Southern Sonoma Country Life

Time 2020-12-16 15:04:55

Web Name: Southern Sonoma Country Life

WebSite: http://www.southernsonomacountrylife.com

ID:136069

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Sonoma,Southern,Life,

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We must be more mindful than ever in support of our local small businesses over the holidays and throughout this winter season. At the time of posting this guide Sonoma County is not fully locked down. In any event, retail is limiting the number of shoppers in store at any one time. Do try to shop during the week and not only on busier weekend times. Most of these vendors offer online sales and deliveries and/or pickups. Be kind and patient when shopping — everything takes longer with all the hoops in place for keeping us all safe. A lot of the time it is the merchant him or herself who is the one dropping orders on your doorstep. Old fashioned service is why we love where we live. There will be more gift giving ideas to post closer to Christmas for last minute local shoppers. Flower Casita winter floral wreath, a gorgeous seasonal bouquet or perhaps an annual subscription floral delivery if you re feeling especially generous. Check out Sonoma Spice Queen s terrific gift boxes online and in-store at 407 C Street across from the Mail Depot. Sonoma Spice Queen is open every day until Christmas. My kitchen is full of Sonoma Spice Queen products, I just love them! Preferred Sonoma Caterers Holiday Gifts and Platters are winners all-around. Orders must be placed three days ahead of pick-up or delivery. How about booking an outdoor tasting on 2nd Street at Foundry Wharf to pick up a bottle each of Sonoma Portwork s Fig n Awesome Fig Liqueur and a Port Barrel Aged Grappa to boost the spirits? New this year, Petaluma artist Shannon Abbey is offering Giclee prints from her original paintings. Printed with care by locals Bill and Joe at Digital Grange on archival acid free rag paper.The prints make great gifts at $100 each. Signed by the artist. Shipped around the country. Woman-owned Sonoma Coast Spirits has you covered for the cocktail crew on your list. Nothing says I love you during the holidays than a bumper package of California cheese! At least in my mind! Check out the California Cheese Trail site for where and what to order and/or make a bee-line for local cheeses when shopping for your holiday stores. Nicky Ovitt bandanas, kitchen towels, cards, totes. Nicky designed the covers and inside art for my Fog Valley Books. Her work has a special place in my heart.Treated myself to a bottle of NOMAD Botanicals foaming wash at this year s annual Petaluma Holiday Food Fair at Hotel Petaluma. It s terrific and made in Petaluma. NOMAD gift baskets and products are sure to please. I think we d all benefit from a herbal healing solve or a breathe deeply tea or Sonoma County chai from Marigold Apothecary this winter season. McEvoy Ranch ODE skincare products — I m using the Daily Moisturizer. You can t go wrong with any of the McEvoy oils, wines and products for online ordering and delivery of thoughtful and distinctive gifts. Buying shoes for someone isn t always a good idea unless you ve been steered in the right size and direction but a gift certificate to my favorite local shoe store, Passeggiata is the way to go for the shoe lovers in your life. These lovely, Labradorite Ocean Drop earrings are a great example of the treasure chest of designer jewelry by Robindira Unsworth and available in-store on Petaluma Boulevard in boutique row or online, along with a sparkling array of baubles and bangles, Italian leather purses, homewares and clothing gifts that are sure to go down a treat with discerning ladies on your list. Herb Folk Medicine Shop Open Wednesday and Friday afternoons 11-4 on East Washington St in downtown Petaluma and house products and gift boxes are available to order online. Herbal and green teas, broth herbs, elderberry elixir kits, bath soaks and salts, natural bath fizzies, organic bulk herbs and medicine making supplies, plus tinctures, topical salves and oils, seaweeds, patches, herbal wreaths that are ideal tonics for pandemic-era gifts.Tomasini s Rex Ace Hardware Country Store is one of my all-time favorite stores in town. Staff are always so helpful and friendly and the store is packed with holiday lights, gardening tools, home goods and all sorts of practical items for gifting.The Find is decked out for fun, local holiday shopping on Western Ave. Look for Patti Lou Designs store (see above at the artists studio), within the store for Petaluma-centric art and home items. Jess Brown rag dolls are total treasures and are lovingly made here in Petaluma for bespoke delivery around the world. If you d like to gift one of these gorgeous rag dolls this Christmas, your order must be in by December 9th, 2020. Visit tasting rooms and purchase wines from our Petaluma Gap Winegrowers micro-regional wine growers and makers. Keller Estate is one of several terrific local wineries offering tasting opportunities by appointment this winter. Look for Petaluma Gap and Sonoma County wines ion the shelves in your favorite store s wine department. For a boutique experience being guided in your selection and to further support small business, visit Jason at Vine Barrel on Petaluma Boulevard. Marta Shannon s wonderful scalloped scarves are a Sonoma County classic! This red one is a lovely choice for the holidays. And for the chocolate lover on your list — Farm Chocolate simply cannot be topped for a gift of local deliciousness decadence. Maude Shop Rare Finds stocks the most beautiful cards and stationery, artists pens and pencils and pads, exquisite candles, kids and women s clothing. Find Maude on Western Ave. Pennyroyal Design wallets and bags are chic and super high quality and locally made. Find them at In The Making in American Alley along with super beautiful Siri Handsdotter ceremonial