Out and About in the neighborhood
It’s that time of the year – Christmas is over; the new year has arrived, and stock taking of the past 12 months is in order. Were goals met and promises kept? I told myself not to wait until deadline to finish this column; maybe I’ll actually do it next year.
The Golden Ticket Current Events class was honored to recently welcome Congressman Mike Thompson to its meeting. He certainly held our attention with his comments on the state of the nation, and the possibilities in the future. Most impressive was the fact that the congressman had somehow heard of us and asked our moderator, Larry Kamer, if he could speak to the group. Might it have been that he read this column and learned of our existence and interests?
That same weekend many of us not only heard Mike’s comments at his annual holiday dinner, but also those of Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. Our group sat at a table with members of the Vacaville School District, and Hillery Trippe and I were fascinated hearing about the efforts and successes of mental health counselor, Jennifer Taylor. Among those enjoying the evening’s festivities were locals Olga and Bill Keever, Sherry and Joel Breitigam, Janet Clare-Gotch, and former Domaine Chandon and St. Supery executive, Michaela Rodeno.
I try not to overindulge during the holidays, but lunch at Napa’s Kitchen Doorwith my book club proved delicious, and imagine my surprise when the server actually asked the five of us if we wanted separate checks. Not that we’d use five credit cards, but five separate checks! That lunch was followed the next day by a visit to Bistro Don Giovanni where Shirley Fraser and I joined our wine group for a tasty repast with, what else? Bubbles!
I got to host the last Wine Time of the semester, and I hope the small, but enthusiastic group of tasters enjoyed the three bottles of 2017 Napa Valley “reasonably priced” Cabernet Sauvignon. $25-$50 each! Due to sparse attendance, there was plenty of room to allow Carol Thistlewaite’s guests to attend.
A visit to the Moonlighting salon before Christmas allowed me to renew my acquaintance with Liz Moffitt and Julie Worthington’s Napa friend, Eve Howard, and meet her sister visiting from northern Louisiana, another Susan.
The holidays just aren’t official without a white elephant gift exchange, so the dinner at the M-Bar Ranch estate proved tasty and fun. I came home with a beautifully-illustrated and framed recipe for stuffed grape leaves. I had to steal the gift from Pam Williams, who was also the winner of one of the largest Christmas family gatherings which included at least 40 relatives.
At the final News class, not only did we once again “solve all of the problems of the world,” but also welcomed Devereaux Smith, Larry Kamer’s better half and director of Molly’s Angels. She reminded us that her philanthropic group is once again sponsoring Yountville’s Crab Dinner on Jan. 24, so buy your tickets asap and celebrate with friends this most worthy cause of senior helpers.
Yountville Sun founder and publisher Sharon Stenssas shared the news that we should check out a soft opening of Pancha’s, so the Friday Night Crew dutifully ventured to that renovated watering hole to check out the vibe. To quote one of the town council members, “It tickles me that our demographic was there; the vets were there; the 20-somethings and the 50-year-old guys who remember Pancha’s from way back. Love it!”
Owners Ren and Marilyn Harris and Scott Lewis were there, as were Sangeeta and Nisha Marwaha, the venerable Dan Goodman, Majel and Conrad Arnold, Shannon and Shane Wilson among many others. I especially admired the bartender suggesting, no, telling the would-be smoker in this smoke-free establishment to “take it the **** outside.”
Here’s your PSA from the Yountville Library:
- Tech Help — Thursdays, 11 a.m. to noon. Get one-on-one assistance with devices, email, ebooks and more during 30-minute appointments. Registration is required.
- Book Buzz Book Club — Thursday, Jan. 8, 10 to 11 a.m. Join fellow readers for a casual, no-obligation discussion of whatever you’ve been reading at this monthly meetup.
- Remarkable Journeys: Mediterranean Marvels — Friday, Jan. 9, noon to 1 p.m. Travel virtually to the Mediterranean with a guest speaker presentation featuring natural wonders such as Stromboli, one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
- Shhh... Silent Cinema at the Library — Thursday, Jan. 22, noon to 1 p.m. Experience the charm of early silent films in a quiet, relaxed setting at the Yountville Library.
And finally, I enjoyed Christmas with my family in a relatively dry Pacific Northwest, while the rest of you were drenched. Now on to a new year with hopes of peace and prosperity, or at least some semblance.
Happy New Year!
Susan
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