Fieldstone Magzine April 2013

fieldstone April 2013 • Free

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How Do You Give Back?

It’s the VANDERBILT

I can’t get rid of this headache CLINIC.

A Vanderbilt Walk-In Clinic is much more than just a walk-in clinic. It’s where a board-certified Vanderbilt physician is on site for everything from colds, cough and flu to fevers, rashes and minor injuries. We also offer more services than any other urgent care clinic, saving you time and possibly a trip to the ER. But the best thing about our Walk-In Clinics is Vanderbilt’s high level of expertise and care. Visit one of our two convenient locations or find us on the web at VanderbiltWilliamson.com.

WA L K- I N C L I N I C S

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April 2013

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I Remember When “New to Me” Was New to Me I started going to consignment sales in 1996, when I found out I was pregnant with my first son. With a baby on the way, I guess I was trying to help save money. I hadn’t thought much about consignment sales up to that point, but after going to my first one, I was hooked. I couldn’t believe I could get such great stuff for so little money. I no longer felt like I had to have new, store-bought stuff. I was perfectly happy, to have new-to-me stuff.

When Earth Day comes around each April, I always start to think about “giving back” – to the earth, to others, volunteering, recycling, getting rid of things that I don’t need any longer, and helping others who are doing the same by buying something I could use from them instead of getting a shiny new version from a big box store. When it comes to the Fieldstone Farms’ semi-annual yard sales, however, my whole family gets in on the act. My boys get really motivated to get rid of stuff they don’t use/want anymore, because they get to keep the cash from whatever they sell. And, I love it too because it helps me clean out their rooms and closets.

In this month’s issue of Fieldstone, we cover all sorts of ways people give back. And speaking of giving back, please don’t forget to patronize the local businesses that advertise in Fieldstone. They believe in our community, and believe that their products or services can benefit the people in it.

Thanks to all of you who shared the ways you practice being “green” in your house last month. When we can add your contributions to the insightful articles provided every month by the talented people who help put Fieldstone together, it makes for a much stronger community magazine.

Is there’s something you’d like to contribute to the magazine? If you have an idea for a topic you’d like covered in Fieldstone, please let us know. Send your comments or suggestions to suzanne@fieldstonemagazine.com. And don’t forget to check us out online at fieldstonemagazine.com. You can also “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on any information or events that arise between issues.

About the Publisher Suzanne Gallent is a native of Chattanooga and a graduate of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. After an 18year career as an account executive and project manager for a number of Nashville’s foremost marketing, advertising and public relations firms, she left it all behind to pursue her most challenging and rewarding job yet, full-time motherhood. She has lived happily ever after in Fieldstone Farms for eight years with her husband, Chip, and her two sons.

Fieldstone Farms Book Club The Book Club meets monthly the second Tuesday at 1:30 at the clubhouse. Please join us for engaging conversations with friendly book lovers. For more information, e-mail Shirley Fette at shirley3799@att.net.

The selected books for the next three months are: ▪▪

April 9 - The Woman In White - author, Wilkie Collins (Classic Mystery)

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May 14 - Winter Palace - author, Eva Stachniak (Historical Fiction)

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June 11 - A Small Death In Lisbon - author, Robert Wilson (Mystery)

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Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook!

Contents

Credits

Publisher Suzanne Gallent Suzanne@fieldstonemagazine.com

I Remember When “New to Me” Was New to Me............... 4 Success at the Fieldstone Farms Yard Sale..........................6-7 Organizing Tips..............................................................................8-9 Bees Buzzing in My Bonnet!.................................................. 9-10 BGA Summer Camps....................................................................... 9 Real Estate Facts..............................................................................12 Building Deep Roots in Fieldstone Farms..............................13

April Contributors Peter Alderman Chris Jones Susan Shifay Cheung Jolene McKenzie Dianne Christian Christine Reed Maria Dinoia Rhonda Scott Fishkind Caroline Walsh Sara Hamill Alison Wolf Pamela Horne

Tangled Secrets................................................................................14

Fieldstone Franklin, Tennessee (615) 390-6405 FieldstoneMagazine.com Facebook.com/FieldstoneMagazine

The Perfect Pour..............................................................................15 Calendar......................................................................................16-17 Kid’s Klassifieds................................................................................18 Around the Neighborhood.........................................................18 Tennis Mixer......................................................................................19 Fieldstone Farms Mom’s Group.................................................19 Submit Your Mother’s Day Photos...........................................19 The Flippers Take Their Mark......................................................19 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun..........................................................20

Additional copies available at the Fieldstone Clubhouse, The Good Cup, Walgreens & Publix.

Fieldstone Magazine is a privately owned company and is not affiliated with the Fieldstone Farms Home Owners Association, Community Management Associates, Inc. or any advertisers within. All content is ©2013, Fieldstone Magazine.

All rights reserved.

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Is Personal Training for You?.......................................................21 I’m a Garage Sale Junkie!......................................................22-23

Security Central Storage – Perfect for Leftovers.

FAM at the Factory.........................................................................23 Lawn Tips............................................................................................23 What’s Your Opinion? Critics Wanted!....................................23 12 Steps to Giving Back: Part One.....................................24-25 Celebrating Earth Day with Nashville’s Festival...................25

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Take a Minute to See the Point..................................................26 Air Quality and Energy Savings in the Home.......................27

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The Fieldstone View.......................................................................28 Help Me Rhonda.............................................................................29 The Wacky Origins of April Fool’s Day....................................30 Quotes About Fools.......................................................................31

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Focus on Fieldstone Looks Like It’s That Time Again

Success at the Fieldstone Farms Yard Sale If you’ve lived in Fieldstone Farms for a while, maybe you’ve noticed that a couple of times a year, many of your neighbors suddenly drag all of their unwanted clothes, furniture, toys, household items, garden tools and collectibles out of their homes at the same time to sell to the hoards of “pickers” cruising the neighborhoods. This isn’t just a wild coincidence; it’s the much-anticipated, semi-annual Fieldstone Farms Community Yard Sale, and it occurs on the third Saturday in April and September each year.

The next one is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, from 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. There are no other yard, garage, moving or estate sales permitted at any other time in Fieldstone Farms, so if you want to participate in the one on April 20, start organizing your items now. The HOA will place signs throughout the neighborhood and will place an ad in The Tennessean’s Friday and Saturday newspapers that weekend. But, the HOA asks that you please not place additional signs in the neighborhood.

IMPORTANT: If you want to participate in the sale, the City of Franklin requires that you get a permit.

The permit fee is $5.00 and can be obtained online at franklin-gov.com. In the search box, type “permit,” and then click the “Pay Online” button to get your permit.

In order to help those of you participating in the

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sale, we’ve asked Caroline Walsh for her helpful hints to improve the chances of having a successful yard sale. Caroline has lived in The Parks neighborhood for 13 years, has participated in the Fieldstone Farms community yard sales numerous times, and says she generally makes around $1,000 each time. Do what she does and your chances at finding success at the sale should skyrocket, too!

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“Merchandise” your items just like stores do. Put similar items together (all kitchen stuff together, all toys together, etc.). Ribbon, box or tape together items that are to be sold as a set (painter’s tape won’t leave residue).

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Replace missing parts and batteries. If an item is missing a key part, replace it so that your item will more easily sell. Make sure all merchandise that needs batteries has them so your shoppers can see that the item really works. For electric-powered items, have an extension cord and outlet ready to be used for testing, and put bulbs in lamps.

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Take time to clean items. No one wants to buy your dirty stuff. Plus, you’re less likely to be left with clean items at the end of the sale than you are with dirty items.

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Display items on tables. You can rent tables at various places or create your own from sawhorses and plywood. Cover your tables with plastic tablecloths for a uniform, attractive appearance.

Tossing items on a tarp in your yard tends to turnoff shoppers.

Put eye-catching items near the street. Display larger items (like furniture) and shiny items (like mirrors) close to the street to attract crowds.

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Be realistic with pricing. Do you want to sell your stuff or do you want to carry it back in your house at the end of the sale? Clearly mark your prices on each item and build in a bit of room for negotiating.

For your pricier items, use the web to find descriptive information, print it out and tape it to your item. This will help the buyer understand the item’s value and will help explain the price you’re asking.

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Be ready. Be completely ready to go when your garage doors open. It’s stressful to try and finish pricing or merchandising while customers are shopping.

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Offer beverages. Offer coffee, water and soda for sale when you’re open to keep people comfortable so they’ll spend more time browsing and buying.