jewelery. Books, books and more books! Copperfield s Petaluma has you covered for everyone on your list. Take a look through my list of lots of great books by SONOMA COUNTY AUTHORS by clicking on on my local shelf at Bookshop. You may buy my novel Big Green Country through Copperfields or directly from me by clicking the home page of this blog and scrolling down to my PayPal on the right hand side. Also available in the Petaluma Museum online store along with quite a few additional local books. Fog Valley Winter copies are available directly from me. Fill the Petaluma market bag with beautifully curated home and personal goodies in store at Petaluma Home Garden. Help keep everyone s humor intact with a holiday shop at Heebe Jeebe General Store on Fourth Street. Always choc-full of fun stuff for folk of all ages. The simple truth about buying toys online is that each purchase inches brick and mortar toy stores nearer to closing their doors. We re lucky to still have a toy store open in downtown Petaluma. Plenty others have tried and not been able to sustain business. So if you have little ones on your list, do stop in at Toybville on Petaluma Boulevard downtown this holiday season. Restaurant cafe gift certificates are a win-win for everyone when given as gifts. Support your favorite eateries with gift card purchases. Who wouldn t enjoy take-out or outdoor dining treats at The Tea Room, Water Street Bistro, Aqus Cafe, Risibisi, Cucina Paradiso, The Shuckery Lunchette Della Fattoria and other tasty local treasures? What to gift those on your list who don t need anything? The best thing to do this year especially is a gift that gives back to our community. Please consider donating to any one of our invaluable local non-profits this holiday season, especially those serving the most vulnerable as well as the many important cultural organizations that are struggling to maintain the coffers through the pandemic period. Here are some suggestions:COTSREDWOOD EMPIRE FOOD BANKUNA VIDAREBUILDING TOGETHER PETALUMAPETALUMA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONPETALUMA PEOPLE SERVICES (core services include Senior Services, Counseling Prevention, Housing, Employment, Petaluma Bounty Farms, and Youth Programs, which now includes Mentor Me. )LITERACY WORKSPETALUMA HISTORICAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUMPETALUMA RIVER PARKPETALUMA ARTS CENTERCINNABAR THEATERPETALUMA WILDLIFE MUSEUMSONOMA FAMILY MEALHEARTFELT HELP FOUNDATIONWOMENS WISDOM INITIATIVESONOMA COUNTY REGIONAL PARK PASS Postponed — Although it was to be a safe distanced, outdoor event in beautiful Dry Creek Valley, we re following the lead from neighboring Bay Area counties and postponing this lovely event until some time next year. Please continue to support Sonoma County wineries all the families who depend on the farming production of these wonderful wines when shopping for your holiday vintages.Even if Sonoma and Napa Counties do go into more stringent lockdown, wines are available for pick up and delivery. Look for local wines on your favorite grocery store shelf.Look for the first of my holiday GIFT GUIDES on Tuesday. There is so much bounty to share in our neck of the woods that I ll most likely post an additional GIFT GUIDE for last minute shopping ideas that support local. And my Fog Valley books are available directly from my via my blog homepage www.southernsonomacountrylife.com. Big Green Country is available at Copperfield s Books, online from all major booksellers and from me directly.We walk on starry fields of white And do not see the daisies;For blessings common in our sight We rarely offer praises.We sigh for some supreme delight To crown our lives with splendor,And quite ignore our daily store Of pleasures sweet and tender.Our cares are bold and push their way Upon our thought and feeling.They hand about us all the day, Our time from pleasure stealing.So unobtrusive many a joy We pass by and forget it,But worry strives to own our lives, And conquers if we let it.There’s not a day in all the year But holds some hidden pleasure,And looking back, joys oft appear To brim the past’s wide measure.But blessings are like friends, I hold, Who love and labor near us.We ought to raise our notes of praise While living hearts can hear us.Full many a blessing wears the guise Of worry or of trouble;Far-seeing is the soul, and wise, Who knows the mask is double.But he who has the faith and strength To thank his God for sorrowHas found a joy without alloy To gladden every morrow.We ought to make the moments notes Of happy, glad Thanksgiving;The hours and days a silent phrase Of music we are living.And so the theme should swell and grow As weeks and months pass o’er us,And rise sublime at this good time, A grand Thanksgiving chorus.Maybe because I m an immigrant I personally don t have any major disappointment this year about not having as big a Thanksgiving as usual. Aside from dear friends who are staying home to be safe, my extended family and in-laws don t celebrate this American holiday with us anyway, as they re all overseas. There s no angst on breaking with tradition and hosting a smaller gathering than we typically enjoy. I know it s hard for so many and I hope that you re not too displaced yourself. I ve been thinking that this year s Thanksgiving is a lot more like the European Harvest Festivals of my childhood in that we re looking more toward the natural bounty of our region than ever and we re extra grateful for home and hearth and garden and the simple pleasure of small outdoor fall and winter celebrations, whether it be a solo hike, supper for two or, best of all, for me, more intimate holiday gatherings with my husband and one, two or all three of our sons. There s not too much to say that hasn t been said a thousand times in the run up to the holidays 2020, so I m sending you love and best wishes to you and yours from my corner of Sonoma County with a few