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Q. Every year, I harvest some of my green tomatoes from the frost hoping they’ll ripen indoors, but they never do. I usually place them in the sun on the window sill but eventually I end up throwing them out. How can I successfully ripen them this year?

A. Leaving tomatoes out to ripen in the open air doesn’t work as you’ve found out. You can ripen tomatoes off the vine in a shallow box with a lid to create a simple ripening chamber. The bottom of the box is lined with a one-inch layer of newspaper and you place the tomatoes next to one another but don’t let them touch each other. A second layer can be added, separated with another layer of newspaper, but no more. The box is then place in a cool out of the way location like the garage. Every five to seven days, you open the lid a remove those that have turned red. The chamber traps the ethylene gas which is given off by the tomatoes. You can hasten the ripening by adding an apple or other fruit that releases ethylene. I know an old school method would have you wrap each tomato separately in newspaper or other material and store them in a box. I think it’s tedious and the lid makes that unnecessary. You should select tomatoes that haven’t been damaged by the cold. So, it may be too late for this year but I’d still try few anyway to get a feel for the technique.

Q. I have two Flowering Pear trees planted on the same day exactly three years ago. One turns color in late October while the other is just turning color now. Why don’t they color up at the same time?

A. Flowering Pear, Pyrus calleryana, is a deciduous ornamental flowering pear. Bradford, Whitehouse, Aristocrat, Redspire, and Capital are some of the varieties available today. The Flowering Pear was first introduced and bred for the purposes of creating a fireblight resistant variety. Unfortunately, this never materialized as they are also susceptible to the disease. They’re typically a pyramidal trees with vertical branching and rapid growth that is both tolerant of dryness and pollution. They produce beautiful white flowers, deep green summer foliage, and red to purple fall color. The three inch white flowers cover the trees complete in late February or March so it resembles a huge powder puff.

There are two possible answers to your question.  One could be they’re different varieties which I don’t think is the case and the other is how they were propagated. Plant genetic dictates the timing as to when the leaves turn color along with many other characteristics. The green dominant pigment in growing plants is produced by chlorophyll. The other leaf colors are only apparent when plants stop growing. Those started from seeds are very unpredictable while cuttings mirror its mother plant. So, it’s very possible your trees came from trees with different coloring time periods although the same variety. The time period when the leaves turn color in the Chinese Pistache tree is between four to five weeks; however, it’s much broader with a Flowering Pear.  It’s not unusual to see an individual tree in a row of Flowering Pears to show color starting in late August with the rest progressing through mid December. Also, there is no way to tell for sure whether it will color up early mid season or late ahead of time.

Q. Will I harm next year’s crop of grapes by cutting back old, ugly branches now?  I did that last year and had very few grapes this year.                  

A. January/February is the traditional time of the year to prune grapes. However, they can be pruned earlier if you choose. Grapes are dormant once the leaves start to turn color and drop off. In the fall, the green leaves are storing energy and food for next year so you don’t want to remove them too early. Pruning grapes early does not affect the production. Improper pruning by cutting off the fruiting spurs is the primary cause for little to no grapes. Grape vines are a vigorous grower that produce lots of stems and leaves each year. For many, it’s a confusing mass to prune, especially if there are no defined vertical trunk and laterals. Grapes need to grow on a trellis structure with one main trunk and several lateral branches. A typical fence is not necessarily the ideal trellis for grapes. With time, the fence is damaged by the growth. Poor air circulation increases problems with diseases and the vines are difficult to maintain. Also, your neighbor may not appreciate the vegetation growing on his or her side.  A separate trellis structure off the fence improves the maintenance and disease issue besides avoiding a neighbor dispute. In preparation I’d watch several of the videos on You Tube. This should give you a good idea if you pruning technique needs to be modified. Google “spur and cane pruning grapes.” 

Note: There are two methods of pruning grapes, cane and spur pruning.   Here is a variety list as which pruning method is the best.

http://www.lecooke.com/Nursery/Care/Grape-Pruning-Cane-vs-Spur.pdf

Notwithstanding the commercialism, most people experience joy and a greater sense of emotional connection to one another during the holidays. Even so, there are some who tend to feel depressed this time of year, too. Of course it’s not one hundred percent in either direction—certainly no one is happy all the time, and I hope no one is gloomy 24/7 between Thanksgiving and New Years. The question is: Is there a way to make sure we tilt toward the “joy” side of the balance sheet?            

Many years ago, a good friend and mentor told me, “The person you become in life will primarily be determined by two things: the books you read and the people you associate with.” He also said that, “You don’t attract in life what you want but who you are.” Better than thirty years later, I’d say both of these statements are largely true.

