Rosie and Barbara and a new Ford

On Monday, Kathy Van Riper of Cotati felt miserably sick and sort of guilty and pretty much on top of the world.

Kathy's the former Sonoma Valley High running star who just returned from New York, where the likes of Rosie O'Donnell congratulated her on live TV for the optimism, gratitude and grace she brings to her grueling fight with cancer.

What a trip it was. A highlight was when Kathy and her husband, Marc, and their two kids were escorted through the ABC studios and came upon a dressing room with their names on the door.

"OK, it was on computer paper," Kathy said, "but it was our names!"

She felt a bit guilty to be honored as a warrior on "The View" when so many women struggle so fiercely against trials that begin with a breast cancer diagnosis.

But she did well, very well, and she accepted a big hug from Barbara Walters and a new car from Ford. She shares the experience at www.caringbridge.org/visit/kathyvanriper.

Back at home Monday, Kathy put up with the wretched effects of chemotherapy and looked forward to her children and Marc coming. She hopes the show might encourage women with cancer to "just look for the small joys in life."

TOO MANY FLAGS: It intrigued everybody at El Verano School to see what the fifth-grade students of Dave Neubacher were up to.

The kids and Neubacher, who frequently wins awards for stoking students' curiosity about the environment, planted 1,102 small flags at the school.

On each flag the students had written the name of a species of animal pushed to extinction. There were 1,102 flags, the kids explained, because 19 species were eliminated from Earth on each of the 58 days since school started.

Neubacher said the response at El Verano School was just what he and his charges hoped for: Let's do something to help.

EAT OUR DIRT: It'll be a true Sonoma County moment at the county museum next week when folks of all ages hoist wine glasses and sniff, swirl, examine, maybe even taste samples of fine - soil.

The sampling at 6 p.m. Nov. 3 is all about terroir. That's the principle that says grapes or vegetables grown in one particular spot will taste different from those grown perhaps even a stone's throw away because of differences in the soil.

Earthy artist Laura Parker, who'll tend the soil bar, will come with a nice assortment of dirts and veggies.

Which do you suppose the kids will be more eager to taste?

TRADE YA: Former 49er great Dwight "The Catch" Clark had 'em lined up for autographs last weekend at a benefit at Ledson Winery.

Clark was at the Kenwood winery because host Steve Ledson has bottled a wine commemorating his momentous 1981 catch of a Joe Montana pass, one of the greatest plays in NFL history.

At one point Clark looked up from the autograph table to see a distinguished older gent standing before him. The fellow said, "Hello, I'm Orlando Cepeda."

"You are!" Clark said as he stood and threw his arms around the Giants legend and Hall of Famer.

The mortals present got a kick out of watching the SF sports titans address autographs to each other.

EVERY LITTER BIT: Rob Brooks took his west Sonoma County sensibilities along when his family and some friends traveled to New England to see the fall.

On the postcard-perfect town square in Newfane, Vt., Rob spied a piece of litter.

"Ha!" he said as he examined it before disposing of it properly. It was a wrapper from a bag of Graton-

made Traditional Medicinals tea.