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COURAGE IS WAITING FOR YOU
Nor do I think it’s a natural resource we can exhaust. I think we’re all called to courageous action at different times, and we all have the potential to be brave. Courage is inside you and me right now. We just have to put aside the fear of taking a risk and reach for it. These risks don’t have to be life-or- death. Most of us will never charge into a burning building. (Thank goodness there are people who want to do that for a living!) But federal employees who never have to fight real fires also have to be courageous, overcome obstacles, and battle for what is right in the workplace every day. Most of the federal employees I work with take their duty to serve the American people just as seriously as firefighters take theirs, and sometimes that means risking their jobs or their reputations. Ultimately, I think courage is sticking to your morals and values and acting according to them, even when it’s hard. That might mean standing up for someone at work, pushing back against an agency policy that doesn’t make sense, or siding with an agency policy you believe in even if it’s unpopular. You could also show courage by being kind. It’s easy to be critical of others who have different views and perspectives, but it takes patience and courage to hear those people out. Last but not least, courage WILL YOU SEIZE IT?
In last month’s newsletter, I advised you not to dwell on the tragedy of 9/11, but I have to admit something — I’ve been dwelling on it. The memorial events, stories, and documentaries that came out of the 20th anniversary of the attacks were incredibly moving. I haven’t gotten them out of my mind. However, what draws me back to them over and over isn’t the sadness of the event. It’s the courage of the people who overcame obstacles that day to do the right thing. You can see that courage in the first responders who put their lives on the line to rescue people trapped in the rubble at ground zero. You can also see it in the 40 passengers and crew members of Flight 93 who wrestled control of their plane back from the hijackers. They crashed it into a Pennsylvania field rather than letting it attack the U.S. Capitol. Where did these people get their immense courage? Where do today’s police, firefighters, and other first responders get theirs? Personally, I don’t think anyone is born courageous. “ULTIMATELY, I THINK COURAGE IS STICKING TO YOUR MORALS AND VALUES AND ACTING ACCORDING TO THEM, EVEN WHEN IT’S HARD.”
could be refusing to give up your stance that the Snickers, not the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, is the best Halloween candy. It isn’t always life or death! Being courageous is hard, especially right now when we’re all exhausted from politics and a global pandemic. But it’s still possible. Every time I falter in standing up for myself and my values, I just think about those heroes of 9/11 and square my shoulders. If they could be courageous in such a crucial moment, I can stick up for myself in a meeting! I hope this article inspired you just a little bit. If you’ve been on the fence about taking a risk or have considered compromising your values because it’s easier than standing your ground, keep your chin up. Courage is there if you reach for it! –Ann Vanderslice
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Ghosts Across America
THREE HAUNTED SPOTS EVERY GHOST BELIEVER WILL LOVE
October is one of the best months for travel in the U.S. With mild temperatures and gorgeous, colorful leaves, there’s no better time for a cross-country road trip. Add some Halloween flair with these three ghostly attractions.
Constructed in 1927, the hotel is host to a number of reported ghosts. The most well-known is an elderly woman who used to spend hours rocking in the chair in her room. Today, her chair can be found moving on its own. Another popular visitor is the ghost of a bellboy who knocks on doors and announces that room service has arrived — only, no one’s there. IS THERE A MONSTER IN PINE BARRENS, NEW JERSEY? This one’s for those who love mysterious creatures.
VISIT THE MOST HAUNTED TOWN IN THE U.S. — WAYNESVILLE, OHIO.
Sure, New Orleans may have a spooky past, but it doesn’t compare to Waynesville. Many residents and visitors think this Ohio town is rife with ghosts. You may hear cries to “hurry up” at The Hammel House Inn where many tunnels for the underground railroad came through. Or you could see the apparition of a businessman from the 1800s who “never checked out.” Other sources report hauntings at the town’s historical society, the Museum at the Friends Home, including a little girl who moves toys and sits on the porch. The society leans into the local fascination and hosts regular walking ghost tours and ghost hunting classes.
