October 2009 Issue | Download the Full Issue

They start artists as young as 18 months in a program called Abrakadoodle! But there is no upward age limit for the Fallbrook School of the Arts, which demonstrates that the arts truly are for all ages and skills.
By the time they are 5 years old, art students are ready to start the drawing and painting program, or begin ceramics.
By age 10, ceramics students learn to throw pots on the wheel and already know about clay and firing. Some learn an exciting Japanese technique where they literally set pieces on fire in order to create unique patterns.
The school offers summer workshops and year-round programs in drawing, painting and children’s art camps.
Besides drawing, painting and ceramics it offers a wide variety of beginning levels of these disciplines for adults and children.
If you have never picked up a pencil or sketched but want to learn how, the school can accommodate you—no matter what your age.
At the other end of the spectrum are adults with intermediate skills who can learn advanced techniques in painting from world class artists who are brought in for a few days.
“What we are most proud of is that we actively attract world-renowned artists to do specialty three day programs in painting,” says Brigitte “Bri” Schlemmer, executive director.
The Fallbrook School of the Arts is a division of the Fallbrook Arts Group. It comes under the umbrella of the Fallbrook Center for the Arts, whose other divisions are the Fallbrook Arts Alliance, Fallbrook Art Center, Fallbrook Art in Public Places and Fallbrook Brandon Gallery.
The school provides the opportunity for instruction from some of the best artists in the business—some of them world class.
“We like our instructors to still be painting and working on their own art,” says Schlemmer.
The Fallbrook School of the Arts has been in operation since 1999 in part of an old packing house and train depot at 310 East Alvarado St. that has been part of the Fallbrook scene for many years.
The packing house was converted into a foundry many years ago and pieces of art created there can still be found in various locations in Fallbrook.
Schlemmer came to Fallbrook in 2003, after graduating from the California Institute of the Arts and working for Universal Studios and Disney doing animation and production work—plus lots of live theater and special events before going to work for IBM doing e-business solutions. That flirtation with the corporate life was enough, and she has found her “bliss” directing this unique arts school.
Its facilities include a 1,000 sq. foot stone carving pavilion. It has pneumatic tools for some of the more strenuous aspects of stone carving, but the artists also use the traditional chisel and hammer.
Studio spaces are available for rent to working sculptors who do commission pieces.
One such artist is Michael Stutz, a local man who is working on a piece for the University of North Carolina. Another work, entitled Penelope, which celebrates the long-suffering wife of Homer’s hero Odysseus, just went to the Embarcadero at the Port on Diego.
Another sculptor whose studio is located within the school is Christopher Pardell, whose most recent piece adorns Temecula’s city hall. He “sculpts” using the computer and then mills the pieces electronically.
The school brings in artists to teach and then helps them with their livelihood, a process Schlemmer calls, “spreading the wealth.”
“We have professional art instructors from this region. We try to work for as many local artists as possible. We like it that they are local artists who are putting on exhibits and are classically trained in the art of art instruction,” says Schlemmer.
The school knows how to keep young students excited. For instance, as part of learning to work with clay, kids are taught a Japanese technique called raku, which was brought to the U.S. in the early 60s.
Pieces are brought hot and glowing from the oven and put into something combustible, like hair or paper. They catch fire and the artist douses the flames. This creates surprising patterns depending on how the pieces are glazed.
It also creates a “wow” factor that grabs the imagination of the young artists.
It’s like flambé as opposed to baking—and contrasts to the normal glazing process where everything is regulated.
The school also offers a variety of jewelry classes that are fun for young people, and it has a printing press that enables it to offer several printmaking classes.
“We like our classes small,” says Schlemmer. “Twelve is the magic number, so that students are not in a big, crowded, scenario.”
Photography is another of the arts the school offers classes in.
“We have students who have gotten cameras for Christmas,” says Schlemmer. “We offer a class in digital photography just for them. Teachers will walk you through every step of how to use your gear. Eventually they teach you the art of photography.
Every month the school offers at least one specialty workshop with an “American” master (some are Canadian and Australian). It is booking the artists well into 2011.
It’s all a far cry from 1999 when there were two or three classes a week, plus a non-credit Palomar Community College class.
Today the school offers between 13–15 classes and probably four times the number of programs it did. Classes are offered in ceramics, drawing, fabric arts, glass, jewelry making, mosaic arts, paper arts, painting, printmaking, photography and sculpture.
“There are so many choices now,” says Schlemmer. “We do rely heavily on volunteers. We do seek donations to underwrite our costs. We try to keep our class costs reasonable but we still have to pay the bills.”
To learn more, visit: www.fallbrookschoolofthearts.org or call 760-728-6383.

Annual REINS Country Hoedown

One of the most rewarding things about the REINS (Riding Emphasizing Individual Needs and Strengths) program is the measurable changes that it makes in peoples’ lives.
Small, and not-so-small, miracles happen when these faithful, gentle senior horses are put in the service of helping disabled children and adults. Riding the horses awakens something in these children and adults, often opening new or forgotten neural pathways.
Current enrollment in the REINS program includes over 180 students who range in age from 2 to 83.
Six days a week a dedicated staff and volunteers help children practice things that we take for granted, such as maintaining balance and even walking, helped by a four-legged friend.
They provide weekly riding lessons for disabled children and adults. Riding is a form of physical, mental and emotional therapy.
The movement and how it is transferred from horse to rider is the key to the benefits gained from the therapy.
Riding at a walk sends 132 types of vibrations directly into the brain. Children also get pelvic stimulation. The horse encourages balance and opens up a new spectrum of sensory stimuli.
The rhythmic motion and horse’s warmth stimulate and exercise muscles, increasing mobility. The rider experiences weight shift and trunk mobility similar to walking under his own power.
Riders can enjoy the therapy for a lifetime. Some have been in the program for years.
One of the things that makes such miracles possible is fund-raisers like the annual REINS Country Hoedown, which will be held Oct. 10, 3–10 p.m. at the Fallbrook location of REINS, 4461 S. Mission Rd.
This is the organization’s major fund-raiser for the year with over 600 attendees.
The event’s silent auction is becoming quite popular with over 100 items for your bidding pleasure.
This year’s Hoedown will be catered by Famous Dave’s BBQ and will have a live performance by Calico Ridge.
There will be a riding demonstration where the program’s special students will show off their skills and abilities to the onlooking crowd and lots of drawings and games.
REINS is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) with no federal or state funding. It is supported by private donations and other fund-raisers such as the golf tournament in June and the Day at the Races in August at the Del Mar racetrack. You can sponsor a horse for $3,000 a year or a child for $5,000 a year. REINS also obtains funding through grant writing and donations from local organizations.
Sponsorships are available and range from $1,000–$25,000.
Ticket prices for the Hoedown are: Adults $45 ($50 at the door) and Children 12 and under $20 ($25 at the door).
Contact: Jennifer at 760-731-9168 or jennifer@reinsprogram.org for information on tickets, sponsorships or donating to the event’s silent auction.

