Old letters and Photos

Old letters and photos

I was just back in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with my sisters, Marjie and Amy, sorting through boxes of stuff in the house that I grew up in. Pittsburgh in January is cold and snowy, perfect weather for hunkering down and staying inside. I equate this undertaking to taking a teaspoon full of liquid out of a 50 gallon aquarium. It is hard to see progress; there is so much to do. We have opted to take our time and gather together every few months so that we can celebrate the memories and poke through things together. It is a luxury that we are able to do that. As a bonus, my younger daughter Alana flew in from Michigan to join us for the weekend. I grew up in a house that was filled to the brim with books on every subject. (We will start dealing with the books at the next visit.) There were plenty of costumes and odd clothes with which to play dress-up. At one point there was even a hoop skirt; I have no idea where that came from. Having a mom who was a kindergarten teacher made it a given that we had plenty of odd things on hand for variety of arts and crafts activities. The last visit was geared toward ridding the house of the obvious junk: https://nursejudynvp.blogspot.com/2017/09/organizing-your-crapi-mean-treasures.html This visit we focused on the shoe boxes jam packed with letters, papers and pictures. My family, going back to great grandparents, were faithful correspondents and it seems that they didn’t believe in throwing away letters. This is now truly the proverbial mixed blessing. Even though it is a daunting task, there is something magical about holding an old letter. We lose something in this digital age. In regards to the photos, my father loved to take pictures of everything. Some are in envelopes, many are duplicates, some are in albums ( my mom’s efforts), but the majority are loose in boxes. The unflattering, out of focus photos got the same treatment as the good ones. They are all waiting to be sorted, all gazillion of them. My grandmother’s photos and letters are there as well. Some of the photos date back to the 1800s! I took the opportunity to reach out to some cousins that might be interested in checking out old family treasures and we had a fabulous gathering of people who had driven hundreds of miles to get together and help us identify the people in some of the older photos Here is a copy of the Facebook post that I added during the trip: I got a gift from the universe today. We have been going through an amazing stash of family letters and photos this week. Reading the love letters from my grandfather Asher to my grandmother Flora was one of the highlights. We realized that somehow or other, none of us knew the story of how they met. How could that be? The loss of my mom last year was staggering. We couldn't just turn to her and ask her for the story. I then remembered that 30 years ago or so, my grandmother had been interviewed by the National Council of Jewish women as part of an Oral History project. I googled, Flora Isaacs Oral History and there it is, two hours of my grandmother talking, divided into 4 parts. This is something to savor. We listened to the first side last night. This evening Amy and I listened to part 2 and sure enough we got to hear Grandma tell us the tale of how she and Grandpa met. We had all sorts of lovely serendipity. My sister found an old pair of rhinestone folding opera glasses tucked out of the way in a small box in the attic. She brought them down for us all to see. Later that day, as I sorted through piles of letters, I happened to take the time to read one from my grandmother to my mom: “Mrs. So and So brought you a gift. They are wonderful little opera glasses that fold up; make sure you write a thank you note.” Okay lovely readers, here is your takeaway assignment. Figure out who are the people in your photos. Even if they are digital, make sure that you manage to accurately label them. If you have old photos, get your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles... etc. to look through them with you, and tell you who the people are. This information is lost otherwise. Don’t save the crappy photos. Having a smaller collection of good pictures is much more valuable. Get the stories! Do you know how YOUR grandparents met?

Building and Protecting your immune system

Topic of the Week:

Building and Protecting your immune system
Please see updated post 1/2020

This is the season to focus on boosting your immune system. I have had multiple requests to address this topic in a post.

One of the blessings of working at Noe Valley pediatrics is that although we are a western medicine, science based practice, the advice nurse team is allowed to stray off the rigid telephone triage guidelines that most advice nurses must adhere to. My patients over the years have been on the receiving end of advice from me that includes some more natural or holistic suggestions.

