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Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” On November 30, shoppers, civic leaders and small businesses will once again harness the power of working together and unite to celebrate the 10th annual Small Business Saturday. The congressionally-sanctioned event encourages people to revitalize their own communities by bringing holiday shopping to local merchants like those at the Danville Livery. This is a community event we should all earnestly endorse.

There are common sense reasons to shop local centers like the Danville Livery—reasons beyond the charm of the property, or the opportunity to find merchandise unavailable at big-box stores.  Perhaps most importantly, most of the money you spend—and much of the tax you pay—stays local. How much exactly? According to research printed in “USA Today” $68 of every $100 spent. This is money that improves schools.  Or pays local police.  And money that evaporates into cyberspace when you click “buy now” online.

Further you’ll raise your own property values. What do prospective homebuyers ask most about after the local schools?  The shopping of course. And a vibrant community of local shops just adds to the allure of your own house and your own neighborhood.

These small businesses are job creators—some suggest the most important job creators in the country. The Small Business Administration reports that more than half of U.S.jobs since 1995 were created by small businesses. The SBA also reports that since 1990 big business has eliminated 4 million jobs; small businesses have added 8 million jobs.Every time you grab a bagel and dark roast at a local coffeehouse or select a new bag at a neighborhood boutique, you could be creating a new job at the same time.

These small merchants are also joy creators. They welcome you to gather, to touch, to take part in their dreams. Their stores represent a little piece of their imagination, and their time with you is a personal investment. Customer service is extraordinary because the clerk who greets you and helps you navigate one-of-a-kind merchandise is almost always the actual owner. This is the sort of one-on-one, human experience that is disappearing in America, a little piece of heartland still down the street in your local center.

Remember also that these merchants are your neighbors—literally.  They sponsor Little League teams. They volunteer at local churches. Spending money in their stores strengthens the fabric of the community, our community. It’s reciprocal. It’s respectful. It’s the right thing to do.

The SBA found that 96% of consumers who reported shopping on Small Business Saturday said the day makes them want to Shop Small all year long, not just during the holiday season. American Express, the originator of Small Business Saturday, reports that when the national event first began a decade ago, more than 1,400 individuals and organizations signed up as Neighborhood Champions.  By 2018 there were more than 7,500 Neighborhood Champions across all 50 states. Further, American Express tells us, business associations, municipalities and public officials have united to form a Small Business Saturday Coalition to encourage everyone to shop small.

Something must be going on beyond the purchases, something that connects us to local merchants and to each other. This is what communities do, work together, as Ford said, to create a sense of purpose and prosperity. Local centers like the Danville Livery are the front porches to our East Bay neighborhoods. We should certainly find time to call on our neighborhood merchants on November 30, but just as important, we should make time to visit year-round.  After all—we’re all in this together.

Happy November, friends! The holidays are upon us, and it’s a great time to start thinking about gifts for your loved ones. Sometimes it can be hard to think of unique gifts or gifts you’ve never given before. But, as I think about the holidays and what a gift means, it’s really just about showing someone that you thought of them. It shouldn’t matter the price tag or the fact that it’s unique. It truly is the thought that counts, as cliché as that sounds. While I am sure many, if not all, of these gifts, have been given or received many times over, they are great items. Here’s why:

Let’s start with gifts for women. Cozy pajamas or lounge-wear is perfect for this time of year. It’s the time when people want to curl up on the couch, read a book, or watch a holiday movie. The weather is chilly and cozy clothes typically tickle everyone’s fancy. This holiday season, gift a flannel pajama set or lounge set. Sets are great because it’s a complete look! There’s no deciphering which top or bottom to wear with a pair; it’s decided for you. Who doesn’t love easy dressing? Plus, feeling put together, even in lounge-wear, feels good! If the gal you know loves the holidays, go with a holiday print, like the red and green trees, or opt for year-round wear with a neutral color and print.

Next, we have this amazing scarf. Scarves are one size fits all. No guessing the size. Plus, this one is simply divine. The color options are great and it’s a fabulous layering piece. Wear it over a winter coat or even wear at home for some extra warmth in those Christmas themed jammies.

While we’re on the lounge kick…gift your loved one a pair of UGG slippers. The price tag is a bit of an investment, but the wear on these make it all worth it! They last forever. Plus, if you’re like me, I rarely decide I am going to gift myself something like slippers. It’s nice to give someone something you know they wouldn’t purchase for themselves, but probably would like to have!

This one is a trendy piece. Teddy Bear coats have been a popular item for a few seasons now. They’re still going strong and are just so much fun! Plus, there are great options for varying price points. This one is just under $100. However, there are lots of options on Amazon, all below $40. Again, with the cozy pieces for winter. Along with that, it adds great texture to an outfit. It’s a piece that pairs well with every single color and can be dressed up or down. If someone you know loves trendy pieces, this one is a great addition to their closet.

