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Outdoor living spaces should be as well thought out as the interior living spaces. If you have been thinking about backyard remodeling, it is a must for summertime entertaining and can make a big difference. If a plan is set into place and executed with the proper team of Contractor, Landscape Architect, and Interior Designer the project will run smoothly, on time, and on budget. Starting a project in the spring will allow enough time to order furniture, build structures, and do any landscaping needed. Fortunately, creating a backyard escape is attainable no matter how large or small the project.

Creating a space that ties in with the style of the home is important. Keeping the use of different materials to a minimum will make the new space feel like it has been there for years. Choosing the appropriate materials is a good place to start. Discuss possibilities with your contractor and designer; selecting patio materials depends on the existing space and how much demo needs to be done to achieve a certain look. Seating areas around a fire pit or under a cabana have many options. Find your home’s design style and work from there. If your home has dark wrought iron details contrasted with a lighter paint color, select a dark metal frame and lighter fabric. Then use accent pillows with fun colors to tie in other elements in the backyard.

Cabanas can be simple fabric structures detached from the home opposite the pool for lounging or dining purposes. Structures can be built separate or attached to the home with electrical, running water, a full outdoor kitchen, ceiling fans, and even a built-in fireplace. Outdoor kitchens that are close to the barbecue are convenient for cleaning utensils and storing cooking supplies. Kitchens can be an outlet for entertaining—include a bar height counter top with barstools for casual entertaining. Outdoor areas should be a stay-cation oasis for you and your family. Get started today with the help from an experienced designer.

The overused term TMJ only describes the joint that attaches the lower jaw, mandible, to the temporal bone of your head. For years we have used the term to describe a myriad of dysfunctions which can result in intolerable pain and even the inability to open one’s mouth.

The proper term is TMD which stands for Temporomandibular Dysfunction. As I mentioned in a previous article on nutrition, there exists vast amounts of misinformation to be found in this subject regarding the cause, prevention and treatment.

In a normal person the major cause is simply keeping the teeth together too much. Ideally the teeth only meet when we swallow. Over fifty years ago a study using electrodes placed on the teeth found that symptomless subjects averaged 16 minutes a day of tooth contact while TMD subjects averaged 16 hours a day. That’s 60 times as much contact!

Opening the mouth too wide can also injure this joint. Too much chewing, such as gum, hard or tough foods also can do harm as well as clenching and grinding (bruxism).

Another cause is trauma, such as a blow to the jaw. Hollywood shows actors punching each other in the jaw and just walking away rubbing it. Don’t believe everything you see in the movies! The damage from a punch to the jaw can be extremely painful, lifelong and often requires surgery.

There are some diseases that can damage this joint such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) can greatly exacerbate TMD due to the greatly increased strength that the muscles of the jaw exhibit when asleep.

If you Google TMD you will find many forms of treatment including the traditional western methods of treating the symptom rather that the cause, from suggesting drugs, adjusting the bite, to surgery and more. There is little or no emphasis on the importance of a complete medical history and, even more important, a review of the medical history by the doctor with the patient. An exam including muscle palpation should always be performed, and appropriate x-rays should be taken. Drug use should be noted for possible interaction or abuse.

In our practice, with the exception of injury due to trauma, we find that most drugs can only interfere with the discovery of the cause of TMD and its correction. I have taken over patients that are already on several prescribed drugs for pain. I compare this to taking a narcotic to cover the pain of a thorn in your foot and expecting it to be better after walking on it rather that merely removing the thorn.

Proper treatment of a true TMD syndrome can include many practitioners, but should always have a coordinator that understands the cause and directs the treatment. Most severe TMD cases also suffer from myofacial pain and, many times, migraines. The skill to manage these patients requires extensive training and years of experience as well as a holistic approach. Understanding how elements of the body interrelate is crucial to optimal health care.

Important in my treatment of TMD is the use of a lower orthotic splint. When the joint is damaged the splints goal is to cause the joint to unload, rather than compress. This, many times, gives immediate relief as well as important information. I have found that the more popular upper splint assumes the practitioner knows where the jaw belongs (centric relation) and places the teeth in into the full coverage splint causing a fit (centric occlusion). This does not allow the joint to find its “happy place” where clenching the teeth does not compress the joint and it can assume a position where it is pain free. The upper splint interferes with speech and thus results on non compliance.