This post in particular strays way off the basic western medicine path and includes a combination of conventional wisdom, with some anecdotal remedies shared with me by healers from a variety of modalities. Some of the things that I suggest can be found as my husband laughingly describes it, down the “placebo aisle” of the local drugstore, but as we are in the full throes of a variety of illnesses, many of my patients are ready to try anything.

My kids grew up with my husband's grandma’s recipe fondly referred to as Muggala Guggala, (see below for recipe*) I imagine many families have their own health rituals. As long as you are not ignoring a condition that warrants medication such as asthma inhalers or antibiotics, there is little harm in exploring some natural options. Who knows, you might find something that helps.

Good Hand Washing is the cornerstone to staying well.

If you were out and about in a crowd of sniffling,coughing people make sure you scrub up and change your clothes as soon as you get home.

Getting enough sleep is essential. If kids seem tired, you might need to start the bedtime routine a bit earlier. If you are interested in really finding out more about the actual quality of your child’s sleep, Knit Health is an interesting, reasonable option.

For older kids and adults make sure you limit the screen time for at least an hour before going to bed. Most experts suggest longer than that, but I accept that it often isn’t that realistic. (For the record, binge watching Game of Thrones right before bed is NOT a good idea.)

Nutrition

Make sure you and your kids are getting enough Vitamin D. Many folks have vitamin D levels that are significantly below where they should be and would benefit from a daily supplement .

Make sure you are getting enough Iron. Magnesium, iron and vitamin D are all connected to sleep as well as to a healthy immune system. (Magnesium also helps with pooping.)

I don’t love to binge on most vitamins, but a multi that has A and C is especially important during the cold and cough season. Check out Ester C. This is an exclusive form of vitamin C that is designed to give round the clock immune support. Sandra Roddy Adams, my chiropractor, gives this a big thumbs up.

Zinc is an important cold fighter and some studies show that it can decrease the duration of a cold by 50%.

Zicam lozenges are what I like. I actually think that the generic orange flavor tastes the best. These work better if you catch it early! With any zinc product it might be best to take with something in your stomach to avoid nausea. Kids need to be old enough to safely take a lozenge or chews

I asked my cousin Sam, who is a retired family practice physician if he had any favorite supplements. Echinacea,

ginger,garlic,myrhh, cayenne, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and bioflavanoids all made his list. For the grown ups out there, he recommended a Source Naturals Wellness Formula that has a lot of the good stuff in one capsule.

More and more studies are finding that having a healthy gut is essential to the immune system. My friend Sari is a craniosacral therapist in Arizona. When I reached out to pick her brain about this post she concurred with me that more and more studies are finding that having a healthy gut is essential to the immune system.

Probiotics are good for any age

Oil of oregano is thought to be a great immune booster. I would recommend this for grown ups or kids over 6 who are very cooperative, It has a very strong taste and causes some oregano burps but can work pretty well

Omega 3 are mostly found from eating fish, but most people probably don’t get as much as they should. This supplement makes it to most of the lists as a worthy supplement.

Local honey has antioxidants and is thought to be helpful for the immune system. Dr. Anne was the one who added this to the list. She actually adds honey to her coffee! I tried it and it isn’t bad. Hey, working in this office gives us a lot of exposure to everything that is going around. We will try anything!

Remember that infants under one year should NOT eat honey

Chinese Medicine - Dr Schwanke started using Chinese herbs in our office many years ago, but only carry a limited line that we use for ear infections and congestion. We are fortunate to have the creator of those formulas right in the neighborhood at the Chinese Medicine Works. It is important that any Chinese medicine comes from a reputable source. I like the gentle warriors brand because it is made locally

It might be worth exploring some herbs if you or your kids keep getting sick.

My amazing friend Anita is an acupuncturist in Colorado.

She encourages warming foods for her patients. These keep the internal temperature up. Viruses prefer the cold environment. She suggests that drinks be room temperature or warm/hot. Don’t add ice to drinks. Use warming spices and herbs such as garlic, cinnamon and cloves.

