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.

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

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.

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.

Another entirely new take on the concept of shopping closer to home struck me whilst waiting in line for an enlightened 40 minutes at the historic post office in downtown Petaluma.

Not even December at that point, relatively organized people with parcels were patiently awaiting their turn at the counter, confusing array of forms and customs slips in hand, hoping to beat the crowds but merely adding to the confusion of complicated new postal regulations and restrictions. 

By the time I'd reached the front of the line only to learn that the latest rules and regs regarding larger parcels to be sent overseas include a mandatory weight declaration of each and every item, I was left with little choice but to stand aside, strip open my carefully sealed package to the Italian in-laws and weigh out its gift-wrapped contents.

If the total weight of combined items declared does not match the weight of the parcel, give or take an extra few ounces for packaging, international packages now won't make it on the plane. 

Superb timing on behalf of the postal service, just before Christmas. Postal counters all over the country will be clogged this December as customers tear their hair out for what easily morphs into a crazed, half day episode of wrapping, packaging, form filling, line standing and, hopefully, at the end of the ordeal,  airmailing. 

Felt like dancing a jig by the end of my multi-package shipping extravaganza. I'd pulled it off - made it through the maze, dropped a hundred and forty (dollars, not pounds) and lived to tell the tale.

We have one of the sweetest postal clerks in Sonoma County here in West Petaluma, she's so patient and kind that she has actually won awards for the sheer notion of her consistent warm and friendly nature at the counter. By the time I'd made it back to the front of the line after the stripping, weighing and re-sealing episode, the not-quite-so-naturally nice clerk next to her, who'd clocked my toppling pile of parcels took one look at the nightmarish customs form for the big parcel and declared it officially his break. Classic.

Once Ms Congeniality corrected my marginal mistakes on the most complex international airmailing form I have ever laid eyes on, she gave me an invaluable piece of advice and recommended on-line shopping on sites in the country the gifts are actually going to. "It's their mail service you'll be utilizing, their packaging, their products. And you'll save yourself so much work." 

But what about the original notion of gift giving? Finding the special somethings for those special someones? Airmailing American crafts and one-of-a-kind items that make for more meaningful gifts? Maybe not such a grand idea these days. By making the mailing procedure such a pain, the Postal Service has actually managed to drive home the insistent global footprint impression on hauling all that stuff from one side of the world to the other.

Instead of relying entirely on Amazon.com, Interflora and all the big, brand, worldwide online merchants, maybe its time to track down the independent shops and services in the locale of far-away friends and family and start making a concentrated effort to gift through their delivery services.

If you are planning to ship overseas this year, the good news is that Priority Mail by December 10th is guaranteed delivery in 6-10 business days to 190 plus countries - that's a big improvement from previous years, $100 insurance is included.

I'd recommend checking online prior to arrival at the post office for custom forms  and free package pick-up.

Package gifts in small parcels to avoid the intense complexity of a major custom form and keep costs down.

Considering the fact that the majority of Americans are awaiting a long-overdue revival of American-made super autos in the competitive hybrid market, little excitement has thus far evolved from the giant car factories of the mid-west.

Yet there are those in Michigan and beyond who have more than enough skill, talent and imagination to produce ultra-cool, contemporary cars, even if they are out of the ordinary driver's reach.

Take the Italian designed/American built Competizione 9   as pictured here at the crowded Thanksgiving weekend San Francisco Car Show, a serious pull for teenage boys and the type of drivers who move on up from a Ferrari to a plane in order to maximize speed limits! 

At close to a hundred thousand dollars, it is doubtful that this limited edition vehicle (currently only 1,000 made), world-class Corvette C6 powertrain with all Italian leather interior will be parked in a driveway here in my Petaluma neighborhood any time soon.

Yet there certainly are those avid car collectors here in wine country who wouldn't mind adding one of these beasts to the line up, a nifty and exclusive number for a drive along the Mendocino coastline, maybe, or cruising the Valley of the Moon, Andrea Bocelli on the audio, spot of a winter barrel tasting en-route to an overnight at the Kenwood Inn. Now that's what I call Italian Blood, American Heart.

An American-made Prius-type ground breaker may well be in the pipeline. Where there's a will, there's a way and a nation that has the nerve to compete with the top luxury cars of the world should really be getting it together to turn its auto industry around sometime sooner than later.

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?

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.

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!

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.