Columns

Having lived a few years sometimes seems to confuse my thinking. I get confused between what I grew up with and what I live with today — for example, customer service. When I was young, customer service meant someone would be trying to help me, the “customer,” with some “service.”  Often, businesses were rated on their customer service. 

For the New Year I am going to concentrate on better communication. Communication is the cornerstone of any good relationship. And, I’m worried about my long-term relationship with my wife. Our hearing isn’t what it used to be and when she’s talking I’m not always hearing.

Looking for a lost pet or a new four-legged friend? See the list of incoming strays and the selection of cats and dogs available for adoption from the Healdsburg Center for Animals.

Of all years, this would be a good one for us to find, resurrect and share as many Christmas and holiday season miracles as we can. Together, we have the power to make true miracles happen. We need both faith and determination but we can brighten this holiday season with practical acts of giving, sharing, being joyful and guarding our health.

Jana Adams, a Sonoma County real estate broker, has an extensive support group. She needs it and so does her daughter, Brooke, who just turned 6, and who has Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy that typically begins in infancy or early childhood and that’s characterized by seizures that can last minutes or hours. The name for the syndrome comes from Charlotte Dravet, a French doctor who discovered the gene mutation that was later named after her.

There are 500,000 people living in Sonoma County and each of us has our own “sense of place” depending on many things, including when and how we got here. We all tend to think of the place where we live by our first impressions, our early school years or first homes, first jobs or first dates. We think of physical landmarks that by now may only exist in our personal memories.

Editor's note: Bob Jones is a longtime columnist for the Times' sister publication, Sonoma West Times & News. While Bob's column mentions west county, we felt like his quest to get vaccinated might resonate with some of our other readership communities.

Season’s greetings from the Healdsburg Library. We have a lot going on at the library right now and are pleased to offer a few fun opportunities: