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There are many ways to protect your finances, but one of the simplest is reviewing your credit reports for errors which could affect your ability to get credit. It can also help you spot signs of identity theft if, for example, it shows unauthorized lines of credit opened in your name.

In short, a credit report is a history of your credit, loan and payment history as reported to the three credit-reporting companies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — by business owners. Federal law requires these companies to provide you a free credit report once a year.

Through December, you can get a free credit report each week from each of the three credit bureaus. You can request your reports at annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. To verify your identity, you will be required to give personal identifying information. Credit reports will not contain your credit score but the information they contain can affect your credit score.

More information at marincountyda.org or 415-473-6495

As Reported by Marin Independent Journal

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Do you ever wake up some days and think, “When I was younger, I could survive on just four hours of sleep, but now it seems like I need 10”? Or have you ever walked out of the gym and “felt” your knees?

Almost everyone experiences these kinds of signs of aging. But there are some people who seem to defy their age. The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg stayed on the bench until her death at age 87. The “Great British Bake Off” judge Mary Berry, now in her 80s, continues to inspire people all over the world to bake and enjoy life. And actor Paul Rudd was named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2021 at age 52 while still looking like he’s in his 30s. Is age just a number then?

Researchers have focused a lot of attention on understanding the causes and risk factors of age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, osteoporosis and cancer. But many ignore the major risk factor for all of these diseases: aging itself. More than any individual risk factor such as smoking or lack of exercise, the number of years you’ve lived predicts onset of disease. Indeed, aging increases the risk of multiple chronic diseases by up to a thousandfold.

However, no two people age the same. Although age is the principal risk factor for several chronic diseases, it is an unreliable indicator of how quickly your body will decline or how susceptible you are to age-related disease. This is because there is a difference between your chronological age, or the number of years you’ve been alive, and your biological age – your physical and functional ability.

I am a scientist interested in redefining “age.” Instead of benchmarking chronological age, my lab is invested in measuring biological age. Biological age is a more accurate measure of healthspan, or years lived in good health, than chronological age, and doesn’t directly correlate with wrinkles and gray hairs. Rapid agers experience a faster rate of functional deterioration relative to their chronological age.

My grandmother, who lived to be 83 but was bedridden and could not remember who I was for the last few years of her life, was a rapid ager. My grandfather, on the other hand, also lived until he was 83, but he was active, functional and even did my homework with me until he passed away – he was a healthy ager.

With the unprecedented growth of the world’s aging population, I believe that figuring out ways to measure biological age and how to maintain or delay its advance is critical not only for individual health, but also for the social, political and economic health of our society. Detecting rapid agers early on presents an opportunity to delay, change or even reverse the trajectory of biological aging.

Beyond genes

Biological aging is multifaceted. It arises from a complex mix of genetic traits and is influenced by factors like microbiome composition, environment, lifestyle, stress, diet and exercise.

Genetics were once thought to have no influence on aging or longevity. However, in the early 1990s, researchers reported the first studies identifying genes that were able to extend the lifespan of a small roundworm. Since then, multiple observations support the influence of genetics on aging. For example, children of long-lived parents and even those with long-lived siblings tend to live longer. Researchers have also identified multiple genes that influence longevity and play a role in resilience and protection from stress. These include genes that repair DNA, protect cells from free radicals and regulate fat levels.

However, it is clear from studies in identical twins – who share the same genes but not the same exact lifespans – that genes are not the only factor that influences aging. In fact, genes probably account for only 20% to 30% of biological age. This suggests that other parameters can strongly influence biological aging.

(Rodnae Productions/ Pexels) Social connectedness and physical activity are linked to well-being throughout life.
Rodnae Productions/ Pexels

Social connectedness and physical activity are linked to well-being throughout life.

Researchers have found that environmental and lifestyle factors heavily influence biological age, including social connectedness, sleeping habits, water consumption, exercise and diet.

Social connectedness is essential for well-being throughout life. But social connections can be challenging to maintain over time due to loss of family and friends, depression, chronic illness or other factors. Several studies have reported a strong link between social isolation and increased stress, morbidity and mortality.

Similarly, diet and exercise are strong influencers of biological age. Blue zones, which are areas around the world where people live long lives, attribute their successful aging to diet, exercise and social connectedness. Mostly plant-based meals and spurts of activity throughout the day are well-known “secrets” of healthspan and longevity. Although newer studies on the effects of diet interventions such as intermittent fasting and time-restricted feeding on longevity have not been rigorously tested, they do show multiple health benefits, including better glucose and insulin regulation

While genetics is difficult to control, diet and exercise can be modified to delay biological aging.

Health and resilience 

Currently, there is no effective test to predict an individual’s health trajectory early enough in life in order to intervene and improve quality of life with age. Scientists are interested in identifying a molecule that is sensitive and specific enough to serve as a unique fingerprint for biological age.

Considering the health and resilience of the individual instead of focusing solely on disease state is important in discussions on biological age. Resilience is the state of adapting and bouncing back from a health challenge and is often more predictive of functional health. A molecular aging fingerprint may provide a tool to help identify people who are less resilient and require more aggressive monitoring and early intervention to preserve their health and help reduce gender, racial and ethnic health disparities.

There are several promising molecular markers that may serve as biological age fingerprints. One of these markers are epigenetic clocks. Epigenetics are chemical modifications of DNA that control gene function. Several scientists have found that DNA can get “marked” by methyl groups in a pattern that changes with age and could potentially act as a readout for aging.

It is important to note, however, that while epigenetic clocks have been valuable in predicting chronological age, they do not equate to biological age. In addition, it is unclear how these epigenetic marks work or how they contribute to aging.

Another well-regarded marker of biological age is the build-up of dysfunctional cells called senescent or zombie cells. Cells become senescent when they experience multiple types of stress and become so damaged that they cannot divide anymore, releasing molecules that cause chronic low-grade inflammation and disease.

Animal studies have shown that getting rid of these cells can improve healthspan. However, what clearly defines senescent cells in humans is still unknown, making them challenging to track as a measure of biological age.

Lastly, the body releases unique metabolites, or chemical fingerprints, as byproducts of normal metabolism. These metabolites play a dynamic and direct role in physiological regulation and can inform functional health. My lab and others are figuring out the exact makeup of these chemicals in order to figure out which can best measure biological age. A lot of work still remains on not only identifying these metabolites, but also understanding how they affect biological age.

People have long sought a fountain of youth. Whether such an elixir exists is still unknown. But research is starting to show that delaying biological age may be one way to live healthier, fuller lives.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts, under a Creative Commons license.

As Reported by Marin Independent Journal

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In: Lifestyle, Marin County, Marin Humane, newsletter, Pets, Things To Do

Recently, a beautiful German shepherd we dubbed Meadow was found as a stray and brought to Marin Humane. She was scanned for a microchip and we were glad to see she had one. The only problem: It was registered to a microchip company in Germany!

Fortunately, we happen to have a German-born staff member who was able to translate the information and help us track down to whom the chip was registered. The answer was a breeder in Germany. Meadow (whose given name was Viona) had been shipped as a puppy all the way to the buyer in California. Earlier this year, the owner asked the breeder to take Meadow back but the breeder said they could not — not surprising since Germany is around 5,600 miles away.

Meadow is doing well and was adopted to a loving family but her story illustrates why buying puppies from breeders out of state — and indeed, out of the country — is so problematic. One of the tenants of breeders who consider themselves “reputable” is that they will always take the animal back — something that’s obviously incredibly difficult to do if they’re sold to people far away.

Another reason not to have an animal shipped to you is that you’re not seeing for yourself where that animal came from. Anyone can create websites that portray their facility/home as a beautiful, safe and loving environment. Images of puppies running on green grass and happy mom dogs suckling their puppies certainly look idyllic but often the reality is anything but. Large-scale puppy mills or inhumane home breeders often keep animals in deplorable and inhumane conditions. They’re given little, if any, prenatal or postnatal care, which can result in poor health and under-socialization. Female dogs used for breeding are overbred and typically have a life span of four or five years, after which they’re dealt with however the breeder sees fit.

