Southern Sonoma Country Life

The Kind Self-Healing Book - Let's Help Publish A Petaluma Author

The Kind Self-Healing Book is a 200-page self-esteem boost that contains 35 activities, tools for self-reflection, writing, and insights. Crowd sourcing for indie publishing is something I'm about to try myself, so I'm particularly keen to help a fellow author get word out. 

Sometimes bravery means muscle, sometimes it means brain and soul, like in the case of emotional bravery.

Writer Amy Eden knows emotional bravery.

She needs our help to make her book real and she's almost there! Click here to learn more about Amy's publishing campaign on IndieGoGo. 

Over the years, readers of Amy's personal growth blog, Guess What Normal Is, have asked: How do I start this work? Where do I start? How do I begin to untangle the ill effects of my less-than-perfect-childhood? How do I help myself? How do I heal myself? Her reply is her first book, The Kind Self-Healing Book.  

Amy has 20 years of writing experience, including a MFA in Creative Writing. She has worked in the book publishing industry for 20 years and know what it takes to produce a quality book that serves and delights people.  

Also, follow Amy's campaign on Facebook.  

Book Discussion Group at Jack London State Park - July 18th & Sept 19th, 2014

American writer and literary critic, Alfred Kazin said that the "greatest story Jack London ever wrote was the story he lived.”

A Jack London Book Discussion Group at Jack London State Historic Park, has been designed by and for people who can't get enough of the author's own story. The group is set to highlight a rare selection of writings for its upcoming July 18th and September 19th meetings.

Written shortly after Jack’s death,  Charmian London wrote The Book of Jack London Volumes 1 & 2 almost as a love letter to her lost “mate.” These booksare not readily available, but can be purchased as a set from The House of Happy Walls museum at the Park. The English publisher of the book printed for the Park volume 2 of The Book of Jack London, which will be discussed at the Sept. 19 meeting.

The discussion group meetings run from 2-4 pm and will be held in the Terrace Picnic area next to  the Cottage, accessed via the Ranch parking lot. Cost, which does not include parking, is $10 for individual sessions or was $45 for all 5 meetings. Parking fee of $10 is payable at the entrance kiosk. Registration for the Book Club discussions is available online. Call (707) 938-5216 for questions or more information.

This book discussion group explores autobiographical novels and biographical books about Jack London’s spectacular life and adventures. The group, meeting March through November is led by two Jack London scholars, Susan Nuernberg, Ph.D. and Iris Jamahl Dunkle, Ph.D. Participants may attend individual sessions or sign up for the series. Books should be available in the museum bookshop.

 

The final session of the 2014 Book Discussion Group will be November 14th focusing on the recent book:

Jack London: An American Life by Earle Labor:  London scholar Earle Labor draws from his lifetime of scholarship to meticulously reconstruct Jack London’s stunning life. (I devoured this book when it was newly published and highly recommend it even if you aren't interested in attending the discussion group.) 

Discussion leaders:

Susan Nuernberg is professor emerita of English at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, a past president of the Jack London Society, and a former Jack London scholar-in-residence at Sonoma State University. Her publications include “The Critical Response to Jack London” and “The Letters of Russ Kingman.” She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she wrote her dissertation on race in Jack London's fiction. She is a docent at Bouverie Preserve and at the Jack London State Historic Park where she offers docent enrichment workshops. 

Iris Jamahl Dunkle's debut poetry collection, “Gold Passage,” won the Trio Award and was published by Trio House Press in 2013. Her chapbooks “Inheritance” and “The Flying Trolley” were published by Finishing Line Press. Her poetry, essays and creative non-fiction have been published widely.Dunkle teaches writing and literature at Napa Valley College.She received her B.A. from the George Washington University, her M.F.A. in Poetry from New York University, and her Ph.D. in American Literature from Case Western Reserve University. She is on the staff of the Napa Valley Writers conference and is the managing editor of VOLT.

Once a month through August, the Valley of the Moon Natural History Association (VMNHA) hosts a free entrance day at Jack London State Historic Park when parking admission fees are waived. July 14th is a special day for kids and families featuring a Kids Discovery Walk and an afternoon of storytelling. The guided nature walk, from 11 am to noon will be an easy walk to learn about nature at the Park (walk leaves from House of Happy Walls museum). Jack’s Animal Tales introduces kids, through puppets and storytelling, to many of the exotic and adventurous locations Jack London experienced on his travels around the world. The storytelling and puppet show is presented from noon to 12:30 pm at the House of Happy Walls museum.

Now that the park is open every day, VMNHA wants to ensure that the 1400 acres of this pristine wilderness and over 20 miles of trails are available to as many members of the community as possible. On these Free Entrance Days however, fees to tour Jack London’s Cottage are still in effect.

