Stan Brein Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights. Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew. It celebrates the Maccabees’ victory over the Greek-Syrian oppressors and their reclaiming of the Holy Temple. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago, celebrating a miracle where oil for the temple’s menorah burned for…
Cris Thompson The Catholic Community celebrated the Christmas season on Dec. 2 with dinner, games, and good conversation in the Robson Ranch clubhouse. The Book Group met on Dec. 10 to discuss The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis. Lewis’ imaginative novel begins with a bus ride and leads to reflection about heaven and hell and…
Tim Malone Practicing self-care means intentionally nurturing your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. It’s the art of listening to your needs and responding with kindness, not guilt. Self-care isn’t selfish—it’s foundational. It allows you to show up fully for yourself and others. Practicing self-care in retirement offers a wealth of benefits that extend far…
David Zapatka While reading in the October Mensa Bulletin, member and contributor Ruth said she loved watching old monster movies and said, “I preferred all these monsters to quotidian life.” Quotidian: kwoh-TID-ee-uhn, adjective, 1. Occurring daily; happening every day 2. Ordinary or everyday, especially when mundane or trivial 3. (Medical) Recurring every day, particularly referring…
Barbara Brown, Master Gardener The poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) can be a perfect holiday-time accent with its bright red flowers, which are not flowers at all. They’re bracts, or specialized leaves. The actual poinsettia flowers are the small yellow balls in the center of the bract. If red is not your desired color, you can find…
