www.tidbitscda.com For Ad Rates call: (208) 755-9120 evelyn2318@gmail.com

of Kootenai County, Idaho Issue #47 Nov. 18th

THEY SAY IT’S BETTER TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE.

(WE THINK YOU CAN DO BOTH!)THE GIFT OF PLASMA AND A HOLIDAY BONUS FROM BIOLIFE!

GIVE RECEIVE

208.762.2486 8300 N CORNERSTONE DR HAYDEN, ID 83835BIOLIFEPLASMA.COM

OUR GIFT TO YOU

Must present this coupon prior to the initial donation to receive a total of $25 on your first and a total of $50 on your second successful donation. Initial donation must be completed by 11.30.13 and second donation within 30 days. Coupon redeemable only upon completing successful donations. May not be combined with any other offer. Only at participating locations.

NEW DONORS OR DONORS WHO HAVEN’T DONATED IN SIX MONTHS OR MORE, PRESENT THIS COUPON AND RECEIVE $75 IN JUST TWO DONATIONS.

$75

by Kathy Wolfe Who doesn’t like cookies of one sort or another? This week, Tidbits is taking a look at this treat’s origin, along with how some of our favorites got their start. •Theword“cookie”hasitsoriginsintheDutch language from their word keokje, mean-ing“littlecake.”It’sthoughtthatcookiesorigi-nated as a method of testing cakes. Bakers used a small amount of cake batter to test the oven temperature.Persiawasprobablythefirstcoun-trytomakecookies,asitwasoneofthefirsttocultivate sugar. •Home-bakedcookiescomeinseveralstyles. Pressed cookies are formed by pressing dough through a press to form fancy shapes. Drop cookies are made by merely dropping spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet while the dough for bar cookies is spread in a shallow pan andcutintobarsafterbaking.Iceboxcookiesarecreated by shaping dough into a log, which is refrigerated, then sliced and baked. Cookies cut-ters are used to make rolled cookies into decora-tive shapes. American tinsmiths began fashion-ing cookie cutters by hand in the 1700s. •The firstAmerican cookbook,Ameri-can Cookery, published in 1796 includes two recipessimplycalled“Cookies”and“ChristmasCookey.”turnthepageformore!

TIDBITS® MUNCHESON SOME

Page 2 Tidbits® of CDA www.tidbitscda.com

From the Publisher’s DeskBy : Evelyn Bevacqua

TIDBITS ANNOUNCES A NEW CONTEST

ENTER TO WIN A RESTAURANT GIFT

CERTIFICATE!It’sFUNandEasy!Eachweekadifferentbusinesslogo will appear multiple times throughout the paper. The logo will be in color and different sizes Count the number of times it appears including the ads. Then call or email the answer to evelyn2318@ gmail.com or Call 208.755.9120. . The Winner will be contacted and announced each week with a photo in front of the participating restaurant. Answers must be submitted by 6:00 p.m.on Sunday.

This week's $25.00 gift certificate will be from Satay Bistro Restaurant and the logo will be Hospice Of North Idaho!

COOKIES (continued): • Springerle are traditional Christmascookies from Bavaria and Austria, and are small anise-flavoredcookieswithanimagestampedon top, imprinted from a carved rolling pin or mold. Centuries ago, these were used to tell the Christmas story to the illiterate by stamping BiblescenesfromtheNativityintothedough.A 14th-century hand-carved wooden springerle moldfeaturingimagesof theEaster lamb,theworld’s oldest known mold, was discovered in Switzerland. •Nomatterwhatyoucallit,it’sstillacookie. InEngland, they’rebiscuits, inSpain,galletas,whileGermanssaykeks.TheItaliansuse several different names, most commonly amaretti and biscotti. The word biscotti trans-lates “twice cooked,” as the dough is formedinto a log and baked, then sliced and baked again. • The tradition of Girl Scout cookiesdatesbackto1917,justfiveyearsafterJulietteLow founded the organization. A scout troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, baked cookies and held a sale in their high school cafeteria as part of a service project.Over the next two decades,Girl Scouts across America held sales of cook-ies baked by their own troops, packaging them inwaxpaper, and selling door-to-door for 35centsadozen.In1934,PhiladelphiaGirlScoutsbecame the first to sell commercially-bakedcookies, and within two years, the national or-ganization licensed the idea. During World War II,when therewas a shortage of sugar, flour,and butter, the Girl Scouts sold calendars as their service project. By 1948, 29 commercial bakers were licensed to bake the three variet-ies – peanut butter sandwich, shortbread, and chocolate mints. Today, cookie sales during the short eight-week time period when the Scouts hold their sale are close to $790 million.

