Health Tip of the Month

[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Avoid Winter Damage" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0" subhead="Health Tip February 2017"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] By David S Edge [spacer height="03px"] It’s winter and some of us take the attitude of just hunker down and wait it out. Well, maybe we should rethink this stance. Here is a list of items that can make and keep you a bit healthier! [spacer height="02px"] 1) Sunshine. That’s right, a daily dose of Vitamin D from the sun can battle the winter blues. Take a short walk or open the blinds to bask in the light. This bit of sunshine can improve not only your health, but also your attitude! [spacer height="02px"] 2) Don’t be isolated. Being alone can create a wear-and-tear, doom-and gloom attitude which just adds to winter depression. Stay in touch! Even if you can’t get out, make phone calls and send emails to have daily interaction with friends and family. [spacer height="02px"] 3) Tread lightly.Wear shoes with good traction to avoid any slips on wet or icy sidewalks. Older folks recover slowly from leg, hip, or back damage that can be the result of a winter fall. On slippery days, avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary. [spacer height="02px"] 4) Vehicle maintenance.Weather can be the cause of a multitude of vehicle issues. So, get your tires checked, battery tested, change your oil, and splurge on new windshield wiper blades. Rain or snow on the windshield needs to be removed so we have a clear field of vision. Wiper blades are a simple fix, but is often one of the minor maintenance items overlooked [spacer height="02px"] 5) Be prepared. Power outages are a fact of life during stormy months, so ensure there are extra batteries and non-perishable food items on hand to wait out temporary blackouts. It’s also a good idea to have a stock-pile of old-fashioned candles, just be sure to use these items safely. Make sure you have working carbon monoxide alarms as well as smoke detectors. [spacer height="02px"] 6) Water. Drinking water is also a necessity, so make sure you have a few gallons stored in the event of a water-service interruption. Don’t forget to stay hydrated! A cup of coffee, tea, or even a good old cup of hot cocoa are delicious and comforting, but nothing beats a few glasses of water to avoid dehydration. [spacer height="02px"] Whether it’s cold, icy, or just wet… take precautions and be prepared! [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label="Image" src="https://americanretirementadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/HealthTip_Feb2017.png" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="off" use_overlay="off" animation="left" sticky="off" align="left" max_width="200px" force_fullwidth="off" always_center_on_mobile="on" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] [/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Valentines Day

[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Happy Valentine's Day" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0" subhead="February 2017"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid" saved_tabs="all"] By David S Edge [spacer height="03px"] For all you lovers out there, February can mean one thing; heart-shaped candy boxes and roses for a loved one, and cards, cards, cards! Don’t forget Cupid with his quiver of arrows! [spacer height="03px"] Remember when we were kids and gave out hand-made valentines to our classmates? Who got what, from who? Who is going to be this one’s boyfriend or girlfriend? Candy and cooties! Then there was the little sing-song rhyme, “Jane and Jim sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, then comes”…well…you remember. [spacer height="03px"] Valentine’s Day actually started back in Greece with Cupid. He was the son of Venus and Mars who fell madly in love with a mortal maid, by the name of Psyche. Now old mamma Venus was insanely jealous of Psyche’s beauty and ordered Cupid to punish her. Instead, Cupid fell in love and married her! [spacer height="03px"] There is a whole story of how they separated and got back together after a long list of tasks to prove their love ordered by Venus, including a trip to the underworld, but in the end…they lived happily ever after. Venus even made Psyche a goddess so she could live with them in the heavens. Concerning the events surrounding the date of Valentine’s Day, ancient Romans had a festival of fertility that was usually held February 13-15. As Christianity became popular, Pope Gelasius I renamed the holiday Feast Day and declared the holiday be moved to February 14^th where it is still held today. [spacer height="03px"] The added romance came along during the Elizabethan era featuring the sonnets and plays of Shakespeare and the like. The commercialization of the holiday didn’t begin until 1913, when Valentines’ Day cards were introduced by who else…Hallmark! [spacer height="03px"] So, hug your sweetie, send a card, have an extra piece of candy, and hopefully you’re the recipient of someone’s affections. No one special in your life? Then be bold and make the first move! Nothing ventured, nothing gained. [spacer height="03px"] Happy Valentine’s Day! [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label="Image" src="https://americanretirementadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/FeaturedStory_Feb2017.png" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="off" use_overlay="off" animation="left" sticky="off" align="left" max_width="250px" force_fullwidth="off" always_center_on_mobile="on" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] [/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Why am I Me February 2017

