Sisters Leah Otterlei Pillsbury (‘00) and Alexis Otterlei Bennett (‘05) left their native Minnesota to attend Westmont — and then went their separate ways after graduating, pursuing different careers. Eventually, their paths and occupations converged, and they launched a telehealth business in 2021. Leah majored in psychology and loved every part of her college experience. […]
HG scored this flea market book: Daisetz Suzuki’s Zen and Japanese Culture – a classic printed in hundreds of languages. This 1959 edition was published by the Bollingen Foundation, known for publishing books of significant impact since 1940. This title has always been of value in the market since its first printing in 1938. In […]
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The apple is a food synonymous with health: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” There are so many varietals now that I have truly lost count, but what I do know is that the apple in all its many forms and varieties is delicious. Crisp, tart, sweet, sour, juicy, red, green, yellow, pink, […]
Today’s topic: future physicians and an enviable education. Santa Barbara’s tourists dream about moving here for the great food, beaches, and shops. But as locals we know that one of the best things about living in Santa Barbara is the education available to our children. From world-class extracurriculars at our elementary schools to a country-topping […]
The Montecito Journal is proud to present the first baby born in our town for 2024! Congratulations to this new human, Eric Yang, for making his journey on New Year’s Day, and to his parents Alyssa and Seng Yang, of Lompoc. The Yangs are first-time parents and were happy to share a photo of their […]
DD sends me a seafront shot of what she thinks is a view of a church and a bathhouse (note both sections of the photo). I searched for a similar vintage photo, so that I could identify the seaside church with two spires and a Roman-style boathouse close to the shore. Come to find out, […]
What does pizza and punk have in common? Maybe more than you think! Both can be cheap and fast, but also contain the potential to have lots of substance. There’s attention to the ingredients. It seems simple, but all put together, it can be something powerful and moving. And tasty… depending on what punk shows […]
The Brussels sprout, such a unique vegetable that many have a love/hate relationship with, even appearing on the ‘most hated vegetable list’ year after year. Brussels sprouts are a bitter vegetable in the cruciferous family. Named after Brussels, Belgium, where they were first thought to be cultivated in the 16th century. The very thing that […]
As I reflect on my recent journey through the captivating landscapes of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, a vibrant tapestry of wine, food, and travel experiences weaves itself through my memories. This region, rich in natural beauty, unfolds a compelling invitation to explore at every juncture. Its picturesque beaches tell stories of tranquility and wonder, providing serene […]
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An artist in Montecito was gifted a unique ceramic charger plate found at a thrift store in Goleta, signed ‘M Arntz’; she writes that the blue glaze has a delicate shading of beige on a textured surface, a work of art. Indeed, it is. The work is by Michael Arntz, a local hero in the […]
The sweet potato is one of my favorite fall finds. I adore all varieties, but right now in the farmers market, there is a particularly sweet one called ‘Bonita Sweet’ and Chavez Family Farms has them! This varietal of the Japanese sweet potato is so sweet – like its name suggests – and oh so […]
This year’s final Christmas chapel of the semester, complete with a paper snowball fight, feted Brad Elliott, who has worked at the college for 40 years. Elliott, the longtime campus photographer, also oversees the audiovisual, sound, and lighting to the college’s numerous events, including Commencement, Midnight Madness, Spring Sing – held annually in the Santa […]
December is a festive season. A month of family. A month of moderate weight gain. But for many featurees of the Dear Montecito column, December is first and foremost the end of the semester. To reflect on the end of term, we are reading a piece by Osiel Ocampo. Osiel was born and raised in […]
Montecito native Kate Kramer has an eye for design – whether it is for a home or an afternoon snack: “It’s funny, my career has taken me all over, but one of my most interesting jobs was working at a design firm as a package designer. One of our clients was Frito-Lay, so I literally […]
