October 2019

Welcome to the Investor’s Edge column and the last article in my six-part series on the financial planning process. Last, but not least, Estate Planning is the sixth essential part of the process. All six steps are equally critical to the success of the financial planning process, and while I have not addressed them in any particular order, estate planning may be the best to discuss last in this series because it is ultimately the sum of all the parts of your financial plan. If estate planning conjures up thoughts of the fame and fortune such as the vast wealth of Bruce Wayne, the billionaire with a butler (remember Batman?), think again. Estate planning is a method that enables you to decide how the things you own should be handled after your death or incapacitation.

The best way to predict the future is to plan for it.—Abraham Lincoln

Sadly, many people put off creating an estate plan or think they don’t have enough assets to need one. Sadder still are the uber-rich that just put off estate planning.  Well-known people have died intestate, meaning without a valid will.  Ironically, President Abraham Lincoln was one of those. Lincoln was a respected and esteemed lawyer, but he didn’t even have the legal services needed to create a will for himself.  It is estimated that his estate was worth about $100,000 at his death in 1865, which would be several million dollars today. The lack of a will created over two years of delay in his estate going to his surviving wife and two sons. Likely an early end to his life at 56 was a reason. Sonny Bono, Pablo Picasso, Howard Hughes, James Brown, and John Denver, all passed away intestate. More recently, Aretha Franklin and Prince are among the wealthy people who died without wills or estate plans. This tied up Franklin’s $80 million estate and Prince’s $200 million estate as both landed in probate.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE RICH TO HAVE AN ESTATE PLAN

At a minimum, an estate plan allows you to select someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf after your death or if you become incapacitated. This enables your wishes to be carried out quickly and smoothly to avoid probate. Many mistakenly believe estate planning as a technique to minimize taxes.  True, a blunt way to refer to “estate tax” is “death tax.”  Your estate tax liability, if you have one, is the tax you pay when you die.  It is a tax owed on the value of all the things you own at your demise.  The good news is, the IRS gave us all a Unified Tax Credit to apply to our estate at death. This year it is $11.4 million (you get $22.8 million if married). Therefore, after applying that credit to the value of your estate when you die, only any amount above the credit is taxed. So, while it would be a nice problem to have, most people won’t pay an estate tax.  Reducing your estate tax bill, then, is probably not the primary reason to have an estate plan.

Estate planning is about making sure your wishes are carried out.  It gives you “post-mortem control”—the ability to be the boss of what you earned and saved over your lifetime after you die. An estate plan can also cover the extent of medical treatment you desire.

So, while not all of us will have an estate tax bill to pay, there are several estate planning steps that everyone should take.  Here are five:

Write a Will: If you die without a will—or intestate—state laws, and not your wishes, will decide who gets your assets. Even if your assets do go to the people you intended, it could cost your heirs more time and money to get their inheritance in the probate process.

Consider Tax Issues: It’s said that there are no sure things in life except death and taxes, and the two also often go together. Depending on the value of the estate and other issues, there may be steps you can take, such as establishing a trust or making gifts while you’re still living, that can help lower the taxes your heirs will pay on their inheritance. 

Create a Durable Power of Attorney: These documents designate someone to manage your financial, legal or business affairs in case you are incapacitated. 

Address Medical Decision Making: A living will can establish how you would like your medical care to be handled in case you are unable to speak for yourself. A medical power of attorney names someone to make sure your wishes are followed. 

Fill Out and Regularly Update Your Beneficiary Forms: When you sign up for life insurance or create a retirement account, you are asked to name beneficiaries who would inherit your money if you die. After an important life change—such as marriage, birth of a child or divorce—consider whether you need to update your beneficiaries. 

Now is better than later to establish your estate plan. You never know what can happen. Remember Lincoln. With minimal planning, you will have assurance that your estate and all your assets go to the beneficiaries you choose and on the terms you want.

Please see my November Investor’s Edge column: Understanding the Alphabet Soup of Investing.

Maintaining Financial Health Through the Holiday Season

We all know the drill; we vow each year to spend less and watch our intake of food and alcohol during the holiday season. But the spirit of the season is contagious. We gather with family, friends, and coworkers and share an abundance of food, toast to good health, a vibrant New Year, and shop til’ we drop!

Like a bad cold virus, we all catch it quickly and the next thing you know, the holidays and parties are over, the credit card statements start arriving in the mail, the scale moves up a few pounds, and the New Year starts with the post-party blues versus the bang we all anticipated.