Page 3Tidbits® of CDAwww.tidbitscda.com

11-27 Thanksgiving Taize’s Celebrating Trees of theSeasons,7pmatUnitySpiritualCenterofNorthIdaho,www.unitycenter.org.For

moreinfocall208.664.1125

Beginning Thanksgiving weekend, the Coeur d’Alene Resort turns up the bright lightswith it’sHolidayLight show.Throughouttheholidayseasonyoucanex-perienceAmerica’s largestfloatingholidaylight show and laser extravaganza. Cruiseboats take you on Lake Coeur d’Alene to view the animated light displays and holi-day scenes along the Coeur d’Alene Resort shoreline, and then a special visit to Santa’s workshop. Other events include breakfasts with Santa, Sunday brunches with Dickens Car-olers and Mrs. Clause, Santa Cruises for the very young, a downtown Christmas lighting ceremony,fireworksshowsandalightedpa-rade.(208)664-3194

If you wish to publish your event for free, please e-mail

evelyn2318@gmail.com

EVENT CALENDAR

COOKIES (continued): • One common belief for the originof fortune cookies dates back to the 12th cen-tury, when Chinese soldiers defended their ter-ritory from Mongolian invaders. Legend has it that the Mongolians didn’t particularly care for Chinese lotus nut paste cakes, so Chinese sol-diers hid messages containing details of their uprising written on rice paper inside the cakes tonotifythetroops.Amorerecentexplanationcites a Cantonese immigrant working as a baker in Los Angeles putting slips of paper inside his cookies with words of encouragement and good “fortune”andhandingthemouttothepoorandhomelessstreetpeople.In1960,anewmachinewas invented that folded fortune cookies in half much faster. •After his service with theAir Force,Wally Amos went to work as a talent agent with theWilliamMorrisAgency.Histricktopersuadecelebrities to meet with him and work out a deal was to send home-baked chocolate chip cookies homewiththem.Itbecameapparentthathewasbetteratcookiesthanasanagent,andin1975,Wally “Famous” Amos opened his first storeinLosAngeles, selling$300,000hisfirstyear,jumping to over $1 million the following year. •Theworld’sfavoritecookieistheOreo,now sold in more than 100 countries around the globe.TheveryfirstOreorolledoutofaMan-hattan bakery in March, 1912, and was sold shortlythereafterinHoboken,NewJersey.ThefirstOreoswerepackagedinbulktinsandsoldbyweight,about30centsalb.backthen.Today,they’re baked at 21 different bakeries and over 20.5millionofthesefavoritesareeatenworld-wideeverysingleday.JustonebatchofOreosrequires18millionlbs.(8,165,000kg)ofcocoa.

Fedora's 3rd Annual FREE-Community Thanksgiving Dinner Thanksgiving Dinner will be served free tothepublicfrom11amto4pmThursday,No-vember 28th located at 1726 W Kathleen Coeur d’Alene.atTheFedoraPub&Grille. TheFedoraandmanyotherlocalorga-nizations and volunteers are working to bring our community together on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone is welcome!There are no prerequi-sitestoattend.“Afterthreeincredibleyearsofbusiness in this wonderful community, we want to keep giving back. That’s what it means to be a part of such a greatcommunity.Evenwithallthegrowthhere,weareallstillso“smalltown”whenitcomestobeing there for each other when it counts. This isourwaytohelp“makeitcount.”Thetimeandstories people were willing to share with us were priceless.”sayownersJohn&MalloryMaleeoftheFedoraPub&Grille. Last year, in cooperation with commu-nity organizations, we fed over 1,100 people from our area for free. This year the planning committee is working hard preparing for an es-timated1,500ofourfriendsandneighborswho have been hit hardest by these trying eco-nomic times. Providing a nice Thanksgiving meal with amazing volunteers may help relieve pres-sure from families trying to give their families a memorableThanksgiving.Itcanalsoprovideasense of comfort for those who are spending the holiday alone.

Donations are being accepted through: Elder Help of North Idaho

For more details about Volunteering: Please visit the Volunteer Center at

www.kootenaiunitedway.org

Tidbits® of Dallas County Page 4 Tidbits® of CDA www.tidbitscda.com Page 4COOKIES (continued): • Another favorite is the Toll Housecookie, which is the original name of chocolate chip cookies. In 1937,RuthWakefieldwas theproprietoroftheTollHouseRestaurantinWhit-man, Massachusetts. The restaurant was housed in a former 1709 toll house, a station where stage coachpassengersatewhile thehorseswereex-changed, and a toll was paid for using the high-way. Ruth regularly served a popular cookie, the“ButterDropDo,”whichcalledforbaker’schocolate.Having runoutof thechocolateoneday,shechoppedupabarofNestlessemisweetchocolate and stirred the pieces into the dough, expecting them to melt and spread throughoutthe cookie. The chunks did not melt, and Ruth hadanewcreation,whichshedubbedTollHouseCrunch Cookies, which became an immediate hit. The recipe was published in a Boston newspaper soon after. • It’s believed that chocolate browniesalso came about by an ingredient mishap, that is, a cook neglecting to add baking powder to choc-olate cake batter. Without the leavening action of the baking powder to increase the volume of the cake, a denser cookie-like cake was produced. Others say it was intentionally created by a chef atChicago’sPalmerHouseHotelduringthe1893ColumbianExhibition.The1897SearsandRoe-buck catalog published what is thought to be the firstknownrecipeforbrownies,anditbecamesopopular, thecompanyofferedabrowniemix intheir catalog. • Philadelphia inventor James HenryMitchell is credited with inventing a double dough sheeting machine and funnel device that madetheFigNewtonpossible.Hepatentedhisinvention in 1892, and production began on the little jam-filled confections which were namedafterthecommunityofNewton,Massachusetts,whichwasnearthefactorywherethefirstNew-tons were created.

