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I’ve always enjoyed learning about words—their meanings and origins—and like anyone who spends a fair portion of their time working with them, I have compiled a list of a few words and phrases that strike me as being either frequently misused and/or over-used. Perhaps you will relate to some of these…

#1) Give back: This seems most appropriate in a general sense, as in, “I feel indebted to those in the military and want to ‘give back’ in some way.” But I find this phrase being used all the time in place of “contribute” and “donate.” Don’t ask someone to “give back” if you haven’t given them something first; when what you really want is a contribution or donation.

#2) Climate Change: The evolved form of “Global Warming,” used pretty much exclusively as an emotionally charged term to manipulate others. If one has a science-based point that refutes so called “consensus” (which is how true science works), such a person is then labeled a “denier.” Here’s a news flash: the climate has always, and will always, change.

#3) Reach out: This overused phrase is what some marketing people apparently believe to be a more palatable or amicable way to say “contact.” The follow-up to reach out, used to replace just that—follow up—is the over-used phrase, “circle back.”

#4) Sustainable: An overused word cleverly used mostly as a way to market things; particularly agricultural products. In the 1970s, I think we used “ecological” instead. Honestly, does anyone really believe that professional farmers only plan on planting and harvesting one crop without thinking about what’s next? The word “organic” is a close cousin of sustainable that I wouldn’t mind not hearing so often, along with “all natural,” and its nemesis, “artificial.”

#5) Folks: This word is regularly overused by the smartest man alive (not to be confused with the most interesting man alive who drinks Dos Equis). I suppose he thinks it makes him more relatable to us “common folks,” because referring to us as “people,” “individuals,” or “citizens,” might go too far and allow us to believe we just might be close to his level.

#6) Free: I saved a big one for last. Now I’m not one to suggest banning words, but in this case, I would make an exception for politicians and the government. Did you know that in the U.S. we have programs where you can get free stuff? They actually call it “free.” Phones, medical care and food are but a few, and some are running for office offering to add college education. Unless one is a complete idiot, surely we all know that none of these things are free (unless donated). Let’s demand honesty and call it what is: Paid for by someone else.

So there you have it—some words and phrases that give me that “fingernails on a blackboard” shudder. I’d love to learn if you have a similar list, but  in the mean time,  feel free to reach out and let me know of any sustainable, yet free ways that other folks might give back to our world, working to halt climate change.

Q. I’m looking to remove a portion of my lawn and replace it with drought tolerant plants. Is there a way, I can do this without removing the grass or using any chemicals to kill it? In addition, I don’t want to wait for the grass to die first.

A. Yes, there is a method of doing exactly what you described. It’s called ‘Sheet Mulching.’ Sheet Mulching is not new, and in fact it’s used by organic gardeners who utilize Permaculture. Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature. It’s a natural process that combines soil improvement, weed removal, and mulching in one fell swoop. It is currently being utilized by a whole new group of gardeners looking to replace their grass with plants. You’ll need cardboard and/or lots of newspaper along with an organic mulch.

First, scalp the grass by mowing it as low as possible. Next, dig the planting holes, amend the back fill, plant your plants and add starter fertilizer. A thick layer of cardboard and/or a half an inch of newspaper should then used to cover or smother the old lawn area leaving the plants exposed. A second option is to cover the entire area first before planting, and then cut holes in the paper or cardboard layer. Think of the cardboard or paper layer as an organic or biodegradable landscape fabric.

To prevent the material from moving or blowing around wet the layer down as you proceed. You should over lap the seams or edges by four to six inches to prevent any new growth or weeds from developing. BE WARNED: Sheet Mulching will not prevent germination of the weed seeds that blow in on top of the mulch. Wet the paper again with the existing sprinklers before applying the mulch because the moisture aids the decomposition. I recommend converting conventional sprinklers to drip irrigation, and then cover the area with a three inch layer of mulch and wet it. Be careful not to bury the new plants in the mulch! The entire conversion process should take a about day once all the materials have been secured.

