Having a facial can be akin to a peaceful surrender. For most of us, having strong, talented fingers manipulate our faces is not a normal part of our lifestyle. It hardly seems worth it for most guys. I know, for example, if I’m not smiling like a fool, I have a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp. Using all those facial muscles to avoid frightening small children is probably what caused most of my wrinkles.

Normally, the most vigorous patting my face gets is a splash of aftershave those mornings when I bother to shave. Am I right, guys? With becoming a recluse the centerpiece of my remaining goals, pampering my face doesn’t get much attention. As long as my face doesn’t get any more wrinkled than my clothes, I’m probably okay. Tell me again what an iron is.

As easily swayed as I am by a confident woman, it wasn’t long however before I found myself stretched out on a table in a pastel room with soothing music. Jeannine Iverson, Owner of The Body Shoppe, was determined to prove she could make a difference in my appearance. She offers this unique concept, “Anti-Aging Facelift Massage.” “It reeducates the muscles in the face, improves skin-tone and texture, and offers the same relaxation as a one-hour full body massage. Also, it’s the best way to naturally stimulate collagen production with deep tissue face massage,” she says.
There are 32 pairs of major facial muscles that she intricately goes over repeatedly. It’s also designed to improve circulation and lift the face. (The fact she planned to try this with my face without a forklift was truly amazing.)

If you’ve never had a massage -- or it has been a long time -- imagine an energetic 2-year old squeezing your eyebrows and patting your face. This, however, is a vigorous exploration of your facial muscles.

Jeannine has some interesting ideas for using high quality aloe vera and what are called Maximum Therapeutic Levels of Antarcticine. This is a naturally occurring glycoprotein in the frozen waters of Antarctica. Hey, if this works, I’m going to stock up before Global Warming causes any more damage.

Jeannine was kind enough to refer to the “crows feet” around my eyes. I’ve always thought of them as elephant footprints. Furrows became “tiny lines.” Crevices were dismissed as “smile lines.” It’s amazing how comforting euphemisms can be. I’m going to drape the mirror in my bathroom with black crepe so I don’t ever revert to my old vocabulary.

The Body Shoppe clientele is understandably mostly women, and she has several Mother’s Day specials to suit a variety of needs. “The Tune-Up” is a 1 hour massage and a 1 hour anti-aging face-lift massage for $95 (regularly $120). The “Front End Alignment” consists of a 1 hour anti-aging face-lift massage for $45 (regularly $60). Also, if you buy a starter kit of emollients for $150, Jeannine will give you a gift certificate for a one-hour anti-aging face-lift massage. It’s relaxing to let her fingers do the walking -- cheek-to-cheek.

If you want some face time with Jeannine, call her at 621-3900. She is located at 32 E. San Francisco Ave. in downtown Willits. She has a full line of anti-aging products and massages to help you revive and maintain a healthy face and body. It’s never too early or too late to start. Gee, I hope you don’t recognize me the next time you see me. Even if you do, pretend. This may take a few weeks for maximum results.

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E-mail tips and etiquette
Advice from the “Maestro of Mistakes”
By Jay Gordon

E-mail has become the major communication tool for many of us, with the possible exception of text messaging for the younger folks. Some of us have picked up habits along the way we may want to reconsider.

Since I am currently enduring a transition to a new e-mail system as a result of yet another technology merger, I feel freshly qualified to comment of some of the aspects of this miraculous, relatively new method of communication. I am also convinced you cannot possibly make a mistake I have not already made. Learn from the errors of my ways. They are countless.

My current situation was magnified considerably when more than 1400 messages of assorted vintage were dumped in my in-box overnight as part of this “new, improved service.” But, as the great wit Ken Nunn has frequently observed, “That's a sermon for another Sunday.”

Resist the temptation to be ironic or humorous in your communication unless you have smiley faces (uh, emoticons) readily available. Most people find them tiresome, but I suspect they've saved a few friendships from serious misunderstandings. Irony rarely works in print.

If you really must forward a message to someone, be sure there is nothing unflattering or unwelcome about anyone anywhere else in the message. It's easy to delete inappropriate sections of forwarded messages – although editing forwarded messages is normally considered taboo. Do it to avoid unintended hard feelings.
Whatever you do, don't forward messages that have endured multiple forwarding with numerous addresses visible. Some recipients mine them for their own use in ways that may not be welcome. Delete those preceding e-mail addresses.
If you send messages to groups of people who are not involved in the same project and don't NEED to be aware of each other's participation, don't use the “To” part of the message. Use the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) option, which will not involuntarily share everyone's e-mail address. Some systems may require at least one recipient in the “To” section. Put your own address there. Before hitting SEND, be sure the addresses are the ones you intend. Is your mother-in-law's address right above your shrink's in the address book? Oops!

