Akron Today Magazine

Akron Lifestyle and Entertainment

Family

When To Visit The Veterinarian

According to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®) there are approximately 70-80 million dogs and 74-96 million cats that are owned in the United States. Almost half the households in the United States have a dog and 30-37% own a cat.

As dogs and cats grow old, visits to the vet are more  a necessity than a requirement. The ailments affecting them are varied and sometimes scary for a pet owner.  Other than keeping your pet’s scheduled vet visits for vaccinations and such, when do you make the decision to take your pet to the vet?  When does an unscheduled visit is a necessity or an emergency?

These are some of the warning signs your pet could displayed if they are not feeling well, and you need to take them for an unscheduled visit to the vet.

  1. If your cat or dog skips meals for more than a day while it has always been a voracious eater, it may be an indication that there is something wrong.
  1. An excessively thirsty dog can be a warning sign that not all is well. The beginning of kidney problems or diabetes can be displayed by your dog drinking an excessive amount of water.  Having accidents in the home therefore is not uncommon.
  1. Bald patches on your pets coat, or a coat that has lost its shine or is not longer full could be an indication that your dog is not doing well. Check their food to make sure you are providing the right kind.  An older adult pet needs different nutrition than a puppy.  Also, they may develop an allergy to the food they have been eating, or food that you may have changed. Check with your vet and provide the name of food your pet is eating.
  1. A lethargic pet is something to worry about, especially if you have a young cat or dog. If they no longer want to play when the day before they were bouncing off the walls, and if they continue with that behavior for more than a day, it is possible your pet is not feeling well.
  1. Frequent vomiting is something to take seriously. Dogs and cats vomit to get rid of excess foods, or foods that do not agree with them.  But, if your pet is vomiting daily or several times a day regularly, a visit to the vet may be required.
  1. Weight loss. Even an overweight pet that looses a lot of weight fast may be an indication that not all is well. Take him to the vet to make sure the weight loss is due to diet changes and exercise, not because of an illness.

Yearly visits to the vet are necessary to keep your pet healthy.  As they grow older-10 and up-twice a year visits may be required to keep them living a healthy and active life.

P.S

If you are the owner of a young pup or kitten, keeping them away from people’s food is one of the best advice we can give you. Sugary treats or processed foods are unhealthy for them and their teeth.  Do them a favor and keep your food to yourself 🙂

How to Exercise your Cat

Lots of people need ways to exercise their cat in a short amount of time that is efficient and easy. It is hard to create fun games for your cat while getting them fit, so here are some tips to keep your cat exercising for fun.

The easiest toys for cats are the soft hair ties that you find at any store. You can throw these across the room, and your cat will most likely play fetch. You can find anything that a cat will want to chase and that can fit in their mouth. Toys that should fit in their mouth without danger of choking like  bracelets, toy mice, and even fluffy balls for cats.

Your cat will also have fun with cat lasers. The laser can also go on the walls to make your cat jump and swat at it. But be careful that you don’t do this too often because it frustrates your cat if they cannot catch the toy.

Cats will also enjoy cat towers or little mazes to run around in which they thoroughly enjoy. They will even climb and jump at anything they see which is entertaining for both you and the cat.

Motorized mice are a great way to get your cat’s attention, and start running everywhere in a frenzy for the mouse. The feathered birds on a stick will help you a lot with getting your cat jumping and leaping to try and chase it everywhere. The feathered toy is also very good to help your cat lose weight while having fun chasing it. Some of the toys come with bells to catch your cat’s attention, and to be aware of where the toy is.

If you want your cats to get some fresh air, a harness is the perfect solution. You have to get a leash and harness to walk your cat outside, but it is really fun for both you and the cat to walk around your neighborhood or park. Some cats do not enjoy this type of exercise. But those who do, are thrilled to have a walk outside.

If your cat does not enjoy the outside, then you can even get a treadmill or wheel and let them run. This is only an exercise to do with supervision to make sure nothing goes wrong. This is a fun way to exercise your cat without having to be outside if you can get them to stay on it.With a little bit of time you and your cat will enjoy spending time together.

Exercising  your cat will be beneficial for your cat’s health while forming a strong bond with you.

 

Akron Family Resource Guide

This is the ultimate family resource guide for Akron Families.

Are you  in search of a better bank for you? Do you want to know if there are close banks near your home, or if they offer a better rate to refinance your home mortgage? Are you looking for a better price or company  for your electric or gas supply? This small list will give you the places you need to go to compare your current rates, prices, and services from other banks and energy suppliers. Check them out and compare.