Lastly, this one is something like a stocking stuffer or small but thoughtful gift to a coworker, teacher, etc. Kiehl’s is a great skincare brand and makes an awesome creamy lotion/lip balm—the kind that is so needed during the months when hands are dry and lips are chapped. Plus, holiday packaging is everything! This totally takes a simple essential and adds some pizazz, making it a great holiday gift set!

Okay, now for the gentlemen in your life! This one is a basic. A button Henley is a great piece for every man’s closet. It can be super casual with a pair of jeans and sneakers, or it can be dressed up with a pair of dark jeans, sport coat, and cognac loafers (cognac brown shoes are my preference for when mixing dressy with casual styles). These tees are the perfect happy medium for style. They’re casual by nature but lend themselves to a more sophisticated casual feel. A staple for any man’s closet.

Let’s talk electronics. Most men are into electronics, right? This one is cool! It’s a cordless/portable speaker. This gadget is sure to be a winner. Bring it to the beach while on vacation, out camping, or just in your backyard while barbequing during the summer months. Another great time to use it is during football season. Pull out the speaker and use Bluetooth to connect to your phone while tailgating before the game!

The last two are more basic, great stocking stuffers. Again, we’re talking Kiehl’s. This one is a gift set that comes wrapped with holiday cheer! I know the man in my life doesn’t always take skincare as a serious matter, but women are not the only ones who should be investing in their skin. This is a great little kit to try out Kiehl’s and see if it’s the right fit for the man in your life. Also, it’s great for travel. Get your guy started on happy skin with a simple yet effective skincare routine.

This one is a favorite. Jason Mark is an awesome shoe cleaner. Comes with a little brush for buffing your shoes, and the treatment truly gets the stains out. We use it in our home and love it. Throw this little gem in his stocking for something simple, yet super effective.

Lastly, this gift option is fantastic for a joint gift. Glassy Baby creates the most beautiful hand-blown glass drinkers. Each one has a fun name too! Gifts like these are great because you can personalize it by picking the color/name in correlation with the person you’re gifting it to. Let’s say you’re gifting the glass to your father and he is a grandparent. The one titled “papa” is perfect for him. Or you know someone who loves the beach; snag them “seabreeze” as a fun way to show how you know them so very well. These drinkers can be gifted as a set for a couple’s gift or gift one and start a new collection for someone in your life.

I hope these gift ideas spark some excitement for you and the special people in your life. Stop by maccarose.com for links to shop these items. Happy holidays, dear ones!

There is no doubt that the impactful and important realm of investing is pullulating with abbreviations and acronyms. A recent poll indicated that 69% of adults found investing, and the accompanying jargon, complex and confusing. I call this investing Alphabet Soup. Retirement planning, investment products, investment analysis, and even investment professional certifications and designations are laden with it.  When speaking of retirement planning for example, you hear: IRA, ROTH, SEP, 401k, and RMD. My hope is here is to  help you make sense of “Wall Street Speak” and all the abbreviations.   

Investors are confused because investing is confusing.

In another investor survey I read recently, which polled 1,000 employees regarding their retirement investing, a highlight stated, “More Likely to Get Help Changing Their Oil Than Managing Their Investments.”  According to the survey, on average, participants spend roughly the same amount of time reviewing and choosing investments for their 401(k) as they do researching cell phones. The survey further showed they spend more than twice as much time shopping for cars before buying than they do evaluating their 401(k) options.

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. – Benjamin Franklin

I agree with Mr. Franklin.  When it comes to investing, absent great luck, perhaps nothing will pay off more than educating yourself. It’s critical to do the work necessary before making investment decisions. The research and analysis are worth the effort.  Even more important than the cell phone and the car.  So, let’s start with some of the most often used, spoken and in print, acronyms and the rest of the soup. 

First, my favorites.  If you have heard them already, I’m not surprised. Wall Street’s lingo gets around fast. For years I have referenced (and heard reference to) FUD, FOMO, FANG, and TINA.  These represent: “Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt,” “Fear Of Missing Out,” “Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google,” and TINA stands for “There Is No Alternative.” You surely do not need to know those to demystify the language of investing, they’re just some of my favorites. My least favorite is EBITDA: Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization. Analysts say it all the time, just like it sounds, “E – Bit – Da.”  Now, on to the universe of investment alphabet soup you should know. There are far too many to list and define in this space, so I think these most common are noteworthy. Many are used so frequently; they may be familiar. For context, I will list these categorically.  Here are the acronyms that generally relate to investment instruments:

ETF: Exchange Traded Fund. An exchange-traded fund is an investment fund traded on stock exchanges, much like stocks. ETF’s hold assets such as stocks, commodities, or bonds and therefore are generally similar to mutual funds.

IPO: Initial Public Offering. IPO’s often grab headlines. This is the process of a private corporation offering its shares to the public in a new stock issuance. Public share issuance allows a company to raise capital from public investors.  Most recently, think Uber.

REIT: is an organization with that acquires, manages and sells real estate.  An investment in a REIT gives you a share of the company that is overseeing the real estate assets, rather than actual real property ownership. Think of a REIT as a stock investment in real estate.

A,B,C Shares:

“A” shares typically carry front-end sales charges, or loads, which come right off the top of your investment when you buy. Some can exceed 5%.  So, if you invested $100,000 into an ‘A’ share fund, only $95,000 would be invested in the fund.  Over, the longer term, though, A shares are usually the most cost-effective.

“B” shares typically carry deferred sales charges, often called back-end loads. You won’t pay anything upfront, but you might pay a charge when you sell your shares, depending on how long you hold them.  B shares aren’t usually the most economical option due to high ongoing annual fees.

“C” shares, commonly known as “level-load” shares, are the “don’t pay to buy, or sell, just pay to own” option. The maximum sales charge is usually 1.0% if sold in the first year.  But C shares typically have the highest annual expenses.

TAI: Tax Advantaged Investment. These are investments or accounts that provide unique tax benefits such as tax-free interest or tax-deferred returns.  Typically, these are retirement savings accounts, municipal bonds and annuities.

UITs, CEFs, LPs & Vas: These are investment products commonly referred to by their acronyms. They are “Unit Investment Trusts,” “Closed-End Funds,” “Limited Partnerships,” and, “Variable Annuitys.” 

Here’s more that fall under the category of investment evaluation:

GARP: “Growth at a Reasonable Price” is a stock investment strategy that seeks to combine growth investing and value investing to select individual stocks.

CAGR: “Compounding Annual Growth Rate.”  This is one of the most accurate ways to calculate and determine returns for investments that rise or fall in value over time.

EPS:  “Earnings Per Share” is a key fundamental expression of company’s earnings on a per share basis simply derived by dividing earnings for a given period by outstanding shares.

PE: “Price: Earnings.” This is a simple ratio of a company’s stock price per share divided by its earnings per share.

PEG: “Price to Earnings Growth.” This ratio is a widely used stock valuation metric of a stock’s possible true value. It evaluates a stock’s price, EPS, and the company’s expected earnings growth.

Then there’s the long list of often confusing certifications and designations earned by investment professionals.  Common ones are:

CFP: “Certified Financial Planner”

CFA: “Chartered Financial Analyst”

CPM: “Certified Portfolio Manager”

RIA: “Registered Investment Advisor”

The skill sets and expertise of these professionals differ significantly.

I hope this made some sense of investment alphabet soup. Investing may be confusing, but you do not have to be confused.

Q. My Phalaenopsis Orchids have finished flowering. How far should I cut the brown stem back and how do I get them to rebloom? Also, when should I consider repotting them?

A. Phalaenopsis Orchids are one of the longest blooming and easiest to grow indoor flowering plants. Moisture, light, and nutrients are the three keys necessary for continued success. It’s natural for the old flower stem(s) to turn yellow/brown and die back. I wouldn’t cut the old stem off at the soil; instead, leave a four-inch-long section. A new flower spike should develop off the old stem in about eight to twelve weeks. Insufficient light is the most common reason why they don’t rebloom. The indirect light from a kitchen or bathroom window is usually sufficient. If this isn’t possible, I’d invest in an Agrosun Gro Light from Hydro Farm. The clamp on the light is positioned two to three feet above the Orchid foliage. During the winter months, fifteen to eighteen hours of light is needed and less as the days get longer. The watering schedule doesn’t change once it finishes flowering. Typically, they’re watered once every seven to ten days depending on the location. Orchids are fed monthly with an Orchid Food. Gro More is one of several popular orchid fertilizers available. Gro More’s 20-20-20 is the general-purpose fertilizer for year-round applications. It feeds through leaves and roots stimulating bud formation and root development. Phalaenopsis Orchids are repotted every eighteen to twenty-four months. When repotting, remove all the roots that are a dark-colored, soft and mushy. Sometimes they may be withered and dry, with a fiber running through the middle of the root. Once the roots have been trimmed, center the plant with all of its roots down in the pot and add fresh, pre-moistened orchid bark. The bark should come up just below the bottom of the lower set of leaves. You then wait a week before resuming your regular watering and fertilizing routine.

Q. I have a Hydrangea that I need to transplant into a larger container. When is the best time to do this and can I trim it at the same time?