Whether you can afford to pay off the debt or not, overspending and adding an angry inch to the waistline can take the pop out of the champagne bottle and leave the memory of the firework display to feel more like a dud than a grand finale. 

So how do you enjoy the holidays without having the pain of the after-party? One word, MODERATION. Like anything in life, moderation is the key. Regardless of income level, where you live, or your background, moderation is the key to maintaining your financial (and physical) health during the holiday season. A little preplanning blended with a few challenges can spark creativity, keep you on track financially, and reduce the stress of spending. 

The holidays entail loads of lists from grocery shopping lists to gift lists and from decorating lists to entertaining lists. Beginning with entertaining, create a list of all the events you are planning to host and determine how many people will be in attendance. For example, if you are hosting Thanksgiving, make a list of the family and friends who will join and create the menu. Make the menu list as detailed as possible (e.g., appetizers, entrée, side dishes, desserts, beverages, wine, cocktails, etc.).

Challenge: To keep expenses down, ask each person to bring a dish, bottle of wine, or specialty cocktail. Not only does this reduce the cost of hosting, but it also shortens your to-do list and allows guests to showcase their favorite dish or libation. Guests love to help the hostess and contribute to a memorable event.

If you plan to host a holiday party, choose a fun theme and involve your guests. Parties do not have to involve massive amounts of food, nibbles and cheer are typically preferred. Host a wine and hors d’oeuvre party or cookies and cheer party.

Challenge: Ask each guest to bring a bottle of wine, hors d’oeuvre, or a plate of cookies and set a limit on the amount everyone can spend on a bottle of wine. This is a fun, creative, cost-effective way to host a party, have tasty nibbles versus a heavy buffet, and host an evening full of laughter and cheer without breaking the bank—or adding inches to the waistline.

Shopping and gift lists should include gifts for family, friends, colleagues, clients, teachers and hostess gifts. If the list is ridiculously long, reduce the number of individuals you buy for and ask family members to draw names. Family members will likely thank you for introducing this idea as many are in the same boat and would rather spend quality time with you than go into debt buying gifts.

Challenge: Set a limit for the amount each person can spend on the gift and find ways to get creative with gifts. For teachers and colleagues, bake your favorite holiday treat and give a little to everyone on your list. The thought and time that goes into a homemade gift will go a lot farther than buying a gift card to a coffee shop.

Partner up with a family member or friend and coordinate a day to shop together. Find a sale day, coupons, discounts, or offers. Refrain from the temptation to shop for yourself or get lured into retail offers that encourage you to spend more to earn rewards. The rewards can be tempting, and many are not valid until the New Year.

Challenge: Shop together and encourage your partner to only purchase items on the shopping list, share deals and cool gift finds, and see who can save the most. The one who saves the most money wins a small prize (a cup of coffee, lunch, or a baked goodie). 

If you start the season well, you can end the season well. Doing so will help you jumpstart 2020 and put you on the path to your wealthiest and healthiest year yet.

I want to hear from you. Start a challenge today and follow me on Instagram (jodeebrydges1), and share the details of your challenge. Each post will enter you in a chance to win my book, Digging Out!

Jodee Brydges is a Loan Officer at RPM Mortgage and the award-winning author of “Digging Out: A Practical Guide to Getting Out of Debt and Paving a Path to a Secure Financial Future,” published by ALIVE Book Publishing. It is available on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and Target.   

Do you ever find yourself staring at your closet full of clothes feeling like you have nothing to wear? This is a common issue for so many women. Shopping to create complete looks for any occasion can be difficult. Women tend to end up with a closet full of tops and very few bottoms and/or pieces to complete an outfit. After all, it’s easy to walk into a store, see a top you like, and perhaps purchase it without even trying it on. Pieces that complete a look, like pants, a skirt, overlays, shoes, or accessories, take more work. It takes time to consider what you’ll pair the items with—time that gets pushed to the side.

This is just one of the reasons women are opening their closets with no idea of what to wear each day, and it’s why I’m so excited to share a new service offered by the online styling company, Millie and Main. This awesome company offers super affordable monthly styling.

Here’s out it works: Find out what’s in style; discover pieces you already own; learn where to purchase items you are missing, then see complete outfit ideas to wear from day to night.