North County CERT Has A Place For You

If you have a skill to share, or an interest in serving your community, the North County CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) has a place for you.
NC CERT is a 501(c)(3) non profit born out of the flames of the 2003 wildfires and forged into a strong, cohesive unit by the wildfires of 2007, when hundreds of Fallbrook residents lost their homes.
It was never intended that the CERT team would operate a community recovery center—but because it was needed, they did it.
That can-do attitude typifies the group’s 400 or so members —who have all earned Disaster Service Worker cards issued by the county’s Office of Emergency Services (OES). Only San Diego city’s CERT has more members.
An inclination to “think a little bit outside of the box,” as one member puts it, has typified the group from the beginning. It is one reason that other CERT groups come to the Fallbrook chapter for advice and instruction.
The group’s original instructor, James Beebe, now teaches CERT classes through Palomar College. Two members teach disaster medical operations: Alison Abbott and Pamela Frisbie. Michelle Wright teaches disaster psychology.
On just about any afternoon you will find Linda Bannerman, board secretary and section chief administrator and Sheri Rumble, public information officer (who laughingly refer to themselves as the “head mushrooms,) in the CERT headquarters, which is just now phasing out as the Fire Recovery Center. Bannerman’s other title is assistant director of the Recovery Center. Bobbi Best is director—and became a CERT member this year.
The president and managing officer of North County CERT is Mike Crain, who recalls when the chapter was first activated in 2007.
The fires were raging in late October. Many Fallbrook residents were evacuated. Crain called then North County Fire Protection Fire District’s fire marshal Steve Abbott and offered their services.
Chief Abbott assented (Note: the current fire marshal is Sid Morel). Crain alerted team members using an “all-call” system that sends phone calls to everyone on the group’s database.
Crain was barraged with phone calls. “I hadn’t planned on that many people calling me back,” he recalls. Nearly 100 members had answered the call.
For awhile Crain operated with a phone in each hand, putting some on hold while he gave instructions to others.
He made his group available to the area’s LAC (Local Assistance Center) that the county’s OES set up soon after the fires began.
“We did tasks that were not necessarily in a three ring binder,” Crain recalls. “We became support staff for the OES. ”
Some who had stayed behind after the evacuation order ended up cooking meals for first responders for the next two weeks. Others helped the American Red Cross collect data on houses that had burned, providing the first accurate tally for disaster workers.
CERT members handed out relief food (including pet food) to displaced residents. It contacted every church, every charity or volunteer group likely to help fire victims and soon became so identified with recovery efforts that people from Washington D.C. called to ask how they could help. The San Diego Foundation stepped in and funded what became the Fallbrook Fire Recovery Center, which was no problem adding in the two-year grant for $173,300. The only paid staff are Bobbi Best Director and Linda Bannerman, assistant director. The rest are volunteers.
“It wasn’t our intent to become a recovery agency. It just happened,” says Crain, who was forced to come up with a business plan on the fly to provide a way to funnel relief funds where they would do the most good.
Crain met with nearly 20 ministers from area churches and told them, “We need to get on the same page if we are going to help your parishioners.”
Assistance poured in. In one instance the Billy Graham Crusade provided thousands of buckets filled with cleaning supplies delivered by a semi truck trailer.
The group later received a $95,000 grant from Fifth District Supervisor Bill Horn’s discretionary fund, for multiple trailers and supplies that will be used as propositioned caches of supplies and communication equipment and placed throughout the community. The goal is to eventually have them in 20 locations. One is an education trailer taken to schools and to events such as the Avocado Festival.
CERT works closely with the Fallbrook Fire Safe Council, which was started by victims of the Gavilan fire. Several NC CERT members belong to the council.
Members attend the local fire board and many churches and businesses have become active members. There is even a CERT for young people: Junior CERT.
That, in addition to the thrice monthly meetings of section chiefs. Many of these folks put in a LOT of time.
“I’m humbled by these people,” says Crain.
“We want anyone and everyone to join,” says Crain. “Anyone from age 13 to 113 is welcome. There is always something for people to do. Come and get educated and help yourself and your neighbors.”
NC CERT has non-emergency and its emergency functions. Non-emergency functions include participating in the Christmas Parade, selling water at the Avocado Festival or providing education on emergency preparedness to young and old. At the festival members in their easily-identifiable green vests assisted with traffic and crowd control and on that very hot day sold 1,500 bottles of ice cold water from their education trailer.
They also did a “moulage” demo, in which make-up that simulated accident injuries was applied to kids to demonstrate how to triage a multi-injury incident.
“The kids loved it!” says Rumble.
CERT is now set up to be activated by the incident commander at the start of a disaster. It is plugged in with the area Red Cross and FEMA, so that members will be deployed once an LAC is established.
Some members have been trained by the Red Cross to set up the evacuation center to be ready to use when the Red Cross workers arrive.
In readying itself for the next big emergency, Crain says they have committed to making everything run as smooth as they can make it.
The man in charge of planning is section chief Ken Price, a former United States Marine Corps colonel. He is writing a big binder of everything that the group will be expected to do next time they are deployed. He expects be done with the “ops plan” in about 18 months.
But that’s not all Price does. He also cooks at the group’s monthly potlucks, which is a way for the group to thank its members for all of their hard work. His meals, say members, are not to be missed!
In October kids in Fallbrook schools will get a full dose of CERT when, for the first time, it is allowed on campus as part of “Fire Preparedness Month.” They were invited by the fire department.
“We want ever child to know CPR, and basic CERT training so if they are caught off guard they will know what to do.”
“This is a big deal for us to be invited to the schools,” says Crain. “We will give our pitch and maybe we will be invited back!”
His goal, and that of his group, “is to get everyone of our forty-four thousand residents trained.”
For more information about North County CERT, visit their Web site at www.northcountycert.com.

Mike Dowell’s Carvings are For the Birds… But In A Good Way

One day retired Air Force Colonel and Viet Nam era fighter pilot Mike Dowell decided that he wanted to do something with his time besides play golf (not that he gave up doing that!).
This resident of the Vista Valley Country Club Villas at first took up watercolors, then, when traveling to Pennsylvania, saw a friend's carving studio, where his friend was carving detailed waterfowl and decided that was for him.
He took up carving wild fowl, mainly ducks, as his major avocation. He has now been doing that for 14 years. He has carved nearly 90 birds.
He’s gotten very, very good at it. But perhaps much of the credit goes to his teacher, Del Herbert, of Chula Vista, the only carver of decoys with two of his pieces on permanent display in the Smithsonian Institution.
Why waterfowl?
“Ducks are these benign, beautiful creatures with magnificent colors. That is the attraction,” says Dowell.
“I try to see things in three dimensions,” he says. “I could understand depth—when you carve wildfowl it is a 3D medium. It is particularly important that the anatomy is correct.”
That means he works from something more than a photograph of the wildfowl, although good photos are also important.
There are plenty of people, very skilled people, who carve less detailed but beautiful decoy carvings, which they can turn out in fewer hours. They are smooth, without the carved intricate feather details. They are known in the trade as “smoothies.” Yet what they do is several levels beyond simple decoy ducks that hunters use, although the craft started with that.
“It’s one of America's native art forms,” says Dowell. Indians were thought to have been making decoys a thousand years ago. In the 1600s a French soldier wrote a description of such faux birds used by Indians on Lake Champlain.
What Dowell does is decorative decoys. It takes weeks, as many as 200 hours, and when he's done, you can see and touch the tracery of the duck's feathers—so lifelike that you almost expect the bird to fly away at your touch.
“The head is the most important part of the anatomy to get right,” he says, noting that he will send away for casts of the bird's beak or bill in order to get a particular species exactly right.
These decorative decoys are not made to float in water and lure ducks into the hunter's sights.
But they are supposed to look as though they are floating in water, which is why the only detail that is missing are the feet. They are meant to sit on a mantle.
“The more advanced the carving the more important it is to have a taxidermy mounted example to work from. You need the actual skin to get the flow of the feathers,” he says. “The lay out of the feather is increasingly important the more you progress in this art.”
He also spends a lot of time at the San Diego Wild Animal Park or in the wild, watching the birds in their natural habitat.
Most of the birds he carves he does on commission. Many have been sold to members of the Vista Valley Country Club. He sells his for up to $1,000, although it is not uncommon for maestros of the art to sell them for $5,000 or $6,000. The highest price ever paid for an antique duck carving was nearly $1 million.
The tools of the carver are simple: some knives, small carving tools, a flexible shaft grinder, an electric wood burner, sandpaper, high quality brushes, an air brush and acrylic paint. One of the most important tools is forethought. “You have to take your time and think it through before you begin carving,” says Dowell.
He first shapes the wood. He uses tupelo wood, a gum wood from the Eastern United States that has a soft grain that is conducive to carving, but which costs about three times what other types of wood cost. He then carves the feathers with a knife and a high speed grinder. He uses a woodburning tool to make as many feather lines as he can. That's the time-consuming part. Only after the details are done is the bird ready for painting.
He finishes the piece with acrylic paints and museum quality eyes. “You don't want to spend two hundred hours and then put in cheap eyes,” he says.
Dowell is a member of the Pacific Southwest Wildlife Arts, Inc. (www.pswa.net), a non-profit that promotes wildlife woodcarving, painting. and conservation. The organization puts on an annual show every February called the “California Open,” which is funded in part by the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture. Several hundred carvings from all over the world compete.
The organization also holds monthly workshops that are open to the public. The show is held at the McMillin Events Center located in Liberty Station near downtown San Diego.
Dowell was chairman of the show for eight years. He enters his pieces in the open level of competition. “Sometimes I win and sometimes I don’t,” he says with a shrug.
Dowell doesn’t limit himself to ducks. He also does songbirds and toucans. But he does stay within the area of wild fowl.
He is certainly not a hunter.
“I never hunted wildfowl in my life. I did all my hunting in Vietnam,” he says.

Bonsall Farmers Market

Gorgeous peaches, succulent grapes, salad greens with beads of fresh water glistening on them, delicious tomatoes, blue potatoes.
Blue potatoes?
We hear that they are pretty tasty, as are most of the locally grown produce available every Sunday at the Bonsall Certified Farmers Market, which has moved its location to River Village Plaza, 5256 South Mission Road in Bonsall, on the corner of Hwy 76 & Mission.
Higher visibility and easier accessibility, including handicapped parking are among the reasons for the move, which happened early in September.
The previous location at the Bonsall elementary school complex just wasn’t bringing in enough people. In addition, it gave the false impression that the Market was an adjunct to the schools, when, in fact the Bonsall Education Foundation, which sponsors the market, is an independent organization unconnected with the district,
“We needed better visibility and it’s more convenient,” says Erica Perko, president of the foundation.
River Village, she notes, “has a wonderful variety of restaurants and a grocery store that also supports the local farmers. Basically, having the farmers’ market in River Village creates a one-stop shop for everyone.”
The farmers market will be open every Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., rain or shine. It will be located in the Banc of America parking lot, next to Daniel’s Apple Market and across from the florist.
River Village owners Bud Alles and William C. Buster are donating the land.
“They are being very, very generous. They are not taking anything from us,” says Perko.
Another feature of the new location will be more vendors. “We now have a waiting list for new vendors,” says Perko, who notes that currently there are about 25 each week.
Some other things that are offered at the market:
• Language lessons in French and Arabic while the parents shop. As lessons progress, the instructor will take the students through the market to learn the names of the different fruits and vegetables in the different languages.
• Free Books- Bonsall Elementary teachers Jan Crawford and Francis Garren donate time and books to any children that would like to take them. People are encouraged to take, donate and swap books.
• Custom embroidery by artisans Dragon Rose- drop off items to be custom embroidered
• Fresh and smoked fish from Abigail’s Smokehouse
• Hormone and antibiotic free meat
• Macadamia nuts, milk and nut butters from M&M Nut House
• Jewelry art from  Doris Anderson Studio
• Rare and exotic fruit and fruit trees from Ben Subtropicals
• Inexpensive drought tolerant Succulents
• A variety of local honey, jams, fresh baked bread, exotic salt, olive oil, handmade soaps
The vendors, says Perko, “are like family members, and they stand behind the mission of the market, which is to benefit the children directly.
“The BEF and Vendors are a tight knit family that supports each other and the community. Our vendors feel good knowing their hard work contributes to enriching education. They get involved with Foundation events such as donating to and attending Bonsallpalooza [a “save the music” benefit concert that helped raise over $20,000 this summer].”
She added, “When a Bonsall student was terminally ill last year, every vendor generously donated several items from food to handmade jewelry and clothing to the young girl’s family. Watching the family walk through the market as vendors piled their coolers and baskets high with items was one of the most touching acts of kindness I have ever witnessed.”
Perko described one of the BEF Town Hall Meetings, where, while Dr. Leslie Machado interpreted with sign language to the audience, vendor Rick Machado of Machado Farms gave a compelling talk on how farmers’ markets stimulates the local economy especially in difficult times. He then donated one hundred dollars of his own money in show of his support and it was spontaneously matched by a member of the audience.”
Proceeds from the market are granted to all the schools in Bonsall via the BEF. The Bonsall Certified Farmers’ Market is a nonprofit market started by the Bonsall Education Foundation, which has an all volunteer Board of Directors.
The market also provides live music by local artists and activities for the kids, such as an inflatable jumper provided by Allie’s Party Equipment Rental.
Although the kids events are often run by the local PTAs, the Foundation tries to create an opportunity for non-profits that, while not necessarily connected with the school district, are within its boundaries.
The market is a certified farmers market under the aegis of the San Diego County Farm Bureau. Its general manager is Cristie Gonzales, an alumna of Bonsall Elementary, who Perko describes as a “savvy market manager who wants to give back to her community.”
The farmers market just turned a year old, and so far it has granted $12,500 from its proceeds to the four schools in the district.
Individual teachers or schools apply for the grants and state their needs. Requests are evaluated to see if they fall within one of six categories: Teaching Excellence, Visual and Performing Arts, Health and Wellness, Science Enrichment, Library and Media Services and Classroom Technology.
“The grants are approved by an independent grant committee that is made up of retired teachers, retired principals and teacher liaisons from each school,” according to Perko.
So, in addition to picking a peach that approaches perfect, and supporting local farmers, you are also helping to keep excellence in education alive in Bonsall.

