Featured - Health - Wealth - Food
 While your dog enjoys the irresistible flavor and aroma of pumpkin flavored treats,
you can make delicious pumpkin cookies for yourself. (NAPSI)—Now is the time for all things pumpkin: From pumpkin spice lattes and candles to pumpkin patches and carving, there’s something pumpkin for everyone—including your four-legged friends. Now you can share your love of pumpkin with your pooch. Just like us, dogs go crazy over the taste of pumpkin,” says Ronna Krahl, Vice President of Marketing—Companion Pet, Manna Pro Products, maker of Fruitables pet treats. “But what many people don’t realize is that there are also a number of health benefits that come along with the tasty treat.” The Power of Pumpkin Pumpkin isn’t just a delicious treat. When fresh, it can be an excellent food for supporting digestive health and weight loss. Pumpkins are 90 percent water, which makes them naturally low-calorie. They’re also rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps promote satiety. The high fiber content coupled with the low calorie content makes pumpkin a terrific food to help your dog cut calories while feeling full. Why is this so important? Well, according to the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention, 56% of dogs are overweight or obese. Since obesity leads to a decreased quality of life for pets, finding something as effective at supporting weight-loss as pumpkin can have exciting implications. To that end, Fruitables has canned pumpkin digestive and weight-loss supplements that can help support your pet’s digestive issues or weight-loss journey. The supplements feature fresh pumpkin and vitamins in an easy-to-feed format. Introducing your pets to the power of pumpkin can help them live their best lives. Share the Love of Pumpkin With the many benefits associated with feeding pumpkin, you can feel good about giving it to your dog. In fact, pumpkin is so beneficial for dogs that it’s the first ingredient in 18 Fruitables pet products, including canned pumpkin supplements and a variety of dog treats. “Our unique flavor combinations aren’t just delicious for your dog, but for you and your family too,” adds Krahl. “You can experience the same bold flavors with the Pumpkin Spice Lofthouse-Style Cookies with Yogurt Frosting recipe inspired by the classic Fruitables Greek Vanilla Yogurt baked treats.” Pumpkin Spice Lofthouse-Style Cookies with Yogurt Frosting Recipe by Stacie Billis Makes 2 dozen cookies 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg, room temperature 1 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin puree 1 tablespoon sour cream ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional) 1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature ⅓ cup plain Greek-style yogurt, room temperature 1 tablespoon milk Scant 1½ cups confectioners sugar, plus more to taste as desired In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Add butter and sugar to bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Cream until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and mix for another minute. Add pumpkin, sour cream, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix until well combined. Detach the bowl from the mixer. Using a silicone spatula, fold the dough once or twice so all ingredients are well combined and no flour streaks remain. Refrigerate dough for one hour up to overnight. Prepare the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter, yogurt, milk, and confectioners sugar. Beat until creamy and soft. Refrigerate. Preheat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheet with parchment. Set it next to work area dusted with flour. Remove chilled cookie dough from refrigerator. With a medium (1½ tablespoon) scoop, divide dough into 24 even portions, rolling each in flour to keep it from sticking. Dust off excess flour. Place as many cookie dough balls on cookie sheet, about 2½ inches apart. Flour the bottom of a glass and press each ball flat, to about ¾” thickness. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cookies rest on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookie dough balls. Remove frosting from refrigerator about 10-15 minutes before using. Once cookies have cooled completely, frost each and cover with sprinkles. Serve immediately or store, with wax paper between each cookie, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For more facts, tips and recipes, visit www.fruitablespet.com/blog and @fruitablespettreats. "“Dogs go crazy over the taste of pumpkin,” says Ronna Krahl, Manna Pro Products, maker of Fruitables pet treats. “But what many people don’t realize is that there are also a number of health benefits that come along with the tasty treat.”https://bit.ly/3ofH9Up" http://seniorvoiceamerica.org/ http://www.svatampabay.com/ http://www.getsva.com/ 813-693-5511
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  The "Sunday Funday" craze is sweeping the nation -- or at least my Twitter stream -- and I honestly have no idea what it means.