TOP OF THE CHARTS as of Nov. 4, 2013

PHOTO:Drake

Top 10 Pop Singles This Week Last Week1.LordeNo.1“Royals”2.KatyPerryNo.2“Roar”3.MileyCyrusNo.3“WreckingBall”4.AviciiNo.4“WakeMeUp!”5.Drakefeat.MajidJordanNo.5“HoldOn,We’reGoingHome”6.JayZfeat.JustinTimberlakeNo.8“HolyGrail”7.LadyGagaNo.9“Applause”8.OneRepublicNo.15“CountingStars”9.ImagineDragonsNo.12“Demons”10.YlvisNo.6“TheFox”

Top 10 Albums 1.KatyPerrynewentry“Prism2.PearlJamNo.1“LightningBolt”3.DrakeNo.4“NothingWastheSame”4.MileyCyrusNo.2“Bangerz”5.LordeNo.7“PureHeroine”6.FifthHarmonyNo.6“BetterTogether”(EP)7.DJKhalednewentry“SufferingFromSuc-cess”8.JustinTimberlakeNo.11“The20/20Experi-ence”9.AFInewentry“Burials”10.LukeBryanNo.12“CrashMyParty”

Top 10 Hot Country Singles 1.LukeBryanNo.1“That’sMyKindofNight”2.ThomasRhettNo.2“ItGoesLikeThis”3.BlakeSheltonNo.3“MineWouldBeYou”4.ChrisYoungNo.4“AwNaw”5.TimMcGrawNo.6“SouthernGirl”6.EricChurchNo.50“TheOutsiders”7.KeithUrbanandMirandaLambertNo.8“WeWereUs”8.FloridaGeorgiaLineNo.7“Cruise”9.JasonAldenNo.5“NightTrain”10.JoeNicholsNo.11“Sunnyand75”

Source: Billboard(c)2013KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.

Page 5For Advertising Call (334) 505-0674For Advertising Call 208-755-9120www.tidbitscda.com Page 5

Prostate – The Curse of Men Abouttheagethatthe“curseofwomen”comestoaclose,menbeginwhatcouldbeacursefor them. While women have no choice about having a monthly cycle, men have much control of the health of their prostate. Whether the prostate gland becomes a curse or not is dependent upon some lifestyle choices. Theprostateisasmallglandthatsitsbelowthebladderinmen.It issmall, thesizeofawalnut, and becomes problematic if it swells. Most agree that there is natural swelling that occurs as menage.Approximately80%ofmenoverage60havesomeprostatedifficultiesand90%ofmenover85do.Nearly12%ofmenwillhaveaprostateproblematsomepointearlierintheirlives,generally due to prostate pressure on the urethra. This is generally asymptomatic, and rarely is it harmful (we’re not referring to cancer here). Prostate symptoms include frequency of urination at night,thinningstream,difficultyurinatingorincompleteemptyingofthebladder. The two primary non-cancerous forms of prostate challenges include benign prostatic hyper-trophy(orBPH),andprostatitis.BPHisincreasedprostatesize,pressingontheurethracausingthesymptoms,andprostatitisisaninflammationorinfectionintheprostateglandandisaccompaniedwith pain on voiding and ejaculation as well. Prostatitis needs to be corrected before any serious ramifications occur such as urinary tract infections, kidney/bladder damage, urinary stones, andincontinence. Thereareseveralfoodandherbrecommendationsforimprovingprostatehealth.First,lotsof fresh fruits and vegetables, with particular emphasis on those that are deep green, purple and red, especiallygrapesandtomatoes.AHarvardstudyperformedin2003of47,000menfoundthatmenwhoatetenservingsoftomatoeseachweekhada50%lesschanceofdevelopingseriousprostatecancer,presumablyduetothelycopeneintomatoes.Irecommendeatingthegrapesandtomatoes,not isolating the resveratrol and lycopene and taking it in an isolated concentrate. Better to get the restofthebenefitsofthecompletefood. Saw Palmetto and Pygeum Africanun are the two herbs most touted for their ability to en-hanceprostatehealth.Sawpalmettoisveryeffectiveforrelievinginflammationandenlargementof the prostate, helps to control the hormones that cause prostate enlargement, and preliminary re-search demonstrates very promising results in inhibiting cell proliferation. There are no known side effects. Pygeum helps with painful urination and involuntary discharge of urine.Acupuncture is also helpful in supporting prostate health. Acupuncture helps to increase blood and lymph circulation, improve the energy, immune and hormonal systems, and helps to strengthen bladdermuscles.Itishelpfulforsurgically-inducedhotflashesandoverallhormonalhealth. Obviously, serious prostate health issues need to be addressed by the appropriate medical personnel. Healthylifestylechoicesbenefitmorethanjustyourprostate.Mid-lifedoesn’thavetobeacurse.Begintotakecareofyourprostatetoday!

