Page 57 - Sonoma County Gazette February 2017

BOOK REVIEW
by Diane McCurdy
I have never been a Science Fiction fan.
Feb 2 ~ The Trump Election’s Impact on US-Russia Relations - Professor Anna Vassilieva will discuss the relationship of Presidents Trump and Putin, and will explain the Russian point of view along with the American. Public welcome. Meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Auditorium, Spring Lake Village, 5555 Montgomery Drive, SR. Members free; visitors $5. Info wacsc.org or 573-6014.
Feb 3, 10, 17, 24 ~ The Celtic Coach Radio Show - An Irish Talk Show Just for Men and All Thing’s Manly - Topic for the Month of February:The Irishman’s Guide to Incredible Health. Live every Friday from 1-3pm on KOWS.FM 107.3FM
Feb 4 - Mar 16 ~ Sonoma County Civil Grand Jurors, Learn about serving County Civil Grand Jury and why they are unique and powerful institutions which offer opportunities for citizens to directly investigate and inuence how well the county and city governments are serving the residents of their counties. sonomacountylibrary.org
Feb 4 - Guerneville Library 11a Feb. 8 - Central Library 2p
Feb. 9 - Rohnert Park Library 4p Feb. 15 - Petaluma Library 6p Feb. 24 - Sebastopol Library 4p Mar. 2 - Rincon Valley Library Mar. 11 - Windsor Library 11a Mar. 16 - Cloverdale Library 1p
Feb 4 ~ Marine Mammal Seminar - will cover topics relevant to California’s marine mammals (harbor seals, sea lions, elephant seals, and gray whales). Fee: $16 - $20 - 9:00am- 11:00am, Bodega Bay Fire Protection DistrictInstructor -510 CA-1, Bodega Bay contact Jazzy Dingler jazzy@stewardscr.org or phone at (707) 869-9177 x 1#
Feb 4 ~ Afro Fusion - Cultural Dance Workshops Join us for The Love of Dance. In Celebration of Black History Month this event will feature dance workshops, drumming and traditional food. 12Noon $25 - $65, Tone Pilates Dance Yoga 545 Ross Street Santa Rosa, Contact: Andre Moraes andremoraes@me.com
Feb 2, 9, 16, 23 ~ Santa Rosa Folk Dancers Class - $3. 1-3p - Willowside Hall, 5299 Hall Road, Santa Rosa. Telephone contact 707-546-5467
Feb 5 & 19 ~ English Country Dance in Sebastopol. Join us for lively, joyous dancing called to live music. No partner necessary, beginners welcome, fragrance-free event. $10- $12 - 2-4:30p at Wischemann Hall, 465 Morris St. in Sebastopol. nbcds.org.
Feb 6 - Mar 13 ~ Stone Carving Series, 6 Monday afternoons. Using California soapstone, All the tools needed & stone for 3 small projects is provided By Sarah Voorhies, -282 S High St. - $25. per class - 3:30-5:00. Call: 544.3730 for more info.
Feb 6 ~ Beatles Ukulele Workshop- Jim d'Ville, looks at the magic of the Beatles. Learn the chord progressions that make these songwriters so special. For all playing levels. One participant will win a Kala Ukulele! $25. Space is limited, so preregister at: dville@teleport.com. 1105 Industrial Ave. Petaluma
Feb 8 ~ Sonoma County Transition Fair - helps students and their families learn about services for individuals with special needs as they transition from school-based programs to adulthood. Sonoma County special education students in middle school, high school, and post-secondary programs and their families are invited to attend. Spanish interpreters will be available. Free - 3p- 6p - Sonoma County Office of Education 5340 Skylane Blvd. Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa - For more information, contact Dana Zapanta at (707) 992-1135 or dzapanta@scoe.org.
