It’s been a long, nail-biting challenge. What have we learned from the pandemic, the fires, and the elections? That we need each other. Even if we say we’re introverted or we’re okay at home all the time, we know, in our bones, we are revived... Continue

This has been a hard year of constant whiplashes, isolation, grueling, gripping stories of struggle, catastrophe, conflict, chaos, creativity, and gratitude. The news is churning.  Living in lockdown, I had love on my mind before more violence hit America. I was fumbling with humble fingers... Continue

This year’s been a roller coaster ride. We were waiting nervously at the top of it, then whooshing down the wheel, gasping for breath, we landed. Sort of.  Cancelled travel, pandemic panic, unpacking evacuation bags, wondering if the fire season is really over, or if... Continue

The year that lasted forever is finally coming to an end. We hope for better days soon. Election jitters, along with pandemic pandemonium, mutes our usual social festivities and song. Winter darkness descends with daylight savings, ominous winds swaying half the town’s timber and next,... Continue

What I hear from people constantly these days is, it’s just too much. We are worn around the edges. We are digging deep to stay resourceful in critical, trying times.   When I despair, I remember seeing thousands of people converging and holding hands, back in... Continue

How to survive in scary times? After the last phase of suffocating smoke, intense self-care and safety was needed. The constant crucibles of our lives seem to continue nonstop. At least you can save money on your next trip to Burning Man – we’ve got... Continue

Lately, life is like a monopoly game. Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. We’re either on lock down or looking for money. Searching for Park Place, stuck on Baltic. I gobble treats and carbs at midnight to quiet... Continue

Social solidarity hasn’t vanished in Sonoma during this butt-kicking pandemic. We share hardships and we care. All of us are challenged at this time with the entire globe off its axis. If I wash my hands one more time I’ll wonder if I’ve gone completely... Continue

Even in Sonoma, it’s a stretch getting through this worldwide pandemic. Death by Covid stares us in the face everywhere – at the grocery store, with every conversation, mask over the nose, eyeglasses fogging. It's getting old – and so am I.  Next comes the... Continue