IN MEMORIAM: Across the county, residents will...

IN MEMORIAM: Across the county, residents will remember deceased friends and relatives today (B1). . . . Memorial Day was first celebrated in 1866 in Waterloo, N. Y., to honor Civil War dead. It later was expanded to pay homage to all military dead, and then to honor both military and civilian relatives and friends.

MORAL SUPPORT: Being home all day with a toddler--or two or three--can be daunting. So Simi Valley resident Mary B. James decided that there’s sanity in numbers and started the MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club (B1). . . . The club, which boasts more than 200 chapters in 30 states, allows stay-at-home mothers to come together for fun--and reassurance. “Sometimes you just want to make sure what you and your kids are going through is normal,” MOMS member Celine Collins said.

NO SMOKING: Monica Martinez’s mom doesn’t smoke, but her pregnancy gave Monica, a seventh-grader at Sequoia Junior High School in Simi Valley, an inspiration. . . . When her class was asked to seek changes in tobacco legislation, Monica wrote a letter urging that it be illegal for pregnant women to smoke. The letter won Monica a trip to Washington funded by three health organizations. She will join about 100 students from all over the country there next month. . . . Monica expects the highlight of the trip to be a meeting with President Clinton. If that doesn’t materialize, make it sightseeing and a visit to the Hard Rock Cafe.

DASHED HOPES: Be careful about expecting too much magic from those magic moments, experts say. If things go wrong on a honeymoon or anniversary, as they often do, the problems may be magnified by the great expectations (E2). . . . Into each relationship a little rain must fall? Designer Vickie Howd of the Flower Basket in Ventura notes that her shop sends out as many cards reading “I’m Sorry” as “Happy Anniversary.”