Once in a while I take a walk along the road to Wingo at the south end of Sonoma Valley. Starting from the end of Millerick Road at Larson Family Winery, the old public access road is bordered by the tangled riparian corridor of Sonoma... Continue
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Dead People: “Oma, there’s dead people under those rocks, you know.” I glance over my shoulder to see what Satchel is talking about. My four-year-old grandson is commenting from his car seat about the small cemetery to our left on East Napa Street. “I know,... Continue
Both before and after all the votes were counted, this year's presidential election season put an unprecedented strain on the nation's ability to fully articulate its outrage. These past many months have left more than a few readers of all political stripes exhausted from trying... Continue
I took down our shiny, new, pristine, “Cats for Kamala" and "Harris/Walz” yard signs. Still in the yard are two, very old, ragged signs. One says, “In this house we believe: Black lives matter, woman’s rights are human rights, no human is illegal, science is... Continue
The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes the opportunity to gather with loved ones to celebrate family ties. But sometimes, visits with elderly relatives can reveal troubling signs that point to elder financial abuse. Widespread, expensive, and under-reported, elder financial abuse is... Continue
The list of reasons Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential campaign seems endless: Fox News and right-wing media. The rise of Christian Nationalism. Twitter (OK, X) tilting heavily toward Trump. The power of the Big Lie. ... Continue
The power of ideas is, well, powerful. Ideas can literally change the world and alter the course of history. With the rise of social media, more and more people are trying to become influencers, some to make money, others to become famous, and yet others... Continue
Is the universe intelligent? It often appears that way. Over the course of earth’s 4.5 billion year history, nature has produced countless lifeforms. Each of these, in a sense, is an experiment. And that includes us. We like to think we’re special; the penultimate form... Continue
On their way to the Sierra for a camping weekend, Matt's yellow lab was in a terrible accident. The decision whether or not to put Sam down weighed on my son, and he decided to try and save her. A month passes before I see... Continue
Welcome back to my column, friends and readers, and I consider you to be both. It’s great to be back where Jerry and I started our Sonoma journalism careers, he writing history and I writing food and wine gossip, and many of us love both.... Continue