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I began with the best of intentions. For years, I made rich meals for Shabbat dinners all year-round, but in the summer, even with air conditioning, I became overheated preparing hearty food, which my family and friends didn’t feel like eating on sweltering days.

As we celebrate our 70th anniversary, we take a look back at the news that impacted the valley’s Jewish community and tracked its growth. Seventy years offers a lot of news to choose from. Hopefully these picks will surprise some, bring a wave of nostalgia for others and remind readers that the Valley’s Jewish community is getting stronger by the decade.

A thriving community newspaper mirrors the heart and soul of the readers it serves. It delivers accurate, timely reporting, analysis and commentary. It engages, informs and inspires readers. It creates a record of community life.

As temperatures soar and the daylight greets me earlier every morning, I am overcome with a sense of optimism. The presence of hearty desert flora growing toward the light is my affirmation that longer days hold great promise for those willing to embrace this gift.

This month marks two years since my bombshell cancer diagnosis. In the immediate aftermath, I worried about how to tell the kids — or, rather, how not to tell them. But secrecy proved exhausting, added tension and compelled the kids to concoct their own explanations for closed-door talks, post-crying eyes and vague “appointments.” My preschooler was fairly clueless, but my preteen suspected I was pregnant, and my teenager concluded we were divorcing. Clearly, things weren’t handled well.

With triple-digit temperatures already hitting the area, it’s time to find indoor, air-conditioned activities that work for the entire family. Here are just a few:

This is the time of year when Arizona homeowners start preparing for summer — new barbecue, patio furniture or cushions for the chairs; umbrellas to shade the furniture; maybe even repaving the patio or buying a new pool pump. Almost everything is designed to provide more comfort in the great outdoors.

Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall, according to the National Council on Aging. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports one in four Americans aged 65 and older fall each year, making falls the leading cause of injuries for older adults. From falls, older adults risk a range of injuries including broken bones, sprains, cuts, bruises and other kinds of pain and soreness.

Coping with the loss of a loved one can be one of the toughest challenges many of us will face. And when one loses a spouse, this grief can be compounded.

Who wakes up in the morning, looks in the mirror and thinks, “Wow, I wish I had spent more time in the sun when I was younger”? Who can remember a time when suntan lotion did not even have an SPF number? The constellation of freckles taking up permanent residence on our epidermis is proof that we baby boomers did not know any better. So how can we explain that despite all we know about the detrimental effects of UV radiation from the sun, our kids and grandkids continue to chase Apollo’s golden chariot?

Your palms are sweaty.

There’s an undercurrent that runs through most conversations we have with our kids about school. With some families, it’s more explicit: “We expect you to do well, and come home with As and Bs on your report card.” With other families, it’s less so, but still implied: “We expect you to go to school each day and give it your best effort, no matter what.”

The single most important characteristic people tell me they want in their home is comfort, and I believe you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for the look you want. Good design is comforting, but everyone has a different definition of what comfort means to them. What is warm and comfortable for you may look very different from your neighbor’s space.

Aging requires resiliency, creativity and adaptability, and it can lead to great self-discovery. Why are we sometimes surprised when someone in their 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s becomes more creative, starts a new, meaningful relationship, offers sound advice, or begins a new endeavor or interest? Since growing older is an inevitable part of life, why not look at these questions, focus on challenging negative stereotypes and reinforce positive contributions that occur as we age?

The holiday of Passover is upon us — and with that comes family traditions passed through generations. But some families may make new traditions this year, as Passover overlaps with Easter.

At Choice Pet Market in Scottsdale, Passover is going to the dogs — or, more accurately, the dogs are going to Passover.

So, everyone who’s ever purchased a bundle or three of parsley for Pesach and then still seemed to have a bundle or three of parsley left when the Seders were over, please raise your hand.

While I love Passover, I find breakfast the most challenging meal during the holiday of unleavened bread. Removing foods made with flour and grains from breakfast menus means digging deep into the creative side of my brain.

If you’ve already decided where your children will be attending camp this summer, it’s time to think about how best to prepare them for a fun, healthy and safe experience away from home.

For a millennia-old religious celebration that has little to do with physical well-being, the Passover holiday offers unexpected health-related opportunities.

Preparing the Seder plate can seem overwhelming, but it needn’t be.

At a news conference at the Jewish National Fund House on Feb. 20, former NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire, who played for the Suns for eight years, effused over his new line of kosher-for-Passover wines produced in Israel.

Window replacement is probably one of the more permanent changes you can make in your home. So you’ll want to think it through carefully before doing it. Below are several important benefits you’ll get from buying new windows.

It’s no surprise that 90 percent of people 65 and older would prefer to live in their own homes as they age, as opposed to a nursing home or assisted living facility, according to a recent AARP study.

The next time you visit New York, look up and you may see Bea Slater plastered on a billboard overhead.

Mazel tov! You’re getting married … again.

Judging from its ritual text, the ketubah (marriage contract) that is read aloud during a Jewish wedding ceremony isn’t the most exciting, romantic or joyous document. Yet increasingly, today’s ketubah designs are anything but dry and transactional. Ketubah artists and consumers alike are developing more elaborate and personalized tastes.