Much Ado About Nothing - at the Apple Blossom Parade, Sebastopol

Where have my days gone?  About three and a half weeks since I last posted here.  What is happening?  I have experienced the Apple Blossom Parade (of which I have about 100 pictures) – I have driven to Los Angeles for a Beachbody Summit (where I discovered a new workout that I am about to start, RevAbs) – I have officially christened my new home with a house-warming party (I must write thank you notes to all those who wished me well by helping me celebrate).  On top of that, I have been holding together 3 escrows which is a time consuming activity in this challenging economic environment.  What is quite interesting to me is that the number of visits to this blog has continued to grow even though there is no new content.  Very interesting – at least to me.  In response to those interested readers, I am inserting some new comments on life and real estate.  

I have received some “constructive” feedback that I seem to only talk about things that are good, positive and in some way uplifting.  I guess that is my nature.  But in response to this comment and in full disclosure, I must say that I am completely disgusted with the state of our banking industry.   

Two of my open escrows are short sales.  One is waiting on a response from the lien holder on a price increase that they requested.  Yes – they requested a $2000 price increase which we responded to in short order and now we are a week later and have not gotten their acceptance.  Why does this take so long?  Believe me, this is a rhetorical question.  I have learned to not expect answers.  The other of my short sale escrows is about to fall apart.  The lien holder is unwilling to wait a few extra weeks for my client to get his loan together.  Here is a deal that would definitely close with FHA financing in another four weeks and the Chase short sale negotiator is willing to nix the whole thing because they have decided that it must close in May.  No, there is not another buyer in the wings – No, they do not think they will get more money if they put it back on the market.  They will probably foreclose on the property and lose another $50K to $100K in the process – but they do not want to wait for my client’s loan to be funded.  Tell me why this is good business?  Oh!  I don’t expect an answer to that question either.  

Loans are taking inordinately longer times to get approval and then to fund.  The one normal (I use that term with trepidation!) transaction that I have in the works is teetering on a loan approval on the house that must be sold before my escrow can proceed.  Nothing big in the way of approval but time consuming anyway.  The bank does not seem to understand the term “time is of the essence.”  

Moving On - Apple Blossom Parade, Sebastopol

So I have expressed my angst.  It is a reflection of our current economic situation.  It is something to consider if you are contemplating a home purchase or sale.  I don’t know if my venting on banks is refreshingly different than my usual posts.  I do feel a bit of relief from stating my frustrations.  

My own home is now in escrow and we are waiting for the inspections to be done and the loan to be approved.  I hope that it closes in the time stated in the contract but I know that there will be issues.  I just want it to be sold, a week or two will not make much difference.  

In the next week or so, I will update on RevAbs and Moving Vol. 3.  Life does go on and I am trying to make the most of it.

So in the pouring rain (and I mean a torrential downpour!) the truck was loaded with club chairs, china cabinet, sofa, dining table . . . and all the large, heavy garden containers.  You get the picture – everything that needs young, strong backs.  After the short but curvy drive from Forestville to Occidental, the procedure was reversed and with all of us soaking wet, the rain stopped as we were finishing the work.  The potted plants are on the basketball court to save the lawn from being destroyed with ruts from the hand truck - mud is everywhere – no furniture is damaged.  It sounds so simple as I write about it now.  At the time I was freezing, wet to the skin.  My lovely landlords brought me hot tea and a chicken sandwich which were greatly appreciated.  I was fearful for the survival of the upholstery.

Oh, no! They do not fit!

The only true drama in the move was the stacking and placing of the washer and dryer.  I have wonderful energy efficient, front loading units that are huge!  My little house has a sweet kitchen with a space between the wall and the refrigerator to slip in my laundry.  Prior to the move, I measured and remeasured.  Yes, they were going to fit!  It was tight but it could happen.

After the explanation that as movers they were not to do installations, Johnny and Shamus removed the pedestals from under each of the washer and dryer and installed the stacking brackets that I found on the Internet.  I was lucky to find a place that had the brackets in stock and would overnight deliver them so that they were here for the move.  But when the movers tried to slip the stack back into the slot, it would not fit!  The lip on the cabinet was just oh-so too wide.  What were we to do?  With the fellows on the clock (yes, and I was paying that) and not having installations in their job descriptions, the stack was left for another day.  But I was not daunted.  I knew it would fit somehow.

Exhausted from the day, frustrated that I could not use the laundry and lonely in a house stacked from top to bottom with stuff, I did the only reasonable thing to do – called my daughter and son-in-law and asked them to join me for dinner at Barley and Hops in Occidental.  The only catch was that they needed to come pick me up as I was too tired to drive!  Considering the distance between their home and mine is about half of a mile, the drive was not a deterrent.  Off we went to a wonderful dinner with a great beer named Death & Taxes.  It was very apropos as an early April, Good Friday, celebratory drink.

Isn't this the office? Where is all of this stuff going?

Saturday was beautiful and I was able to take stock of my new home.  Mud was throughout the house.  I could not take two steps into what is to be an office.   The washer and dryer were far enough in that I could not move them but not so far that I could open the doors and use them.   No time to worry about all of that.  There was the detritus of unexposed surfaces in the vacated home that had to be cleared.  So off I went with the help of yet other friends (Who knew I had so many? With pickups – no less!)  to clean the house and do the last sweep of garden pots and statuary as well as truant items in the house unseen in the previous clutter.  With great perseverance, the potted Japanese maple was uprooted from the ground beneath and hoisted into the pickup.  The Buddha, the iron kitty cat, the Dodo bird – all moved to their new home.

Half way up the hill, I think about my bicycle.  Panic sets in. Did we leave it in the garage?  Was it already moved?  WHERE WAS MY BICYCLE?   As quickly as I panicked, I remembered that it was loaded on Thursday night and was safely residing in my friend’s garage.  This whole move is getting to me.  Once we unload this latest collection, I need to go visit the art and whatever else is in safe keeping.  I think I am loosing my mind and I cannot remember what is where.  Once I send off my friends after depositing the contents of their pickup on my porch and in the storage area, I head for Sebastopol to visit my remaining possessions.  Yes, the bicycle is there.  No, the sky is too dark to risk getting these delivered today.  But what are these gas cans?  They are not mine and I need to get them back to the house.  Rush – Rush- Rush.

Easter morning, more rain – I am taking the day off from moving.  The call comes – the gas cans did not belong at the house.  The pickup owner had placed them to get gas for his mower when he delivered my things.  A frantic retrieval of the cans and a welcome sigh of relief. I can now forget moving for the rest of the day.   A wonderful service at Church of the Good Shepherd in Cloverdale - A visit to Garrett Hardware in Healdsburg (I had to get an electric kettle before I burnt up my saucepan!) – Yummy rack of lamb dinner with Jen and Dan.  A wonderful day of renewel and relaxation.

Monday I was back to moving.  My landlords showed up with tool box in hand.  Of course three very vital, young at heart folks could move the monolithic laundry stack.  A Superbar lever, a block of wood and furniture slider feet do wonders for making a heavy load move easily.  I am in the laundry business!  With one passing shower, the skies become blue and the last load of precious things make the trip to Joy Road.  The art is hung.  The rugs are spread.  There is still time for lunch at Howard Station Cafe.

Calm and Clean - Just like a bedroom should be

Part II of the move was capped off with dinner at home with a girlfriend who supplied the bubbly and the feng shui of my bedroom.  This room is pretty close to being complete.  Someday I will get a new bedcover and my jewelry needs to find a better place.  But for right now it is neat, tidy and has a wonderful sense of calm.

The kitchen is mostly together, china is in the china cabinet and I can find a place to sit in the living room.  The Good Life may be the motto of Forestville but I am enjoying it here on Joy Road.

A well stocked kitchen makes a house a home!

Dropping into the Fog Bank at the South End of Joy Road

Moving is never fun – even when you love your new place.  That is the situation I am finding my self in.  My home in the hills of Occidental is cute, comfy and unbelievably quiet.  The view outside my bedroom window is pastoral and green.  My past home in Forestville is beautiful, expansive and no longer mine.   (You can see the interior of the Forestville house in my February 22, 2010 post on this blog.) 

View from the Bedroom Slider in Forestville

 No it is not yet sold but it is in escrow.  Some things just have to be accepted.  There is always the question of when to vacate the old home.  In general, homes look better with a minimal amount of furnishings but not totally vacant.  So larger pieces of furniture such as the bed, sofa and dining set are still waiting for the final transport.    I have been camping out in my new digs with a blowup bed and a card table.  The walls are lined with boxes of books and stacks of clothing.   Stick ups indicate where various pieces of art will be hung.  Closets are brimming with clothes and those random boxes that are not needed daily.  The Christmas decorations are squirreled away in the attic. 

View from the Bedroom Window on Joy Road

Of course, when moving locally, there is always the question of doing it a bit at a time or making one large move as when relocating to a different area.  Based upon circumstances, moving over a span of time has been the mode selected.  First there were boxes from a storage unit – packed up and stashed in early January.  Then there was another storage unit that held those furniture items that were unnecessary for staging the house for sale.  Eventually clothes and toiletries were transferred from my walk-in closet and spacious bathroom.   Next will be those yard implements and assessories.  Finally, the furniture will arrive and I will be willing to show pictures of the interior.

Allee of Camillias Past the Back Patio

Life goes on – where ever you go, there you are.  Part II will be coming soon and I can then share the interior of my little farmhouse.  I will miss my old home and my life within it. But I have great things going forward – still unknown.  There are moments when I know that life is good and I am in a better place.  I enjoy the drive to work in the mornings with the redwoods towering overhead and  the fog covering the small town of Bodega.  The peaceful environment will more than make up for the lack of living space.  And peace and serenity are what I am after these days.

On top of all of that, I have moved into my own place out Occidental way.  The moving didn’t seem to be so bad but the telephone and internet service are another thing.  I am no longer a Comcast customer and now have AT&T land line phone service.  Internet service still eludes me but that is for another day.  Just know that while I still will get email with my Comcast address, my preferred email addresses are now shulaproperties@gmail.com and sonomarose.barbara@gmail.com   Would you believe that there is already a bshula taking up space on gmail?  I could go on and on about these experiences but I don’t think this is the forum for ranting about large utilities.

Bottom line is that I love my new space and was delighted that an offer was made on our lovely home in Forestville just as I got moved.  Of course, we could always use a backup!  In time, I will share my experiences of living in the country between Occidental and Bodega but right now I am just camping out while I spend my days and evenings working, enjoy the quiet nights to catch up on long needed sleep and revel in the exquisite beauty of the drive between my new home and Sebastopol.

I still have wonderful tales of Kauai that I plan to share.  Please keep checking back in for pictures and stories.  It will just take me some time to get into a groove – and finish the tax return!

Karen Ernsberger Pruning the Rose, Renae

The rain has put a real damper on the rose pruning in my garden.  Thankfully, we did not have rain the first two Saturdays of the year because those are the days a dedicated group of rosarians prune the garden at Luther Burbank Art & Garden Center.   The Redwood Empire Rose Society not only keeps the rose garden at the Center in beautiful shape throughout the year but, also, teaches pruning techniques from 9 to 12 those two days.  In 2011 we will need to move to the second and third Saturdays to accomodate that January 1 Saturday. 

A well pruned climbing rose

The one type of pruning that gets the most questions are climbers.  Climbers take some extra care but are not all that different from shrubs.  You just need to think of the long cane as a huge above ground root with a bunch of  little rose bushes growing from it.  Tie the cane to the fence or trellis instead of weaving it in and out.  A healthy rose can destroy a fence or a wooden arbor.  Don’t even think about those flimsy trellises at the garden center because a rose will pull them apart in a season.

Right now the ground is so wet that even when it is not raining, I am sloshing around in mud.  Not to fear, pruning can be done as late as March in our moderate climate.  Yes, we are very fortunate in Sonoma County. 

If you have any pruning questions, just post a remark and I will be happy to respond.