Puppy mill dogs suffer from genetic problems affecting the kidneys, hips, eyes and even their personalities. In short, puppy mills put profit over the health and well-being of their animals.

If you still want to buy a puppy, remember to:

• Never buy online. In addition to what’s outlined above, shipping animals — especially long distances — can be tough on them and sometimes, even dangerous.

• Avoid pet stores. These puppies generally come from out of state and face the same issues puppies sold online go through.

• Always visit the breeder yourself. Reputable breeders will be happy to show you their facilities.

• Meet the parents of the puppy you want.

• Expect a contract with breed papers, vaccination information and a provision for you to return the dog if it doesn’t work out. A breeder who doesn’t care enough about the puppy they’re selling to guarantee they’ll take the dog back is not a reputable breeder.

If you have your heart set on a certain breed, there are many breed-specific rescues in the Bay Area and, of course, there’s always your friendly neighborhood animal shelter with plenty of pets waiting patiently for a forever home.

Lisa Bloch is the director of marketing and communications for Marin Humane, which contributes Tails of Marin articles and welcomes animal-related questions and stories about the people and animals in our community. Go to marinhumane.org, find us on social media @marinhumane, or email lbloch@marinhumane.org.

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In: Lifestyle, Marin County, Marin history, Marin History Museum, newsletter, Novato, Things To Do

The wide, paved roadway in the photograph was the recently completed state highway in Marin as it passed through Novato on its way to Sonoma and points north. The California state highway system had its beginning in the year 1895-96 when the state took over maintenance of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road that ran from Placerville to the Nevada state line. At that time, California also formed the Bureau of Highways to coordinate construction of better roads between the counties. After California voters approved the $18-million State Highways Act in November 1910, engineering and construction began statewide to connect all county seats with a “continuous and connected state highway system.” Within a year of the passage of the act, the County of Marin and cities and towns from Sausalito to Novato began issuing bonds to assist in funding the construction of the highway. By the end of the 1920s, motorists could traverse the county on a fully paved roadway that passed through many of Marin’s downtown districts.

Businesses in the photograph are DeBorba’s Stage Station and Ice Cream Parlor in the left foreground, the Midway Garage just beyond it and Nave’s Garage across the street on the corner. The rather dusty intersection is present-day Grant Avenue and Redwood Boulevard. The Midway Garage changed hands many times in its first few years and was out of business by the 1930s. On the other hand, Nave’s Garage prospered and expanded their business to include a Dodge and Plymouth showroom. Over the years, Nave’s Garage changed locations a couple of times and was a cornerstone business in the Novato area until Louis Nave sold the business to new owners in 1953. DeBorba’s Stage Station had been a saloon opened by the DeBorba family in 1906, but changed its spot during Prohibition to an ice cream parlor when this photograph was taken. Upon repeal of Prohibition, it reverted back to its saloon incarnation and added the first Chinese restaurant in Novato operated by Sid and Jimmy Lack. DeBorba’s remained a favorite watering hole and eatery in downtown Novato until closing in May 2018.

In the early decades of the 20th century, the California state highway made long-distance traveling both easier and safer. It also brought many more visitors and tourists to North Coast cities and towns from Marin County all the way to the Oregon border. Business and civic leaders from Crescent City to San Francisco lobbied successfully to change the name to the Redwood Highway to encourage the growing motorist population and trade. Eventually, much of the old state highway would become part of U.S. Route 101 of the federal Interstate Highway System, a far cry from the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road of 1895.

Thank you to Mike Read of the Novato Historical Guild for information on early Novato businesses.

History Watch is written by Scott Fletcher, a volunteer at the Marin History Museum, marinhistory.org. Images included in History Watch are available for purchase by calling 415-382-1182 or by email at info@marinhistory.org.

As Reported by Marin Independent Journal

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In: How it is, Lifestyle, Marin County, newsletter, san rafael, Things To Do

I remember one day when my husband and I were hauling our kayaks up the slight incline from the beach to our cabin. Dan said, “How long will we be able to do this?” We were slowly plodding up the hill and I said that it didn’t matter if we were walking slower, it mattered that we could still do it.

I have always said, aging doesn’t bother me, it’s pain that causes me to feel old, to feel debilitated and unable to do things. And, that is where I find myself now.

I threw my back out, which was nothing new. I’ve done that many times and have recovered. This time, it was different. My back started to spasm to the point where all my activities came to a halt. An X-ray revealed that I had a compression fracture in my vertebra. The healing process would take anywhere between six months to a year. Well, it could be worse I said to myself.

All my life, I’ve been in motion. When I was younger, it was hiking and backpacking. Fishing was high on the list of things I loved to do as well. I could jump over rocks and almost speed walk around the lake. Now, I must use walking sticks and be mindful of how I step over rocky surfaces so that I don’t fall.  But, I can still do it even though it takes longer.

After hiking the lake last summer, my husband said, “This is a difficult hike.” I’d not thought it ever to be difficult because I’ve hiked around the lake many times over the years, and more than once during a summer. But, now, I guess I’d have to say, it has become a difficult hike. I can still do it though.

There are earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, but they all end at some point. Such is the way the body works. I’ve had an earthquake and am suffering aftershocks that I hope will gradually dissipate back to normalcy again. In the meantime, I have to adjust my lifestyle to the changes the earthquake made after it erupted and ended.

There are setbacks and finalities to life. It is one thing to say you did something when you were younger and would have no desire to do it now. It is another thing to say you wish you could continue to do something and now you can’t. That’s when I have a young moment wish.

Idleness drives me crazy. How do I look at it as a different kind of motion? To knit, to sew, to play the guitar, to write are motions, but they are mental motions and not physical ones other than the movement of my hands, which I am fortunately still able to do. I type/text/email and rarely handwrite a note or sign my name. As a result, my handwriting has become more difficult and my signature does not have the flow of youth. Signing my name shows letters merging into each other with the evidence of age behind them.

Clocks tick away time and run down, but they can always be wound up again and tick with vigor for another week. I wish I had a key that would wind me up with vigor, everything running evenly like the pendulum of the clock, ticking away. I want to be my alpine clock, running in perfect timeless time.

Sue Curran is a San Rafael resident. IJ readers are invited to share their stories of love, dating, parenting, marriage, friendship and other experiences for our How It Is column, which runs Tuesdays in the Lifestyles section. All stories must not have been published in part or in its entirety previously. Send your stories of no more than 600 words to lifestyles@marinij.com. Please write How It Is in the subject line. The IJ reserves the right to edit them for publication. Please include your full name, address and a daytime phone number.

As Reported by Marin Independent Journal

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Dear Amy: I have a very difficult and stressful relationship with my mother, and I don’t know what to do about it.

I am 19 years old. My mother is an addict and an alcoholic, and she missed out on much of my early childhood years because of it.

When I was around 8, she finally sobered up, but she still has a multitude of psychological problems, most likely stemming from years of substance abuse, and she never really grew up.

She only thought about herself. She hurt me over and over again. She put her maternal duties aside and wasn’t there for me.

Finally, I had enough when she missed my high school graduation last year. She lied to me about why she had missed it (turns out she was at home the whole time).

I tried to tell her how much this had hurt me. In response, she cried, engaged in theatrics, pitied herself, and essentially told me that she was giving up on our relationship because she “always messes up.”

I begged her to try to change – for me – but it appears she would much rather wallow in her own sorrow and cry about how much I hate her.

I don’t hate her; I wish she would try harder so we could spend the rest of our lives together.

I haven’t seen her in almost a year now, and I haven’t spoken to her for months. I’m completely lost, and I have no idea how to deal with this.

Lost, Confused and Sad Daughter

Dear Daughter: You are the child of an addict, and you have assumed the heavy burden that your mother’s addiction has bestowed upon you.

And like many children of addicts and narcissistic parents, you would very much like to force your parent toward change, so that you might have the sort of healthy parent/child relationship you long for.

Unfortunately, your mother is not willing – or able – to change for you.