Dr.HollyCarlingisaDoctorofOrientalMedicine,LicensedAcupuncturist,DoctorofNatur-opathy,ClinicalNutritionistandMasterHerbologistwithover34yearsofexperience.Dr.Car-ling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d’ Alene clinic. Visit Dr. Carling’s website at www.vital-healthandfitness.comtolearnmoreaboutDr.Carling,viewalistofupcominghealthclassesandreadotherinformativearticles.Dr.Carlingcanbereachedat208-765-1994andwouldbehappy to answer any questions regarding this topic.

ByDr.HollyCarling

Tidbits® of Dallas County Page 6

ShouldIletmycat/doghavealitter before she is spayed?

Unlessyouareaprofessionalresponsible breeder, there’s no reason for a female cat or dog tohaveevenonelitter.Itwon’tmake her a better companion,

Reverse Mortgage FactsQ: Why was this Loan Program Created?A:This loan program was created to help with retirement planning and allow people to stay in the home they love. Itenableshomeowner’sage62andolder towithdrawsomeoftheequityintheirhomeastax-freemoney.Q:How does a Reverse Mortgage work?A:The application process is very similar to any other homeloan.Ifyouhavesufficientequityinyourhome,your current loan (if you have one) will be paid off with your new reverse mortgage. This will eliminate any currentmonthlymortgagepaymentyouhave!Anyad-ditional money after your mortgage is paid will be avail-abletoyoutax-free.Your new reverse mortgage does not require a month-ly mortgage payment as long as you live in the home. Atthetimethelastborrowerexitsthehome,eitherbymoving or passing away, the reverse mortgage comes due to be paid. At this time, the entire balance of the reverse mortgage or the home’s current value, whichever is lower, is the amount required to pay off the loan. Ifthe home is worth less than the balance, the difference ispaidbytheFHAmanagedmortgageinsurancefund,anothergreatbenefitofthereversemortgageloanpro-gram.Q: Who is the Program Designed for and What are the Requirements?A: The reverse mortgage loan program was designed forhomeownersage62andolder.Unlikeatraditionalmortgage, there are currently no credit score require-ments for a reverse mortgage. The main requirements are as follows:The borrowers must own and occupy the property as their primary residenceThepropertymusthaveasufficientamountofequityQ: What will happen when the loan is due?A: When the loan comes due:The home is sold and the funds are used to pay off the reversemortgage.Anyexcessfundsgotoyourheirs.Your heirs can pay off the reverse mortgage and keep the home Your heirs do not assume your debt, but they do have the option to keep the home through purchase orrefinanceiftheychoose.YoucanusethemoneyforANYTHING! There are no restrictions on how you can use themoneyreceivedfromthereversemortgage.Itcanfirstbeusedtopayoffyourtraditionalmortgage,ifyouhave one. Many people take advantage of the program to supplement or delay social security income, pay off debtsandmedicalexpenses,makehomeimprovements,orsimplygainfinancialsecurity. Myclientshaveen-joyedthesebenefits: Some clients used the reverse mortgage to han-dletheunexpectedchangestotheirfinancialsituation.Changeslike,medicalexpences,familyneedsorotherunexpectedfinancialneeds. Some people don’t need additional income but would like to do more while retired. People that have a solid retirement plan but couldusetheirassetsmoreefficiently. Some delayed Social Security in order to re-ceivethehigherbenefitslater Others used the reverse mortgage to purchase a new home that better suits their needs.Theyexperiencegreatpeaceinknowingtheyhavetheability to continue to own their home and afford the life style they choose

For additional information please call: Debra Compton Reverse Mortgage Consultant

208-699-0970

Questions most frequently asked by my clients as a professional intuitive: Investigations:Missingpersons,aretheystillalive?Wastherefoulplay?Suicide?Homicide?Ect... Medical Readings: Diagnosis, remedies, diets, mentalhealth,griefrelieve,anxiety,depression,sleep-ing disorders, schizophrenia, ect... LifeChangingDecisions:RealEstate,stocks,career choices, relationships, family issues, relocating and learning to enhance your own personal intuition.ContactingOurDepartedlovedOnes:Intuitivemedi-ums are basically like a human telephone to the after-life.

Intuitive Medium Consultations: Private, group, shows, Skype, phone, workshops.

