While waiting by the register for my sundae at Sweet Scoops, a small boy comes up next to me where the napkins are. He’s not quite tall enough to reach and I quietly catch the container just as it nearly flips off the narrow shelf.... Continue
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A few years back, Gov. Brown signed a bill sponsored by Senator Lois Wolk allowing wine sales at Sonoma State University’s Green Center for the Performing Arts. For those not familiar with the Center, its website notes in part: “The crown jewel of the Green... Continue
I'm struck by how many people feel badly about themselves: thinking they're failures for not "doing enough," faulting themselves for not having accomplished anything, walking around feeling guilty. Feeling self-critical is not necessarily unhealthy, but like any activity of mind, it can move into unhealthy... Continue
Relationship challenges never end. Difficult conversations are a part of life most of us want to avoid. We know if we tell the truth we might get “foot in mouth disease,” and lose a loved one. But, if we stuff all our feelings, we get... Continue
The second Women’s March inaugurated what I expect to be a yearly event going forward, for the duration. A political organizer will tell you that getting a big turnout two years in a row is a sign that the fuse is lit in the electoral... Continue
My parents were like black and white, like oil and water, like sin and prayer. My father, not one to boil over, married a kettle of emotions. If he could’ve loosened his grip and if my mother hadn’t completely unraveled, perhaps my childhood would’ve been... Continue
Fresh off a high of approving a much-needed affordable housing development, the Sonoma City Council pivoted to a more intractable problem: Plaza stench. Specifically, after some 40-50 years, City staff noted that Plaza ginkgo trees produce fruit that litters the area below the trees and... Continue
A modern, widely-held assumption is that human consciousness has evolved for the better. When we examine the past and find patterns of belief and behavior we call "primitive", we feel self-satisfied and consider ourselves and our present culture as having progressed in comparison. It was... Continue
By Bonnie Lee -- When we think of wellness, we usually think in terms of physical health, mental health, and spiritual well-being. Things material: especially money, are eschewed – thought to be crass and worldly. But don’t be so quick to turn your nose up... Continue
Borrowing from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s inspirational declaration, I have a dream for an effective, supportive, secure, and happy school environment for our community’s children. Despite setbacks of the past, I think it’s possible if we take an honest look at the student population... Continue