Each month, Millie and Main releases two complete looks with links for FREE! From there, twelve complete outfit ideas are waiting for ya’, with several links per look. Each look has three options per item. This way, their price points appeal to every shopper! Whether you’re shopping with a budget, or in it to splurge, there are price points for everyone. Never has a stylist-like experience been so easy and so affordable.

For less than $30, Millie and Main’s clients will receive a total of 14 looks of inspiration with hundreds of links, making creating complete looks and getting dressed each morning a piece of cake! Shop for only the things you need and use the pieces you already own to complete the looks. Many clients choose to print their photos and tape them up in their closet. It’s a great way keep inspiration at the forefront. Millie and Main’s clients are no longer opening their closet door and staring at it wondering what the heck they should wear. They’re starting the day picking out their clothes with confidence and feeling stress free.

Become a reoccurring client with a monthly subscription or purchase a month of style inspiration here and there for whenever you’re feeling in need of some new ideas and links. Head on over to millieandmain.com for lots of outfit inspiration and all the links you could ever want.

Thanks for reading dear ones and happy shopping!

I’m always puzzled by people from other states who complain there is no discernable change of seasons in California. I can only assume they’ve never visited a farmers’ market.

Having been born with no desire to rake bushels of leaves or shovel snow out of my driveway, I’m quite content to mark our subtle seasonal transitions with the current bounty of locally grown produce.

Though warm summer days are merely a memory, we can still stock up on end-of-season vine-ripened tomatoes. (And don’t forget to pick up some hard-to-find immature green tomatoes for frying.) Multi-color sweet bell peppers abound, as do tender arugula leaves; aromatic fennel; just-picked Brussels sprouts; and newly harvested sweet potatoes.

After months of outdoor entertaining, my nesting instincts have kicked in. I find it impossible to leave the farmers’ market without crunchy Asian pears and sweet grapes for snacking; a few glossy Hachiya persimmons to ripen on the kitchen counter; an armload of pomegranates to pile onto a delft platter for the dining table; voluptuous pears to admire in a wooden bowl until they find their way into salads or desserts; and—of course—a family of pumpkins and other big, gnarly winter squash to enchant even the most jaded spirits.

Beeswax candles and fresh flowers abound—now in ivory and shades of gold, rust, and sage. These are the transitional colors that dominate the next few weeks—at the farmers’ market, as well as at home.

This month ends with an explosion of pre-Holiday whimsy and pumpkin-spiced everything. But Halloween is not just about the boos. It’s also the perfect excuse to go a little batty with friends—with or without the benefit of costumes.  

As legions of little boys and ghouls deplete your candy supply, scare up something spooktacular that doesn’t require adults to be seated at the table. And since you don’t want to be stuck alone in the kitchen on the scariest of nights, I’m bringing you a ghostly white recipe that can be made up to 3 days in advance. And easily doubled for a crowd. It’s magic from the farmers’ market.

A cauldron of warm and comforting soup, loaded with bewitching garnishes of your choosing, will cast the desired spell without breaking the bank. Serve alongside a monstrous green salad and crusty whole-grain artisan bread.

For dessert, skip the poison apples and instead bake some devilishly good ones into a pie or tart. It will be a dinner to die for.

Farmers’ Haute Potato Soup

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups total)

Salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

2 or 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (to ward off vampires)

2 to 2 1/4 pounds russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

Eye of newt (optional)

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot or 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, season with salt and cayenne, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add the potatoes and broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the potatoes are very soft, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Using an immersion (stick) blender, puree the soup. (Alternatively, let cool 10-15 minutes and then, working in small batches, puree in a blender and return the soup to the pot.)
4. Stir in the cream and cook over medium heat until warmed through. Taste, adding salt and more cayenne as needed. Ladle into bowls or mugs and let each guest garnish as desired. Makes about 8 cups, to serve 6.

 Suggested Garnishes:

Freshly ground black pepper (or offer a peppermill)

Chopped fresh parsley and/or cilantro

Chopped fresh chives or green onions

Chopped fresh rosemary or thyme

Basil Pesto

Finely chopped jalapeno or serrano chile peppers

Thinly sliced spinach or arugula leaves

Sautéed mushrooms

Homemade croutons

Crumbled cooked bacon

Diced pancetta, cooked until nicely browned and crisp

Small chunks of cooked spicy sausage

Shredded cheese, such as cheddar or jack

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Sour cream or crème fraiche

The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad & 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.org. 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!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles stars Steve Martin as Neal Page, an uppity marketing executive who, on a flight home at Thanksgiving, finds himself bumped from first class and forced to sit in the tourist section next to a boorish and emotionally needy Del Griffith, a shower curtain salesman played by none other than John Candy. Del dresses funny, is too eager to be helpful, and has abominable snacking habits. Most reprehensible, he stole a cab from Neal when both were fighting their way to the airport.