During the post New Year clean, I discovered that there is a bit more frost in the upright freezer than is probably good for energy efficiency.  In observing this phenomena, I pledge to clean it out and let the frost melt.  Sometimes I need quite a while to use up all that is there.  This time I spotted some ground turkey and my mind immediately went to meatballs.  It is Winter when vegetables and thick stews are the choice of every tasty eater and I was providing dinner to some friends for helping me with my winter clean out of excess plants.  I wanted something special that met my need to purge the frozen foods. 

I started the search for an interesting recipe with turkey meatballs and came upon a blog from Boston.  It was written in August but it suits a California January just fine.  The link below will take you to the site.

I had planned to make the meatballs early and then finish off the stew right before serving but my day got a bit out of hand.  I was taking the ingredients out of the frig when my dinner guests arrived at the door.  Not my usual mode of operation!  Shortly, everyone was doing their part - be it browning of the meatballs or setting the table.  I should have taken a picture but as stated in the original blog – the picture does not do it justice.

The stew turned out fantastic!  I want to give a big thanks to Boston Food Diary for sharing her culinary skills with us web browsers.  I am definitely going to make this again.

http://abostonfooddiary.blogspot.com/2009/08/roasted-vegetable-stew-with-turkey.html

The second unusual happening was that I roasted the turkey.  Many of you know that I have not been the cook in the house for lo on twenty-five years – so when I took on this task it was with some trepidation.  With a true investigative spirit, I scoured the internet and found sfgate.com with a great, easy to follow guide for thawing, brining and roasting a 20 lb. turkey.  The turkey thawed for five days in the refrigerator – was just thawed in time to be placed in the brine for 24 hours prior to popping it in the oven.   The only variation I made from the instructions was that I found a roasting bag in the drawer and made the decision that basting was not in my schedule for the day.   The turkey was cooked to perfection in the exact time that I had planned and I swooped it into the waiting trunk of my trusty Prius and headed for the Center.  Thankfully, Jerry Scoville came through with a spectacular carving job and turkey was had by all.  Unfortunately, I was not so successful with the gravy.  It was more of an aus jus and didn’t look all that appealing.  None the less, good friends tried it and there were no complaints.  Many people have asked me if the turkey was salty with the brining – the answer is an unequivicable, no.  It was moist, perfectly flavored, a major hit.  Forty-eight rosarians cleaned that platter bare. 

So, the only turkey picture I have is the remains of the carcus as I prepared to pack it for the freezer.  This great bird will provide another great meal at another time.  

The Remains of my Great Roasted Turkey

If you ever find yourself in need of great company, exceptional food and fun activities set in a beautifully decorated hall, come to the Redwood Empire Rose Society potluck.  We have them in June and December each year.

Zak Zaikine

Press kits are not an everyday occurrence in my mailbox and often unsolicited materials are immediately relegated to the circular file in an attempt to eliminate clutter in my life.  So when I received a large envelope a couple of months ago, I immediately looked with skepticism at the elaborate addressing and sighed.  The return address was Zak Zaikine, artist of considerable talent and a name on my list of artists that I must meet.  The book that emerged from the plain manila encasing was a colorfully crafted tribute to one of my favorite places in the world, the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. The Magic of Hanalei Bay is the story of Kauai rain and wind, the chickens that survive in this environment and the mercreatures of the sea.  Inside was a personally inscribed message offering rainbows and blessings to me and my family.  A coy little chicken graces the middle of the inscription and holds a heart with the words “for you.”  The package was a hard sell that immediately grabbed my attention and warmed my heart.  Such was my second introduction to Zak Zaikine. 

I had first heard of Zak from Janet Charnofsky in 2006. (She was featured in this column in May, 2006.)  Janet gave me a greeting card with one of Zak’s whimsical images and suggested that I contact him.  “He is going through some health issues right now but please keep him in mind,” was Janet’s advice.  The card has been amongst my desktop collection for these three and a half years – reminding me that someday I will meet this young man with a flair for bright colors, fanciful images and apparently poor health.  Little did I know that this “young” man has produced art for over 60 years!  The vibrancy and joy in his paintings and children’s books reflect youth and optimism that is not anticipated.  But meeting Zak takes away all preconceived notions of age or health. 

The first thing that comes to mind when entering the lair of Zak Zaikine is that he loves to make art.  His art is everywhere and comes in all varieties.  The kitchen walls and surfaces are covered with ceramics (he has two kilns), sketches and metal figurines of Zak’s making.  As he leads the tour of his house, each room has a theme – although not necessarily adhered to – of a genre or era in his lifetime of creating.  He talks of making sculptures out of hangers in the 50’s and the famous patrons he has known over the years.  He reminisces about the house he built on Long Island and sold to Paul Taylor, the choreographer, because their numerology was compatible.  He beams as he speaks of his two daughters, Lynda and Anastasia.  He insists that the people who have cared for him during his struggle and recovery from MRSA and the loss of his leg be mentioned because without them, he would not be having this discussion today.

Zak was born in Queens, New York to immigrant Russian parents with the name Victor Eugene Zaikine.  His New York heritage is woven through his conversation as easily as his life in California.  He has resided in many places but Sonoma County is the final refuge that supports his desires to be in consort with the universe and partake of the fruits that abound.  While no part of his artist endeavors take a back seat to others, Zak’s current emphasis is on his children’s books.  In addition to The Magic of Hanalei Bay, two other books are currently available – A Mother’s Love, a story of kittens based on his experiences while living on a ranch outside of Healdsburg, and Eugene and the Magical Carrot Tree.  Any child would be delighted to have one or all of these books under the Christmas tree.  They are beautifully produced on recycled paper with soy inks.  You can purchase the books on Zak’s website www.zakzaikine.com or you can locate one of the many local galleries where Zak’s work is displayed.  I know that you will find signed books at Quicksilver Mining Company in downtown Forestville.

Zak’s large collection of art works is truly as magical as his stories.  I sincerely hope that you will take time in this busy holiday season to find a little magic.

In honoring Zak’s wishes to give praise to the many who have helped in his recovery, I am including this thanks from him.

