Sonoma Country Life

A Few Good Women - Bringing About Change in Youth Mental Health Services

When Lori's teenage son was diagnosed with an early on-set of severe schizophrenia it was shattering to all of us who know and love this family of most vibrant human beings, a Bay-Area tribe of remarkable individuals, known for shared qualities giving rise to frequent, random acts of community kindness and a quest for travel, adventure, enduring friendship.

For Lori (pictured at right) to come to terms with her beloved boy's early prognosis and subsequent years of turbulent periods ranging from remarkably serene to downright traumatic, it has been a mother's journey of discovery of her inner most strength and fortitude and a fantastical spirit of positivity, acceptance with a pioneering determination to make much-needed improvements in the field of mental health care for California youth.

Beginning on home turf in Marin County, Lori's first major impact on the county's Transitional Age Youth Program, a collaboration between Buckelew Programs and Family Service Agency of Marin has been as a leading influence in the launch of a spacious, new office center for the TAY Program in downtown San Rafael.

Thanks to the generosity of Sarah Shaw (pictured at left at the new office opening celebration on Lincoln Avenue with Kathy Eagle, TAY Team Leader, center), the TAY program is also looking for a new training house for young men and women (16-25) of Marin County who are struggling with mental health challenges.

The TAY program uses a strength-based model and integrates wellness and recovery principles, supporting transitional age youth to become architects of their own futures.

As Lori had discovered through her own personal experience, there is, except for the TAY program, a staggering lack of resources for young people suffering from similar mental health problems as her son. No longer a child, but not yet equipped with the experiences of an adult, this critical stage of transition requires guidance, supervision and care not easily available or affordable here in California.

Currently TAY provides full services to around 20 young adults and partial services to 70 to 100 more young men and women each year. Staffed by a Team Leader, Team Partner, Peer Mentor, Independent Living Skills Counselor and Family Advocate, TAY office services are community-based, with outreach by these staff, volunteers and many fully involved parents such as Lori.

Youth in need of full services are referred by County Mental Health Services and after an initial assessment, TAY provides 24-hour crisis management, medication oversight, peer mentoring, housing support, education and employment support.

Families and youth assist in the development of an individualized service plan based on a picture of the youth's goals for independence and psychiatric needs, symptoms and challenges, housing, education and job needs including a range of social issues and concerns.

Thanks to the generous support of the Shaw Family, the new training office on Lincoln Avenue offers all sorts of effective socialization programs including art, meditation, mind over mood, movie night, movie and video production in a small, on-site media center. Staff have been able to develop new collaborations with other providers to bring services such as counseling sessions and job training classes to the TAY offices. 

Lori's story is not unique. Sadly there are many more young men and women in the North Bay suffering from mental health illnesses such as schizophrenia, yet the development of programs within the community such as the Transition Age Youth Program help dispel much of the mystery, confusion and helplessness felt by the supportive families and provide invaluable full or partial care for the youth themselves, within an open environment.

Until you, or someone close to you experiences mental severe health challenges with a youth in the family, the crisis that these families face sometimes on a daily basis simply does not hit home. Programs such as TAY are a lifeline to the community. It is remarkable that given the current state of the economy, private funding has enabled this superb North Bay program to continue to expand and to realistically dream of furthering its reach in 2010.

Feast your Eyes and Your Senses on a Friday Night SoCo Crab and Champage Supper

Crab season has hit Sonoma County at last, fresh from the Pacific and perking up December's winter menus here in downtown Petaluma's restaurant row. If you are in town this evening (Friday, December 4th), or you fancy a drive up from Marin, down from Santa Rosa or across from Sonoma, don't miss out on Della Fattoria's Fabulous, annual Crab and Champagne supper. Reservations are recommended, especially as there will be live, musical entertainment by Cuerva Band (An unusual interpretation of Americana Contra and Brazilian Choro)mixed with early 30's European folk music.to set a magical mood for tastiest crustaceans and top-drawer, festive bubbly.

Think Crab Louie Thousand Island, Avovcado, Black Olives & Ranch Egg for starters, Crab & Havarti Pressata, Catalan Beef Stew, Potatoes, Leeks, Fennel, Spanish Olives on Polenta Integrale or Ravioli Herbed Ricotta & Chard Filled Ravioli in Marinara, Shaved Parmesan to follow. Or how about Leek & Mushroom Bechamel, Picholine Olives, Pepper Flake Mozzarella & Bellwether Farms Ricotta?

