Check out the latest edition of our newsletter!
Club MED
November 2024
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men … My Journey With Mason
I remember the day I met Mason. I was on my fourth or fifth date with his mom, Bev, and things were going well enough that she decided it was time to introduce me to her kids. Now, let me tell you, meeting the family is no walk in the park, especially when the kid you’re meeting is a curious, 11-year-old boy who’s eyeing you like you’re a science experiment. Mason had just turned 11, and he was all wide-eyed curiosity, trying to figure out what kind of guy his mom had brought home. Me? I was just trying not to screw it up. But the real standout moment of that night wasn’t Mason — it was Bev, wielding a blow torch like she was auditioning for a blacksmith’s gig. She was making crème brûlée. I’d had it before, but never had I seen someone caramelize the sugar with such … intensity. Lesson learned: Don’t mess with a woman who owns her own blow torch. Apparently, I passed the family test because I was invited over more frequently after that. Mason, the pint-sized detective, sat right next to me on the couch, drilling me with questions. Some of them were surprisingly deep for a kid his age, and others were, well, 11-year-old level. But he was always thinking, always observing. I once asked Bev why Mason was so fascinated by me. That’s when I learned the heavy truth: Mason’s father had passed away three years before. His world had shrunk to his mom, older sister, and school friends. Bev had stayed home to raise them, and with no extended family around, Mason hadn’t had any male figures since his dad. Bev then told me a story that simultaneously broke my heart and cracked me up. She had taken Mason
shopping about a year after his dad died, and she needed to stop in the women’s underwear section. Mason refused to cross the threshold of the lingerie department. He stood at the entrance with arms crossed, refusing to enter the land of bras and panties. So, to Mason, I was a bit of an enigma. A man who wasn’t his dad but who was suddenly there — someone to kick a soccer ball with, toss a football, or shoot hoops. I had my own story. At 42, I had just left the priesthood and was trying to piece my life back together. I was working too much, trying to build a career from scratch, and, in hindsight, maybe I wasn’t around enough.
for what felt like forever. After a month, his eyes started to open, but there was little response. When he stabilized, they moved him to Madonna Rehab for further treatment. Every tiny step felt like a victory. Now, just over six months later, Mason can say a few words and whisper our names. He’s started to eat again, but swallowing is still a struggle. The feeding tube is staying put for now. He can walk a few steps with someone on each side of him, but it’s slow — painfully slow. The insurance? It’s running out. The care he needs? It’s 24/7. For months, there were two attendants to ensure he didn’t pull out his feeding tube or fall out of bed. Now, we’re down to one. And soon, Mason is coming home to live with us. We’re getting the house ready, but let me tell you, it’s surreal. The thought of having someone in the house, in our care, is daunting. We’ll have help during the week, but on the weekends, we’re on our own. My wife and I will be taking turns watching him and sleeping on a cot next to his bed on the weekends. It’s not what we expected in our 60s. Tonight, I tucked Mason into bed. He smiled at a joke I cracked. That smile? It made me laugh. He even hugged me before settling in for the night. Thinking back to that curious boy I met years ago, it’s strange. He was barely 5’3” back then. Now? He’s towering over me at 6’4”. And yet, here I am, tucking him in at 31 — something I never saw coming. It reminds me of a Yiddish saying: “How do you make God laugh? Tell him your plans.”
Then came the first seizure.