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Have change on you. Carry cash/change on you so you can wander the sale and not be tied to a particular spot. Carpenter aprons work great for this. Expect to receive a lot of $20 bills, especially at the beginning of the sale, so have a plenty of $1, $5 and $10 bills ready for making change.

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Keep packaging handy. Have a supply of bags and newspapers to package your shoppers’ purchases.

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Give it to Goodwill. If you don’t feel like dragging all the stuff that doesn’t sell back into your home when the yard sale is all over, just take it over to the Kindercare next

to Hunters Bend Elementary, where a Goodwill truck will be waiting to take it off your hands.

Now that you know how to achieve success at the yard sale, what are you going to do with all the money you earn? Some Fieldstone Farms residents donate theirs to “Project Graduation,” Franklin High School’s (FHS) answer to a safe and fun graduation-night celebration.

Project Graduation is an all-night, drug- and alcoholfree celebration for the FHS class of 2013 hosted by the school’s Parent Association. It’s only through the combined generosity of business and individual contributors that the students are able to partake in this safe and memorable event. To donate or for more information, please contact 2013 FHS Project Graduation’s co-chair, Jody King, at (615) 390-2665 or kking36@att.net.

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Organizing Tips In honor of Earth Day, we’d like to spend a little time focusing on getting organized. When your space is organized, you almost can’t help but eliminate the clutter in your life. When everything has it’s own place, you can see how much stuff you really have, and decide whether or not you want to keep it all. If there’s stuff you realize you don’t need any longer, you can recycle it or give it away to someone else who probably could use it. In that spirit, we’re happy to bring you some helpful tips from one very organized Fieldstone Farms resident and contributor to Fieldstone, Christine Reed.

stays in the neat pile. It is so much more efficient and relaxing to open the door and see a display similar to one you may see at a department store.

Luggage ▪▪

I keep a luggage tag on the outside of my bag, of course, but it can’t hold all my important information, so I also place a piece of paper with a copy of my driver’s license and all my contact information, including flight information and hotel addresses, inside of my bag. This way, should my bag get lost en route, the airlines will know where to send it when it’s recovered. This is also a handy way to identify my bag if my luggage tag gets separated from my bag.

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I store a picture of the inside of my packed bag on my cell phone. This way, if all of my things end up strewn about on a table in the airport (which happened to my mom), I will be identify my belongings and remember what I packed.

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Vacuum-sealed bags for storing clothing are great for creating space in your luggage. I may have plenty of room when I start my trip, but often need to create room for souvenirs on the way home. Travelsized Space Bags® can purchased at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Walmart.

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My closet is now organized by clothing type and all colors of each clothing type are stored together.

Some experts recommend using the same clothing hangers for all items to create a clean and neat look but I have not invested in those yet.

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I store extra pillows, comforters, quilts and seasonal clothing in Space Bags® to create more room in bedroom and linen closets.

Pantries ▪▪

Paper Clutter ▪▪

We moved our paper recycling can into the kitchen so that newspapers, junk mail and papers get disposed of each day.

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I still have stacks of magazines that I plan to read one day. It helps to store them in open baskets so I remember that they are there, but they are also contained.

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I chose to reduce my amount of magazine subscriptions, but many people prefer to cut down on clutter by ordering their magazines digitally through their iPad or Kindle.

Gym Bags ▪▪

I was always forgetting something that I needed to take to gym. I finally typed up a checklist for packing my gym bag. Some items stay in the bag, such as shampoo, but even the bottle needs to be checked periodically to make sure that I still have shampoo left. Now, if I need to purchase more shampoo (or soap, etc.), I can make a note at home before I leave instead of relying on my memory to buy it later.

I rarely forget what I need now, which makes my workout more enjoyable.

Closets ▪▪

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I keep all folded clothing in a large armoire in our bedroom. The piles of T-shirts, shorts, jeans and workout clothes were always ending up in a jumbled heap, which made it hard to find what I needed quickly. I used my label maker and labeled the shelves by category last spring. Now everything

I love the Container Store in Green Hills. You can go in there with any organizational challenge and talk to the staff, who will mostly likely come up with a product and/or idea to help you. I recently reorganized my kitchen pantry with their Elf shelving system... ah, alphabetized spices on the inside of my pantry door makes cooking so much easier.

Coupons ▪▪

I file grocery coupons in a coupon wallet. I also keep individual Manila folders for restaurant coupons, car-related coupons, household vendors and department stores. I keep all of these files in a cabinet in my kitchen so they can be grabbed when heading out the door to the garage.

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These days, digital coupons can be stored right on your smart phone.

Important Documents ▪▪

When police arrived at our door and told us we had 30 minutes to evacuate our home during the May 2010 flood, we went on a mad dash to make sure we took all of our important documents (such as passports, key medical records, all insurance papers, wills, etc.) with us. They were filed individually in our file cabinet. It was time consuming and stressful to recall what documents we needed to take with us.

Now, we store all of those essential documents in one portable fireproof, waterproof box that has a handle and key lock. We keep the keys on our key rings. It’s a heavy box, but we can grab everything and go quickly. In addition, the box will protect our documents from disaster when we are not at home.

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We always have kept extreme valuables and copies of our wedding video in a safe-deposit box at the bank and in my parents’ home in addition to our house. Your attorney or accountant can also keep copies of key documents for you at their offices.

Consider storing jewelry and valuables in a safedeposit box when traveling.

Christine Henchar Reed moved to TN to attend grad school at Vanderbilt, and now has dedicated her career to working for public tv, assisting people with disabilities and serving in ministry. Christine and her husband moved to Fieldstone in 2006. She is also coauthor of Contagious Optimism! You may reach her at HencharReed@gmail.com.

BGA Summer Camps Battle Ground Academy has something for everyone this summer! Camps range from athletics to enrichment to academic – all age appropriate and directed by a BGA coach or camp professional. Have fun at dodgeball camp, get creative in the ceramics studio, acquire the skills for soccer and football, make a Lego movie, learn to drive or get a good workout at the bootcamps for adults…these are just a few of the 70+ opportunities this summer at BGA. Summer camps are for kids ages 5–Adult and run from May 28–August 1. Full-day and half-day camps are available. For families needing additional care, before-care and after-care is available.

BGA is conveniently located in Franklin, Tennessee with easy access from I-65, Franklin Road and Hillsboro Road.

For detailed descriptions of each camp or to register, go to www.BattleGroundAcademy.org/BGAcamps. Contact Roc Batten, Director of BGA Camps, 615-567-8327 or bgacamps@mybga.org.

April 2013

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Bees Buzzing in My Bonnet!

by Susan Shifay Cheung - Dalton Park

We have a phrase in England that means being preoccupied with an idea, “I have a bee in my bonnet.”

In fact, I have several bees in my bonnet, but I’ll tell you about the four most pressing.

The first bee – helium shortage.

The first started when a few friends were organizing an event for another friend to celebrate the grand opening of her business venture. One of our cohorts went to buy some helium balloons, but found there were none to be had at the place where she went. Instead, she bought a pack of balloons we blew up the old-fashioned way.

It transpires there’s a world shortage of helium and, after reading up on the subject, I found out this is no April Fool’s Day joke. Experts say the world’s most commonly used inert gas could be depleted in 30 years. The price of helium on the commodities market makes it too cheap to recycle. Helium can’t be made artificially; it’s either produced by the sun’s nuclear fusion processes or by the slow radioactive decay of the earth’s rocks over millions of years. The world’s helium reserves are by-products from the extraction of natural gas. Once helium is released in the air, it’s gone forever.

Do you know what helium is used for, apart from helping party balloons float? It’s used for many essential processes, from cooling the magnets in medical MRI scanners to the mix of helium, oxygen and nitrogen that deep-sea divers use to breathe while under water. Now that I know helium is a precious commodity, I’ll never squander it on balloons again.

I urge you to preserve and conserve by blowing up your own balloons.

When I first moved to the United States, I was shocked by the huge portions of food Americans were used to being served, as well as the waste and spoilage of tremendous amounts of uneaten food in those large portions. One of my family’s goals is to use up what we have in the fridge before we buy more, and to never throw out spoiled produce just because we didn’t consume it in time. Although I love to socialize with others at Publix, my aim is to reduce my trips to the store.

It’s great to see a well-stocked pantry, but it means there’s food being unused. As a family, we’ve challenged ourselves to cook only from the cans and boxes we find in the pantry at least once a week. We’ve also set a goal to never throw out leftovers, but to make a second or third (different) meal out of them.

The second bee – food conservation.

Earth Day is fast upon us, and as I think widely about our environment, for me, it becomes more than just filling blue bags of recyclables every week or switching lights off. I live by the philosophy of balance and moderation, which includes food consumption, too.

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The third bee – always being the group “planner.”

It’s great to socialize, whether it’s in short bursts at Publix or out with intimate friends. I used to resent always being the one who was the organizer of social events.

It seemed to me that if I didn’t organize the fun things, then we’d never get together to do any fun things.

Childishly, I went through periods of lying low and letting others take the lead, only to be confronted by surprised inquiries from friends after periods of inactivity.

I hear comments like, “Why weren’t we meeting?” I’d also hear friends talk about how much they missed seeing everyone. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve turned my thinking around. I’ve accepted that my organizational skills are some of my key talents. I’ve come to see my friends’ anticipation of my planning as a compliment and testament to my skills.

worth your special time and shouldn’t squander it. It’s your gift to give, so choose the quality places, people and events that renew and nourish you. Don’t go to events or join particular groups you don’t enjoy just because it looks good for you to be there. You deserve better.

Wow, all of my bees are really starting to crowd my bonnet. Maybe I’ll plan some fun “me” time that includes decorating the kitchen with balloons and a sensible “mystery dinner” from stuff I find in the pantry.

Susan Shifay Cheung has turned her hand to many forms of writing in her various roles, over the years, as corporate trainer, management consultant, journalist and freelance writer. You can contact her at y2s2cheung@yahoo.com.

The fourth bee – making time for “me” time.

I’ve also come to value my time, so I’m selective about how I use it. However, once I’ve decided how to spend it, I share it openly and generously with others. As a freelancer, I have to think about what I’m worth; how much do I charge per hour of my time?

I’d hazard a guess that many of you attempt to do more than you have time for, and desperately juggle the many responsibilities between family, work and other activities.

I know I do. My planning involves coordinating multiple schedules, but doing this for so long has taught me that there often isn’t much time left over for “me” time. So, I make it a point to carve this time out and then hang onto it like a precious commodity.

If you’re the type who never allows or plans for personal time, thinking it to be selfish, I’m here to say that you’re

April 2013

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Building on Deep Roots in Fieldstone Farms

by Pamela Horne

Dianne Christian and Matt Daniel have an unusual passion for Fieldstone Farms; one that transcends representing dozens and dozens of homebuyers and sellers. Yes, they have shepherded more transactions in our neighborhood than other realtors, but this mother-and-son real estate team describes a much deeper connection.

They’re among a handful of folks who remember the early 1990’s at Fieldstone Farms, which was then simply endless acres of freshly plowed farmland waiting for the colored designs of parks and playgrounds, as well as for the renderings of new homes, to take flight.

Dianne and Matt became accustomed to the daily rhythm of hammer and nail from dawn to dusk. They were original pioneers to “the Farm” when Dianne purchased her first home here on Cavalcade Circle in 1990. For more than a decade, they took turns welcoming newcomers in a variety of ways until, as Matt remembers, we “sold the final lot.” He was referring to the sale of the 19-acre hilltop property now owned by Dollar General founder, Cal Turner.

“I actually started the first neighborhood newsletter on my computer, and that led to the first neighborhood directory,” Dianne recalled recently from the new office of Daniel-Christian Real Estate, LLC, in downtown Franklin. The newsletter immediately connected a handful of people, who all shared the same excitements and concerns that come with being in a brand new development.

Dianne’s gift of southern hospitality, mixed with her community knowledge as a sixth-generation member of a Williamson County family, proved to be a recipe for success. There were times when she went to the mat, advocating to city officials on pivotal issues. “There were no stop signs in those days and I asked the city aldermen to provide us with something on Citation Drive,” she admits unabashedly. Years later, she became very vocal at city planning commission meetings opposing a planned section of apartment dwellings.

Dianne and Matt say they go to bat for Fieldstone Farms because it has been a part of their lives for so long.

From Cavalcade Circle to Clarendon Circle to Cotswold Park Court, Dianne continued to follow the Fieldstone

Farms “dream” until she was drawn back to downtown Franklin.

She and her husband Mike now reside in the Brownstones, a development which, coincidentally, overlooks the location where she owned a popular women’s clothier in the 1970’s named The Cottage. But that is another story.

Matt, 36 and now a father of two boys, has another unique perspective. He was a freshman at Franklin High School in those early Fieldstone Farms development years. “I had a black Lab named Charlie and I think the two of us walked every square foot of Fieldstone Farms, especially along the Harpeth River.” Matt tells of starting his own lawn mowing business, and even pursuing the backbreaking work of laying sod for many homeowners.

After years of watching a development emerge from dirt to driveways, Matt chose the real estate profession.

After college, he and his wife Courtney, a nurse at Williamson Medical Center, purchased their first home in Fieldstone Farms on Essex Park Circle. “I got my first taste of real estate when Dianne would send me out to gather the names and phone numbers of our neighbors so she could put together a neighborhood directory. Little did I know then that I was cutting my teeth on what would soon become my professional career.”

As longtime realtors, Dianne and Matt have certainly had a front-row seat to the quantum growth of our county, but their personal attention to Fieldstone Farms sets them apart. Now, after decades of association with larger real estate firms, Matt and Dianne have stepped out to establish an independent company. “My professional mentors instilled in me a spirit of entrepreneurship that is based on honesty, hard work and genuine customer service. Matt and I are committed to making these the hallmark of our company,” Dianne shares.

If the earliest seeds planted in this residential community are any indication of what is in store for us down the road, then Fieldstone Farms has a bright future.

Most assuredly, Matt and Dianne will continue to offer their expertise. Visit Daniel-Christian.com to learn more about Daniel-Christian Real Estate.

April 2013

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Tangled Secrets The Pope Wears Prada, and Now I Know Why It seems that Italians do everything with flair and quality, and it was even widely reported that retired Pope Benedict XVI used a number of high-class fashion items – sunglasses, shoes, iPods, etc. I ponder this as I am crammed into my economy seat, jetting home to Fieldstone Farms after a long workweek in Rome. I just completed the Artego Academy for hair colorists, led by the flamboyant and omni-talented Attilio Flammia and his lovely colleague, Fiorella Notarianna – true talents in the world of hair styling. My class consisted of three American, one Korean and three Belgian hairdressers, making us a global cornucopia.

Having the opportunity to not only learn about Artego’s ideas for the future of their image, but to also visit the actual factory, was telling. Even though it was an industrial setting, every part of the building had some facet of décor to show off. The laboratory had fashion posters hung among the endless rows of secret ingredients and essential oils, and someone had created a monstrous collage of a happy pink heart on a silver background made only from hundreds of used tubes of Artego hair color. So creative. Bellisimo. Italian.

The fact that I arrived just before the conclave and departed on the first day of Pope Francis’ reign was merely a coincidence, but it certainly made for some extra excitement in the air. Who knew that I would be sharing my flight with Charlie Rose, or that I would get to see Diane Sawyer’s facelift up close (she looks amazing, by the way)? All of that added to the surreal feeling of being in an ancient city during an ancient ritual, while strolling upon the footsteps of thousands of years of history.

If you have a love of art, history, fashion or just simple beauty, be sure to visit Rome. I didn’t feel the need to spend loads of money on guided tours, but rather opened my eyes and wandered. The streets are made from black square cobblestone and are a feast for the senses, from the enormous fountains and sculptures to the Prada and Valentino in the store windows, and the beyond-exquisite buildings. Just get lost in the city’s center and let it reveal itself to you. I feel so blessed to have been able to absorb some of the Italian vibe and bring it back to express and share through my work.

With all that said, I still look forward to being back in Franklin tonight, with my beautiful family, and sleeping in my cozy bed on Wimbledon Circle, because, even after this amazing trip to Rome, there still is NO PLACE like home.

Alison Wolf has 24 years of experience in the beauty industry as a master stylist/colorist, salon owner, hair extension artist, teacher and mentor. She is the owner of Alison Wolf & Co. at 1731 Mallory Ln. in Cool Springs. Alison and her husband, Clint, live in Fieldstone Farms with their two sons.

I visited the Vatican the night before the conclave began, just after they hung the new red drapes for the newest pope. I found myself standing in the middle of St. Peter’s Square, which was nearly empty, feeling completely overwhelmed and moved to tears. The spiritual presence of the place is tangible. Even the birds seemed to be celebrating as they circled the dome while the song of a visiting children’s choir from the portico. It was a heartpounding moment.

Each day after class, we were able to grab a shuttle to the “center,” as it is called, which is the heart of Rome. Traffic whizzes by the Coliseum and other jaw-dropping sights as if it’s just another day or just another place, while I try to stop wandering around with my mouth hanging open. The streets are lined with enormous, numerous, startlingly fascinating works of art, sculpture and architecture. The bridge crossing the Tiber River, near the Vatican, is lined with at least a dozen enormous angels who gaze over your head into the distance as you cross.

I only got to see Rome by night, but I think that may have been an advantage, as everything is illuminated to emphasize the majesty of it all.

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The Perfect Pour

Maximus IPA

Thinking ahead to Cinco de Mayo celebrations, here are a few items you might want to have on hand if you’re having guests over to celebrate, or going to a celebration somewhere else. You can find all of these “May 5th merry makers” at The Corner Wine & Spirits in the Harpeth Village Shopping Center on Hillsboro Road and at Del Rio Wine & Spirits at 111 Del Rio Pike.

1800 Ultimate Margarita by 1800 Tequila Anyone who has tried a pre-mixed margarita quickly realized there was a lot to be desired. Pre-mixed concoctions usually have a significant lack of flavor, and any flavor that does exist is so artificial that it’s usually determined that it’s better to have no margarita at all. In addition to the lack of quality, most bottled margaritas also require that you to add tequila to their mix, leaving you with one more thing to buy (and carry around if you’re on the go).

This is a “bigger” IPA than the flagship Lagunitas IPA. “More hops, more alcohol and more body... similar hops of the IPA, just more of them... spicy finish with a lot of rose petal, and we just increased the emphasis on the hops.”

Little Sumpin Sumpin This is a truly unique style of beer, featuring a strong hop finish on a silky body. It’s a filtered pale wheat ale that’s great for both IPA and wheat beer fans.

And now for something almost completely different… a quote from a Nobel-Prize winning author, adventurer and time-honored imbiber, who knew as much about “acting a fool” in his personal life as he did about hanging out with them.

No mas. There now exists a decent choice for a quick margarita – 1800 Ultimate Margarita. If you’re familiar with 1800 Tequila at all, you know it’s well regarded and elevates any good margarita to great. Not only is the 1800 Margarita mix tasty on its own, it’s also the only ready-to-serve margarita made with 100% blue agave tequila. This is the perfect bottled cocktail for a picnic, potluck, last-minute get together or for when you just don’t feel like standing behind the bar all night.

“An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.”

– Ernest Hemingway

RumChata by Agave Loco Brands This cream liqueur has become very popular since its release in 2009. The inspiration for RumChata is horchata, an in-demand drink in Mexico and Spain that actually dates back to the time of ancient Egyptians. In Egypt and Spain, the chufa nut was ground with water, cinnamon and sugar to make a drink that has the look of milk. When the recipe came to Mexico, rice was used in place of the nut. Traditionally, horchata does not contain dairy products, though RumChata liqueur does.

RumChata captures the authentic flavors of traditional Mexican horchata – a delicious liqueur created from rice, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet dairy cream and Caribbean rum. Surprisingly light for a cream liqueur, RumChata works well in cocktails, but can also be enjoyed neat over ice, added to coffee or hot chocolate, or incorporated into your favorite recipe.

Lagunitas Brewing Company If beer is more your style for celebrating the 5th of May, try something from this brewery, which was founded in 1993 in Lagunitas, CA. The Lagunitas Brewing Company is known for it’s iconoclastic interpretations of traditional beer styles, and irreverent descriptive text and stories on their packaging. The company is one of the 20 topselling craft breweries in the U.S. Their line-up includes many beers, but here are some of our favorites.

April 2013

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Apr. 2013

Fieldstone’s May Issue Deadline Information

Contributor Space Reservation: April 15th – Fieldstone is YOUR community magazine so if you have something positive to offer, please let us know!

Contribution space is always free to residents of Fieldstone Farms but space is limited so reserve your space by the 15th.

Contributor Submission Deadline: April 18th – Please have your text and pictures in to us by the 18th.

New Advertiser Space Reservation: April 15th – If you would like to advertise with Fieldstone next month, please let us know by the 15th. Once again, space is limited but if you need any help with your ad, Fieldstone’s graphics department can do it! Please contact us as early as possible to allow us enough time to get it perfect it for you.

Advertiser Artwork Deadline: April 18th – If you wish to submit your own camera-ready artwork, please have it to us by the 18th.

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Sunday

Register at Fieldstone-Farms.com for HOA e- mails & updates.

Fieldston

Monday

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April Fool’s Day

Tuesday

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Passover Ends

Fieldstone Mom’s Group Fieldstone Clubhouse 11am - 12pm

Wedne

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Fieldstone Fa Fieldstone 12:30

BGA - No School

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No Housework Day

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Flippers Open House Fieldstone Clubhouse 2-4pm see p. 19 for more info

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28

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Franklin Main Street Festival Noon-6pm

Fieldstone Farms Book Club Fieldstone Clubhouse 1:30pm

Taxes Due!

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HOA Board Meeting Fieldstone Clubhouse 6pm

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Fieldston Coffee Fieldstone Clu

Blood Little House An 1:30-6:

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Fieldston Coffee Fieldstone Clu

Fieldstone Fa Fieldstone C 12:30

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Tennis Mixer Fieldstone Clubhouse 2-4pm see p. 19 for more info

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Earth Day

Zipper Invented - 1917

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National Honesty Day

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Fieldston Coffee Fieldstone 9a

ne Farms

esday

arms Bridge Clubhouse 0pm

ne Farms Group ubhouse - 9am

Thursday

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Friday

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Jackie Robinson Day

Saturday

FAM at The Factory The Factory 6-9pm see p.23 for more info

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Jump Over Things Day

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Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday - 1743

Drive nimal Hospital :30pm

ne Farms Group ubhouse - 9am

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Fieldstone Farms Garage Sale 7am-3pm

Humorous Day

arms Bridge Clubhouse 0pm

ne Farms Group Clubhouse am

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Arbor Day

All-Pro Dads Breakfast Hunter’s Bend Elementary 7:15am–8:05am

Franklin Main Street Festival 10am-7pm

Local P hone Numbers Emergency............................................... 911 Poison Control..............................936-2034 Crisis Intervention........................269-4357 Franklin Police...............................794-2513 Williamson Co. Sheriff.................790-5550 Franklin Fire Dept.........................791-3275 Williamson Medical Center.........435-5000 Animal Control..............................790-5590 Schools Hunters Bend Elementary...........472-4580 Walnut Grove Elementary...........472-4870 Grassland Middle.........................472-4500 Franklin High.................................472-4450 BGA.................................................794-3501 Columbia State CC.......................790-4400 Williamson Co ALC.......................790-5810 Services Middle TN Electric Service . .......794-1102 Comcast.................................800-266-2278 Direct TV................................866-505-9387 Local Government Franklin City Government...........791-3217 County Clerk.................................790-5712 Franklin Library.............................595-1250 Veteran Affairs.............................790-5623 Miscellaneous The Fieldstone Club.....................790-9124 Senior Services..............................376-0102 Voter Registration........................790-5711 Chamber of Commerce...............794-1225

April 2013

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Kid’s Klassifieds

Need help studying to improve grades, ACT/SAT scores, or standardized test performance?

Do you babysit, mow lawns, wash cars, pet sit, etc. in our neighborhood? Then send us your information and we will post it in our classified section. 18 and younger only please – Thank you!

Call Caleb Gaddes - 438-6596 or email caleb.gaddes@ gmail.com. 18-year-old senior at Franklin High School.

AP student with honors.

References available upon request.

Are you looking for a certified & reliable babysitter?

Need an Experienced Cat Sitter?

Contact Melissa McElroy at 615-779-6657. I am a cat lover with 18 years of cat experience. Lifelong Fieldstone Farms resident and senior at Franklin High School.

Meredith Wilken - 521-6449 or mkwilken@hotmail.com 12 years old, honor student, Red Cross Certified, 7th grader at Grassland Middle School!

Do you need a part-time babysitter or just a night out?

Need a babysitter you can trust?

My name is Samantha Sheridan. I am 18 and a senior at Franklin High School. I am a straight A student and have taken Early Child Care classes for two years. I have my license and can provide my own transportation. I live in Fieldstone Farms and I am available on weekends and after school every day except Thursdays. During the summer and upcoming year, I am available anytime.

You can contact me, Sam, at 615.916.1712 or by email samanthamarie213@gmail.com.

Call Kayla Turner at 866-7921 or 791-9311.

Morgan Polston - Babysitting, Pet Sitting, House Sitting

Hourly rates - available weekends only.

MTSU student available on weekends, local neighbor Contact morganlpolston@gmail.com.

I am a Franklin High School student and have been passionate about technology since I was very young.

Availability: September-May: Morning and Evening May-August: All day Williamson County School Holidays: All day

Rates: 1-2 visits per day: $10/day; 3-4 visits per day: $12/day. References available upon request.

Around the Neighborhood..

Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. - Fieldstone 50+ Coffee Club 50 Plus hosts coffee at the Clubhouse on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. All age groups are welcome.

Contact Patricia Hampton at hamdoo1994@att.net.

Wednesdays, April 3rd & 17th, 12:30 p.m. - Fieldstone Bridge Group The group meets at the Clubhouse from 12:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. Contact Mike Hartland to participate 472-8114.

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Rent–A–Teen - For all your technological issues Solve tech problems with computers, cell phones, Ipods, TVs, cameras, video players, etc. Answer any and all questions – No question is too simple. Help shop for the ideal product to fit your needs.

Ben Bergman: 595-5573 or rentateen42@gmail.com.

Call or email for a free quote.

Need care for your pet, but don’t want to pay for boarding? Contact Vaughn Hamill at fieldstonepetsitting@gmail.com or 556-5996.

I am a 16 year old junior at Christ Presbyterian Academy.

I live in Wexford and love kids. 4 years experience.

Beginner Guitar Lessons - I am a 15-year-old Fieldstone Farms resident and have been teaching beginner guitar lessons in my home for three years. I have openings for a limited number of new students. $10 per half-hour lesson for ages 10-18.

Contact Arin at: brewbeat@comcast.net

April 9th, 1:30 p.m. – Fieldstone Book Club The club meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. at the Clubhouse. Contact Shirley Fette at Shirley3799@att.net for more information. Everyone is welcome!

April 16th, 6:00 p.m. - HOA Board Meeting Join us at the Clubhouse for the monthly meeting.

April 20th, 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Fieldstone Farms Neighborhood Garage Sale

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Tennis Mixer

Join us at the clubhouse tennis courts for our spring kick off Adult Only Tennis Mixer on Sunday, April 21st from 2:00-4:00. Take part in our exciting Round Robin with a chance to win gift certificates from New Balance in Cool Springs for the top scoring guy and gal. Free for members, guests are $5.

RSVP to Carol Stansbury at carolstansbury@ comcast.net or Tammy Jirjis, Club Manager at tjirjis@ cmacommunities.com by April 19th.

Also, Fieldstone Farms is excited to announce the addition of a second tennis pro, Tom Young. Tom and Nettie will work together to meet the tennis needs of the young and just beginning to the seasoned and keeping fine tuned and every level in between.

Tom will kick off junior tennis this spring. He is available immediately for private lessons. Junior and adult clinics will start the first week of April. For more information or to schedule a private or group lesson, please contact Tom Young at 909-522-1905 or tyoung1011@icloud. com.

Fieldstone Farms Mom’s Group Are you a mother living in Fieldstone Farms of a child two years old or younger? If so, come meet other neighborhood moms at the clubhouse the first Tuesday of every month from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Mingle, make new friends and help plan more fun activities for moms and their little ones! Contact Jennifer Guerrero with any questions at jennifermguerrero@gmail.com.

Submit Your Mother’s Day P hotos Contribute to the 2013 Mother’s Day Photo Collage in Fieldstone by sending in a photo of you and your children. We’re not just looking for photos of mothers and children, but any photos showing multiple generations of mothers and children, as well. E-mail your photos by Friday, April 19th to info@fieldstonemagazine.com, and then look for your smiling faces in the May issue of Fieldstone.

The Flippers Take Their Mark

by Chris Jones - Wyndham Hill

The meet referee blows the whistle four times and the starter announces, “Event one, six and under, 25-yard freestyle, heat one.” Another whistle is blown. The six swimmers stand poised at the edge of the pool. “Take your mark,” the starter says, and the swimmers bow down into their starting position. The starter’s signal, a loud “beep,” is heard and, with a raucous of splashing water, as well as cheers from parents and teammates, a new summer swim season begins for the Fieldstone Farms Flippers.

Your Fieldstone Farm Flippers are the two-time defending class AA Champions of the Williamson County Swim League. Coached by Fieldstone Farms’ own Nick Benson, the team has gone undefeated the last two years of dual meets. These meets are held in the weeks leading up to the county championships, which are held at the Williamson County Indoor Sports Complex at 902 Heritage Way in Brentwood.

The Fieldstone Farm Flippers team is made up of our community’s youth. Some swimmers start as young as four years of age, with the oldest being seniors in high school. One of the enjoyable aspects of being a member of the swim team is that kids of all ages in the Fieldstone Farms neighborhood get to know each other.

For those wondering, your child doesn’t have to be the strongest of swimmers to join. Some parents like to think of the swim team as seven weeklong swim lessons. While some swimmers do compete all year, most just swim during the summer.

Practices are every morning, except when there is a swim meet. The practice times are divided up according to the swimmers’ ages and are held in the mornings at the main swimming pool. There are six scheduled dual meets this summer. The Flippers swim against Brentwood Country Club, Old Natchez Country Club and McKays Mill.

If you’re interested in finding out more, stop by the Flippers Open House at the Fieldstone Farms Clubhouse on April 14 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Board members will be there to answer any questions you may have, and swimsuits will be on display and available for ordering.

Whether you have a child on the team or not, we’d love your support for another winning season for the Fieldstone Farm Flippers!

April 2013

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Girls Just Wanna Have Fun It’s that time of year again – time to register for Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (GJWHF) Camp. This unapologetically “girlie” camp is entering its sixth summer, and has been so popular, its organizer, McKenzie Babb, has had to expand it to two weeks from its original one-week-only session at its start in 2007.

McKenzie is a 17-year-old and junior at Franklin High School, and is looking forward to her senior year this fall. She is a Red-Crosscertified babysitter and has also been certified by the Red Cross to perform CPR. She enjoys competitive dance and is a member of the Franklin High School Dance Team. Not one to rest on her laurels, McKenzie has been a Girl Scout for the past 12 years and is starting to work on her Girl Scout Gold Award.

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E-mail to reserve your spot – girlsjustwannahavefuninfo@gmail.com • Location – Fieldstone Farms (exact location given upon registration) •

Ages accepted – 3 to 11

• Time – 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

• Cost – $120 ($10 discount for siblings) • Participate in both weeks for just $230 • Payment deadline – April 30, 2013

Most important, though, she has a heart for children and says she can’t wait to spend some time with her campers this summer. “I absolutely love running GJWHF Camp, and look forward to it every summer,” McKenzie reiterates. Another important thing to note, 2013 camp hours have been extended by an hour each day, allowing for more time to have fun doing activities, crafts and games each day.

There will be two weeks of camp this year, each being unique in regard to day themes and activities. Campers

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can take part in either week or both. Spots are limited, so make your child’s reservation as soon as possible. If you’re interested in signing up your daughter for GJWHF Camp, here’s all you need to know:

Week #1 When: Monday, June 10 – Thursday, June 13 Week #2 When: Monday, June 24 – Thursday, June 27 Each week of camp includes 24 hours total of fun, crafts, games, a camp tote bag, water bottle and camp T-shirt.

Each day has a different theme and activities will be planned accordingly.

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Is Personal Training for You?

by Scott Fishkind - Clarendon

With swim suit season fast approaching, now is a great time to start thinking about getting in shape. However, folks often may not know the best way to go about it and there is a lot of confusing, conflicting and blatant misinformation out there. Additionally, many people may find a gym or group fitness class setting too intimidating.

The last thing many de-conditioned people want is to be surrounded by a bunch of super fit people whom they may feel are watching and judging them. This was a real concern expressed to me by clients when I worked as a personal trainer at a crowded YMCA many years ago. Even those folks willing to go it alone at a gym are often lost as to where to even begin, or how to properly perform exercises. In truth, I even see many regulars at the gym who use faulty and often dangerous exercise techniques.

So what, you may ask, is the solution? I would highly recommend getting some expert guidance from a qualified fitness professional. Some folks may benefit from just a few sessions to have a program written for them and the opportunity to learn proper technique.

Others may benefit from a more long-term situation, where the fitness pro can give continuous guidance, adjusting the program as needed so they can continue to progress more optimally.

For those folks who would prefer not to work out in a gym environment, there are alternatives available that might best serve them. In fact, trying to provide such an alternative fitness solution is the primary reason why I started my personal training company, Time4You Fitness, several years ago. I eventually expanded it with IMPACT Cool Springs, which offers a variety of boot-camp style programs. The entire premise was based on bringing training to people in a variety of settings, such as their homes, community clubhouses, schools, churches and even their place of work, if their situation allows for that.

People may think they need a fancy home gym or dedicated workout area to have a trainer come to their home. You would be amazed at how little space is actually required, and most trainers bring all of the equipment needed for the session/class. One might also think that in-home training would be prohibitively expensive. Not only are trainers LESS costly than most gyms, but training sessions also can be shared to make them even more affordable. There are no long-term contracts to sign and Time4You Fitness, for one, offers special pricing to Fieldstone Farms residents.

solution.

Not only are you getting a customized program, but every repetition of every exercise is also observed and coached to insure you are using proper form at all times.

This is also an excellent solution for folks interested in eventually doing a boot camp program, but who don’t currently feel ready to jump into a class setting. In those situations, the program is designed to build a fitness foundation, while also familiarizing them to the types of modalities used in our boot camp classes.

Semi-private: This is a training session shared by two people. These can be a husband and wife, parent and child or two friends with similar goals. Unlike most gyms, we do not charge an additional fee for a shared session.

The cost per person is literally cut in half!

Small group: This consists of three or four people sharing the training hour. Folks may even do a private bootcamp style training session with some friends. The cost per person is about the same as attending a boot camp class, while providing the flexibility of scheduling the session at a time that is the best fit for their lifestyle.

We also provide small group training for youth or adult athletes who want to be able to train together using athletic based training modalities.

To learn more about our programs please visit our websites at time4youfitness.com and impactcoolsprings. com, or call (615) 804-9396.

One-on-one: With one-on-one training, we assess your specific needs based on a variety of factors and design a personalized program. For folks who haven’t exercised in a while and/or are dealing with an injury, this is the best

April 2013

Fieldstone Farms Resident Scott Fishkind is a Certified Personal Trainer (ACE) and Certified IMPACT instructor (NESTA) specializing in Fitness Boot Camp Classes and In-Home personal Training. He may be reached at 615804-9396, email: info@time4youfitness.com, or www.time4youfitness.com.

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I’m a Garage Sale Junkie!

It’s Saturday morning and the sun hasn’t appeared over the mountains to the east, but I know it’s time to get up, get dressed and head on out to the truck. A car just won’t do this weekend! No, I’m not going fishing. I’m armed with this morning’s newspaper with listings for Garage Sales. I need the truck in case I find something large that I just have to have. The ads in the paper help get me started in the right direction, but I’m an expert at finding them without help!

pulled down the same side road and saw a fluorescent orange sign a block ahead that I knew would say, “Yard Sale”

I’m a garage sale junkie. I can spot a garage or yard sale sign stuck on a stick at an intersection a block away. With several places to start, I head for the one closest to the house. My heart begins racing as I back the truck out of the driveway and roar down the road toward the first address in the paper.

There were tables in the garage that contained lawn and garden equipment and a sign directing everyone to go into the house and see what was for sale there. There was almost too much for the mind to comprehend. There had to be something I needed in all this!

Even before I get there I see several cars parked on the side of the road in front of the house. Darn! I’m not the first to view the riches laid out on the front lawn and drive. No doubt someone else has bought the good stuff before I even had a chance to see what was available!

It only takes a minute for me to know that this is not the yard sale I’m looking for. The folks holding this one are really proud of their junk. The prices they were asking were too high for me. Besides, I didn’t see anything I wanted. It’s time to look for another one!

Before I even get the truck moving, I spot a car pulling a small trailer loaded down with an old desk and a couple of mismatched lawn chairs, moving out of a side street just down the block. The garage sale tracker I am, I

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This time I found a driveway that was covered with tables filled with items of every size and description. This was no ordinary yard sale, but an estate sale. The people who had owned the home had passed away and their daughters were selling the house as well as practically everything in it.

Every room was filled with objects acquired over most of a lifetime. In some ways it was sad, but it seemed that the daughters had taken the things they wanted and were happy to sell everything else at ridiculously low prices. I bought a 4 CD set of romantic songs of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s performed by original artists that sell on TV for $39.95 per month for only 4 months. I paid $4 for this musical treasure.

There was much more to see, but by now the crowds had discovered the bargains that were being gobbled up by excited buyers. I was caught in the middle of a feeding frenzy as more and more people crowded into the house.

A person could get hurt trying to buy a food processor or some other needless thing!

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By now it was only 8:00 a.m.; still plenty of time to find another yard sale before all the good stuff was gone.

Without consulting the newspaper, I simply began driving down the road looking for signs tacked to utility poles at intersections. I soon spotted a truck that had been parked next to me at the estate sale, so I followed him to the next sale. It’s amazing at how many of the same folks you meet weekend after weekend.

Garage sales are held for a multitude of reasons. Some folks try to make money when they hold a sale while others just want to get rid of the junk. I know a lady who has a huge yard sale every year and places no price tag on any of the items. When someone holds up something and asks the price, she simply tells them to name their price. She makes new friends each year this way. To her that is more precious than money.

Family fun and entertainment at The Factory on Friday, April 5th, from 6-9. Live music, food trucks and stores will be open late. Visit artisans, paint pottery and grab drinks and munchies. Free admission.

Lawn Tips from Your Friends at Turf Managers

Keep traffic on the lawn to a minimum when there is frost.

Walking on frosted or frozen turf can damage the grass blades, especially on very young grass.

Although heavy frost is unlikely in April, we recommend not planting any annual flowers until May 1st to make sure and avoid any issues like we experienced several years ago with the Easter freeze.

Call us at 269-7706 or visit TurfManagersLLC.com for more information.

What’s Your Opinion? Critics Wanted!

Do you love eating out, going to movies, listening to music, reading books or discovering interesting travel destinations near and far?

Then we want your opinion.

Fieldstone is looking for submissions from anyone of any age in the Fieldstone Farms community. What should you write about?

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Restaurants – maybe you’ve tried a new eatery in town and you’d like to report on the food, service, ambiance and family-friendly nature of it.

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Movies – maybe you’ve seen the latest Hollywood blockbuster or rented an independent documentary, and want to let us know what you and your friends thought of it.

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Music – maybe you’ve just seen some live music and want to let us know about a new band or singer in the area, or maybe you just want to give your opinion on a new album release.

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Books – maybe you’ve just finished a book – whether it was for your school English class or your monthly book club, let us know if you’d recommend it to others, and a few reasons why.

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Travel – maybe you’ve just discovered a fascinating destination in the next county, state, country or continent. Let us know if we should put it on our travel itinerary, take the whole family, go only if we’re the adventurous type, plan to stay a few weeks or save it for a long weekend.

You don’t have to be a professional critic, but it’s fine if you are. You don’t even have to be able to write yet; just get a parent to send in your critique for you. We heard somewhere that everybody has an opinion, and we’d love to hear yours regarding the above subjects. We may not be able to print all of them, but we’d love to have a wide variety of age groups represented.

Here’s all you have to do: ▪▪

Write your critique on one of the above subjects – no more than 200 words, and it may still be edited for space, grammar and punctuation.

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Include your first name, last inital and the name of your Fieldstone Farms neighborhood.

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Send your critique to info@fieldstonemagazine.com.

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Submissions received by the 17th of each month will be considered for use in the following month’s issue.

April 2013

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12 Steps to Giving Back: Part One

by Sara Hamill - Belmont

The idea of giving back to others is the central core of the 12-step treatment process, which was developed by Alcoholics Anonymous in 1938. Though the development of the 12-step process is fairly recent, the meaning behind it derives from ancient biblical truths about how to live our best lives. Look at the Beatitudes and you will see a very similar theme. One of the myths of 12 Steps is that it is only for certain problems, namely alcohol, drug or sex addictions.

Yet, the more I learn about these principles, the more I understand their benefits for us all. There is so much to be said about them, that I could not do it all in one article, so this will have two parts.

In this case, it is helpful to start at the end. Step 12 states, “Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these (11) steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” The last step of the 12-step process is to give back, not remain alone in what we have learned about ourselves. It is a call to go out, go back for the wounded and offer the same healing. But, we have to break free from the cycle of our own unhealthy behaviors before we can do this, and our unhealthy behaviors take many, endlessly creative forms.

Walking the steps allows us to make peace with God, peace with ourselves and peace with others.

One of the groups offered through Restore Ministries is 12 Steps to Freedom. This is the traditional 12-step program, but from a Christian perspective. The wording

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of the steps in this article is slightly changed from the AA wording to reflect that.

