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www.bobnortonconsulting.com 877-799-3736 info@bobnortonconsulting.com DECEMBER 2018 NORTON NEWSLETTER EASE OF MIND • AVAILABILITY • FLEXIBILITY • INDIVIDUAL APPROACH • EXPERIENCE • TAX SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES THE REAL ESTATE TAX PRO ™
FROM THE DESK OF Bob
DISCOVER YOUR ROOTS G enealogy A ctivities for the W hole F amily
Why do we have Daylight Savings Time?
This has bugged me for years. Its only accomplishments are to mess up our sleeping patterns and confuse the house pets. According to an article I read on TimeAndDate.com, it was originally conceived to save energy. I’m sure I keep the lights on the same amount each day with my computers running 24/7, so I’m not saving any energy with Daylight Savings Time. Maybe going back to sundials is the answer. Recently, we went through the fall adjustment to the time. That weekend, I thought, “Great, I get another hour of sleep in the morning!” But, no, our blind cat, Charlie, who only cares about filling his belly, climbed up on my belly in the morning at the same time he always does to wake me up for breakfast. Then that afternoon, our dog Sake, was sitting by his bowl staring at me, one hour before his dinner time according to the “new” time.
While some parents worry about negative stories that may accompany their ancestry, many experts and historians encourage teaching children about their heritage and genealogy at a young age. Learning about their heritage and family traditions develops an important part of a child’s identity, so take the opportunity to teach your children about your family history and where those traditions come from. Gather the family together and follow these tips to teach the young’uns about the golden days.
GET CRAFTY
I’ve noticed that their stomachs are more accurate than any clock I own.
Getting crafty is a popular way to teach your kids about their heritage. This gives children an outlet for their creative energy while educating them about the intricacies of genealogy and research. Kids can create a family tree or timeline with cardboard and construction paper. Have them start small with their own names and names of their siblings, parents, and grandparents. Then extend the tree to cousins, aunts, uncles, and great-relatives. Once they finish, have your kid present their family tree to a neighbor or their grandparent so they can teach others what they learned.
TAKE A STAYCATION
In today’s digital landscape, searching for ancestors and relatives is often as easy as a Google search. Visit the home country of your ancestors via Google Earth and learn more about the culture and heritage of your family’s ancestors. After taking a virtual tour of the city or town, search for recipes, games, or outfits that your family can create together. Have each kid select which one they’re interested in, and do them together!
-Bob Norton
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For a more in-depth tour, visit cemeteries across the world without even buying a plane ticket. BillionGraves.com is an online sharing and research site that aims to feature — just as the name would suggest —billions of grave sites around the world. BillionGraves allows users to create a digital database of cemeteries around the world by snapping a photo, uploading it, and providing some information about it. Family members can enter a relative’s name and take a virtual tour of where their long-lost ancestors lie. A quick family search with your kids may put into perspective just how far-reaching your family is. You can also provide other families with a chance to see their relatives’grave sites by taking a trip to your local cemetery, snapping some photos, and teaching your kids about tracking genealogy with names, dates, and descriptions.
or grandparents used to make, so pass on some of yours to your kids! Teach your kids how to make great-great-grandma’s famous cannoli with her original recipe or master the shepherd’s pie that your grandfather was famous for. The kids can create a shopping list, and then you can go together to pick up the ingredients. Make the recipes together, enjoy them with neighbors or relatives, and share family stories as you do. Even better — turn the food day into a party. Guests will likely
share stories of their own heritage as you break bread over hearty memories.
Don’t let your inquisitive kiddo down. Family history, good or bad, is important for every child to learn. The best way to teach them boils down to your child’s personality, their likes and dislikes, and the time you have on your hands. But it’s never too early to climb that family tree.
MAKE A TRADITIONAL DISH
If you really want to make family history stick, eat food that represents your heritage. Everyone has memories of meals their parents
MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATIONS Teach Your Kids About Winter Holidays
According to the Pew Research Center, Christmas is the most celebrated December holiday in the U.S. Yet, like the melting pot it is, the U.S. contains many cultures from across the globe, each with their own traditions. Teach your kids about some of the holiday celebrations from different cultures this season.
festival includes the lighting of candles or lamps, feasting, and giving gifts to family and friends. Diwali also celebrates the Hindu new year and is the largest, most widely celebrated festival in India. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but educating your children about holiday practices other than Christmas will give them a broader worldview and inspire them to gain further knowledge about cultures outside their own. Your local library is a great
KWANZAA Created in 1966 by black studies professor Maulana Karenga during the Black Nationalist Movement, Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration and reflection period for African Americans.
government that took them captive in an attempt to eliminate Judaism. The tradition of the
eight-day celebration and the lighting of the menorah candles comes from the story of a miracle that happened during the rebellion, when a one-day supply of oil burned for eight days in a temple. DIWALI Though celebrated in late fall, Diwali is a Hindu holiday that’s known as the festival of lights. Its main purpose is to celebrate the triumph of good over evil, and the five-day
The week offers African Americans the opportunity to connect with African culture and history by celebrating the seven principles of African heritage, which include unity, self-determination, and creativity.
resource for children’s literature on these holidays, and there are also TV programs like PBS that feature episodes on these traditions. Enjoy the winter holiday season, however you decide to celebrate!