Sheet Mulching’s other purpose is to turn barren or unproductive hard soil into new planting areas. This can be done in the open ground or within a raise bed. It will take several growing seasons for the whole process to be completed, but it is worth the time and energy. To revitalize your soil, first place a thick layer of cardboard and/or newspaper on the ground. Next, top it with eight to twenty-four inches of organic material, bark, straw, grass clippings, along with household kitchen waste. Spread the material evenly in alternating layers. Start small, as you’ll likely need a significant amount of organic material. This technique is often referred to as ‘Lasagna Gardening.’

Liquidambar Trees and Pollen

Q. When a Liquidambar starts to produce pollen? I’m trying to figure out if it could be the source of our daughter’s severe spring allergies. Help!

A. Liquidambar trees bloom in March. It produces both male and female flowers as two separate structures about the same time as the leaves are emerging from dormancy. Plant pollen moves around by insects and the wind. Wind pollination requires light pollen and lots of it that can travel great distances. This is the troublesome kind because it is abundant, easily inhaled and likely to cause allergic reactions. Flowers that depend on bees, wasps, butterflies, moths and beetles for pollination tend to produce heavy, sticky grains that are somewhat airborne. My gut feeling is that your Liquidambar is not the culprit.

Instead, there may be multiple sources based on the plants in your yard. Foundation plants, especially next to windows and doorway entries, can be an immediate source of problems to those predisposed to pollen allergies. Birch, Oaks, Cedars, Walnuts and Olives, as well as Junipers, Privets, Podocarpus and even Lilacs are problematical for those allergic to pollen.

My suggestion is to purchase a copy of Tom Ogren’s book Allergy Free Gardening. In Tom’s book, he has developed a system of rating plants based on allergy severity and sensitivity. The Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS) assigns plants, including edibles, a rating from 1 to 10, with 1 being the best for allergies and 10 being worst. Hopefully you can now identify the problem plant(s)! Of course, this assumes that you know the names of the plants in your yard. If not, take samples or high-resolution pictures to your favorite garden center and ask the nursery professional for help.

‘Hellish’ Heavenly Bamboo

Q. My Heavenly Bamboo plants are out of control. They’re small towers, standing about six feet tall and are quite top heavy, which causes the branches to sag away from the plant at extreme angles. Is there a problem with severely pruning them back to a much smaller size? In my neighborhood, I see several plantings that are much smaller.

A. The Sunset Western Garden Book describes Heavenly Bamboo, Nandina domestica, as a slow to moderate growing shrub six to eight feet high, spreading three to four feet. It has a clumping habit and spreads by shoots or runners. There are several options you can use to control the top heaviness and the spread. You can: stake the clump and tie the staggering stems to it with green plastic tape; cut off the top-heavy or all the canes at ground level as new shoots will appear from the base. The new growth can be sheared annually like a hedge to keep it the right height. You can also reduce the tree’s width by removing a section of the clump with a shovel. Finally, your last is too replace them with the shorter growing varieties. Nandina Domestica Firepower, Harbor Dwarf, and Sienna Sunrise are three varieties that do not grow beyond four feet. Heavenly Bamboo does not produce lateral shoots, so reducing the height is the best way to obtain a more shorter and compact plant.

For those who are passionate about perfectly ripened, locally-grown fruit, the late- spring and early-summer farmers’ market is filled with sweet surprises. Plump, juicy berries are now joined by long-awaited treasures like cherries, apricots, and figs—arguably the most voluptuous fruit of all.

This preliminary fig season is far too brief for many of us. So, after eating my fill of figs out-of-hand, in salads, tarts, pizza, or simply enrobed in prosciutto, I longed to capture their unique flavor to carry me through leaner times. Rather than immersing myself in the traditional canning process, I now turn to this quick and easy recipe.

The following small-batch condiment can last for weeks—even months—in the refrigerator, providing that I don’t sneak a spoonful or two every time I wander through the kitchen. It is filled with figgy goodness! And, the addition of a whole lemon—skin, pith, and all—makes this recipe pleasantly piquant, and the walnuts add a touch of crunch.