Bonnie Whiting.com208-667-1423

e-mail Angelwork007@msn.com

Q. Where will your low fee spay and neuter clinic be and when will it open?A.Ourclinicwillbeat5920GovernmentWay,#4, just a block south of the Silverlake Mall. Our fabulous veterinary team is ready to start January2014andwehavenearlyallthefundsnecessary to complete the equipment purchas-esandcarryusthroughthefirstfewmonthsaswe ramp up to being self-sustaining. So we need donations now more than ever.Weareverygratefulforindividualfinan-cial and in-kind donations we have received from our community to get us this close. We are also thankful for two generous grants. One is a $13,000 grant from theAmerican Soci-ety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)thatwillprovide$3,000foraster-ilizingapplianceand$10,000forspay/neutersubsidies for people who cannot afford the full fee.Theotherisa$2,831grantfromthePetcoFoundation thatwillenableus topurchaseasurgery light. This is a perfect time to honor the many ways pets enrich our lives by making a donationtoAAIDthatwillhelppreventfuturehomelesspets.Ifyouareabletohelp,AAIDthanks you on behalf of all our community’s pets.

Checks may be mailed to AAID, PO Box 1674, CdA 83816. Online donations may be

made at our website’s DONATE page.AnimalAlliesID.org

Spay/Neuter for a Brighter Future

Q: Why does LAMININE® help so many dif-ferent problems?A: Here's how it works. LAMININE's® threeproteinextractshavewhatarecalled 'FibroblastGrowthFactors'inthem.TheseMoleculesactassignal molecules, or Protein chains that inform or tell dormant stem cells to reactivate in your body. It's Instructions, like a software programthat instructs the stem cells that are dormant in your body, the stem cells that are attached to dam-agedareas inyourbody. Ifyouhavean injuryin your shoulder, there are dormant stem cells at-tached there or in your liver, your blood vessels or yourbrain.Anywhereyou'vehadsomedamageordegeneration.Itcouldbesomethingotherthanphysicaltrauma.Itcouldbejustgradualchemi-calortoxindamagetotissues.Anywhereyoufindthosedamagedtissues,youfindstemcells. But as we age, those stem cells are dormant. They are not active. They are not getting instruc-tionsaboutwhattodo.WhenyoutakeLAMIN-INE®,youareactivatingyourstemcellstorepairandregenerate.Itcanbeanyareaofthebody.Ifyouhavean injury; ifyouareexhausted -youradrenalsandthyroidareweak; Ifyour immunesystem is weak; if you have skin problems; if you have eyesight problems. Virtually any place inyourbodythatneedshelpwillbebenefitedbytaking Laminine.

Read more at: www.LaminInHealth.com/Wellness

Marye Thomas / 208.964.9357mail.mary.e.thomas@gmail.com

Be Well! Be Happy! Be Wealthy!

Why people like to read Tidbits: "I thoroughlyenjoyTidbits.Ireaditcovertocovereveryweek.It'sawelcomerelieffromtheoftengloomy news in the local newspaper." "I started reading tidbitswhile Iwaswaitingfor my husband to get out of the locker room at a local healthclub.Afterreadingthefirstissue,Iwashooked.Inevermindedthewaitagain.EveryweekIfindmyselflookingforthenewissuetocomeout.It'saquick,fun,easy paper to read. Although I normally do not pay attention toadvertisements in the magazines that are commonly strewnaroundwaiting rooms indoctorsoffices, etc, IfoundmyselfreadingalloftheadsinTidbits.Why?Isuppose because the businesses that advertise in Tidbits are local. Ienteredacontestfromoneofthebusiness-es andwon a prize.What a surprise! Thatwas liketheicingonthecake.NeverdidIexpectsuchasmallpaperto givemesomanybigsurprises.Thankyou!" Evelyn evelyn2318@gmail.com or Call 208.755.9120

Page 7For Advertising Call (334) 505-0674 Page 7EDUCATE BEKNOWNASTHEEXPERTYOUAREANDSHARETHISKNOWLEDGE.Youwillbeafeatured‘Expert’onceeachmonth,answeringquestions,sharinginformationor

updates about your business, or announcing an event.SUPPORT MAKEADIFFERENCEINYOURBUSINESSANDINOURCOMMUNITY.

Cometogethertosupportothermembers-especiallyournon-profits,beapartofwhatishappen-inginourcommunity,andbeofservice.AsweGive,weReceive!EXPAND GROWYOURBUSINESSANDGROWYOURSELF!

Getaffordableexposuretonewcustomersandlearnnewpracticesthatwillkeepyouandyour-businessfreshandexciting.Manyaremightierthanone!Join,havefun,andbereadytogrow.

Tidbits® of Dallas County Page 8 Tidbits® of CDA www.tidbitscda.com

ANYBODY OUT THERE?

Looking for a forever home.LittleTrentonisaChimix2yrs.10lbs.Fixedmaleveryfriendlyandsmart.

All adoptions are by appointment only.

Facebook Fan PageAlternativepetrescuecdaid@facebook.com

(208)661-2286Coeur d’ Alene, ID

By: Bonnie Whiting What are some common behavioral problems in dogs? Digging is an instinctual activity. Dogs will dig to hide food. They also dig to make a cool den in summer or shelter from the cold in winter. SeparationAnxiety iscommonbecausedogs are a pack animals and can feel anxiouswhen separated from their pack mates. Barking is a natural way to raise alarm and is an important means of canine communi-cation.

Animal Poison Control-ASPCA- Open 24 hrs. a day 365 days a year!