Your Child’s Imagination Will Come to Life with New Disney Carpet at Carpet Club

Imagine having a bedroom that has princess wallpaper and bedding or a bedroom with a racecar bed. These rooms would be fun for a child. However, imagine these same rooms with carpet that completes the transformation of the bedrooms into magical places. Carpet with racecar tracks or princess crowns.
Visit Carpet Club in Escondido and be inspired by the colorful worlds of favorite Disney friends in the carpet designs of The Disney Collection. The Disney Collection weaves the warmth and soft durability of Shaw carpet with the magic and fun of Disney. The collection is designed around six Disney and Disney-Pixar favorites: Winnie The Pooh, Cars, Toy Story, Disney Princess, Disney Fairies and Hannah Montana. Every design tells a story, bringing wall-to-wall imagination home.
Disney Princess Collection: With carpet this soft and pretty, what princess wouldn’t stay up dancing past bedtime? Make your little girl’s room her castle with designs and colors that will transform her room into a palace. Then share in the joy as her imagination takes over and all her dreams come true.
Cars Collection: Your champion racer never slows down…Good thing his pit crew chose stain resistant carpet. Gear up his room, and you’ll be right on track to give him thrills and excitement. Your little racer will steer into the fun with carpet designs and colors that will keep him revved up lap after lap.
Disney Fairies Collection: Your little fairy’s supply of pixie dust never runs out…and now it also cleans up easily. Journey to Pixie Hollow and experience the enchanted life of the Disney Fairies characters who live there. These designs and colors create a true flight of fancy for anyone who chooses to believe.
Toy Story Collection: Your space ranger’s imagination just took off for infinity and beyond…He’ll get a soft landing when he returns. Let your child’s imagination blast off in a room where everything fun comes to life, and every moment is touched with magic. No batteries needed – just fun-filled designs and colors fueled with turbo boost of imagination.
Pop Star Collection: Your rising star is dreaming of spotlights and big performances…luckily the carpet’s tough enough to perform backup. Grab your backstage pass to the rockin-est room in the house with a carpet that makes you the superstar! On this stage, design and color are sharing the spotlight with you. It’s no secret. This is your room. Your way.
Winnie the Pooh Collection: Your little one is ready to explore the world…thanks to bother-free carpet that’s soft on tender knees and toes. Help your little one experience the joy and wonder of exploring the world. The whimsical designs and colors of the Hundred Acre Wood bring delight and discovery to the whole family.
These beloved stories have inspired signature designs, patterns and color palettes that showcase the quality craftsmanship from Tuftex of California as well as the unique style of Disney storytelling. Each carpet can compliment other Disney Home products so you can create the happiest rooms on earth while still getting the great prices and quality that Carpet Club of Escondido is known for.
Shaw Carpet’s exclusive features incorporate several patented technologies to ensure products are soil and stain resistant with R2X®, have a patented backing system, are long lasting with a 5-Star Shaw Warranty and environmentally friendly.
If you are ready to transform your son or daughter’s room, head on down to the friendly folks at Carpet Club to see all the colorful designs in person. Carpet Club is located at 518 West Washington Avenue in Escondido. Call them at 760-740-9545 or visit their website at www.carpetclub.com

