In my St. Helena Star column women like me who are sixty-something share our metaphors, tell our stories, and embrace our commitment to community. My metaphor for turning 60 is a waterwheel. In becoming sixty-something I intend to remain useful, letting the flow of life empower me. Each turn of the wheel will lift me up until my creativity spills over into fresh thoughts and ideas, new accomplishments, and peacefully rhythmic being. - Patricia Struntz
Turning Like A Waterwheel November 20, 2008 - special to The Star - In the past few years there have been a barrage of references to the baby boomer generation turning 60, which accounts for around 77 million people...
Antonia Allegra: Jumping for Joy December 18, 2008 - special to The Star - The photo lies on a pile of books in her "tree house" home office. Five women, mid-air, holding hands high above their heads, jumping for joy. It's the eldest sister's 60th birthday. She's the one in the middle, her face radiant with happiness...
Shining Like a Lighthouse February 12, 2009 - The painting leans against the wall in her lanai. Unimposing, its subject matter seems curious: Rocks. Why would anybody paint rocks? For Lin Weber – marriage and family therapist, local historian and author and, most recently, artist – the answer reveals her philosophy of life.
A Living Catalyst April 9, 2009 - In the narrowest part of the Napa Valley, near Owl Creek in the shadow of Glass Mountain, lies ONE Vineyard, home of Elaine Montaine-Watson and her husband George. It's a long way from the south side of Chicago where Elaine spent her youth.
Crystal Teardrop July 9, 2009 - Wife, mother, grandmother, razor scooter enthusiast, navigator for her husband’s plane, eager traveler, avid bridge and Scrabble payer, Nancy Haynes is also president of the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company.
Other Writings by Patricia Struntz
In 2004 a friend of mine, the director of a women's shelter, asked me if I could find a prayer or poem that could be used at their recovery meetings. When I wasn't able to find anything I felt suitable, I offered to write one. I wrote Merit Born, which was subsequently translated into Spanish.
