CD mix

I’ve been in Redding for almost 15 years. When I arrived, it was to become a partner in one of the coolest, feel-good projects around, helping bring downtown back from the dead with Jefferson Public Radio’s restoration of the Cascade… Continue Reading →

My husband and I have a serious difference of opinion when it comes to stuff. He calls me a hoarder, and I think he’s waaaaay too quick on the draw to throw things away. I like to keep things that… Continue Reading →

It was the summer of 1988. I was 21, and was working three part-time jobs over the summer before starting my senior year in college. I was single (a rare moment in Val history as all my lifelong girlfriends will… Continue Reading →

My mantra this week is this: Peace. Love. Joy. Harmony. It’s more than my mantra, it’s my wish for you this holiday season. And myself too. Let’s all of us, everyone, have a holiday full of peace, love, joy and… Continue Reading →

I sat at the dining room table on November 9th and sobbed. Hard. My eyes had already welled up with tears when I got the text from my daughter, and started streaming down my face as I told my husband… Continue Reading →

I’ve got a lot on my mind these days. And I know you do too, even if it’s for different reasons. But I worry. About so many things. In fact, I look around me at the rapid decline in Redding… Continue Reading →

If I told you that Ska and its lovechild Reggae got its start in Tennessee, would you believe me, or would you think I was out of my ever lovin’ gourd? Well its true my friends, and I’m here to… Continue Reading →

If  you were to ask me the name of my favorite band of 2016, I’ve got a definite answer. There’s a clear winner. But if you were to ask my favorite song of 2016, that might be a little trickier… Continue Reading →

  Have you ever had that moment when a song is speaking directly to you so completely that it makes the hair stand on your arms and brings tears to your eyes? That happened to me on December 26, 2001.… Continue Reading →