Although I most frequently enjoy fig conserve spooned onto a warm, buttery scone or toasted English muffin, there are plenty of other uses for this recipe:

–Slather your favorite soft cheese (goat, brie, or blue) over crostini, or spoon it onto a leaf of Belgian endive; then top with a dab of fig conserve and a few tiny arugula leaves, or chopped fresh thyme or rosemary.

–Spread fig conserve over a wheel—or even a wedge—of ripe brie and top with more toasted walnuts.

–Serve a small bowl of fig conserve with cheese or charcuterie platters.

–Serve fig conserve as a condiment alongside roast pork or chops. When the main course is baked ham, serve fig conserve with warm buttermilk biscuits.

–Squeeze fresh lemon juice over a plain grilled chicken breast, and serve a spoonful of fig conserve on the side.

–Dollop fig conserve over a scoop of vanilla ice cream; then drizzle with a bit of honey and top with finely chopped crystallized ginger or candied lemon zest.

–Smear wheat meal digestive biscuits or gingersnaps with mascarpone or cream cheese, and top with a dab of fig conserve.

–Pack fig conserve into a decorative jar, tie with a raffia bow, and present to your host as a gift.

                                                                    Fig Conserve

1/4 cup California walnut halves and pieces

1 whole lemon, rinsed well and patted dry

1 pint Black Mission or other firm but ripe figs, stemmed, and halved if large

1 cup granulated sugar

1 pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the walnuts in a small baking dish and bake, turning once or twice, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then chop coarsely.
2. Cut the lemon into quarters and discard any seeds.
3. With a large, sharp knife or in a food processor, pulsing the machine on and off, coarsely chop the whole lemon. Scrape the chopped lemon and any accumulated juices into a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan.
4. Stir the figs, sugar, and salt into the lemon and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a low boil and cook, stirring often, until the sugar has melted and the mixture has thickened, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Stir in the walnuts and transfer to a covered container. Refrigerate until serving. Makes 2 1/2 to 3 cups.

                                                                 Figalicious Facts

–The fig is one of the oldest cultivated fruits. Since it is nutritious and easily preserved by drying, it became a staple of people in southern Europe and Arabia.

–According to the bible figs grew in the Garden of Eden, for it was fig leaves that Adam and Eve reportedly used to cover their nakedness after eating the forbidden fruit.

–In 1769 Father Junipero Serra planted California’s first figs in the San Diego area. California now produces 95% of the U.S. fig crop and is the 3^rd largest producer in the world, trailing closely behind Turkey and Greece.

–Because ripe figs are fragile and do not travel well, each year around 30 million pounds of the California crop are transformed into dried figs.

–Figs are in season twice each year: first in June through July; and again in August through October or November.

–Figs must remain on the tree until fully ripe, as they do not ripen once they have been picked. For this reason, buy only figs that are very soft and ready to eat.

–Fresh Black Mission figs are teardrop-shaped with purple-black skin and strawberry-colored flesh inside. Brown Turkey figs are chubby, squat teardrops, with thicker, reddish-brown skin and pink interior. Kadota figs have thin green skin and pale flesh.

–Rich in fiber, iron, and calcium, figs are actually inverted flowers containing thousands of edible seeds.

–1 large fig weighs in at about 47 calories.

–Place whole, un-washed figs in a brown paper bag and store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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!

AND THEN I WROTE . . .

$13.9 TRILLION?  $18T?  $19T? OMG!

Many people will recognize those unimaginable numbers as amounts assigned to the national debt by various people attempting to induce panic. The $13.9 trillion number adorned TIME magazine’s April 25, 2016 cover. TIME also added that every citizen owed $42,998.12 in order to pay off the debt. The $18 and $19 trillion numbers were shouted out as ‘absolute truth’ by political candidates (Bernie and Hillary) in the current election circus, which is approaching its fourth birthday.

