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Lung cancer can attack without a cigarette in sight
I walked out of a chemistry lab my freshman year of college, excited to call my family and update them on my newfound independence. What greeted me on the other line was not
exciting news, however, it was news that crushed my soul.
“Kaitlyn,” my grandmother...
Lessons I’ve learned from ‘How Big Things Get Done’
I did not inherit my father’s handyperson skills, although I remember observing him install central air conditioning and successfully accomplishing other large projects at our house in Kings Point, New York. Perhaps seeing a booklet lying around his workroom describing how to build a...
A love letter to Los Gatos
Many thanks, Los Gatos, for inspiring us for 15 years and counting. Thank you for being our creative sanctuary when the world, writing, life and our dreams needed the kind of grounding and encouragement that could only come from the kind of solace we’ve...
Cawing crows and community service
The loud and obnoxious squawking of crows used to bother me. I am generally a quiet person who likes to grab a book, find an empty noise-free area to sit at and read for hours at a time. I still cherish times when my...
Blum: The dilemma facing caregivers of older adults
I am an old geezer who likes to stay informed. This means I am a news junkie and a voracious reader. Give me a good newspaper (electronic format is OK), a good magazine (paper form only), an interesting podcast, and a good audible book...
Banks of Lexington Reservoir scoured by volunteers on National River Cleanup Day
As avid rowers of the Los Gatos Rowing Club, we frequently encounter trash floating in the Lexington Reservoir during our practices. The scope of this problem is alarming. Every year, the San Francisco Bay is overwhelmed by a staggering 7 trillion pieces of microplastics,...
Blum: My ideas for attracting new members to Rotary
Somehow through my years as a volunteer in many different endeavors I’ve gotten the notion that I know how to generate interest about the organizations I’ve been involved in. In many cases I did this by writing articles about the organization, such as the...
Pop Pop’s optimistic outlook for 2025
As my grandkids call me, “Pop Pop,” I find myself navigating the inevitable march of time. While recent health challenges, like hernia surgery and a persistent snoring problem (these are but a few of the conditions I am having to address), have forced me...
Coming to terms in Los Gatos
Los Gatos is not Washington, D.C. where the level of partisanship is extremely high.
Nor is it Palo Alto, where I lived for more than 40 years prior to moving to Los Gatos in November 2019, and where I observed the divisiveness our community...
Mt. Rigi Kulm: Enjoying a symphony of mist and mountain
Mt. Rigi Kulm, known affectionately as the "Queen of the Mountains," is more than just a geographic landmark in central Switzerland; it is a sanctuary where the earthly and the ethereal exist in perfect accord.
To visit Rigi is to step into a realm that...


