Feb 8th - "How Do Dreams Help in Daily Life? "Spiritual Exploration/Discussion. Join us to explore and discover new insights about dreams and your true nature as Soul. Free - 6:30-7:30p 1015 SoCo Coffee 4th Street Santa Rosa. Sponsored by Eckankar: 542-2100 info line. www.ECK-ca.org
Feb 10 ~ Inner HeARTist Playdate w/Susie Stonefield Miller - Susie will guide you through a no-rules introduction to artistic freedom through color, imagery, texture, and words. unfoldart.com- Suggested donation $10- $20 - 7:30 - 9:30p - Songbird Community Healing Center - 8297 Old Redwood HwyCotati - songbirdcenter.org - info@ songbirdcenter.org - 707-795-2398
Feb 15 ~ Fermentation Class “Vital Alchemy” Led by Jennifer Harris. Speakers, Demos, tastings. Free - 7-8:30p The Grange - 6000 Sebastopol Rd. Sebastopol -farmtofermentation.com/
Three hour lecture on basic beekeeping information on how to get started with bees, use of equipment and what to expect in your first year. . Taught by Doug Vincent, Owner and Beekeeper of beekind. 10-1p $15, Sebastopol Grange Hall, 6000 Sebastopol Ave. (Hwy. 12) Sebastopol, CA 95472
Feb 18 - Mar 25 ~ Songwriting Workshop: Six Saturdays- songwriting basics, listen to and analyze successful songs, do skill-building exercises, and share our own works in progress. No particular experience or skill level is required. Leader is Patrick Fanning, a west Sonoma County singer-songwriter, member of West Coast Songwriters. $60 for all six classes / 3-5p / To register: email fanning@sonic.net or phone OCA at 707-874-9392, leave your name, and first class on February 18th. Tuition is due at first class, if you want to continue. Occidental Center for the Arts - 3850 Doris Murphy Ct, Occidental
Nevertheless, I have seen several of the Star Wars lms because they are beyond just a depiction of events that happened a long, long time ago is galaxy far away, they represent a cultural phenomenon.
About two weeks before the twin tragedies that took the lives of Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds, I purchased The Princess Diarist written by Carrie Fisher which, of course, is now selling like hotcakes on Amazon and topping many best-seller, non- ction lists. I was curious. The book is sleight and basically a collection of tidbits of what happened during the production of that rst lm of what everyone thought was, “a cool, o the radar movie directed by a bearded guy from Modesto.”
The then 19-year-old Carrie had kept a diary of rambling prose and poetry which had been gathering dust and which the present 60 year old Carrie had recently resurrected. We learn that she was chosen to play Princess Leia having had only one other screen role, somehow with her side doughnut hairdo and bronze bikini she became a symbol of female empowerment. Thus began a love- hate relationship as Carrie Fisher would be forever, to the day of her recent death, thought of as Princess Leia.
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Her book begins by framing the era, 1976. Having endured her father, Eddie Fisher, abandoning the family for Elizabeth Taylor and the second of her mother’s three disastrous marriages, Carrie was already a survivor. While lming in England, the focal point of the narrative is an a air between her and co-star, Harrison Ford, many years her senior and the married father of two. If the reader expects some salacious, heavy breathing details – forget it. What happened was very un-romantic. Saving Carrie from the clutches of some raucous crew members, Ford escorted her to her taxi while both were heavily intoxicated and he had his way with her in the backseat. Their a air continued for the three months shooting schedule. She was smitten. He was mostly stoned and taciturn. The second section deals with the diaries themselves. The prose is over-dramatic and repetitious, The poetry more palatable. The third part covers Carrie today and her ambiguity toward her fans and her fame. She references her many trips to rehab and her failed marriage to Paul Simon. She mentions her daughter, Billie Lourd, whose father left her for another man. Toward the end of her life, she was rarely seen without her beloved dog, Gary. Above all, her deprecating wit dominates. May the force be with her.
Feb 18th ~ Introduction to Beekeeping ~
& Education Group - meets every third Tuesday facilitated by Andrea Pinkerton, Ph.D. A children’s social group runs concurrently. Free - 6:00 - 7:45 pm. Please RSVP for both the support group and the children’s social group by contacting Robin Ratner: robinr@jfcs.org; 707-303-1509.
Feb 23 ~ Laguna de Santa Rosa: Historical Ecology and Landscape ChangePresentation with Robin Grossinger and Sean Baumgarten Look back in time at the Laguna as it existed 150 years ago. The watershed has been highly modified over the past century and a half, transformed by urbanization, agricultural development, logging, and many other land and water use changes. $10 - 6:30-8:00p - Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa Pre-registration required: lagunadesantarosa.org/laguna_walks_ classes.shtml#HistoricalEcologyclasses.
Lecture Series featuring: Richard Wolff - Richard Wolff recent work has con- centrated on analyzing the causes and alternative solutions to the global eco- nomic crisis. His groundbreaking book Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capital- ism inspired the creation of Democracy at Work, a nonprofit organization dedicated to showing how and why to make demo- cratic workplaces real. $10. General / Free for Student with ID - 7:30 p.m. -Weill Hall at the Green Music Center 1801 E. Cotati Ave. Rohnert Park
Feb. 28 & Mar. 2 ~ The 3 Myths That are Causing Your Back Pain ~ Class includes slide show on posture, lecture, practice and hands-on guidanceFree, RSVP required. 2/28: 7:15-9p & 3/2: 3-4:45p. Sonoma Body Balance, 210 Vallejo Street, Suite C, Petaluma. Call 707-278-8718 or sonomabodybalance. com.
Feb 21 ~ Adoptive Parent Support Feb 27 ~ Neves/Evens Social Justice
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