These numbers, which frighten many people who have never dealt with statistics, are totally spurious. Yes, we have a national debt somewhere within all the figures thrown out. These Halloween-like numbers are usually quoted by those who claim to have knowledge of business. To this I say, in my best literary fashion, “Phooey!” Let me explain.

Suppose you were asked to do an analysis of Steph Curry’s basketball skills. You could say, “Too short to do much rebounding; has questionable ankle.” Do you think that leaves out some of Mr. Curry’s unique skills with the big round ball?

If I, as a theater person, were asked to analyze Tom Hanks as an actor, I could say, ”Can’t sing: can’t dance; high-pitched voice; nice looking, but rather ordinary.” Do you think I may have overlooked some of Mr. Hank’s many, many wonderful qualities?

Let’s assume you, dear reader, have a few extra bucks burning a hole in your wallet, so you decide to buy a few shares of stock in either ABC or XYZ companies. Would you research the two companies’ liabilities only? Of course not. If you have any business sense at all, you will also research their—here comes the magic word—ASSETS. Curry and Hanks also have considerable assets in their professions that were not mentioned. Don’t be fooled by those scary guys quoting silly numbers because they often neglect to mention ASSETS.

This realization may came as a surprise, and a disappointment, to some folks—especially politicians. The United States of America has many, many assets, and I am not counting the more abstract assets of freedom of religion, speech, and a whole big bunch of other really good stuff.

AND SO, TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT, I HAVE A PLAN TO ERASE THE NATIONAL DEBT AND GIVE EACH CITIZEN HIS OR HER SHARE OF THE PROFITS. I WILL OUTLINE MY BRILLIANT (I SAY MODESTLY) PLAN BELOW.

            #1. We auction off all the properties under the National Park Service.

Just think how much Yosemite alone could bring from creative developers, not to mention Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and, even closer to home, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. There are over 400 more parks, etc., throughout the country (Listen to that cash register jingle).

#2. Next we sell every building and property the government owns in the U. S. and throughout the world. The IRS, courts, embassies, consulates; they all go, along with the art work, statues, and documents they contain. Just contemplate how much grain the Congressional buildings could hold. If not grain, how about fertilizer? Although, they probably could not match the amount of fertilizer that has been emitted from those buildings in our lifetimes. Washington, D. C. could become America’s new boom, though it would need to change its identification to Washington, V. C., Village of Columbia. Aside from the buildings, think of the money saved from bloated salaries, undisclosed perks, and extravagant vacation trips from Congress members alone!

#3. Next to go would be every battleship, aircraft carrier, destroyer, cruiser, canoe and rowboat. How many Silicon Valley billionaires have thought to themselves, “Gee. I’d love to have my own aircraft carrier.” Tanks, artillery, jeeps, automobiles, helicopters, bombers, fighter planes, etc., would be sold simultaneously with the naval vessels. Uniforms, rifles, small weapons, mess kits, tents, mess hall cookware and serving utensils would follow, including those assigned to the worst form of torment one human has ever perpetrated on another: creamed chipped beef on toast.

Think of the value of these sales: no more inflated salaries to people with inflated egos and not much else to offer. Current military academies could change to only be funded during wartime efforts if necessary. And, finally, the last U. S. government official left standing can pass out checks to all the citizens.

I am not by any stretch of the imagination an accountant, but I would bet that the total would be three or four times what they claim we owe: “$42,998.12” (TIME magazine’s cutesy number…they could have added $1.88 and called it $43,000, but why make it easy for us?). Every citizen would then get exactly $223,146. 54—not enough for an aircraft carrier, but maybe enough for a life boat. (I made up that number from my perverted imagination. It contains my two birthdays: the actual delivery date and the day I got my honorable discharge from the Army.)