707-763-0161 or elisa@dellafattoria.com

For all you Champagne Charlie's out there who can't get enough of sparkly toasts this Christmas and New Year, how about the ultimate Champagne tasting over at Vine and Barrel, Sonoma Country Life's favorite independent wine sellers, on kentucky Street, also in downtown Petaluma. If you have never been to one of V & B owner Jason's outrageous tastings, its time to remedy that on December 12th at 3pm prompt:

"This is my favorite event of the year and the 3rd Annual Champagne and Oyster Tasting," says Jason. "We will feature all the great Champagnes and sparkling wines from around the world from Bruno Paillard, Monopole and Heidseick and Lucien Albrecht from France to IronHorse, Schramsberg and J Sparkling from California to Zardetto and the great Proseccos from Italy over to the very best Cavas from Spain – including Salvatore Dali’s favorite."

There will be at least 20 different houses of Champagne and Sparkling pouring for this festive tasting. "We will dine on 500 oysters, the finest pate, wonderful caviar and the most delicious local cheeses," promises Jason, who does expect the event to sell out – as it has every Christmas. Cost is $30 per person to taste all so many of these enticing sparkling wines and Champagnes of the world along with delicious pairings.  Attendees are entitled to 10% off anything they want to purchase in Vine and Barrel that same day. A great chance to stock up for your holiday wines and champagnes while supporting local business.

(707) 765-1112 or jason@vineandbarrel.com

Light a Lantern for Petaluma's Heritage Homes Holiday Parlour Tour this Sunday

This year's Petaluma Heritage Home Holiday Parlour Tour (Sunday, December 6th, 2009) features five homes and an authentic, Victorian horse-drawn surrey for a genteel travail up and down stately D street.

Evening entertainment begins with a free and festive Wings of Glory Gospel Christmas Concert from 5-6pm at Historic St. John's Episcopal Church.

Don't miss Sara Dooley's outstanding welcome as hostess and acclaimed classical vocalist singing traditional carols in her gracious 30 Brown Court home (below), freshly decorated for Christmas as one of this year's most sumptuously situated historical homes on tour.

You can also pick up tickets in downtown Petaluma at Marisa's Christmas Fantasia, Tuscan Gardens, Petaluma Museum, Copperfield's Books. Also at Think Biz in the G&G Shopping Center and at St. John's from 4:30-7:30, on the evening of the tour. $15 adults, Children FREE (accompanied by an adult).

Heritage Homes was founded back in 1967 to protect the unique character of the Petaluma area by encouraging preservation and restoration of vintage buildings that have historic, architectural, or cultural significance. Halloween and Winter Holiday parlour tours provide fantastic opportunities for a glimpse inside of these architectural beauties at their seasonal best.

Petaluma Educational Foundation's Gift of Live Theater for 1,000 City School Kids

If there was ever any doubt that today's young, digital generation can only benefit in expanding their fast-tracked, high-tech, increasingly short attention spans, a live theatrical performance of a classic simply hammers it home in the most fundamental of methods.

For during an informative 'question and answer' session with the two traveling troubadours who'd performed an exuberant short of the world's most popular seasonal show, one eleven-year-old lad asked quite innocently if the play was produced after this winter's movie release of a flick with the same name.

"Well," replied one of the two Greg's who have trodden the planks of Petaluma's stages multiple times in the past eight years (thanks to the annual generosity of PEF) "That's actually a very good question," said he. "The movie A Christmas Carol has increased the popularity of the story, but it has been known around the globe for over 150 years. There was a book, you should read it."

Catching the eye of a teacher seated across the aisle, the poignancy of this moment wasn't missed! When PEF first started bringing the Traveling Lantern Company back to town (original founding partners, Peter and Ann Wengraf were a popular pair of Petaluma residents who moved back to the UK several years ago) many of the city's elementary school students had not seen live theater in their lifetime. Now that they are able to attend a performance at least once each year, there has been a 100% hand raising in the young audience for those who have enjoyed live theater.

