Opinion

Welcome to the first edition of our new column – Decorating Den – on interior decorating tips and beautiful dream room makeovers. We are Janet Cunningham and Pamela Ryalls-Boyd, interior decorators with more than 14 years of combined experience who live and work in Morgan Hill. We are both Decorating Den Interiors (DDI) business owners and our passion is making this city and surrounding areas more beautiful, one room at a time. We've created this column as a way to share this passion with our community, and we encourage readers to connect with us - e-mail or call with your questions and comments and we will respond to the best of our ability and as space permits. Our goals are to share helpful tips on a wide range of topics, highlight the latest products and trends in the home furnishings industry and to have some fun showcasing remodeled rooms. Today's first column, however, is all about us! Pamela and I would like to tell you a little about ourselves.

I’ve been getting dizzy trying to come up with adjectives for “Billy Elliot the Musical” and it all simply comes down to “wow.” Taken from the Oscar winning movie directed by Stephen Daltry and written by Lee Hall, the musical soars to new theatre heights. The same team that made the movie created the less gloomy musical version, with the addition of Elton John's music. Nothing has been spared to recreate the heart wrenching theme with a tragically comedic thread, which weaves through the plot and brings a more human element to the musical.

After four years and nearly 200 “Getting Out” columns, I sometimes allow myself to believe I have a solid handle on the hiking options in Santa Clara County. As it turns out, there was a big hole in my knowledge, and it was right under my nose.

One of his clergy colleagues refers to the Rev. Don Skow as “Hollister's Town Pastor” because of the close connection he has had with the community for decades. Skow explains that the success of his ministry has been due to his motto: “Don't compete, cooperate.”

You may have noticed something quite peculiar in the produce section and farmers market these last few weeks. What appear to be “pumped up” string beans are in fact fava beans. Many cultures around the world, including Italians, consume fava beans. In this week's column, I look to my Sicilian heritage for some fava bean inspiration in the form of my Grandma Virginia’s unique preparation for this vegetable.

Recently I was left in charge of my granddaughters – 5 1/2-year-old Gracie and 4-year-old Emily – for several hours  while my daughter and son-in-law ran a half marathon in Santa Cruz. (Yes, I know. The only explanation is that they gave me the wrong baby at the hospital; no way did I give birth to an actual marathon person).

April is National Adopt-a-Greyhound-Month. Every year, rescue groups, including The Greyhound Project, put out the word that they have dogs looking for homes. There are large numbers of dog racetracks across this country, and greyhounds and whippets are the breeds of choice for trainers and gamblers in this sport.