The essential message in this advice is to be careful in choosing what we allow to influence us. Input from media—books, movies, TV, social media, magazines and the like—as well as the people we choose to spend time with, influence our attitudes and decisions to such a degree that they shape our character, the direction we take in life, and ultimately where we end up and who we become. Oh yes, and how we feel much of the time, too.

The ideas one has, as well as how someone feels about just about everything and everyone will be vastly different for the person who reads more classic literature, scripture, and books on personal development, than the person whose reading is dominated by Twitter feeds, romance novels and People (or Hustler) Magazine. And when we choose to surround ourselves with thoughtful, positive, edifying peers, we will speak, act and feel differently, from those whose associations are primarily with dour, petty, angry or otherwise negative people.

With the holidays upon us, I highly recommend some of my friends’ advice. Feeling down or depressed? Turn off the Computer or TV and pick up a book by Og Mandino, Stephen Covey, John Maxwell, Denis Waitley or Robert Schuller. Want to smile more during the holidays? Look for people who tend to smile and get around those people. And when it comes to interactions with others, decide to be a builder rather than a demolition expert.  

On behalf of everyone here at ALIVE, we wish you all the best in happiness, health, and prosperity for this holiday season and beyond.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regardless of your religious background or which family traditions flank your household during the Holiday Season, there is a ton of gift giving this time of year. First you agonize over which perfect gift to buy in the hope it will be loved, used and valued. Then there’s the mad rush of crazed, last minute shopping, dealing with long lines of generally frustrated cashiers and customers, over-crowded department stores blaring holiday music, and of course, spending too much money.

So, we give the present, most often in the midst of a hectic family get together, with way too much food, where wrapping paper is flying, and the actual gift that was exchanged has been overlooked. “Thank yous” are muttered, and then it’s on to the next gift. The entire process has flown by without so much of a pause, a moment of gratitude, or an intentional acknowledgment. Now, I know this scenario may not be true for all of you, and if it’s not, that’s fantastic! But for many of us, this accurately describes the days of get-togethers with family and friends during the holidays.

While I know this ubiquitous experience comes with both its positives and negatives, the universal sentiment is that it is often stressful, not relaxing, and sometimes not even enjoyable. The clean-up always seems to have underpinnings of “how can next year not stress me out so much?”

Well, one possible solution is to practice slowing down. Practicing mindfulness is about being present; being intentional and giving pause to the moments in our lives. All too often our daily life parallels those moments of wrapping paper flying and indulging in too much food; it all happens so fast that we aren’t present enough to even remember it. And the next thing you know the day is over and you were so stressed leading up to it, and so distracted during it, that you can’t recall the details to know if you even enjoyed it. The tools of mindfulness allow an antidote to this craziness. It’s about cultivating presence, starting with slowing down, breathing and acknowledging your current moment experience, allowing you to find joy and peace amidst the chaos of daily life.

The pace of our society does not support slowing down and being present. We are so accustomed to moving at an accelerated speed that we are often mentally onto our next task before even completing what we are currently doing. This even shows up in how we communicate – we are anticipating a response, and our response to that response, before the other person is even done talking, taking us completely out of what is actually being said! This failure to be present is not your fault; it’s unfortunately how we’ve been conditioned, and it isn’t benefitting anything or anyone. In fact, it does not help your productivity or your ability to focus. Studies show that multitasking in fact decreases our optimal brain functioning. And I truly believe the biggest consequence is to that of our relationships. When we are so crazed, busy, distracted and multitasking, our ability to connect diminishes greatly, which negatively affects ourselves, as well as the other people and relationships in our lives.

So, if you want to become more mindful and more present, then follow these tips:

–Slow down. Take a minute and just breathe.

–Be present. Be here now; look around, take it in, and breathe into the present moment.

–Communicate with intention. Make eye contact and listen with an open heart, non-judgmentally.

–Increase your awareness. Notice what is going on around you as well as what is going on inside of you (thoughts, emotions, sensations).

–Stop multitasking. Practice giving your attention to what is in front of you, especially when it is close family and friends.

–Put away your digital device. That email, text or status update will still be there, even if you don’t check it every two minutes.

If you could incorporate these tools into your daily life, coupled with utilizing your breath as an anchor to the present moment, your life will begin to feel more centered and fulfilled. And especially during the hectic holiday season—there are so many moments you can use as an opportunity to be here now. And that, quite possibly, may be the best gift you could give someone.

So forget about stressing about that perfect tie, sweater or picture frame. Allow your presence to be your present. Your friends and family will thank you for it.

If any of the above resonated with you, and it’s a pattern you’d like to change, I can help. The time is NOW to be more present and live your optimal life. (Though remember, it is a practice, and will not happen overnight – it takes time for your brain to learn new habits and patterns, and ways of being.)

Enjoy your holiday season!!

Joree Rosenblatt, MA, LMFT

www.mindfulnessandtherapycenter.com

 

Among all the things we get used to at the holidays is the proliferation of Holiday Television shows. Some of these, if not all of them, were made 50 years or more ago. A new generation comes along to enjoy them, so I guess we should too. So, let’s…

1. The Charlie Brown Christmas Special plays every year. What celebrated San Francisco Jazz artist is responsible for the music in all the Charlie Brown specials?

2. He owned a Major League Baseball team and was one of the first singing cowboys, but he is probably most famous for singing Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. Who is he?

3. He played Patton in the movies, but he also played a memorable Scrooge in a very good TV version of “Christmas Carol.” Who is he?

4. “Miracle on 34th Street” still delights families at Christmastime, although it was filmed 69 years ago. In the movie, Kris Kringle surprises the shoppers at Macy’s by telling them they can find a better deal at famous competitor’s store down the street. No longer in business, who was that competitor?

5. It think everyone’s favorite movie at Yuletide is still “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I know my kids watched it repeatedly as kids and I watched it with my grownup daughter last year. What were the names of the cop and the cabdriver in that movie?

6. In that movie, who played Mr. Potter, the town miser, who always tried to upset George Bailey’s plans to make Bedford Falls a more livable community?

 

1. Fragonard Parfums are here at The Rouge and just in time for the Holidays! French perfumes are one of the most luxurious scents in the world and they are all organic. Come visit us during the holidays and discover how utterly divine, modern and beautiful French perfumes are. There are many to choose from, with extraordinary and delicious scents for everyone!

2. Ring in the holidays and give her the gift of comfy lounge-wear. The Rouge carries fabulous sets of lounge wear by PJ Salvage. She will love slipping into the most beautiful, softest tops and pants, along with super cute robes and matching slippers. Pure happiness!

3. Ted Baker travel accessories are so beautiful from gorgeous journals to matching pens and travel pillows for long trips. Come in and see the huge selection of Ted Baker accessories for that special someone on your Christmas list. Exclusively at The Rouge.

4. This holiday season you may want to choose to give her a beautiful Michael Stars scarf. They are so gorgeous and soft you may want to get more than one. A scarf makes a great holiday gift because anyone can wear them; no size to fuss about, and they make a great looking outfit look sensational. Sure To Please.

5. Chill Body Treatments. With the fresh scent of a famed Zen sanctuary the Chill Line at The Rouge is one of the favorites among locals. Organic and purely heavenly, the Chill Body Line includes a marvelous scrub, body lotion, body wash and organic sunscreen. Love! Exclusively at The Rouge.

6. Vrai from Fragonard. Vrai (Meaning “True”) is a pure organic body line from France, that makes your body oh-so-soft and smooth. The French love their natural products, including pure cotton oil, shea butter, grape-seed oil and anti-oxidants, to treat dryness to give the body a more youthful appearance than ever before.

7. Ongrien Organic Multi-Active Mud Masque. While the holidays can be very tiring, revive your complexion with our Organic Multi-Active smoothing facial masque, to help brighten, smooth and restore the appearance of the skin. You will love the reparative effects, leaving the skin as supple as a newborn baby’s cheeks.

8. Fleur Visage Vitamin E and Vitamin C Lip Treatment with a tint. You’ve heard of chapstick, right? Now meet Vibran C, The Rouge Cosmetics exclusive intelligent lip treatments that are designed to heal and repair dry chapped lips instantly. Great for the beauty junkie!

9. Holiday Make-overs. If you’re scrolling through Pinterest just waiting for inspiration to strike your beauty fashionista-vibe, book a make-over at The Rouge for your next holiday extravaganza, where make-up designers are eager to create the perfect glam, glamour or naturalistic glow. Gift Cards available for Beauty Make-Overs.

10. Custom Foundations. Need a fabulous and most perfected foundation? Look no further; the pros at this quaint downtown beauty boutique will have you looking fabulous, working amid loads of natural light to craft the salon’s signature custom blended foundations, creating a flawless, gorgeously matched second skin look, just for you. Come in this holiday season to get one for yourself or purchase a custom foundation gift certificate for that special someone. She will absolutely love her skin.

Discover The Rouge Cosmetics for the best holiday pick-me-up ever!