Soup is always good! Here is a bonus Acupressure point good for boosting the immune system: acupressure point stomach 36

Herbs and Homeopathy

Sambuccol is at the top of my list when it comes to my personal self care. This is an elderberry base, fairly widely available that has some scientific studies backing up it’s immune boosting properties. (Even Sandy doesn’t scoff at this one.) I start taking these the moment that I feel the scratchy throat feeling that makes me worried that I am starting to come down with something.The earlier you start this, the better it works. The bottle says for children over 2. The UK version gives the dosage for over 1.

Oscilloccoccinum

These are homeopathic sprinkles that I refer to as fairy dust.

I don’t understand homeopathy, but many folks swear by these. I take a tube every time I fly. Sandy tried to figure out what’s in them and the only ingredient he recognized was duck liver.

Echinacea

This herb is on many folks list of remedies. The studies have been mixed as to whether or not it works. Make sure you are a label reader when getting this supplement

Reflexology

My friend Oran is a wonderful healer who lives in Israel. Both of my daughters had moments during their travels there when they showed up on her doorstep with various illnesses and she nursed them right back to health. She has the ‘No White’ rule when people are sick. No white sugar, No White Flour and No Dairy. All of those can contribute to inflammation.

She also shared something that I confess I had never heard of. She suggests cutting an onion in half and leaving it on a plate right near the head of the bed.

Environment

It is very important to avoid secondhand smoke. If you are someplace where the air is dry, or in SF you have turned the heat on, consider using a humidifier at night. Make sure you keep it clean and turn it off during the day. Running it 24/7 can create a mold situation.

It is fairly common for parents to call us, incredibly frustrated when their kids seem be sick all the time. It makes sense when you think about it. If they are depleted from illness number one, when illness number two comes around they are more vulnerable. Everyone is being exposed to so much this season. I have patients who actually have more than one illness at a time. RSV and Flu together seems to be a popular combination at the moment. Unfortunately most viral syndromes simply take time. Antibiotics are NOT useful for a virus.

If you are stuck in a cycle of catching one thing after another and the above suggestions haven’t helped, explore your options and see if you can keep your child out of daycare for a week or so. Sometimes that break makes a big difference.

Don’t forget to swap out the toothbrush or put it in the dishwasher.

* Muggala Guggala - 1 cup milk, 1 Tbsp of butter, 2 Tbsp honey - heated in a saucepan.

PS Mama Jaime chimed in to share that she has found that Thrive Market is a good place to get many of these supplements at a good price.

