FROM THE DESK OF Tom Thoman DISCOVER YOUR ROOTS G enealogy A ctivities for the W hole F amily Foothills PT News FoothillsPTMaine.com • 207-625-4300
Meet Victoria and Carla
When you visit Foothills for your first appointment, you will likely be greeted by one of us. Our goal is to make your physical therapy experience as easy as possible. We are very knowledgeable with all insurance plans and will help you understand your physical therapy benefits. We will also be asking you to fill out several forms. We know this is not everyone’s favorite part, however regulations require us to ask for this information. You will also be asked to fill out questionnaires that directly pertain to your medical condition. Our therapists look closely at this information to ensure they have a complete picture of your overall health. Did you know that some insurances do not require a referral for physical therapy? In Maine, you have direct access to physical therapy, meaning that you can come directly to us for your care. Our therapists will determine whether you are a good candidate for PT and will communicate with your physician. After your first session is complete, we will then help you schedule any future appointments that best fit your schedule.
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
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
We are here to help!
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!
-Victoria & Carla
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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.
parents 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
Fake Discounts and Angry Shoppers A Massive Black Friday Lawsuit
Shoppers flock to retailers every Black Friday in hopes of securing the best deals on the year’s hottest products. There are many nasty aspects of Black Friday — the long lines, the overzealous shoppers, the limited stock of items —but phony pricing and fake sales shouldn’t be among them. But that’s exactly what happened to folks in Los Angeles during the 2016 holiday season, leading to the biggest Black Friday lawsuit in history. In December of 2016, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office sued J.C. Penney, Sears, Macy’s, and Kohl’s for a practice called“false reference pricing,”a nefarious tactic whereby retailers lie about the original price of an item to make a discount appear bigger than it actually is. For example, Sears sold a Kenmore washing
machine at a“sale price”of $999.99, compared to a“regular price”of $1,179.99. The problem was the so-called sale price was actually the price that product was offered at every day. Therefore, it wasn’t actually on sale. Duping your customers is a bad business practice, but what makes it illegal?Well, California law requires that retailers post a retail price no higher than what the product was sold at within three months prior to the ad.“Families today… are striving to get the very most they can get from an extremely hard-earned holiday shopping dollar,”said LA City Attorney Mike Feuer.“They deserve tomake an informed decision.”After the suit was brought against them, the retailers all quickly moved to settle, promising to never engage in false reference pricing again.
Most retailers offer discounts around the holidays to encourage shoppers to come into their stores or visit their websites. Promotions and sales are great tools in any business’s arsenal, provided they aren’t out to mislead customers. Big-box stores may try to manipulate innocent people, and it’s up to aggrieved customers to hold those corporations accountable. Nearly every year, you’ll read about a class-action lawsuit that develops in response to the shady tactics of businesses eager to secure those holiday shopping dollars. Are there great bargains to be had on Black Friday? Of course. But if something sounds too good to be true, it very well might be. Keep your eyes peeled and don’t let retailers trick you into a purchase you wouldn’t make otherwise.
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Health Coverage for Furry Companions A Member of the Family
The close bond that humans formwith their pets can be mystifying to those who proclaim they are not“pet people.”A dog given a spot on the bed or a cat given specialty foodmight seem extravagant to some, but a glance back in time shows that this close companionship developed long ago. Ancient Egyptians were sometimes mummified with their feline or canine companions, and when given the choice between losing a battle or harming cats, Egyptians chose a loss to their Persian adversaries rather than attacking soldiers who’d strategically strapped felines to their bodies. A special relationship developed between humans and their animals during the process of domestication, and pets earned their proverbial place at the table. For some pet parents, this close bond makes insurance coverage for their fur babies a no-brainer. Some employers are even offering it as an employment benefit. When it comes to caring for our furry companions, veterinarian Jean Maixner points out that having pet insurance can keep families from having to make a gut-wrenching decision when a pet gets sick or hurt.“If you get the right policy, it can be an asset to the health care of that pet and have a significant impact on the bill that results from an emergency visit,”Maixner says.
find plans that cover accidents and illnesses, and some plans even cover routine care, like vaccines. In an assessment of policies, Consumer Reports found that for a relatively healthy pet, most policies actually cost more than they would ultimately pay out. However, they also found that for a pet that develops a serious illness or condition, many pet insurance policies will indeed pay out more than what they cost. Talk with your vet to see if there are any conditions your pet is prone to. Consumer Reports
also recommends reading all the fine print when looking at plans to make sure you understand what will be covered.
For many people, pet insurance offers peace of mind that their companion will be protected. As Herb
Weisbaum, consumer advisor for NBC News, says,“If you buy pet insurance and don’t use it, consider yourself lucky.”
As with human health insurance, pet health insurance policies vary. A higher deductible usually means paying a lower monthly rate. You can
Take a Break!
Buttery
ROASTED CHESTNUTS
Ingredients
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2 pounds fresh chestnuts, unpeeled
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2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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2–3 sprigs rosemary
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1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
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Directions
1. Heat oven to 450 F. 2. Place a large sheet of foil on a rimmed baking sheet. 3. On a large, flat workspace, place chestnuts flat side down. Using a sharp knife, carve an X on the rounded side of each chestnut. 4. In a large bowl of hot water, soak chestnuts for 1 minute. 5. Pat dry and transfer to a mediumbowl. Add rosemary,
butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Toss to coat and transfer to baking sheet. Arrange in a single layer. Gather the edges of the foil together, leaving an opening at the top. 6. Roast until peels curl up, about 30–45 minutes. 7. Transfer to a platter and serve while hot or warm.
SOLUTION ON PAGE 4
Inspired by Bon Appétit
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Foothills Physical Therapy
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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. INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Tom PAGE 1 Uncover Your Heritage PAGE 1 The Biggest Black Friday Lawsuit in History PAGE 2 A Look at Health Insurance for Pets PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Buttery Roasted Chestnuts PAGE 3 Hurricane Pet Hero PAGE 4
SOLUTION
HURRICANE HERO TONY ALSUP How One Man Rescued Hundreds of Animals
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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