My Healing could not have happened without the help of my Darling Daughter Anastasia, My Dear Friend Karin O’Keefe, My Friend and Acupuncturist David Walker, My Dear Friend and Neighbor Ron, Dr. Thomas Yatteau, Cheryl Caletti, N.P., Vicchi Oleski, Claude Smith, Rick Hobbs, Natalie Slanina, Adrianne Sinclair, Lorenzo De Santis, Shayne Cook, Bud D’Orazio, Elizabeth Draper, Joshua Muscat and Steve of Buffalo Direct.  Let these few represent the countless other folks in my extended community.

Lemon Cookies for the Office Party

The holiday season is fully upon us.   The kitchens are busy.  The parties have begun.   You may have noticed that a new link was added to the right side of this page under Blogroll – Sonoma County Foods.  If you click on this link you will be taken to www.feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com.   You will find wonderful insights into cooking – lots of baking – and great recipes.  The author is a friend, fondly referred to as Elle in her blog, who is passionate about cooking and is eager to share her experiences in wonderful prose and beautiful photography. 

Last Thursday was the Prudential CA Realty - Sebastopol holiday office party.  I was asked to bring cookies and decided that I needed to fire up the terrific Dacor ovens in the kitchen and create my offering.  My first decision was what type of cookie could I be proud to share and still have the ingredients in the house.  With a bag full of lemons languishing on the counter, I decided lemon cookies were a good choice.  I pulled up Elle’s blog and quickly found the August 20, 2008 entry with a recipe for Chocolate Dipped Lemon Butter Cookies.  She somehow managed to get golf, work and cooking all in one post – and it reads well.  You can take it in yourself by going to http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2008/08/something-new-ish.html. 

Lemon and Chocolate - Yum Yum

I love the combination of lemon and chocolate so these cookies were perfect for me.  My diet has been so void of butter and sugar that I knew that I could not eat many of these little delights.  I am proud to say that I only ate one slightly crispy one with the chocolate that was leftover from the dipping.  Without constraint, there could have been none for the party. 

The only disappointment was that my chocolate did not have that smooth, easy flowing look of Elle’s.  But it tasted fine.  I am wondering if the high cocoa content of the Dagoba 73% has anything to do with it.  I followed the instructions for preparing chocolate for dipping given in Chez Panisse Desserts.  It never completely melted even though by all descriptions it should have.  I guess that I will need to make them again so that I can develop experience with the chocolate procedure. 

Right out of the Oven

The little discs looked perfectly cooked with the narrow crispy ring around the edges.  The best part was that everyone who ate them was impressed that I did not stop at one of the myriad of local bakeries and purchase cookies – what fun is that? 

Fortunately, I was able to send cookies home with other agents so that I did not eat beyond my official taste test.   Don’t get the impression that I was virtuous throughout the whole affair.  The food made by fellow agents was spectacular and I ate my share of rich and glorious dishes.  With two eating orgies in three days, my body is telling me that this cannot continue.   No amount of workouts will return me to my feelings of health and wellness.  I just need recovery time.  I am thankful that the next party cooking commitment is a turkey.  Check in at the end of the week for how it went.  It has been many a year since I cooked a 20 pound turkey on my own.

Autumn Morning in West Sonoma County

Autumn is definitely here when the mornings are cold – even frosty – and the days are only brisk enough to encourage a hardy walk in the afternoon.   I love to snuggle in the covers knowing that I will have wonderful temperatures for doing fall garden cleanup.  This year I am planting a draught tolerant garden in place of the water hogging lawn in the front so a lot of the cleanup is just not happening.  Yesterday was perfect for walking 20 acres of undeveloped land in hopes of finding the perfect building site for clients.  Is there a time of year that I do not love Sonoma County?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  The preparations are enough to know that something special is going on but the duration is limited to a couple of days at most.   Over the years we have celebrated Thanksgiving by hosting an extended family and friends gathering (often including those people with whom we worked that did not have local family) to intimate family gatherings of 4 to 6.  A few years ago it was only going to be the two of us and we did not know how to deal with that.  Solution – friends invited us to their traditional celebration.  It was great fun with meeting new people, helping in someone else’s kitchen and being introduced to “sock” golf.  It was so much fun that we have gone every year since.  This year our son, daughter-in-law and new granddaughter were included in the festivities which made the day as close to perfect as possible.

Practice Range for Sock Golf

“So, What is sock golf?”, you ask.  Sock Golf is a take off on golf where instead of a ball and club you have a sock with the toe filled with sand/dirt/rocks.  The goal is to get the sock into the coffee cans associated with a particular course.  Most holes are par 3 and they all seem to have a tree or shed or fence as an obstacle.  There is a technique to flinging the sock and, sometimes, it goes behind you or only a few feet forward.  There are penalties for losing your sock and landing in the flower beds.  If you hit a turkey, you are allowed to take away a stroke just as long as you do not hit a grapevine.  If a player is over 80, they get a two stroke handicap which comes in very handy.  The team with the lowest “best sock” score is awarded a prize after dinner.

Resting and Eating after Sock Golf

Once nine holes of sock golf are in the bag, the food starts coming out.  With about as many cooks are eaters, the kitchen is usually full.  My specialty to bring is the cranberry sauce which has become an expected condiment.  My recipe calls for dried apricots soaked in sherry and then cooked with the fresh cranberries, honey and sugar.  It is always a hit where ever I take it.  Tom took some of his cheeses so he had a number of great conversations about fermentation.  This group is largely drawn from Palo Alto, previous home of our hosts as well as us, so there is a broad spectrum of techical folks who want to get into the nitty gritty of what is happening scientifically.

The Spread for Warming Up to Eating - including Cheeses by Tom

Dinner was a group activity with turkeys, dressing, gravy, brussel sprouts, sweet potato salad, cabbage, green beans and mashed potatoes.  Great Russian River pinot and lively conversations topped off the meal – a good time was had by all.  We are so fortunate – even in these times of depressed housing costs and high unemployment – to live in a country, county and community that protects our surroundings and nutures our souls.  I wish everyone a heart full of thanksgiving.  My your table be laden with health and your bodies full of love.  Namaste.

One of the Two Thanksgiving Tables

Tom is spending his free time (when not trying to close tough escrows and keep his wine balanced during fermentation) making cheeses for the holidays.  Goat’s milk cheeses seem to be everywhere and in every stage of development.  The large Caerphilly shown here is on the table in the alcove of the kitchen.  The cheese vault fills the garage with pungent odors each time it is opened.  It looks like there will be many gifts of cheese this season – or I may reverse some of weight losses!