Interested to know how your school district is doing? How about your particular school?

To find a better bank. Go to:

FindABetterBank.com.  You can find the locations, fees, and best bank options after you enter basic information for them to you your search.  They offer you many choices and even after that you can compare up to 3 banks to see who offers the best deal for you.  This is truly a no brainer.

To compare Electric or Gas suppliers rates. Go to:

http://www.puco.ohio.gov/

Check the prices, contract’s lengths and fees, and take the best option for your family.

Do you want to compare your child’s school?

There are several places that you can go and check out the place where they are educating your children.

  1. U.S. News &World Report – Best School Districs

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/ohio/districts/akron-city-102127

  1. Akron City District-If you are looking for the best high school.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/search?district-id=102127&state-urlname=ohio

Middle school Ratings –http://www.greatschools.org/ohio/akron/schools/?gradeLevels=m

  1. The Ohio Department of Education offers resources for testing and to find your district’s or school’s 2016 report card.

http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Data/Report-Card-Resources

Do you have a junior or senior in high school looking for a college? Here is a link to the National Universities Rankings for them to pick and choose.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities

Do you want to have your school conduct surveys with parents and students to improve the school?

Would you like a resource you would like us to include? Send as an e-mail. We would be happy to include it in a future article.

Grief in Two Parts

Grief is in two parts. The first is experiencing a loss. The second is the remaking of life.  – Anne Roiphe

How I am Dealing With Tragedy

It was Christmas eve and he was five years old. He was dressed in his pajamas; the top was white, and the blue pants had feet to keep his toes warm. He was sitting on the landing of the stairs out of sight, watching his father put together Christmas gifts for him and his three brothers. It was at that time he realized there was no Santa Claus.

He thought to himself, “Who’s going to save me now?”

That’s when the depression started. It was a habit he learned at this very early age.

When things got tough he would go inside and protect himself by wrapping the cloak of depression around him. It was his way of protecting himself from feeling helpless. Here is where he learned what helplessness really was. The depression protected him. He went upstairs and put himself to bed and cried himself to sleep.

That is how I felt when my son died on May 30, 2017 at age 35. I would never wish that upon anyone else.

I found grieving to be a two-step process. You must grieve. You must experience the loss, and it is painful or it will forever define you. Grieving is a trying time filled with sorrow, anger, frustration, depression, embarrassment and sometimes, joy. You might experience all those emotions at the same time, a wild rollercoaster ride to be sure.

After you grieve, and it does take time, there comes a time when you start to rebuild.

Everything I believed in, I questioned. Everything that I held as important is not. I learned I can grieve and rebuild at the same time. It is not easy. However, I am determined to find something positive in this experience, I decided to use this opportunity to share with you what I learned.

Though these are difficult times, I have learned so much. I share some of my learning in the hope of helping others through any difficult times they are experiencing.

I learned I have no control over outcomes. I can influence them, but I cannot control them. The feeling of being in control is an illusion.

I learned the only thing I have any control over is how I choose to think, act and feel.

I learned humility. A lot of things I once held as important are not. Not the books I wrote, the awards I earned, the black belts I hold.

I learned compassion. I would wish no one to experience the pain of losing a loved one.

I learned to forgive. Forgiveness brings me comfort and hope.

I learned gratitude. The friends and family who supported me during these trying times are priceless. You have my gratitude.

I feel grateful for being comfortable with another’s persons’ pain while meeting them where they are.

I learned there is little value in judging another.

I am learning I want to stop judging. I have a long way to go here but I now know I have little to no understanding of why someone does what they do except that they are trying to take care of themselves. Taking care of yourself is a good thing. How it is expressed may not be.

I learned the value of ownership. If I cannot own what happens in my life I cannot change it or choose how I want to respond. It is my life and I want to be inner-directed and not be concerned about what others think. If I march to a different drum than accept me for the dance I chose or leave me alone.

I learned the impact I have on others even when I do not know I am having an impact. Therefore, I want to be thoughtful about what I think, say and do.

I learned I do not want drama in my life and it is my choice to accept it. When drama comes it can be a powerful source of learning.

I learned I am not responsible for how you feel. How you choose to feel is your choice and it has nothing to do with me.

I learned about the deepest pain a person can feel and realize there are always gifts if I am willing to look hard enough.

I learned material things will not change anything. I can be as happy or unhappy as I choose. It is not dependent on material things, though money can sometimes make it easier.

