4
Wednesday, May 11, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Sisters woman authors journal
Sisters sees
third-warmest April
By Helen Schmidling
Correspondent
During the heart of the
recession, Francesca Russo
faced a major challenge and
changed her life. She left her
home and business after 30
years on the Oregon Coast,
and with her German shep-
herd, Yogi, drove to Central
Oregon. Circumstances that
led to the move were diffi-
cult, but ultimately proved
constructive.
Russo turned her life’s
experiences into a book,
“Becoming Change: A
Journal for Mind, Spirit, and
Body.” “I have learned that
compassion for my mistakes
has allowed me to forgive
and love myself and has
helped me love others in a
deeper way,” she said. That
led to her vision statement,
“U first love yourself for
life” (ufly4life) because “the
most powerful relationship
you will ever have is with
yourself.”
In Manzanita, Russo
started a gourmet deli and
catering service in 1986,
was featured in Oregon
Magazine, and appeared on
PM Northwest. The business
evolved into Cassandra’s
Pizza, which was featured in
Northwest Best Places for 13
years, and Cranky’s Coffee
Shop.
Cranial sacral massage
helped Russo to recover from
injuries sustained in an auto
accident. In 2000, she sold
the businesses, got her mas-
sage license in 2001, and
studied cranial sacral with the
Upledger Institute. In the next
seven years, there was an ami-
cable divorce after 21 years,
the study of yoga therapy
with the late Mukunda Stiles,
and five inspirational days
listening to the Dalai Lama.
By May 2009, Russo was
working seven days a week,
practicing massage, teaching
yoga, and mismatched with
CORK
CELLARS
— LOCALLY OWNED —
350 WINES
Plus Craft Beer
Outdoor seating!
Memorable Lunches & Dinners
CHEF-CREATED
SATURDAY
DINNER SPECIAL:
PAELLA
C
O
R
K
Tues-Sat 12-8 p.m.
391 W. Cascade Ave.
541-549-2675
photo provided
Francesca Russo has turned life’s challenges into help for others.
a business partner. She left
her clients in good hands with
another licensed massage
therapist, and left her prop-
erty with family.
In Bend, she met Shelley
Hummell, and traded a place
to live for barn duties under
the supervision of Kim
McDonald, Hummel’s former
ranch manager. There were
times she gathered cans for
gas money to drive to Shibui
Spa from Bend; her earnings
went toward meeting coastal
debts.
“Becoming Change” took
root in these challenging
times. Penniless, and sur-
rounded by generous strang-
ers, Russo found her true self.
The book is a culmination of
Russo’s decision to help oth-
ers on their life journeys.
Russo still works as a
licensed massage therapist
at Shibui. She also combines
her training in cranial sacral
and lymphatic therapy, her
intuition and training as a
spiritual practitioner, and
yoga to personalize private
sessions with people to help
them heal and empower their
lives.
“Change is a natural phe-
nomenon; how you choose
to experience change is up
to you,” she says. “Tears
can open your heart wider,
allowing room for self-love,
happiness, and forgiveness.
Changing old patterns allows
new opportunities you never
thought possible.”
“Becoming Change”
encourages progress. Its
365 pages are not dated, and
can be followed sequen-
tially or topically, as desired.
If you make a few notes
in response to each mes-
sage, when you come to the
end, you can go back and
see how much you have
changed.
Topics are wide-ranging
because each person’s change
is different. Whether you
want to eat healthier, give up
a bad habit, adopt a new exer-
cise regime, or recover from
emotional trauma, the process
of making a change is univer-
sal. Russo’s book can be used
alongside other professional
resources if one desires.
It is a friendly companion
that you can turn to, day or
night.
In Sisters, her book is
available at Shibui, Three
Sisters Healing Arts, Bedouin
and Paulina Springs Books,
and from her website, www.
ufly4life.com.
SISTERS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Thrift Store
ReStore
50% Off
Are those quilt
projects done?
all sporting goods,
Fabric is
camping & pet items.
1/2
Price!
Come on down!
541-549-1740
er is
S u m m I ' m g o i n g
,
g
co m i c n a m p i n g !
541-549-1621
141 W. Main Ave., Sisters
254 W. Adams Ave., Sisters
Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, 12-4 p.m.
Donations accepted
Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Closed Sundays
Donations accepted
Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
According to preliminary
data received by NOAA’s
National Weather Service in
Pendleton, temperatures at
Sisters averaged warmer than
normal during the month of
April.
The average temperature
was 48.7 degrees which was
4.7 degrees above normal.
High temperatures averaged
65.7 degrees, which was 7.3
degrees above normal. The
highest was 80 degrees on the
20th. Low temperatures aver-
aged 31.7 degrees, which was
2.1 degrees above normal.
The lowest was 22 degrees,
on the 26th.
There were 14 days with
the low temperature below 32
degrees.
Precipitation totaled 0.30
inches during April, which
was 0.65 inches below nor-
mal. Measurable precipitation
— at least .01 inch — was
received on three days with
the heaviest, 0.25 inches
reported on the May 15.
Precipitation this year has
reached 4.6 inches, which is
0.53 inches below normal.
Since October, the water-year
precipitation at Sisters has
been 11.65 inches, which is
1.64 inches above normal.
The outlook for May from
NOAA’s Climate Prediction
Center calls for above-normal
temperatures and near-to-
above normal precipitation.
Normal highs for Sisters rise
from 62.0 degrees at the start
of May to 70.0 degrees at the
end of May. Normal lows rise
from 32.0 degrees to 38.0
degrees. The 30-year normal
precipitation is 1.21 inches.
This was the third-warmest
April on record. The warmest
was 51.2 degrees in 1987.
Classifieds are online at
NuggetNews.com
Music Night!
Every Friday through June 3
from 7 to 9 p.m. at Cork Cellars!
Sponsored by: