Most Sundays, for as long as I can remember, my family has gathered to barbecue and eat. So it’s funny to me that my favorite holiday is one in which my family gathers to eat a feast only slightly larger than the one we prepare on most weekends. There’s something different about Thanksgiving though; for […]
SHELLEY CONE
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Getting old with AARP
I wish I could say I did it for the free tote bag. I almost wish I really was part of the 50-plus club. Almost. I really wish I could say I sent out my AARP membership dues out of some Pollyanna penchant for making lemonade out of lemons. The truth is I did it […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Wanderlust
Travel sounds glamorous, but don’t forget to set your watch properly
Do you think FoodMaxx has risotto?” I asked my husband. It was a night that gave us an odd unsettled feeling. Confused by the nocturnal vibes we were getting, we decided to stray from our usual dinner fare and indulge in something a little bit rich and creamy, and just a tad bit foreign. “Sure, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
I’m a parent–here’s my card
How I’m slapping a ‘handle with care’ sticker on my kids and sending them out into the world
Having a young child sometimes feels like being an overworked superhero. They need help with even the most mundane of tasks: “Mommy, can you get that toy on that shelf?” Followed by the rewarding, “yay!” and handclap combo that conditions you to accept the next challenge: “Mommy, this sock won’t go on my foot. Can […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Arts grants available
Applications are being accepted for the Santa Maria Arts Council Lester B. Hayes Projects and Performance Grants to be presented at the Grants Showcase on May 21. The two $500 grants are intended to enhance arts in education. The grant is open to nonprofit groups or groups sponsored by nonprofit organizations. Last year’s grantees were […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Travel hither and yon
Artist Betsee Talavera takes audiences on a virtual trip with her latest show, “Hither and Yon,” running May 1 through 27 at the Cypress Gallery at 119 E. Cypress Ave., in Lompoc. The public is invited to a reception with the artist on Saturday afternoon May 5 from 2 to 4 p.m. Talavera takes viewers […]
Posted inNews
Everybody dies from life
Locals celebrate death
Tamales, mole, bread, candies, and tequila, set against a backdrop of bright orange marigolds, candles, and colorful flags—together these treats make up a feast fit for a king of yore, but these days, such a spread is likely intended to pamper the dead. Dia de Los Muertos is a holiday Latinos set aside to […]