Healthcare in the Comfort of Home

As our loved ones age, changes in their abilities are often very subtle. Some changes are so gradual that it can be difficult to know when they may need help with daily activities or weekly reminders. Even when there are definitive signs that a person is having trouble providing their own care, it can be stressful and troublesome deciding what to do and where to go for help.
It’s tough for families when they realize that they can't do everything for their aging loved ones, and it’s common to dislike and reject the idea of placing them in a healthcare facility. Perhaps this is why more and more people are considering in-home healthcare.
In-home healthcare brings health and wellness services to the comforts of home. Professionals can provide everything from companionship, to light housekeeping, to escorted transportation, to meal preparation and more involved care. In-home healthcare can also be customized and tailored to the needs of the patient, and is often less expensive than moving to a full-time nursing home facility.
“It’s really a way to allow a patient to be as independent as possible, for as long as possible,” said Carol Stevens, owner and manager of Village Homecare in Fallbrook.
Sometimes the patient just needs a ride to the doctor’s office; other times they may just need assistance with bathing after an accident or surgery.
“Patients can be totally capable, alert and privy to everything that is going on around them,” Stevens said. “But maybe they need a reminder to take their medication. That’s where we come in.”
Village Homecare provides in-home healthcare services for Alzheimer’s and stroke patients, Hospice patients, eldercare patients and more. Stevens, a Fallbrook native, started the company ten years ago after having worked as a nurse and manager of private healthcare at Fallbrook Hospital. Her nursing background is an added benefit when it comes to homecare services because she has the training to know when the scope of medical care is beyond what can be provided at home.
Village Homecare offers companion care, overnight care, live-in care, travel companion care, housekeeping and personal hygiene assistance. Whether it’s preparing meals, shopping for groceries, making sure the patient is taking the right medications or driving the patient to a special event, the staff at Village Homecare almost becomes family.
“You can’t be in a position like this and not develop a relationship with your patient,” Stevens said. “It’s a good thing because sometimes the patient doesn’t have any other family that lives nearby. It’s also reassuring for family members who don’t live locally because they know that their loved one is being cared for.”
It also helps to know your family member is being cared for at an affordable rate.
“We know people have options, so we are very competitive with our rates,” Stevens said.
However, it is very important to consider more than just cost when it comes to home healthcare. Stevens said you really need to be cautious when looking into homecare providers, and says don’t be afraid to ask questions.
“Ask to see proof of insurance and ask what kind of experience they have,” Stevens said. “Make sure the agency has the proper insurance and bonding, make sure they do background checks, make sure they pay employee taxes and workman’s compensation.”
Patients can be confident with Village Homecare not only because it does all the above, but because they are also very selective when it comes to the employees they hire. Many of the same employees have been working at Village Homecare since it was opened, and since Stevens is a native to the area, she knows a lot of the people.
“I’ve been blessed to work with people I know in my community,” Stevens said. “I’ve worked with my old teachers, and taken care of ex-school bus drivers, ex-principals and family friends. I feel a responsibility to pay back my community and this is one of the benefits of my job.”
To learn more about Village Homecare, call Carol Stevens at 760-723-1140.
***
Do you or someone you know need in-home healthcare?
If you answer yes to one or more of the following questions, it might be time to schedule a home-care evaluation:
Has the person experienced any falls?
Has the person lost weight? Are they experiencing a loss of appetite?
Is the person becoming increasingly forgetful? Do new situations cause confusion and/or anxiety?
Has there been a change in personal hygiene? Do they bathe less or appear unkempt?
Does the person experience difficulties getting to appointments and/or running errands?
Does the person forget to take their medications?
Does the person live alone with no local family or friends?
Do they need to be in a skilled nursing home but want to stay in their home?

New Musical Experiences Await at California Center for the Arts, Escondido

On Wednesday, October 7 at 4:00 & 7:00 p.m., you can see Wells Fargo Free First Wednesdays – Brent Garcia in the Center Theater.
On Sunday, October 18 at 4 p.m. you can see Keyboard Conversations – “An American Salute!” with Jeffrey Siegel.
Brent Garcia, who appears as part of a series of free Wednesday concerts at CCAE’s center theater, specializes in alternative acoustic folk music, all original.
Garcia has been playing guitar for 15 years and performing for seven. He usually plays his own compositions.
“I have done other projects,” says Garcia, “but I have found my strength to be in my own work.”
He describes his work this way: “When you think of folk you think of Bob Dylan, but I do more of an acoustic, which means using the roots of folk but modulating it to be more stylistic and to portray my personality through it.”
Most every song Garcia does tells a story about him or someone close to him. “They are all personal things to me. It’s great to share what I have done and what I do.”
Originally from Southern California, Garcia just returned from spending four years in Northern Idaho, where he developed a strong following for his work, making a good living in Coeur d’Alene playing his unique combination of creative lyrics and smooth, soulful sound at restaurants and coffee houses.
Then he was offered an internship at the center and started out as an intern at the center’s Technical Theater Department last February.
“I do anything I can to make a show run, from working on lights, the sound board to stage management—everything to do with stage production,” he says.
He will be involved in putting together these aspects of his own show, including lighting, the stage set up, and the sound.
Garcia is the first ever intern at the center to do a show there.
“It’s a great opportunity to be able to play in a place like the center,” says Garcia. “I feel great about it because some members of the board and the main director are all congratulating me on it and I’ve gotten a lot of support from the center itself.”
Garcia will be accompanied in his concert by violist Brittany Ashby, from Carlsbad.
He will release a CD tentatively entitled Take it Slow on the day of his concert.
Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, one hour prior to curtain.
* * *
Join Center favorite Jeffrey Siegel for “An American Salute!” This tribute to Gershwin includes the rarely performed solo piano version of Rhapsody in Blue, selected pieces by Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland’s humorous The Cat and the Mouse, and Scott Joplin’s Wall Street Rag. Siegel’s commentary opens a new window of understanding to each unique piece, creating a more meaningful learning experience for audience members of all ages.
“A keyboard conversation is primarily a concert,” explains Siegel, who has been doing these concerts for three decades.
“Each composition is performed in its entirety. Prior to the performance of each work I speak to the audience informally about the music they are going to hear. I do this to make the experience more meaning for the concert goer, and also to make the concert experience more accessible to the newcomer.”
There is also a question and answer session.
Siegel talked about some of the pieces he will be performing on Oct. 18.
“‘American Salute’ deals with some of the American treasures of the piano repertoire. Some are familiar, like Rhapsody in Blue, which we will hear in an unusual format: the solo piano version that he performed himself.”
“In the course of that conversation I will talk about what makes it sound jazzy and so American. These include syncopation, certainly and what musicians call bluesy harmonies,” says Siegel.
The concert will include some solo pieces of Leonard Bernstein, “some deeply personal works that are not widely known or rarely played,” as opposed to the Broadway and film pieces that Bernstein is famous for, such as West Side Story, On the Waterfront and the overture to Candide.
These small pieces are called “anniversaries,” and constitute musical tributes to various individuals who were close to Bernstein, including family and friends.
“They show a very personal side that we don’t always get from the extroverted theater works that he composed,” says Siegel.
“And yet they have the same melodic warmth and rhythmic vitality that one finds in West Side Story, for example. Each has a name, for example one is dedicated to Aaron Copeland and I talk of the relationship between Copeland and Bernstein.”
The concert will also include the first published work of Copeland, a piece entitled The Cat and the Mouse, that he wrote as a teenager in Brooklyn in 1916. Siegel describes it as a “very delightful piece!”
Another piece will be The Union by an early American composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk, about whom it has been said that without him there would be no jazz, and who was the first internationally recognized American composer.
“In The Union Gottschalk gives us a virtuoso treatment of thee well known American tunes: Yankee Doodle, Hail Columbia and the Star Spangled Banner, all done in solo piano,” says Siegel.
“I would say over the years this has been one of the programs that the audience particularly enjoys, you have a familiar piece like Rhapsody and fabulous musical compositions that are off the beaten track, but by famous composers such as Bernstein and Copeland.”
Siegel is a Center favorite and his shows are always packed. In addition to the “American Salute!” performance on the 18th, he will also be performing “Chopin for Lovers” in February, in honor of the composer’s 200th birthday. It will include works that were inspired by by different women in the composer's love life.
Tickets for “American Salute” range from $30.00 - $27.00 and can be purchased at the CCAE Web site: www.artcenter.org.

