FOR A BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY SMILE
ELKINSDENTAL.COM OCTOBER 2018
HOMEMADE HALLOWEEN
Do you tend to make your costumes or buy them? With the exception of my dad’s creations, we usually just used what we had at home for our costumes, as you can see from the picture.These days, my dad is leaving the comical Halloween costumes to his kids and choosing more relaxing pursuits. Instead of woodwork, he’s gotten into another creative pastime: watercolor painting. He’s gotten quite good. His paintings inspire me to keep going with my own hobbies and make more time for my stained glass projects. In addition to Halloween, a continuing education conference is taking me to Utah this month, and it means I get to visit Evie. I’m looking forward to seeing her and hearing all about her college experience so far. Have a happy and safe Halloween!
As I’ve shared with you before, my dad was in the military and had six kids, and he got really good at making things by hand. He was great at building with wood — I think he taught himself. He might have read some books, then bought the equipment and just started doing it. Most of what we had while growing up was homemade, including our Halloween costumes. One year, my dad made costumes for my brother and me. He used a cardboard box and paint to make me a mailbox. Only instead of being a traditional mailbox, my dad wrote “U.S. Male” on the box. He thought it was clever, and I can kind of remember a few people giggling as I walked around dressed up in the white box, complete with the little red flag — a good ol’ male box. I didn’t understand the joke until much later. Out of another piece of cardboard, my dad made my brother’s costume. He painted it white with black dots on each side — a die.
How is it October already? That means it was over a month ago that we took Evie to start her freshman year of college, and it doesn’t completely feel real that she’s there. I keep waiting for her to return from her job or running errands and come through the front door. Fortunately, in our day and age, we have a lot of ways to stay connected. Our son, Adam, just celebrated his fourth birthday, and even though she’s at school, Evie got to join in on the fun and watch her little brother opening his presents via live video. It’s pretty great for the whole family that we don’t have to go too far between seeing each other — we’re just a click away. It wasn’t like that when I was going to college. All we had was a phone on the wall and a long-distance plan that cost 10 cents a minute. We couldn’t make too many long phone calls home because it got to be too expensive. Because I was about a 10-hour drive from home, I only went back for the holidays, and I missed home often. I always looked forward to seeing my family.
–Dr. Elkins
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HAVE A FUN AND SAFE HALLOWEEN!
Even the Most Frightening Ghouls Need to Be Careful
crosswalks and traffic signals, cross streets on the corners, and never run across the street. Making eye contact with drivers before walking in front of their cars is also a good way to make sure the driver knows the child is there. CHOOSE SMART COSTUMES Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without costumes! They should be fun, but you can also make them safer by following a few simple guidelines. Add reflective tape to candy bags and costumes and wear light colors to stand out in the dark. Buying or making the right-sized costumes is also important. If they’re too large, they create a tripping hazard, and if they’re too tight, they can restrict movement. If your child wears a mask, make sure they can see out of it properly. MAKE A PLAN Before heading out to trick or treat, create a plan and discuss it with every member of your family.This ensures that if someone in your group wanders off, they’ll know where to look for you or where to go. In case you’re separated, label your child’s costume with your name, address, and phone number. If your children are old enough to trick or treat without adults, make sure that their cellphones are charged and on them at all times, and schedule regular check-ins.
Happy Halloween, you goblins, ghouls, witches, and spooks! It’s that time of year again when kids and adults alike can dress up and roam the streets as their favorite heroes, frights, or princesses. While kids are eager to show off their outfits and fill their pillowcases with
sugary treasures, it’s crucial to be aware of the potential dangers on Halloween night.
PRACTICE STREET SAFETY Make sure your kids understand basic road safety. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, “Children are more likely to be struck by a vehicle and killed during Halloween than any other day of the year.” Before heading out for some good old-fashioned trick-or-treating, take the time to go over basic safety tips. Teach kids to look both ways before crossing, use
A Word From Caryn
Some of the warning signs of untreated diabetes are things you can watch out for and pay attention to at home.These can include: • Excessive thirst • Frequent urination • Dry mouth (xerostomia) • Problems tasting food • Delayed wound healing • Frequent bleeding gums • Weight loss and fatigue If you notice these symptoms, talk to your doctor. A blood test can reveal more about your blood sugar levels and help determine how best to treat your symptoms. Remember, you are in charge of your own health. If you have diabetes, take steps to control your blood sugar. Because your oral health is part of managing diabetes, come in for regular reservations to help not just your oral health, but your overall health. And if it’s been a while since you had a physical from your primary care doctor, it may be time to give them a call too. –Caryn
As hygienists, we can’t diagnose medical conditions, but sometimes your oral health contains
clues that may be connected to other health issues. We like to focus on creating awareness, and one of the ways we do that is by sharing some of the signs you can look for at home to clue you into when it’s time to see a doctor. More and more research points to the connection between periodontal disease and other diseases. Diabetes, for one, often goes hand in hand with periodontal disease. About 10 percent of people are affected by diabetes — that’s 29.1 million people, according to the American Dental Association. Patients with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing periodontal disease because it’s more difficult for them to control blood sugar. In addition, gum disease, like some infections, can cause blood sugar to spike. Because people with diabetes are more susceptible to infections, their body is less able to fight off infection related to the gums.This makes it all the more important to manage diabetes and seek the help of medical professionals.