A. There is no set time when not to transplant or transfer a Hydrangea from one container to another. It’s preferable when the temperatures are cool versus warm, dry conditions.  So, October through May is a good time to transplant. It’s important to note that your plant is probably one of the newer varieties. These varieties bloom both on the new an old wood, so there aren’t any precautions when pruning. This is not the case with varieties planted in the last century as they bloom only the second-year wood. With these varieties, you prune off the spent flowers and stems as close to the ground as you can get and prune the rest of the growth lightly to shape it. If you prune it too severely, you remove the flowering growth, and they don’t bloom again until the following year. Hydrangea can be pruned at the time you transplant or at another time.  This is a judgment call on your part. The typical time to prune is late fall through March or after a flush of flowers. If you prune too late into the spring, the flowering cycle will be disrupted and they’ll bloom much later than normal.

Q. Four years ago, we planted a dwarf Blood Orange. The first two years this young tree produced no fruit, then last year it had one orange; however, when we cut it open, it was a regular orange color with a slight red color around the edge of the rind. This year the tree has twenty large oranges. How do we know if the orange flesh will be blood red inside?

A. Blood oranges can be quite fickle. The red color, as well as the maturity, is determined by the variety as well as the location.  Mora, Sanguinelli, and Tarocco are the three most popular Blood Orange varieties planted. While they all turn orange when expected, they’re not necessarily mature, sweet or juicy. Blood oranges require warm to hot summer days to mature plus frequent watering. The maturity date is extended by a mild summer. In addition, they tend to be sour when planted along the coast because of the summer marine layer. Tarocco matures mid-February to May. The flesh color tends to be unreliable and deeply pigmented. The rind is orange blushed with red at maturity.  Sanguinelli ripens in March thru mid-May with an orange flesh streaked with red. Moro’s flesh is a deep red, violet or burgundy and is harvested between February and April. You’ll have to use trial and error to determine when they are ripe on your tree. Also, the fruit may have to hang on the tree longer after the expected ripening date so be patient. I’m going to guess that the best quality fruit comes later.

Recent studies make it clear that having quality sleep and getting enough sleep are vital to a healthy, active, long lasting, and cognitively rich life. Losing an hour of sleep, such as during spring daylight savings time, results in 25% more heart attacks in adults the next day. Studies also show that simply getting one more hour of sleep contributes to better grades and more graduations from high school. For children, healthy sleep is also necessary for proper development of the heart.

How to improve sleep quality:

• Have a regular bedtime. 
• Have a regular bedtime routine.
• Avoid blue light, a.k.a. screen time on phones, computers and TV.  We evolved on fire light, so did our brains. 
• Stay away from mind-stimulating activities after dinner. News, social media, and video games prevent our bodies from preparing for sleep. 
• Don’t do financial things, like paying bills, after dinner.
• Make a prioritized, hand-written to-do list that includes handling worries, and get in the habit of following it. It has been found that during sleep, if the list is hand-written, our brains are sometimes able to solve or clarify problems. This may be because there is too much clutter in our minds when we are awake.
• Try meditation or mindfulness training. These methods have been proven to lower blood pressure. Could it be that lower blood pressure helps you sleep?  Body relaxation, yoga, and breathing techniques when combined with meditation can be profound.
• Avoid alcohol.  Yes, having a drink before bed, “a night cap,” can lull your mind into falling asleep, but it has a rebound effect that wakes you up at about 3 or 4 am.

Those of you addicted to “modern” pharmaceutical medicine may be more inclined take a pill like Ambien or Lunesta. While short term use is sometimes necessary with certain life events, it is important to avoid long term regular use as there are side effects. One very important side effect is that, even though you get to sleep, these medications can prevent the achievement or quantity of REM sleep. The areas of the brain that turn on during REM sleep seem to help learning, memory, and cognition. Dreams happen during the REM stage of sleep. The body becomes immobile during REM sleep which allows the Glial cells, whose duty is to pad and protect the neurons, to shrink to one tenth their size. In this state the brain is allowed to have a fluid exchange eliminating the waste that was accumulated since your last REM sleep. This phenomenon could explain why untreated OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) can result in an increased incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, not to mention the cognitive interference that can be caused. No matter what, always avoid a drug dependence.

Melatonin is a hormone created by our brains once the sun goes down. It helps your body know when it is time to sleep or wake up. The amount of light you get each day, plus your own body clock, set how much your body makes. Taking melatonin can actually lessen the body’s ability to produce it, possibly because of the overdosing.  New melatonin sprays using very small amounts have been introduced to counteract this problem, but the results are not yet clear. I have seen short-term use of a small dosed, timed-release melatonin work quite well.