Just a few days ago I returned from El Salvador where I was asked to teach my methods of treatment. All the splints used there were upper splints with the occlusion of the teeth built into them. The patients I treated were in extreme pain and, within one or two days, were relatively free from pain after using a properly designed lower splint designed and supplied by me.

Once the patient is symptom free new records should be taken including mounted (articulated) models and x-rays. Only now can we determine if occlusal adjustment, orthodontia, dental reconstruction, Arthricenesis (joint irrigation) or surgical repositioning of the jaws will help.

Robert Brown, DDS has a TMJ, orthodontia, and sleep apnea practice in Danville and thoroughly enjoys discussing holistic medicine. You can contact him at 925-837-8048, at info@aodtc.com, or visit his web site at www.aodtc.com.

Cherries are starting to appear, so it must be spring.Who needs a calendar when you’ve got the farmers’ market? Cherries are also nature’s way of telling us the fleeting season for apricots isn’t far behind—only to be followed shortly thereafter bythe stone fruits of summer. But I’m getting ahead of myself here…and salivating all the while.

Cherry season starts off slowly with the arrival of the Black Tartarian and Burlat; followed by the blushing yellow Royal Anne and Rainier. (Sour cherries, like the Montmorency or Morello are less common, as they are primarily grown outside of California.) Most agree the West’s dark, meaty Bing is the quintessential cherry, with Lamberts, Sweethearts, and Vans coming in as close seconds in popularity.

When plump, sweet-tart Bing cherries debut at the market, there is nothing better than eating them out of hand, one after another. For days.But once I’ve stained my fingers red—and made endless fruit salads and brandied cherries and cherry pie and cherry chutney and cherry clafouti and cherry-studded rice pudding and cherry ice cream—I often explore unpaved territory for unique ways to celebrate their short season. We can afford to be a little cavalier (she said smugly), since cherries grow locally and one needn’t dip into one’s equity line of credit just to binge on a flat. So Cherry Salsa is my latest indulgence.

It’s really not as crazy (or as sacrilegious) as it may sound. Here in California — where fresh fruit abounds and Latin influences prevail — pineapple, peaches, strawberries, and even watermelon have transitioned into mainstream salsas. The time for cherry salsa has come.

Serve this as a condiment alongside pork or poultry; with tortilla chips or a gooey Jack cheese quesadilla; or piled onto crostini slathered with California goat cheese or brie.

 

Chopped Cherry Salsa (cha cha cha)

• 1 pound farm-fresh Bing or other dark, sweet cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 green onion, finely chopped or thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh jalapeño chile pepper
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Dash of salt

In a bowl, combine the cherries, mint, lime juice, onion, jalapeño, ginger, sugar, and salt. Toss gently to dissolve the sugar. Serve at once, or cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Serve at cool room temperature.

 Bing Bling

Cherries, which date back to at least 300 B.C., were named after the Turkish town of Ceracus.

The Bing cherry—across between the Tartarian and Royal Anne—was developed in Oregon in 1875 by Seth Lewalling. Legend has it that because he didn’t have enough money to pay his Chinese cook’s wages, he named the new cherry after him.

Before you balk at the price of organic cherries, please consider that organic crops yield about 25 percent  fewer cherries than those grown with conventional farming methods.The price of healthy eating.

When shopping, look for cherries that are shiny, plump, and firm.

A pliable green stem is the sign of a just-picked cherry.Cherries-on-the-stem also tend to last longer.

Refrigerate cherries, unwashed, in an open plastic bag. It’s best to eat them within 5 days of purchase.

To preserve stemmed pitted cherries for baking year ‘round, flash-freeze them on a rimmed baking sheet until solid; then pack into freezer-safe bags or airtight plastic containers. Use frozen, not thawed.

A cherry-pitter is an inexpensive kitchen tool that makes the job a breeze. (It works a bit like a paper punch, forcing the pit out of the cherry.) Lacking one, just remove the pit with the tip of a small, sharp knife.

Cherry juice can stain your hands, so you may want to wear latex gloves — and an apron — while pitting them.