888-426-4435

Haveyoubeentold“youmightaswelltake your home off the market during the holi-days”?Whywouldyoudothat?AccordingtotheMLS,lookingbackat2012fromNovember30thtoDecember31sttherewere253propertiessold.Lookingatthelast30days,comparedtothe same period last year, the average price last yearwas$203,830andthisyear$243,672andthe number of properties sold went from 262 last year to 281 this year. The market is very strong and if we continue the trend December is going to be another great month for sellers. So wow… why would you wait until nextyearwhenallofthose“othersellers”whobelieved it jumped into the market to give you more competition? Clearly we can see by the numbers the buyers are out there and many are none contingent. Call your agent and start celebrating theNewYearwith thesaleofyouhome.

Ed Stevenson 208~771~2161 ed@nwmonarch.com

NWMONARCH.COM

REAL ESTATE TALK

Page 9For Advertising Call (334) 505-0674 Page 8www.tidbitscda.com

Backlogged Claims Actually Go Down Despite the projections that the number of backlogged claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs would climb during the recent government shutdown (so said Secretary of Vet-eransAffairsEricK.Shinseki),itwasn’tasbadasexpected. Inapre-shutdownreprieve,theVAwasgranted an exemption, and claims processingstayed up and running. However, during theshutdown, processors weren’t able to continue working their 20 hours per month mandatory overtime to whittle away at the backlog (claims thathavebeensittingformorethan125days).That mandatory overtime has been a key com-ponent to getting the backlog reduced, and will stopcompletelyinNovember. One would think that a lot of claims work was left undone. But the Monday Workload Report shows that despite the shutdown, the canceled overtime and all the doom-and-gloom projections, the number of claims actually went down. Granted, they didn’t go down by much, but they did go down.(IfyouwanttoviewthearchivedfileofMonday Morning Reports, go online to www.vba.va.gov/reports/mmwr/) Remember that before the shutdown, the VA hadn’t met its own projections of how fast the number of claims would fall on their way to eliminating the backlog. It didn’t meet itsowngoaltothetuneofapproximately100,000claimsforfiscalyear2013.(SomeinCongresswere a bit annoyed about that, since the VA had beengranted$1.59billionspecifically tobringdown the backlog.) Bottomline: If themandatoryovertimeis canceled permanently, then yes, the number of delayed claims can continue to go down, but it will be at a very slow rate. While the VA is still aiming for 2015 to cleanup that backlog,it’s looking increasingly unlikely for that to hap-pen.

FreddyGrovesregretsthathecannotpersonallyanswer reader questions, but will incorporate

them into his column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com.

(c)2013KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.

Should You Review Your Medi-care Plan? With only a few weeks to go during this annual signup period, there are several reasons many seniors aren’t making changes to their Medicare health plans. Only 15 percent of usmade changes last year or plan to make changes in the future. According to a news release by Allsup, here is the biggest reason seniors don’t make the changes: The process of making plan changes canbecomplex.Comparingtheplansandmak-ing choices can be complicated. However,bynottakingthetimetocom-pareplans,seniorscanmissoutonbenefitsandsavings. Medicare plans can change, both in cost andwhattheycover.Seniorscanfindthemselvesunexpectedlypayingmoreinco-paysordeduct-ibles, or discovering after the fact that their plan nolongercoverscertainprocedures.Inasurvey,43percentof seniorssaid they’dhad thathap-pen to them -- where Medicare didn’t pick up the costs. There are good reasons to review your plans. You may need a new plan if ... •Yourhealthhaschanged,especially ifit requires new prescription drugs or visits to a specialist. • You move to another location, awayfrom your plan’s service area. •Yourlocalproviderchanges,forexam-ple, if your physician retires or a facility chang-es. •Adrugyouneedisnolongeronthelistfor your current plan due to changes in drug cov-erage. There are a few ways to get help with se-lecting your plan. Allsup [Medicare.Allsup.com] is a fee-based service that can help. You also can go online to www.medicare.gov or call Medicare at1-800-MEDICARE(1-800-633-4227). Remember thatyour54-daywindow tomake changes ends Dec. 7.

Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to

columnreply2@gmail.com.(c)2013KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.

Tidbits® of CDA

Tidbits® of Dallas County Page 10 Tidbits® of CDA www.tidbitscda.com

by Samantha Weaver

•Itwastheever-properEmilyPostwhomadethefollowingsageobservation:“Mannersare a sensitive awareness of the feelings of oth-ers.Ifyouhavethatawareness,youhavegoodmanners,nomatterwhatforkyouuse.”

•DuringtheDarkAgesinEurope,itwasacommonbeliefthatthesoulofthefirstpersonto be buried in a new graveyard would belong to the devil.

