Columnists

The program simply said “Devyn Noriel Senior Piano Recital” and the rest was an enchanting program that was thoughtfully planned with feeling and care.

Who else is a fan of the Olympics? I know I am, and whenever they roll around - winter or summer - I often find myself glued to the television, not just cheering for the United States, but every now and then pulling for underdog athletes or medal-less countries.

In 1871, Ulysses S. Grant was president of a country still recovering from a horrendous Civil War, and Chicago suffered a Great Fire that left 90,000 people homeless. Meanwhile, in Gilroy, St. Mary School opened its doors to provide for the children of South Santa Clara County a high-quality education grounded in Catholic values.

We saw a worm in the cat's litterbox. At first, it looked like a

Two stories hit the news recently. First, a report of a

"Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts."

Please be alerted to the fact that this delightful stage production is NOTHING like the unappealing movie that went under the same name. We understand that Pierce Brosnon took an oath never to sing again - not even in the shower.

Where did the year go? It's already time for winter holiday decorating! If that makes you turn into the Grinch, relax and use some of these fun and inexpensive ideas. Decorating for the holidays doesn't need to be a huge or expensive production. Craft and grocery stores are great places to pick up inexpensive ingredients for your seasonal decorating. Here are some easy ideas that will make your winter decorating simpler, less expensive but still seasonal and fun.

It’s beginning to look like California will get bullet trains after all, but it won’t be quite as grandiose a system as what the state’s High Speed Rail Authority at first wanted or what voters approved in the 2008 Proposition 1A.