The Pine Barrens is a mass of forested land that spreads across seven counties in New Jersey — and its most famous resident isn’t human. The Jersey Devil has a long, storied history and is said to be a combination of many animals: Its body is shaped like a kangaroo with wings. It has the head of a dog but the face of a horse. The creature is believed to have had a sickly start to life in 1735 and has stayed to haunt the forest’s inhabitants and today’s visitors as well.
STAY A WHILE AT HOTEL MONTE VISTA IN FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA.
Guests at Hotel Monte Vista have often enjoyed long stays at the downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, hotel, but not everyone actually leaves.
Achieve Mise en Place WITH THESE DIY KITCHEN STORAGE IDEAS
The perfect philosophy for organizing your kitchen is mise en place . Everything has its place. So, it’s time for those lids to stop piling up in a corner of your cabinet and pots to be stored properly! Here are a few DIY ideas that’ll make the tasks even easier. 1: PEGBOARD UTENSIL AND POT ORGANIZER Add a chic touch to your kitchen and make all your pans and cooking utensils easy to grab with a pegboard! Not only are pegboards constructed rather sturdily, but you can also paint and use metal hook inserts to hold all sorts of kitchen tools, from heavy pans to kitchen scissors. 2: UPCYCLED TIN CAN STORAGE Don’t throw away those used tin cans. Instead, repaint and/or label them for pastas, grains, spices, candies, snacks, and much more. Even in different sizes, you won’t run out of uses for these, since they can be potentially used as a gift container too! 3: HIDDEN MEASURING CUP HOOKS Tired of your measuring cups rattling in a drawer? Put small hooks inside a cabinet door to hang your measuring cups. You can use
stick-on hooks or drill a small bar of wood inside and attach hooks to the bar. This works great with any small utensils, but it works best if your cabinet’s interior isn’t stacked and overflowing with items.
4: POT AND PAN LID STORAGE BAR Everyone says keep your lid on, but nobody says what to do with your lid when it’s off. It’s annoying how often lids pile up inside your kitchen space — but if you install a single metal bar (yep, just one!), any lid with any type of middle grip can be stored on it. Just slide it on top, and the bar will hold up the lid, thanks to its handle preventing any fall. BONUS — EASY CHALKBOARD GROCERY/MENU LIST While this isn’t an “item storage” idea per se, it does make it easy to store and update your grocery list. First, use chalkboard paint on the inside (or outside) of one of your cabinets. Then, use chalk markers to create and update your weekly grocery list every time you run out of an ingredient. You can also use it for a menu during parties.
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Self-Help Books Can’t Do It All
HOW READING FICTION CAN BENEFIT YOU
Many CEOs and other successful individuals continually espouse the benefits of regular reading. Many times, leaders read self-help books to improve their leadership skills and become more successful. This is all well and good, but even the most successful people in the world could be missing out on the unique benefits that come specifically from reading fiction. But what are those benefits exactly? GREATER EMPATHY According a peer-reviewed report from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, when psychologist Raymond Mar analyzed 86 functioning MRI (fMRI) studies, he found that the same parts of the brain that fire up when reading fictional stories also fire up when we’re seeking to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. That’s because when the characters in the book we’re reading are thinking or feeling a certain way, we tend to think or feel that way with them. LESS STRESS AND BETTER SLEEP When we read fiction specifically, we tend to disengage from the world — and that’s a good thing because our brains can’t always be functioning at their peak capacity. We need breaks from the real world, or else we’ll stress ourselves out and negatively affect other
areas of our lives. Stress tends to keep us from sound sleep, but reading fiction before bed engages the imagination, taking us away from the stresses of everyday life before we drift off.
MORE COMFORT WITH UNCERTAINTY Even though many stories (particularly those portrayed in popular movies and TV shows) have nice happy endings, most people would agree that life is a little more open-ended. While this fact might stress out some people, researchers have discovered that fiction readers don’t need “cognitive closure” as much as nonfiction readers. GREATER HAPPINESS Even if none of these benefits interest you, everyone wants to find ways to make themselves happy — and for many, that is reading fiction. According to one survey, 76% of participants said that reading makes them feel good and improves their lives. So, what are you waiting for? Dust off that novel you’ve been meaning to read and crack it open!
BRAIN! Train Your
Slow Cooker Squash, Kale, and Sausage Soup
Inspired by SugarAndSoul.co
INGREDIENTS
• Salt and pepper, to taste • 4 cups chicken broth • 1 tsp smoked paprika • 1 tsp Italian seasoning • 3 cups kale, chopped • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil • 4 Italian chicken sausages, sliced to bite-size pieces • 6 cloves garlic • 1 onion, chopped • 6–7 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
DIRECTIONS
3. In a slow cooker, combine sautéed vegetables, sausage, chicken broth, and seasonings. Cook on low heat for 3 hours and 30 minutes. 4. Open the pot and add the kale. Cook another 20 minutes, then add the red wine vinegar and stir to combine. Cook 10 more minutes, then serve and enjoy!
1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook 4–5 minutes, stirring often, then remove from the pot and set aside. 2. Add garlic and onion to the pot. Sauté 4–5 minutes. Add squash, salt, and pepper. Sauté 8 minutes.
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issue INSIDE THIS The Secret Source of Courage PAGE 1 Three Haunted Destinations to Visit This October
Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC (MAS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through AE Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM), a Registered Investment Adviser. Insurance services offered through Ann Vanderslice. MAS and AEWM are not affiliated companies with Ann Vanderslice or E.A. Buck Financial Services. 01055007-9/21
Easy DIY Kitchen Storage Ideas PAGE 2
The Unique Benefits of Reading Fiction
Slow Cooker Squash, Kale, and Sausage Soup PAGE 3 Corn Mazes Date Back to Ancient Greece? PAGE 4
CORN MAZES DATE BACK TO ANCIENT GREECE? AHistorical Look at This Wacky Fall Tradition
Exploring a corn maze is a great way to get outside and enjoy the fall season with friends and family — but who came up with the idea of wandering around a corn field for fun? As it turns out, outdoor mazes are an ancient tradition, and the American corn maze of the ‘90s sprouted from the mazes of 17th-century European gardens. Don’t believe it? Here’s a quick tour of corn maze history. THE MINOTAUR AND THE MAZE Have you heard of Theseus and the Minotaur? This ancient Greek legend tells the story of the hero Theseus, who ventured into an elaborate maze to kill the half-man, half-bull imprisoned there. The monstrous Minotaur was known to eat heroes, and the labyrinth was known to trap them, but Theseus managed to slay the Minotaur and find his way home with the help of a string that he unspooled as he walked. This story isn’t the first recorded example of a maze or labyrinth. According to the World History encyclopedia, “[L]abyrinths and labyrinthine symbols have been dated to the Neolithic Age in
regions as diverse as modern-day Turkey, Ireland, Greece, and India, among others”. Yet it’s perhaps the most famous ancient tale. If you’ve ever navigated a Halloween corn maze staffed by ghouls and ghosts, you can see the parallels! GARDEN ART TO GET LOST IN Mazes formed from bushes began popping up in European gardens during the 17th century. They were a popular artistic feature of upper-class gardens in England, more for looking at than solving a puzzle. One famous example is the half-mile-long Hampton Maze, which was planted in 1690 and still stands today. THE CORN MAZE: AN AMERICAN INVENTION Garden mazes eventually came to America but didn’t become interactive puzzles until Don Frantz, Creative Director of the American Maze Company, came on the scene. In 1993, Frantz created the “first ever cornfield maze for private and public entertainment” to attract college kids in Pennsylvania. Today, every small-town corn maze is a descendant of his “Amazing Maize Maze.” To learn more about that wacky history, visit AmericanMaze.com.
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