A Place Beyond Words and Language Jenny died in the fall of 1976. She was my dog. To say I loved that animal doesn’t say anything. To tell you she died 50 years ago and hardly a day passes that she doesn’t come to mind,... Continue
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The force of love is among the most powerful of human experiences. I’m specifically considering love between people, not love of country, ice cream, or the many other things we say or even feel we love. I’m talking about romantic love, in all its manifestations. ... Continue
What To Do with Burn Piles? Lately I’ve seen burn piles of oak limbs, bay branches, manzanita and tangled grass and leaves in parks and open space everywhere. Big tipi-shaped mounds border the trails at Sonoma Valley Regional Park, Sonoma Developmental Center and Bartholomew Park.... Continue
Obesity is a growing concern in America, a huge issue the nation can’t seem to get its arms around. Judging by appearances, a popular sentiment appears to be: Who needs a treadmill or gym membership when we can exercise our jaws on delicious ice cream,... Continue
Sonoma Creek falls out of Sugarloaf State Park, wanders across the Valley floor and slides down the narrow canyon framing Warm Springs Road, past the first house I owned anywhere. The backyard of that house looked down on the creek, through a picket fence of... Continue
“We’re doomed,” said my therapist. It was a notable moment that has stayed with me over all these years. He was a Jungian – not a school of psychotherapy known for being pessimistic – and he made this announcement while we were discussing humanity. I’ve... Continue
Hilary Campbell is a New Yorker Cartoonist, author and humorist who just happens to have been born and raised in Sonoma. Continue
Readers of a certain age may recognize that old Cajun-French expression. It means to let go of your cares and worries and enjoy yourself; have Fun(!) and embrace a celebratory, carefree attitude. It's an invitation to relax and fully experience the present moment, especially at... Continue
I've worked in housing for years, in low-income housing as a resource coordinator, and I’ve counseled homeless people. I have bought, sold and been sold out during the foreclosure years. I've been around the block. Housing is a serious, insidious, corrosive problem for community. The... Continue
We imagine ourselves as having had a beginning, although at precisely what point in time it happened is uncertain, and that like taxes our end will come. We think of most things this way because that’s the way they appear and it’s what we’re taught.... Continue