Browsing along my mother’s bookshelf, I found “The Greek Way” by Edith Hamilton – a name I recognized as the translator/curator of a book on Greek mythology I had read for extra credit in junior high. The volume was attractively packaged as a “Time/Life Book Selection,” and I took it home for bedside reading.

Pathways should be debate for LAH residents

Deb Goldeen writes eloquently in approval of the Los Altos Hills pathways and the ordinance that perpetuates them (“Town not just horsing around with pathways ordinance,” Dec. 6).

She extols the virtues of the town pathways and demeans those who would oppose a pathways ordinance, block a pathway or fail to install one that she might determine to be necessary for the safety of her four horses.

The Los Altos School District is not only near to acquiring a 10th school site and solidifying a much-needed solution to enrollment growth, but it is actually saving tens of millions of dollars in the process. Thanks to months of hard work by the district and the city of Mountain View, our community’s vision of a 10th school site and neighborhood park north of El Camino Real is close to becoming reality.

Racing into the kitchen with excitement in every breath she took, Jenni announced that she was preparing a snack for Santa. It was 1994, and our home was exquisitely decorated for the Christmas season. But staring at my precious, doe-eyed child, I became concerned when it hit me that, at 11-years-old, she somehow missed the memo that Kris Kringle was just a fairy tale.

Pulling her older sister aside, I asked, “Michelle, did you know that Jenni still believes in Santa Claus? I fear that kids will make fun of her if they find out.”

In October, we got Eloise, a labradoodle puppy untrained in every possible way. Both of us needed a puppy training course, so we enrolled in a class consisting of 10 puppies of varying breeds, sizes and temperaments. Basically, the dogs frolic together, and then play is interrupted with commands – sit, follow, leave it, take it, come, etc.

The pups are off-leash because they have to learn to pay attention amid temptation, distraction and a little bit of chaos. Some puppies readily snap back into heeding their humans, others want to keep playing. Eloise occupies the latter category. However, we owners come equipped with tasty bribes to ensure that when the instructor interrupts play and orders us to practice a particular command on our dogs, Eloise and her classmates will fall in line.

I am hearing more creativity used every day with the language formerly known as English. Seems I might get a head start on some new words that could be easily integrated into conversations. Here are some of my OTBWs (Ought to Be Words):