For a casually delicious ending to any meal, rinse perfect ripe cherries and pat them dry. Working one at a time and holding each by the stem, dip the cherries in melted dark or white chocolate and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; then refrigerate until the chocolate coating is firm. (This is an especially charming presentation for “twins”—2 cherries joined at the stem.) Just be sure to warn your guests these cherry-chocolate bonbons contain pits.) The same effect can be had (with a lot less labor on your part) by serving a big mound of cherries with a warm pot of creamy chocolate fondue.

Eschew those scary iridescent cherries sold in jars, and make your own boozy ones to garnish cocktails or desserts. For each pint jar you’ll need about 1 pound of fresh cherries. Rinse them well and pat dry; pit them or not, as you like. (If you don’t pit them, prick each cherry 2 or 3 times so the liquor will penetrate the fruit.) Pack cherries into a sterilized jar, cover with bourbon, rye, brandy, kirsch, or Maraschino liqueur, and refrigerate. When all the cherries have been eaten, mix the remaining alcohol in cocktails.

Gotta go now. I think it’s time for a Manhattan.

The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad and Prospect, is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For specific crop information call the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at 1-800-949-FARM or visit their web site at www.pcfma.com.This market is made possible through the generous support of the Town of Danville. Please show your appreciation by patronizing the many fine shops and restaurants located in downtown Danville. Buy fresh. Buy local. Live well.

Q. We have a mature orange and lemon tree growing next to each other. The lemons are fantastic but the oranges are extremely sour. Our gardener feels that the orange is cross-pollinating with the lemon tree. How can we make the oranges taste better?

A. The rational that lemon and orange co-mingle to produce sour oranges has been used for decades. The reality is it is just a myth. Most citrus are self-pollinating so they don’ require a second variety for cross-pollination, however, there are some exceptions such as the Clementine Mandarin Orange. Most of the pollination is done by Honey Bees looking for nectar or other flying insects. In addition, seedless citrus varieties such as Washington Naval Oranges produce mostly parthenocarpic fruit. Parthenocarpy is the ability of plants to develop fruit without pollination, which means no or very few seeds because the male part of the flower is sterile so no pollen is produce. That being said, if oranges and lemons could mate and this is a very big ‘if’, the maturing fruit would never be affected. The result of the crossing would be in the seeds that then have to be germinated. This is called genetics. Hence this age old answer to sour fruit can’t possibly happen with a maturing crop of oranges. Not every, Bay Area garden is suited for growing oranges. The closer you live to the water the more challenging it is. Sour oranges are caused by not enough summer heat or by harvesting the crop to early. Oranges require six hours of direct sunlight April through October, Naval and Valencia Oranges flower in the spring and turn an orange color in November. Naval Oranges ripen December through March while the Valencia Oranges do not mature until the following June or July. Unlike many other types of fruit, most citrus can be left on the tree without becoming over ripe. If you’re not sure what variety you have, leave the oranges on the tree and taste them periodically throughout the year.

Q. We would like to raise the soil level about one foot around four very old and lovely-blooming Wisterias. Our first choice would be to bury each plant. Is that possible? Our second option is to dig the plants up and replant them. The last thought is to install plant wells around each plant. What would you suggest?

A. Of the three options, the least desirable is to bury the plants by raising the soil level. Actually, this is not advisable at all as it’s a sure way to kill them. The Wisterias could be transplanted to a new location but given their age it may not be feasible. I think the most practical is to build permanent plant wells around each plant. They should extend from the trunk to beyond the drip line. This is where the majority of the roots are located. You can use a variety of materials such as railroad ties, concrete blocks or moss rocks to hold back the soil.

Buzz Bertolero is Executive Vice President of Navlet’s Garden Centers and a California Certified Nursery Professional. His web address is www.dirtgardener.com and you can send questions by email at dirtgarden@aol.com or to 360 Civic Drive Ste. ‘D’, Pleasant Hill, Calif. 94523 and on Facebook Dirtat Facebook/.com/Buzz-Bertolero

Crossovers in sales over-shadowed SUV’s awhile ago and new models just keep rolling off the assembly lines helping to increase their popularity. Crossovers come in all sizes from large to small providing additional space and height over their sedan and hatchback cousins. One of the latest compact new entries is the 2013 Mazda CX-5.

