My grandmother grew begonias. Her garden was a screened patio that defied the hot Sonoma Valley sun, and in the summer it overflowed with pots and baskets of tuberous begonias.

Follies du Valle, the valley's home-grown musical revue, returns to the Lincoln Theater next weekend for its first production in the renovated theater. The show brings together residents from American Canyon to Calistoga, from children to seniors, singing and dancing on stage and working backstage.

LOS ANGELES -- Denzel Washington's reunion with Spike Lee put them on the inside track at the box office.

Ever feel like you you've been in bad relationship after bad relationship? There's a workshop in town that can help you avoid the patterns that turn a good relationship sour.

Look out -- it's prom season. It's about hair and jewelry, tuxedos and flowers. Most importantly, it's about the dress, that sequined, satiny or ruffled confection of a dress. Savvy girls who want to stand out have discovered something new in something old. Vintage dresses are the hottest trend for prom this spring.

Education

Other than what they've picked up by watching "M*A*S*H" or from a relative or family friend who served in the protracted Korean War, Americans know very little about the eastern Asian peninsula bordered by the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea.

Peter Pahk, executive chef, Silverado Resort

WASHINGTON -- A fish, a monkey, a kangaroo -- Americans just can't get enough of the animals swimming, swinging and hopping onto wine labels.

Pahk, Oestreich share chef of the year title

BATON ROUGE, La. -- If you have had one of those weeks with problems at work, fatigue at home, too much traffic and family making demands, you need a big dose of comfort food. What better to calm the soul than a good beef brisket?

Sharpening your sense of taste, learning to identify and understand different flavors, will take your cooking to a new level. And as your mental catalog of flavors builds up, so will knowledge of how they layer and interact. This entrancing -- and endless -- process of learning is given a savory endorsement in the March issue of Cooking Light magazine, in a feature about using all five senses when you cook.

Vincent Nattress, executive chef, Meadowood

Screaming Eagle -- the internationally renowned and best-known of all California cult cabernets -- has been sold to a California financier and his partner, the owner of two Colorado sports teams.

It seems bigger is indeed better when it comes to kitchens and baths.

What is the single most damaging element in the home today? Here are some clues: It causes cracks in plaster and wallboard -- especially over windows and doors. It causes doors to catch and stick. It is the reason for mildew on window sills and in showers and the reason why basements and crawl spaces reek with the smell of thriving fungus and bacteria.

SACRAMENTO -- Do you have questions about hiring and managing building contractors? The California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) has answers. For more information, or to check out a contractor's license, bond and workers' compensation insurance information, visit the CSLB Web site at www.cslb.ca.gov.

A subject of conversational interest, a continuing trend in the design industry, a phrase that many struggle to pronounce correctly, feng shui is a popular topic.

When people feel uncertainty and concern with the quality of their life, they are naturally drawn to conversations about organizing. When they realize they are spending too much time looking for their keys or gathering the kids in the morning, they tend to seek out solutions to simplify their lives. Ironically, people believe the mainstream organizing solutions will work for them, but really they only apply to 25 percent of the population. Every organizing situation is completely different, just as each person trying to get organized is different.

Orchid show today

Monica Wilson of Napa and Thomas Knecht Jr., of San Carlos, announce their engagement with plans to marry July 22, 2006, at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Napa.

Edward Allen Skinner Jr. and Eunice A. Jamison announce their engagement with plans to marry June 11, 2006, in the Fellowship Hall at the Meadows Retirement Center, where they are both residents.

Queen of the Valley

Residents of Napa, Stephanie Holdermann and Benjamin Nelson announce their engagement.

ESCALONA -- Carlos Escalona vs. Jovita Escalona, March 10, 2006

BARWICK-GARTON -- Edward Ignatius Barwick, 79, Monez Boulevard, Napa, to Linda Carol Garton, 61, Monez Boulevard, Napa.