 

 

Brews and Bites for Bounty - With Music By the Highway Poets

New Leadership Brings Passion And Productivity To Petaluma Educational Foundation

There's a change of guard at The Petaluma Educational Foundation (PEF). How great to be one of the first to report that long time Petaluman Maureen Highland (pictured above, seated) has been promoted from Developement Director to interim Executive Director, and board member and also an integral part of the community, Alicia Hansel (pictured, standing), has been named President of the PEF’s Board of Directors. 

Maureen and Alicia bring fresh dynamics, fiscal acuity and leadership to the organization that ensures equitable access to technology, fine arts, environmental studies, athletics, and numerous programs providing innovative and engaging curriculum-based programs to all 37 local public, charter, and not-for-profit private Petaluma area schools.

Maureen's previous role as PEF’s Director of Development and Marketing made her promotion a natural progression. Graduating in 1991 from University of San Francisco, she has spent the last 24 years strategically implementing and exceeding marketing goals for prominent Bay Area organizations.

A 21-year resident of Petaluma, Maureen has been instrumental in increasing the impact of PEF’s role in building partnerships with local businesses and stewarding growth opportunities for the Foundation’s endowments, scholarships and grant programs.

Understanding the complexity of overseeing and executing goals set forth by the non-profit organization which manages the PEF Impact Grant program (gifting over $2,531,000 to date) and PEF Scholarship program (awarding over $2,462,000 to date), her demonstrated professionalism and cooperative attitude will secure PEF’s longevity as a front-runner of educational advocacy in the community and a strong partner for local organizations wishing to enhance the positive impact on all 13,000 students annually enrolled in local schools.

Alicia is former Sonoma State University Water Polo Coach and a graduate of University of California, Berkeley. She is a well-seasoned veteran of guiding a team to success. An engaging leader in her own right, Alicia has served in numerous volunteer positions at PEF since 2008. On July 1, she takes office as the President of the Board of Directors of the 32-year-old foundation after serving as Vice President for the past year.

"PEF is entering into a wonderful chapter with Maureen stepping into the Executive Director role. I am looking forward to a very productive year collaborating with my fellow board members to advance the long-standing mission of PEF to support our students and school communities. PEF is committed to honoring the gifts from our donors to augment the local school system with resources and programs so that today’s students enter society as competitive, independent citizens prepared for a multitude of career options in the future,” shares Alicia.

ALso new to the PEF team is Marketing and Development Coordinator, Jena Parsons Pritchard. As an educator who taught media literacy in both the private and public school sectors ( she has an M.A. in Educational Technology) and as a seasoned grant writer, Jena is committed to furthering PEF's objectives.

"Working at PEF as the new Marketing & Development Coordinator enables me to use all of my skill-sets to promote something that I hold dear- "the equitable access to quality education for all children."   I know that line seems cliche', but truth be told, I really believe that education is the key to a robust, healthy democratic society," says Jena.

Jane Addams, one of Jena's most favorite activist suffragists once said, "Nothing could be worse than the fear that one had given up too soon, and left one unexpected effort that might have saved the world."  Jena believe that PEF's mission embodies this sentiment succinctly and the organization does everything in its power to make sure it has tapped into every resource, innovation, and partnership available to prevent educational environments from being left out.  

The Foundation wraps up a strong fiscal year under the leadership of current PEF Board President Chris Wallner. “We are poised for another impactful year with the continued momentum of growth in sales at PEF’s two downtown thrift stores, Alphabet Soup and Alphabet Soup @ Home, as well as focusing on the organization’s commitment to build our grant endowment,” shares Chris. PEF is embarking on a solid, well thought out plan to continue to grow the foundation’s grant endowment providing stable and long-term funding to support the education of all Petaluma youth for years to come.

The mission of PEF since its inception in 1982 has been to support local schools, believing that every child has a dream. As a foundation PEF creates community partnerships to fulfill these dreams. The Petaluma Educational Foundation, which does not receive any government funding, relies totally on the generosity of the community to raise essential funds to support grants and scholarships for all Petaluma Schools. This year’s 2014 BASH takes place on September 6 and kicks-off PEF’s annual PEF Impact Grant Program fundraising. Mark your calendars for the city's premier social event of the year. 

The foundation looks to the community at large to help support efforts to enhance the academic experience of all Petaluma's students. Any amount donated is an investment in local students and the future of our community – that investment is needed now.

Petaluma Educational Foundation (PEF) is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization. Since 1982, PEF has been reaching Petaluma’s K-12 students through PEF Grants gifted to local schools and PEF Scholarships awarded to graduating seniors. Founding members tapped into the generosity of Petaluma, with a mission to invest in the courage of our teachers determined to inspire the hearts and minds of our students. For more info on PEF click here. 

Sonoma County's First Artist-Owned Gallery Celebrates 17 Years With Cake and Good Company

Seventeen years ago, on June 28th 1997, Upstairs Art Gallery at 306 Center Street, in Healdsburg held its grand opening reception. At the time it was the only gallery in Sonoma County to be run by artists, a business model that has fortuitously caught on all the way from Petaluma in the South County and throughout the many artist-rich communities in our region.

On Saturday, June 28th, 2014, the gallery will be holding an afternoon cake party from 1-4pm to celebrate its success.  You are invited to join special guests, who include more than 60 former 'gallery owners', talented county artists who have contributed their time and talents to this business over the years.

A gallery founder, artist Louise Johnson from Cloverdale, is the special guest of honor on the 28th, as she is retiring after 17 years.  Louise paints in both watercolor and oils, and served on the Gallery Board of Directors for many years. "My time at the gallery has been a very joyful experience, and I will miss showing customers around the gallery and talking about different kinds of art." says Louise. "The gallery began life  as a place for members of Santa Rosa Art Guild to show their work and has just grown from there. Seventeen is clearly a theme, there were 17 original members and many of them are still active in the local art scene today."

Upstairs Art Gallery has added to the richness of thecommunity and economy. Over 200 monthly art receptions have been held there, countless works of art sold, and  the gallery regularly participates in Healdsburg Second Saturday Art Walk.

Carolyn Wilson, Gallery Manager adds :"Over the years we have developed special relationships with people, and visitors really like the fact that when they come into our gallery, they are talking with one of the artists. Our job as artists is to bring beauty into the world and share it with others. Over 17 years that adds up to a lot of beauty!"

Click here for the Gallery's website.

Saralee's Motto - Words to Live By Gleaned from the 75th Anniversary Sonoma Marin Fair

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, WHOO HOO, what a ride!"

Saralee Marin McClelland Kunde 1948 -2014

Happy 75th Birthday to Petaluma's Sonoma Marin Fair. I couldn't possibly find better words to toast the occasion than this gem of a motto, gleaned from Sonoma County's late, great ag leader, Russian River grapegrower Saralee, daughter of South County dairy farmers, champion of the county's wine and food for almost 30 years. Saralee passed away aged 66 in January of this year and was celebrated for her vast contributions to the region's ag history, philanthropy and education within a richly detailed historical exhibit that was curated for the fair's anniversary by county historian Katherine Rinehart, Annee Booker Knight and numerous contributors.

The striking gouche and oil painting pictured above and featured in the extensive exhibit was painted by one Hugo Zacchini, first human cannonball in carnival history. Despite his daring acrobatic talents (he didn't actually perform in Petaluma, though must have visited),  Zacchini also was the holder of not just one but two engineering degrees as well as a masters in art.

His painting was admired in the Beverly C. Wilson Hall from Wednesday, June 18th to June 22nd, amidst an extensive array of fair memorabilia, trophies, photos, posters, newspaper stories, clothing and artifacts, dating back to our hometown fair's early days, starting in 1939. 

The Sonoma Marin 4th District Ag Fair sponsored its own downtown parade during the 1950s and 60s - a highlight of the summer season, as were Chuck Wagon breakfasts and beauty pageants. At first glance, the good old days of the fair seem a far cry from stalls of plastic inflatable aliens and ponchos, but look beyond the garish attractions of today and the spirit of this community's ag heritage is alive and well and proudly tending to its prize calves, pigs, goats and chickens in the freshly scrubbed, flower bedecked 4H stalls beyond.

One great Sonoma Marin tradition still standing strong, Clo's ice cream booth at the back of the fair, where smiling servers scoop and serve thousands of free cones each day. 

  

 

Petaluma Startup Apparel Company PlugOut Joins Digital Detox Movement

Take a break from technology this summer. It's time for some outdoor fun. That's what PlugOut, a new Petaluma-based active lifestyle brand, is doing with its inuagural line of gear, accessible at www.plugouttoday.com. 

PlugOut offers eco-friendly t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and accessories in bright colors with the playful PlugOut logo.

        

 


“Our gear is designed to make a statement,” said company co-founder Ray Decker. “People who use our gear are people who love technology and love life more. They are people who thrive on being plugged in, yet regularly put down their devices to indulge in life."

Recent studies indicate that heightened technology can trigger harmful effects, including addictive behaviors and health risks. "Teenagers who do too much texting and social networking are particularly vulnerable, said Larry Rosen, a psychologist who spoke at the American Psychological Association annual convention and who has been studying the effect of technology on people for more than 25 years. 

Time Magazine recently offered this management tip of the day: “Take a Weekly Technology Break.”

“We agree with this advice,” said Decker.  “People’s lives have been so enriched by electronic devices and social media that it is something that we see everywhere. We are just asking people to step away from technology now and then and take five minutes out of your day to breathe and focus on the people around you.”