Mason was 12, and we didn’t think much of it. The paramedics didn’t even take him to the ER; they just told us to follow up with a doctor. But years later, when he hit his 20s, the seizures became more frequent — and worse. One seizure was so bad that Mason had to be life-flighted from Kearney to Omaha, spending a week in the ICU. The doctors tried, but nothing seemed to help. And then came that day, April 11. Mason didn’t return to work after lunch. His boss, knowing about his health issues, called us when Mason didn’t answer his phone. That’s when we panicked. We scattered across Omaha, searching for him. It was his mom and sister who found him — in his apartment, lying in a pool of blood. He’d been there for hours, still alive but seizing. They rushed him to the hospital. The seizures had caused him to hit his head hard. He ended up in a coma at UNMC
–Christopher J. Grimmond
Medicare Insurance Made Easy
402-614-3389 • 1
TIPS FOR LAUNCHING YOUR OWN DINNER CLUB GATHER, SAVOR, REPEAT
Although the holiday season often enables us to reconnect with friends and loved ones in person, maintaining that spirit of tangible togetherness all year can often be a struggle. Sure, social media is fine for “likes,” but nothing beats sitting down with people whose company you enjoy. If you’re looking for a new way to stay connected with family members, friends from college, old work colleagues, or anyone else within a reasonable travel distance, starting a dinner club may be perfect! CONCEPTUALIZING YOUR CLUB There are no hard-and-fast rules to creating and maintaining a dinner club. You could start by giving your club a fancy name and deciding how often it
should meet. From there, think about the people you want to invite. For example, maybe you know people who share a particular interest you also love (classic movies, model airplanes, etc.), or you have a group of old friends you’d love to catch up with over a great meal. The trick is to be mindful of your club’s membership size. Ideally, it should be large enough for guests to connect with several friends or new people but small enough to ensure intimacy. CHOOSING YOUR DINNER DESTINATION Determining the best settings for your dinner club gatherings is key to their success. For example, hosting them at members’ homes on a revolving basis (with the host or other members doing
the cooking) would help the invitees avoid cramming into a noisy restaurant and having to shout at each other while seated at a long table. MATCHING MOOD AND MENU Coming up with interesting themes for each meal adds a thrill to the festivities. Maybe one of your members would like to give cooking a vegan meal a try. Perhaps another member would love to share an amazing recipe they picked up while vacationing in Mexico. The possibilities are endless! No matter how you structure your dinner club, the goal is to have fun and spend time with wonderful people. Bon appétit!
THE 2025 MEDICARE ANNUAL ELECTION PERIOD IS HERE!
Wow, is this year ever exciting? At Omaha Insurance Solutions, we are staffed
limits, and fewer extra benefits like dental, vision, hearing, or OTC items.
AI can make mistakes!), we’re dedicated to ensuring everything is buttoned up by Dec. 7 , the final day of the Medicare Annual Election Period. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND REFERRALS! We know this is a busy time, and we’re grateful for your understanding as we help a growing number of clients. And speaking of help — thank you for your referrals! So many Medicare beneficiaries lose their agent over time, leaving them in the dark. Your referral is a gift to them and to us, especially in this year of unprecedented change. WHAT’S NEXT? If you haven’t already, please send us your updated medication list , along with your doctors and favorite pharmacies. We’ll take care of the rest! Let’s make this Annual Election Period smooth, simple, and successful — together! –Omaha Insurance Solutions
up and ready to help, but Medicare changes have hit like a tidal wave! Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) , it’s a new era, bringing both opportunities and challenges.
EVERYONE’S SHOPPING AROUND! With all these
changes, we’re seeing a surge in people exploring new options. And guess what? It all starts with your medications — that’s the one consistent cost each month.
WHAT’S NEW? The best news is the elimination of the dreaded drug doughnut hole! Plus, out-of-pocket expenses for prescriptions now have a $2,000 cap — hooray for more predictable costs! However, to cover this, insurance companies and the rest of Medicare beneficiaries (yep, that’s you!) are sharing the cost. This means Part D premiums are up , deductibles increased, and some were even added. Plus, resources were taken from Medicare Advantage plans, so you may see higher copays, maximum out-of-pocket
That’s why we ask for your prescription drug list with dosages — it’s the key to finding the Medicare Advantage/Part D plan that works best for you. We use advanced software to figure out your best fit, but remember — there are always trade-offs with benefits. We’ll help you navigate these choices! WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED. From start to finish, we’re here to complete the paperwork and track your application. With so many moving parts and hands involved (even
2 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com
While ancient Rome may be known for gladiators, grand conquests, and fashionable togas, a surprisingly intricate legal system kept their civilization in line. They had many laws — some familiar, others bizarre — that dictated the everyday lives of millions of Roman citizens, enslaved people, and soldiers across a vast empire. Here are three of the most outrageous and interesting laws Romans enacted as a republic and an empire. DRESS CODES AND PARTY FOULS Beginning in around 215 BC, the Roman Republic began instituting what was known as sumptuary laws, which restricted the clothes people could wear, foods they could eat, and the maximum number of attendees at parties. They created these, in part, to reduce the costs of banquets, festivals, and other Roman ragers. Some examples were enacted in 213 BC when it became illegal for women to wear colorful dresses — unless they were celebrating a ritual sacrifice — to wear more than a half ounce of gold or even to ride around in carriages. However, they soon repealed these laws because they considered them antiquated . SHOCKING STATUTE Tough luck for those who like hanging out on tall metal poles — if a lightning strike killed someone in Rome, the law forbade families from burying them! This is because Romans believed lightning strikes were divine retribution from the king of the Roman pantheon, Jupiter. PECULIAR LAWS OF THE ANCIENT EMPIRE ROMAN RULES
Testimonial
“Chris and his staff are very professional and knowledgeable. They truly listened to my needs and educated me in order to make the right decision. Medicare and the supplements make me dizzy! OIS takes all that away and ensures you are well-informed on your choices. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND!” –Shari Rose
Inspired by RealSimple.com
SEE YA LATER, GLADIATOR! Romans “borrowed” the idea of gladiatorial games from their
Everything-Seasoned Dinner Rolls
(conquered) neighbors, wherein people would fight — sometimes to the death — for the public’s amusement and began holding them back in 264 BC. However, because only 3 of every 5 people made it to their 20s at the time, only about 10% of those bouts involved actual fatalities. Many slaves, prisoners of war, and Christian martyrs fought as gladiators in the arena, but if they were already sentenced to execution, they had no hope of survival. One peculiar law involving gladiators was that they would fight until an injured combatant put down his shield and lifted his index finger to ask for mercy. At that point, it would come to an abrupt halt — though the emperor, if in attendance, would make the final decision.