The All-new Mazda CX-5 is a stylish five-passenger crossover that has very distinguished styling. This is Mazda’s first total-vehicle application of the fuel-efficient performance with Mazda’s Skyactiv technology. The CX-5 is the smallest of the CX family. The big dog is the CX-9 with the middle child being the CX-7.

Mazda went back to the drawing board designing and assembling the CX-5 from scratch. Expect to see some of the new technology and design themes to morph into many of Mazda’s various other models. The CX-5 is expected to replace CX-7 and measures slightly taller. Mazda had been focusing on driving enthusiasts with limited budgets, but the CX-5 is part of the new direction of style with fuel-sipping economy.

The 2013 Mazda CX-5 is available in three trim levels: Sport ($21,790), Touring ($24,990), and Grand Touring ($28,140). All models come standard with Front-wheel drive, and are available with All-wheel drive.

The styling is well-proportioned with a smiling frontend, large almond-shaped eye-like headlamps and a thick bold nose. The wheel wells protrude out delivering a powerful stance without over- compensating and are creased with flat edges and black trim. The roof line floats over the top creating an almost hatchback profile.

The interior is crafted to provide an upscale cabin feel featuring a large screen in the center of the dash that displaces the radio, backup view, and navigation. The interior has multiple storage compartments and two 12-volt outlets. To add to the fashionable experience, the dash has a strip of piano black trim while the seats are stitched with red thread. I found the front and rear seating were comfortable with adequate legroom. I like technology. That said, the push-button start as well as the exterior door smart key buttons are both very cool and efficient to me.

Handling delivers precise control without being too heavy for a CUV. Mazda’s engineers kept the CX-5’s weight down to an impressive 3,426 pounds. The CX-5 gets its power from a 2.0-liter DOHC 16V 4-cylinder engine with Mazda’s Skyactiv fuel-saving technology. The Sport models come standard with a 6-speed manual transmission and an optional 6-speed automatic transmission that is standard on the other trim levels.

Room for improvement:

• No rear vents for heating and cooling.

Cool Features:

• Push-button start
• Skyactiv technology
• Two 12V plugs

The standard safety equipment on the 2013 Mazda CX-5 includes: advanced dual front airbags, front-seat, side-impact airbags, side air curtains – front, and rear with rollover protection, anti-lock brakes (ABS), DSC electronic stability control with traction control, and Hill Launch Assist. Three-point safety belts for all five positions, pretensioners and an optional rearview camera and blind-spot monitoring system add to the cool features.

In Summary – The 2013 Mazda CX-5 is a beautiful, versatile, and sporty compact crossover utility vehicle that manages to produce an EPA-rated 26/35 miles per gallon City/Highway on its base model that mirrors some hybrid vehicles. The CX-5 is roomy for a compact and loaded with technology enhancing the driving experience.

Specifications
2013 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD

Base price: $28,595 as driven: $31,480 (including destination)
Engine: 2.0-Liter 4-cylinder
Horsepower: 155 @ 6000
Torque: 150 foot pounds @ 4000
Transmission: 6-Speed Auto
Drive: All Wheel-Drive
Seating: 5-passenger
Turning circle: 36.7 feet
Cargo space: 65 cubic feet
Curb weight: 3426 pounds
Fuel capacity: 15.3 gallons
EPA mileage: City 25 / Highway 31
Wheel Base: 106.3 inches
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper
Also consider: Ford Escape, Honda CRV, Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4

Baseball all-star Cory Brand knows what it takes to win in the big leagues. But off the field, with memories of his past haunting him, his life is spiraling out of control. Hoping to save her client’s career and reputation after a DUI and a team suspension, Cory’s agent sends him back to the small town where he grew up. Forced to coach the local youth baseball team and spend eight weeks in the only recovery program in town, Cory can’t wait to return to his old life as quickly as possible.

As his young players help him experience the joy of the game, Cory discovers his need to find freedom from his past and hope for his future … and win back the love he left behind. With this unexpected second chance Cory finds himself on a powerful journey of transformation and redemption.

