Make a date with a friend to meet at a Monday Dinner, or come by yourself and make new friends! Either way, you'll get a great meal and a lot more--everyone wins!

Help publicize the Monday Dinners! An easy way to spread the word about our weekly community gathering is to click on the Tell-A-Friend link in the upper left of this page. Just fill out the form with the email addresses of up to two friends, along with any personal comments you'd like to add, and click Submit--this emails your comments along with pre-written details of the Dinners and a link to this website!

Another way to help is to post a copy of our Dinner Menus in public locations. For a pdf file suitable for printing, click here.

Michael Bauce cooks and Kaare Bursell lectures at a monthly macrobiotic dinner and lecture in Berkeley at Michael's home, on June 20 and July 18, 6 pm. This Wednesday event repeats each month in 2012. Info: http://berkeleymacrobiotics.blogspot.com.

Can you talk so others can hear you? Can you listen so others can talk to you? Good communication has to be learned. Al Lampell, a teacher in A Course in Miracles and a regular at the Monday Dinners, hosts his Communications Seminar on Saturday, June 23, 9:30am-5:30pm, County of Santa Clara, 2310 N. First St., Ste. 104, San Jose, $65 suggested donation, 408 296-0567,

The 43rd Annual French Meadows Summer Camp, sponsored by the George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation, takes place in the majestic Tahoe National Forest, July 7-15. Teachers include Simon Brown, Jessica Porter, Mary J. Lore, Melanie Waxman Brown, Meredith McCarty, Bob Ligon, Kristiane Ravn Frost, Chuck Lowery, Carl and Julia Ferré, Mike and Maria Chen, Kerry Loeb, Harriet Bhumi Russell, Karen Garvey, Michael Bauce, Alex Pappas, Saci McDonald, Mark Vilkaitis, and Nobuo Otake.

Delicious macrobiotic meals are prepared by Packy Conway, Susanne Jensen, and staff over wood fires. Also included are children's activities, campfires, cooking demos/classes, hikes, volleyball, variety show, and more—for a truly unforgettable experience!

Fees for the full camp are $995/adult, $450/youth aged 3 to 18. Partial stays and work exchange are possible. Membership in the G.O.M.F., which includes Macrobiotics Today magazine, is required, $35/family. For information, call Carl Ferré at 530 566-9765, pick up a camp brochure at Dinner, or visit http://ohsawamacrobiotics.com.

Get in touch with nature and rejuvenate at the French Meadows Summer Camp, which features spectacular views. Information: http://ohsawamacrobiotics.com

Joe Yarkin, a regular at the Monday Dinners with his wife Pearl, passed away on March 7. He fought in WWII, studied at USC, and started Yarkin Realty in Palo Alto in 1957. Joe's success in business was earned the old-fashioned way: with hard work, honesty and honorable business practices, and especially through his vibrant, positive personality and his wonderful way with people, all in evidence at the Monday Dinners. Joe and Pearl raised seven children and have 10 grandchildren.

Chef Gary Alinder has started a blog at http://macrochef.wordpress.com. Tune into Gary's views on a variety of subjects including food and health, and leave your comments! He has also posted a recipe archive which includes soups; main dishes; sauces, gravies, and dressings; and desserts and snacks.  

James Holloway, frequent Guest Chef at the Monday Dinners, does personal home cooking in Palo Alto, in macrobiotic and classical styles, call 650 852-9182.

For cooking classes, lectures, and related activities by Marin-based cookbook author, lecturer, and macrobiotic food coach Meredith McCarty, visit http://healingcuisine.com or call 415 272-5525.

For information on macrobiotic activities in the East Bay, contact Macrobiotic Health Counselor Michelle Nemer in El Cerrito, 510 527-4367 or

Macrobiotic Counselor Julie Ong teaches macrobiotic cooking classes and does macrobiotic consultations in San Francisco; visit http://juliesong.com/ or call 415 312-0241.

Speakers receive a gratuity from the audience; please show your support and appreciation with a donation ($5-10 suggested).

On June 11, yoga teacher Lolly Font will speak on and demonstrate Aging Gracefully with Yoga. "Yoga" translates to connecting mind and body. A yoga teacher for 39 years and co-founder of the California Yoga Center in 1980, Lolly will speak on this connection and share her personal journey, which includes healing her arthritis through yoga and developing ways to deal with the aging body. This will be an interactive session with movement where she will demonstrate practical techniques to best use your body. Lolly is a certified Iyengar teacher and holds M.A. degrees in Education and Transpersonal Psychology.

On July 16, yoga teacher Lolly Font again leads Aging Gracefully with Yoga. Lolly is offering this event free of charge, as a service to the community. This is a late addition to the calendar; it did not appear in the printed newsletter.

On July 30, Michael Bauce will speak on Hara Hachi Bu, Eating Lightly for Long Life. The key to a long life may be a slightly empty stomach. The longest-living people on earth today consciously limit the quantity of food they consume at every meal. The Japanese call it Hara Hachi Bu, which means "eat until your belly is 80% full." By limiting the intake of food, you will relieve stress on your internal organs and allow them to begin to function more efficiently. Results include better digestion, increased energy, better sleep, improved memory and weight loss. Learn how you can improve the quality of your life with this practice.

Michael Bauce has practiced macrobiotics since 1988. He was a main chef at both the Macrobiotic Grocery and Learning Center in Oakland, California from 1990-1995 and Manzanita Restaurant in Oakland from 2006-2009. He has conducted private and group cooking classes at youth centers, schools, senior centers, summer camps, hospitals, and Farmers' Markets. Michael has been teaching cooking in a Berkeley elementary school as part of the California Nutrition Network since 1999. He has two sons, ages 26 and 22. He is available for consultations; contact him by or visit his blog: http://berkeleymacrobiotics.blogspot.com.  

The Community Connection feature appears when an author is inspired enough to produce an interview or profile for publication.

Enjoy these past features on community members by Denise Huajardo Springer, Sky Ann McGrath, and Gerard Lum:

• Simply Paul Schmitt
• Life Really Does Begin at 40! An Interview with Diane Wohler
• Eating Mother's Chicken: Making Choices in Life, An Interview with Gary Alinder
• Plain Miklane? An Interview with Miklane Janner
• Ken Becker on Macrobiotics, Part One
• Ken Becker on Macrobiotics, Part Two
• Passionate About Growing Healthy Food, An Interview with Patricia Becker
• By Having Hope, What Are You Going to Lose? An Interview with Geneva Page and Baron
• You Can Really Fly with It, An Interview with Gerard Lum
• An Evolving Vision of Community, An Interview with Miklane Janner
• Making a Difference Through Cooking, An Interview with Susanne Jensen 

Email Notification of Newsletter: To receive an email notification each time the Newsletter and Dinner Menus are published on this site (every two months), .

 

Mailing List Policy: To get a printed copy of the Newsletter and Dinner Menus delivered by postal mail, or call the phone number below. To offset the expense of producing the Newsletter and Menus, we suggest a contribution of $10/year or more. The date and amount of your last newsletter contribution appears on your mailing label. Write checks to "Peninsula Macrobiotic Community", and mail to Gerard Lum, 101 E. Middlefield Road #9, Mountain View, CA 94043, 650 903-0447.

We periodically review our mailing list. Those who have not made a recent contribution are subject to removal.

Tax-Deductible Contributions: We welcome and can use additional contributions to the Peninsula Macrobiotic Community, as income from the Dinners does not pay all of our expenses. We are a nonprofit organization, so additional contributions are fully tax-deductible. Send contributions to the address in Mailing List Policy above.

Back Issues of the Newsletter and Menus: Click here.