HANUKKAH Hanukkah pays homage to a two-year Jewish rebellion against an oppressive Greek-Syrian
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Business Logistics of the North Pole One Company You Wouldn’t Want to Run
If you think running your business is tough, try thinking about how Santa operates the North Pole. From least tomost complex, here are the four hardest aspects of running an operation that delivers gifts to 7 billion people. 1. REAL ESTATE Finding an office space that can facilitate your business operations is a challenging undertaking for anyone. You need to provide an optimal workspace that offers room to grow. If you run a production operation like Santa’s Workshop, you also need adequate space to house your products. Just think how big the warehouses up North need to be. If you thought Nike or Google had big campuses, Santa’s must cover the entire Arctic. 2. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION A frequent business killer for most of us is probably a smooth-sailing process for Santa — surely the North Pole doesn’t have any challenges creating a positive work culture. Elves are often depicted as cheerful and consistent team players. They whistle while they work and enjoy Christmas candy, and every toy is ready by Christmas Eve. 3. LABOR Finding skilled labor in America is a challenge, but in the North Pole, it has to be even more challenging. Since Santa can’t hire new workers or offer moving incentives, the amount of available labor is directly proportional
to the number of elf births. On top of that, Santa has to consider the worker-to-production ratio when factoring in new employees. The number of new hires and how much they can produce has to outpace the population increase of the world. For example, if Santa has 100,000 workers, each employee needs to create at least 70,000 toys so they can supply the world’s human population. If elf births go down, then production has to increase to make up for the difference. 4. MATERIALS Since Santa can’t gather raw materials from the barren wasteland of the North Pole, he is required to import or artificially grow the necessary supplies and equipment to produce toys. The number of shipments needed would be a nearly impossible feat, so Santa would need a facility that could produce synthetic materials and greenhouses that could grow organic materials. These facilities alone would be impossible to keep hidden from explorers or satellites, so he would need shrinking capabilities via a laser, or perhaps he’d have to go underground, which is the more commonly accepted explanation.
We don’t know how it happens each year, but somehow, Christmas goes off without a hitch. It’s the greatest feat in the world of business. Move over, Jeff Bezos, because Santa is coming to town!
Take a Break!
30-Minute
CAULIFLOWER SOUP
Ingredients
Directions
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1 small head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cored and sliced
1. In a large pot over mediumheat, melt butter into warmoil. Add onion and leek, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 10–12 minutes. 2. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cauliflower, broth, and cream. Simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes. 3. Using a blender, purée in batches until smooth. 4. Top servings with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of pepper.
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1 leek, chopped
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1 mediumonion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 tablespoon extra- virgin olive oil 1/2 cup heavy cream
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CANDLE COOKIES DECORATIONS FAMILY
GRATITUDE HOLIDAYS SNOWFLAKE SNOWMAN
SNOWSTORM TRADITION
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TRAVEL WINTER
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Salt and pepper, to taste
Recipe courtesy of Good Housekeeping
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Bob Norton Consulting, APC
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THE REAL ESTATE TAX PRO ™
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Bob PAGE 1 Uncover Your Heritage PAGE 1 Teach Your Kids About Holidays PAGE 2 How Does Santa Do It? PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 30-Minute Cauliflower Soup PAGE 3 Hurricane Pet Hero PAGE 4
HURRICANE HERO TONY ALSUP How One Man Rescued Hundreds of Animals
In the wake of destruction, it’s easy to focus on self-preservation. After all, fight-or-flight instincts are hard-wired into our brains so that we can survive dangerous situations. But while fear drives the actions of many in times of chaos, there are a few who find greater strength in compassion. Tony Alsup considered the potential devastation of Hurricane Florence as he sat comfortably in his home in Greeneville, Tennessee. Rather than sit back and watch, the truck driver by trade packed up an out- of-commission school bus he’d bought and set off to South Carolina with one goal in mind: to save as many animals as possible. Stopping by every shelter he found along the coast, Alsup rescued over 60 cats and dogs in both North and South Carolina and took them to Foley, Alabama.
rushed into danger for a good cause. He’d originally purchased the school bus, which he turned into Noah’s Ark last year, to save animals in Texas and Florida as Hurricane Harvey pounded the Gulf Coast. When he finished there, his mission shifted to helping animals in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island. It’s said that character is defined by the way someone acts when no one is watching. Many people heard of Alsup’s bravery after the devastation of Florence, but as news stories turned to sports, politics, and business, America slowly moved on. Victims of the hurricane who lacked supplies received less national attention, but more than a month later, Alsup’s commitment to the cause was as strong as ever. Living out of the back of the bus for weeks, he drove pets out of the persistent flooding and convoyed shipments of desperately needed supplies to the coastal Carolina towns.
You can follow Tony’s commitment on Facebook. He’s not asking for money or fame; he’s just a person with heart to serve, using social media to promote awareness about those who desperately need our help. If you’re wondering what drives such a person, you can find it written at the bottom of every update he posts: “Love y’all, mean it.”
The heroic efforts of Alsup saved the lives of many animals, but it wasn’t the first time he’d
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