Last week was class #4 of Cheesemaking 101.  The topic was hard cheeses and Caerphilly was the selected teaching vehicle.  Caerphilly is a Wales originated cow’s milk cheese that is pale in color and crumbly in texture.  The Wales housewives would make the cheese as a convenient treat for their husbands to take into the mines.  The benefit of Caerphilly in the classroom is that the time to age is only about a month.  This is considerably shorter than the six months to two years required for a Cheddar.

Caerphilly

Waiting for the curds to develop

Each class begins with ripening the warm milk with bacteria, adding the rennet and letting the milk form curds.  Once the process has begun, the class is free to discuss what cheeses each has made since the previous class, taste some samples with an aperitif and generally have a great time.  This is the time of the class that keeps me coming.  The group is delightful and since each class is at a different home, there are always interesting things to see, hear and experience.  This class came with one of the best Manhattans I have had in years and spectacular art work (by the host artist).  Nothing like having the best of everything all in one location.  But then, this is Sonoma County and people who are making cheese!

Gene Bonino - Student

Dinner was a great salad and lasagna from Mary’s Pizza of Sebastopol.  Not only does Sonoma County have great cooks who make fantastic meals from fresh produce and local meats but there are plenty of restaurants who sell their equally fresh and local dishes for take out.  The dinner was delicious and the conversation was stimulating.  Nothing like having an artist with spectacular process and eager to discuss metaphysics. 

About the time Tom needs to get into the technicalities of cutting the curds I am ready to skip out and get home to my own interests.  All the participants were taking in the information that could lead them to becoming great cheesemakers.  I am looking forward to having Caerphilly for Christmas.

Tom Shula in Lecture Mode

Bouquet of Roses

My favorite part of a rose show is usually the arrangements and bouquets.  What is the difference?  An arrangement has roses embellished with other plant material or prop while a bouquet is just roses.  I am not sure if that is a accurate technical difference between the two but it is mine!   I love them both. 

In a rose show each arrangement classification is given a descriptive name to inspire the arranger.  Themes are selected to compliment the title of the Conference or Show.  In this case, the Conference name is You have a “Date” in Palm Springs.  The arrangements were beautiful.  My favorite (always a difficult thing to say) arrangement was a dried arrangement in a standard traditional design.  I prefer the traditional designs because they use more roses but there were many lovely modern designs also. 

Dried Arrangement of Marilyn Monroe roses and dried plant materials

You can tell from the names of these roses that hybridizers like to grab the public’s attention by drawing upon the fascination with celebrities.  Deidre Hall is a wonderful rose and yes, I must admit that I have been known to watch Days of our Lives in my past.  Is she still on that show?

Entry for "America the Beautiful: Across the Fruited Plain" - Roses are Deidre Hall

 

 

This Rose Show was a national ARS event so the quality of arrangements is fantastic.  We do pretty well at our local rose show that is held at the Luther Burbank Art and Garden Center the first Saturday of May each year.  Please come by and check it out.  While I am writing of local events, the Redwood Empire Rose Society holds pruning demonstrations at the center the first two Saturdays of the year from 9 to noon.  It is a great time to learn to prune roses and we have lots of fun.  Hardy rosarians are outside pruning in the rain, sunshine or fog.  Stop by and get expert training free of charge.

View from the 4th green towards the 3rd fairway at Sonoma Golf Course

Golf is somewhat of an obsession with me.  I would never have believed it had I been told that this would come to be the case – but, alas, it is.  Tom is not out on a course as often as I but he certainly watches more of the Golf Channel than I do.  We enjoy playing, watching and analyzing golf.  So in the final days of Indian summer we volunteer to marshal at the Charles Schwab Cup Tournament.  If you do not know what this tournament is, you are not alone.  There are avid golfers who do not know.  Each year the Charles Schwab Cup is the prize for having the “best” cumulative season on the Champions Tour.  Okay, you ask, “What is the Champions Tour?”  The Champions Tour is the “old” guys tour – over 50.  Some of them didn’t look all that old to me!  

Nick Price and Barbara Shula - photograph by Nick's caddie

The Charles Schwab Cup Tournament is the year end tournament and the culmination of the Cup competition.  The winner of the tournament is usually a different player than the winner of the Cup so there is still reason to play even if a player is not in the running for the Cup.  It is a smaller tournament as only the top 30 money winners are invited to participate.  Tom and I each captained the marshals for one hole.    I captained a par 3 hole and Tom captained a par 5 hole. Marshals are the people you see on TV who are holding their hands up and asking people to be quiet, looking for the arrant golf ball and making life easier for the players.  It is quite a bit of work but a lot of fun.  The people in contention for the Cup this year were Loren Roberts (who ended up winning), Fred Funk, Bernhard Langer and Jay Haas.   Loren Roberts took the Cup and John Cook won the tournament.  Okay, that is probably more than you wanted to know about all of that but I needed to set the stage for my pictures.  Wednesday is the Pro Am where each player pairs with four amateurs for a round of golf.  While many of the workers (and I am sure some of the players) hate this day – it is my favorite.  That is because some of the players are very relaxed and enter into conversations.  Two of the friendliest players are Nick Price and Jay Haas.  Both welcomed a photo session.  “Chuck” Schwab was the photographer one photo.  He was having a great day out with Jay Haas.  Nick Price is not only a player but is a network commentator for the PGA Tour.

Tony Broome, Barbara Shula and Jay Haas - Photograph by Charles Schwab

For the last seven years this tournament has been held in Sonoma County at the Sonoma Golf Club on Arnold Drive between Glen Ellen and the town of Sonoma.  In those seven years, two million dollars was raised  for local charities.  Next year the tournament is moving to Harding Park in San Francisco.  We hope to work that tournament as the tour would like the same crew but we will have to wait and see if the City of SF has other plans.  It is usually the last week of October.  Thankfully we had incredible weather this year – no rain, pleasant temperature.

