Looking out your front window at the snow, be assured, spring is coming. Looking at your heating bill you may not believe it but I can assure you, with absolute certainty and without any doubt, spring is coming and one of the first of the springtime celebrations is Saint Valentine's Day where we honor the ones we love. more

Good morning. more

When traveling by air anywhere in the world, most airlines charge an additional fee to carry extra baggage. more

In the ancient rendering of time known as the Christian Church Year, the span of weeks between Jan. 6 (which signals the end of the 12 Days of Christmas) and Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday, known by many as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras—Feb. 21 this year) is called Epiphany, a word meaning “to make known or show forth.” more

In my first column of the new year, I wrote that I had a lot of learning experiences in 2022, ranging from how to style my naturally curly hair to embracing new perspectives. It seems that theme is already carrying over into 2023. more

It’s been a hectic two weeks, so that means it’s time for my next edition of “Quick hits and short takes.” more

What does 2,992 miles have to do with wine? The answer is one you may not believe. It is the distance between California's fine wine-producing region, the Napa Valley, to the North Fork of Long Island, New York, where there are 48 commercial wineries currently in operation and producing some outstanding classical grape wines. more

Even though temperatures do not seem very winter–like some days, the bareness of the winter landscape reveals much about our gardens. more

Ah, yes. I mentioned those elusive New Year’s resolutions at the end of last month’s article with hopes that you would strongly consider making some “environmental” resolutions for 2023. I would also encourage you to plan long-range goals for energy reduction for your home and transportation because the monies available in the Inflation Reduction Act will be ongoing for the next 10 years; plus, there are limits on how much a household can receive in a given year. more

I do not wish to imply that I am a penny pincher, but I have been accused of squeezing a dollar bill so hard that I broke George Washington's nose. Even though I am a wine journalist, I too buy wines and I too look for the best buys. With the disappearance of “Two Buck Chuck'' (Charles Shaw Wines), the last of the quickly made, low-priced wines of dubious quality and the rise in consumer prices that we are currently experiencing, wine, which is often considered a luxury, will be among the very first to suffer. more

Remember at the end of 2019 when we were excited to enter a new decade? Regardless of how the previous 10 years had gone for you, the 2020s seemed like a fresh start, a time to try new things or just another chance to accomplish something. While sure, you can start a new goal on a Tuesday in the middle of the summer, there’s a reason New Year’s resolutions are so popular. And if a new year offers the promise of a clean slate, a new decade only amplifies that feeling. more

Many Christians have just finished celebrating Epiphany. This is the holiday that marks the visit of the Magi to Jesus and marks the end of the Christmas season. The Gospel of Matthew tells us that … more

What is it about human nature that makes us want to jump to conclusions and speak our opinions or theories without first knowing the facts? I see this happen locally in various situations. A young … more

Just as I thought I had found all of the affordable wines currently in the marketplace, I was hit by a French miracle; French wines that are not only of good quality but also easily affordable.  more

Another year is coming to an end and 2023 will rush in before we know it. As I reflect on 2022, I can think of so many good times, new experiences and personal growth. At this time last year, I … more

New Year's Eve is now very close and I hope that you have made plans and have begun to set up if you are going to have a party.  Part and parcel of a New Year’s celebration are … more

Who among us has heard the phrase “prayer works?” Have you ever thought that to be true?  Do all your prayers come to fruition? Certainly not, yet many of us believe it. Why? We … more

Christmas weekend is finally here, but it feels like it took a lot of work to reach Dec. 25 on the calendar. Between finding the perfect gift to making countless trips to the store to all the … more

“No! No, no, no, no WAY!” yells Catherine O’Hara’s character in Home Alone, banging her fist on the airline ticket counter. “This is CHRISTMAS. The season of perpetual … more

The new year is almost upon us and celebrating it with alcoholic beverages is customary. I would like to make some suggestions that are not just “the same old stuff” but interesting and … more