Columnists

Gladdens my heart to read Sports Editor Erin Redmond’s story about the new wrestling room under construction at Gilroy High. The storied Mustang program is steeped in life lessons. The wrestlers learn about discipline, respect, commitment, competition, camaraderie and the resilient human spirit. The cache may not be the same as football, basketball or baseball, but it deserves full respect from school trustees and community, much like the GHS field hockey program. Those two programs change young lives forever for the better and are in the same category as Phil Robb’s (now retired) glorious music program.

It is pretty much agreed that young adults tend to stop practicing the faith they were brought up in. Graduating from high school can seem like a graduation from religion; and attendance at church, temple or mosque soon drops off.

Q: My husband finally agreed to give up his completely worn-out, extremely ugly favorite chair if I could find him a nice leather recliner. (Yay! I thought this day would never come.) I've been looking, but there are so many choices out there and they vary widely in price. What should I know about leather before purchasing a recliner?

As I sit here on the lanai, warm ocean breeze blowing in and palm trees swaying in the wind, I've just poured myself a glass of Merlot. My wife and I are celebrating our anniversary and I can't imagine a better place to be than the west side of Maui.

Today marks the first official day of summer and grilling season is now in full swing. For the next few months, I will be going back to my “Mixed Grill” roots and featuring not only grilling recipes, but also outdoor friendly recipes too. My inspiration for this week's recipe also served as inspiration for a fellow columnist last month.

I'm often-asked what inspired me to become a veterinarian. I chose this profession after hearing an enthusiastic vet talk about his typical day's work. It was exciting and anything but routine. But my love for animals and for helping people was first inspired by my parents, both very kind individuals. Dad was tough. He taught me important survival skills. And together, we developed a love for fixing things, including some old cars.

In July 2000, I was visiting Dublin, Ireland, and went with a friend to the historic campus of Trinity College. There we waited in a queue at the Old Library and were ushered into a darkened room, in the middle of which were lighted display cases.

A few months ago I wrote an article on preparing for a time of loss and the importance of having your affairs in order. Since then, in talking with readers and clients, many have expressed that they simply don't know how to get started and/or don't have a clear idea of what the end result should look like. Today I'd like to address these questions.