Monk What’s it rated? TV-PG When? 2002-2009 Where’s it showing? Peacock, Netflix Nearly crippled by the loss of his wife and his OCD coping mechanisms, detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) keeps busy as a consultant for his former commanding officer, Capt. Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), at the San Francisco Police Department, solving otherwise unsolvable crimes. […]
Andrea Rooks
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
With a teen and a preteen as my guides, I venture into the pixel playground known as Minecraft
It’s the last Sunday of May, and it’s perfectly cloudy outside—excellent weather for the adventure my daughters and I are about to begin here in our living room. The girls, ages 10 and 13, still love to share their worlds with me, and I do my best to enter. I know these times are finite—both […]
Posted inFood & Drink
With most social outlets unavailable, it’s harder to say no when my girls want to make their own sweet treats
“Somehow I got banana up my nose!” And so today’s kitchen adventure begins. My 10-year-old daughter is mashing bananas for muffins and apparently had a mishap. She’s always loved baking, since long before she could read and follow a recipe on her own. Now she’s competent not only at mixing dry ingredients into the wet, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Nibbles & Bites
• On March 15, Gov. Gavin Newsom asked wineries, bars, nightclubs, and brewpubs to close their doors to customers to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The governor’s request is not mandatory as of March 16, so check your favorite venue’s website for details. According to Santa Barbara County Vintners, some wineries are shipping their […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Hunker down and find control, satisfaction, and nourishment by making your own ultimate comfort food: chicken stock
It’s a gray, rainy afternoon, the day after a national emergency’s been declared because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’m seeking comfort in my kitchen. I’ve got the bones of two roasted chickens from earlier in the week, some fresh veggies, garlic, and a big pot. It’s time to make stock. The creative act of […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Sin City offers ample fun of the more wholesome variety
Vegas, babies
Las Vegas isn’t high on our list of favorite family vacation spots, but here we are. We’ve come to support my older daughter in her gymnastics competition, and we plan to have a good time. It’s March 5, and we don’t know it yet, but we’re fortunate to be able to attend an event of […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Get jumpin’: Kids of all ages bounce to their heart’s content at Rockin’ Jump
“So, are you going to jump?” “No, I don’t think so,” I replied. “But I reserve the right to change my mind!” This recent conversation with a friend is running through my head as my husband, Bret, and I escort six giggly preteens through the Santa Maria Town Center mall. It’s mid January, and we’re […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A family bachelorette weekend has us making many leaps of faith with Margarita Adventures
I’m grasping for the perfect metaphor, but the only words rushing through my brain are, “Uh-oh, uh-oh, are we supposed to be going this fast?” My daughter and I are coming in for a landing, and I’m convinced we’re going to get hurt. The guides had said we’d zip along with extra speed because we’re […]
Posted inNews
Three cheers: Allan Hancock College produces award-winning wine as students roll up their sleeves for harvest and winemaking
“Hey, look what I found.” My husband handed me the magazine he’d been reading, open to a page near the back. As I scanned the columns, numbers and words blurred together before I found what he was talking about. There it was, atop a column of 92, 92, 91 in the buying guide of October’s […]
Posted inOpinion
There’s always more to the story
Visiting the Pearl Harbor historic sites gave us added dimension to a piece of history
Until March 10, Pearl Harbor was, to me, the setting of a story, relegated to black-and-white photos in history books. Pearl Harbor was a day on the calendar: Dec. 7, “a date which will live in infamy.” I had only the lessons in school to thank for keeping the setting and date alive in my […]