What is Sunday Funday? And is it appropriate for us "adults?" Urban Dictionary has seven -- yes, seven -- definitions of "Sunday Funday." And they all sound less than ideal. Sunday Funday starts with Unlimited Champagne Brunch and continues until you pass out in a gutter, on a bar stool, in the bathroom, or face down in the sand.Activities of the day can include but are not limited to: watching sports games outside, playing sand volleyball, laying in a field of grass, laying face down on the sand volleyball court, beer bongs on the balcony, trying to find a bathroom in a supposedly closed office building when ur bladders so full it hurts to move, etc. Um, what? no thanks. Hoping that my social network was tamer than Urban Dictionary, I turned to Facebook and Twitter to find out what exactly Sunday Funday means. With over 20 responses, here’s what I can successfully conclude about Sunday Funday: It happens on Sundays. Glad that’s established, people. You’re a smart bunch. It involves booze. Sort of a given, considering it involves the word “fun.” Mimosas were recommended, but beer seems to be an acceptable option, as well. It happens early in the day. We’re all adults here. Going to bed at 9 p.m. has become part of the routine. You start early so you can end early. Talking about it in any capacity is lame. Well, according to one person at least. “If you say or tweet that you're having a ‘Sunday Funday,’ then you are clearly NOT having a ‘Sunday Funday,’ he wrote on my Facebook page. Guess I failed that one last week: Sunday funday? (@ The Hill Tavern) http://t.co/hlqWKqBa — Lisa DeCanio (@lisa_decanio) June 10, 2012 Here’s what’s up in the air about Sunday Funday: Location. Some said a bar. Others advised it must “always” be outside, even if it’s raining (that’s what porches are for, apparently). Food. Food was a requirement of Sunday Funday for some people. Others never mentioned it. One person even just defined Sunday Funday as "Friendly Toast." So, should we be eating on Sunday Funday? Some sort of physical activity. I don't know about this one. A few ambitious people suggested exercise, and, more specifically, running should happen on Sunday Funday. Nothing about that sounds fun to me. Another person simply said "games," like cornhole. That's much better. Given all that, my ideal Sunday Funday should involve a quick jog along the Esplanade in the morning, followed by mimosas at Friendly Toast, which leads to me passed out by 9 p.m. Oh, and I should never ever tweet about it. Did I get that right? Either way, according to one Facebook friend, Sunday Funday means "Monday Regrets." Yikes.  by Tim Bryce
Every now and then you run into a story that restores your faith in mankind. In today's world, we tend to be preoccupied by news of political backbiting, political correctness, lawlessness, and the lack of basic common courtesy. However, I recently attended a re-dedication ceremony for AMVETS Post 98 in Holiday, Florida on Saturday, July 24th, which renewed my belief in honest friendship and community spirit. The American Veterans (AMVETS) is a nonprofit organization founded by World War II vets and open to those in all branches of the military with an honorable discharge (DD214). AMVETS have provided assistance, jobs, and services to veterans and their communities for more than 70 years. Like a lot of nonprofits, the AMVET Post in Holiday suffered due to the Covid-19 epidemic, forcing the Post to curtail their programs and close the building. During this time, they put on a new roof, replaced the flooring, and painted a mural across the front of the Post. Because of the renovations and as a sign they were back open for business, they re-dedicated the building. The Post was originally founded in 1998 and is led today by John "Jack" Gerry as Commander, a very personable leader for the organization. "What I found refreshing about the Post was the camaraderie of the members and their dedication to the needs of the local community. In addition to being patriotic and good citizens, I found them to possess a genuine respect for the human spirit. This explains their strong sense of fraternity and their willingness to help others. There also appeared to be a spirit of harmony and cooperation less the petty politics one normally finds in a nonprofit. The Post helps fellow veterans with wheel chairs, scooters and other economic assistance, thereby providing a support network. For their community, they regularly support Gulfside Elementary in Holiday, Hud Workers, Toys for Tots, Operation Storefront, multiple food drives, and during the holidays they feed families and provide gift cards. Their sense of volunteerism is truly admirable. More groups should emulate them. U.S. Congressman Gus Bilirakis of Florida's 12th District was on hand to help with the re-dedication and made it clear veterans are his top priority. Because of the close proximity of AMVETS to the American Legion Post 1731 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 10167, all within a short walking distance of each other, Cong. Bilirakis wants to lead an effort to rename the street they are on, from "Bartelt Road" to "Heroes Way," which was met with great enthusiasm by those in attendance. One of the highlights from the ceremony was the Post recognizing Mirinda Tanner of New Port Richey, the young artist who painted the mural on the front of the Post. "In the mural," she said, "I have included all of the branches of the military, including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and the new Space Force. I wanted to show this Post was a home for all Mirinda was presented a recognition certificate along with $500 for her college tuition by Lenny Piskac of the Post. In the audience was her beaming family who was rightfully proud of her. The Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, James S. "Hammer" Hartsell, was