Escondido Street Faire: You Don't Want to Miss the Fun!

Are you looking to escape the heat of the asphalt jungle? I know a place where there are more than two miles of cool, shady paths to walk. Birds chirping, breezes blowing, ducks splashing—you can immerse yourself in nature.
The 43 acre Los Jilgueros Preserve is the Fallbrook Land Conservancy’s (FLC) most popular and most convenient open space preserve. Along South Mission Road, across from the Fallbrook Airpark, it’s easy to get to. This is not a county park!
The FLC maintains Los Jilgueros Preserve entirely through donations and grants, permitting the community to enjoy nature, close to home. Restored native habitat, lots of trees, and abundant wildlife make Los Jilgueros Preserve a great place to visit year round. But as the summer heats up and the sidewalks sizzle, the shady trails beckon.
From the south parking lot, the gently rolling paths lead you past a large open meadow. Live oak, sycamore, and other native trees are abundant, with benches placed to take advantage of their shade.
Many birds—more than 100 species have been recorded here—visit the meadow area, including various hawks, falcons, and other birds of prey. Even owls can be spotted by those who venture out early in the morning or just before dusk.
An expanse of wetlands borders the meadow area along the western side. Ponds and a seasonal stream attract water fowl and other wildlife and support a large stand of sycamore, willow and cottonwood trees. A trail along the west side of the preserve skirts this wetland and is shaded by the canopy of trees along its entire length. A boardwalk takes you over the wetland area to the trail.
Back to the main trail…once past the meadow, the path leads down into a tunnel of trees. It’s always cooler here than anywhere else in the preserve. Old farm equipment can be spotted – implements left behind when the FLC acquired this property in 1990.
Up a short rise and along a levee you’ll pass the preserves northern most pond. Ducks, coots, ibis, herons, and egrets frequent these waters. More cottonwoods and willows offer shade as you make your way around the pond. You’ll cross a cement wash, often filled with rushing water during winter rains that flood the pond.
The trail leads up a gentle hill to the highest and northern most part of the preserve. Here, there are several short trails that wind around the open hillock and down through a lush firescape garden. The garden area offers year round color, with a mix of native and non-native flowering shrubs and trees. Spring is the most colorful time, of course, but in fall the yellow leaves of the sycamores highlight the walk. If you plan to walk to the preserve from the north side, there are two additional entrances here.
Leaving the garden, you’ll walk through a corridor of large black walnut trees, reminders of the property’s agricultural past. They attract many birds in the late summer and fall, especially crows and ravens, whose raucous chatter can be heard long before you get there. This shady trail leads you down through wetlands where you’ll cross a small bridge over a year round creek.
You can then choose one of three trails to return through the preserve past the meadow or wetlands. Enjoy the songbirds along the way, or perhaps spot a long tailed weasel. Although rare here, the weasels are an important part of the ecosystem of Los Jilgueros, which includes coyotes, desert cottontail rabbits, reptiles, amphibians, and the many bird species.
The FLC is a non-profit organization whose private ownership and stewardship of Los Jilgueros has made it available for our use.
Walkers, joggers, and bicyclists are welcome. No motorized vehicles please. Dogs must be leashed and picked up after for the benefit of all who use the preserve and for the critters that live there.
Bring water to drink and pack out your trash!
To find out how you can help support Los Jilgueros Preserve with a tax deductible donation, or to find out more about the wildlife and habitat there, please visit the FLC website at www.fallbrooklandconservancy.org or call (760)728-0889. Or join The Friends of Los Jilgueros Preserve, a group of FLC volunteers that help maintain and raise funds for the preserve. Come enjoy this special place, meet new friends, get in shape, or escape the city heat.

San Diego County Historian, Lynne Newell Christenson Ph.D.

‘This is my ideal job,” says San Diego County Historian Lynne Newell Christenson Ph.D. “If I suddenly won the lottery, I would volunteer to do it.”
Her official title is Historian, County of San Diego Dept. of Parks and Recreation, Resource Management Division.
She didn’t start out as an historian. Her education was in archaeology and anthropology, but those disciplines led her to become the second County Historian (the first was a woman named Mary Ward, who died in 1999).
First it was a half-time job—then it expanded to full time. It has been her job for eight years.
She is responsible for over 90 parks, although her particular responsibility is for the nine county parks known as historical preserves. They include such historical treasures as the Rancho Guajome Adobe in Vista, the Whaley House in San Diego’s Old Town and Wilderness Gardens in Pala.
For a park like Wilderness Gardens, which was once the site of a mill that was, for a decade, an important economic center of North County, the goal is to gather as much history as possible for educational purposes, to maintain records and photo archives—all available to scholars and people simply interested in history. Anyone can use those archives, which are maintained in Bonita—although you need to make an appointment.
Such historical activities can be broken down into education, interpretative (where, say someone dresses up as an historical figure and gives a talk, or there is a model of an historical building) and archives, that includes all articles that have ever been written about the park in question.
This involves going to facilities such as the Huntington or Bancroft libraries to make copies of documents that relate to a particular park.
Although she is officially responsible for historic preservation of County parks, she advises other county departments on matters of historical interest.
Several historical parks are “House museums” managed by the County. An example is the Rancho Guajome, a fully furnished rancho that shows what life was like in the 1880s.
“We are not trying to be a rival to the San Diego Historical Society,” observes Dr. Christensen. The purpose of the archives is to help the park rangers make the best use of their park’s historical resources.
She also prepares reports from surveys of historical resources such as archeological sites. Exact locations are confidential, to keep the curious from disturbing or vandalizing them—although some, such as grinding stations where Indians used to grind acorns into mash—are often well known.
There are 20,000 archaeological sites in the county. To be one a site has to be 50 years old or older, and to be designated of historical interest. Just because you live in a house that is 50 years old doesn’t make it of historical interest.
And just because a park isn’t a preserve doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have historical interest.
For instance, Fallbrook’s Live Oak Park has circular cement tables with cement seats constructed in the 1920s by a builder who did such a good job that no one has been able to duplicate their longevity.
Another park with a lot of history is Felecita Park in Escondido, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places. It has an archaeological site of a Native American village used by the Kumeyaay Indians for 1,500 years and acorn grinding sites that nearly every school child in Escondido has visited.
It is named after an historical person, an Indian who lived in the San Pasqual Valley, who, legend says, found and cared for a wounded American soldier from the Battle of San Pasqual of 1846. She fell in love, and in the tradition of such tragic heroines as Madame Butterfly, lost him when he recovered. She lived into the 1920s and for many years local residents reenacted her story.
Santa Margarita park, near Bonsall, is the site of a train station that was wiped out in the 1916 Hatfield flood.
A recently opened park is the Del Dios Highland Park, located just off of the Del Dios Highway. This is a hiking park, and it is not for wimps! But it does reward those who have the thighs of steel to make it to the top with views of Lake Henshaw and Olivenhain.
Probably her favorite park, and favorite historical personality, are combined in the Rancho Guajome Adobe, built by Col. Cave Johnson Couts Sr. and whose mistress was the impressive Ysidora Bandini.
“My favorite people to talk about are the women of the ranchos,” says Dr. Christensen, whom she finds to be “wise, wonderful and indomitable.”
When Ysidora Bandini was 11, her sister, Arcada, 14, married a wealthy man and went to live with him. She was a beauty, but not competent at running a household. So her 11-year-old sister was sent for to manage the household!
Even at age 11 she was very strong-willed. She managed the estate until she was 17, holding memorable fiestas and impressing all who knew her.
In 1851, at age 17, she married Cave Couts and moved to Guajome. A devout Catholic, she was disappointed that there was no nearby chapel. She convinced her husband to build her one. She also convinced the church to provide a priest for her and her family.
Helen Hunt Jackson, who wrote the famous romance Ramona, was entertained in the Guajome Rancho in the 1870s, and some historians believe that she fashioned the character Senora Moreno after Isadora and may have patterned Ramona after the Couts’s oldest daughter, who ran away with a vaquero.
You can find out more about such historical heroines and much besides when you visit the County’s preserves.
To find out more visit www.sdparks.org.

