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We were just at the outlets in Gilroy and went into a store. The air conditioner was blasting and they had all four doors open at the business. Why would they leave the doors open when it was in the high-80s?

Five photographs previously taken by local photographers have inspired five stories written by local playwrights.  In addition, five different stories written by local playwrights have inspired five new photographs taken by local photographers.  All are brought to life in ten 10-minute plays as The Tabard Theatre Company continues its 2014-2015 season themed “It’s All About Perspective!” October 10 through 25, with an exhilarating New Works production titled 10 IN 10 PERSPECTIVE!

On Sept. 28, an important nonprofit organization held an open house/fiesta in Gilroy. Informed Choices, a pregnancy resource center, welcomed the community to visit its new facility located at 66 First St.

It is no secret that this is my favorite time of year for vegetables. A visit to any farm stand or farmers market here in the South Valley will yield a plethora of items just in from the fields. The variety of colors, flavors and textures become my muse in the kitchen. This week, I share how many of these seasonal vegetables can find its way into a very tasty, healthy and economic dish.

Recently, my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. I won’t say which one—but I was 5 when we married. Really. Anyway, I’m not the most romantic of people—possibly due to the trauma of being married before I finished kindergarten. So I was thrilled when I got a new toaster for my anniversary. I even picked it out.

The journals and other writings of the first Europeans to reach the American West describe an amazing abundance of wildlife. Massive bison herds running at a full gallop took an hour to pass. Grizzly bears, pronghorn, elk, and beaver were regular and common sights. At each equinox, the skies were dark with migrating waterfowl.

“Why are we continuing to build and we're in a drought? I got my water bill today and it said ‘drought alert.’ Why would the city allow people to keep building houses so they can spread what little water we have for the community members who live here to use? As a tax paying community member, I'm not happy about that. If we're in a drought, don't add more people. We need to get some fresh people in there making the decisions. They need to halt all that building.”

Well, it’s the end of the road. After three years and more than 50 columns, it is time for me to say goodbye. What started out as a dare from my best friends when I was in between jobs turned into a passion for recognizing and promoting our local wineries.

I am enjoying my morning coffee when I hear a sickening thud and the sound of something lightly sliding down the kitchen window. The window shakes ever so slightly. Before I can even look up from my newspaper, I realize a bird has struck the window. Looking outside, I see a trembling, dazed mockingbird on the walkway below. Fortunately, he is on his feet. I watch him for a few minutes to be sure none of my neighbor's cats, who claim my yard as their own, find him. In a few minutes, thankfully, he is airborne again—hopefully wiser about windows and no worse for wear.

Most of us have furniture pieces that are a mix of styles but often our rooms end up looking like a mish-mash rather than the eclectic look we want. Mixing traditional and contemporary styles can be a little tricky, but it's also a fun way to experiment with contrasts. By being aware of proportion and having an element that links the different styles, you can achieve a unique design scheme to suit your taste.