Reactive Airway/Wheezing/Inhaler tips

PLEASE SEE THE MOST UPDATED VERSION OF THIS POST  AUGUST 2021 We get calls all the time from parents worried that their child is wheezing. I am always going to pay attention to this complaint but not all breathing noises are the same. A whistling noise from congested nasal passages is not always something that we need to worry about. The wheezing that is going to get my antenna up is the noise from down in the lungs. Any squeak, crackle or wheeze can be a sign of inflammation. When a person is well, air can move easily in and out of the lungs through a network of airways. There are several things happening during a wheezing attack. The airway becomes irritated and inflamed; this produces mucus which can clog up the airway. The inflammation also causes the lining of the airways to swell and the muscles around these airways tighten; this is called a bronchospasm. Wheezing is actually quite common in infants; it is estimated that up to 25 to 30 percent of infants develop wheezing in their first year of life. Wheezing may be more common in babies because of their smaller airways. Also, children under two are susceptible to a common, but easily treatable condition called bronchiolitis. This is caused by a viral respiratory infection and is a frequent cause wheezing. If your child has multiple episodes of wheezing they may get diagnosed as having a reactive airway. Reactive airway is exactly what is sounds like. Something is “triggering” the lungs, and the airway gets inflamed. Triggers range from a new cold, a change in the weather, secondhand smoke, dust, pets and or other allergens. Having a season or two of wheezing does not mean they have a lifetime of asthma ahead of them. Some kids can grow out of this. If your child is wheezing it is important that they get prompt medical attention. If this is a first time event it is even more critical to get educated about medications and treatments so that you are prepared to recognize and deal with it in the future. In general, having a doctor take a good listen with a proper stethoscope is a good idea, but you will have important clues if you know what to look for. Pay close attention to the patient’s breathing. Is it faster than normal? Getting a sense of what normal looks like when they are well is a good idea. Age Category Age Range Normal Respiratory Rate Infant 0-12 months 30-60 per minute Toddler 1-3 years 24-40 per minute Preschool 4-5 years 22-34 per minute School Age 6-12 years 18-30 per minute Lift up the shirt and watch. Do the respirations appear labored? Look for the tummy going in and out, or any retractions. How are they feeding? If your baby needs to take more frequent breaks from eating that can be a warning signal that they are ill. For older kids, can they take a big deep breath without it triggering a coughing fit? If a patient is wheezing they are likely to get some special medicine prescribed. Albuterol (Ventolin/ Proair) and levalbuterol (Xopenex) are the common “fix it” medications. These help open up the airway by relaxing the tight muscles. Unfortunately it is not uncommon for patients to get a little amped up from the treatment. These medications should start to work within 6 minutes or so. Some parents report that the kids seem to cough even more after a treatment. Remember that this medication is loosening up an airway that was previously very tight. All of a sudden there is more room for the mucous to rattle around. A productive cough is normal. We would use either albuterol or Xopenex, not both at the same time. Some folks find that Xopenex is less likely to make them jittery. Insurance companies will often need to see documented failure with albuterol before the Xopenex is covered. These medications can be given through a nebulizer machine or through an inhaler. Most young kids do better with the machine, but as soon as they are old enough to cooperate with the puffer it is a quicker and much more convenient way to give the medication. If this is a short little illness, sometimes a few days of the albuterol-type medication will see you through. If you are requiring albuterol for longer than a week or find that you need to use it more than several times a month, it is a sign that the situation