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 →

Happy Wanderer: Traveling with titanium

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HILLS NEWSPAPERS: JANUARY 8, 2010

I have a new best friend.  It’s not something I asked for, or sought out, or even necessarily wanted in my comfortable mid-life years. I have plenty of friends. But suddenly, I’ve got a new lifelong companion, and no matter how mismatched we may be, we’re locked in this relationship.

This new friend of mine is a titanium hip, presented to me by a surgeon who said life would be better “bionic”. My limp, more pronounced as the last bit of cartilage in my socket disappeared, would be better, in time, with the aid of my new metal partner. Continue reading →

Town Crier: Race to fulfill your New Year’s resolutions

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MONTCLARION: JANUARY 8, 2010

2010 is just seven days old, and already I’ve broken my number one resolution – to eat less chocolate. Why is the cocoa bean so alluring? Like a smoker to a cigarette, it’s the first thing I think about each morning as I rifle through the cubboards for a truffle to sweeten my coffee. A pour man’s mocha, I call it. It’s how I greet the day.

Does this make me a bad person? No. It just makes me a plump person, which leads me to my other resolution – weight loss. If anyone knows of a good fat free chocolate, please let me know. Continue reading →