When a snow storm in Chicago closes the airport, the plane is routed to Wichita. These two ill-matched travelers find themselves stuck together for a series of misadventures on the road. You sense immediately that circumstances are going to make Neal and Del strange bedfellows in motel hell. You know too, that much worse will follow as this misalliance uses all the modes of transportation specified in the title (plus such unnamed delights as a farm truck, a refrigerator truck and a bus that grinds to an unpleasant halt) in the desperate effort to get home.

It is, of course, always a pleasure to watch Martin’s steam-gauge face register his rising internal pressures and to witness his exquisitely expressed blow-offs. But Candy offers even more insinuating delights. Covering lonely need with empty gab, insecurity with a not entirely trustworthy savvy, he is the most dangerous kind of pest, the type who worms rather than blusters his way into your life. The movie works the same way. For all its broadly farcical air, Planes, Trains and Automobiles finally seals its bond with the audience the same way.

Writer, director, producer John Hughes drew out superb performances by both leads. Man versus technology has been one of the staples of screen comedy since the earliest silent days, and Hughes makes the most of the format here packing as many of the frustrations of modern life as he can into this calamitous travelogue of roadside America.

Now a word about Canadian Actor John Candy. John Franklin Candy (yes, that was his real name) died of a heart attack at the age of 43 while filming Wagons East in Durango, Mexico. Primarily a character actor, John was in so many riotous comedies there are too many to list here. He left two children, one long term marriage and was memorialized on one Canadian stamp. He left a legacy of laughter.

While Planes, Trains and Automobiles has an R rating (Martin drops the F-word about 20 times in a single scene) it is still being quoted by a whole generation. So, either watch it after the young ones are abed or do some real explaining before it starts, but find the time during this season to cuddle up on the couch and laugh till your sides hurt. Once again, I invite your comments at chastings@rockcliff.com.

I have always been the type of mom who takes initiative in seeking out activities for both of my children to enjoy. My son, Stefan, who is now 18 and attending UC Irvine, had no limitations pertaining to education or in choosing a sport or hobby. His sister, Naomi, an enutero stroke survivor that has overcome many challenges, enjoys the outdoors and just as many activities, although I must be more selective based on her abilities.

Ten years have passed since her birth and with each new year, I learn anew how to come to terms with the reality of learning to navigate the special needs world. Whether it be the stress of her medical appointments, paperwork, therapy, or educational goals, like many other families of the special needs community, I try to live one day at a time as I tame my worries about her future. 

What helps most with offsetting the mental bouts of “future tripping” are the many groups and foundations that she has been able to enjoy. One of the most recent adventures she and I enjoyed was a day of experiencing the sport of fishing with the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation. Short for “Catch a Special Thrill,” the time she spent that day catching her first fish was definitely a thrill. 

Formed in 1991 by Jim Powell, who wanted to provide an activity that people of all abilities could equally enjoy, he connected “passioneers” of fishing with children who were diagnosed with physical or developmental challenges to enjoy a day of fishing.  The foundation became an official 501(c)3 in 1994 and currently hosts three programs: C.A.S.T. for Kids, Fishing Kids, and Take a Warrior Fishing.

With fishing events throughout the United States, families are taken on a fishing adventure by many people who not only volunteer their time but also their boats.  C.A.S.T. dedicates all funds throughout the year with monies exclusively used for all the supplies. Supported by many other organizations such as California Boating & Waterway and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, free safety education is provided along with ensuring appropriate fitting of life jackets.

The energy of pure joy was matched with a sense of responsibility for the sport along with the dedication of providing a momentous occasion for children (and their families!).  The day also included each child being given their very own fishing rod, a fully stocked tackle box, and a BBQ lunch to enjoy after an awesome boat ride. 

In attendance that day was also Assemblyman Jim Frazier, who assisted with the event as a special needs advocate and provided many resources that helped make this event at the Sugar Barge Resort on Bethel Island possible. If that wasn’t enough, through the many organizing tasks of volunteer coordinators Renza Badilla and Nicholas Schofield, BASS Competition members were integrated to add even more pro fisherman to the list of kind-hearted individuals that dedicate their day and skills. 

