Town Crier: Holidays officially in full swing

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MONTCLARION: December 3, 2010

Now that we’ve survived Black Friday and the gluttonous feast that is Thanksgiving, let the countdown for Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa (or fill-in-the-blank) begin. In our house, the tree is up, and it’s Day 3 of little chocolates on the Advent calendar. Meanwhile, I’m exercising furiously to fit into my red velvet leggings and sequin-studded top. I’ll be retiring my dancing cat Christmas sweater this year, after finding out my daughter wore it to the Tacky Holiday Garment Party at her college sorority. It hurts, but it’s time to move on. Continue reading →

The Six Questions

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OAKLAND MAGAZINE: December 1, 2010

Who: Jules Bruff, 37, a Montclair native living in Los Angeles

What: Bruff is a Hollywood actress who has worked in more than 40 commercials, network television shows and feature films including David Fincher’s Zodiac. She recently finished writing and producing an indie film on depression (in which she also acts) called Part Time Fabulous. Continue reading →

Town Crier: Thanksgiving reflections

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MONTCLARION: November 26, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving! If your life is anything like mine, you’ve got a full tummy and a full house. But as sluggish as you may feel, you’ve got a job to do today, so you might as well get to it.

It’s time to strip the carcass.

There are many ways to fix leftovers and some folks get creative. My favorite recipe is Turkey Noodle Doodah Casserole, a Minnesotan delicacy using egg noodles, turkey, Cream of Mushroom soup and Old Dutch potato chips. Is it good? You betcha! Even better with a little Cheese Whiz on top. Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: Dung Beetles and other Thanksgiving delights

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Travel editor Don George

HILLS NEWSPAPERS: November 26, 2010

Rooster head soup, slow cooked bat, baked turtle lung, sheep’s eyeballs. If the days after Thanksgiving have you tired of turkey – think outside the roasting pan. There are people around the world, at this very moment, dining on delicacies you never dreamed were – ah – edible.

Piedmont-based travel writer Don George knows better than most. He just finished editing his fourth in a series of books for Lonely Planet called A Moveable Feast. Life-changing Food Adventures Around the World. Continue reading →

Oakland: America’s healthiest city

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Deane Lamont

OAKLAND TRIBUNE: November 27, 2010

“Oakland America’s healthiest city” — this is one headline you probably never expected to see, but in the decades between the Civil War and the Great 1906 earthquake this is how Oakland was advertised.

“Open space, good weather, and, later, commercially run parks all made the East Bay a desirable location for outdoor sports and recreation,” notes Deane Lamont in his new book, “America’s ‘Healthiest’ City: A History of Early Oakland, California.” Continue reading →

Collection tells story of legendary local rink

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CONTRA COSTA TIMES: November 19, 2010

Nothing says November like ice-skating, and one of the most celebrated rinks of all time was torn down 25 years ago this month.

Montclarion Lisa Malione-Brenkman remembers it like it was yesterday — and she should. She’s spent the last seven years working on an impressive collection of memorabilia from San Francisco’s iconic Winterland Auditorium and the Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies. Continue reading →

Town Crier: What can our dreams teach us?

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MONTCLARION: November 19, 2010

As you’re sipping your morning coffee, consider this: There’s a way to squeeze eight more hours out of your day.

If you think I’m dreaming, you’re right. Every night before bedtime, I invite myself to dream. Then I place a journal and pen on my nightstand and turn off the lights. The next morning, I recall what I dreamed, write it down and reflect.

This little exercise has led to some interesting self-revelations. For one thing, I now know I’m independent and sexy. My dream about dancing with a tall, furry cat isn’t proof I’ve had too much wine and garlic — it’s a sign I’m in touch with my femininity. Continue reading →

Town Crier: My inner Pilgrim craves wild turkey

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MONTCLARION: November 11, 2010

I met my first turkey hunter today. He’s eaten wild bird and says it’s quite tough. What a buzz-kill. I’ve been fantasizing for years about bagging my own Thanksgiving dinner.

If you think about it, wild turkey should be tender. We pay a premium for free-range chicken and our beef comes from cows that graze in endless fields of clover. Why wouldn’t wild turkeys with an organic diet be tastier than frozen birds trucked in from Turlock? Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: SEC football in Georgia

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: November 12, 2010

Nothing goes together like late fall and football. Throw in a ticket to a Southeast Conference game and you’ve got a trip that’s the envy of every red-blooded football fan in America.

In the two-plus years that my daughter has attended the University of Georgia, I’ve never been to a Bulldog game. So on a brilliant fall day when the Bay Area was flirting with record highs, I flew to Athens and was greeted with freezing rain. Call me crazy, but that’s the way weather is supposed to be in early November – cold enough to see your breath.

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Cooking in the kitchen with Clint (Eastwood)

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CONTRA COSTA TIMES: November 4, 2010

Not many women can say Clint Eastwood has been in their kitchen. But then, most kitchens don’t look like Terry Paulding’s.

Well-stocked and spacious, Paulding’s Emeryville kitchen is featured in Eastwood’s new supernatural thriller “Hereafter.” It’s the site where Matt Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard first meet in cooking class. Continue reading →