One important concern I know some of you may wonder regards American defense and safety from our friends and enemies. Although we no longer have the Western wilderness to protect us as in George Washington‘s days, we still have oceans on our east and west. Additionally, virtually every country in the world has some sort of religion that it professes to follow and most of those religions emphasize love, peace and the value of our fellow human beings. Sure there are some little, fat, strange leaders who like to sing, “We have nuclear weapons, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!” and others who insist that their nuclear experiments are for “peaceful” purposes to help out the common, ordinary people whom they haven‘t cared about in centuries.

FEAR NOT: Part of my plan takes care of such exigencies. We will keep one or two thousand young people on duty in the silos where our nuclear, intercontinental weapons are stored. If the worst scenario should happen, then across the entire planet, we all will sing the 1960’s folk song, “AND WE’LL ALL GO TOGETHER WHEN WE GO.” Just think, however, Americans will go with no national debt, some real money in our pockets, and absolutely no liabilities or assets.

Dear SSHS,

I attended a bridal shower recently and learned that the wedding invitations have gone out and I didn’t get one. I thought perhaps we could blame the post office, but another woman at my table hadn’t received one either. It’s a destination wedding, which I know was done so they could avoid having to invite everyone they know, but isn’t this a little weird? Should I say something to my friend, the mother of the bride?          –Sierra M., Concord

She Said: Miss Manners would say that anyone you invite to the bridal shower must also be invited to the wedding, otherwise it’s called gift-seeking. Yes, weird and very bad form indeed. As to whether you should say anything to your friend, I would ask myself, was I going to pay for a plane ticket and hotel had I received an invitation to the wedding? If yes, I would talk to your “friend,” but if you weren’t going to go anyway, don’t make an issue out of it, but do save yourself some money…you absolutely do not need to buy a wedding gift if you’re not invited to the wedding!

He Said: Wow, so you’re special enough to come to the pre-party but not the party itself? Robin’s absolutely right, tacky and bad form indeed. Question is, should you say something to your friend? No! You have nothing to gain as you don’t want a sympathy invite to the wedding now, do you? Remember, this is someone else’s big lifetime event and they can invite/exclude whomever they want. Don’t make it about you, but keep this in the back of your mind and understand this person may not be as good of a friend to you as you thought.

Dear HSSS,

I’ve started dating a very interesting guy that I’m really attracted to. He told me that he likes me a lot and wants to continue our relationship but that he has to be honest when he says that the extra weight I carry is a having a negative effect on his physical attraction for me. I am up about 15 pounds up from where I’d like to be. Should I continue seeing this guy or is he a Shallow Hal?

–No Skinny Winnie, Oakland

He Said: Dump him like those 15 extra pounds you want to get rid of! I know that attraction and romantic connections are hard to come by but this one seems toxic from the start. The beginning of a relationship is where two people usually feel the most physical attraction and if he’s already knit-picking then you have an uphill battle ahead of you. I will give him a little credit for being upfront and honest with you and revealing who he really is, but now it’s your turn to take the hint and make the right next move.

She Said: I intentionally let Shawn answer this one first as I thought maybe guys would see the honesty thing as more important than the message—especially after every woman I ran this past said, “Buh-Bye, Dude.” Extremely proud of you, Shawn! So moving on from this, if you want to lose the 15 pounds you’ve gained, go for it, but do it for you. And consider the huge favor this guy has done you by showing his true colors early on. It’d have been so much worse to find out about his shallowness after you’d fallen in love.

Robin Fahr is a communications specialist and host of Conversations seen daily on Tri-Valley TV, Channel 30 and online at www.trivalleytv.org. Shawn and Robin also host He Said/She Said on TheTalkPod.com. Send your questions to www.AskHeSaidSheSaid.com.

This was what my new IT consultant asked me regarding the prescription narcotic addiction epidemic that this country is currently being plagued by. He said he wanted to get the information directly from an expert. So here is a more historical, although still oversimplified version of this complex issue.