So our golf life has continued.  Yesterday we played a brisk 9 holes at Northwood Golf Course in Monte Rio.  Tomorrow we are leaving for Palm Springs and plan to get out at least twice while there.  I am certainly looking forward to improving my game this year.

Fiesta at the Guerneville Veteran's Building

Friday night was a big bash in Guerneville.  A fiesta in support of Efren Carrillo, 5th district supervisor for Sonoma County, brought out the town.  Well, more than the town since we were there from Forestville and we even saw some Sebatopolians and Santa Rosans.  I believe that all the living past 5th district supervisors were in attendance – all looking much less stressed than when they were in office.  There was a contingent of activists sporting T-Shirts asking that the landfill remain in the hands of the county.  (There is a proposal that the landfill be sold to a private company who would then get all of the garbage from Sonoma County.  It is a long story and can be read by googling “Mecham Landfill Sale”.)  Generally the 300+ people were there to thank Efren for representing the community in the multitude of issues that effect us – use of the Russian River, building codes and land use are just a few that are on the minds of Russian River residents.

Sveta Lynch with the Kitchen Help

The event was held at the Guerneville Veteran’s Memorial Building.  Food was provided by  class=”hiddenSpellError” pre=”by “>Taqueria La Tapatia, the almost famous Mexican restaurant of Guerneville.  The kitchen staff was a mix of politicos and fun loving people.  Oh, maybe they were all some of each.  The margaritas were small and the wine was plentiful.  The beverage people all seemed to be my old cohorts from the Frank Howard Allen office in Guerneville.  The Mariachi band was loud and authentic.  It was great to see everyone having a good time.

Efren Carrillo helping in the Kitchen

To date I have not posted any of my Artist Profiles on this blog.  Why?  Because I have just never gotten around to it.  Now that is a pity because it is material already written and everyone tells me that they like to read it.  So I am offering you my most recent artist – Bas Molenkamp.  His paintings are currently being shown at the Prudential CA Realty Office at 7300 Healdsburg Ave. in Sebastopol.  Yes, that is our office.  It is not often that the artist is showing at our place but it is convenient.  Come by and see them if you are in the area.  Let me know when you are coming and I will even give you a tour.

Bas Molenkamp

Bas Molenkamp

Bas Molenkamp is young, creative and passionate.  What a delight to interview!  Right at the start he has a fresh, new story to tell.  I met Bas in his home on West Street in Sebastopol.  The easel set up in the corner of the living room seemed as natural as the sofas around the fireplace. 

“When did you start painting?” I asked.

“A couple of years ago,” he replied.

“How did you get started?”

His eyes lit up and he began his story.

Bas Molenkamp is Dutch.  He met his wife, Alia, while traveling in India.  They traveled together until their joint resources were spent. They arrived in Berkeley, Alia’s family home, and prepared for a less nomadic future.  Wanting bucolic surroundings, they began their journey northwards with Mendocino the chosen destination.  A stop in Sebastopol to have lunch at Food For Thought (that is now Whole Foods) altered their plans. They were so impressed with the friendliness and casual acceptance of them by Sebastopolians, they settled right here. 

Now the story up to this point is not all that unusual.  Boy meets girl – okay, not usually traveling in India – boy marries girl – this has some practical side effect, like being able to stay in the US – couple visits Sebastopol – what better place to settle down and have a family.  Once established in Sebastopol, Alia became a masseuse and eventually started painting.  Bas worked in construction until he was injured, then at the Wild Flower Bakery in Freestone and last went to massage school when Alia became pregnant with their child.

The first time Bas ran his hands over a human body with the intention of relieving stress, he knew that this was the profession for him.  The tactile sensation of detecting the sinuous path of muscle and tendon with the fluidity of oil on skin brought a peace within that made the massage a healing for both masseuse and his subject. 

Bas attributes his frugal nature to his ancestry.  He cannot bear to see anything wasted.  As Alia painted, she would leave large blobs of paint on her palette which would eventually dry up – never to be used.  One day Bas decided that he would help her out and prepare a canvas with what was left on the palette so that it would not be wasted.  He was hooked by painting with the first stroke of the brush.  Bas relived the same epiphany that massage had delivered.   Alia never got to use that canvas and Bas has been painting ever since.

Bas paints landscapes.  They are what I would call “abstract” landscapes as they come from his imagination and draw upon the observer’s.  The enthusiasm of youthful exuberance jumps off the canvas as he plays with the nuances of color and form.  He uses words such as “delicious” and “dancing” to describe the creation of his images. He experiences a “roar of wanting to go to the canvas” – “a shift in the brain” when a brush is in his hand.  Have I already said that he is a delight?

Bas cites Matisse and Renoir as influences in his craft.  His results are very different and modern when compared to these masters but the emotion is evident.  Bradford Brenner, the nationally acclaimed Sebastopol artist, is a neighbor and friend who has taken an interest in the progression of Bas’ painting.  Brenner’s influence is evident and his helpful comments are acted upon.

The first public showing the paintings by Bas Molenkamp is October through January at the Prudential California Realty office at 7300 Healdsburg Avenue in Sebastopol.  The Opening Reception is Friday, October 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Marcy Basel, previously featured Artist Profile, will be sharing the walls.   Bas offers massage at Osmosis in Freestone or at his home in Sebastopol.  If you cannot make it to the opening of his show, please stop by the Prudential office anytime during business hours.

White Doyenne and Louise Bonne de Jersey pears

 A couple of weeks ago, I brought in the Louise Bonne de Jersey and White Doyenne varieties.  These varieties are moist and sweet – perfect for dehydrating!  And what else do you do with all these pears!  Our Dacor ovens have the ability to maintain a very low heat so after a quick blanch of the sliced pears, I popped them into the oven at 135 degrees F for about 48 hours.

Pears in the Oven

  The result was fantastic.  A cereal bowl of dried pears resulted and were they ever delicious.  I have at least three more batches to do as the last picking were the Comice  pears which are still sitting on the coffee table and I still have a small table of the rest.  The first batch of dehydrated pears are already gone as they were quickly munched on each time we passed the counter.  I am hoping when I get the others done we will be able to get some in the freezer for the winter!