You can, however, change – and this change should be directed toward securing your own future health and happiness and accepting the lousy hand you’ve been played, as well as her limitations.

Your mother’s erratic and disappointing behavior has trained you to take responsibility for the outcome, but you need to find ways to lay down this weighty backpack you’ve been carrying.

Every human being longs for love and constancy, and you will find it – but likely not with your mother.

It is time now for you to commit to parenting yourself (and I have a feeling you’ll be very good at it). Engaging in trusting and emotionally healthy relationships with others will also help you to heal.

I suggest you join a “friends and family” support group such as Al-anon or Adult Children of Alcoholics (Adultchildren.org), and also read “Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents,” by clinical psychologist Lindsay C. Gibson (2015) New Harbinger.

Dear Amy: My daughter is engaged to her college boyfriend. They are now living together.

Even though my daughter’s income is substantially below his, he insists that she pay 50 percent of their expenses. She is starting to fall behind and is going into debt in order to keep up.

I’d like to know your thoughts.

Concerned Parent

Dear Concerned: I’m wondering why your daughter’s fiancé has the power to decide and dictate their household finances?

If they are looking ahead to a marriage where they will be true partners, then these important issues should be negotiated and mutually decided upon – not dictated by one partner.

If she is managing her money responsibly but is not able to afford living with these terms, then something needs to change. It is ultimately extremely expensive to be in debt.

My greater point is that this is a red flag. The pressure of being in debt will add to the pressure of being with a partner who (at least from this account) sounds controlling.

Dear Amy: Like other readers, I was appalled at your response to “Anonymous,” the reader who complained about “free range” children at family events.

These parents are not only lazy, they are negligent. I can’t believe you stood up for them!

Upset

Dear Upset: After warning about the hazards and dangers of children running “free range” at other people’s homes, I did stick up for these parents.

Anonymous did not mention that these children were rude or disruptive to others – only that they were permitted to run around on their own.

You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.

As Reported by Marin Independent Journal

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The trail to Tennessee Beach is a long-time favorite of ours. It’s the first trail our oldest son did to completion on his own two feet – three miles round trip, when he was 3 years old – and also the trail where we all saw our first bobcat in the wild. It’s stroller friendly for those who are adept with jogging strollers, and has often-welcome places for pitstops along the way.

At the beach itself, the continent stretches rocky arms to form a cove with many nooks and crannies for exploration, transient wadable lagoons and plenty of sand for those who like to indulge. The beach takes its name from SS Tennessee, a passenger ship that was run aground in this cove ion 1853, and sometimes, the engine of the doomed ship shows at low tide for people standing in just the right place.

So it wasn’t the best time to discover that beach access is closed thanks to the threats that recent deluges pose to the earthen dam just above the beach.

The reason there’s a dam above the beach is that the person who owned this land a few decades ago built it so that a waterfowl-enticing pond would form. His hope was that if he built it, the birds would come, and then he could hunt them.

At least, the birds showed up. When the Golden Gate National Recreation Area was established a little more than a decade later, the Park Service inherited the ponds, the birds and, of course, the dam. The inheritance saved this particular recreation area from being developed as a planned city for 30,000 people to be called Marincello.

The top of Fox Trail offers views of downtown San Francisco to the Outer Sunset that will take your breath away. (Photo by George Kunze
Photo by George Kunze

The top of Fox Trail offers views of downtown San Francisco to the Outer Sunset that will take your breath away.

Now, Marincello is the name of one of the many trails that branch off of the main Tennessee Valley throughway to the beach. And on the two days recently that we visited the area, we opted on one of them to veer off north, onto the Coastal Trail, keeping right on this trail until it intersected with Fox Trail, which we took back down to its connection to Tennessee Valley again.

We chose a perfect time for this 4.1-mile lollipop route: sunset on Sunday. The newly revamped and expanded Tennessee Valley parking lot was emptying out, and the trails were, too. The first part of this route is ample and wide, like a double-wide fire road. It runs under stands of eucalyptus and then splits into a lower route through a sensitive riparian region that is for hikers only. The upper route is open to cyclists and horses.

The route closure is close enough to the beach to give trial users a great peek at the Pacific and the beach itself. On one of the two days I visited recently, I was explaining to my adolescent companions about the dam and why the Park Service had posted a half dozen signs warning people away and why we weren’t going there. In the middle of this conversation, another trail user walked right past us, skirted around all of the signs and made their way onward. When we visited on the Sunday evening, we could see that there were at least a dozen people on the beach.

Despite the insouciant visitors, a failed dam is a real threat, one that the Park Service plans to remove entirely. It’s not great to have to close off beach access when the rains render the earthen dam a failure risk. The result should be a return of this area to a more natural state.

With the closure, we decided to veer off and upward. As we made our way up the Coastal Trail toward Fox Trail, our glutes felt the heat. The 0.7 miles of this part of the trail definitely can get the heart rate up, and give the leg-pumping muscles and the lungs a workout.

Tennessee Valley beach takes its name from SS Tennessee, a passenger ship that was run aground in this cove ion 1853, and sometimes, the engine of the doomed ship shows at low tide for people standing in just the right place. (Photo by Emily Willingham)
Photo by Emily Willingham

Tennessee Valley beach takes its name from SS Tennessee, a passenger ship that was run aground in this cove in 1853.

At the top, though, it’s the views, as always, that will take your breath away. A full arc takes the eyes from a faraway downtown San Francisco to the Outer Sunset sloping down to the sea, across the sea itself and northward up the Marin coast.

On the way down from these vistas, we encountered some valiant cyclists making their way up Fox Trail, experiencing cardiovascular demands similar to ours when we’d made our way up.

We left the views behind on one of the last waning days of winter before the advent, yet again, of daylight savings. And we spied, on the way back up Tennessee Valley trail, one of the first signs of spring: poppies peeking over the edge of the hillside above us, a little burst of orange in the fading sunlight.

Getting there: From 101, take the Stinson Beach/Mill Valley exit. Follow the U.S. 1 to the sign indicating Tennessee Valley Road and take the left turn. The trailhead parking lot sits at the end of the winding, narrow road. Overflow parking is along the roadside. There are pit toilets at the trailhead, along the trail, and just where the dam sits above the beach. No dogs are allowed on this trial.

Emily Willingham is a Marin science journalist, book author and biologist. You can find her on Twitter @ejwillinghamphd or on Mastodon at ejwillingham@mastodon.social.

As Reported by Marin Independent Journal

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While eating disorders have been widely publicized for decades, far less attention has been given to a related condition called body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD.

Body dysmorphic disorder is often hidden from public view due to the shame people feel about one or more parts of their body, yet it is a devastating, debilitating psychological condition. People with the disorder suffer from obsessive thoughts and repetitive behaviors related to their appearance.

Whereas people with eating disorders might view their underweight body as too fat, those with body dysmorphic disorder see themselves as ugly or disfigured even though they appear normal or attractive to others.

Body dysmorphic disorder is more common in both men and women than bulimia or anorexia. About 2.5% of women and 2.2% of men in the U.S. meet the criteria for body dysmorphic disorder – that’s higher than the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in the general population.

For comparison, at any point in time, bulimia is seen in roughly 1.5% of women and 0.5% of men in the U.S., and anorexia in 0.35% of women and 0.1% of men.

We are a team of communication and mental health researchers and clinicians from Colorado State University Global, Hofstra Medical School and the University of Toronto. One of us, Eva Fisher, lived with the disorder for almost 15 years before getting help and recovering. My book, titled “The BDD Family,” provides insights into my daily struggles with body dysmorphic disorder along with information about diagnosis and treatment.

In our view, body dysmorphic disorder needs to be better understood and publicized so that more people suffering from the condition can be properly diagnosed and treated.

People with body dysmorphic disorder and those with eating disorders share similar negative emotions such as shame, disgust and anger about their appearance. They also engage in some similar behaviors, such as mirror checking, taking photos to check themselves, seeking reassurance from others about their appearance, and using clothing to camouflage or conceal perceived defects.