One problem that promotes poor sleep is that almost all of us are magnesium deficient.  Almost no farms replace minerals to the soil and magnesium (Mg) is one of the most important. Among many vital functions, magnesium has been proven to decrease anxiety and promote sleep.  I take “Magnesium L-Threonate” every night two hours before bed. I usually fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, and stay asleep all night. If you have trouble with sleep and are trying to stop taking prescribed sleep medications, I recommend that you consult an integrative practitioner about supplements that might help.

Even though you may have great lifestyle habits including diet, exercise, and mindfulness training, without enough sleep, optimal health is almost impossible to achieve. At my practice, the Advanced Oral Diagnosis and Treatment Center, we treat the patient, not just the symptoms, with no pharmaceuticals. For more information visit www.aodtc.com or call 925-837-8048.

Recently, a patient and friend of mine shared with me the dilemma of his hearing loss and the effect it is having on his quality of life. He confided that feeling left out of conversations due to his inability to hear every word caused him to feel disconnected from his friends and family and prohibited him from engaging with others in the way that he wanted. He explained that the extra energy required to carefully decode conversations by focusing on facial expressions, lip reading and extrapolating from non-auditory cues frequently left him feeling fatigued, both emotionally and physically. He felt lonely from the divide: “I don’t feel like I fit into the hearing world, but I don’t fit into the deaf world, ether. Where do I belong?”

Ironically, feeling disconnected is a universal sentiment. Most of us feel like we “don’t fit in” for one reason or another during one or more episodes of our lives. Perhaps conquering this perception is yet another one of life’s challenges that causes us to grow and adjust in order to have “more” at the other end of the ordeal. Perhaps this super knowledge allows us to be more sympathetic, empathetic, patient, kind and caring because we can more easily connect with others who have had or are having an isolation hardship.

Oftentimes we feel more disconnected as a result of our inaction rather than from the effect of someone else’s actions. For example, some people with hearing loss may typically not ask those around to repeat what they had said because of not wanting to be a bother or a burden on the conversation. Instead they may sit smiling and even laugh on cue to display that they are hearing like everyone else. Connectedness, though, is the product of sharing and communicating. Usually those connecting within a group benefit when everyone contributes to the conversation. If someone chooses to withhold their communication for any reason and they do not share their experience, thoughts and feelings, then the whole group is lacking for that person’s input because that individual is just as cherished and enjoyed as everyone else in the group.

Even if a person doesn’t have the gift of all five senses, he can connect with fewer. Albeit a more difficult task, it’s well worth the effort. For example, Helen Keller as a child only knew how to communicate by acting out. She tried so hard to communicate that she was considered to be an unruly dolt. When she was given the tools to communicate appropriately, her genius was revealed and so many people have since benefitted from her persistence and having survived a terrible misfortune.

I believe that people tend to be much more aware of their own impairments or shortcoming than others are critical of them. We tend to focus on what we can’t do rather than what we can do.  Others are much better at seeing our strengths and what we have to give because they are looking for the attributes in us. Everyone has imperfections but if we look for others to connect with who don’t have the same ones that we do, we can then be stronger by association. So, the answer to, “Where do I belong?” is “You belong where you are.” You are with the people who love you and will always want to connect with you. You will continue to meet people who find you absolutely delightful because who you are doesn’t depend on your hearing acuity. Perhaps communication is more difficult than it used to be but the expression that “nothing in life worth having comes easy” always resonates truthfully.

Your skin—almost 20 square feet—is the window into your body. The skin is the largest most visible organ of the body and reflects the status of your overall health. It is the first line of defense against disease, infection, and other environmental factors. It helps control body temperature, reflects your health, and plays a vital role in your appearance.

Diagnosing and managing conditions of the skin, hair, and nails is the lifelong passion of a Dermatologist who knows that when something’s going wrong on the inside, the first place it often shows up is on the outside. If you are overworked, run down, fatigued, and your skin is pale and dry, you could have any number of health conditions that your dermatologist can often spot before your family doctor.

So, if you have an itch, a rash, or something weird going on with your skin, it could be your body’s way of telling you to take a closer look. Most of the time, it’s nothing to worry about. But a skin condition that’s severe or just does not go away with home treatment is a signal to check with an expert.

Here are some health secrets that your skin cannot hide from your dermatologist.

Secret #1: An Overall Itch Can Signal Internal Trouble

Among the causes of severe itching are anemia, liver or kidney problems, drug reactions and allergies, or even internal cancer. Such problems affect everyone from newborns to great-great-grandparents, and being healthy is fundamental regardless of your age. Itching can be treated but it is also important to look further and address diet, exercise, overdue mammogram or colonoscopy, blood pressure, and other imbalances in health and wellness.