Chronic pain is a medical problem that has existed for centuries. Soldiers in WWI were diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome due to severe nerve injury, although it wasn’t named as such for decades later. Since the development of the Pain Management specialty in the early 1950s, new ways of treating chronic pain have been adopted into the physician’s armamentarium. In the 1980s, opioids or morphine like medications, i.e. narcotics, gained traction as legitimate and appropriate medications to treat chronic pain. The philosophy at that time and until relatively recently was, “give patients as much as they need to be comfortable.” Essentially what this meant was, if they continued to complain of pain, increase the dose. The risk of narcotic addiction was deemed “low” or less than 1% if the patient was being treated for a pain process. As a result, many people were helped and able to live more productive lives by the use of narcotic medications for severe pain.

Now, fast forward to 2003 when a national initiative occurred to treat pain as “the fifth vital sign.” The four vital signs to assess someone’s wellbeing or acute medical state are: Temperature, Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, and Respiratory Rate. As a new diagnostic tool, physicians were asked to evaluate and treat vital sign number five: Pain Score. I believe that it is absolutely important to consider pain a vital sign for an acute situation such as for the postoperative assessment or acute injury scenario. In medicine, it is accepted that untreated acute pain can cause a multitude of complications including hypertension, hyperglycemia, anxiety, depression and chronic pain, to name a few. As a result of the initiative, which turned out to be largely funded by Big Pharma; who has patents on “designer” narcotic medications; many physicians who weren’t previously prescribing pain medications began to do so in the effort to help more people.

Chronic pain is a complicated process commonly confounded by factors that aren’t directly related to physical changes. Any kind of chronic pain can be worsened by depression, anxiety or any type of external stressor. For example, if a person with chronic low back pain is also undergoing a divorce or dealing with a death in the family, the severity of pain will seem much worse because their pain tolerance is lower. Emotional distress can make a preexisting pain feel more intense because one’s coping mechanisms are being overloaded and compromised by the additional burden. Narcotic pain medications should not be used in these circumstances and the dose for someone already taking them should not be increased to respond to this type of exacerbation. When narcotics are used to treat pain associated with a weakened coping mechanism, or “emotional pain,” the risk of long term use and addiction are greater. Also, there are other ways to treat pain besides medication such as nerve blocks, steroid injections, physical therapy, chiropractic treatments, biofeedback and relaxation, and acupuncture, that should be incorporated into both short and long term plans to avoid narcotic side effects.

Using a pain score to decide the amount of narcotic medication needed without also incorporating other assessment tools such as physical functional level, emotional state, mental function and overall health, can lead to over-prescribing, continuous dose escalation and an increased risk of overdose. Narcotics also have what is called a “ceiling effect” which means that there is a limit to the pain relieving effect it can have despite how large the dose is. This is particularly important because there is no ceiling effect to the risk of overdose. The larger the dose, the more likely it is that a person can inadvertently overdose with it. Moreover, if a person is also taking a medication for anxiety and/or insomnia and/or drinking alcohol and/or taking illegal drugs, the risk of overdose then becomes exponentially higher because these factors all lower the threshold for overdose when combined with a narcotic medication.

In order to restrain the prescription addiction epidemic, we all need to accept responsibility and act accordingly. Big Pharma should fund treatment centers for patients who have succumbed to addiction disorders to prescription narcotics. Physicians who want to continue to prescribe narcotics for chronic pain should have appropriate training or refer to those who do. Patients need to have realistic treatment goals and inform their doctors of factors that could increase their risk of addiction. Families of patients with chronic pain and or addiction need to get involved by providing additional support or information in the patient-physician treatment dynamic when needed. I appreciate it when family members accompany patients to office visits because it gives me another perspective on their home lives and functional levels that the patients don’t necessarily divulge.

My philosophy and approach to treating chronic pain is to balance the treatment modalities so that the patient has the benefit of different treatments that lower the risk of side effects to any one particular approach. I use medications to treat a specific diagnosis and cause of pain; which may or may not be narcotic analgesics; along with steroid injections or nerve blocks that can break the cycle of pain and minimize the dose needed of pain medications.The goal of pain management is to reduce the suffering from pain and minimize disability in the safest possible way for the greatest benefit and least harm.