People who suffer from these disorders commonly avoid places and activities due to self-consciousness about their appearance. In addition, those with eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder may lack the knowledge that their body image beliefs are distorted.

Depression is common in people with body dysmorphic disorder, and they have a higher rate of suicidality than those with eating disorders, including thoughts about committing suicide and suicide attempts. Although both eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder can be severe and life-threatening, people with body dysmorphic disorder on average experience more impairment in daily functioning than those with eating disorders.

A personal view

My (Eva’s) body dysmorphic disorder symptoms started at age 16. Some causes could have been childhood bullying and perfectionism about my appearance. I would obsess about the shape and size of my nose for more than eight hours a day and constantly compare my appearance to models in fashion magazines.

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Common body dysmorphic disorder behaviors include seeking cosmetic treatments such as surgery and dermatology.
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Common body dysmorphic disorder behaviors include seeking cosmetic treatments such as surgery and dermatology.

I was convinced that others were judging me negatively because of my nose, which I perceived to be fat and ugly. I hated my nose so much that I didn’t want to get married or have children because I feared they would inherit it.

Even after getting plastic surgery at age 18 to make my nose thinner, I still hated it. This is a very common outcome for people with the disorder who undergo cosmetic surgery procedures.

Research indicates that 66% of people with body dysmorphic disorder have received cosmetic or dermatological treatment. However, even when people feel better about one part of their body after surgery, the image obsession often moves to one or more other body parts.

Some patients will have multiple procedures on the same body part. Other people are so disappointed by the results of their surgery that they want to commit suicide.

Tragically, many people with body dysmorphic disorder think about killing themselves, and others attempt to take their own lives. Approximately 80% of people with body dysmorphic disorder experience lifetime suicidal ideation, and 24% to 28% have attempted suicide. Often, they are young men and women who feel so hopeless about their perceived appearance defects that suicide seems like the only way to end their suffering.

Problematic appearance

So how is body dysmorphic disorder different from normal appearance concerns? Researchers have found evidence that while appearance dissatisfaction can range in severity, there is a distinct group of people with much higher appearance concerns, many of whom likely have the disorder. They feel much worse about their appearance than those with normal appearance concerns and experience greater anxiety, depression, shame and self-disgust about some aspects of their appearance.

About one-third of people with the disorder obsess about their perceived flaws for one to three hours a day, nearly 40% for three to eight hours a day and about a quarter for more than eight hours a day. Most people with body dysmorphic disorder know they spend too much time thinking about their appearance, but others with the condition mistakenly believe that it’s entirely normal to worry about their appearance for hours every day.

Common body dysmorphic disorder behaviors include, from most to least common:

• camouflaging the perceived defects with clothing and makeup

• comparing one’s appearance to others

• checking one’s appearance in mirrors and other reflective surfaces

• seeking cosmetic treatments such as surgery and dermatology

• repeatedly taking photos to check one’s appearance

• seeking reassurance from others about the perceived flaw or convincing others that it is unattractive

• touching the perceived flaw

• excessively changing clothes

• dieting and skin picking to improve appearance

• engaging in excessive exercise, including excessive weightlifting

Discovering the causes 

The exact causes of body dysmorphic disorder are unknown. Possible developmental causes include genetic factors, childhood bullying, and childhood teasing about appearance and competency, as well as childhood maltreatment and trauma. Other factors that could play a role include growing up in a family with an emphasis on appearance, perfectionist standards concerning appearance, and exposure to high ideals of attractiveness and beauty in the mass media.

Common personality traits among people with body dysmorphic disorder include perfectionism along with shyness, social anxiety, low self-esteem and sensitivity to rejection and criticism.

Researchers have found that people with the disorder may have abnormalities in brain functioning. For instance, one study found that people with body dysmorphic disorder, as well as those with anorexia, have an information processing bias toward more detailed visual information rather than viewing images globally – in other words, seeing the trees rather than the forest. This suggests that abnormalities in the brain’s visual system could contribute to the distortions that those with body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia experience.

Fortunately, there are effective treatments for people with body dysmorphic disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy and medication are both used to treat the disorder.

During cognitive behavioral therapy, therapists work with patients to help them modify intrusive thoughts and beliefs about physical appearance and to eliminate problematic behaviors associated with body image, such as mirror checking and reassurance seeking.

Medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, such as Prozac and Zoloft can reduce or eliminate cognitive distortions, depression, anxiety, negative beliefs and compulsive behaviors. They can also increase levels of insight and improve daily functioning.

I (Eva) worked with a psychologist and psychiatrist to combat the depression and anxiety caused by my appearance concerns. Fortunately, both the medication and therapy were effective in reducing my negative feelings and compulsive behaviors.

Two years after I started treatment, my symptoms lessened and became manageable. Today I facilitate two online support groups and encourage people to learn more about the disorder. Group members provide support and comfort to others who understand their daily struggles. They also share advice about getting help for this common but little known body image disorder.

More information about diagnosis and treatment for body dysmorphic disorder is available on the International OCD Foundation BDD site.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts, under a Creative Commons license.

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Dear Amy: I’m a recently married woman in my mid-20s, looking for a new job.

Recently, during an interview with a private school, I was asked about my pregnancy plans. The question was if I had a “plan for balancing children with work.”

I coldly said, “My husband and I have spoken about it, and we’re not concerned.”

I got offered the job but didn’t take it because of that question, as well as a “no pants” policy for women.

When I told the company that I was declining the job, I told them my reasons, and I included a link to the EEOC about pregnancy discrimination, which included a recommendation to not ask that question in interviews. They responded with a general reply wishing me well in the future.

Was there a better way to handle it?

K

Dear K: “A no pants” policy? Wouldn’t that upset the children? (I thought that only television anchors could get away with going “no-pants” at work.)

Kidding aside, your choice to turn down this position was obviously a good one. Your follow-up was appropriate.

Here’s the information from the EEOC that I assume you linked to: “Federal law does not prohibit employers from asking you whether you are or intend to become pregnant. However, because such questions may indicate a possible intent to discriminate based on pregnancy, we recommend that employers avoid these types of questions.”

In the future, when you’re asked about your family planning in a job interview, you might respond: “I’m curious: Why do you ask?”

The interviewer would likely offer a benign-sounding explanation. If after that you’re at all still interested in employment at that particular workplace, you could then respond and deflect by saying, “I have an outstanding work ethic.”

Given that this baby-balancing query was made at an actual school, you might have responded: “Given that I’ll be working with children, the entire job is to balance children with work. I look forward to it.”

Dear Amy: It might be my profession that makes me a little salty, but I’m hoping that you can reframe or share some thoughts on this irritation.

When the pandemic started, everyone was sent to work from home. All most people could do was complain about how difficult this was.

Being a nurse and manager of a medical unit, I obviously did not get to work from home. Nor did I have any “boring” days like so many people complained about.

Now, three years later, many people have settled into working from home and love it. They’re complaining about having to go into an office a few times a month.

Speaking on behalf of most of us in health care (and any service industry), I really wish people could appreciate their situation.

Making every work setting or situation into a complaint is obnoxious for those of us who do not have these luxurious options.

Your take?

Salty Nurse

Dear Salty: I want to thank you for your service, and also for the invitation to ponder and potentially reframe a category of human inquiry that we should be grateful exists at all: post-pandemic problems.

So let me start by removing from its case the world’s smallest violin and playing a plaintive tune for anyone who has the temerity to complain to a healthcare or service worker about the burdens of being called back into the office a few times a month.

Now for the reframing: We’re back! We’re back to overlooking our obvious lucky breaks (we’re alive, being one), and are already starting to take for granted the simple privilege of being able to visit with, touch, hug and kiss one another.

We’ve resumed our habit of laundering our petty complaints, even if the rest of the world is on fire.

Your burden is also your blessing: While others are whining about the long line at Starbucks, you are already fully awake and inhabiting your salty humanity.

You have my permission to remind others to put their problems into perspective.