Comice Pears - the last to ripen

Carolyn's arrangement of Hi, a micro-mini available from Vintage Gardens in Sebastopol

Carolyn Parker is an artist and writer who lives in Lafayette which is east of Berkeley.  She is best known for her lovely book, R is for Roses, which takes the reader through the alphabet of wonderful roses.   Shari-Lyn and I had a great visit and roamed Carolyn’s home garden.  Carolyn’s esthetic sense comes through in her garden design and airy, inviting home.  You can learn more about Carolyn at her website: www.rosesfromatoz.com.

Shari-Lyn Safir at Carolyn Parker’s home – the lovely rose is Lady Hillingdon, a fragrant tea rose.

An unidentified rose cascading over the wall of Morcom Rose Garden

Traveling through Oakland we rendezvoused with Jolene Adams, Vice-President Elect of the American Rose Society.   Jolene befriended me at the first District Rose Society meeting that I attended.   She is a serious rosarian who is a lot of fun to be around.   It is no surprise that she is popular throughout the rose world.  In the midst of her busy life, she took the time to have a wonderful lunch with Shari-Lyn and me at Jack London Square.   We then jumped into the car and headed to Morcom Rose Garden.   This rose garden was build in the 1930′s and has a wonderful history.   In current times the garden has been given a new life and the East Bay Rose Society has been a part of it.  Jolene is writing a history of the garden.  Check out the website http://www.friendsofoaklandrose.com/.

Rock Animals

 At the entrance to the Morcom Rose Garden is a personal garden which is sculpted from rocks.  It has animals. mushrooms, daisies, cacti and trees – all made of granite.    The antithesis of roses but, oh, so delightful. 

 Annie’s Annuals (www.anniesannuals.com)  is an incredibly beautiful nursery in a very scary part of Richmond.   Annie’s 4″ pots are found in most nurseries in Northern California.  I remember seeing them for the first time at the San Francisco Garden Show some multiple years ago.  I did not know that they had a retail outlet but Shari-Lyn did.  Fortunately we were driving by Richmond and had 15 minutes to drop in.   I was like a kid in a candy store. 

Asarina scandens 'Joan Lorraine'

 

 

I left with only one plant, asarina scandens ‘Joan Lorraine’.   I think it will look wonderful on my front trellis with Mme. Alfred Carriere.   Of course, I went back for the weekend sale on Sunday.  I now have all the plants to turn my front yard into a  low water, Mediterranean landscape.  Look for a future post on the final result.

 

Looking across the flats at Annie's Annuals

The major focus of Shari-Lyn’s trip to visit us was to visit rose gardens in Northern California.  Her primary impetus in coming to California is to judge the rose trials in Whittier which occur in early October.   First on our local itinerary for Sonoma County was Russian River Rose Company outside of  Healdsburg.  Jan and Michael Tomalsoff took time from their very busy schedules to discuss their rose perfume and rose water which launched this last Saturday.  Jan then gave us an extensive tour of the gardens and nursery.  Not only were there fabulous roses but some tall, reblooming irises that are currently in bloom. 

Rose Babes in the Garden - Barbara Shula, Shari-Lyn Safir and Jan Tomalsoff

Going to Russian River Rose Company is a real treat.  

Welcome to Russian River Rose Company

The rose collection is extensive and the companion plantings create a unique landscape.  Over 650 varietals of roses from species to the latest introductions surround the Moorish stucco  home.  The scent garden extends the stimulation of the senses.  A rose allee with eight arches leads out to the vineyard.  Monarch butterflies and hummingbirds know a good thing and flutter around the garden as if it were only for their enjoyment.  Fortunately this display garden is for anyone’s enjoyment.  From Spring to Fall, the Tomalsoff’s open their garden wonderland to visitors.  Mother’s Day offers a tea in the garden with roses in their Spring flush and this last Sunday was the perfume launch with Rose Sparklers, a combination of rose water and non-alcoholic sparkling wine.  Most Saturdays of the spring, summer and fall months, Jan is found at the Healdsburg Farmers Market with exquisite bouquets or wreaths filled with roses, rose hips and other treasures from the garden.  You can learn more about Russian River Roses Company at www.russian-river-rose.com.  I managed to get out of there with only two roses, Julia Child, a fabulous yellow rose that maintains a petite size even though it is names after a very large woman and Teddy Bear, a miniature that actually remains miniature.  Teddy Bear is a rich terra cotta color and I love it.   A couple of reblooming iris made it into my car, also.  I can’t just have roses.

Zowie Zinnia at Russian River Rose Company

To complete the Healdsburg tour, we visited Ferrari-Carano Winery to see the formal gardens and then tripped across Dry Creek to the antithesis of the formal garden at Preston of Dry Creek.   Don’t get me wrong as I love the gardens at Preston.  Those of you who have read earlier posts in July will have already gotten to know my admiration of Lou Preston and his organic gardening methods.  I definitely wanted to share his garden with Shari-Lyn.

Garden Valley Ranch in Petaluma

Grazing at Cottage Gardens of Petaluma

As you can tell from these pictures, we had a terrific time.  This is only the Sonoma County portion of our garden tours and does not include those private gardens where we dropped in on friends.  Look for a second edition of our trek in Oakland and the East Bay.

Last Monday I left for a weeklong visit with my sister.  I traveled to Cambria and picked her up and then we went to San Diego for a convention.  We stayed with a delightful woman in a B & B and I did not have internet access.  It was quite an experience as I am used to being on my computer most of the day.   The hits on this blog went down to ZERO after a week of no new posts!  Sorry, folks.  I am now back among the connected!

Before I left on Monday, I was cleaning up the kitchen and ran out to the compost pile with my wonderful stainless steel bucket that holds our kitchen waste.   As I noted the less than ambient temperature in the pile, I decided that I could not leave for a week without getting something going.  Just a couple of days before, I was asked if I layered my piles and kept them moist for the best environment for breaking down the pile.  My original response to the questions was “not really” and then I had to say “yes.”  So here I stood in my bathrobe, at my cold compost pile, with a bucket of kitchen waste.  What else could I do but turn the pile?  I have four bins.  One bin contains completely composted material that I have yet to use in my garden.  It will be used this fall.  The other three bins were in various stages of breakdown.  The second bin had very little material as I try to keep one bin as a holding spot for materials to build a perfect pile.  In the bottom of that bin was the grass clippings from the weekend and some kitchen refuse.  The fourth bin was the cold and in need of breaking down pile made up of oak leaves, kitchen garbage, rose clippings and some older grass cuttings.  I took my new pitchfork (a thoughtful birthday gift from Tom!) and began the process.  The edges of the pile went to the middle – the middle of the pile went to the edges.  Each 6 to 8 inches of height, I added water from the garden hose.  Air and water – the magic ingredients of a compost pile.  An hour later than expected, I started getting ready for my departure.