I learned being happy is a choice. Being happy is a decision. Happiness is not being giddy or loud, but a sense of peace and acceptance this too will pass.

I learned the value of having a personal relationship with God. Though I do not yet trust him, God does not test me or bring sorrow. He does comfort me if I let him.

I learned people really want to help during times of personal tragedy, but they don’t know how.

I learned I am responsible for all that happens to me and how I choose to react.

I learned how much I miss my son.

I learned how much I value my daughter

I learned a deeper love a grandfather can have for his grandson.

I learned to value my wife more than ever.

I learned I have friends I never really treated as friends.

I learned that I must forgive myself.

I learned I must forgive God.

I learned I don’t remember what I learned most of the time and that’s ok. The universe will keep sending me the same lesson in different forms until I learn it.

With that said, I learned I really don’t know much!

Ron Finklestein 330-990-0788 / ron@akris.net
Copyright 2018 – all rights reserved

Be patient with people who experienced a tragedy. The simplest act can bring tears. Do not judge, do not assume, ask. Give us time to heal. We all heal at our own pace.

 

Children’s Gifts-What Are you Doing with Them?

Children’s birthdays, Christmas, or any other holiday where they received cash for the occasion, is a very nice day for older children if they know a bit about the value of money. For little children, it’s just funny to look at their faces when they open an envelope and out comes a $20 dollar bill or a check. They push it aside and continue with the box that actually has a toy of some sort.

So, what are you doing with that $20 dollar bill or check? They got it for-let’s say their birthday— but what are you actually doing with it?

You know, and they know they actually don’t need more gifts.  They probably have their rooms full of all sorts of toys that haven’t  been touched in months, and they probably have more video games than GameStop.

Then , what do you do with their money? Does the money then goes into your checking or savings account? Are you keeping track of how much money you have put into your personal account over the years? Are you planning on reimbursing them later on? With interest?

It is so easy, isn’t it, to forget that the money is actually theirs? After the party and the cleaning, the stress or anxiety level drops and we forget little things that need to be taken care right away.  A lot of people forget.

When our daughters were babies and were receiving a $20 dollar bill from grandpa and grandma, we did not open a savings account for them right away.  We never slept a whole night for four months with our first daughter, can you imagine us thinking about investing their gift money then?

We opened a savings account for our daughters a while back with the money they received at Christmas and birthdays from family members – Yes, we did reimbursed them—  The interest those savings accounts were earning was pitiful. We took the cash out and opened an account at an online investment company. We don’t regret it.  We stuck with safe stock options, haven’t sold them, haven’t traded them — it’s $6.95 per trade — and we do not panic when their price goes down.  We are in for the long run with their investment, and hopefully you will start investing their birthday money too.  When they’re 18 and want to have control of their money, then it’s your choice if you want to be an advisor or let them have full control of their investment.

Little by little, those gifts can amount to something. If you have a financial advisor, ask for advice.  This is only for you to start thinking about taking small steps with money that they probably don’t need right now.  Think small first, when they’re older and see what you have done with their money they’ll thank you.

Happy Investing!

Addiction and Recognizing the Signs

How to Spot Addiction

This article is not written by a doctor.  If you have doubts about someone having an addition problem, call a specialist right away.  This article is for general information anyone should know to keep in mind when they see problems and changes in people around them.

Because an addiction can negatively affect someone’s entire life, and other people around them, it is very important that their loved ones know exactly how to spot addiction. Also, because not all addictions are the same, family and friends should also understand what an individual may be addicted to. Having said that, here are a few of the most common types of addictions that many people are dealing with today.

Substance Abuse Addictions

• Alcohol
• Opiods
• Cocaine
• Marijuana
• Hallucinogens
• Tobacco
• Prescription Drugs (like tranquilizers, sleeping pills, sedatives)

Behavior Addictions

• Sex
• Food
• Using the Internet / Social Media
• Porn
• Gaming
• Shopping
• Cutting

 

All of these can have different negative effects on that person’s life. In some cases, the addiction takes over their life, and can even be fatal in the end. Particularly, when the individual is dealing with some form of substance abuse addiction. Everyone should want to know the signs to recognize a person with addictions. Read further to see the different types, the changes in behavior and how to get help.

1. Changes in Appearance

When an individual is dealing with an alcohol or a drug abuse addiction, there are some common problems that they can begin to experience. For instance, the individual may begin to lose excessive amounts of weight at a time, and people around them may discover that there are strange smells on their breath and their clothing.