Dear Amy: I related to the question from “Stop Haunting My Dreams.” Like this person, I have had recurring dreams. Mine are related to college (I left right before receiving my degree).

I agree with you that this is the subconscious trying to close the loop on unfinished business.

In My Dreams

Dear In My Dreams: My recurring college dreams involve arriving at the wrong classroom to take my final. I’m still trying to work that one out.

You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.

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Jeff Burkhart (IJ photo/Frankie Frost)
Frankie Frost/IJ archive

Jeff Burkhart

My coworker wasn’t having a good night. When she asked to take a break, which was unusual, I said sure. Two minutes after she left, two women walked up to the bar.

Well, not walked — they ambled sideways, going hand over hand to guide themselves into their seats, almost as if they were blind. They had to stop once to go around the lone man sitting at the bar. Their eyes were locked together in an intense stare as if every word uttered was world shattering.

They unwrapped their scarfs methodically, making sure to never break eye contact. One could have hung a 2-foot silk thread between their two noses and it never would have broken.

I approached them and said hello.

They didn’t notice. Instead that unbroken eye contact continued as they both reached under the bar to find hooks for their purses.

I set down two menus.

“Drinks are on the back, food is on the front,” I said.

No response.

Two waters later and still no response. But since they were now directly in front of my drink preparing station I could catch bits and pieces of their conversation.

“I’m through with men,” said the brunette.

I looked around for my coworker nervously.

“We are both smart independent women,” said the blonde.

“Damn straight,” said the brunette in a fashion that indicated that the use of profanity was out of character.

“We’re both fierce,” they agreed.

Periodically, I was called away to wait on other customers. But since I had to make drinks in front of them, I made a habit of checking in with them — or more correctly, attempting to check in.

Not once did they acknowledge my presence, not when I refilled their waters twice or when I set down a dessert menu.

“Men just suck,” the brunette said.

“They are terrible,” the blonde added.

I just stood there.

“We should take some time to work on ourselves,” said the blonde, and the brunette agreed.

“We have our careers; we don’t need anything more than that.”

This went on for quite a while, and considering what I had heard, I didn’t think it prudent to forcefully interrupt. Besides, bars are for adults and if an adult has to be coaxed into ordering a drink then you run the risk of being seen as encouraging people to drink, which is a liability issue under California law.

Eventually, one of them had to use the “little girls’ room,” which seemed like an odd statement after their conversation.

The man sitting next to the remaining woman leaned over.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but overhear you two and I just want to say a smart, beautiful woman like you deserves better than whomever you are talking about.”

She looked at him coolly at first.

“I mean, you seem like you really have it together. Any man would be lucky to have you. If you ever want to talk, here’s my card,” he said, handing it to her. “Call me anytime.”

When her friend returned, she didn’t mention the interaction. And soon enough, she excused herself as well.

The man leaned over again.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but overhear you two and I just want to say a beautiful, smart woman like you deserves better than whomever you are talking about.”

I did a double take at that double take.

She looked at him coolly as well at first.

Duty called me away once again, a pressing chardonnay emergency farther down the bar. When I returned, I witnessed the card being proffered and accepted.

“Call me anytime.”

When her friend returned, she, too, never mentioned the interaction. The two of them eventually got up, gathered their things and walked out of the bar, both doing everything they could not to notice the man sitting there, except for two furtive glances.

Two men took their places at the bar.

“I’m through with women,” one said, shaking his head.

“Me, too,” his friend agreed.

Leaving me with these thoughts:

• Affirmations at home indicate a willingness to change ourselves. Affirmations in public indicate the exact opposite.

• One man is probably going to get a phone call, maybe two.

• Con artists are successful because they tell you what you want to hear. And sometimes what we want to hear is not what we say we want to hear.

• On their way out the door, the two women had complained to the hostess that the “male” bartender had “completely” ignored them. A “hello,” four menus, three glasses of water each, notwithstanding.

• Generalizations suck, whether about men or women.

• Saying something is different than doing something.

• There will be no more breaks, no matter what.

Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. I and II,” the host of the Barfly Podcast on iTunes (as seen in the NY Times) and an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at jeffbarflyIJ@outlook.com

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  • Ned Clarke shares the treasures he finds in unexpected places...

    Courtesy of Ned Clarke

    Ned Clarke shares the treasures he finds in unexpected places on his popular YouTube channel.

  • A collection of Ned Clarke's antique bottles that he's found.

    Courtesy of Ned Clarke

    A collection of Ned Clarke's antique bottles that he's found.

  • Ned Clarke got hooked on digging for artifacts while he...

    Courtesy of Ned Clarke

    Ned Clarke got hooked on digging for artifacts while he was a student Mill Valley Middle School.

  • Ned Clarke considers his YouTube channel of his finds as...

    Courtesy of Ned Clarke

    Ned Clarke considers his YouTube channel of his finds as “historical education through visual storytelling.”

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What many see as trash, Ned Clarke sees as treasure. Traversing the western states, the Marin native searches through piles of excavated mud and dirt for remnants of the buried and unforgotten past, uncovering 19th-century soda and medicine bottles, pitchers, pot lids, brass doorbells, dolls and inkwells.

It’s a process the historian and SAG actor showcases on his popular YouTube channel “Digging the Old West with BottleNed” where for the past few years he’s shared the colorful history of the American West and shown the unique places he’s discovered finds, from under a gas station to behind a Victorian mansion to under a 100-year-old steel factory. With thousands of followers, he considers it “historical education through visual storytelling.”

His videos can be found at youtube.com/@BottleNed.

Q How did this interest begin?

A I was 5 years old. My grandpa brought me out to the beach by Blackie’s Pasture. I was walking on the beach and there was this aqua bottle bobbing in the waves, washing up onto the beach. It had algae on it and a barnacle or two. It was an E&J brandy bottle. I picked it up and it sparked something in my imagination like, what was the story of this person? How did it get to this spot? It was an artifact of somebody’s life and it had been altered and aged by nature. It was that combination that was really compelling. It captures a moment in someone’s life.

Q How did the digging start?

A Mill Valley Middle School, where I went, was built on a landfill. I was about 12 and waiting for a bus. I was kicking the ground with my foot and a 1920s bottle popped up, a flavoring extract bottle. It was a lot older than I was used to finding and I started kicking more and I kicked up a 1910 bottle that said the name of a pharmacy embossed into the glass. I couldn’t believe it. So, naturally, I stared digging with my feet by the closest bush and I later went back to my spot and there was a hole that someone had dug with a shovel. I pulled up a newspaper from World War ll that you could still read. That’s when I was really just hooked.

Q How’d you get the nickname Bottle Ned?

A Back in college. I was in Santa Cruz and there was a pile of sandy dirt by the boardwalk that was excavated and I had found a couple of 19th-century inkwells. A guy walked up to me and said, “I’m Bottle Danny,” and I said, “Well, I’m Bottle Ned.” He was also looking for old relics.

Q Where do you find places?

A You hear about areas where there’s going to be a project, where there’s soil that’s going to be excavated. Every once in awhile, archaeologists come to a site, do a dig and recover things, but a lot of material that gets unearthed gets hauled off to a landfill. It’s a shame. Basically it’s a quest to try to find some of that dirt and get into it. I stress that if you find something on public land, leave it. And no one should touch Native American artifacts; that belongs to them and it needs to stay in place.

Q What inspired the YouTube channel?

A I was digging for years without filming and then I came to a realization that this needs to be documented; there’s a lot of education to be had. No one really is aware that there’s so much being destroyed daily by progress, by building and excavation and changing the landscape. To be able to film it and document it, you can keep history alive.

Q What’s a memorable thing you’ve found?

A A hair bottle from France. I was able to locate through social media the descendent from the guy who used the bottle from the 1860s. That was incredible for the family to have that. One time, I was driving on a freeway and I saw a tree that had fallen. I thought I saw a sparkle of glass sticking out of the tree roots. I went to the tree and sure enough, there was an old whiskey bottle sticking out a tree root, from the 1880s. I got a picture in my head of someone on their horse and maybe they tied their horse up to the tree, sat under it for some shade, had a drink and left that bottle there and it got buried. You never know where you’re going to find something.