Country Farmhouse: May Be the Best Cup of Coffee in Fallbrook

Two sisters, whose Italian mother and grandmother from the Old Country taught them a love of cooking, bring their best to customers in the mornings and afternoons.
And now they are serving breakfast even earlier, beginning at 6 a.m.
Fran DuBroy and Debbie Estrada are proprietors of The Country Farmhouse Panino and Vino Cafe, which serves what is arguably the best cup of coffee in Fallbrook. At least that’s what many of their customers tell them.
“Our European customers frequently tell us, ‘This is the best,’ ” says Mrs. DuBroy.
The sisters require that those who serve coffee be trained as barista artists in the use of a true espresso machine. The house coffees include blends from Costa Rica, Java, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Sumatra and Panama.
The coffee menu includes all of the familiar coffee drinks that you’d find at that coffee chain that has branches on every corner (and which will remain nameless), plus looseleaf teas and smoothies made from a variety of fruit juices.
The Farmhouse is justly famous for its acai smoothies and acai bowls, where the palm berries are mixed with granola, vanilla yogurt, dried fruit and bananas. It’s just about the only establishment were you will find this treat, which is healthy but tastes like a sinful sundae. It also serves a variety of fine wines and beers.
The sisters bought the restaurant 18 months ago. They fell in love with the old house and converted it from basically a coffee house into an establishment that also serves breakfast and a full lunch menu. Their goal is to offer “country warmth with a touch of international flair.” In keeping with that dream it has the feel of the European bistro and a rural farmhouse. It’s a relaxing combination. Just about the perfect surroundings for lingering over a hot cup of frothy joe.
They put a lot of effort into making the Farmhouse even more charming. For their efforts they earned Fallbrook’s Landscaping Award in 2008.
Also contributing to the charm are various paintings, all by Southern California artists, and all for sale.
A popular way to start the day is the Farmhouse Breakfast, which includes scrambled eggs, bacon, ham or sausage, hash browns and wheat toast. Another crowd pleaser is the Belgian Waffle breakfast. Breakfast wraps, bagels, croissants, quiche and mini egg casseroles round out the selection.
But you don’t want to miss lunchtime either!
When I visited I tried the scrumptious Cranberry Walnut Salad, made with romaine lettuce, feta cheese, whole walnuts, dried cranberries, succulent chicken breast with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
I asked the secret of the dressing.
“We’re not telling!” retorted Mrs. DuBroy. “People say we should bottle it. But we don’t use measurements when we make our recipes. We do it by sight.”
Other popular salads include the mandarin chicken salad and the Asian steak salad.
I followed the salad with a brie panani made with turkey, brie, basil and tomato, served with a homemade basil pesto on a toasted baguette from an authentic French bakery.
Homemade specialty soups, such as French onion soup, are also available, especially during winter.
The sisters learned their trade at the knee of their mother and grandmother, who were great Italian cooks. Their family has been in the food business for 50 years. Their grandmother came from Bari, located at the heel of the boot of Italy. Visitors to her house would find homemade pasta drying in every room.
The sisters grew up in Pasadena and Vista, where their father had a ranch.
“We watched the area grow,” recalls Mrs. DuBroy.
“We love to cook,” says Mrs. Estrada. “And we love to see smiles on peoples’ faces.”
The Country Farmhouse aims to attract more military and high school customers (it’s down the street from Fallbrook High School) for breakfast and lunch.
The Farmhouse is available for functions. Several local clubs, such as the Vintage Car Club, Fallbrook Community Center, a quilting club, and several Bible study groups meet there regularly. The meeting room is free for public use as long as everyone buys something.
The Internet is also free to paying customers.
The Farmhouse offers live classic rock guitar music on Friday and Saturday afternoons.
It is pet friendly—at least in the patio area. They will bring a dish of water out for your pooch.
But its specialty is people-friendly. “We try to be really friendly. You can come by yourself and still feel comfortable and welcome,” says Mrs. DuBroy.
The Country Farmhouse is located at 622 South Mission Rod, Fallbrook. Call 760-728-6000. If you are in a hurry order ahead of time and pick up your order.
Hours at the Country Farmhouse are 6 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, Saturday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and closed Sunday.
“We have played with our hours because we wanted to feel our customers out and what would be the most popular,” says Mrs. DuBroy. “We noticed that people didn’t want us open late, but they did want us open early. We had many requests to open at 6 a.m. It has taken us awhile to get just the right hours.”