When I put the thermometer back into the pile, the temperature was around 65 degrees.  Two days later, Tom reported that it was up to 125.  The highest reading was 133 and yesterday it was 130.   I am quite proud of the effectiveness of my technique.  Tom put in some of his whey from cheesemaking and lees from his winemaking on Thursday so I expect that it will keep the temperature up a bit longer than it would without these additives.  Yesterday we had rain which does not hinder the breakdown and may even enhance it since I have not added any water.   This morning the temperature is still 130.  The bin has dropped in height to about 60% of the original.  I expect that when I get home from being an active grandmother this coming week, I will have another bin of ready to use compost.  Call me weird – but this is so much fun!

Vitex agnus-castus or Chaste Tree - The tree has wonderful purple spiked flower clusters that grow on new wood. This one needs to be pruned back some more but my green bin was full and it is too woody to break down in my home compost piles. The books state that vitex should be treated like a buddleia or crape myrtle to get maximum bloom. I think it needs a lot more cutting back than either of those species. In a few weeks, I will trim back the spent flowers and prepare it for winter and a wonderful 2010 summer bloom.

While I was chopping back an out-of-control vitex and playing with my compost pile yesterday, Tom and his Pool Ridge Winery gang were starting the 2009 crush.  It is amazing that we are already at that time of year.  Everywhere I turn, I see clusters of grapes waiting to be plucked from their vines and hauled to a winery.  People who are often traveling around the globe can be found at home in Sonoma County from late August to mid-October because they have to be here for harvest and the subsequent crush.  In fact, that was about all that was talked about at the birthday party we attended yesterday afternoon at the edge of a young chardonnay vineyard.  Well, all except the baby pictures that I had to take along.

Tom and his friends were making wine with sauvignon blanc grapes that come in earlier than most of the other varieties of the area.   The winegrowers at the party were discussing Brix of 19 to 22 with hopes that the weather remains mild and that we do not see rain or high temperatures for the next month.  What is a Brix?  Brix is a measure of the sugar in the grapes.  Sugar content translates to alcohol in the wine.  If the grape has a Brix of 20 at crush, the wine will have an 11% alcohol when ready to drink.  There has been a trend over the last decade to harvest reds at Brix of 25 to 27.5.  That means that they stay on the vine longer and are exposed to the whims of Mother Nature at this often unstable time of the year.  That puts every grower at risk which is not ever a positive prospect.

Picking at Tzabaco Rancho Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley

The wine grape market was another topic.  Tom is always looking for great grapes to make his wines.  Yesterday he was up at Dry Creek Valley at Tzabaco Rancho Vineyards.  In past years, he has had a difficult time finding grapes of the quality he wants because they are all sold to commercial wineries who buy large quantities.  While there are a few grape growers who hold back part of their crop to sell to the Tom Shulas of the world, most do not have the luxury to support the amateur winemaker.  This year is very different.  The economy has impacted the sale of high end wines and wineries are cutting back on grape purchases.   Some are asking to delay payment and others are just not taking grapes that they would have in the past.

Every day I read something that says this economy is turning around.  I experience the surge of activity in the real estate market.  I remain positive about the future.  All that said, until farmers can sell their crops and workers have jobs, the recession goes on.  With the abundance of grapes available for Pool Ridge Winery, I can just say “Let them drink wine!”

Harvested Duchess d'Angouleme Pears

Tom counted 96 pears on the table.  That should keep us stocked until the others are ready for picking.  There are no other fruits in the garden with the exception of some orange trees in pots that are really only ornamental although we have had a few wonderful oranges from them over the years we have had them.  Apples are abundant in the Sebastopol area so there is little need for growing them.  There is a fantastic peach farm north of Healdsburg with tree ripened peaches.  Forestville has a great berry patch that sells blueberries and raspberries.   Just another reason to live in Sonoma County.

Looking over the pool at Pool Ridge

  It was the 70th birthday of our host and was quite an event.  Not many 20-somethings but there were about 12 kids under age 8.  We headed out to the river early and just hung out in Monte Rio and Guerneville before we went up to the party.  Interesting people and more great food.  I was the designated driver so I skipped the array of wines but one really doesn’t always need wine!   Sunday was the Redwood Empire Rose Society annual picnic.  This year we had our luncheon at Western Hills Nursery and Garden outside of Occidental.  It is an exceptional botanical garden with some exotic plants that you will not find in other gardens.  We wandered the garden and enjoyed the company.  It was a spectacular day.  To top the whole week off, my compost pile was around 125 degrees F.  Not bad for a hand turned compost pile.  Now it is another Monday.  No great party tonight but after last week, I need a quiet night at home.

I don’t mean to dwell on Julia Child or our household cooking.  What I really want to convey is that I had a realization during the film.  I have been far too critical about what I write in this blog which means that I don’t write about all the aspects of Sonoma County lifestyle and I don’t write often enough.   Last week we had a wonderful Fit Club experience – But I did not write about it.  I thought about writing but said “no, no one would be interested.”  Why did I censor myself when I get more hits for Beachbody comments than any other?

So, what does all of this mean?  Expect to get a bit more random and definitely more frequent posts.  All will relate in some way to living in Sonoma County – even if it is to point out places we have visited that may or may not compare to our wonderful home here.  I love to write and I would really appreciate your comments.

The economic news in the papers is on the upside.  Thankfully, houses are beginning to sell more quickly.  The unemployment numbers are going down but that could be people giving up on looking.  The stock market is recovering but we all know how fickle the market it. 

I am a bottom line kind of person and looking around the Fair, economic recovery is still in the future.