is not well controlled. An absolute key treatment for a reactive airway is the use of inhaled steroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs. In our office we use something called budesonide (Pulmicort) in the nebulizer, but switch over to an inhaler when the kids are old enough. Common brands are Flovent and Qvar. These can control and prevent future attacks. The steroids work by reducing the inflammation, swelling, and mucus production in the lungs. As a result a person is less likely to react to the triggers. All the studies agree, inflammation in the lungs is bad and can lead to scarring. The choice between allowing persistent inflammation or using proper dose of inhaled steroids is an easy one. Please don’t be reluctant to use the inhaled steroid if it is appropriate. The word steroid sounds scary, but when they are inhaled, they are not generally absorbed by the body, but are going straight to the lungs. If your child is given a prescription for inhaled steroids,It is not unusual for them to be on them for weeks or months, especially during the winter cold and flu season. Both of my kids had a few seasons of using the Pulmicort. As soon as I would try to wean off the daily dose, the dry hacky irritated cough would start right back up. Here are some tips regarding inhaler use: For younger kids, I start with some really basic teaching. Get a tissue and hold it up to their mouth. Have them practice blowing on it and then inhaling so that it sucks up to their mouth. This can help them to understand the difference between inhaling and exhaling. It is really important to shake the canister before each use. For the first use and any subsequent use if you haven’t used it for more than a week, the inhaler needs to be primed by spraying 2 to 3 puffs into the air. I know it seems wasteful, but it is necessary. If you child is having trouble, you want to make sure that you are actually giving the medication. Read the directions carefully for the specific information about each inhaler! Hold the medicine upright so that it doesn’t stick to the tongue. Breath coordination is difficult. Using a spacer will make the inhalation much more effective. For younger kids, the spacers come with a mask. Keep lips firmly around the mouthpiece. The spacers should not make noise. If there is a whistle, try to make the breath slower. Activate the medication and make sure to keep the spacer at the mouth for at least 5 breaths. Wait about 30 seconds in between puffs. If you are using albuterol and an inhaled steroid, give the albuterol first. It is a good practice to rinse the mouth out after the medication. This is especially true after the steroid. If your child has a history of wheezing, it is a good idea to keep track and make sure that you have un-expired medication on hand. If you are traveling have them with you! Most inhalers have counters now so you can see how many doses are left, but if yours does not there are some tricks for figuring out how much is left. Take the canister and place in glass of water. A full one will stay mostly upright. If it floats at a 45 angle, it is time to replace it. If it goes sideways, it is probably empty. Shaking it is not a reliable indicator because there is propellant inside, so it is hard to tell how much is in there. It is good practice to keep the inhalers in their box. When you come to a doctors appointment, please bring them with you so that you can show the doctors exactly what you have been taking. Please be aware that in February 2018 QVAR will be coming out with a new activation system that will not require a spacer or shaking of the cannister. It also won't require priming. The is approved down to the age of 4 years. Please make note if you have the old or new system. If you are using a nebulizer machine, make sure that you change the tubing at least every 6 months. If it is the disposable tubing, that should be used for no more than 15 treatments. I have found that a little tech time or videos are very useful in getting your child to sit still. This is one of those situations that bribery might come in handy. I shouldn’t have to add this, but please remember that the correct call for a child in true respiratory distress is to 911, not the doctor’s office.