Step 1 involves “admitting we are powerless over our human condition – that our lives have become unmanageable.” This step means that we are willing to come out of denial, take a hard look at our lives, and admit that we have some stuff we could work on. It is in our brokenness that we try consistently to pin our missteps on things outside of ourselves, e.g. our circumstances, job, finances, spouse and/or family. Turning inward to say, “I have made mistakes; I have hurt others; I need to change,” is very hard, so taking this first step is a big deal. It is not admitting helplessness; rather it is admitting that we cannot continue on alone. We need help.

Step 2 states that “we came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” We may have differing opinions on what the “Power greater than ourselves” is or even what sanity looks like, but taking this step means that we are willing to consider that spiritual help is needed on our journey. That’s why the step says, “came to believe,” because the belief may not exist, and if it does not, we may stay on Step 2 for some time just trying to even accept the idea of a higher Power.

Step 3 states, “We made the decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”

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The “as we understood Him” was a part added later as a way to accommodate those who might be struggling with the higher Power aspect of the steps. But as Mike O’Neil points out in his book, Power to Choose, “this phrase truly means: as you come to know how God is.

Not how you think He is or how He should be or how you wish He were – but as you come more and more to understand Him as he is and how He works in your life.”

For those struggling, even the use of the male reference to God may be hard. But, in the end, the point of this step is letting go of control and letting God help.

Step 4 involves making “a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” I can share from personal experience that this is a challenging step. This means we have to write down, from birth until the present, all of our major life events. Everything significant that we have done; what has happened to us; those we have hurt; those who have hurt us. It is a hard and often painful self-examination.

to, including the people we resent and need to forgive.

We face the reality of ourselves as best we can, but that honesty is humbling and life changing.

Step 6 states, “We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.” This means that we need to come into a place where we are ready to let our higher Power heal us. This seems pretty straightforward, but it is a leap of tremendous faith and courage. For example, if I have spent years abusing prescription medication as my coping method when I feel sad or lonely, then asking God to help me let go of that is scary, because I am trusting that God will be enough to help me deal with life.

Next month, I will cover the final six steps, and learn how to come into peace with others. In the meantime, consider following these time-tested steps as a way to a better life.

However, the purpose of Step 4 becomes clear in Step 5, which reads, “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”

In this step, we sit down with another person (and this always needs to be someone who has completed Step 5 themselves) and list our moral inventory. In this step, we experience the release of processing our life story.

The listener is there to help us locate our unhealthy behavior patterns and the people we need to apologize

Sara Hamill, a native Nashvillian, has been a Fieldstone Farm resident since 2003. She currently works as Restore Ministries Program Director, coordinating support groups for the Maryland Farms, Christ Church, and Brentwood YMCAs as well as church partners. She can be reached at shamill@ymcamidtn.org.

Celebrating Earth Day With Nashville’s Festival and Endangered Species Acts. Now, Earth Day is observed around the globe on April 22, with celebrations of many kinds on and around that date.

After seeing the impact of the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson was inspired to draw upon the same energy behind the anti-war movement to force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. He did it through the establishment of Earth Day on April 22, 1970.

The Nashville Earth Day Festival is happening on April 20 this year at Centennial Park from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. This is a free event the whole family can enjoy, and features live entertainment throughout the day. Organizers say this year’s festival will “help the community take another step toward Mayor Karl Dean’s goal of making Nashville the greenest city in the Southeast.”

On this day, 20 million Americans demonstrated for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies.

Groups that had been rallying against oil spills, raw sewage, toxic dumps, harmful pesticides, the loss of wilderness, the extinction of wildlife and polluting factories and power plants suddenly realized that they shared similar values.

The first Earth Day brought together Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, and tycoons and labor leaders. It led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water

The event will feature exhibits and activities aimed at educating Nashvillians about protecting the environment. With nearly a hundred family friendly booths hosted by community groups, environmental organizations and government agencies, there will be fun and exciting hands-on activities for all ages.

April 2013

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Take a Minute to See the Point

by Jolene McKenzie

In a survey by Wellpoint, Inc.*, one in five Americans admitted to putting off an annual eye exam because their to-do list was too long. Yet 85 percent of the respondents also agreed that managing their vision health now would mean less to worry about in the future, and 89 percent said they knew that eye exams can detect chronic illnesses such as diabetes. So why the delay?

According to that same study, 49 percent of the respondents reported feeling overwhelmed at times by all the things they have to do on a daily basis, and 52 percent said they wished it were easier to make vision care a priority.

Vision care is important for all ages, but let’s focus on this issue as it specifically pertains to children. Children can go undetected with poor vision unless they have an obvious severe impairment. Once children enter school and start learning to read, poor vision can be one of the culprits that keeps some of those students trailing behind others.

Since children have nothing to compare their vision with, they may not even know they have a problem. Good vision has a direct impact on the ability to learn and retain information.

If you have a large family, the cost to provide coverage for medical, dental and vision insurances can seem overwhelming, but there is help. Insurance brokers work with several carriers, which allows them to find solutions for families based on their specific needs. There are no rules that state you must use the same provider for your health, dental and/or vision insurance, so this allows you to shop around for the right care and coverage at the best price for you.

for you in honor of Earth Day – recycle your used glasses with the Lions Club’s Recycle for Sight program.

Volunteers take donated glasses throughout the year, clean them, sort them by prescription strength and repackage the glasses. Most of the recycled glasses are distributed to people in need in developing countries, where they will have the greatest impact. They accept prescription reading glasses, sunglasses, and plastic and metal frames. The organization is especially in need of children’s glasses. For more information on where to donate, go online to lionsclubs.org.

If you have any questions about your health, dental, vision, supplemental or life insurance questions, please feel free to contact me, Jolene McKenzie, at (615) 5941564 or jmckenzie@insphereis.com. *Wellpoint, Inc. commissioned the online survey of 2,500 American adults.

As an insurance broker myself, I can tell you that it’s not always easy to find a “bargain” when shopping for highly rated coverage on vision insurance, but I’m always looking. I’m happy to share that I have found a vision plan that offers a “screamin’ deal” for families. It covers an annual exam, gives an allowance of $40 each toward frames, lenses and contacts, and also offers a discount of up to 60 percent off the retail cost of those items.

The cost to cover a family of any size is $7 a month with a one-time application fee of $20. So, for $104 out of pocket, you can provide everyone in your family with vision insurance. Another perk of this plan is the flexibility you’ll enjoy when choosing your doctor from the plan’s large network of local providers.

If you already wear glasses and need to update your look, prescription or both, here’s an eco-friendly idea

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fieldstonemagazine.com

Air Quality and Energy Savings in the Home Indoor air quality is one concern that homeowners have when they decide to investigate air-duct cleaning. In a typical six-room home, up to 40 pounds of dust is created annually through everyday living. That’s a lot by any measure, but especially when you consider that your heating/cooling system act as the “lungs” of your home.

The system takes air in and “breathes” air out.

from Duct Detectives.

Right now, Fieldstone Farms residents receive a free dryer-vent cleaning with any system cleaning – a $60 discount.

Duct Detectives is the only local NADCACertified air duct cleaner.

They pledge to clean your ducts correctly at the best price. For more information, contact Duct Detectives at (615) 405-6914 or ductdetectives.com.

A great deal of contaminants and air pollutants, such as dander, dust and chemicals, are generated through normal occupation in a home. These contaminants are pulled into the HVAC system and re-circulated five to seven times per day, on average. Over time, this recirculation causes a build-up of contaminants in the ductwork.

While dirty ducts don’t necessarily mean unhealthy air in your home, school or workplace, they may be contributing to larger health issues or harboring contaminants that could cause serious problems. People especially susceptible are those with respiratory health conditions, autoimmune disorders or environmental allergies, but these aren’t the only issues a contaminated ductwork system can cause.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 25 to 40 percent of the energy used for heating or cooling a home is wasted. Contaminants in the heating and cooling system cause it to work harder and shorten the life of your system. Although filters are used, the heating and cooling system still gets dirty through normal use.

When an HVAC system is clean, it doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain the temperature you desire. As a result, less energy is used, leading to improved costeffectiveness.

If it’s time for your heating and cooling system to have a “check-up,” you can take advantage of a special offer

April 2013

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The Fieldstone View with Maria Dinoia - Wheaton Hall

?

What efforts do you and your family make to be “green”?

We recycle as much as we can, either through the Franklin blue bag program or by taking our glass to a county drop-off site. We use very few disposable containers in our lunches. Instead, we use fabric snack bags, and I invested in a good supply of plastic containers to pack lunches in each day. I also use mostly “green,” natural cleaners when I do get around to the cleaning the house.