No need to make rolls from scratch this season. Instead, dress up store-bought rolls with delicious everything bagel seasoning!
Ingredients • Cooking spray
• 1 tbsp honey • 2 tbsp everything bagel seasoning
• 20 frozen dinner rolls • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Directions 1. Coat a 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray and arrange frozen rolls in the pan to thaw according to package instructions. 2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Then, melt butter and honey together in the microwave or on the stove. Once the rolls thaw, brush butter mixture over the rolls and sprinkle seasoning on top. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden, and serve these tasty rolls straight out of the oven!
402-614-3389 • 3
11414 W. Center Rd., Suite 250 Omaha, NE 68144
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
402-614-3389 OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com Chris@OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com
Code 82826_10212024_MK
INSIDE This Issue
How Do You Make God Laugh?
1
How to Make a Meal a Lasting Memory
2
2
The 2025 Medicare Annual Election Period Is Here!
3
Ridiculous Rules From Ancient Rome
3
Testimonial
3
Everything-Seasoned Dinner Rolls
How Turkey Became a Thanksgiving Staple 4
Gobble, Gobble The Thanksgiving Turkey Tradition
Part of what makes special occasions special is the foods they are synonymous with. We have cake on our birthdays, candy on Halloween, and turkey on Thanksgiving. How these culinary staples became linked with these holidays is rarely questioned because we all enjoy sweets, and blowing out candles is fun. But is that reason enough for them to be integral to our holidays? Why is Thanksgiving Day, the celebration of harvest and gratitude, synonymous with turkey dinner? THE ORIGINAL MENU Many in America believe we model our Thanksgiving cuisine after the menu of offerings available during the original feast. But in 1621, the Plymouth Pilgrims and Wampanoag did not eat like we do today. Moreover, they did not see their meal as a special occasion. Thanksgiving dinner has been used to celebrate the autumn harvest for hundreds of years and is a tradition that predates the colonies.
The Wampanoag people brought venison to the party, and the Pilgrims supposedly brought wildfowl. While an estimated 10 million wild turkeys were prowling the Americas at the time, the Pilgrims more likely dined on duck and goose — which begs the question: If the Pilgrims didn’t eat turkey on the “original” Thanksgiving, why do we? A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP Turkey became the staple of Thanksgiving dinner due to a few contributing factors. Unlike chickens and cows, which can
However, it may be cultural staples, like Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and Sarah Hale’s novel “Northwood,” both portraying decadent turkey meals, that played a more significant part in its popularity on the holiday table. Hale was also a key campaigner for Thanksgiving to bring together families across America and repair a nation splintered by the Civil War. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln granted her wish and made Thanksgiving an official national holiday. She was likely the biggest factor in turning turkey into the star of Thanksgiving dinner and, as a result, is likely the nemesis of turkeys everywhere. In 2022, about 210 million turkeys were farmed across the country, and Americans consumed 46 million on Thanksgiving alone.
provide eggs and milk, turkeys are only useful to farmers as a source of meat. As gruesome as it may sound, that fact also makes turkeys disposable. Additionally, one turkey can typically feed a whole
family, so it became a popular source of protein in America.
4 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator