Southern Sonoma Country Life

Petaluma River Park Welcomes Huru — a Monumental Sculpture by Internationall Acclaimed Abstract Expressionist sculptor and 2010 National Medal of Arts RecipientMark di Suvero

Come out and say hello to Huru!

Thanks to generous community support, Petaluma River Park is delighted to welcome Huru home to Petaluma for the entire community to enjoy. Built in Petaluma in 1984-85 by world-renowned artist, Mark di Suvero, the monumental sculpture is on long-term loan to the Petaluma River Park by the McKegney Family. Lowell McKegney was a lifelong friend and "right-hand-man" to di Suvero until Lowell's passing in 2011.

 

Huru's installation marks one more milestone in the Petaluma River Park journey to create a shared space that connects people, art, and nature. This is one of the most exciting projects coming to fruition in the North Bay. If you haven't yet explored Petaluma River Park and its mission, click here for more info.  

Double Book Reading — Join Petalumans Sandra Anfang and Frances Rivetti at Occidental Center for the Arts Literary Series, Sunday, Sept 24th, 2023 — 3 to 4.30pm

Join me this Sunday, September 24th from 3-4:30 PM at the Occidental Center for the Arts Literary Series,  presenting myself and fellow Petaluma writer, Sandra Anfang, in a double book launch!  

Sandra's reading from Finishing School, a poetry chapbook by and I'll be reading from The House on Liberty Street, my most recent novel.

Admission is free, any donations to the center will be gratefully accepted. After the readings there will be a Q&A, with book sales and signing in the lobby. Wine, beer, coffee/tea and tasty treats are offered.

OCA is located at 3850 Doris Murphy Way, in Occidental at the corner of Bohemian Hwy and Graton Rd.  OCA’s facilities are accessible to people with disabilities.

Audiobook Launch —The House on Liberty Street — Home of Second Chances, Narrated by Jennifer March

Special Introductory offer for Southern Sonoma Country Life & Frances Rivetti Author Website Newsletter Subscribers $5 Off 

(Code is SUBSCRIBER DISCOUNT)

exclusively for  Subscribers Through Oct 18th

Click Here to Buy Now

I’m delighted to announce, just in time for the holidays, The House on Liberty Street is now available in audiobook format. The super talented and silky-voiced Jennifer March, matriarch of Jen’s Voices and founder of Not Your Mother’s Story Time and Petaluma Reader’s Theatre spent countless hours in her Sonoma County sound booth narrating Adamaria and Gracie’s story, which takes place in Petaluma between the afternoon of Christmas Eve and the early evening of Christmas Day, 2019.

It’s been a big adventure putting my stories into print and now, a new leap of faith in adapting to audio. Many of you have asked for audio and I listened. I’ve known Jennifer for many years and was pleased to hear from her that she had made the seque into audiobook narration, the ideal platform for her talents as an actor, reader’s theatre performer and radio voice.

The fact that we both live and work in Petaluma, CA, where The House on Liberty Street is set, sealed the deal with Jennifer being the perfect narrator for this story. Having collaborated with Petaluman Gail Foulkes on the cover art, it makes for a perfect trifecta to bring Jennifer into this local, all-woman team.

I'm enthralled in Jennifer’s storytelling, almost forgetting that it was me who wrote the story!

There are many platforms to purchase audiobooks from but AMPlify Audio is the spot launch my first audiobook to reside in that it is a site specifically developed to support its authors being paid a decent share of the audiobook’s royalties, unlike most other platforms.

I was introduced to AMPlify Audio through BAIPA (Bay Area Independent Publisher’s Group), of which I’m a member. When you buy my audiobook from AMPlify Audio, think of it as buying local. As we've all become more aware during the Writer's Strike this year, it's an absolute injustice that writers typically receive extremely low reimbursement for their creations. I will probably go wide on other platforms after the holidays, but for now, I warmly invite you to buy directly through the AMPlify Audio platform and take advantage of the $5 discount code as a special thank you for subscribing to my newsletter.

CLICK HERE TO BUY.

I’ll be doing quite a bit of marketing of the audiobook over the next few months as a great story to listen to in a comfy armchair by the fire this fall and winter, or while you and family and friends are traveling over the holidays.

Thanks to everyone who has read The House on Liberty Street in print or ebook and for the many local bookgroups who have selected my book this past year. I'm getting very busy with bookgroup dates for the coming few months. It's fantastic. I can't wait for you all to share the audiobook with readers around the world who may not be able to travel to Petaluma for the holidays! 

 

Falling for Filoli — History, Heritage & Horticulture, An English Country House in California

Photos — Frances Rivetti 

Oh what a lovely day spent wandering the house and gardens of Filoli in Woodside, a half-hour's drive south of San Francisco. This was my first time visiting and a wonderful outing with my British American girlfriends, who all love a smashing National Trust property pit-stip as much as I do. This one, however, is a lavish 20th Century American estate, which harkens back to a dazzling era of California wealth and luxury.  

The British National Trust abounds with historic homes and gardens, its US contemporary, The National Trust for Historic Preservation is considerably smaller in scope, but an important non-profit that, hopefully will continue to expand in the future. By supporting The National Trust for Historic Preservation, we can all help save these extraordinary places for generations to explore in the years to come. 

Today, over 100,000 visitors flock to Filoli to experience its seasonal splendor, inside and out. It remains the sole intact estate from an era when San Francisco’s wealthiest families created grand showplaces in the countryside outside of the city in the years after the 1906 earthquake.

The Filoli Library (below) and Florilegium collections provide valuable resources for the study of horticulture, botany, the arts, local history . . . this gorgeous library was modeled on a historic library design from Denham Place in England.

“Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life.” When Anglophile William Bowers Bourn II and his wife, Agnes turned the key to their Georgian manor, built 30 miles south of San Francisco in 1917, he came up with its unique name as a clever combination on his life credo. As heir to California’s Empire Mine gold fortune, William Bourn built his magnificent English-style Filoli estate with 16 acres of formal gardens amidst 654 sprawling acres. 

Shortly after the gardens were completed in the early roaring twenties, William Bourn suffered a severe stroke and was confined to a wheelchair. The estate he had created as his refuge became just that as he took solace and joy in being pushed around his gardens to soak in plantings and panormaic views until he passed, in 1936, aged 79. His wife Agnes died six months earlier, aged 75. And, sadly, their daughter, Maud Bourn Vincent, had passed away from pneumonia before her parents, at age 45, after falling sick during a transatlantic voyage from Europe to the United States. The couple's young son had died in infancy. The entire family is buried on the estate.

The house is a lot bigger in scale than a contemporary country house in England, built at the end of World War I. It's easy to see the influence from William's years in England when he studied at Cambridge University, only with all the resources he had at hand, back home in California, most aspects of the house interior living spaces are  plus-sized, starting with the kitchens.

Lurline Matson Roth, a San Francisco shipping heiress and self-taught horticulturalist and her husband, William, purchased Filoli in 1937 for an undisclosed price. It was an irresistable country retreat for her family: twin teenage daughters, Lurline and Berenice and their 21-year-old son, William. Lurline employed 16 gardeners, but she was frequently outside in all weathers, working alongside them, deadheading camellias, pruning roses and overseeing the garden she saw as a living tapestry.

Lurline, a naive San Franciscan and heiress to the Matson Navigation Company, was a well-known and accomplished equestrian who competed in horse shows across the country and bred award-winning specimens. In 1964, she and her son, an unsuccessful California gubernatorial candidate in 1974 renovated Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. 

It's not hard to picture the Roth family and guests enjoying the bounty of their California orchard and garden in lavish meals around this elegant dining table. A Tiffany silverware set for 18 and floral arrangements from the property would've set the table scape off nicely, I'd say! I chatted to one of the estate managers in the dining room as he and his team prepared for a fundraiser. We discussed what it would have been like to work in service to the Bourn and Rot families and he said he didn't think it would have been very easy to cater for the elite. I doubt things have changed. Can you imagine cooking for and catering to Zuckerberg or Musk? Even with today's modern amenities, it can't be easy to blend into the shadows while tending to the rich, powerful and famous. 

Elegant and informal, the grounds are as enchanting as any I've vistied in my native England.

Lesley looking very "English Country Home" covergirl in her pretty summer frock. 

Jane and Gail wouldn't mind hosting us for the weekend if they were in charge!

Lurline Roth lived on alone at Filoli after the death of her husband in 1963. She had the foresight to donate the estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1975 after establishing an endowment to maintain the gardens.  Although she moved to a smaller house not too far from Filoli, she returned frequently on weekends to wander her beloved brick walkways and allées. She passed away in 1985, aged 97. My friend Laura's Mom Louisa was one of the first docents at Filoli and she remembers the kindness of Lurline B. Roth toward volunteers and visitors, fondly. 

A stroll though Filoli’s summer Garden is a treat for the senses! Take in the decadent scents of lavender and roses and the colorful rows of vegetables. Silver and blue perennials and succulents are paired with a parade of pink annuals including begonias, fuchsias, and zinnias.

Tempting to say the least. Both Lesley and I love a swim and a few laps of this super pool would've been a welcome respite from the August afternoon heat. I don't suppose anyone swims here these days, but if pools could talk, there must've been some fun poolside parties back in the day!

Wear comfortable shoes, a hat and bring a full water bottle.  No pets allowed. 

There's a plant sale section attached to the store. Here's Lurline's old golf cart put to good reuse.

Having staff to help maintain fresh floral arrangements at all time was a thing! Priorites. 

Lady of the house. In another life, I could do it! Meanwhile, we did enjoy a nice lunch at the Quail Cafe (open 10 to 4.30 pm).

One's own ballroom. So civilized. 

If You Go:

Filoli is nestled on a slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains and surrounded by the protected Peninsula watershed. Filoli is proud to participate in Museums for All offering free and reduced admission to any holder of a SNAP EBT card. Please email [email protected] to reserve your admission with Museums for All. Otherwise, it's best to book tickets ahead. Check out the website for special seasonal events and workshops. 

Admission

86 Cañada Road, Woodside, CA 94062

Open every day 10am - 5pm

Open 5-8pm every Thursday for Summer Nights. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life by Design Upcoming Events at Petaluma's Barber Cellars — A Monthly Series by Place Matters

Spend an evening at Petaluma's Barber Cellars for a look at the ubiquitous nature of design in our public and private lives and spaces through the lenses of art, science, and problem solving. 

Join founder and curator of Place Matters, Carin Jacobs and team this summer in an exploration of form and function with local designers from all walks of life.  Also check out the Makers Amongst Us series and a roving, curated restaurant experience A Moveable Feast. 

 

July 8

 

August 11

Click here for more info and to buy a ticket 

Every 2nd Tuesday - Tickets $20

Cash at the door or purchase in advance

Social Hour from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Program runs 7:00 - 8:30pm

Barber Cellars is located at:

112 Washington St, Petaluma, CA

The Secret Life of VIctorian Homes — As Told By Their Interiors – Petaluma Historical Library & Museum Original Series, Saturdays Aug 5,12 & 19 2023

The Summer Show — Art at Aqus Cafe, Petaluma. What is Summer to You?

Summer. Childhood memories. Travel. Dining outdoors. A day at the beach. Ice cream and watermelon. Family reunions and hanging out with friends. Shorts. Breezy linen. Sandals, sundresses, straw hats and sunscreen. So many pleasant things come to mind with the mention of summer. 

For those of us who live in wildfire regions of the world, summer has a considerably more serious side. Summer months call for water conservation and fire prevention, brush clearing and energy conservation. While we're embracing the warmer months in many of the old ways, there's a vital new aspect to the season that makes us look at life and the land around us through a new lens, in a different light. 

I'm looking forward to seeing the new show at Aqus Cafe at Foundry Wharf: "What is Summer", curated by the super team of Gail Foulkes and Jennifer Mygatt Tatum and featuring fifteen local artists' interpretations of this question. 

An artists reception takes place at the cafe at 189 H St on Thursday, July 27th from 4-7. 

A Revamp of the Tomales Hotel & Event Space & Coastal Writing Update

Tomales Hotel has new owners, Bill and Rachel Bonini. Bill grew up in the tiny coastal hamlet of Tomales and has a special place in his heart for the Gold-Rush-era main street and its Victorian architecture. 

As I've written about Tomales and the Marin-meets-Sonoma (Fog Valley) coastal history at length over the past decade or so, in my non-fiction, reporting and also in my fictional stories, I too have a fondness for this remote little coastal treasure.  

And so when an invite popped into my inbox last week alerting me to the recent upgrades to the storied Tomales Hotel, I jumped in my car and headed out west to check it out for myself.

If you're a local and a Dillon Beach-goer you too most likely share my experiences of having driven by the hotel on many occasions and wondered at its historic austerity. I couldn't imagine booking an overnight, even though I love its proximity to the beach, the bakery across the road, neighbor bar The William Tell before its recent closure. 

But it was crying out for attention and since the call was heard by a former local, it's really cool to see the authenticity of a mid 1800s hotel paired with modern amenities such as wifi and its own authentic and rustic event/party space across the street. 

Bill and Rachel have refreshed all of the rooms, which are all super spacious. There's a wheelchair accessible suite on the ground floor too. If you'd like to experience staying overnight in a western coastal hotel that hasn't altered all that much since its inception during the mid Victorian era, then this is the place for you. And it's well priced compared to most other properties along Tomales Bay and the coast. If you don't know the area well, Tomales is about four miles inland from Dillon Beach. 

The Bonini's also own the lot across the street from the hotel, recently rebranded as The Lot 95. I took a few photos of it staged for visitors and I can imagine some fun and original parties for small-sized celebrations with the hotel taken over by wedding and big birthday parties. Don't you love the table linen? Apparently it was sourced from downtown Petaluma's iLeoni. 

Click here for more info on Tomales Hotel

TOMALES HOTEL

26985 Highway One
Tomales California 94971
Tel: 707-888-9991
[email protected]

A couple of days later I was back out at the coast, this time to Doran Beach and up to Bodega Harbor and north to Jenner and back. I'm getting stuck into my physical research for my new novel Floating in the Middle, set along the Sonoma Coast.

I keep thinking I'll cast my net a little wider for the next story, but if a story is calling my name and it's set in Sonoma County, then I can't very well hang up and head elsewhere, can I? I hope you're ready for another one. It'll take me at least a year but I have this one well thought out so I am hoping it doesn't take me as long as the last one to complete. We'll have to see. The characters will tell me if they think I need to explore deeper. 

One thing I can tell you is that one of the characters arrives in a boat moored in Bodega Harbor. I stopped by to check out where he would have one of the other main character's pick him up for a long weekend reunion on the coast.

If you drive the Sonoma Coast regularly, you'll be aware of the reconstruction of the highway in parts due to cliff erosion. It's this that sparked my intrique initially. I drove up and down and in and out of the various beach parking lots to figure out in my mind's eye where all the action takes place in my new story. It remains a figment of my imagination however, so don't go looking for any specific house as I truly am building it from the ground-up as a made-up-place. 

I've been thinking a lot about where my stories come from. There's a distinctive thread through all my writing that ties together my connectedness to this place, my sense of being an immigrant, even after more than three decades. I write about where I am. I'm here for longer periods of time than anywhere else, though I'm equally at home back in my native England. This time I have a British protagonist. Not me, but someone I understand for her attachment to two countries, two cultures and two coastal regions. 

Thanks for sticking with my Southern Sonoma Country Life posts. They've been few and far between of late with my book endeavors and my extended family time in the UK. I hope to keep you posted on things that spark my interest in the area this summer. 

 

 

Buy Limited Tickets Now for Petaluma's Popular Annual Wind to Wine Festival, August 5th, 2023

Ticket sales are now open for the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers’ popular, annual Wind to Wine Festival, celebrating the distinct and highly-awarded wines grown in the wind-driven Petaluma Gap American Viticultural Area (AVA).  To ensure a quality experience, tickets to the event, which takes place at SOMO Village in Rohnert Park on Saturday, August 5, are limited, with VIP tickets allowing early access, a more intimate experience, and the opportunity to taste limited-release and large-format wines and barrel samples during the early hours of the event.

Once again, the Wind to Wine Festival will feature the AVA’s signature varietals—Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah—with additional wines offered from winemakers pushing the cool climate envelope with their Albariño, Pinot Gris, Grenache, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon, among others. Over the last year, the number of 90+ Point Wines from the AVA has substantially increased, and many will be offered for tasting, along with wines from winemakers without tasting rooms, making it a rare opportunity to taste these wines before purchasing.

In addition to the more than 25 wineries pouring their wines, eventgoers will be treated to artisanal cheese pairings by Point Reyes Cheese Company, wine-infused chocolates by Bert’s Desserts, and savory bites catered by the culinary talents of Sally Tomatoes. Back this year, winemakers and growers will entertain and educate with behind-the-scenes tales at the Petaluma Gap Story Corner and guests will enjoy live classical and flamenco-style guitar outside in the towering redwood grove, by local favorite, Mark Taylor.

A wide array of wines will be available to taste, with Pinot Noir being featured due to its prominence in the Petaluma Gap American Viticultural Area (AVA) and in advance of National Pinot Noir Day later in the month. 

Participating wineries include:

Adobe Road	Leghorn Wine Company
Bevan Cellars	Lombardi Wines
Brick & Mortar	MacRostie Winery
Brooks Note Winery	McEvoy Ranch
Bruliam Wines	Merryvale
Calstar Cellars	Montagne Russe
Cline Family Cellars	Panther Ridge
Daniel Wines	Parum Leo
DeLoach Vineyards	Ron Noble Wines
Guarachi Family Wines	Sangiacomo Wines
Gust Wines	Schug Winery
Kendall-Jackson	Thirty-Seven Wines
Keller Estate	Trombetta Family
Kendric Vineyards	And more…

“The Petaluma Gap Winegrowers would like to thank American AgCredit who generously renewed its Presenting Sponsorship for the Festival,” said Tom Gendall, President of the Board of Directors for the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance.  “We also want to thank Supervisor David Rabbitt and the Sonoma County Community Board of Supervisors for additional support they provided and Marin Magazine and KSRO’s The Drive as media partners, joining us for what is certain to be another outstanding event.”

VIP tickets are $125, with early entry at 12 noon. General Admission tickets are $85, with entry beginning at 2 PM.  Food, wine tasting, story-telling, and live music will be available throughout the festival, which ends at 4 PM.  Tickets can be purchased at petalumagap.com.  

Marvelous Montecito — Read my Story on Weekending Like a Royal in Coastal Californa

Photo: Frances Rivetti 

I'm back in California and dipping my toes in the water to get back to my writing. Here's a super fun clip from an article I wrote for The Royal List prior to leaving for the UK. Please do click here and read the full story . . . 

 

Montecito, the peaceful, super-private, panoramic enclave of a not-so-secret roster of ultra-elite residents, is home-sweet-multi-million-dollar-home to Harry and Meghan’s family of four. And if it’s good enough for the Sussexes, it’s good enough for us.

A winding, two-hour drive north of Los Angeles brings you to Montecito. We soak in its subtle Southern California vibe and pleasant, Mediterranean climate with a drive-by of its upper-village gates of gorgeously-landscaped, lavish, hillside estates of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their star-studded neighbours, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Lowe, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry and Orlando