– Laura Coughlin

We use our blue bags (which reduced our trash output by two-thirds). We recycle our glass, batteries, paint and anything else we can. We also try to use as many environmentally friendly cleaning products as possible. I still don’t like the fluorescent light bulbs, but I mix them in with the other bulbs, which is better than none, right?!?!? And we collect rainwater for watering a bunch of our plants. We haven’t tackled composting, but I’m not really sure I’m ready for that.

– Christa Williams

Maria Dinoia is a freelance writer who currently writes for Country Weekly magazine and whose word eloquence has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites. She happily resides in Fieldstone Farms with her hard-working husband and three adoring children.

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I believe being green also includes not wasting food. We plan our weekly meals, take lunch in and use up leftovers.

Some days I challenge myself to cook meals made from items in the pantry before we buy more groceries. We never waste food. I make my own stock out of the bones after roasting a chicken. In addition: •

We use material shopping bags to grocery shop and I often buy such a bag to use as a gift bag, hence, the gift bag doubles as a grocery shopping bag for the recipient.

•

We turn off lights when not in the room and unplug appliances.

•

We recycle using the blue bags.

•

We pass on clothes, toys and books to friends’ younger children.

•

We donate toys and books to local preschools and to the library.

•

We use backs of printed paper to work out homework problems, take notes, leave messages, etc.

•

We save Christmas/other cards and calendars to cut out the pictures to make bookmarks and homemade cards for friends, and reuse gift bags, ribbons and bows.

•

On the weekends, we try to only use one car.

•

We pay bills online to reduce paper from mailed statements, and we call vendors that send us junk mail and ask for our names to be taken off their lists, which doesn’t always work, but it’s worth a shot.

– Shifay Cheung

Daily, we save plastic, cardboard, and paper products and take them to the dump every one to two weeks for recycling. We also use Publix tote bags for our groceries instead of plastic bags, and have changed some of our light bulbs in our house to energy-saving varieties.

– Travis Walters

fieldstonemagazine.com

Help Me, Rhonda!!!

An Advice Column for Fieldstone Farms

Dear Rhonda,

Several of the ladies in Fieldstone Farms are doing a Biggest Loser-style weight-loss challenge. Although I am not participating, I love the idea of getting healthy. Do you have any great salad recipes for spring? My standbys are getting old.

- Craving Change Dear Craving Change,

Kudos to all the “Biggest Loser Challenge” participants!

I’ve seen many of you around the hood and you all look fantastic! It’s amazing that you have inspired so many to start getting serious about their health (myself included).

Here is one of my favorite salad recipes:

Lemon Chicken Pistachio Salad Toss all of the following in a large bowl:

Dear Really? in the Farm,

•

1 bag spring mix

•

1 to 2 cups cooked, chopped chicken (I usually use rotisserie chicken breast meat)

•

1/2 cup of shelled pistachios

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1/2 cup of Craisins

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1/2 cup of cucumbers

•

1/4 cup reduced fat feta crumbles

If it truly bothers you, you need to talk about it with your very best girlfriend and tell her how you feel. Personally, I would not let it get to me. That chapter of your life is done. Celebrate the fact that you’ve moved on.

Good Luck!

Dear Rhonda,

Dressing

My kids (ages 4, 6 and 8) still believe in the Easter Bunny.

My eight-year-old child saw “The Rise of the Guardians” animated movie last weekend and loved it. He must have been talking about it at school, because he came home very upset after somebody told him that there is no such thing as the Easter Bunny. How should I handle this situation?

Mix all ingredients and drizzle over salad.

•

Juice and zest from 1 large lemon

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2 TBSP fresh oregano or 1 TBSP dried oregano

•

3 cloves of minced garlic

•

3 TBSP red wine vinegar

•

1/2 cup olive oil

- No Bunny Blues Dear No Bunny Blues,

Enjoy!

Dear Rhonda,

What would you do if your very best girlfriend “Facebook friended” your ex-husband?

- Really? in the Farm

Poor kiddo. Kids are going to hear all sorts of juicy little nuggets at school. Some of my family’s dinner conversations are enlightening to say the least. When it comes to the holiday helpers, whether it’s the Easter Bunny or the Holiday Armadillo, I tell my kids that those who believe will get a visit. I am all for protecting the innocence of childhood. I know I still believe!

Got a question? Contact Rhonda at askrhonda@live.com or to submit a question anonymously visit: askrhonda.us.

April 2013

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The Wacky Origins of April Fool’s Day

by Peter Alderman - Wexford

April Fool’s Day, what an unusual or even weird day placed on our calendars as a yearly tradition. When I was young, I thought my sisters may have hatched up this idea, since they, in my perception, were a little foolish and always played pranks on their little brother. You can imagine my surprise when I learned that was an actual yearly event that originated hundreds of years ago.

In 1700, English jokesters popularized April Fool’s Day by playing pranks on each other. They got the idea from historical events dating back in time. Let’s take a look.

April Fool’s Day is also known as All Fool’s Day. It has been recognized for several centuries by many different cultures. This truth may seem hard to believe and the fact that the tradition’s exact origins are a mystery doesn’t help. Popular historian belief is that April Fool’s Day dates back to 1582. (I didn’t know my sisters were that old.) In that year, France changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, an event that was determined by the Council of Trent in 1563, which was also the year the council was finally disbanded. What was the Council of Trent? It was a council developed by Pope Paul III to determine the outcome of the CounterReformation, which is a subject too complex to explain here.

People who were slow to get the news of the calendar change or failed to recognize that the start of the New Year had moved to January 1, as opposed to starting sometime in the last week of March to April 1, were the target of jokes and ridicule. One of the tricks involved having paper fish secured on the backs of the mistaken person and calling that person a “poisson d’avril” (April fish), which was a young, easily caught fish and/or a gullible person. This type of prank has been played throughout the years. In fact, have you ever put or seen a sticker on someone’s back like “kick me” or “I like to eat worms”? If so, you’d see how this goofy prank has stood the test of time.

April Fool’s Day has also been associated with ancient festivals, such as Hilaria, which was a Roman event held at the end of March. Town folks dressed up in all sorts of masks and disguises. (Sounds more like Halloween.) April Fool’s Day was also linked with the vernal equinox, which is when the direct rays of the sun shine on the Tropic of Cancer resulting in the first day of spring. That’s when Mother Nature toyed with people by tossing changing, unpredictable weather at them (and that was even before global warming).

During the 18th century, April Fool’s Day spread throughout Britain. In Scotland, it became a two-day event. The first day, people were sent on phony errands called “hunting of the gowk.” Gowk was the word for

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cuckoo, which represented a fool. The next day was called Tailie Day, and on this day, jokes were played on people’s derrieres, such as placing fake tails or “kick me” signs on them. (Oh, boy, here we go again with the “kick me” signs again. I guess that prank never gets old. Now we use sticky notes to accomplish the feat.)

People still celebrate April Fool’s Day with monumental hoaxes. Modern technology has provided a unique venue to extend the tradition to greater levels. Fictional misrepresentations have been the fodder of newspapers, radio and TV stations and Web sites on April 1st that have often sent their viewers/listeners in a tizzy. Some examples are as follows: The BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees; numerous viewers were fooled. In 1985, Sports Illustrated tricked many of its readers when it ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher, named Sidd Finch, who could throw a fastball more than 168 miles per hour. In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. In 1998, after Burger King advertised a “Left-Handed Whopper,” scores of clueless customers requested the fake sandwich.

(It seems I have to end this article now. Pam just told me that there is a sinkhole in our yard. She wants me to fill it with my transcripts. Hey, that isn’t nice! Now, where did I leave those sticky notes?)

A multi-award-winning educator of nearly 40 years, Peter Alderman has taught more than 2,000 children during his career. He is currently writing several historically themed children’s books, presenting writing workshops to elementary and middle school students.

fieldstonemagazine.com

Quotes About Fools..

Most April Fool’s Day pranks can turn even the grumpiest person’s frown upside down. But remember, it’s always funny until someone looses an eye – or something like that. As “foolish” as these quotes are, the wisdom they impart just might make you smile. Thanks to Peter Alderman and Wilstar.com for these little April Fool’s gems.

[Politicians] never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge.

– Thomas Reed

The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools.

It’s better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and leave no doubt.

– Mark Twain

– Herbert Spencer

However big the fool, there is always a bigger fool to admire him.

– Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux

He who lives without folly isn’t so wise as he thinks.

Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom.

– François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld

– Elizabeth Gaskell

A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.

Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed.

– Mark Twain

– William Blake

It is better to be a fool than to be dead.

– Stevenson

A fool must now and then be right by chance.

– Cowper

April 2013

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