In order to continue to offer cultural enrichment programs, grants for innovative classroom programs and scholarships for city-wide high school's outstanding grads, PEF relies on private donations from the businesses and corporations of Petaluma and supportive families and individuals. Read more about PEF in the foundation's holiday newsletter and pass along the link to friends and family.

Shop Locally this Cyber Monday

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, blimey, it's hard not to get sucked into the vacuum of wanton commercialism, though we know we should be spending to boost the economy.

So why not make a conscious effort this first Monday after Thanksgiving to give a little love to local merchants by making at least one or two of your holiday shopping purchases from an independent purveyor?

Perusing the Press Democrat this morning before an ungodly, break-of-dawn indoor Sunday soccer game in which my youngest worked up a terrific post-turkey-day early morning testosterone burn-off, I took a couple of minutes over my cup of tea for a gander at the local merchants' holiday ads. 

Although it has become such an unabashed breeze to drag and drop into online shopping carts, are we sure that we are getting what's best for us? Decided en-route to Santa Rosa for this morning's early game that there is something to be said for discussing our seasonal purchases with real-life people, not only to insure that the product fits the bill, but to check on return policies, warranties and repairs and not least, help keep downtown store fonts open and to keep those critical tax dollars within the community.

Another thing that has struck me as rather poignant this holiday season is the sheer redundancy of the traditional cookbook. Favorite recipes will always be there, permanently embossed in full color photos adorning batter-smudged pages, but anything new and inspirational, spur-of-the-moment-style, utilizing the all-important, left-over factor- more often than not has me heading for a rapid online recipe, the simpler the better and a top google pick being the most likely go-to option.

State of the art American kitchens, I've read, are being kitted out with inbuilt, dough-proof internet access for the curious cook. How cool. I'd like one of those. But what will become of the humble cookbook? Will this be the first of the printed word to take a final hike on the cyber highway? If you used a cookbook over Thanksgiving this year, which one was it?

Petaluma's Football Frenzy

Standing by the fence at the gates to Petaluma High School's humble track and football field (humble in the capacity of this particular Southern Sonoma County sporting arena retaining its mud and guts status as one of the few remaining high school fields in the region yet to be afforded a glam remodel into high-tech turf and a double set of state-of-the-art bleachers to boot), it was a heart-warming sight to see so many familiar faces from city hall to Big-Apple 20-somethings back home to rivertown for Thanksgiving and a not-to-be missed NCS Football Playoff game.

Number one seeded gladiatorial Petaluma High School Trojans are said to be the best team here in town in the past 20 years - currently ranked as number 6 favorite in the state by the SF Chron. Last night's 28-14 fever-pitch playoff game was a packed-out event with everyone and his mother wrapped up for the chilly, thrilling spectacle of the Trojans living up to this season's legend of undefeated victory.

A sea of scarves and gloves and hats and blankets failed to dampen the spirits of impassioned P'town fans in a spectacular show of community support this Thanksgiving weekend, just what the doctor ordered for this city at the end of a tough year for so many of its friends and neighbors.

There was nothing to mope about in the West Petaluma streets around PHS Friday night, walking down the hill with the dog and the crew to be a small part of the pounding crowd was a first for this unlikely football fan, but really, how could anyone resist?

(Dear pal with a Cardinal Newman star player for a son tipped me off to last night's game and though I'm a purple-crested, PHS parent myself, the first half momentum having gone to Newman made for the play a nail-bitingly grand evening out). 

Next Friday's game against the winner of today's NCL game between Eureka and Ygnacio Valley will be hosted at PHS at 7pm. If the Trojans win that playoff, they'll be off to the section finals for the first time in a decade.

 

Sushi Thanksgiving Starters with John and Yoko

Thanksgiving's multicultural status rose up a notch for Scribbles Daily here this year with the addition of John, Yoko and a platter of sensational handmade sushi starters at Yolanda and Jose's annual Santa Rosa gathering. 

Expanding the international transplant circle from Italian/German/Peruvian/Mexican and British to embrace John and Yoko's (fabulously absolute, real names, I kid-you-not) Scottish/Japanese combo was even more of a boost to the multicultural extravaganza of 6 native born Nor Cal teens of marvelous mixed heritage, three pre-teens and an end-table of immigrant/American citizen hybrid collection of eight good friends whose communal toast was to the joy-at-hand of the proverbial melting-pot.

