Well, if this fall has been a hint of what winter will be like, I’ll take it as often as I will summer. These past weeks (Thanksgiving week to December 21) have been lovely, and with fewer crowds (the town secret), amazing sunsets, warm days and even some warm nights… those few weeks after Thanksgiving, […]
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Chayote Squash, also known as mirliton, choko, christophine, and guisquil, is a member of the Cucurbitaceae gourd family. Daniel Moua Farm has some fine-looking ones right now and these beauties are smooth, light green, and mild in flavor. Most people don’t know what to do with these gourds. They can be eaten raw in salads, […]
Lea másTrump has ordered the military to blow up boats in international waters based on a claim that they are part of a drug “war” against the U.S. He has presented no evidence for this claim. A debate began after a September 2 attack when the U.S. military destroyed a boat and then killed the survivors. […]
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It was an aerial assault of the avian variety on the westernmost point of Iceland and all of Europe. Squadrons of aerodynamic Atlantic puffins, razorbills, northern fulmars, kittiwake, and common guillemots, seafaring birds all, were returning from another busy day of feeding in the teeming North Atlantic. Their landing spot was the daunting Látrabjarg Cliffs […]
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Jean Svoboda was born September 19, 1930 in Plevna, Montana, as the youngest child of five to William (Pat) and Gladys Kaiser. In 1949 following high school, Jean attended the University of Montana in Missoula, where she began her studies in Home Economics. She pledged Delta Gamma and that commitment formed lifelong friendships. Jean met […]
Lea másI know a lot of you have “sheep shearing” high on your bucket list. Totally understandable. We all want to see where those twenty-bucks-a-pair Bombas socks come from. And, of course, the origins of our beloved shag carpets. A great place to witness our wooly friends becoming unwooly is New Zealand, a country with far […]
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TT sends me a piece of 1980s-1990s swag, a Joe Camel Pup Tent, and wonders how a tent was associated with Camel cigarettes. An RJ Reynolds Tobacco advertising campaign of that period leveraged their hip, branded cartoon character, Joe Camel, placing into each pack of Camel cigarettes one note of “Camel Cash,” redeemable for a host […]
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My dear friends, artist and professor Chris Long and his partner, sculptor and adventurous sportsman Steve Assassi, have long debated their ideal vacation style. “I like a hotel – with room service and turn-down linens,” Chris says, adding “Steve likes a house.” On the Big Island of Hawai‘i, I believe I found the perfect compromise: […]
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Patrick Uretz (‘14), who won two national championships with Westmont’s club polo team in 2013-14, is leaving professional polo for a career in construction. But until he rides into the sunset, he remains a formidable opponent. Patrick contributed seven goals in USA’s triumph in the II Federation of International Polo (FIP) Arena World Championship in […]
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Christine Seibert, Westmont’s new assistant director of environmental studies, brings a rare blend of scientific training, deep Christian conviction, and a contagious enthusiasm for helping communities care for God’s creation. Her journey into sustainability began unexpectedly in high school, when she encountered a small booklet, Loving the Least of These, published by the National Association […]
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The thing about symphonic pops concerts is that while you need to be super serious about how the orchestra performs the music, you also have to recognize that pops concerts are supposed to be fun. This isn’t Mahler, after all. That’s no issue with Stuart Malina, who will be making his local debut wielding the […]
Lea másWith family in town for the holidays, what could possibly be more apropos in theater than a family and friend fueled farcical fusion of Agatha Christie murder mysteries, the Clue board game, and popular British drama television series like Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs? That’s the premise behind WHODUNIT?, the first fully original new production […]
Lea másCommUnify, the longstanding Santa Barbara County nonprofit, has provided a wide variety of important services to low-income local residents since the mid-1960s. Today, the committed servant of SB County’s most vulnerable is facing dire threats to its budget, and severe challenges to its roster of vital programs. These include the life-changing Head Start early education […]
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In December and January each year, certain beaches on the Channel Islands and other protected parts of California’s coast become sites of noisy and dramatic conflict. It’s the beginning of breeding season for the Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris). During the early part of the breeding season, the huge adult males – known as bulls […]
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The 39th Annual Parade of Lights was held on Sunday, December 14, from 3 pm through to the 7:30 pm holiday fireworks display. The boat entries were the best yet this year, with their interpretation of the 2025 contest theme, “Candy Cane Cove.” Indeed, there were lights shaped like candy canes, some as high as […]
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Chabad Montecito’s 3rd Annual Menorah lighting for all took place on Tuesday, December 16, from 5 to 6 pm at the Corner Green in front of Pierre Lafond on East Valley Road. When I arrived at 4:45 pm, the atmosphere proved uplifting, supportive and celebratory, with many community members who gathered with their friends and […]
Lea másSOC (save our cattle) from horrible inhumane slaughter. Every time I drive up in the country, I enjoy seeing all the free-roaming cattle with their cute calves on the hillside. It’s nice to see happy cows while they are alive, knowing that eventually they’re going to end up on someone’s dinner table. I have an […]
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San Ysidro Ranch invites guests to welcome 2026 with an evening that blends classic elegance, culinary artistry, and warm Montecito charm. The New Year’s Eve Gala begins at 5 pm with Prestige Champagne and an amuse-bouche, setting the tone for a refined four-course dinner paired with exceptional wines, including a Grand Cru red to complement […]
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The Montecito community will come together on January 9, 2026, for Raising Our Light, an annual ceremony honoring the 23 community members lost in the 1/9 Debris Flow. The event begins at 6 pm outside Montecito Union School, where attendees will hear brief remarks and a solemn reading of the names of those who died. […]
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December is the month we remember (among other things) the good deeds of the well-off Bishop of Myra, a 4th century do-gooder named Nicholas. The guy slipped his considerable inheritance under the doors of many a despondent maiden that she might find companionship in that day’s dowry-driven lovefest. Much later we would recast Nick as […]
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