News & Events

October Has More to Offer Than Just Halloween!

Halloween

September 21, 2008

 Thank You

Thank you to everyone who participated in my e-mail survey.  Your comments and suggestions are much appreciated.  I am meeting with our website people and will make a few changes that hopefully, will make shopping with us even easier, and more convenient.  I only wished that we could have met and enjoyed that cup of coffee together.  Maybe next time!

Marie

More Than Just Halloween!

I've always enjoyed writing the Dates to Remember section of my newsletter. This month, I wanted to share with you some of the things I found interesting while researching October's Dates to Remember.  

October is Adopt A Shelter Dog Month

There are millions of dogs at local shelters across the country, so if you are considering adding a dog to your family, please check out the shelters first.  We've been very lucky with the dogs we have adopted from shelters over the years.  You can read about our adventure in adopting Fox and Dana by visiting my blog.  It's not as exciting as the adoptions some of my friends have experienced, like driving to South Carolina, or flying to the mid West, to pick up their dogs, but it is part of our family history now.

But I digress (happens all the time).  If you have never adopted a dog before, the ASPCA encourages you to ask yourself the following questions before adopting a dog:

1.  Am I ready to take on the commitment?  Taking a dog into your home involves more than providing food and taking them for walks.  Many dogs live 15 to 16 years.  That's 15 or 16 years of being totally responsible for the health and happiness of another creature.

2.  Will the dog fit into my family/lifestyle?  One of the most common reasons dogs end up at a shelter is because they did not fit into the family.  Some breeds fit in well into households with children while others do not.  If you live in a small apartment in the city, a small breed dog would fit your lifestyle better than a large breed dog that needs lots of exercise.

3.  Who will be the primary care taker?  Children often like the "idea" of having a dog but may not be old enough or responsible enough to be the primary care taker.  Be sure an adult is willing to take on that responsibility.

4. Can I afford a dog?   The cost of adoption is only the beginning.  Just the basics necessities like food and vet bills can be expensive and every dog should have at least a minimum of professional training.

5.  Will you take the responsibility of making sure your dog is well behaved?  A well trained dog is a "good dog".  A well trained dog is one you can take for walks and rides and has good manners around your friends and other pets.  Another of the more common reasons dogs are placed in shelters is they have "behavior Problems".  A well trained dog is a well behaved dog.

At Laurel Mountain Basket Company we support the local shelters all year long.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of all of our pet gifts and pet gift baskets is donated to F.A.C.E.S., Inc., the dog rescue service in West Springfield, MA or In Honey's Memory Cat Shelter in Huntington, MA. 

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is dedicated to increasing awareness of the importance of early detection.  On October 4th I am doing my part to raise awareness by participating in the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation Walk Across Southeastern Connecticut.  I have a blurb about the walk with links to the TBBCF site in the News Item section of my website.

Each year approximately 211,000 women in the United States learn that they have breast cancer. (The figure for men is approximately 1,700 annually). 

While we cannot change certain risk factors like our age (women over 60 are more at risk ) or our race (white women are more at risk), and while there are no guarantees that we will never develop the disease, there are lifestyle choices we can make that may help decrease our risk.  According to the Mayo Clinic diet and exercise are positive steps we can take toward prevention. They suggest that we:

  • 1.  limit alcohol consumption
  • 2.  maintain a healthy weight
  • 3.  stay physically active
  • 4.  limit the amount of fats in our diet

Looking over this short list, these are all great lifestyle choices that significantly contribute to our general well being. Since breast cancer is more treatable if detected early, monthly self examination and regular examination and testing by a health care professional are very important.

Please support breast cancer awareness by encouraging the women in your life to make healthy lifestyle choices and to understand the importance of early detection and treatment.  Also please make the choice to support research with a contribution of your time, energy or cash. 

October is also National Cookie Month

On the lighter side, October is National Cookie Month.  National Cookie Month is dedicated to honoring and enjoying the sweet flavor of cookies.  Even though I didn't find any presidential proclamation or congressional record for national cookie month, I choose to fully celebrate it!

My all time favorite cookie is chocolate chip.  There are several great recipes for chocolate chip cookies, including the traditional Toll House Cookie.  Ruth Wakefield, who with her husband in 1930, purchased a house just outside of Whitman, Massachusetts, is credited with creating this most wonderful cookie.  The house, originally built in 1709,  and located between Boston and New Bedford, was a "toll house", a stop over for individuals travelling between those to cities. The Wakefields decided to turn their home into a lodge and called it The Toll House Inn.  Ruth continued the tradition of baking cookies for lodgers, just as the original innkeepers did 200 years before.   One day, Ruth decided to add chopped up pieces of semi sweet chocolate to her cookie recipe.  At that moment the chocolate chip cookie was born! Thank you Ruth. I am sure I am not the only Ruth Wakefield fan in the world today.

Another famous recipe, or infamous recipe depending on you view, is the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.  Apparently the story about the patron being so angered for being charge $250 for the recipe and then sending it to all of her friends is not true but it is a great urban legend and I understand the cookies are outstanding.

You can find the recipe for the Original Toll House Cookie on the back of a package of Nestles Toll House Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips and the recipe for the Nieman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie on their website.

And of course, Halloween!

On October 31st we celebrate Halloween with trick or treating, bonfires, costume parties, and carving Jack-O-Lanterns.  Since we live in a very rural area, and don't have kids coming to the house for trick or treat, I am celebrating Halloween by having trick or treat at the Studio. During the entire month of October, every adult and child who comes into the Studio and says, "Trick or Treat" will recieve a treat.  No custom necessary, no purchase necessary. 

October Dates To Remember

Here's hoping you find a reason to celebrate every day! 

 

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