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Ingredients
‘HEADLESS’ APPLES ON HORSEBACK
• 3 ounces manchego cheese, 1/4 inch thick • Toothpicks for skewering
• 16 very thin slices of pancetta (or cured, unsmoked bacon) • 2 pink lady apples
MOUNTAIN RANGES Surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, we don’t have to go far to find mountaintop winter activities. If skiing or tubing is your idea of winter fun, Bogus Basin is just a short drive away, and heading to McCall makes a fun weekend getaway. ... AND RIVERS Not only are we surrounded by the Payette and Boise rivers, Idaho is also home to the deepest gorge in North America: Hells Canyon. Take that, Arizona! Instructions
GOOD CHEER Beer lovers, rejoice! Idaho is the world’s largest hop producer, and more and more people are taking advantage of our agricultural bounty by opening breweries in the Treasure Valley. Share a few of these treasures with visiting family members and their only question will be “How did we not come here sooner?” 1. Core apples and cut each into 8 wedge . R mov rind of manchego chee e and cut i o 2-inch sticks. 2. Heat a grill pan or skillet to medium-high. 3. On a cutting board, lay pance ta or bacon slices flat and place an apple wedge and piece of cheese in the center of each. 4. Roll pancetta tightly and skewer with toothpick. 5. Grill until cheese is melted and pancetta or bacon is golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. 6. Drai excess grease on a paper towel and serve hot.
Out-of-town relatives who are visiting for the holidays might wonder what makes Emmett so special. But we already know the Treasure Valley is full of gems — and we don’t just mean the rocks. Here are some additional reasons Emmett and The Gem State are great. WE’VE GOT SUNSHINE On average, we have 210 sunny days per year. Compare that to 144 rainy days in Portland and we can feel pretty happy about all our free vitamin D.
Inspired by Food & Wine magazine
GEM STATE? WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE
Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure Where: Idaho State Capital Building When: Wednesday, Oct. 10
Rod Stewart Where: Ford Idaho Center When: Wednesday, Oct. 24
Dia de los Muertos
While tiny Batmans and Skywalkers are putting the final adjustments on costumes and eagerly anticipating their Halloween loot, other people are cleaning the home and preparing to honor loved ones who have passed. Nov. 1 and 2 are dedicated to Dia de los Muertos, a traditional Mexican celebration when the living remember the dead.The holiday has its roots in Aztec culture and is celebrated throughout Mexico and the United States. “Ofrendas,” or offerings, are set out on grave markers or on altars inside homes to pay respect to the spirits of loved ones, who, as belief goes, can only visit the living once a year, during Dia de Los Muertos. Offerings usually include favorite foods and treats of deceased loved ones, and family members
We are giving away an all-inclusive, 7-night MEXICAN RIVIERA CRUISE!
share stories about them. Although it may sound sad, the holiday is a joyful celebration of life and death, as the lively parades and colorful attire in Mexico throughout the festivities attest.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. Halloween Revisited 2. Trick-or-Treating Safety! Caryn’s Corner
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
3. ‘Headless’ Apples on Horseback Did You Know?
4. The Surprising Origins of Trick-or- Treating
1110 S. Washington Ave. Emmett, ID 83617
HAPPY HALLOWEEN From Elkins Dental
208-369-4532 Elkinsdental.com
WHY THERE ARE KIDS ON YOUR PORCH ASKING FOR CANDY The History of Trick-or-Treating
leaking into our world, young men donned flowing white costumes and black masks — a great disguise when ghosts were about. The Catholic Church was never a big fan of these pagan traditions, so they renamed it “All Saints’ Day” and gussied it up in religious garb. By the 11th century, people were dressing up as saints, angels, and the occasional demon instead of spirits. Eventually, costumed children started tearing through town begging for food and money and singing a song or prayer in return — a practice called “souling.” But when did they start dressing up as Minions? Starting in the 19th century, souling turned to “guising,” which gave way to trick-or-treating in mid-20th-century America, and the costumes diversified. So put on some clown makeup and a big smile, scoop up a handful of sweets, and scare the living daylights out of ‘em — ‘tis the season!
goddess of fruit and trees (not at the same time); the Celtic Samuin or Samhain, a new year’s party thrown at the end of our summer; and the Catholic All Saint’s Day, designed to replace Samuin and divorce it from its pagan origins. Long before there were young’uns on your porch dressed as Thanos with candy-filled pillowcases in hand, the Celts believed that Samuin marked an overlapping of the realms of the living and the dead. To trick the spirits
As Halloween looms and you load up your grocery cart with candy, you may ask yourself, “Why do I provide these spooky gremlins with a sugar high every Oct. 31, anyway?”Well, when your doorbell starts ringing around 6 p.m. this All Hallows’ Eve, you can thank the Celts for this tradition of candy and costumes. Halloween itself is a kind of mishmash of four different cultural festivals of old: two Roman fêtes, which commemorated the dead and the
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