Secret #2: Hair Loss in Women

Dermatologists treat problems with one’s hair and nails too. One frequent complaint:  Hair loss that continues for months or even years. It’s almost an epidemic among women. In postmenopausal women, it often turns out that their ratio of androgens (often referred to a “male” hormone, even though they’re present and play a role in both men and women) to estrogens (“female” hormones) increases. And when higher levels of androgens are circulating in women, hair loss is a common, early symptom.

The good news, this type of hair loss is often temporary. You may not regain your hair’s full volume, but there are many simple cosmetic ways and products to make the hair look thicker. And for more serious loss, dermatologists also recommend topical solution minoxidil 5% and a newer technique called platelet-rich-plasma therapy (PRP).

PRP requires a small amount of your blood and a machine then separates the red blood cells and plasma. This platelet-rich -plasma (PRP) is then injected into the scalp to encourage growth of the hair follicles. The procedure takes just about 30 minutes and uses your own growth cells to stimulate the production of new hair without the worry of allergic reaction. You will return for repeated injection based on your particular needs and response.

Unfortunately, in some cases, other health conditions might be at play. The American Academy of Dermatology counts some 30 diseases that can cause hair loss, including thyroid disease and anemia. The first thing we do is test your blood to check hormone and thyroid levels and we may also check for levels of ferritin, which shows how much iron your body is storing. If it’s low, that’s likely causing hair loss. After taking iron supplements the shedding usually stops. As always, before taking any new medications, let your doctor know about any prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, or supplements you take.

Secret #3: Unsightly Skin Growths May Be More Than Age Spots

New skin growths are common after age 55, and many are harmless. Skin tags, for example, are flesh-colored growths that look like a soft fold of skin. They’re rarely harmful, but if they frequently get caught on your clothes or jewelry, they can be removed.

Another common issue: seborrheic keratoses, which are scaly, wart-like growths on your face, chest, shoulders or back that vary in color from light tan to brown or black. Like skin tags, if seborrheic keratoses get irritated from your clothes they can be removed safely.

The challenge: It is difficult for a layperson to distinguish between harmless and harmful growths. One sign you should call your dermatologist is a sudden appearance of new growths or any growth that appears to be changing. Any growth on your body that changes in size, color, or shape, could turn out to be melanoma, the most lethal type of skin cancer.

Secret #4: Cracked, Dry Skin Can Reveal a Serious Health Problem

This is something that hits almost everyone in the dead of winter. But if it lasts well into spring or if you don’t usually experience dry skin, this could be a sign of a more serious health problem. If it also becomes itchy, painful or even bleeding it could be a sign of an underlying problem, including diabetes, kidney disease, or underactive thyroid. All these conditions impact your body’s ability to stay hydrated and maintain healthy moisture levels. As a first step, try drinking more water and massaging a thick, oil-based cream moisturizer into your skin. If that doesn’t help, it may be the warning signal that gets you into our office for a full checkup.

Secret #5: Skin Discolorations Could Mean You’re Missing Key Nutrients

Sometimes, people experience a dusky yellowish change in the color of their skin. You might even see a little yellowing in the whites of your eyes. This can be a sign of dehydration or a vitamin deficiency. Your skin cells count on a steady diet of water and a full range of vitamins—including A, B12, C, E, and K for a healthy complexion. Feeling pretty good about your eating habits and water intake? Sallow skin can also be a sign of jaundice, hepatitis or gallstones. And yellow nails could indicate a bacterial or fungal infection. Your skin could be discolored even before you have any other internal symptoms. So, if your color looks “off,” your next call should be to your dermatologist.

It makes sense to trust something as important as your skin to an expert with years of experience. A Board-Certified Dermatologist MD is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology (FAAD). Many MDs call themselves dermatologists or cosmetic skin care specialists, but do not have the extra years of training and national testing required to achieve FAAD.

Advanced Laser & Skin Care Center provides full service cosmetic and medical dermatology for the entire family in a conveniently located spa-like environment.

While I was growing up, we moved a lot. Not far mind you—just from town to town, throughout Contra Costa County. Between birth and age eighteen, our family lived in Pleasant Hill, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Alamo, Danville, San Ramon, Martinez, and Concord.

As for school, I attended Kindergarten at Oak Park Elementary in Pleasant Hill (no longer there), first grade at Happy Valley in Lafayette, second and third grades at Walnut Heights in Walnut Creek, fourth and fifth at Rancho Romero in Alamo, sixth at Vista Grande in Danville, seventh at Los Cerros in Danville, eighth at Valley View in Pleasant Hill (we lived in Martinez then), and all four years of high school at Las Lomas in Walnut Creek. In case you weren’t counting, that’s eight different schools.

