One Woman’s Hallmark Moment

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MONTCLARION: March 5, 2010

Peace, love and joy. Who can argue with the powerful images these three words invoke?

I must confess, I have a weakness for uplifting messages – especially if they come in a handsome hardcover book or a glossy greeting card.

So when local artist Kay Kopit’s Art & Soul collection came to my house, I was immediately drawn to the eight little affirmations that fit in the palm of my hand.

Kay has spent two years on this collection of what she calls transformations. The colorful cards feature her original paintings and words of hope in the face of despair. No stranger to the hard edge of life, Kay, herself, has fought the demons of addiction and dysfunctional relationships. Her poignant documentary I survived is viewed by thousands each month on her website. Continue reading →

Mushroom Madness

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MONTCLARION: FEBRUARY  25, 2010

Talk about chasing down a story. Last week, I got a call from a reader who was pretty sure Chanterelles were growing on his backyard slope. “If you want them, you can have them,” said Joseph, who hadn’t seen that many mushrooms since he lived in Bavaria.

So I gathered my crack team of mushroom hunters and we drove to the patch, which – sure enough – was peppered with golden Chanterelles. Under the shade of an old Oak tree was a veritable feast of fungi. We came, we sautéed, we savored.

The job of a journalist is not always easy. You have to be willing to dig – to root out the story. Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: Around the World in 16 Days

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: FEBRUARY 19, 2010

These days, sending a student off to college almost always includes a semester abroad. Add up the cost, and you know the strain this can put on the family budget.  But at St. Mary’s College, last month, my students and I traveled the world in 16 days – for less than $300 each.

Before you go crazy doing the math, I’ll mention the “world” part was figurative. We didn’t really circumnavigate the globe; we rented a motor coach and stayed close to home. We toured world class cities, quaint coastal towns, French-inspired vineyards and Irish coasts – all within an hour’s drive of Moraga.

Below is one of the many outstanding student presentations shot on this trip.

Continue reading →

Oakland Bar Hosts NFL Great

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MONTCLARION: FEBRUARY 18,2010

NFL legends and a red carpet evening. Sounds like the Superbowl – but it’s a local event coming up at the new sports bar in Oakland’s Woodminster neighborhood – Monaghans. Organizer Rich Lieberman says Hall of Famer Jim Brown is the headliner for a major charity gala from 5-10 pm on April 8.

“It’s going to be huge,” says Lieberman. “We may have five Browns there – it may be a “Brown out”’ he jokes. In addition to inviting former Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown and Former House Speaker Willy Brown, he’s invited enough big names to field a team – including Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice. Continue reading →

Town Crier: Popular act returns to Oakland hills

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MONTCLARION: FEBRUARY 12, 2010

Now appearing…the Chanterelles. I’m not talking about a girl band here, but rather the mushrooms, which are popping up all over the hills this winter. Several readers have told me they harvest these golden girls in their own yards – and the pickins’ have never been better.

“I like to sauté them with garlic and olive oil,” says Jane English, whose husband, Ron, has found seven of the forested fungus on their property since the rains began. I won’t tell you where, (Chanterelle lovers are extremely protective of their patches) but they grow under oaks and will reappear annually if harvested carefully. Continue reading →

Town Crier: Sweet Surprises in your Mail

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MONTCLARION: JANUARY 29, 2010

The ongoing economic challenge (do we still call it a recession?) has me thinking of new ways to entertain. So when a coupon appeared in the mail last week for a free bowling party (shoe rental extra) I went straight to my hotmail address book. GIRL’S NIGHT OUT. MEET IN THE LOUNGE AT SOUTHSHORE LANES AT 6 PM.

Eight intrepid moms met in Alameda that night. The lounge was a room in need of a remodel, but no one seemed to mind. The heralding of happy hour had buckets of beer at a discount, and $3 “minis” of Sutter Home wine. You could feel the excitement starting to build. Continue reading →

Happy Wanderer: Playing my flute in the pubs of Ireland

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CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM: JANUARY 23,2010

The greatest gift I ever received came from my family, tucked inside a Mother’s Day card. It was airfare to Ireland, where I would join in the celebration of my dear friend’s 50th birthday. Jillian had invited three girlfriends, all of whom she felt would ring in her milestone robustly. I, for my part, was bringing my flute – something I could play in the pubs that would endear us to the locals.

The flute had been more than a musical instrument to me, growing up.  It had been a generational link. Both my mother and grandmother were flutists – so it must have been in my blood to be able to pick it up, without practice, and play along to most tunes. Continue reading →

Town Crier: In search of a club without homework

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MONTCLARION: JANUARY 23, 2010

Everyone I know belongs to a book club. For some reason, I can’t commit. If there were a newspaper club, I might think about joining. But then it would probably be made up of dinosaurs like me – and what fun would that be?

I did give one book club a try, recently. A local moms group put novels aside, to view photos of the host’s trip to Thailand and Laos. I was happy to attend as it didn’t involve “homework” and featured an authentic Thai meal.

But even more to my liking is the club that meets monthly for munchies and movies. The Film Club was formed five years ago by Tina Banda (a local cinematographer) and her guitarist husband Michael Papenburg. The rotating host calls the evening to order, introduces the film (anything from an obscure foreign art film to a box office hit) and afterwards, a lively discussion ensues over dessert. How sweet is that? Continue reading →

Post holiday goodbyes prove emotional

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MONTCLARION: JANUARY 15, 2010

There’s a weird, hollow feeling in my heart. Nothing can treat it – it just has to heal on its own. The pain occurs every time my daughter goes back to college.

You’d think I’d be used to it by now. We’ve put her on a plane to Georgia plenty of times over the last two years. For some reason – it doesn’t get any easier.

I should be happy with my daughter’s choice of schools. Our family loves Athens, and is Bulldog proud to the point where most of our wardrobe sports big red G’s. This Christmas we exchanged Georgia sweatpants and tee shirts – and I got a keychain that barks out the UGA fight song. Continue reading →