Ramblings

• Adopt a Pet by Jan Van Blarcum

  Thinking of adopting a pet? First and most importantly try to adopt an animal from your local shelter! Before adopting a pet there are a few things to consider:

  1) Think about why you want a pet. Is it because your kids are begging you for a cute new puppy or kitty? If that is the case then you may not appreciate how big of a mistake it is to adopt a pet without a plan. Many dogs and cats will be a part of your family for 10 - 20 years. Adding a pet to your family is an important decision that should not be taken lightly!

  2) Do you already have pets in your home? How will your current pets view this new companion?

  3) Do you have time for a new pet? If you work and are gone all day will the pet be crated? Who will exercise the new pet while you are at work? If you travel with your job who will care for your pet while you are on business travel? Don't forget that one of the many reasons pets are taken to shelters is because the owner did not evaluate how much time they had to commit to caring for the new pet.

  4) Do you know how much it will cost to care for your new pet? Expenses add up quickly! Such as; licenses, training, spaying and neutering, veterinary care, grooming, toys, food, kitty litter, and more... Do the math and make sure you can cover the expenses your new pet will add to your budget.

  5) Are you prepared to handle some of the common issues that come up with pet ownership? Flea infestations, scratched-up furniture, accidents from animals who aren't yet house-trained, and unexpected medical emergencies are unfortunate!

  6) Before you bring your pet home you should check with your landlord restrictions for rental communities or home owner association restrictions.

  7) Is your life settled enough to take on the responsibility of a new pet? If you have kids that are under 6 years of age you may need to wait until they are able to handle some of the responsibilities for the pet. Children need to be mature enough to take on responsibilities for the care of the family pet. If you are a college student or in the military and are not settle down it may be wise to wait.

  8) Do your homework first! Research animal breeds; for example some dogs may need much more exercise and activity before they are able to settle down at home. Other dogs may be happy to lay around on the couch all day and and have a calm temperament. Some dogs bark a lot and some are pretty quiet. Do your homework first and find a pet that fits your lifestyle and idea of a pet.

  9) Think about times when you need someone else to care for your pet. Who will be there to care for your pet while you go on a vacation? Is is a neighbor or friend? Will you have to pay money to board your pet at a kennel or for pet-sitting services?

  10) Are you going to be a responsible pet owner? Having your pet spayed or neutered, obeying community leash and licensing laws, and keeping identification tags on your pets are all part of being a responsible owner.

  You finally reach the decision to bring a pet into your home and your life! Love your pet! Show your pet that you love them by spending quality time and companionship with them. Remember to exercise your pet daily and offer them a pet healthy diet. Make regular visits to the veterinarian to help you keep your pet happy, health and loved!

  Spending a lifetime with your pet will be a rewarding experience. Remember that when you adopt a pet and bring them into your family you commitment to care for the animal for his or her lifetime and they in turn will love you for their lifetime!
• George Washington's False Teeth by Jan Van Blarcum

  George Washington, the father of our country suffered from the deterioration of his teeth which caused him a great deal of pain. He visited many dentists and no one knew what to do to help him prevent the deterioration of his teeth and the pain he experienced. In the 1700's dental hygiene knowledge was limited.

  In 1772 Dr. Baker of Philadelphia extracted several of Washington's teeth. Finally, George had to have false teeth made.

  Have you ever wondered why George Washington's expression in most of his pictures looks a little sour or peculiar? Well, it's because of his false teeth! Those false teeth were very uncomfortable. The teeth were made out of hippopotamus ivory and cow's tooth, carved by hand, and held in his mouth with metal springs. The false teeth were made a little large for his mouth and without a doubt were very uncomfortable!

  Take a trip to the University of Maryland's National Museum of Dentistry and see the teeth firsthand. A handwritten document addressed by our American president rests in your Library of Congress regarding his teeth!
• Olympic Games 2010 by Jan Van Blarcum

  US Olympic Team Schedule |
  Los Angeles Times Sports Blog

  My family loves to watch the Olympics. We record the games during the day and stay away from the news, text and radio updates so that we can gather together and watch the events. Of course we are a modern day family and we fast forward through commercials but stop to listen to the athletes stories and cheer them on during their race... hoping for victory! By the time you listen to the athletes story and their pre-qualifications you feel connected to their spirit and commitment to their sport. You seek a desire to see them win and to succeed. You want them to find victory at the end of their race too.

  We also are a little quirky, I must admit, because we take the Olympics as an opportunity to introduce food culture to our children by preparing foods that are connected to countries that are participating in the Olympics. So far, our menu has included traditional foods from; Sweden, Hungary, Russia, Poland and Great Britain. This week we will experience Chinese and German, not sure what will be next at this point. Your suggestions are always welcome. Leave a note on our comments section.

• The Legend of the Valentine by Jan Van Blarcum

  Each year February rolls around and people from around the world celebrate Valentine's Day with those that they love. In honor of Saint Valentine; flowers, candy and cards are gifts given to express love and devotion.

  Time to get up to speed on your Valentine's history! "Who is St. Valentine"?

  Legend has it that a priest named Valentine served during third century Rome under the rule of Emperor Claudius II. Claudius II declared that all single men made better soldiers than those that were married. With this in mind he outlawed marriage for young men. He ultimately wanted to build a stronger military base. Legend tells us that Valentine decided that this decree was just unfair. Valentine decided to act out against this unfair rule and secretly married young couples. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentine's actions he had him put to death.

• President's Day by Jan Van Blarcum

  In looking through the local newspaper, one could easily conclude that the modern holiday was created by merchants, just so they could hold their annual Presidents' Day sales. Depending on your perspective or what part of the country you're from, Presidents' Day is intended to honor George Washington, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, or all the American presidents. So what is Presidents' Day and how did it come about?

  According to the "new style" calendar George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. Along came Abraham Lincoln, another famous US president, who was also deserving of a special day of recognition. Prior to 1968, February 22nd was observed as a federal public holiday to honor the birthday of George Washington and February 12th was observed as a public holiday (in most states) to honor the birthday of Abraham Lincoln.