•Ifyou’replanningatriptoWashingtonstate anytime soon, you might want to head to OlympicNationalParkandtaketheSpruceRail-road Trail up to Lake Crescent, a 600-foot deep mountain lake. It has a rather spooky history,with Bigfoot sightings and numerous accounts ofghostsandinexplicablesoundsinthenearbywoods.ThenativeKallamIndiansrefusedtofishin the lake for fear of stirring up the evil spir-its that resided there. Lake Crescent also is the setting for theLadyof theLake. It seems thatin1940,twolocalfishermen(notafraidofevilspirits, it seems) found a body there. It turnedouttobetheremainsofoneHallieIllingworth,awaitresswhohaddisappearedin1937.Herhus-band had murdered her, weighted her body down and disposed of it in the depths of the lake. But it was those very depths -- or, more accurately, the cold water in those depths -- that preserved the body almost perfectly and made identificationpossible three years after her death.

•Thosewho study such things say that40 percent of all modern Chinese people are descendedfromjustthreemen(dubbed“super-grandfathers”)duringtheNeolithicperiod.

Thought for the Day: “IntheUnitedStatesthereismorespacewherenobody is than where anybody is. That’s what makesAmericawhatitis.”--GertrudeStein

(c)2013KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.

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Susan Ashley MD Family Medicine Liberty Lake, 509-928-6700

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Although your energy level is high, be careful not to commit to too many projects at this time. You’ll do better focusing on just a few tasks rather than spread-ing yourself too thin.TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your heart might be leading you in one direction, but pay attention to your keen Bovine intellect. I’m cautioningyou to think things through before making any commitments.GEMINI (May21 to June20)Your “serious”Twin has been dominant in your life for quite awhile. It’s timenow to let that “wilder”halftake you out for some good times -- perhaps with someone very special.CANCER (June21 toJuly22)Careeraspectsare high for Moon Children who make a good impression. Show people not only what you can already do, but also how you can be more valu-able to them in the future.LEO (July 23 to August 22) Things start tobrighten for theLion’s immediatefinancial fu-ture. But be careful to resist the urge to splurge. You need to tuck something away to help you through another tight period.VIRGO(August23toSeptember22)Havingtodo too many tasks in too short a time could low-er your mood to just above the grumbling level. But if you handle things one at a time, you’ll get through it all soon enough.LIBRA(September23toOctober22)Yourusu-ally carefully made holiday plans could be sub-jecttochangelaterthismonth.Usethisweektoprepare for that possibility by starting a Plan B just in case you need it.SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Becareful about joining a colleague’s plan to solve aworkplaceproblem.Investigateitthoroughly.Otherwise,youcouldfindyourselfinapredica-ment with other associates.SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December21) Slow down that high-paced whirl you’ve been on. Spending quiet time alone or with peo-ple you care for can be both physically and spiri-tually restorative.CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19)Make suggestions, not demands. You’ll be more successful in getting people to follow your lead ifyouexercisequietpatienceinsteadofstrongpersuasion to get your ideas across.AQUARIUS (January20 toFebruary18)Youstill need more facts before you can make an in-formed career choice. One note of caution: Be careful about whom you ask for that informa-tion; otherwise, you could be misled.PISCES (February19 toMarch20)Changingsituations through the end of the week could lead to some challenging opportunities for those perspicacious Pisceans who know how to make them work to their advantage.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have a way of being both daring and cau-

tious, traits that could make you a research scientist or maybe even a rocket-ship designer.

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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Pt 1/2 by: Susan Ashley MD Every year, approximately 1.4 millionpeopledieorarehospitalizedintheUSduetotraumaticbraininjury,orTBI.Causesofbraininjury include bike or car accidents, assaults, contact sports, or injuries triggered by moving objects. Often these injuries are ignored for years, receiving little or no treatment. They can lead to disabilities and cause subsequent cogni-tive, behavioral, emotional, and physical symp-toms which can worsen over time. Long term worsening problems with memory can occur, causingdifficultywithfocusandconcentration.Even personality can change, and anxiety anddepression can be the result. IndividualswithTBI frequently experience physical and bodyimages difficulties, and have troublemaintain-ing a close relationship. Repeated brain injuries can lead to de-mentiaorParkinson's,asitdidwithMohammedAli. Injuriestothebraincanbedetectedwitha functional quantitative EEG analysis, whichprovides an extremely accurate assessment ofthe speed and functioning of every lobe of the brain. There are successful treatment modali-tiesforbraininjuries.Firstandforemostisfishoil. Used inhighdosages, initially10,000mgperdayofomega3's,improvementcanbeseenas early as one month. The dose is lowered after thefirstmonthto4-6000mg/day.Additionally,specific brain supplements can be very useful,including:acetyl-L-carnitine, CoQ10, ginnko biloba, vin-pocetine, phosphatidylserine, curcumin, lemon balm and resveratrol. In addition, the use of audio-visual brain en-trainment can be useful - visit mindalive.com for more information. ThesoonertheTBIistreatedthebetter,but healing can occur even years after the initial injury. WhatIsTheSource? Memory Pro is a multi-faceted memory support formula combining ingredients to pro-mote healthy acetylcholine levels, neuron cell function,cerebralvascularbloodflow,andanti-oxidantprotection.* UsesForMemoryProNeuronal Health: This formula combinesacetyl-l-carnitine,phospholipidsandherbalex-tracts to promote neuronal cell health and cog-nitive function. Acetyl-l- carnitine serves as an acetyl donor to support healthy levels of acetyl-choline, a key neurotransmitter in the brain. Car-nitine, provided in the form of acetyl-l- carni-tine, is the main transporter of fatty acids into the mitochondria, encouraging energy production in the brain. Phosphatidylserine is an important cell membrane component critical for neuronal cell function and communication. Research suggests that phosphatidylserine promotes healthy neu-rotransmitterlevels.*CranialVascularHealth:Ginkgobilobaandvin-pocetinepromotecerebralbloodflow,vascularintegrity and healthy red blood cell and platelet function in the brain. Curcumin, resveratrol and lemonbalmextractshelptoprotectneuronsfromoxidativestress.Additionally,curcuminoidsandresveratrol help maintain healthy vascular tissue in the brain by enhancing phagocytosis and pro-teosomeactivity.Inarecentstudy,CurcuminC3Complex®helpedmaintainhealthytissueinthebrain by supporting macrophage activity.

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FLASHBACKByMickHarper1. In his early years, country singer Johnny Cash was known for singing at what type of venue?2. Who had a hit with “Like I’ve Never Been Gone,” and when?3. What do these artists have in common: Shirley Bassey, Carly Simon and Paul McCa-rtney.4. Who was lead singer for Herman’s Hermits in the ‘60s?5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “Too many times married men think they’re still single, That has caused many a good girl to go wrong.”Answers1.Inprisons.Oneofhisbest-knownsongswas“FolsomPrisonBlues.”Cashhimselfwasneverin prison, but he did spend a night or two in jail for misdemeanors.2.BillyFury(bornRonaldWycherley)in1963.3.TheyallsangthetitlesongtoaJamesBondfilm.4.PeterNoone.5.“ItWasn’tGodWhoMadeHonkyTonkAn-gels”byKittyWellsin1952.Thiswasan“an-swersong”to“TheWildSideofLife”byHankThompson.Hissongwaswrittentoagirlfriendwho’d been enticed by the nightlife, and he called her a honky tonk angel. Wells’ version an-swered that it was men who were to blame for a woman’sinfidelity.(c)2013KingFeaturesSynd.,Inc.

Tidbits® of Dallas County Page 14Dear Auntie M.,

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TOP TEN MOVIES

1. Bad Grandpa (R) Johnny Knoxville,JacksonNicoll2. Gravity (PG-13) Sandra Bullock,George Clooney3.CaptainPhillips(PG-13)TomHanks,Barkhad Abdi4.TheCounselor(R)MichaelFassbend-er, Penelope Cruz5.CloudyWithaChanceofMeatballs2(PG) animated6.Carrie(PG-13)JulianneMoore,ChloeGrace Moretz7. Escape Plan (R) Sylvester Stallone,Arnold Schwarzenegger8.12YearsaSlave(R)ChiwetelEjiofor,Michael K. Williams9. Enough Said (PG-13) Julia Louis-Dreyfus,JamesGandolfini10. Prisoners (R) Hugh Jackman, JakeGyllenhaal

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My husband went bal-listic on me last week and Idon’t think Ideservedhisanger. What happened is Igot a phone call while sort-inglaundry,soIthrewaloadin, added the soap and start-ed the washer. My husband was at the gym and when he got home he asked me where hiswalletwas.IsaidIhadnoidea-wheredidhe leave it? Turns out it was in his jeans that wereinthewashingmachine.Yup.Iwashedhiswallet! Ofcourseeverythinginitwasamess,including some checks that he hadn’t deposited yet.Isaythisisnotmyfault.HesaysIshouldhavecheckedhispockets.Iusuallydo,butthistimeIdidn’t.Isayhewasirresponsibletoleaveit in his jeans. Who’s to blame here?Not My Fault in Post FallsDear Not My Fault,This sounds like an innocent case of money laun-deringtome.Ha!Iconfess,Itoohavewashedawallet.It’sabummer.Forsomereasonthathasneverbeenexplainedtometheresponsibilitytocheck pockets defaults to the person doing the laundry. Why is that? This was accidental, not onpurpose. Hasheeveraccidently fell in thelake,orotherbodyofwater?Ifhehashiswalletprobably got wet then, too. And that memory isprobablyfunnynow.ThegoodnewsisIbetyou both will learn from this and it won’t hap-pen again. Oh, and tell him he should be happy he had his cell phone with him. Look for the good! Please send your questions or comments to DearAun-tieMmm@gmail.com.Ishallbefrankandhonestwithmy response and provide resources where appropriate.

Avocado Chickpea Salad Recipe3avocados,choppedin1inchcubes10 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered depend-ing on size1 can of garbanzo beans1/2redoniondiced1/2bunchcilantro,chopped1 can of salmon

Mixitalltogetherandserveoverlettuce,inlet-tuceasawrap,orwithflaxchipsorflaxcrack-ers.

Happy Eating, Bretta Provost 208-964-4420

bretta@joinbretta.comwww.joinbretta.com

www.heirloomjungle.com

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