Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. The angle of the light and the colors of the fall foliage make the world feel warm and embracing. It is always a period of personal reflection, and I frequently mail pre-holiday gratitude letters. But to reflect back on 2009—to encapsulate this particular year in a …

The Peasant and the Pear hosted its annual “Customer Appreciation Party” on November 16, to thank loyal patrons and to help feed the hungry. Admission to the party? Customers were asked to bring some canned goods or other nonperishables to help stock the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano Counties. Joan Tomasini, a coordinator …