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Dear Amy: I am a people pleaser, volunteering at a nonprofit that helps Afghan refugee women. We provide fabric and a space with sewing machines where they can come and work. Lately, these women are making items that they may be able to sell.

Recently, “Kara” contacted us and asked us to create a copy of a dress she had. She told me that if we figured out how to make this, we could let the Afghan women make and sell them. She provided fabric for the copy.

I spent six hours figuring out how to make the item and documenting it with photos and instructions. I then made a sample.

I have been a professional seamstress, but I’m also a soft touch. I never charge as much as the work is worth.

In this case, I intended to ask Kara to give a donation to the charity so we could purchase more fabric. One hundred dollars didn’t seem out of line.

As it turns out, Kara loved what I did and wore the sample out the door.

I gave her the instructions and the pattern pieces, and she gave me $20 to donate to the charity.

She also told me that she and a friend might make these dresses and sell them. (I did tell her that I thought the project was not going to work for the Afghan women.)

After she left, I felt used, so I called her and told her that she needed to pay me for my time if she was going to sell this dress design for a profit.

However, now I feel guilty! I hate myself for calling her.

Was I wrong to call her? Or am I wrong to feel guilty?

 In Stitches

Dear In Stitches: People often ask if they are “wrong” to feel a particular way. And my answer is always the same: Your feelings are your feelings. They are neither right nor wrong. They simply are.

Your job is to let your feelings guide you toward understanding and (possibly) change.

Your initial choices prevented you – and the organization you support – from receiving a justified compensation.

I suggest that your chronic undercharging is more a reflection of your confidence in the worth of your work than your desire to please.

Kara swanned out the door wearing a custom-made dress (as well as the pattern and instructions) for $20.

If you don’t set your price and state it clearly before doing the work, then you leave it up to the buyer to guess a fair compensation – or to gently rip you off.

I give your choice to follow up with Kara a “five star” rating.

I hope you will take this episode as an opportunity to adjust your business model.

Dear Amy: Over the years my brother and I have stopped communicating. He is toxic, bossy and creates problems among family members. As a result, we siblings don’t really communicate with him.

We are now all elders – with him being the eldest.

I assume I will outlive him as I am the youngest. As we age, I often wonder what I will do when he passes. Should I go to the funeral of an estranged brother if I have fond memories of our relationship from my childhood and I still have a good relationship with his son? (He also has a daughter who has removed herself from all family communication. No one knows why, but our niece’s silence occurred long before we stopped communicating with our brother.)

I would want to do the right thing by my nephew by supporting him, but I also wouldn’t want to create any problems within my brother’s family.

I and my other siblings and all our children all remain on good terms with each other through family gatherings and communications. I believe I am the only one that attempts to stay in touch with my nephew.

Anticipating

Dear Anticipating: Unless you strongly suspect that your presence would make things harder for your brother’s family and other survivors, then, yes, you should attend his funeral. Be discreet, express your condolences, and do your best to read the room.

Dear Amy: I thought you went way too easy responding to the question from “Worried,” the waitress whose fellow waitress was smoking cigarettes and pot while pregnant. This is child abuse!

Upset

Dear Upset: While this is definitely unhealthy for both mother and child, I stand by my advice for this co-worker to be nonjudgmental and to try to influence this pregnant woman toward better choices.

You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.

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Fuchsias have beautiful flowers. The flowers hang gracefully like ballerinas in their colorful tutus.
Fuchsia gall mite (Aculops fuchsiae) was accidentally introduced from South America in the 1980s. They are microscopic worm-like mites and occur in growing tips year-round and in flowers during the blooming period. The fuchsia gall mite causes leaves and shoots to become thickened and distorted, sometimes with unsightly galls.

Golden Gate Park planted a Fuchsia Dell in 1940. The fuchsia gall mite was discovered in the garden in 1981. The damage caused by the mite was horrific; most of the plants had to be removed. In 1995, a new Fuchsia Dell was established with mite-resistant species and hybrids.

If your fuchsias are damaged by gall mite, you can try to prune or pinch off and destroy infested terminals. A miticide may be used after pruning, using two applications two to three weeks apart.

— Katie Martin, UC Marin master gardener

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I knew that if downsizing guru Matt Paxton and I ever got together, we would never stop talking. Fortunately, his publicist, who was hosting our Zoom call last week, had other places to be, or Paxton and I would have gone into extra innings. Such is the territory we both know, love and share: people, their houses and their stuff.

The former host of “Hoarders,” which ran for 15 incredible seasons, Paxton is fired up about his show, “Legacy List with Matt Paxton.” Now in its fourth season, the two-time Emmy-nominated series premiered on public television in January. Episodes feature him and his team visiting homes across America helping families unpack not only their stuff, but also the stories buried within.

“In all the houses I’ve been in, it’s never about the stuff,” he says. “It’s always about the stories.”

Both Paxton and I unwittingly became downsizing experts out of personal experiences. I wrote my first downsizing book while in a state of PTSD, after clearing out my parents’ home of 50 years. Paxton lost his dad, stepdad and two grandfathers in the same year, and cleared out each of their estates.

It changes a person.

“Is that your home office?” Is my first question when I virtually meet Paxton. I ask because the white wall behind him is completely empty, like he’s taking a passport photo, unlike my walls, which have, well, stuff.

“Yes,” he says. “I share it with my wife.”

“You share it, and it looks like that?”

He spins his laptop around to show me more of the pristine workspace, no papers, no books.

“Wow. You guys are hardcore minimalists.”

“We have seven kids in a 2,200-square-foot house. We have to be.”

I do not show him my office, but I can tell by what he says next that he knows what it looks like.

“People who surround themselves with papers and books do it because it makes them feel important,” he says. “And they think it lets others know they are important; they have the papers to prove it.”

Happy to change the subject, I pepper Paxton with questions about — what else?— stuff:

Q You’ve worked with hoarders and downsizers. What’s the difference?

A Hoarding is a mental disorder where people need to acquire lots of items to feel worthy. Invariably, these people have suffered a massive trauma, and are looking to compensate. They are looking for happiness or comfort in stuff. When working with a hoarder, you have to address the trauma behind the behavior, and help them remember a time when they felt love in their life.

People who need to downsize often worked hard to get where they are. Their insanely hard work ethic makes it harder for them to let go of what they worked so hard for. When dealing with downsizers, the key is to celebrate their life of hard work, capture their stories and let the stuff go.

Q How do you get folks who need to downsize (and that’s almost everyone) going?

A I ask them to choose the five or six items that mean the most to them and their family and talk about why. Everyone should do this. Your story doesn’t need to be perfect. Just record what you know, take a picture and attach the image to the story. Have grandma tell you her stories over Zoom and hit record. It’s a slow start, but once you capture the stories behind those five or six items, it’s a lot easier to get rid of the 15 potholders.

Q Once they pull out their legacy items, then what?

A The next cut involves deciding which items to keep and which ones to get rid of. If you decide to get rid of an item, you then need to decide whether to sell or donate. If you decided to sell but don’t like the price you’re offered, so what? Don’t let price stand in the way of getting rid of something you decided you don’t want. (Please read that sentence again.)

Q What three things do you wish more Americans knew?

A One, you already have enough stuff to live. You do not need more stuff. Everything else is a want.

Two, my TV show makes the job of downsizing and decluttering look a lot easier than it is. We have a team that comes in and works nonstop. Realistically, it takes most people trying to downsize about six months if you work at it an hour a day. If you feel overwhelmed, call in a professional to help.

And three, sorry to bring this up, the clock is ticking. Do you want to spend your time dealing with housing and paying to store your stuff, or free yourself to have more time and money to spend on life experiences? Getting rid of stuff lets you make room for the life you want.

Q What would you like to say to retired empty nesters still living in the home where they raised the kids, a home that’s jammed with yesterday?