Why all the moves? My mom. She’s always been a “grass is greener over there” person. Even after I moved away from home, my parents continued moving to other places even farther away, including Angel’s Camp, Jamestown, Murphy’s, Arnold, and Gardnerville, Nevada. And after my dad passed away in 1995, mom continued exploring, adding Altaville, Avery, and Westpoint, California, as well as Wyoming, Las Vegas, and even the Virgin Islands, to her resume.     

One of the—I suppose you could say “benefits”—of moving so often, was that we kept things cleaned-out. In fact, I realized later in life that my mom wasn’t, and isn’t still, what one would call a “sentimental person.” She threw stuff out. There are no gold star-laden tests, hand-print turkey posters, or macaroni collages cluttering up her closet. I think she does still have a resin “diamond” necklace that I made in fourth grade for her, but not much else that I know of. Even family photos weren’t off limits, as I once had to intervene when I found her tossing Kodak prints into the fireplace because we “had too many photos.”

Another benefit of moving so often was I learned to become fast friends (I mean “fast” as in “quickly”) with anyone next to me, whether sitting in class or otherwise. If you’re a parent wondering how best to accelerate your kids’ relationship skills, just yank them out of school every year and deposit them in amongst a new set of classroom chums. It’s a sink or swim experience to be sure, but fortunately, I managed to stay afloat long enough in the early years, to then develop the strokes necessary to carry me the entire distance.

I can imagine some perhaps reading this, thinking, “How awful; what insensitive  parents!” I believe, today, making kids change schools is generally avoided at all costs. Afterall, they might be traumatized; they might not be able to handle it!

Seriously, if you’re a parent who is perhaps dealing with making decisions about your kids changing schools, take a deep breath and relax. My parents never seemed concerned about moving and school changes, so while I may have been a tad bothered by it, I certainly wasn’t “traumatized” by the experience. They didn’t make it a big deal, so it wasn’t one to me, either. In fact, looking back on it, I’d say it was all a net-plus.

To this day, I love meeting and getting to know people, and enjoy conversations with just about anyone. Yeah, my wife, Peggy, rolls her eyes all the time because now I’m that (old) guy who talks to grocery clerks, waiters and waitresses, shoppers in line, or the guy (or woman) in the car next to me at the gas station.

Are you moving again? Are your kids facing a new class full of strangers? 

Just throw ‘em in. They’ll do just fine.

Hear me, my chiefs. Please, hear me wise elder Indian woman. Hear me young Indian braves and mighty warriors. Hear me beautiful young Indian maiden. And most of all, hear me all young red children and our ancestors alike.

For long now we had struggled. For so long now we have been oppressed. For too long now, like the land, like all the Creator’s gifts, we have been ravaged by rage. Ravaged by rage so dastardly, so cowardly, so defiantly, that at times it seems that we have been turned into nothing but the dirt of the land. That a polished America would rather close its eyes and turn its head, so as not to see the red ones like you and me; like the ashes that fall to the ground as we dance and burn the sacred Sage.

Hear me now, my red sisters and brethren alike. Hear me as I say to you, that we must now make our point and take a stand. We must make our voices heard—loud, strong and clear—and not just wave our hands, with our fingers in the air.

Please. Hear me, my red family, as I say once again, that we must be loud enough to be heard, by not only ourselves but also by those in charge—the government men, who they themselves, do not know, but who are all but a group of ignorant, un-compassionate, robotic, workshop elves.

Hear me, all government men and ladies alike, and those who stand unjustly in the shadows as well. For 525 years you have beguiled, tattered, slammed, and battered us—our women, our children, and our Mother Earth, the land itself.

Maybe, if you felt as American Indians, Mr. Government Man, after all you have done to shame and disparage us; sent here to do all that you have done, in the form or by the existence of the Creator’s hand, then, and only then, maybe we would understand.

But as we see it, all you have come here to do with us and the land, as accorded by your ruling hand, is what must be a part of the devil’s grand plan and evil brand.

So please hear me, Mr. Government Man, as we ask you when—when will you one-day wake up from your demonic sleep, to see us as red-skinned, red-blooded Americans, not as problematic, abominations of nature, but literally as your fellow man? Hear me, ALL people. Please, hear me!                                                                

When you think of a musical instrument one does not necessarily think about its size. However, one of the largest instruments is the traditional pipe organ. Obviously, it’s not the small organ found in many homes, but the massive instrument found in many churches and auditoriums.

The theatre organ, a close cousin of the pipe organ, is an even larger, more massive instrument than its cousin. The theatre organ is a musical instrument phenomenon of the early 20^th century.

Ancient origins of the organ date to circa 250 BC. The main developments occurred between the 14^th and 18^th centuries with many newer innovations in the 19^th century. Interestingly, the organ was basically the only instrument not prohibited by the church in the Dark Ages. 

The Theatre Organ

The theatre organ would not have existed without the advent of motion pictures and the impressive buildings where they were shown. Theatre organs were used for Broadway musicals and Hollywood movies. One can readily see how important the theatre organ was to the budding motion picture industry. The organ and its various components brought excitement and created a sense of realism to the silent images portrayed on the screen.

Some of the theatres were known as “movie palaces” or a “cathedral of motion pictures.” Since early films were silent, music was needed to enhance the drama on the screen. Musicians were hired and in the larger venues a full orchestra was used. However, in smaller houses only a few musicians were needed and just one was often hired in many theatres.

An instrument was needed to take the place of an orchestra or small ensemble—enter the theatre organ. There was also an economic factor in the equation;  it was more economical to hire only one musician rather than many in an orchestra.

At first the traditional pipe organ was used but that proved inadequate. With new innovations, the pipe organ was adapted to achieve the desired purposes that better suited the action on the screen.

Builders: The new renovations to the pipe organ were the brain-child of English inventor, Robert Hope-Jones. Many of his innovations were done in England. When he arrived in America, he partnered with German immigrant Rudolph Wurlitzer and his company in New York. Hope-Jones ideas were brought to fruition with Wurlitzer and the resulting instrument was called the “Wurlitzer-Hope-Jones Unit Orchestra,” that became the “Mighty Wurlitzer.” This instrument was a one-man substitute for the orchestra.

            Unfortunately, because of differences with the Wurlitzer Company, in 1914 Hope-Jones committed suicide. His ideas and inventions went on to markedly influence the building of theatre organs. The Wurlitzer Company continued to expand, and it became the largest maker of theatre organs in the world.

Other manufactures were: Bartola Company in Wisconsin; Robert Morton Company in California; Marr and Colton Company in New York and the Page Organ Company in Ohio. Builders of church and pipe organs also built theatre organs in the teens and the 1920s. Many theatre organs were installed in sports arenas, civic buildings and churches. Many were electric powered in the 1920s and 1930s.

Organ Components: There are characteristics that distinguish a theatre organ from a traditional pipe organ in a church or concert hall. In small venues and private homes, the components are all housed in a self-contained enclosure. In larger venues the components were installed in various spaces in the building. The console was visible near the stage. The other components were usually not seen.

The horseshoe shaped console consists of two, three or more manuals (keyboards); a semicircle of “tongue-shaped” stop tabs, like knobs you pull, and a foot pedal board played by the feet, plus many other buttons and pedals that control the swell shutters and other mechanics. The console is often positioned on a lift or elevator in front of the theatre screen.

The relay controls the “brains” of the instrument. When keys or stops, are activated, electronic signals direct the correct pipes and other components to sound the pitches.

The blower is a fan that directs the air to blow through the pipes. It also provides the air to sound the pneumatically operated instruments (traps). The blower also operates the swell-shutters and pistons that change many stops. The wind chest is a wood container that houses the pressurized air from the blower.

A set of pipes is known as a “rank of pipes.” Most ranks contain 60 to 70 pipes. The size of the organ determines the number of ranks- small organs have three or four ranks; large organs can have over 50 ranks and 3,000 to 4,000 pipes. Pitch is determined by the size of a pipe. Some pipes are smaller than a pencil. The lowest bass pipe in a large instrument is about 32 feet in length. The differences in pipe size can be enormous.

The traps are real percussion instruments including piano, xylophone, glockenspiel, orchestra bells, and cymbals, among others. These instruments are in pipe chambers. They are actuated from the console and sound by pneumatic action. Beaters are located above the percussion instruments. All the drums, both snare and bass, are activated in the same way.

Other sound effects like sirens, horns, whistles, sleigh bells and bird calls are all sounded from the console. Sometimes miles of electrical and wind lines are used for all components of the organ.

Many of the traps and components are at various distances from each other. One example is the organ in New York’s Radio City Music Hall. The Wurlitzer Organ, installed in 1932, has 56 ranks – and is the largest original Wurlitzer installation. This one organ has more wiring than all of Rockefeller Center.

There are many large theatre organs located in various parts of the country. Locally, one can hear an authentic theatre organ concert on the Spreckels Organ, at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor Art Museum, at Lincoln Park in San Francisco.

Are you interested in playing the organ?

Before you can learn to play the organ, most teachers will advise you to study the piano for at least a year. The challenges involved in learning the organ—using the keyboards and foot pedals, plus learning to read the musical scores—makes learning this instrument difficult. One must be dedicated to master the organ.

Many thanks to Professor Donald Plondke, organist, pianist and vocalist, for his contribution to the research for this article.

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net

Visit our website at www.danville.org  for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.