Page 34 - Sonoma County Gazette - January 2018

Once again the Illuminated Tractor Parade started o the holiday season here in Geyserville. Our entry from the Oasis was an illuminated gypsy wagon built by our volunteer Tim Englert. Some extra child-pleasing energy was added with Arni dancing with a giant
stu ed Picachu while one of our large macaws was keeping watch out the back door of the wagon. Now the clear cool nights are providing a nice holiday feeling as we move toward wrapping up 2017. The challenges of this year have been intense for the entire county, and I think we are all looking forward to a calmer year to come. May it be so!
Some changes have come to Geyserville. Bosworth’s General Store is reinventing itself, putting aside the hardware and farm supply aspects of the business in favor of other goods, including an increased focus on the sale of hats. A massive liquidation sale is clearing out the old and preparing to ring in the new. This has been immensely useful for Christmas shopping and while the selection is now rapidly diminishing, there are still some wonderful things to pick up at a fraction of the original prices. The Bosworths are still in charge of this iconic Geyserville business, so that won’t be changing. You’ll still be able to pop in and say Hello to Harry, our uno cial mayor of Geyserville!
What will ultimately be happening in the soon-to-be vacant right-hand hardware store space is still under consideration by them, but I’ve been assured of what we won’t be seeing there
- there are no plans to rent it out to become another wine tasting room. I’m glad to hear that and hope it holds.
some fun and useful variety in our tiny little downtown. Here’s to keeping Over at the Geyserville Visitors Center, there’s a need for local volunteers to ll some exible, short but meaningful shifts helping visitors to Geyserville get
the most out of their time here and to share a little of the area’s rich history. If you are interested in serving the community and meeting new people, contact Cosette at (707) 857-3356 or email her at cosette@hope-inns.com.
Foodie Moment(s) of the Month
I’m a pushover for holiday fun in the food arena, so the delicious Firehouse Chili served during the Illuminated Tractor Parade takes rst place for me, along with the fresh popped kettle corn.
But coming in a close second is the array of new o erings at the Geyserville Co ee Company – previously Geyserville Mud. While I’m missing the humorous name, I like the brighter interior and the smiling face of new owner Kim behind the counter. She is in partnership with Warren and Bobbie of BurtoNZ bakery in Windsor, a New Zealand bakery which is now supplying Geyserville Co ee Company with baked goods and pastries.
The best thing is that Geyserville now has a source of fresh-baked artisanal breads available. Life is better with a baguette! Or a rounded loaf of sesame sourdough. And in the bakery case is a wonderful selection of scones and other sweet treats. For me, though, the best thing is the case of hot meat pies and pastry-wrapped sausage rolls.
As I’ve mentioned before, I rst discovered these treats from BurtoNZ at the Valero gas station in Healdsburg. I was in a hurry and hungry and snatched up one of the minced beef and cheese pies, even though it seemed a little pricey at the time. That was it. I was a convert. Now I’m trying to save these as a special occasional treat but it is hard with them being only a minute’s walk away.
34 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 1/18
Do Not Count the Days, Make the Days Count. ~ Muhammad Ali.
Hello, it’s Reece. Recently, a wonderful new book brought back memories of the mid-70s when I worked as a psychologist in a Mental Health Department with a colleague, who was also a good friend. She had a client of many years who had become terminally ill.
After driving my usually composed friend to her client’s medical facility, I’d drive her out into the desert so she could deal with her unexpressed frustrations and strong feelings, especially those around dying, by throwing rocks. Only then could we talk through what had happened in that day’s therapy session.
Living well right up to the moment we die. . .what a concept!
Yet it’s one that too few of us consider. We can get caught in the disease and the distress of our situation, or that of a loved one, and eventually everyone in our life joins us there. Thankfully, there is a solution: hospice care.
The rst hospice originated in the 11th century as a place of hospitality for guests/strangers, eventually becoming a place to care for the sick and dying as well as the travelers.
In the 1960s, Cicely Saunders, a British nurse and physician, incorporated the idea that dying involved psychological and spiritual aspects, not just the physical, thus laying the foundation for a modern perspective on dying. In the early 1970s, Florence Wald established Hospice, Inc. in the U.S. and Elisabeth Kübler Ross, M.D., spoke to the medical profession in her renowned book, On Death and Dying.
Freelance writer/columnist Paula Wrenn and nurse/professional hospice caregiver Jo Gustely met when Paula’s husband, Jim, was diagnosed with a terminal illness and decided to do hospice.
After his death, these two Cloverdalians collaborated on Dying Well with Hospice: A Compassionate Guide to End of Life Care to share Paula’s and Jim’s journey while giving readers helpful guidelines for sitting by a loved one, watching the natural process of dying, and coping with our own feelings and fears as we accept that the time has come for him or her to leave.
The authors also help each of us nd a way to move through our own time by creating the greatest peace we can for ourselves and our loved ones, even as we leave them behind. They show us that those who choose to end treatment have not “given up”, rather they are embracing life (all phases of life!) by living the time they have left here to its fullest.
Dying Well with Hospice gently encourages us to nd peace by thinking for- ward and planning in advance for our own comfort and care in the nal months and days. It is about dying and caring for those who are dying. It is about plan- ning those last days, taking the time to put your “house” in order, taking the time to say goodbye to those you love, and creating the atmosphere that makes everyone comfortable so they can say their goodbyes, too. Here’s just a sam- pling of the authors’ wisdom:
• “Thinking of the natural death process as part of life helps facilitate conversa-
tions and normalize the experience. . .”
• “The best advice we received. . .was to consider quality of life above extraor-
dinary life-extending measures. . .”
• “When di cult questions are answered, some dying patients can better focus
on living their nal days.”
• “Self-care for the caregiver is critical. Brief times away from caregiving. . can
be renewing and restorative.”
• “Don’t hesitate to use good times to create memories with loved ones. . . Tak-
ing a long-dreamed-of-trip can be a gift to the patient, the family, and to the
caregiver.”
Death is a topic most of us avoid, whether our own or the death of another.
A full life is one of passion. Leaving it our self or letting go of those we love is part of the passion of living. Given the time to accept the inevitability of death, “many hospice clients genuinely want to know about their process.” When
we have thought about our own death or that of a loved one, we will be more comfortable and, maybe, even curious about what lies ahead. When we have considered the di cult questions, we can focus on truly living well.
Dying Well with Hospice is available now at Amazon/Kindle and is coming soon to local bookstores.