A I would like to ask them why they are living in a storage unit for their adult children. Your house is not a storage unit. Tell your kids to get their stuff. Set a firm date. If they haven’t gotten it by then, it’s yours to get rid of.

Q What are some of the minimalist rules you live by?

A What you bring in should equal what you take out. If you get new a new pair of jeans, get rid of a pair. Also get rid of anything that is part of your fantasy life. Those ice skates, that surfboard. I’ll be in houses where the owners are 65 to 75 and they have a highchair they are saving for their grandkids. Seriously? At the end of the day, minimalism is keeping only what serves your life now.

Marni Jameson is the author of six home and lifestyle books, including “What to Do With Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want,” “Downsizing the Family Home – What to Save, What to Let Go,” and “Downsizing the Blended Home – When Two Households Become One.” You may reach her at marnijameson.com.

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Saturday

Tot Shabbat: presented by Congregation Kol Shofar is at 11:15 a.m. in person at the Beit Midrash at 215 Blackfield Drive in Tiburon. Call 415-388-1818 or go to kolshofar.org.

Monday

Vespers: presented by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is at 7 p.m. on YouTube and in person at 102 Ross Ave. in San Anselmo. Go to stnicholasmarin.org.

Tuesday

Matins: presented by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is at 7 a.m. on YouTube and in person at 102 Ross Ave. in San Anselmo. Go to stnicholasmarin.org.

Lenten lecture series: by Sally Jaeger on the parable “The Good Samaritan” is at 7 p.m. in person at the Saint Rita Parish Hall at 2100 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Fairfax. Lenten soup supper begins at 6:15 p.m. Go to saintritachurch.org.

Wednesday

Lenten hours: presented by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is at 5:15 p.m. on YouTube and in person at 102 Ross Ave. in San Anselmo. Presanctified liturgy to follow at 6 p.m. Go to stnicholasmarin.org.

March 24

Festal vigil: presented by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is at 7 p.m. on YouTube and in person at 102 Ross Ave. in San Anselmo. Go to stnicholasmarin.org.

Mondays

Mass: presented by Mill Valley’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is at 7:45 a.m. in person at 3 Oakdale Ave. in Mill Valley as well as livestreamed on Facebook. Go to facebook.com/mountcarmelmv and mountcarmelmv.org.

Tuesdays

Tuesday morning Minyan: presented by Congregation Kol Shofar is at 7:15 a.m. in person at the Beit Midrash at 215 Blackfield Drive in Tiburon. Call 415-388-1818 or go to kolshofar.org.

Christian contemplative practice: presented by St. Columba’s Inverness is at 7 p.m. online at stcolumbasinverness.org/virtual-chapel.

Mindfulness meditation: with chants and Tibetan singing bowls is presented by the Praktikos Meditation Circle at 5 and 7 p.m. on Zoom. Email praktikos@outlook.com to get the link. All welcome.

Wednesdays

Chai lights: weekly talk presented by Congregation Kol Shofar is at 10 a.m. Contact garyamv@comcast.net for more information.

Prayer and meditation service: presented by the Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living is at 7:15 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month on Zoom. Go to ggcsl.org/events/month.

Bible study: presented by St. Andrew Presbyterian Church of Marin City is at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. Go to saintandrewpc.org.

Noon prayer: and scripture study presented by St. Columba’s Inverness is at noon online at stcolumbasinverness.org/virtual-chapel.

Taize service: presented by the Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living is at 7:15 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month on Zoom. Go to ggcsl.org/events/month.

Mass: presented by Mill Valley’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is at 7:45 a.m. in person at 3 Oakdale Ave. in Mill Valley as well as livestreamed on Facebook. Go to facebook.com/mountcarmelmv and mountcarmelmv.org.

Testimony meeting: presented by First Church of Christ, Scientist, San Rafael, is at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. Go to christiansciencesanrafael.org.

Contemplative prayer: and compline presented by Church of the Nativity is at 5 p.m. on Zoom. Go to nativityonthehill.org for the Zoom link.

Wednesday Communion: presented by Tiburon’s Community Congregational Church is at noon via Zoom. Go to ccctiburon.org/spiritual-practices.

Visioning meditation: presented by the Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living is at 7:15 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month on Zoom. Go to ggcsl.org/events/month.

Guided meditation: presented by the Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living is at 7:15 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month on Zoom. Go to ggcsl.org/events/month.

Thursdays

Morning Minyan: presented by Congregation Kol Shofar is at 7 a.m. in person at the Beit Midrash at 215 Blackfield Drive in Tiburon. Call 415-388-1818 or go to kolshofar.org.

Morning mindfulness meditation: with Tibetan singing bowls and chants is presented by the Praktikos Meditation Circle at 5 and 7 p.m. on Zoom. Email praktikos@outlook.com for the link.

Talk: on “Philosophies of Judaism” with David Fankushen is presented on the first and third Thursdays by Congregation Kol Shofar at 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. Call 415-388-1818 or go to kolshofar.org.

Candlelight evening prayer circle: presented by St. Columba’s Inverness is at 7 p.m. online at stcolumbasinverness.org/virtual-chapel.

Mass: presented by Mill Valley’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is at 7:45 a.m. in person at 3 Oakdale Ave. in Mill Valley as well as livestreamed on Facebook. Go to facebook.com/mountcarmelmv and mountcarmelmv.org.

Discussion on spiritual texts: Stone Soup Conversation presented by Tiburon’s Community Congregational Church is at 11 a.m. via Zoom. Go to ccctiburon.org/online-gatherings.

Fridays

Mass: presented by Mill Valley’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is at 7:45 a.m. in person at 3 Oakdale Ave. in Mill Valley as well as livestreamed on Facebook. Go to facebook.com/mountcarmelmv and mountcarmelmv.org.

Bible study: presented by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is at 11 a.m. on Zoom. Go to gslcnovato.org/online-bible-study.

Noonday prayer service: presented by Church of the Nativity is at noon on Zoom. Go to nativityonthehill.org for the Zoom link.

Shabbat mingle: and chat presented by Gan HaLev is at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Contact suzanne@ganhalev.org for login information.

Contemplative practice: presented by Tiburon’s Community Congregational Church is at noon via Zoom. There’s a different practice each week. Go to ccctiburon.org/spiritual-practices.

Saturdays

Vigil Mass: presented by St. Hilary Catholic Church is at 5 p.m. in person at 761 Hilary Drive in Tiburon and livestreamed on YouTube. Go to sthilary.org.

Shabbat services: presented by Congregation Rodef Sholom is at 10:30 a.m. on Facebook. Go to rodefsholom.org/rodef-sholom–home.html.

Mass: presented by Mill Valley’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is at 7:45 a.m. in person at 3 Oakdale Ave. in Mill Valley as well as livestreamed on Facebook. Go to facebook.com/mountcarmelmv and mountcarmelmv.org.

Shabbat services: presented by Congregation Kol Shofar is at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom as well as in person at 215 Blackfield Drive in Tiburon. Call 415-388-1818 or go to kolshofar.org.

Shabbat services: presented by Chabad of Marin is at 10:30 a.m. in person at 1150 Idylberry Road in San Rafael. Call 415-492-1666.

Saturday circle: presented by Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin is at 9 a.m. on Zoom. Go to uumarin.org.

Vigil: presented by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is at 6 p.m. on YouTube and in person at 102 Ross Ave. in San Anselmo. Go to stnicholasmarin.org.

Masses: presented by the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church are at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. in person at 1000 Cambridge Ave. in Novato as well as livestreamed. Go to stanthonynovato.org.

Sundays

Mass: presented by St. Hilary Catholic Church are at 7:30, 9 and 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. in person at 761 Hilary Drive in Tiburon and on YouTube. Go to sthilary.org. The 7:30 a.m. Mass is quiet with no music.

Mass: presented by Mill Valley’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is at 10:15 a.m. in person at 3 Oakdale Ave. in Mill Valley as well as livestreamed on Facebook. Go to facebook.com/mountcarmelmv and mountcarmelmv.org.

Sunday worship: presented by St. Andrew Presbyterian Church of Marin City is at 11 a.m. on Zoom and in person at 101 Donahue St. in Marin City. Go to saintandrewpc.org.