[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Living Conditions" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0" subhead="Why Am I Me - February 2017"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] Many Americans take so much for granted when it comes to our way of life. There are many of us who take things such as clean air, clean water, and abundant food as common rights. [spacer height="02px"] I’ve been privileged enough to do a bit of international traveling, and have seen, first-hand, what living conditions are like in dozens of foreign countries. Let me tell you, there is nothing like the good old USA. [spacer height="02px"] How you were brought up and the living conditions you were exposed to, helped make you, you. [spacer height="02px"] I know there are folks who want to tell me how rough they had it while growing up poor, or with one disadvantage or another, but I can tell you this, even our poorest people in the USA have a lifestyle that millions of others would take in a heartbeat. [spacer height="02px"] Clean water at your fingertips is something we take for granted. In many countries, there isn’t enough water to spare for bathing or washing clothes. There is barely enough clean water to drink and cook with, let alone have extra. What if you had to get up every morning and walk three miles to a well that was shared by a whole village, wait in line to get a bucket of water, walk the three miles back to your house, just so you could start breakfast! Imagine doing that seven days a week! What if that well went dry and the next well was ten miles away? You’d get up and walk ten miles each way. What if you had to boil your drinking water to make it safe? Not here, we just turn on the tap. [spacer height="02px"] My guide, on a recent trip, bought his poor, farmer parents a cell phone and taught them how to call him. They thought it was too much trouble to walk to town once a week to charge it, since they had no electricity on the rice farm. Unselfishly, their daughter would borrow a neighbor’s bike to make the weekly trip just because she knew how much pleasure it gave their mother to be able to talk to her son. Ninety percent of the country’s population were farmers as had been their parents, and their grandparents. If you were born a farmer, there was a 99% chance you’d be a farmer. The difference between rich and poor was staggering. There was no middle class. [spacer height="02px"] In other words, walking three miles in the snow to get to school, or getting up at 4:00 am to milk the cows before breakfast, riding the bus, or taking the train, or some other imagined hardships help to put things in perspective. Your perspective is something that you have developed while growing up, and that makes you, you. [spacer height="02px"] Next time you hop in your car to run down the street for a gallon of milk, be glad the store is there and that there will always be milk on the shelf. We have expectations, and we are fortunate to live in a country that allows us such luxuries. [spacer height="02px"] Take advantage of what you have, and allow the folks at American Retirement Advisors to help you make the most of what you have in retirement. You can change your retirement perspective by simply getting expert advice. Give us a call, we are here to help! [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label="Image" src="https://americanretirementadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/WhyAmIMe_Feb2017.png" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="off" use_overlay="off" animation="left" sticky="off" align="left" max_width="200px" force_fullwidth="off" always_center_on_mobile="on" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] [/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

It’s a New Year.. Jan 2017

[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="It's a New Year Jan 2017" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] By David Schaeffer [spacer height="10px"] I’m always optimistic, that’s just how I am wired I guess. [spacer height="04px"] There are so many great things to be thankful for in America. We have the highest standard of living in the world. The media may say otherwise… We have food in abundance, our economy is recovering, and overall our health is improving. I think it’s a great time to be a resident of this great nation. [spacer height="04px"] Sure, we have things to fix. Sure, it’s not perfect. Look at the alternatives. I think I’ll stay and make the best of it. My perspective is different than most; I make my own success. I never rely on status quo, what “they” say or push my concerns on other folks. [spacer height="04px"] This year will be as we make it. If everyone is exuberantly optimistic, and pitches in to help our fellow neighbor, we will have a great year. [spacer height="04px"] Hopefully, gone are the days where we need to watch what we say in fear of reprisal, for not speaking politically correct. Hopefully, we will usher in accountability for our public welfare systems. Hopefully, we will remove regulations that will allow businesses to offer their products and services profitably as to increase employment and prosperity. Hopefully, we will continue the good things of previous administrations and make appropriate adjustments for sustainable good service to our communities. [spacer height="04px"] The good news is, we are here, and we have a front row seat to watch or even participate in keeping our nation great! [spacer height="04px"] Happy New Year! [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label="Image" src="https://americanretirementadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Picture1.png" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="off" use_overlay="off" animation="left" sticky="off" align="left" max_width="200px" force_fullwidth="off" always_center_on_mobile="on" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] [/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Why am I Me? Jan 2017

[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Why Am I Me - Jan 2017" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] Me Time! As we go about our busy lives we sometimes seem to think that there just isn’t enough time. Well, time for what? [spacer height="05px"] Running errands is almost a constant for most of us. The non-stop list is something like this; Grocery store, pick up the cleaning, drug store , stop and get gas, we’re almost out of pet food, and don’t forget the doctor or dentist appointments! Oh, and the adult kids called and needed something that took your time to advise them or do something for them. You hear things like, “it’s ok, they are retired and have the time to help with whatever”. You can fill in the blank on that last one. But the point is you may find yourself without any “me time”. [spacer height="02px"] Working or retired you need to make sure there is some me time in your schedule. You know, that time where you can simply sit down and read a few chapters in that latest best seller, or see that movie you wanted to view? Or for Pete’s sake just lie down for a nap in the middle of the day if you feel like it! [spacer height="02px"] Point is you can fill your daily life with all sorts of things if you allow other outside forces to control or affect your daily life. At times you need to sit back and ask yourself, “now what would my kids or friends do if you weren’t there to handle that task or chore for them”? You can bet your bottom dollar that they would find another way to get that task done without your assistance. You may need to realize that the easy answer for your kids and friends can’t always be, to make you the answer to their problem. [spacer height="02px"] We recently took a few days off and went to the beach. We’re planners and each day was planned to the max to where we would go, what we would do, which restaurants we would eat at. At some point in the middle of the second day, we realized that we had planned everything except time for us to relax. After mentioning this to my bride of 34 years, she realized it was true. We put the brakes on in time to enjoy a day of just letting things be. We slept in one morning, had a late breakfast, walked to the beach, and got comfortable as we both read a few chapters of our books we had brought. Sitting there with the ocean breezes, listening to the roar of the surf as the waves rolled in with the tide, I merely closed my eyes and was thankful that we realized what we needed before it was too late. [spacer height="02px"] What you do with your schedule only needs one decision maker, you.Allow yourself time for what you want, and when it would be convenient for you to do something. Don’t allow others to dictate your free time. Now before anyone goes off the deep end of the other side, I’m not suggesting that we all turn into totally selfish, regimented self-centered people. But we do have to strike a balance with taking time out for yourself and not being afraid to say “no”. Because no is an answer, and it helps you make some “me time”. [spacer height="02px"] How you balance and juggle all the things in your life and make personal time for yourself, makes you…well, you! [spacer height="03px"] Oh by the way, when is the last time you looked at how you are spending your time? Make sure you’ve planned your retirement for all contingencies, so you do allow yourself “me time”. [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label="Image" src="https://americanretirementadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Picture4.png" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="off" use_overlay="off" animation="left" sticky="off" align="left" max_width="200px" force_fullwidth="off" always_center_on_mobile="on" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] [/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Why Am I Me – Dec 2016

[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Why Am I Me - December 2016" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] Did You Make it? As we grow up and learn stuff, we are exposed to all sorts of ways and techniques on what to do and how to do them. It could be the way your Mom or Grandmother made a quilt from scratch, or possibly the way your dad or grandfather made a piece of furniture from just rough cut lumber? Or perhaps it was the shop teacher who taught you how to use power tools? Whatever, whenever, or whoever, you learned how to make or do something, and those skills made you, … well…you! [spacer height="10px"] One of the things that make us unique in this world is our skillsets. While one person may be a brain surgeon, it doesn’t necessarily make that surgeon a good accountant. That great mechanic you like so much, they can’t cook a lick to save their lives! [spacer height="10px"] While we are all good at something, it may also mean that we are terrible at something else! Even getting your medical care means that you see you Primary Care Doctor first, and then if needed, you get a referral to see a specialist. [spacer height="10px"] So as you think about it, what is your special gift? Or maybe you have several? I know in my neighborhood many of my neighbors know I’m knowledgeable about our local desert critters. There has been more than one occasion where I got a knock on my door requesting help with the dreaded rattle snake that was in their back yard! Only to find that the snake was just a local harmless whipsnake or Sonoran ground snake. “These are good snakes that eat the bad rats and bugs”, I would gently coach as I picked up the intruder with my bare hands. Our local non-venomous Gopher snake is a great neighbor and actually eats rattle snakes! Talk about a special skill! [spacer height="10px"] Some of us are handy, and some of us have trouble just changing a light bulb. Others are good carpenters, while others are great at math and accounting. Point is that we all have some type of gift that makes you, you. [spacer height="10px"] Now we all need to be less bashful about asking for help. Certain things are just not in your inventory of knowledge. So, if you’re selecting Medicare coverage, long-term care, reviewing your financial plan for improvements, or anything that has to do with retirement, call us! We’re here to help using our special skills for you! [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label="Image" src="https://americanretirementadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/WhyamIme_December2016.png" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="off" use_overlay="off" animation="left" sticky="off" align="left" max_width="200px" force_fullwidth="off" always_center_on_mobile="on" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] [/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Oh Tannin Baum, Oh Tannin Baum

[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Oh Tannin Baum, Oh Tannin Baum." background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0" subhead="Dec 2016"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] Where did these Traditions come from?[spacer height="5px"] Christmas trees have long been associated with traditional Christmas decorations but haven’t been around as long as some people think. Named after the Christian holiday, these decorated trees first appeared in Strasbourg Germany in the 17^th century, just some 300 years ago.[spacer height="5px"] But… what some folks don’t know is that the tradition of a tree at Christmas was started much earlier in medieval times and was used to tell the story of the bible, from creation to the birth of Christ. Priests used “Jesse Trees” to tell a visual story of the bible as a way to help the masses of people (most who could not read or write) understand and educate them on religion. The tree was used to show the branches of people in the bible and how they related to each other, such as Jesus being a descendant of David, or a “branch” reflecting a new life of the line. Most of these trees had 25 cards or windows that were associated with the bible and had distinct stories and lessons. Jesse Trees have turned into the more modern version of the Advent Calendar.[spacer height="5px"] The word Christmas comes from the “Mass of Christ”, or sometimes called Communion or Eucharist. This Mass of Christ was held at midnight and thus eventually became the shorter Christmas that we know today.[spacer height="5px"] There are many different theories on how Christmas started being celebrated on the 25^th of December. An early Christian belief is that Mary was told by an angel on March 25^th that she would bear the son of God, and nine months later was December 25^th! March 25^th is still celebrated with “Annunciation” services. March 25^th also has other significant meaning to religions as it is thought to be the day that Jesus died on the cross and another that it was the date that the world was created.[spacer height="5px"]Oh, and the red and green colors that are associated with Christmas? Bishops robes were red so guess what Santa’s suit color is today? Red of course! Other traditions in history blended into modern Christmas. Holly and Ivy with red berries were brought into homes during winter to brighten up home interiors during the long cold dark nights. This was added to the traditions that red was the blood of Christ, and the holly represented the evergreen born again through the blood of Christ.[spacer height="5px"] There are other traditions during the holiday season, such as Hanukkah, that is also rich in traditions. Hanukkah is often represented by the color blue. This is because the color blue was special because in medieval times the color blue was a very expensive dye and often more expensive than the color gold. So, in many cases only wealthy folks could afford blue and it became very revered; Hanukkah was represented in blue as a way to show importance. Blue has since become the traditional color of Hanukkah.[spacer height="5px"] There are many more traditions to explore! So have fun researching the history of the holidays! There are dozens you will find fascinating as well as educational![spacer height="5px"] Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label="Image" src="https://americanretirementadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/admin-ajaxresize2.png" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="off" use_overlay="off" animation="left" sticky="off" align="left" force_fullwidth="off" always_center_on_mobile="on" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid" /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]