2. Loses their Appetite and Lack of Sleep

In some cases, people may begin to experience a loss of appetite and they do not want to sleep. The changes that people can see on the surface are lacks of interest in both eating and sleeping.

3. Personal Grooming Goes to the Wayside

Another easy to see sign of a substance abuse individual is a lack of interest in their overall appearance. Also, they may lose interest in personal grooming activities like showering, washing one’s clothing items and even brushing their own teeth. At this stage of substance abuse, it is not uncommon for loved ones to notice these visible changes and begin to make plans to intervene.

4. Begins to Forget Things

During an individual’s bout of dealing with substance abuse, they may also begin to lose track of information and forget things altogether. At this stage, intervention is even more important as it shows a serious degeneration of their lives and a lack of ability to function.

5. Begins to Withdraw from Others

When the individual has been under influence of these drugs, they may also begin to withdraw from others and stop going to social gatherings. This will only get worse if the addition is not addressed promptly.

Getting help is the first step to recovery. Fortunately, there are many different ways to address these issues and they include intervention, personal one on one help with a trained professional in the psychological, health and medical field.  The place to start is to call an addiction center or service.  There are free and paid options in most places and you can simply do a Google search for addiction services and your city name to find a variety of options.

 

The Connection Between Health and Sleep

Research has for many years associated the lack of sleep to poor performance at work, school, and people’s health. Now, the correlation between some illnesses and lack of sleep has been more troubling for some people, considering the fact that many Americans are sleeping less than ever before.

School age children need a minimum of 9 hours of sleep per night, and with the increasing extra curricular activities, homework, and computer games  they are involved in, they are not getting enough sleep.

Women’s number one sleep problem is insomnia. Juggling work, home and children, one has to wonder if they ever get 8 hours of sleep per night. Sleep deprivation and low levels of melatonin have been associated with an increase risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Melatonin, a natural hormone made by our bodies is inactive during the day, but it’s active when the sun goes down.

So, how many hours of sleep do you really need to get? Here is the recommended sleep list by the National Sleep foundation.

1.Adults 65 and over, 7-8 hours

2. Adults 24-64 years old,  7-9 hours

3.Young Adults, 18-25 years old, 7-9 hours

4. Teenagers 14-17 years old, 8-10 hours

5. School Age Children 6-13 years old, 9-11 hours

6.Preschool children 3-5 years old, 10-13 hours

7. Toddlers 1-2 years old,11-14 hours

8. Infants 4-11 months old,  12-15 hours

9. Newborns 0-3 months old, 14-17 hours

Middle schoolers and high schoolers across the country get up very early to get to school on time.  The chances they are not getting enough sleep are pretty likely.  Avoiding caffeinated drinks and sugar rich beverages late in the afternoon should be avoided.  Turn off the TV, and video games console; they will complain, but their sleep is more important. At this age in their lives, sleep is not priority number one, or two , or three.  It is your responsibility to at least turn off their devices, and tell them to go to sleep.

Literacy in the United States

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a division of the U.S. Department of Education states that children that are read by a parent or guardian develop stronger reading skills than those whose parents do not read to them.  The advantages these children develop over the course of their lives are significant.

The children that are engaged by their parents in any literacy activity, are better prepared when they enter kindergarten, and are able to cope with the academic rigors that have become standard in the United States.

Many of the literacy activities are easily done by a parent, guardian, or older sibling.  Reading or telling stories, teaching letters and words, and recognizing numbers are some of the most  basic activities that these children can be engaged  in to become proficient readers.

Some studies suggest that the literacy rate in the United States hasn’t changed in the last ten years, while other studies have shown that among the 20 “high Income” countries, the United States ranks 12th. 

Literacy in the United States is a serious problem that is easily overlooked during these uncertain times. In this country, there are 44 million adults unable to read a simple book or story to their children, and  60% of households in the United States do not or cannot buy a single book in a year. With these grim statistics, literacy in this country have to begin at home regardless.

Children of families that lack the means necessary to foster a love for reading or books, should not be an excuse to let these children fall thru the crack of  an educational system that is failing them.  By helping these families find other means to help their children to read, we can do a lot of good for our society as a whole.

Libraries across the country, offer programs that help introduce children to story time sessions and by doing so, helping them get involved in books. By the time these five year olds go to kindergarten, an emphasis should be put in reading to them and with them.

The statistics of school youth unable to read the most basic books and still graduating from high school are appalling. We need to expect more from them, and as a society, we need to help them achieve the most basic of skills of all. Reading is obviously not for everyone.

Which Food to Shop For a Healthy Liver

Still trying to get healthy for the New Year?  Today we focus on the second largest organ in your body – the liver. Considering that your liver has to work overtime filtering chemicals from the blood, you shouldn’t take this particular organ for granted. Like everything else in your body, the key to ensuring that your liver stays healthy is eating healthy and not indulging in substance abuse. As a part of the whole digestive process, everything that you consume, whether it may be food, drink or medicine, goes through your liver. This means that when you put too much harmful stuff into your system, your liver will have to filter those through and prevent those from coming into your bloodstream. Do note that while the food listed below will help in ensuring that this vital organ remains healthy, everything will be useless if you make your liver work overtime when you consume harmful substances for your body. With that in mind, let’s begin our list of food for a healthier liver.

  1. Turmeric. The Global Healing Center has named turmeric as the “liver’s favorite spice”. Turmeric helps the body process fats and will encourage bile production. Adding turmeric into your diet will help your liver detoxify by getting rid of carcinogens.
  2. Green leafy veggies. Remember when your mom would force you to eat your green veggies and you grudgingly obey? Well, as it turns out, that simple act done regularly will help you avoid issues with your liver later on in life. It’s even better if you consume organic products. Why so? Well, as previously mentioned, you liver filters everything you put in your mouth, including some possible leftover pesticides that may have been left there from non-organic veggies. Leafy vegetables have a neutralizing ability, which will help your liver when it encounters metals, chemicals and pesticides that you have consumed through food.
  3. Cruciferous vegetables. You can almost never go wrong with veggies. Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower belong to this category. Cruciferous vegetables are rich in compounds called glucosinolate, which helps the liver get rid of toxins you have ingested into your system.
  4. Grapefruit. This is not the first time that eating vitamin C rich food has proven to help your body. Grapefruit contains vitamin C and glutathione, which has been found to be helpful in aiding the liver do its job of filtering harmful toxins in the body.
  5. Walnuts. Fond of munching on these? Like grapefruit, walnuts are rich in glutathione, which as mentioned above, will help your liver do its job. Plus, walnuts also contain Omega-3 fatty acids, so consuming it will not only ensure your liver’s health, but also that of your heart.

With the many unhealthy food and substances we tend to consume daily with our diet, you can imagine how much a football-size organ has to do in order to filter those from our bloodstream. Remember, eating food such as the ones mentioned above in a regular basis is only a part of the whole process in ensuring that your liver remains healthy. With proper diet and avoidance of harmful substances as much as we can, there is no reason why we cannot save ourselves the trouble of dealing with liver disease in the future.

What is Probate and why should you care?

Many people do not know about probate until a person has died. When a person dies, their will and other legal assets have to go through the probate process. This is often done by a probate lawyer because the process can become very complicated. When family members are involved it can create tension so having a neutral third party can help the process along.

Akron families can protect themselves with planning and finding an Akron probate lawyer.

When a person dies they leave behind debts, tax bills, property, and other assets. All of this is called a person’s estate. When a person dies with a will in place, by law the estate needs to be administered. This is done by a person called an executor. The executor will read the will and notify the beneficiaries that the process has begun.

Many people do not understand that even if they die with a paid off home and cars that their debts still need to be resolved. This is why most probate lawyers ask people to give a specific percentage of their estate’s value to each beneficiary. This way it does not become too confusing to administer after the debts are paid off.

This process can be lengthy because creditors need to be notified of the deceased person’s death. Some creditors will even ask for a death certificate as proof that the person has in fact passed away. If the person has a life insurance policy then that needs to be administered either by the insurance company itself or the executor. Some people decide to leave their life insurance proceeds to one person or to their estate so that it is divided equally among the beneficiaries.

The first thing that needs to be done is to submit the will to the court in the state where the will was filed. A petition will need to be filed with the court that states the deceased person’s full name, if there is a will, and when the death occurred. Then, the court will review the information, appoint the executor of the estate, and see if a bond needs to be given to the estate. After this process is completed, people who are related to the deceased, those individuals named in the will, and creditors will be notified by mail that the court has received the will and that the estate is now being dealt with.

After this, the probate process begins; it can take more than a year to get a will through this process. It depends on how well the parties that are involved deal with each other. If someone challenges the will then it can take years to close the probate process. When dealing with the probate process it is a good idea to consult a probate lawyer. They can help guide people through the process to make it easier and much less stressful.