The impact of a single sentence

Social media in general and Facebook in particular have their benefits and drawbacks There is no doubt that it is way easier to reconnect with long lost friends than it used to be.

Recently my husband got tagged in a 6th grade class photo from his good old PS 32 in New York City. This started a flurry of conversation between people who hadn’t been in touch for many many (many) years. There is really nothing quite like an old friend who knew you when. I believe he may actually stay reconnected with some of these folks.

With all the catching up that was going on, there was a comment from a girl in his class that caught my attention. She wanted to let Sandy know that after all this time, she still thought about his mother.

It turns out that way back when, after a school performance, my mother-in-law had made a bee-line straight over to this girl just to tell her what a wonderful job she had done. It wasn’t the simple “good for you”; mom had told her how moved she had been and that this young lady should be very proud of the performance. Fortyeight years later, this woman says that she still remembers how impacted she was by the interaction. Wow!

There are more people out there than we can count for whom a crumb of positive feedback is rare and important. Words, either kind ones or mean ones, are often put out there without much thought and the speaker moves on. This story illustrates how much a message can sometimes stick and make a profound impact.

Go out there on this Thanksgiving weekend and make a lasting positive impact with your conversations!

Fires/smoke and air quality alerts

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (http://www.baaqmd.gov) has issued a Health Advisory and Spare the Air Alert this week. Very unhealthy air quality from the wildfires in the North Bay is causing unprecedented levels of air pollution throughout the Bay Area. Due to active wildfires and changing wind patterns, air quality could be impacted for many days to come. Outside of the active fire areas, air quality will be variable and unpredictable. Air quality may improve at times or get worse, very quickly. For those of you who are reading this and are not in the Bay Area, go outside and take a deep breath of fresh air. Now take another one and savor it. We tend to take so much for granted, Including breathable air, until we are faced with situations like this. Sunday evening in the middle of the night I woke up and thought I smelled smoke. I crept down to my kitchen to make sure that I hadn’t left on an appliance. There was nothing obvious. I poked my sleeping husband, “do you smell something?” He grunted “mmmph” which I took as a NO, so l went back to sleep. It turns out that many of the people I know had done some vestige of the middle-of-the- night sniffing around. Some had gone outside to make sure there was nothing burning in the immediate vicinity. When I turned on the news on Monday morning we had an answer. The news about the fire up in the north bay was devastating. So many homes, schools, and businesses are gone, including the home of one of my very best friends, where I was lucky enough to spend countless weekends in their little patch of heaven. It is heartbreaking. An acquaintance of mine who is a reporter reached out and I got my 30 seconds of fame later that morning http://m.sfgate.com/news/article/smoke-children-kids-health-air-quality-tips-12263921.php Understandably the phones and emails have been nonstop for parents worried about the impact of the smoke. It is not surprising that many people are experiencing some degree of irritation from the smoke. For those of you who are not local, we are talking about serious smoke. Here in SF we are almost 70 miles away from the actual flames but we are still impacted. There is ash on the cars. Have you ever been to a bonfire or campfire? You know how your clothes reek of smoke? That is how the air smells. The beautiful panoramic views that we get from our hilltops are clouded by a gray haze. Scratchy throat, stingy eyes, irritated sinuses, headaches are prevalent. The most basic suggestion is common sense. Pay attention to local air quality reports. The link will give you information about how the air is improving or worsening: https://www.airnow.gov/ Stay indoors and keep your indoor air as clean as possible. Keep windows and doors closed. Luckily it isn’t too hot this week, but if it gets warmer, run an air conditioner if you have one, ( most folks in SF don’t actually own one.) If you do have one, keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. Do not add to indoor pollution. Don’t use anything that burns, such as candles or incense. Don’t vacuum unless you have a really good filtered machine. Normal vacuums stir up particles that are already inside your home. Don’t smoke tobacco or other products; the air is already polluted enough!! Avoid any strenuous activity outside. It is fine to get to where you need to go. I just wouldn’t do any extra outdoor playing until things improve. I don’t think the bounce house birthday party in the park is a good idea this weekend. Use an air filter If you have a HEPA filter, use it. My patients reported that the local stores were completely out of the machines today. I would suggest that you take advantage of online shopping. It is probably not a bad investment even if the air is improved by the time you get it. I am by no means an expert on Hepa filters and there is a lot of information online. I feel like consumers reports is a pretty good guide, so I am including that: consumer reports air-purifiers buying guide Keep in mind that the ionic filters that create ozone are not recommended and will not remove the particles that we are concerned about. Do not rely on dust masks for protection. The only masks that will be at all protective are labeled N95 o N100. They don’t seal well on a young child, so your best bet is staying indoors. In San Francisco with our blessed fog that comes and clears things out on a regular basis, we are accustomed to better than average air quality. It is important to keep in mind that there are populations around the world where the norm is very unhealthy air all of the time. For most healthy folks, a week or so of terrible air won’t have a lasting impact. If you have a child with sensitive lungs absolutely keep an eye on them. Wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain and/ or rapid heartbeat