also on hand to present a challenge coin to Korean War Veteran Jack Westlake for his many years of service. During his comments, he mentioned there are currently more than 1.5M veterans in Florida. Following the official ceremony, the Post was open for food and dance. As an outsider, I found the friendship and community spirit most rewarding, and something we rarely see anymore. This is why I recommend membership in such nonprofits, to enjoy camaraderie and better their communities, if not at AMVETS 98, then elsewhere perhaps. The point is, if we want to promote moral values, now is the time to lead by example. AMVETS Post 98 is located at: 4629 Bartelt Road, Holiday, FL 34690. Again, it is open to all honorably discharged veterans of all branches of the military, including the National Guard. For information, Contact Debra Brooker, the Post's 1st Vice Commander at: deborahbrooker@yahoo.com or stop by the Post to pick up an application. www.svatampabay.com Admin@SeniorVoiceAmerica.org
 By Joyce A. Reed
Meet Evil, my pseudo pet! Evil is a baby squirrel who has taken up residence in our backyard since last year. Evil used to have 3 siblings who also roamed the trees in our yard. I named them Tiny, Curly and Mo, but due to Evil’s serious “personality disorder”, they no longer reside on our property. Why? Because Evil unmercifully chased, harassed, or wrestled with them in the grass on so many occasions, I figured they couldn’t take it anymore. And in spite of the free food and water I was giving them, they moved on to safer and more peaceful habitats. I love Evil in spite of his need for extensive psychiatric intervention or, at minimum, behavior modification training. You see, Evil suffers from little man, or. in his case, little animal syndrome. Doesn’t matter what size animal comes into our yard, he believes he can tackle them all--deer, rabbit, adult squirrels 50 times his size, birds or chipmunks. All fall prey to his “evil” ways. Any violation of his territory results in swift punishment being given out without a moment of hesitation. His reign of terror knows no limit and his antics keep me entertained for hours. I have honestly considered posting a “Beware of Squirrel!” sign for the sake of other critters, but I don’t speak rabbit, dear, or even squirrel, so writing a sign would be difficult. Although I’d like to have a pet like so many others--one you could hold, pet, take for walks--Evil would never go for it. However, I love the way he comes running from who knows where whenever I get out the can of nuts and shake it, alerting him that it is meal time. He never fails to appear. He will not approach me, but sits on the lower branch of one our spruce trees, waiting for me to throw the nuts towards him. Only after I have turned to walk away will he drop down, pick up a nut and then scamper back up a branch to nibble on it. He moves the nut back and forth in his mouth, as if he is eating corn on the cob. Once finished, he then dutifully cleans his paws before going back down to get another nut. He is meticulous to a fault when it comes to cleanliness. Evil also likes little pieces of bread, but downright refuses to eat any of the crust. He nibbles the center, then throws the crust to the ground. Reminds me of one of my children when they were younger and I had to cut the crust off the slice of bread before they would eat it. No, I am not going to start cutting the crust off his bread too! I worry about Evil though since his territorial behavior has limited the potential of him finding a love life. What “lady” would want a bully for a mate, not to mention one that would be chasing you around the yard and trees all day long? I guess he will have to be content with his solitary life for now. Who knows? Maybe one day Miss Right will come along and my little rascal friend will mend his “evil” ways! Story by Joyce A. Reed, who resides in Ohio and has her own backyard animal kingdom. jean.mlincek@seniorvoiceamerica.org https://www.seniorvoiceamerica.org/featured/category/jean-mlineck  By Justin Lavelle - BeenVerified Tax season is upon us, and people are rushing to pull together their important documents and other information in preparation to file their taxes by the April deadline. Due to the amount of tax preparation being moved online through DIY software, tax scams are ever-evolving. The reason they are so popular is that they are so profitable. Between October 2013 and August 2015, the IRS logged more than $20 million in losses just from one type of scam. Learn the Facts so You Don't Get Scammed This Tax Season: • IRS Phone Scams - If you haven't already been attacked by one of these prevalent scams, consider yourself lucky. While IRS phone scams are a year-round threat, they amp up through deadline day and beyond. The key to avoiding these scams is to know that the IRS does not make threatening phone calls, nor do they request wire transfers over the phone. If someone calls saying they are from the IRS, have the confidence to hang up the phone, and don't call back if they leave a voicemail. • Online Tax Software Phishing Emails - A newer emerging tax season threat executed by con artists sends phishing emails with official-looking logos from mainstream online tax providers. These con artists are looking for you to part with your Social Security number and other key details or trying to infect your computer with malware. Your safest bet is to not open any emails or click on any links that you're not 100 percent sure about. • Fake Tax Refund ID Theft Scams - Beware! Identity thieves will steal Social Security numbers to file fraudulent tax returns and get a large tax refund early in the season. Guard your Social Security number and online identity fiercely. Paperless e-filing and online tax software has made it easier for this type of scam to proliferate. Watch closely for your W2's in the