Peter's home made lamb and veggie samosas flew off the platter following the sushi-go-round in what was nothing short of a smorgasbord of international, pot-luck offerings and a safe ride home before the rain came in.

Traditional, alternative, rowdy or quiet, hope your Thanksgiving was a happy one!

Multicultural Thanksgiving

 
 
Traditions are terrific. I myself confess that I am a keen keeper of many a fine holiday ritual, though somehow, as my sons have gradually grown into fearless young men, I am far less inclined to insist on some of the more uptight table traditions around holidays that ought to be more about indulging in the sheer pleasures of good company than standing to attention for more serious pomp and ceremony.

Thanksgiving being the preeminent occasion for gathering of great friends, close family and a straggler or two who'd appreciate the invite, it's the perfect occasion for multi-culturals to mix things up a little at the table and see what culinary offerings shake up. 

If you're stuck on the green bean casserole and candied yams, it might be time to throw some caution to the wind and whip up a surprise dish or two.

It's a multicultural Thanksgiving for me and mine, as we prepare to celebrate Turkey Day with old friends from days when we were quite literally fresh off the boat. Between us we'll be covering culinary ground from Mexico and Peru, Italy, Germany and a double dose of Brit. With five, strapping Northern Californian teenage offspring in the party plus a couple of sturdy pre-teens, the native born Americans do balance things out in quite reasonable requests in the must-have department of pumpkin pie and turkey, at least! As for the side dishes, well, let's just say that anything goes.

A Little Holiday Shopping Perspective

Though many Americans await the arrival of Black Friday before launching their holiday shopping initiative in full throttle, there are many of us with family overseas who are forced to kick-start the gift-seeking scramble way ahead of Thanksgiving in order to make those pesky international postal deadlines.

Life becomes a lot about the 'stuff'. Hunting for the perfect this or that is a yearly challenge for all and by the time that the formidable Christmas shopping is done and dusted, the mere thought of another store to ransack is enough to have us hitting the hot toddies and huddling by firesides far from the maddening crowds.

So what is it about our need to gift and receive of material goodies, when practical presents might be all the more appropriate in the current economic climate? The padding our proverbial dens with baubles and bangles, warm and bright shiny things has been a relatively popular obsession since the first, crude human habitations took shape in neanderthal times. And still we don't seem to have it figured out that we can't take any of it with us in the end.

A former neighbor and friend called me Saturday morning to invite me to join her at an estate sale nearby. So fond am I of old furniture, vintage jewelry, antique books, all the material trappings of which I have just pointed out, I agreed to meet her to peruse the departed person's lifelong treasures and possessions.

Despite an affinity for junk shops and antique emporiums, I don't recall ever having been in an actual estate sale where it was so obviously the quite recent home of just one woman. From her comfortable furniture to packets of unopened stockings, a brand new, unopened jar of Ego syrup in the kitchen cabinet to seven-decade modest collection of beads and bracelets, earrings, four dozen handbags (in every shade and style imaginable), holiday sweaters, cds, movies, cookbooks and brassieres, I could not bring myself to rifle through the drawers of someone's life in the name of a bargain deal.

The last straw for me was a bathroom counter top adorned with the lately departed's eyebrow tweezers, nail scissors, hair dryer and perfumes. An overwhelming need to leave the house and shut the door and hope that new owners would arrive to a thoroughly emptied space - no doubt completely scavenged by estate sale pros not saddened in the least. I didn't know this lady, in fact I'd never even seen her before, but by the time I'd poked around her home for just a few short minutes, I felt her presence in the personal intimacy of a softly scented bedroom closet, her laundry room, a garage stacked with Christmas decorations and unopened boxes of holiday cards.

We surround ourselves with so much of this stuff and still we search for more. One woman's silverware and china set may be another's treasure to behold, but what about the superfluous things that overstuff our cupboards and tumble off the shelves? Bag it all up and donate to charity, that's my mantra. And as for the holiday shopping, I'm sticking to more simple gifts of giving that show that I care enough not to overload their lives with all the silly fluffy stuff that doesn't really matter much anyway.    

Green Your Holidays at Alphabet Soup - All for Education