would be reason to get seen by the physician. If your child has a prescription for inhaled steroids, it might be a good idea to get those out and start using them at the first sign of any issues. Remember that if an inhaler hasn’t been used in over 2 weeks, it may need to be primed. At this time, there has been no medical directive issued to leave the area . It is hard to say how long the fires and bad air will be an issue, and more information may be forthcoming from the Air Quality District in the next few days. There seems to be no good answer at this point as to when to go and how far folks would need to travel to be safe as there are wildfires all over southern California as well. Do what you feel is best for you and your family. Your local municipalities should be able to provide you with information regarding air quality, safety precautions, evacuation and recommendations for local facilities that have filtered air. http://sfdem.org/airquality A friend of mine who lives in Santa Barbara and has been through this a number of times, posted a very good list that is worth sharing: Home Evacuation Checklist – How to Prepare for Evacuation: Inside the House Shut all windows and doors, leaving them unlocked. Remove flammable window shades, curtains and close metal shutters. Remove lightweight curtains. Move flammable furniture to the center of the room, away from windows and doors. Shut off gas at the meter; turn off pilot lights. Leave your lights on so firefighters can see your house under smoky conditions. Shut off the air conditioning Outside Gather up flammable items from the exterior of the house and bring them inside (patio furniture, children’s toys, door mats, trash cans, etc.) or place them in your pool. Turn off propane tanks. Move propane BBQ appliances away from structures. Connect garden hoses to outside water valves or spigots for use by firefighters. Fill water buckets and place them around the house. Don’t leave sprinklers on or water running, they can affect critical water pressure. Leave exterior lights on so your home is visible to firefighters in the smoke or darkness of night. Put your Emergency Supply Kit in your vehicle. Back your car into the driveway with vehicle loaded and all doors and windows closed. Carry your car keys with you. Have a ladder available and place it at the corner of the house for firefighters to quickly access your roof. Seal attic and ground vents with pre-cut plywood or commercial seals. Patrol your property and monitor the fire situation. Don’t wait for an evacuation order if you feel threatened. Check on neighbors and make sure they are preparing to leave. I also want to share some wisdom from Heather, a local mom who started a group called www.circleoflightsf.com As many of you know well, we have neighbors in need. 22 fires, many out of control, continue to rage in our backyard counties. In San Francisco, many miles away from the wildfires, we wake up daily to a visible, dense layer of smog and keep our stir-crazy kids and pets inside so they won’t breathe in what has become pretty horrible air quality. In the towns directly affected by this horrific and overnight destruction, hundreds of people have lost everything they have with thousands more forced to evacuate their homes, waiting in the wings to see what happens next. Some have lost or missing family members including precious animals. I cannot imagine what the air quality is closer to the destruction and active fire zone, nor how long it will take for kids to even be able to go back to school, much less what it will take to rebuild homes and businesses after the damage is done. Because many of you, like me, feel lost in how to help, I have asked my friends directly affected by this tragedy what we can do from afar. There are many resources available out there; here are a few I found to be noteworthy: 1.   Donate to a credible monetary fund in the area who is directly helping victims in Napa. This is a good and relatively easy one to do remotely; the fund will use the money however it is best needed on a day by day basis: http://www.napavalleycf.org/fire-donation-page/ http://www.napavalleycf.org/napa-fire-press-release/ 2.   Help feed and nourish Santa Rosa and the Sonoma County community by providing healthy and nutritious meals to those in need; SAGmonkey is run by a friend and long-time resident of Sonoma County who is generously giving his time and energies to help to rebuild our community. www.gofundme.com/sagmonkey Your donations will go directly to the purchase of food and supplies to prepare and distribute fully cooked meals over the course of the next three months. By utilizing the resources of the Redwood Empire Food Bank and other local food pantries we will prepare and distribute meals for those in need. We want to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors and friends by providing this service. We have a commercial mobile kitchen trailer that is fully licensed by the State of California and the County of Sonoma. 3.   Consider volunteering to staff a shelter, donating food and other needed items, and helping pets:  http://radioalice.cbslocal.com/2017/10/09/wine-country-wildfires-how-to-help/ Donation drop off points listed here for SF and East Bay residents to avoid tying up roads:  https://sf.curbed.com/2017/10/10/16453310/northern-california-wildfire-victims-volunteer-help 4.   If you know anyone who can host people or animals in need,the travel site HipCamp is connecting evacuees who cannot return to their homes with people who have available space to host them at ranches and rural properties, bed and breakfasts, and even RVs. Anyone who wants to be added to the list can contact HipCamp atJulie.Kukral@hipcamp.com. https://www.hipcamp.com/journal/land/northern-california-hosts-offering-fire-evacuees-a-free-place-to-stay 5.   ADOPT-A-FAMILY! We were lucky enough to be able to take in dear friends who had to evacuate their home this week. We’re trying to turn a tragedy into a “Fun sleepover” for kids, dogs and adults. Since our friends who live in an affected area know many people affected directly, they recommend this as something folks really need right now. This is a difficult task if you don’t know anyone there but worth the ask as you check in with friends, colleagues and local businesses etc. who may have been affected. Hoping the wind and weather helps us all see some relief soon… In love and light, Heather www.circleoflightsf.com