Columnists

South Valley residents are invited to an enjoyable event that happens only once a year. On Aug. 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., a dozen members of the Bay Area Garden Railway Society will open their yards in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Hollister and Salinas for public viewing of their beautiful gardens and elaborate model railroad layouts.

They’re selling like hotcakes in New Jersey, and someday soon they’ll be doing the same in California. These are automobile pet-safety devices; ways to keep your pet (and you) safe while you drive down the road. New Jersey and several other states already have distracted driving laws that prohibit a loose animal in the car. That’s right. No more Fluffy on your lap as you go to the post office or grocery store. Hawaii, Connecticut and Arizona also prohibit this. Rhode Island and a few other states are close behind in their push to eliminate the dangers of distracted driving with a pet. As one official put it, “Not all driving distractions ring or beep. Some of them bark.”

Recently a resurgence has occurred in the art of quilt making. And far be it from me to let anything re-surge without me.

I love summertime when the weather calls for relaxing on the patio with friends, sipping a chilled glass of wine and watching families of hummingbirds at the feeder.

As an audience member, you will either love this production or hate it.

Blood plays an important role in Christianity. The Gospels report that when Jesus of Nazareth shared the Last Supper with his disciples he took a cup of wine, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them all to drink from saying, “This is my blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Almost all Christian communities celebrate the ritual of Holy Communion following the commandment he gave, using wine or grape juice to represent blood.

As you and your friends and family get set for the Independence Day celebrations here in the South Valley, I hope you’ll take a moment to think about the great American experiment we are a part of today. The word “experiment” to describe our republic is a fitting one. Many of the leaders who founded our nation were scientifically astute and understood the principles of carrying out tests to prove or disprove revolutionary ideas – including political ideas.

Charles Dickens began his “Tale of Two Cities” by reflecting that “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. He writes of that past and offers only comparisons to his own time.