mail. If they're not delivered in a timely manner, find out where they went and if they were filed falsely. • An Invitation to High-Priced Seminars - A long-running tax-season scam involves invitations to seminars, typically costing upward of $1,000, where attendees are given bullet-proof strategies for lessening their tax bills or avoiding certain types of taxes altogether. Unfortunately, most of these strategies are either invalid or outdated, and are often completely useless when dealing with the IRS. When participants figure it out, the con artists have vanished. • Tax Return Preparer Fraud - Unfortunately there is an unsavory bunch of people acting as tax-return preparers falsely preparing your taxes. Most tax professionals provide honest, high-quality service, but there are some dishonest preparers who perpetrate refund fraud, identity theft and other scams. Return preparers are a vital part of the U.S. tax system, with about 60 percent of taxpayers using tax professionals to prepare their returns. To find a trustworthy tax preparer, check with the Better Business Bureau, use a well-known and respected company, or get a referral from a friend or co-worker. Justin Lavelle is the Communications Director for BeenVerified.com, whose mission is to help people discover, understand, and use public data in their everyday lives. With millions of app downloads and millions of monthly visitors, BeenVerified is a leading source of online background checks and contact information. BeenVerified allows individuals to find more information about people, phone numbers, email addresses, and property records. By Justin Lavelle - BeenVerified https://www.svatampabay.com/  Lawsuit Means More Protections, Less Institutionalization for Florida's Seniors and Disabled4/1/2021  If you are a senior citizen or a person with disabilities under Florida's Medicaid Managed Care program, there is good news if you want to receive that care at home.
Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) is creating new rules that raise the standard of home-care services under its Long-Term Care Waiver Program, allowing seniors and those with disabilities to be among their loved ones and avoid skilled nursing facilities. A recent lawsuit settlement requires Florida's Medicaid Long-Term Managed Care companies "to provide an array of home and community-based services that enable enrollees to live in the community and to avoid institutionalization." For example, Adriana Parrales, a young woman with a rare genetic disorder, is now free from constant worry that she would end up in a facility. The lawsuit settlement affects more than 45,000 Floridians like her, who will now have significantly more protections in place to ensure that their care needs are adequately met at home. Parrales and four other citizens sued AHCA in August 2015, contending that the system placed them at risk of being institutionalized because it was not providing adequate standards or over-sight for home care. Under the settlement, AHCA has also agreed to changes in their contract with managed care, trainings and consumer education, and better program monitoring. When managed care took over the program, Parrales experienced wildly varying assessments of her needs and suffered a reduction of more than half of her services. After a hospitalization that left her on a ventilator, she was discharged home without either private duty nursing or respiratory therapy, leaving her mother to provide around-the-clock skilled care. Josephine Hollister, another plaintiff, requested a transfer from a nursing facility to her own home, but was denied the coverage prescribed for her discharge. Determined to live in her own home, she exhausted her own small income and had to rely on voluntary help from her guardian to get the services she needed. The plaintiffs contended that the managed-care organizations ignored critical issues such as need for supervision, caregiver availability, and access to community services. My law firm filed the lawsuit along with Disability Rights Florida and Southern Legal Counsel. The Long-Term Care Waiver Program is supposed to substitute for nursing-home care, allowing people to remain in their own homes or in less restrictive community settings. When care needs are not met, caregivers are pushed to the extreme, and enrollees are not safe or just end up going into nursing homes, like it or not. "The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination based on disability, which includes being forced into unnecessarily restrictive settings to receive care," said Amanda E. Heystek, Esq., Disability Rights Florida. "Ms. Hollister wanted to live at home, and just needed the right amount of care in order to safely do so." Disability Rights Florida is the state's designated protection and advocacy system for persons with disabilities, and Southern Legal Counsel is a statewide nonprofit public interest law firm funded by The Florida Bar Foundation. Other organizations, such as the Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys, are also keeping a watchful eye on the Medicaid Managed Care program, monitoring the quality of care for senior citizens and those with disabilities. The impact of the lawsuit is already being felt. Parrales' managed care company is now providing her with nursing care and appropriate therapies. Hollister, who died recently, was able to get the services she needed to stay in her home with her beloved dog by her side. Nancy Wright is a sole practitioner in Gainesville, Fla. focusing on Medicaid home- and community-based services for adults and children with disabilities and the elderly. Nancy has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1980 after graduating with high honors from Florida State University College of Law. https://www.svatampabay.com/ |
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