Feb 27, 2022
My first encounter with Bariani Olive Oil was my first encounter with California olive oil.
Roaming the Berkeley Farmers Market, I found the Bariani stall and took my first oil shot, delivered by one of the brothers who grew the olives and pressed the oil. The oil coated my mouth in a grassy fattiness, soothed my throat and sank into my belly.
Four decades ago in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., the only olive oil available to me was mild, light and imported from Italy and Spain. In California, I savor a drizzle of amber green oil pressed from olives a few miles from where I cook. This oil makes leafy greens and grilled fish or meats sing complex songs.
Feb 27, 2022
If you need it, we’re here to serve.”
This is the motto of Brent Sorlien, lead pastor of Southpointe Christian Center on Stockton Boulevard. Southpointe has served the South Sacramento community since the 1950s—it will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2025—and recently received some help of its own.
Last summer, Southpointe was chosen from approximately 2,200 entries to receive a Lowe’s 100 Hometowns grant as part of the home improvement retailer’s centennial. The grant allowed Southpointe to update its clothes closet, which serves hundreds of people each week along with its on-campus food closet. The home improvement chain provided materials and labor.
Feb 27, 2022
I occasionally get emails from readers who reminisce about the good old days. They hope I’ll commiserate with them about how horrible the world has become.
One reader blamed the fall of America on the entertainment industry. “Back in my day, ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ led the way in promoting wholesome values,” he wrote. “Today’s shows promote violence and sexual promiscuity.”
Feb 27, 2022
As an old sportswriter whose tastes favor unfashionable games such as boxing, horseracing and indoor track meets, I was suspicious when I heard people talk about pickleball.
What’s that? I figured pickleball involved cucumbers and suburban backyard parties and lazy summer afternoons. A silly fad.
Then I began to get emails from pickleball devotees inviting me to play. The emails bubbled with enthusiasm and fellowship. The authors insisted I’d love their little game. I normally respond right away to emails. These I deleted.
Feb 27, 2022
Women have no problem talking about all the things that suck about themselves,” laments Catherine la O’. “My work is about taking the stories we’ve been told about who we are and transitioning that mindset to something that feels more authentic. We’ve been told a story of limitation, but it’s not true.”
Technically, la O’ is a yoga teacher, but she’s more than that. Through her virtual studio Liminal Space, clients can take classes in various styles of yoga and engage in “shadow work,” a process of personal introspection and examination based on the psychology of Carl Jung. The goal is to rid clients of limiting self-beliefs in favor of greater self-expression.