Sunday circle: presented by Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin is at 9 a.m. on Zoom. Go to uumarin.org.

Worship services: presented by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin are at 10:30 a.m. on Zoom and in person at 240 Channing Way in San Rafael. Go to uumarin.org.

Sunday celebration: presented by the Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living is at 10 a.m. in person at Corte Madera Community Center at 498 Tamalpais Drive in Corte Madera and online. Go to ggcsl.org.

Online services: presented by First Missionary Baptist Church is at 10 a.m. on Facebook Live. Go to fmbc4christ.org.

Celebration service: with Sunday message, readings and music is presented by the Community Congregational Church of Tiburon at 8:30 and 10 a.m. in person at 145 Rock Hill Road in Tiburon as well as on Zoom. Go to ccctiburon.org.

Sunday service: presented by Grace Church of Marin is at 8:30 a.m. on Zoom and in person at 10 a.m. at 921 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in San Anselmo. Go to gracemarin.org.

Worship service: presented by Hamilton Community Church of the Nazarene is at 10:30 a.m. on Zoom. Go to hamiltoncommunitychurch.org/calendar.

Morning prayer service: presented by St. Columba’s Inverness is at 11 a.m. online at stcolumbasinverness.org/virtual-chapel.

Worship service: presented by Presbyterian Church of Novato is at 10 a.m. in person at 710 Wilson Ave. in Novato as well as online. For more information, go to pcnovato.org.

Family service: presented by St. John’s Episcopal Church is at 9 a.m. in person at 14 Lagunitas Road in Ross. Go to stjohnsross.org.

Worship service: presented by St. John’s Episcopal Church is at 10 a.m. in person at 14 Lagunitas Road in Ross and online at stjohnsross.org/live-stream-for-10am-service.

Worship service: presented by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is at 10 a.m. in person at 1123 Court St. in San Rafael as well as on Facebook Live and YouTube. Go to facebook.com/stpaulssanrafael and stpaulssanrafael.org/livestream.

Worship service: presented by Community Church of Mill Valley is at 10 a.m. on Zoom or in person at 8 Olive St. For more information, go to communitychurchmillvalley.com.

Worship service: presented by Marin Lutheran Church is at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom and in person at 649 Meadowsweet Drive in Corte Madera. For more information, go to marinlutheran.org.

Worship services: presented by Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church is at 10:30 a.m. in person in the sanctuary at 410 Sycamore Ave. in Mill Valley, as well as on Facebook at facebook.com/Mt-Tamalpais-United-Methodist-Church-250943698280064.

Worship service: presented by Peace Lutheran Church is at 11 a.m. in person at 205 Tennessee Valley Road in Tam Valley. Go to plcmarin.org.

Sunday service: presented by San Anselmo’s First Presbyterian Church is at 10 a.m. on Zoom or in person in the sanctuary at 72 Kensington Road in San Anselmo. Go to togetherweserve.org.

Sunday service: presented by Lutheran Church of the Resurrection is at 9:30 a.m. online and in person at 1100 Las Gallinas in San Rafael. Go to lcrsr.com.

Sunday services: presented by the Quest is 10 a.m. on YouTube and Facebook Live at facebook.com/questnovato/videos. Go to questnovato.com.

Sunday services: presented by St. Luke Presbyterian Church is at 10 a.m. on YouTube and in person at 10 Bayview Drive in San Rafael. Go to stlukepres.org.

Sunday services: presented by Fairfax Community Church is 10:30 a.m. on Zoom and in person at 2398 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Fairfax. For more information, go to fairfaxcommunitychurch.me

Worship services: presented by First Church of Christ, Scientist, San Rafael, is at 10 a.m. on Zoom and in person at 1618 5th Ave in San Rafael. Go to christiansciencesanrafael.org.

Sunday services: presented by Novato United Methodist Church is at 10 a.m. on Zoom. Email novatoumc@novato.net for login information.

Sunday worship service: presented by San Geronimo Community Presbyterian Church is at 11 a.m. in person at 6001 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in San Geronimo. For information, go to sgpchurch.org.

Holy Eucharist: presented by Episcopal Church of the Nativity is at 8 and 10 a.m. in person at 333 Ellen Drive in San Rafael as well as on Facebook Live. Go to nativityonthehill.org.

Worship service: presented by Westminster Presbyterian Church is at 8:30 and 10 a.m. in person at 240 Tiburon Blvd. in Tiburon as well as on YouTube and Facebook Live for the 10 a.m. service. Go to wpctiburon.org.

Worship service: presented by Trinity Lutheran Church is at 10 a.m. in person at 333 Woodland Ave. in San Rafael and online at Facebook and YouTube. Call 415-454-4135 or go to trinitysanrafael.org.

Worship service: presented by Redwoods Presbyterian Church is at 10 a.m. in person at 110 Magnolia Ave. Larkspur. The service will also be livestreamed. Go to redwoodspres.org.

Worship services: presented by Tiburon Baptist Church are at 10:30 a.m. in person at 445 Greenwood Beach Road in Tiburon. These services are also broadcast online via livestream. Go to tiburonbaptist.org.

Worship services: presented by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church are at 9:30 a.m. online and in person at 1180 Lynwood Drive in Novato. Go to gslcnovato.org.

Worship services: presented by Aldersgate United Methodist Church are at 10:30 a.m. in person at 1 Wellbrock Heights in San Rafael and online on Facebook Live at facebook.com/pg/aldersgatemethodist.org/posts.

Christian conversation and support: for Marin moms is presented by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 3:30 p.m. the second Sunday of each month at 1123 Court St. in San Rafael. Soup supper provided to bring home. Call 415-456-4842 or go to stpaulssanrafael.org.

Divine liturgy: presented by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church is at 9:30 a.m. on YouTube and in person at 102 Ross Ave. in San Anselmo. Go to stnicholasmarin.org.

Sunday worship: presented by Marin Covenant Church is at 9 and 10:45 a.m. in person at 195 North Redwood Drive in San Rafael and available on Zoom and Facebook at 10:45 a.m. Go to marincovenant.org.

Sunday services: presented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Novato are at 10 a.m. in person at 787 Kendon Land and on Zoom. For more information, call 707-400-8308.

Sunday services: presented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in San Rafael are at 9 a.m. in person at 220 North San Pedro Road and on Zoom. For more information, call 707-758-8750.

Sunday services: presented by San Rafael First United Methodist Church is at 10:30 a.m. in person at 9 Ross Valley Drive in San Rafael. Call 415-453-8716.

Worship services: presented by San Rafael’s First Presbyterian Church are at 8:30 a.m. (contemplative service) and 10 a.m. (choirs and guest musicians) in person at 1510 Fifth Ave. in San Rafael. The service will also be livestreamed. Go to fpcsr.org.

Divine liturgy: presented by the Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church is at 9:30 a.m. in person at 1110 Highland Drive in Novato as well as online. Go to nativityofchrist.org.

Joyful worship service: presented by Sleepy Hollow Presbyterian Church is at 9:30 a.m. at 100 Tarry Road in San Anselmo as well as on Zoom. To receive Zoom link, email shpchurch@comcast.net. Go to sleepyhollowchurch.org.

Worship service: presented by Christ Presbyterian Church is at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom and in person at 620 Del Ganado Road in San Rafael. Go to cpcinterralinda.org.

Sunday service: presented by the Unity In Marin is at 10 a.m. in person at the sanctuary at 600 Palm Drive in Novato as well as a simulcast to its outdoor courtyard and livestream at unityinmarin.org/livestream. A community meditation is in the sanctuary beforehand from 9:30 to 9:50 a.m.

Masses: presented by the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church are at 9 and 11:15 a.m. in person at 1000 Cambridge Ave. in Novato as well as livestreamed. Go to stanthonynovato.org.

Email listings of religious events to calendar@marinij.com. Photo attachments should be 300 dpi JPGs with a file size of at least 2 megabytes.

As Reported by Marin Independent Journal