While we're on the subject of multiple addresses, please don't forward, jokes, cartoons, warnings, political diatribes, inspirational messages, naughty cartoons, or quizzes of any type unless someone has specifically ASKED you to. At least, they should agreed in advance to this expansion of their in-box. Most of us, frankly, don't have time for these messages and just haven't figured out a polite way to ask you to stop. (Suggestions welcome!)
The flip side: What do you do when you receive the same unwelcome message from 14 different people? If you don't care what they think, ignore them or politely ask to be removed from their lists since you are “so busy.” If it's someone you care about, a brief acknowledgement with “thanks for sharing” won't kill you. Even the law allows for “intent” to be considered. If they might simply be trying to communicate because they care about you (even in a group format), be kind.

Time for a statistic! I have received hundreds, if not thousands, of warnings of impending doom because of alleged computer viruses, dying children with a last wish, ways you can die from cancer caused by unsuspected everyday products or activities, etc. Don't we all get countless urban legends and chain e-mails that must be forwarded immediately to everyone in our address book? Of all of these, ONLY TWO I've ever received has ever been legitimate. Honest!

People waste unimaginable amounts of other people's time forwarding this drivel when they could check its authenticity in seconds. www.snopes.com is one of dozens of sites that research the phenomena of hoaxes, scams, and urban legends. If you can't remember this website, just use your favorite search engine to enter the word HOAX plus the topic of the warning you received. PAGES of website material will probably appear on your screen. Some of this garbage has been around for years.

Another sad statistic: of all the people I have gently advised their warnings were invalid, ONLY ONE has ever forwarded a correction to the people they lied to. Some of those other people surely forwarded those messages to other innocents. The latest scam is to include the line “Verified by Snopes” in the message, which is almost inevitably untrue or at least partially untrue. PLEASE check out the veracity of information before you share it. Your correspondents will be grateful. We all know you mean well; just behave responsibly.

If you deal with online businesses that require an e-mail address from you – and you don't want further solicitations from them -- use a free e-mail address from a service provider such as Yahoo.com. You can quickly delete those messages when you have extra time. I may have entered 707-555-1212. They'll catch on some day. Meanwhile, it's an effective “Do Not Disturb” tool.

Don't say anything in a message you wouldn't be willing to share with the whole world. It's usually safe to say nice things about people behind their backs; those almost never get passed along. Always re-read your messages before sending them to be sure you've been clear.

Use BCC sparingly for individual messages. If that recipient responds to the primary person addressed, it makes you look sneaky. If it's important to let someone else know what you've said, BCC yourself and forward THAT message to the additional person. Even that can be risky. Wouldn't honesty be simpler?

Avoid all-caps sentences unless there is some urgency. It's considered shouting.

If you limit yourself to one topic per e-mail, you're more likely to get answers to all your queries. Fewer oversights this way.

After a few back-and-forth messages, it may be time to change the subject line so it reflects the current topic.

Be polite. That e-mail may never die. It could be resurrected in the distant future to embarrass you -- when it can do you the greatest possible harm. Why should you be any different from a disgraced politician? (And, no, that is not necessarily redundant!)

Don't expect e-mails to continually substitute for in-person contact. Virtual hugs are never quite the same, no matter how well intended. Don't send unwelcome news by e-mail if you can avoid it. It's usually either tacky or insensitive.

My gift to you: the opportunity to learn from my mistakes. Don't ask for examples. You could only cringe. A glass of wine at Buster's might loosen my lips, but there are no guarantees.

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The Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation and Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital, built by Charles S. Howard owner of horse racing legend Seabiscuit 80 years ago, are slated to benefit from a special Ridgewood ranch tour and reception in honor of champs’s 75th birthday. Festivities are to be held at Seabiscuit’s historic home and final resting place, Ridgewood Ranch, this spring.
Coincidently, the Biscuit’s 75th birthday marks Howard Memorial Hospital’s 80th anniversary. Howard, grief stricken at the tragic loss of his son in an automobile accident, built the Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital at the advice of his friend and Willits physician “Doc Babcock”. Doc believed had there been a hospital in the immediate vicinity at the time of the tragedy, young Frankie’s life might have been spared. Howard subsequently built and served on the hospital’s board of directors after its completion in 1928. Seabiscuit’s own famed jockey Red Pollard spent recovery time at Frank R. Howard Memorial hospital after sustaining a bone shattering injury. Doctors said he might never ride again. The following year, horse and jockey won the most electrifying horse race of the time – the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap.

Artisan Kim Corpany and Stan Watts, of Salt Lake City, Utah are now crafting two commemorative mini bronze sculptures featuring the legendary racehorse in honor of his two great jockeys Pollard and George Woolf. The statues will be offered for sale in support of the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation www.seabiscuitheritage.org dedicated to preserving the historical buildings and landscapes that constitute Seabiscuit’s legacy and the Howard Foundation www.howardfoundation.org currently raising funds to build a new state of the art teaching hospital facility.

