At the age of 27 I left Minneapolis for L.A. in my big blue Chevy pickup truck. The road ahead and the possibilities seemed endless. I thought my life would go on and on, forever, no thoughts of death, no thoughts of the end of... Continue
Personal/Political
Words, can they hurt us? Can certain words create fear, make us angry, sad or depressed? Read these words. How do you feel? What do you think? These words are from a recent email to a Sonoma County Supervisor: “Fat old lady… Be careful what... Continue
My husband Dave and I were putting up posters for a Wake Up Sonoma protest at the Springs Post Office building and the Lanning Structures site a couple of weeks ago. A man came up to us, looked at the poster and said, “You are... Continue
Growing up in Minnesota I didn’t look like other kids. My Sicilian mother put a bowl on my head, cutting around it to create my signature curly-fro cut. Each summer I would spend every minute outdoors, achieving an amazing tan. That combined with slanted eyes... Continue
Last month, the California State Department of General Services (DGS) and the Grupe/Rogal partnership submitted a Builder’s Remedy (Senate Bill 330) application to Permit Sonoma for the Sonoma Developmental Center. The numbers were significantly higher than proposed: 930 housing units, a 170,000 square foot hotel,... Continue
As an event floral designer, I have become very familiar with event venues and hotels. I see work cultures where employees and vendors are treated with respect and those where the opposite is true. I recently attended a Sonoma Hospitality Association event where the topic... Continue
We like to think we know a lie from the truth, or think there is a gray area where we just can’t make a judgment. Sometimes we tell little lies, to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or just to get out of something. These little lies... Continue
Many years ago when we first moved to the Springs, I was out for a walk. I saw this bumper sticker: “Militant agnostic, I don’t know and neither do you.” The car and the agnostic are long gone, yet the line stays with me. My... Continue
Where do you draw the line and consider someone wealthy? Is it if they own a home that is now worth a million dollars? Does it matter that they paid very little for it 30 years ago? A million dollars sounds big. In today’s world... Continue
In discussing the buying spree of KS Mattson, LeFever Mattson, or any of their 50 companies, it is important to make a distinction between property they own and lease to others, and property where they own and operate a commercial business. Properties like Sonoma’s Best,... Continue