Articles:
“Seagulls squawk, circle and beg for treats. Pigeons purr and pout, wings out in mating rituals. Brisk breezes ruffle hair, salt spray kisses skin and the smell of fish is in the air. On a brilliant Saturday morning at Sharp Park Beach in Pacifica, Casey, a morbidly obese beagle waddles calmly alongside her owner. Just south of the Pacifica Municipal Fishing Pier, on the beach filled with dogs and their people, Casey surfs alone.” For full article see: “Life’s a Beach for an Obese Sand-Surfing Beagle”
“Tucked away in a converted garage on a quiet Santa Rosa street is a relic from the past. A path through a verdant pocket garden leads to the office of Clamshell Press.
Redolent of old wood, paper and ink and with printed broadsides tacked to the walls, the office is a step into another era. The equipment filling the small workroom is a testament to the durability and workmanship of ages past, as is the man who runs it: Don Emblen, 86, poet and printer. Emblen served as Sonoma County’s first poet laureate from 1999 to 2001. He owns and operates Clamshell Press, which he founded in 1970. A self-described idealist, he is an energetic and vigorous man.” For full article see: “Santa Rosa poet’s love affair with words fuels pressing needs”
Essays:
“The nail guns start before seven a.m.; across the street, they’re building three new houses on a lot meant for two. Practicing deep breathing and selective hearing is a habit I’ve studiously cultivated in order to bear the onslaught of workers’ trucks, construction equipment, drills, hammers, voices, and all the other molestations that begin before dawn nearly every day since last fall. Sigh. I’m in favor of in-fill, preferring density within city limits rather than stretching urban growth boundaries, but I fret at Sonoma County construction going full tilt, cementing over the fertile land of my youth and the spaces of my maturity. They have preserved the trees, however, and I chose to be grateful for the grace and age of the Douglas firs that still occupy the lot. The same trees will provide the new families with shade from the harsh summer sun as well as that delicious resin scent.” For full essay see: “Nature’s Essential Beatitudes”
Memoirs:
“After getting married, my husband quickly let me know his expectations regarding a woman’s place in the kitchen. While I do enjoy being a traditional wife and mother, there is so much more to me than that single identity, so I hit against his expectations hard and swiftly—culture shock for both of us—and the expectation wars began.
One of Leonel’s ways of exerting pressure upon me was to compare me to other women in his life—his sister-in-law, his mother, his sister, and many more—women he thought I’d really enjoy emulating. As you probably can tell it was something I hated. After years of trying to meet his unreasonable expectations, I realized that the women held up as epitomes of perfection were much like me and not at all like he thought, so I ended up with the last laugh.” For full memoir see: “Making Tamales”
Press Democrat: Opinion Pages:
Fix the landfill and become national leaders in recycling and reuse.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090409/OPINION/904099985
Letter to Editor: Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Obama’s leadership
EDITOR: The outpouring of negative sentiment regarding President Barrack Obama’s deserving win of the Nobel Peace Prize is a testament to the corrosive political divide we currently see in the United States. Each of us should take immense pride in our president and his vision.
Articles written on Helium.com
Memoirs:
Pools, Ponds, and Pigeons
http://www.helium.com/items/1402473-memoirs-self-affirmation
Vaccination, a balanced approach
http://www.helium.com/items/1411626-a-balanced-approach-to-vaccinations
Housing in Sonoma County
http://www.helium.com/items/1433448-affordable-housing-crisis-in-sonoma-county
Poetry ~ Dedication, A Swimmer’s Life
http://www.helium.com/items/1402944-dedication-a-swimmers-life
Views on Immigration
http://www.helium.com/items/1401839-immigration