An exact replica of the original life size statue and granite base that until 1950 stood prominently at Seabiscuit’s home and final resting place, has already been installed as a memorial to the equestrian giant at Ridgewood Ranch in Willits, California.

“Hopefully the purchasing and collecting public who loves the Biscuit legend will agree as this will help two wonderful causes.” adds retired Marine Col. Michael Howard, a member of the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation board of directors. Col. Howard first had the idea to commission a statue in the likeness of Seabiscuit when he heard about plans to build a new Howard hospital.

“Stan Watts of Atlas Bronze also deserves a large degree of credit when I spoke to him of doing a similar life-size statue at Howard Memorial Hospital to honor my Great Grandfather Charles S. Howard & Doc Babcock.” explains Col. Howard. In addition, plans are being made for a bronze sculpture depicting the portrait of “Little Frank R. Howard and Puppies” on display in the lobby entrance for the encouragement and delight of children. “It is a pretty significant milestone. 80 years later here we are trying to get the same thing accomplished, for the next 80 years.” adds Janet Lamprich, Executive Director of Howard Foundation.

“Bottom line: this is a TEAM EFFORT.” said Howard, an advocate of creating an open atmosphere of freedom and discussion to improve on good ideas. “I learned in the Marine Corps and Iraq that no good plan stays static, it evolves with other good input. I believe this is also how my Great-Grandfather sold Buicks and the public on a funny little horse with a big heart!”

Festivities including the unveiling of the two small bronze statues of Seabiscuit are planned on Saturday, May 24, 2008 at Ridgewood Ranch with a reception following at the Mendocino County Museum in Willits, California. This event sponsored by the Willits Chamber of Commerce and the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation is by reservation only. For ticket information contact the Willits Chamber of Commerce at 707.459.7910 or visit www.willits.org. Major underwriters include: Mendocino Country Farm Supply, Larson Family Winery and GlenMoor Enterprises.

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A Local Food Web
Community Kitchen? by Mary Zellachild

I wrote an article last month about a county-wide workshop that was held in Willits called Steps Towards a Local Food Economy. Five subgroups were in place by the end of the day to continue working towards goals that had been identified.

There were lots of ideas put forward and talked about during the workshop. Many of these had to do with food processing and storage: holding workshops on canning, pickling, dehydrating, cheese-making, butchering and energy-efficient types of cooking. It was also suggested to hold food preservation parties where these crafts, once learned, could be worked on together.

Another area of need identified was the infrastructure that would make these types of food processing possible. Included were community kitchens, communal cold and frozen storage, root cellars, and a collection of commercial-quality food production tools, such as large pressure canners, juicers, dehydrators, and mills that could either be loaned out (a tool library) or used in a community kitchen. One idea that particularly appealed to me was constructing a brick oven that could be used for communal days of bread baking (with pizza for dinner baked afterwards).

All of these ideas would certainly further the cause of local food production in our community and are inspiring to think about. But until they’re manifested, these ideas will remain just that—ideas. Members of the food processing subgroup at the workshop are very aware of this. Some of them met recently to plan ways to turn some of these visions into realities for our community. They are focusing their energies at this time on a possible community kitchen.

Their first step is to survey local producers to find out how many would actually make use of such a kitchen if we had one. Specifically, how often do they think they could use it, what products would they be processing, what equipment do they have and what equipment would they need. And the big question: can they pay a fee to use the kitchen? Although grants may support the beginning stages of such a project, it will work long-term only if it becomes financially self-sustaining.

The next step is to find a place for the kitchen. Willits Action Group started this process last year and is still working on it, along with the Steps subgroup. Inquiries have been made at the Grange, at the TNT store and at the current Mariposa Market building, which will be empty when the new store is built next door. There was a representative from the Senior Center at the Steps Workshop who stated the Center wanted to become more focused on the whole community, rather than just on its senior population. Talks are underway to see if the Center could be a possible interim solution for a Community Kitchen, a place where the kinks could be worked out of the system before the kitchen finds a more permanent home.
The Steps food processing group is looking for input from community members. Although many current producers have been identified, the group feels there are other people who would use such a kitchen if it existed. One of the most important functions of a community kitchen is that it can become certified, so that products processed there could legally be sold. It is seen as an ideal incubation space for food producers wanting to start a small business such as making cookies, pies, or other products. Or someone with a large amount of fruit all getting ripe at the same time could turn it into jam or juice or fruit leather and sell it. The kitchen could also serve as a community gathering space where people could take classes, process food together for themselves or the food bank, and have access to a library of food-processing books as well as needed equipment.

If you are a person who feels you could make good use of such a kitchen, please call Ursula at 459-7054.

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