’re in the gym hoisting some serious iron, you’re actually creating tears in the muscle fiber. For the muscle fiber to grow and get bigger, they must be repaired, and that only happens during sleep. An endurance athlete who completes a tough interval workout will only reap benefits from the exercise session if they get some serious shut-eye.Why? Endurance training stimulates physiological adaptations, but in order to make the most of these adaptations, proper rest is required.Brains need restSleep not only helps you physically, but mentally as well. As we sleep, the brain recharges. Taxing workouts take a toll on us mentally.A rested brain means a more motivated and focused brain. Without proper rest, it’s going to make it that much tougher to meet your exercise goals. If you’re not making sleep a high priority, start now. Cut down on caffeine, which disrupts sleep quality and quantity. Establish a bedtime routine, and make sure to turn off all electronic devices at least 15 minutes before bedtime. Studies have shown that the light coming from the screen of your smartphone or laptop may stop the body from producing melatonin, a hormone essential to restful sleep.

As humankind has expanded its reach, wildlife and the natural world have retreated. Only recently have we realized our power to exhaust the resources of a world we once thought limitless. What we had previously struggled to conquer, now needs to be saved.

When Cindy Lauper, (music and lyrics) and Harvey Fierstein (book) started to create Kinky Boots they never imagined that they would walk away with six Tony Awards, making Lauper the first woman to win a solo Tony for best score.Kinky Boots is one of those feel-good shows that keeps you smiling throughout the performance. It sends a well-worn preachy message “to accept everyone for what they are,” and the show makes it a fun lesson because of the music, vigorous cast and wild choreography.The play is based on a true story and movie about a failing men’s shoe factory in a town near London. Charlie (a charming Adam Kaplan) leaves his father’s business to work in London, only to return to sell the business when his father passes away. He finds, of course, that the workers depend on their jobs. He accidently meets Lola (an amazing J. Harrison Ghee), a bright, wild in-control drag queen who needs boots with heels that will support him/her and his cast in his show. The story goes on to acceptance and unacceptance of the situation, of the workers and people in the business.The show moves at a break-neck pace with chorography by director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell and wild, eye-catching costumes by Gregg Barnes. The dexterous number that has everyone leaping from one moving assembly line machine to another was a unique, clever piece of business.Lola’s act at her club consists of six dancing drag queens that make the best looking women on the planet look drab.For an evening of just plain well-done fun, laughs and a life lesson Kinky Boots is   extraordinary.Kinky Boots  Where: Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor Street, San FranciscoRunning Time:  2 hours, 20 minutes with one 15-minute intermissionPerformances Through May 22For tickets and information call 888-746-1799 or visit www.shnsf.com.

Ornamental shrubs, trees, lawns, and countless unknown plants fill most landscapes. These plants provide shade, beauty, and erosion protection, but you can’t eat them.As older plants are replaced, or new areas are developed, consider adding edible plants to the landscape. Often more flavorful than grocery store produce, homegrown edibles come in all shapes and sizes, making it easy to match any landscape design. Gardens are not limited to traditional rows of tilled soil. Even if all you have is a balcony or a sunny window, you can grow edible plants.What do these plants need?Nutrient-rich soil, adequate water and 6-8 hours of direct sunlight are all that’s needed by most plants. Our soil in the South Valley tends to be heavy clay, which holds more water than other soil types, but it can be a tough barrier for young roots. Adding compost and mulching your soil will make it more hospitable and productive. If you have shady areas, mint, blackberries, chives, spinach and parsley can be planted. Before planting, be sure to read and follow the directions for specific planting depth, sun and water needs and spacing. Mature plant sizes should be kept in mind, too. Some of those tiny seeds turn into really big plants.Many edible plants can be grown in containers, towers, or repurposed pallets. While there are lots of vertical or container gardens for sale, when adding edibles to a landscape a little creativity can go a long way to keep from spending a lot of money. Leaky buckets, broken down wheelbarrows, plastic coffee tubs and even old boots can be used as planting containers. Just make sure there is adequate drainage.Raised beds are easy to make. They have the added benefit of being easier to weed and work than traditional garden beds. They also allow the soil to get and stay warm sooner, extending the growing season.Salad makingsLettuce, spinach, radishes, arugula, onions, garlic, fennel, cucumber, tomatoes and peppers can be added to most landscapes. Alternating green Romaine and red leaf lettuces make a lovely border. Repeat planting can provide many months of edible landscape. Cucumbers, squash and melons can be trained up a fence or trellis, providing beautiful greenery and blooms, plus a surprising bounty of food.Culinary herbsHerbs are very easy to grow and most of them require little to no care once they are established. Tender basil is an exception, but its flavor more than makes up for the effort. Thyme, lavender, lemon balm, chives, lemon grass, parsley, cilantro and sage all grow well from seed. Most of these plants are perennial, which means they will last for many years. Instead of traditional house plants, mint and oregano drape beautifully from a hanging planter and they add flavor to many favorite foods. They can be paired with a more upright plant, such as chives, to make the most of the space, add texture and provide twice as much food.Fruits and nutsFruit and nut trees, bramble fruits, and vines add value to property and they produce delicious edibles each year. Dwarf fruit trees can be grown on balconies in containers. Bramble fruits, such as raspberry or blackberry can be grown along a fence, providing extra protection along with luscious fruit. Instead of an ornamental trumpet vine over your pergola, why not plant grapes? Just picture those sweet clusters hanging above your head, only an arm’s reach away. Kate Russell is a Santa Clara County Master Gardener. To learn more about edible gardening from your local UCCE Master Gardeners, check out the Vegetable Planting Chart for Santa Clara County at mastergardeners.org/vegetable-planting-chart. Free talks are regularly offered to the public. For more information, check the events page at mastergardeners.org/upcoming-events. For gardening questions, ask at mastergardeners.org/ask-a-question or call (408) 282-3105 between 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“Do you think this is it?” The Husband asked, a little sadly, the first night.

The special thing about Henry W. Coe State Park is also the most difficult thing. It is big, really big.