Opinion

Anyone who has read my column for a period of time knows that I became an aunt for the first time last year. Having no children of my own, my niece’s birth was an enormous event that filled my heart with pride.

Well, the days are getting shorter, schools are preparing to start and leaves will soon be changing color and falling off trees. These signs all point to the conclusion that it must almost be … football season.

Cameron Mackintosh’s “Les Miserables” has returned to the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco as a revamped  25th anniversary production with a first class touring company. And it has brought just about everything with it from its Broadway production.

One of the things I love about Gilroy is the weather. I have a brother-in-law who lives in upstate New York (where I once lived) and we often compare the weather. While he describes extreme cold in winter or extreme heat and humidity in the summer – to say nothing of devastating rain and storms – I smugly describe mostly sunny days and pleasant evenings year round.  

Having grown up in Colorado, the news this summer has been especially tough. First the devastating fires that took so many homes, including that of a woman I know who graduated from my high school the same year I did. Yet the sucker punch that followed the fires is the travesty that stays with me.

Wine tasting is  more than taking a swig and gulping it down. For that, there’s whiskey. But for most of us oenophiles, wine tasting is an experience to be savored and enjoyed with all of our senses – an experience that includes selecting the perfect wine, swirling the glass to release the aromas and savoring the flavors. The experience is heightened when shared with good friends or someone special. More than anything, it’s the sharing of wine that brings people together and can turn a special occasion into a night of romance.

Q: Our beagle Wilson’s eyes are red and foggy, and he’s squinting. He’s also rubbing his face on the carpet a lot. Does he have allergies? Can a dog become allergic at the age of 6?

A few weeks ago I wrote about the Christian practice of baptism, focusing on a type known as “proxy baptism.” This allows people who died without accepting Jesus as Savior to have another opportunity for salvation. While this practice has raised some controversy, during the course of my research I discovered that the traditional baptism practiced since the early days of church is also becoming controversial.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival this weekend will bring tens of thousands of people to our region to experience the culinary delights of America’s most famous food festival. Even though the festival casts a spotlight on the South Valley as a gourmet haven, there are plenty of food eating opportunities than just the garlic-laced ones here. Morgan Hill Access TV’s very own Judy Keyes has a regular show called “Cooking for All Seasons” where she helps local residents appreciate the art of preparing delicious meals.

What do you get when you take 49 stunning, superbly trained horses (11 breeds), that live with gentle love and care, while consuming 17,500 bales of hay, 36,500 pounds of oats and of course 1,750 pounds of carrots annually? Add 120 performers and handlers, a 10-story tall white big top, a specially equipped Boeing 747 (for horse transport), a stage as wide a football field, a stable that spans more than 16,500 square feet and 2,500 tons of sand and you get “Cavalia” – a sensational experience like no other.