Rating Wines Beyond Just Good or Bad

Wine ratings are a curious thing. Like a grade on a high school exam, these ratings dictate whether or not a wine passes or fails.
However, just because a wine is rated poorly doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying. It still deserves a chance. Even valedictorians and homecoming royalty can score an 80% at some time or another. It doesn’t mean their essence and character are bad. I would contend the same goes for wine.
First, a brief lesson in wine ratings. In general, wines are rated on a scale of 0 to 100 points and are credited as follows:
• 33 for aroma and bouquet
• 33 for mouth
• 10 for finish
• 24 for overall impression
The final score reflects the ultimate rating of the wine. You can easily grasp the concept of wine ratings by referring to the common school grading system where 90+ is an A, 80+ is a B, 70+ is a C and so on and so on.
Wine scores in the upper 90s are indicative of being an exceptional wine; anything lower than an 80 is considered very poor. Wines below 75 are notably unacceptable.
Scores can be broken down into bands of comparability that range from three to five points. Thus, a wine rated 88 would be comparable to wines rated between 87 and 89 or 86 and 90. A wine rated 89 would similarly be comparable to wines rated between 88 and 90 or between 87 and 91.
So really, what is the difference between and 89 and a 90 rating for a bottle of wine?
The answer is sales.
Studies have shown that a reasonably priced 90 rating flies off the shelf, whereas an 89 rating for the same dollars just sits.
At the end of the day, these scores have no inherent value, and fail to take into account individual types of wine (ie: cabernets, pinots, chardonnays). The scores also fail to consider food pairings and accompaniments.
While the above system may not be completely fair, (compare apples to apples, not mountains to mole hills), it is still interesting to see just how much weight we put into the numbers.
For example, based on price, one would think that the infamous $1.99 Charles Shaw wines (aka: Two Buck Chuck), would receive rather low ratings. It is priced low because of the quality of grapes used; however, in blind taste tests it received ratings as high as 87.
Perhaps the best idea to take away from the ratings game is this: while wine ratings may influence your decision, remember that the ultimate judgment is yours. We all have different palates and personal preferences when it comes to wines, not to mention different budgets. Ratings should be used along with tasting notes, winery information guides, recommendations and lots of sampling. Thank goodness for Temecula Valley wine tastings!

5 Ways to Win Your Fantasy Football League

You’ve studied the players. You watched all the preseason games. You drafted your team with the latest projections at your side.
You are ready for fantasy football.
But now that the season’s started, what’s next?
Fortunately, there are five easy things you, the fantasy football owner, can do to virtually ensure your squad a spot in the post-season, and all but lock up the championship trophy.
1. Watch as many games as you can
There are at least four games on every week, plus highlights. Later in the season, they add a Thursday game and eventually some Saturday games. All told, you should be spending a minimum of 15 hours, highlights included, engrossed in NFL action per week.
Quick disclaimer before we continue: some of these suggestions may make you think, “How can I expect to live my life and still win my fantasy football league?” Just to clear up any confusion – you can’t have both. So if you want to win, start telling the people around you that you’re essentially unavailable from now until February. And if this is a problem for you, well then… perhaps you should rethink your priorities.
Watching NFL games is key from a fantasy perspective because it gives you information that your opponents may not get. If you’re watching the Chargers and you notice that Philip Rivers is looking in Malcolm Floyd’s direction in the red zone, then you might consider picking Floyd up and seeing what happens. If you’re watching the Seahawks and start seeing Edgerrin James in the backfield more and more, he might be worth a waiver claim.
Watching the games to see who’s on the field means you’re going to know who has the best possibility to score points. And scoring points is what wins match-ups, and winning match-ups is what gets you the trophy.
2. Don’t fall for the fluke
Every season, especially in the first few weeks, there are some big days from guys nobody’s ever heard of. Last year, there was a rush to pick up Carolina tight end Dante Rosario after he hauled in seven catches for 96 yards and an exciting, game-winning touchdown. Sadly, for the owner who “won” the right to pick him up, he was a disappointment for the rest of the season, and currently is average at best.
Already this season we’ve seen big days from the likes of Robert Meachem, Louis Murphy, Laurent Robinson, and Reggie Barrington. And just so you know, I totally made up one of those names, and if you can’t tell which one is fake… Well then you’re not alone, because, by the end of the season, it’s almost entirely certain that these names will all sound made up.
The point is, the guys you want on your roster are the guys who are going to be consistent. Don’t fall for the fluke of the big week from a no-name player. That’s why you’re watching all those games in the first place, to see who gets the ball consistently, and who is just lucky for one week.
3. Don’t be afraid to talk a little smack
Fantasy football can be tough on the psyche. You can plan, you can project, you can devour everything the “experts” say, and your team can still put up a collective stinker. It’s happened to every one of us.
And there is no better time to get in somebody’s head than when they’re questioning everything they do.
Now, I’m not a proponent of kicking somebody when they’re down, at least not in real life, so please pay attention to the specifics of how this is done.
Whether you know the other owners in your league or not, I feel like there should always be a degree of decorum displayed in the essential area of talking smack. Be clever with your smack talk. It’s OK to get a little personal, but always keep it within the context of the league.
Another thing to remember is to always project a sense of superiority, whether you feel it or not. Don’t be crass or obnoxious, but feel free to casually mention how well your players are doing when they have a big week. Or if you picked up a sleeper late in the draft, make remarks about all the players drafted ahead of this guy and how he’s outscoring them all.
The smack talk is a great part of the game, so use it, be clever with it, have fun, and make the most of any advantage you can get. If you do it right, you’ll see some other owners making panic decisions, like dropping Clinton Portis after a down week, or uttering the phrase, “I really think this is going to be a big year for Mike Furrey!”
4. Don’t give up!
It’s really, really easy to get four or five weeks into the season, look at your 2-3 record, and think, “This is stupid, I quit.” But the fantasy season is typically 13 weeks long, and, depending on how your league is set up, most of the teams make the playoffs. You can post a so-so 7-6 record and wind up in the middle of the post-season madness. If you’re patient with your waiver-wire pickups and make a point of hanging on to consistent players through their injuries, your team can go from average to spectacular in no time at all.
All you have to do in the regular season is stay in the playoff hunt. Once the post-season starts, it’s anybody’s trophy to win.
5. Get lucky
Buy a rabbit’s foot. Find a four-leaf clover. Rub a bald guy’s head. Whatever you think is going to bring fortune your way, keep it handy.
Because you can play fantasy football for years and still never expect Ronnie Brown to score five touchdowns against the Patriots in Foxboro Stadium, or Peyton Manning to throw six interceptions against the Chargers, or backup quarterback Tyler Thigpen to catch a 31-yard touchdown reception against the Buccaneers. Sometimes, fantasy football is just blind, stupid, random, cross-eyed luck. Just go with the flow, and hope you get to be on the receiving end of one of those crazy days.
And whatever you do, have fun with your fantasy team. It’s so much fun to be in a league with other owners who give it just the right amount of seriousness. If you’re having fun, it’ll be worth your while. And if it’s worth your while, then winning that trophy will be that much more special.

 

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