Okay, I admit it—I didn’t write that, the PR people for the movie did. The reason I used it was that on this movie I wanted to make sure I get it right. As you know, I usually review movies that have hit the big screen (or sometimes not) and go fairly quickly to DVD. Many of these movies are incredible movies with small marketing budgets and other than word of mouth they don’t stand a chance at big box office numbers. Homerun will be in theaters April 19^th and I think you should do yourself a big favor and be there on the first day it comes out. Homerun is a message movie. The message is — Hope!

I had the privilege of seeing a pre-screening of Home Run a month or so ago. It’s good! Really good. Cory Brand is played by the drop dead gorgeous (that’s me talking) Scott Elrod, most recently of Argo movie fame. Scott is joined by Dorian Brown and veteran, Vivica A. Fox.

Cory finds himself in a court ordered recovery program. At first he thinks he doesn’t need it. He sits in the meetings wondering what he’s doing there with “these” people; after all he’s a force to be reckoned with on the baseball diamond. In reality, his life is one big slippery slope. Now, I want to unabashedly put a plug in for the rehab program he finds himself in…Celebrate Recovery. Celebrate Recovery Ministry is a Christ-centered 12 Step Recovery Program that helps people address life’s hurts (Abuse, Abandonment, Codependency, Divorce, Relationship Issues, Grief, Distress, etc.) Habits (Alcohol, Drugs, Food Gambling, Sex, Shopping, Smoking, etc.) and Hang-ups (Anger, Depression, Fear, Unforgiveness, etc.). About now, if you are honest with yourself, you might just fall in to one of those categories.

Freedom is Possible! Best-selling author, Max Lucado summed it up, “Home Run reminds us of the power of forgiveness, the richness of redemption and the wisdom of trusting God to revive us.”

Just so you know, Home Run is not preachy. It’s about real people with real problems. It’s a movie based on thousands of true stories. I loved this movie and I think you will as well. In the words of Cory Brand, “Nothing great happens when you hold back.” So, check the theater schedules for the opening of Home Run on April 19^th. Go alone, go with your family (PG13) or take someone with you. I’m sure you will enjoy it. As always, let me know what you think at chastings@rockcliff.com

 

 

I am not Catholic but like many I was captivated by the pomp and spectacle of the Church’s Conclave and its selection of a new Pope. Despite controversies and failings within segments of Catholic leadership, the papal election seemed transcendent of these as the media covered the event, with thousands of the faithful celebrating at the Vatican. Even self proclaimed non-Catholic reporters seemed genuinely moved, as an air of dignified calm seemed to emanate from the new Pope, Francis. Sentiments of goodwill were palpable.

 

Later that evening I watched the late night news broadcast. The Vatican election was their lead story of course, but it was followed by what is, sadly, the familiar litany of negative — murders, robberies and other dark examples of human potential. I was struck by the contrast; noble aspirations on the one hand, self-destruction and the antithesis of the very word “civilization” on the other. How can people with so much potential for good, also be able to harm one another so?

How is it that human behavior is so polarized

 

In the National Bestselling book, The Tipping Point, author Malcolm Gladwell asserts that “Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do.” His premise is that due to a variety of subtle factors and narrowly defined environments of motivation, some level of critical mass—a tipping point—is reached, and something “big” happens, very quickly. And this applies to human behavior as well, be it good or bad.

 

I think a lot about human potential. For example, I’ll be driving along some major city street in mid-afternoon on a weekday, when I’ll notice groups of young men gathered together on the sidewalk or in doorways. I don’t mean to make assumptions or generalizations here, but I cannot help but wonder: Are they working together toward some purposeful goal, or are they just killing time?  Perhaps they are “infected” by some grand and noble cause that is now approaching critical mass, soon to be realized in making the world a better place. But then again, maybe not.

 

I believe Gladwell’s theory. A tiny spark is all that is needed to start a raging inferno — if the proper fuel and oxygen exists to support it. So, where do we begin to start things off toward the good side?

 

For that answer, I suggest we begin with one passage from another bestselling book. The passage is part of a letter, written many years ago by a man named Paul, offering advice to the people of a town called Philippi, in ancient Greece. He said:

 

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9

 

Perhaps the “God of peace” Paul refers to here was the catalyst for the recent atmosphere in Rome. Perhaps even non-Catholics could agree that this could be the “tipping point” the world needs.