It was such a great time for my daughter and I.  She was shown the despite difficult challenges someone may face in this world, there are activities such as fishing that make it very easy to have a successful day. We got the pleasure of her being shown the basics of fishing, along with being on a beautiful boat, by BASS Angler magazine owner Mark Lassagne.

The focus on enjoying the experience was felt through the entire event. And, unlike the small fish we may catch that are too small to keep, the memories created for my daughter cannot be thrown back. They are forever hers to keep. It will be a conversation that she will get to share with her kids one day.  C.A.S.T. For Kids will be a “throwback” recollection shared by the many that were blessed to attend. The thrills of catching that first fish will make waves for years to come. Thank you, C.A.S.T. For Kids, for catching so many hearts of so many families and providing a day where everyone was included in learning the love of fishing. 

For more information about the C.A.S.T. For Kids Foundation, please visit: castforkids.org

The Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, currently named RingCentral Coliseum, is the only remaining stadium to share home games with both an MLB and NFL team.  It appears that those days are numbered, with the planned move of the Raiders to Las Vegas next year.  So, let’s revisit some noteworthy October events with the Oakland Coliseum.

1)  On October 17^th, 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake hit just before the start of Game three of the World Series, the “Battle of the Bay,” between the A’s and Giants.  The World Series stopped for ten days.  The A’s had won the first two games, held at the Coliseum.  Who was the MVP for the (finally) winning Oakland A’s on October 28th?   

2)  On October 24^th, 1976, the Raiders were in the middle of the season that would bring them their first Super Bowl victory. They defeated the Green Bay Packers 18-14.  John Madden was coaching the Raiders, of course, and opposite him was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, who one year later would make it to the Hall of Fame.  Name that coach.

3)  One of the peaks of the rock band “The Who” was their 1976 tour. They played at the Coliseum on the 9^th.  Who was the drummer, who would be dead less than a year later?

4)  Opening for “The Who” that October day was a band that still holds the record for most concert appearances in the Coliseum. Name that local band.

5)  On October 13th, 1973, the Oakland A’s were on their way to their second consecutive World Series victory, this time over the New York Mets. Who started in place of Rusty Staub for the Mets that day? It was his final major league start.

6)  On October 26^th, 1980, the Oakland Raiders defeated the Seattle Seahawks 33-14 at the Coliseum. What Raiders quarterback threw multiple touchdown passes that day, on his way to becoming Super Bowl MVP?    

From July through November, vineyards across the country are harvesting their grapes. It’s an exciting time, filled with hope and great promise. The date of the harvest changes from year to year, depending on the ripeness of the fruit. In warm, sunny years, grapes ripen quickly and need to be harvested early, before they begin to raisinate, or dry up on the vines. In cooler years with little sun, the grapes may need to stay on the vine considerably longer to achieve their maximum sweetness potential.

Grape sugars are measured in “brix.” Vineyard managers and winemakers work together to determine the harvest date based on the rising brix levels. If the brix are too low, the alcohol will be low in the finished wine and the wine may seem thin and acidic. If the brix are too high, the alcohol level in the wine will be overblown and result in an unbalanced or “hot” wine. Skilled wine producers keep a close eye on the brix as grapes begin to ripen and are ready to launch the harvest at a moment’s notice. Local weather also affects the date of the harvest. If a rainstorm is predicted, a vineyard may hustle to start picking grapes before the first drops of water fall.   

The harvest at a big commercial vineyard is different from that of a small or family-run vineyard. Commercial wineries often utilize machines to harvest their fruit, especially in bulk wine production. Some harvesting machines literally shake the vines violently until the grapes drop off. It’s rough on both the grapes and the vines. Grapes are often bruised or damaged and there’s no way to avoid over-ripe, under-ripe, or green grapes from being included in the bounty.

Harvesting by hand is most common in small vineyards, and always used in organic vineyards, biodynamic vineyards, and vineyards with expensive, high quality grapes. When quality is prioritized over quantity, hand harvesting is the only sensible choice. While some vineyards hire workers for the harvest, many vineyards employ the hands and hearts of their communities. Local people join together and create friendly work crews to bring in the harvest. Volunteers begin picking the grapes in the wee early morning hours, before the harsh rays of the sun beat down upon the vines.

One California vineyard that makes use of local helping hands is Condor’s Hope in the beautiful Cuyama valley at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountains. Established in 1995 in the northern extreme of Santa Barbara County, no fog or soft ocean breezes touch this rugged landscape. It is arid and dry, covered in native blue oak trees and golden chaparral. At an elevation of 2400 feet, the area enjoys what’s known as a “Mediterranean climate.” Hot summer days followed by cool evenings allow the grapevines a slow, even ripening process.

Owners Roberta “Robbie” Jaffe and Steve Gliessman have created in Condor’s Hope their own environmentally-friendly Shangri-La. Sharing a lifelong commitment to creating healthy food systems to benefit both the environment and the consumer, Robbie and Steve put their principles to practice with Condor’s Hope. The entire estate is off the grid and powered only by solar panels and passive solar heated water. In addition to five acres of grapevines, many rows of beautiful French, Italian, and Spanish olive trees line the landscape and provide zesty, robust cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil to members of the Condor’s Hope Wine Club and the local community.

Named after the endangered condor, North America’s largest flying land bird, Condor’s Hope, is a tribute to the 1992 reintroduction to the wild of the condor in the nearby Los Padres National Forest. Robbie and Steve believe the name “captures the hope embodied by their resurgence and the care of the environment needed for all of us to flourish.”

The vineyard at Condor’s Hope is organic and entirely dry-farmed, meaning without use of irrigation. This practice both protects and conserves natural resources. Traditional dry-farming is the norm in many parts of Europe where irrigation of vineyards is prohibited by law. The principle is that without irrigation, the vines (and olive trees) grow strong with extensive root systems that learn to search for groundwater deep in the soil.

The vines are head-pruned rather than trained out on wires and look a bit like small trees. Dry-farmed grapevines are hardy enough to survive even in years of extreme drought. In addition, the grapes produced through dry-farming have an intensity of flavor not shared by grapes from irrigated vines, which can become bloated and flavorless due to an overabundance of water.

Condor’s Hope produces anywhere from 250 to 450 cases of wine per year. Among the grapes grown on the estate are Zinfandel, Shiraz, Mourvedre, Mission, and Pedro Ximenez. Condor’s Hope winemaker, Ryan Stirm, deftly creates bold and savory, fruit-forward wines with the distinct herbal qualities of juniper, wild grass, and thyme. Most popular are the rich Zinfandel and spicy Shiraz. The zippy dry white Pedro Ximenez is made from a little-known Spanish grape normally used to craft sweet sherry. The resulting wine is unique and delicious.

When choosing a wine, why go with ordinary? California is replete with wonderful family owned vineyards that shower great care and attention to their wines from the ground up. Condor’s Hope is an example of excellence. Their vineyard practices are designed expressly to care for the environment. The extreme attention paid to detail results in finely crafted, high quality, and complex wines.

Check out Condor’s Hope today at www.condorshope.com.  Cheers!

A fabled tradition from our seafaring past has all but disappeared from the rituals of men who go to the sea in ships. The era of singing sea shanties, or “songs of the sea,” was commonplace in the days of sailing ships, long before the 16th century. The singing of these sea songs was classified as folk music and was common in both merchant and naval war ships. Shanty, also spelled chanty or chantey, is derived from the French word chanter, meaning to sing.

 On ships propelled by sails, singing of shanties helped make the sailors workload lighter and improved their spirits. The songs were not only used as work songs but were also sung for enjoyment and recreation.

“Music was important on board a sailing man of war, and instruments such as fiddles, fifes, and flutes were often played when sailors were off duty,” wrote Angus Konstam in Naval Miscellany. “There are reports of sailors singing on board until ordered to their hammocks at ‘pipe down;’ the men continuing to sing in their darkened berth.”

Sea shanties usually follow a similar form, made up of short verses and lively repetitive choruses. Lyrics were often ad-libbed, improvised and often repeated. The rhythm of a song was often more important than the words. Some songs had a call and response format.

While singing aboard ships was prevalent in the sailing era, dancing was a popular form of recreation and exercise and encouraged a positive spirit and attitude. Many sea captains encouraged the singing of shanties. The men enjoyed singing as it helped raise their spirits while doing hard, strenuous, and dangerous work, like furling sails high on the masts. Many songs were handed down from generation to generation and sung for decades. The British Royal Navy had numerous shanties, among these were: Nancy Dawson, Spanish Ladies, and Drops of Brandy.

Some larger ships carried a band that often played Rule Britannia, Hearts of Oak and Britons Strike Home, plus others. Some of the sea shanties originally sung on merchant ships were also popular on ships of war in the Royal Navy. Konstam wrote, “Music like sea shanties made the work appear easier, whether on board a merchant vessel or a sailing man-of-war.”

“Shanties contribute to the health, morale, rhythm and cohesion to everyday tasks of sailors and fisherman,” from The Shady Island Pirate Society.

Shipboard working songs date from the 15^Th century through the days of steamships into the first half of the 20^th century. The Golden Age of Shanties was in the mid-19^th century.

There are two main kinds of shanties: windlass and capstan are one kind, and forecastle or Halyard, another kind. The latter songs tell of historical events and ballads. The words and rhythms help the men work efficiently.

The famous composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), arranged three British sea songs based on Princess Royal, Admiral Benbow, and Portsmouth. These sea songs were written for a British military band and make up the second movement of Williams’ great work, The English Folksong Suite.

 To commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the death of Vaughan Williams, his sea songs were performed in 2008—at the last night of the “Proms”—the annual summer concerts in The Royal Albert Hall in London.

Some other popular sea songs are The Wide Missouri, The Banks of Sacramento, The Rio Grande, Drunken Sailor, Lowlands Away, Blow the Man Down, and What Do You Do with an Insmouth Sailor?

For years, sea shanties have been a vital part of seafaring and the men who toil at the myriad required jobs. The writing of sea songs goes way beyond the age of sailing ships. It is said that when no one was singing and the work was not going well, an officer would say, “Come on men, can’t any of you sing?” In other words, work went better when the sailors sang.
           

Many of us, at one time or another, have probably sung sea shanties without really knowing what they were or anything about them. All we knew was we enjoyed them, they were fun to sing, and left us with a good feeling.

Although sea shanties are not as prevalent as they used to be, they are still with us. More are being composed and there are even singing groups and societies where they are historically studied and promulgated. They are keeping this genre alive and well for future generations to enjoy.

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net. Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.

I read a quote once that spoke to me profoundly. I don’t know who said it, but it was that “People hope for a better life until the day they die.” For me, the quote was both enlightening and saddening. Hope is universal. Hope is what keeps us alive. Hope is what makes us strive to do better and be better. If we continue to hope until we die then we believe that it’s never too late for our desires to come to fruition. Sadly, the quote also invokes an image of a person who lies passively hoping and he literally dies waiting for good things to happen.

I’m always pleased but also surprised when patients tell me that I’ve given them hope. They have hope again that they will get better, that their chronic pain issue can be alleviated or resolved, and that as a result, their quality of life and livelihood will be better. Hope is synonymous with optimism; both come from the soul and are not gifted.  Sometimes we forget about the reasons we have to be optimistic and need a reminder.  Physicians can encourage hope by giving objective and accurate information about the medical condition and setting forth a treatment plan.  

In order to have hope we should be ready to take action to make what we desire come true. Nothing good ever comes about from doing nothing or not mobilizing positively towards a goal.

Whether it’s hope for better health, financial stability, relationships, or emotional stability, hope alone is not enough. For example, I may give a patient reason to believe that their pain can be alleviated by something I can do for them, but they in turn need to have hope based on what they can do for themselves. I can perform an injection for knee pain, but if the patient is overweight, the knee pain will return more quickly. The absolute treatment is to fix the source of increased strain on the knee joint which is weight loss.

I had one patient tell me that “I’ve been overweight all my life and I’ve never had knee pain before.” She didn’t believe that was the cause of her pain. I explained to her that in her case, her weight gain was gradual and steady enough to allow her body to change to accommodate the increased stress. The bones including the joints and spine will respond to excess weight by increasing in size and density. Ultimately, this will negatively affect the function of the bones and associated nerves and tissues involved. In the knee, the joint spaces will become narrower and the cartilage will be compromised such that the joint is forced to move unnaturally which causes pain.

Having hope is to believe that actions can affect the future. We make decisions every day that can and do and will affect our present and future health, lifestyle and emotional well-being. The more positive actions we choose, the more likely we are to have our hopes and desires become a reality.

As a physician, I appreciate that I can encourage hope by outlining the correct actions a person can take to improve his health. Certainly, there are treatments that I can offer for pain relief; however, the best action is that of caring for yourself. A healthy lifestyle is a choice and it is a long-term endeavor.