PlugOut (pictured below, introducing itself to the locals at the 2014 Butter and Egg Days Parade) offers cool threads that encourage others to take a little break from technology.  To learn more, visit www.plugouttoday.com. 

Founded by Ray and Anna-Claire Decker, the company donates one percent of annual net revenue to 1% For The Planet, an alliance of businesses that leverage their resources to create a healthier planet.

West Sonoma Coast's West of West Wine Festival, AUG 1st through 3rd, 2014

Tickets are available now for the best food and wine event celebrating the bounty of West Sonoma Coast. West of West Wine Festival is a weekend of winemaker dinners, unique seminars, a premiere tasting with acclaimed producers and a closing dinner featuring SF's hottest chefs and James Beard award winners and nominees from Bar Tartine, Rich Table and Statebird Provisions. The West Sonoma Coast Vintners is an association formed to highlight the distinguished wines crafted from grapes grown on the coastline of West Sonoma County. Tickets are now available for this special weekend at Sebastopol's The Barlow offering both wine lovers and the wine trade an insider taste of some of the most acclaimed cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah wines produced today. The weekend will kick-off on Friday, August 1st with a series of intimate Winemaker Welcome Dinners hosted by select vintners at an assortment of stunning winery and vineyard locations. Each dinner will feature the winery portfolio thoughtfully paired with cuisine from West Sonoma. Saturday’s full schedule at The Barlow begins with two exciting seminars and a catered lunch: 10:00am – 11:30am, The Evolutions of California Cuisine & Wine Featuring the culinary talent of James Beard award-winning chefs Stuart & Nicole Brioza from Statebird Provisions, James Beard finalists Sarah & Evan Rich from Rich Table and Nick Batta & Cortney Burns from Bar Tartine. These talented chefs will create unique pairings with a selection our West Sonoma Coast pinot noirs that reflect a modern take on wine and food interaction. 11:30am – 12.45 pm, Lunch A catered lunch prepared by Rocker Oysterfeller’s and Firefly Fine Catering 1:00pm – 2:30pm, Charles Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay Family owned since 1912, Charles Heintz Vineyards is a unique coastal vineyard located just outside Occidental in the cool climate of the Sonoma Coast. Explore multiple wineries interpretation of this esteemed vineyard. 3:00pm – 6:00pm, Grand Tasting More than 40 producers and growers from the extreme West Sonoma Coast give guests an opportunity to sample rare and hard to find wines that grace some of America’s top wine lists. Complimenting the wines will be a selection of foods from top local purveyors. 6:30pm – 10:00pm, Grand Dinner The grand dinner features our guest chefs from Statebird Provisions, Rich Table andBar Tartine. This line up of extraordinary cuisine will be accompanied by special bottlings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay supplied by members of the West Sonoma Coast Vintners. Guests are welcome to bring a choice from their cellar to share.

Chefs Evan & Sarah Rich Rich Table

Nick Balla & Cortney Burns Bar Tartine

Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski State Bird

Throughout the event, there will be a number of visiting Sommeliers joining WOW from esteemed restaurants across the country such as Blackberry Farms, Cavallo Point, Husk, Mandarin Oriental, Providence, River Oaks Country Club, Restaurant Eugen, SLS Bazaar, The Boarding House, and many more. They will be on hand to help pour wines and answer industry questions during the Saturday seminars and the dinner following Saturday’s Grand Tasting. The weekend closes on Sunday with a final day of tasting under the Grand Tasting tent at The Barlow from 1 – 4pm. Tickets are available for purchase online and range in price from $475 for an “all weekend pass” to $125 for the Saturday Grand Tasting.

World Cup Fever for the Fashionista

 

    

The world's top soccer players are on parade this June and July in the sweltering heat on Brazil's home turf. It can't be denied, these sportsmen boast some of the most spectacular physiques in international sports. 

It's not surprising that players catch the eyes of many of the leading designers around the globe. The perfect fit-model size for making mens fashion appeal at a glance. But its not just the boys with the neon boots who are having all of the fun during the 2014 tournament. The most watched sporting event in international history makes for fashion merriment around the world. From fingernails to flip-flops, high heels and high couture, get your game on and show your stripes! 

I'm stoked for the U.S. team after a great first game with a 2-1 win against Ghana. The Americans play again on Sunday, June 22nd, against Portugal, at 3pm Pacific time. Of course, I'm also rooting for England, but also have the option to jump ship for the Italian team given the demographics of avid fans in my family room!

 

Rivertown Revival Countdown - Get Yourself Down to the Greatest Slough on Earth - July 19th, 2014

Kudos to Rivertown Revival folks for scoring a shoot with globe-trotting photographer Stephanie Rausser for this year's festival - July 19th, 2014. Petaluma looking out for its own. Awesomeness!