of my favorite snapshots from this fall season. Enjoy your day, savor the simplicity and let Mother Nature do the decorating! Congratulations to everyone involved in supporting the Petaluma River Park non-profit organization on the successful purchase of the Petaluma River Park property in the heart of Petaluma. This has been an ambitious four-years-in-the-making dream by a dynamic group of community-minded individuals and families and it is an extraordinary accomplishment given the times that we are in. I ve been thinking about the timing of this remarkable plan a lot over the past months in following the developments that have brought this dream to fruition. It strikes me as incredibly poignant that during an extensive period of global unrest and a pandemic in the latter stages of this big, local fundraising effort, these determined non-profit leaders stepped up their campaign with so much vigor and passion it s nothing less than an inspiration in human spirit. My husband Timo was honored to work with the non-profit from the start in brokering a very complex set of circumstances with the historic property that belonged to various descendants of the McNear Family, one of Petaluma s most storied, founding families. This would not have happened if it weren t for the many, many months of vision, hard work, negotiation cooperation for all involved in the process, not least the financial and other donations from within our community. What we need going forward locally, regionally, nationally and globally, is more open space areas such as this for leisure and recreation and the fact that it s the people who are making this happen, not local government speaks volumes for what we are able to do within our communities when we truly set our minds to it. Thinking outside of the box will need to continue as fundraising efforts ramp up now to implement the various stages of this beautiful new river park. Here s a link to the article in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat this week on the historic property sale. And please do click here and check out the Petaluma River Park website to get on-board with being a part of this exciting development. Mary Fassbinder, Amanda Bergan, Jennifer Jensen, Clark Mitchell and Peter Phibbs have stepped into action to set up the ANNUAL MEMBERS SHOW at Petaluma Arts Center. Art has been dropped off this past week or so and will be available to view online shortly. It s one of my favorite events — I m always so impressed by the range of local talent in our midst. For a while, pre-pre-pandemic, there was a push away from the local element at the arts center in an effort to bring in regional visitors to high-profile traveling shows but it didn t pan out financially and so the returning emphasis now on local is more essential than ever in rallying support not only for our beloved arts center space but for the many artists in our community. The MEMBERS SHOW will be setup in the arts center main gallery and will be viewable online in the weeks ahead. Plans to showcase the late Jon Gariepy s artwork have been put on hold until next year so more time and space may be dedicated to celebrating his life and legacy as a valued member of our community. That said, the arts center is pleased to have a piece of Jon s in its Petaluma Loves Art: Auction + Stories, graciously donated by Joe McDonald and in tandem with a decorated helmet created by David Best.If you are interested in donating to Jon s memorial fund, please reach out to Lindsey at lgoodwin@petalumaartscenter.org.The Arts Center is excited to present its inaugural Petaluma Loves Art: Auction + Stories fundraiser. On December 1st - 7th, the arts center will host an accompanying online silent auction, including over 25 stunning works of art donated generously by local collectors and artists. Add to your collection or purchase a special holiday gift while knowing your purchase is supporting the arts in Sonoma County! In addition to supporting the Petaluma Arts Center, you will also have the opportunity to support Petaluma City Schools’ My Art Supply Kit program. You may donate directly to this program via our fund-a-need category benefiting each of the 2,200+ students in the school district with an at-home art supply kit to inspire creativity during the continued shut-downs. *Due to rising COVID cases nationwide (and statewide), the Arts Center has decided to err on the side of caution and suspend in-person gallery viewings at this time. That said, all of the artwork will be photographed and available for high-quality viewing on the online auction site. Petaluma Gap Wine Alliance has been working hard compiling a super series of local wine and holiday food pairings for this 2020 Holiday Season. It s been one heck of a year here in Sonoma County with wildfires and smoke wreaking extended havoc on an already intense period in history. One thing we can all do as wine lovers is to seek out the fantastic cool climate wines made from fruit grown in the Petaluma Gap wind and fog tunnel and especially those crafted by local winemakers. I ll be sharing recipes from many of these dedicated and talented winemakers in the run up to Thanksgiving.Click here for wines. Petaluma Gap Wine Alliance has been working hard compiling a super series of local wine and holiday food pairings for this 2020 Holiday Season. It s been one heck of a year here in Sonoma County with wildfires and smoke wreaking extended havoc on an already intense period in history. One thing we can all do as wine lovers is to seek out the fantastic cool climate wines made from fruit grown in the Petaluma Gap wind and fog tunnel and especially those crafted by local winemakers. I ll be sharing recipes from many of these dedicated and talented winemakers in the run up to Thanksgiving.Click here for wines. Hi! I'm Frances Rivetti — lifestyle journalist, author, culture seeker

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