Legal Advice Blog: Legal Advice, Case Insights, & Local Law Information

The anticipation of the beginning of a new year leaves many with high hopes and dreams that may finally be fulfilled. Whether it is a personal or professional goal to meet, this can be a very exciting time for so many. But, what about the person who has had a horrible year? Can they be so optimistic or do they even dare to dream? I've had years that I could not wait to see what the next year would bring and I've had some that I didn't care too much to recall at all. For everyone, that is a personal situation. Whether it's a matter of a illness, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job or a divorce as just some examples that can produce a fog over the days that turn into months that make up a year effecting ones outlook. How does one try to begin a New Year with a positive attitude? How does one maintain faith that this too will pass? While most of us know the answer to that is by faith, it generally is much easier said than done. As we start a new year, keep in mind that special someone. It may be a neighbor. It may be a co-worker or a relative, casual friend or the man who just passed you in the grocery aisle. Whomever that person is who may be struggling with the days of this past year, help them through to see not all is lost. Although the pages of our books aren't always written the way we prefer, there are lessons and much greater things to come from those experiences. My highest hopes for all of our readers and do not delay waiting for things to change, start this very moment by saying I'm worth it. I can work this through with a positive attitude and I will keep getting up when I have fallen. In an ideal world everyone's dreams would come true and all expectations would be met, but the world is not ideal. Let's join together and hold each other up through those times. When you sit down at your New Year's Day feast remember the struggling family or person you may know. Everyone deserves to feel love and happiness especially this time of year. Have a very Happy New Year, friends.

A month ago, I was in Ferguson, Missouri to depose the St. Louis County chief medical examiner in the place where Michael Brown's autopsy occurred. I was concerned about safety, which primarily stemmed from what information I was receiving through the media. During my trip, I had the opportunity to speak about these tragic events with a diverse number of interesting and kind individuals native to Ferguson, all of which had significantly different socio-economic backgrounds. Everyone with whom I spoke had their own perspective of current affairs based upon how they see the world, but they all shared a common wish for peace...now and going forward. They all had the common sense to know that violence is not the answer; and, they all shared concern about what was being done by our private and public leaders to solve the problem. I do not purport to know what is happening in Ferguson; why it is happening; or, what is going to happen. But, I do think about it...a lot. When you think of Ferguson what comes to mind? Why does that come to mind? What is the source of your information that is making you think that way? How much time, money and effort have been spent to try to make you think that way? Are the resources (if I were betting I would think in the millions) being spent examining and correcting the root of the problem in Ferguson and other similarly situated parts of the country? If not, why not? Are these events running simultaneously with constitutionally questioned executive actions? If I recall correctly, the hot topic for the 2008 and 2012 elections were jobs. What happened? Why is no one on either side of the partisan table talking about jobs, let alone quality jobs? Idle hands? The framers of our constitution handed us a republic...Ben Franklin queried, "Can we keep it?" Aside from praying for peace in Ferguson and all over the world, three thoughts come to mind: 1. We the people of the United States...; 2. United we stand divided we fall; and, 3. The pen is mightier than the sword. When discussing these matters thoughtfully with your neighbor focus on peaceful means and ways, including proper leadership, be wary of divisional tactics, and examine everything. Happy Holidays! May everyone's New Year be filled with peace and the warmth and love of family, friends and community.   A month ago, I was in Ferguson, Missouri to depose the St. Louis County chief medical examiner in the place where Michael Brown's autopsy occurred. I was concerned about safety, which primarily stemmed from what information I was receiving through the media. During my trip, I had the opportunity to speak about these tragic events with a diverse number of interesting and kind individuals native to Ferguson, all of which had significantly different socio-economic backgrounds. Everyone with whom I spoke had their own perspective of current affairs based upon how they see the world, but they all shared a common wish for peace...now and going forward. They all had the common sense to know that violence is not the answer; and, they all shared concern about what was being done by our private and public leaders to solve the problem.

" I will pray for you." I recently heard these words spoken to me more than once. " I will pray for you." When first spoken, my eyes opened just a fraction. I could feel the blood rushing through my body and hear a kind of whooshing sound in my ears. I felt alarmed. I thought what do you know that I don't? What are you seeing on that screen that I have not been informed about? I had these questions pop into my head in a split second but I was not going to ask them. I sat there silent for just a moment then I said, "Thank you." I looked at the woman who spoke them. A young physician's assistant who had a skull cap on. When I first saw her, I thought that she must be receiving treatment that causes hair loss. I did not see any hair-just this gray winter cap on her head. She was very friendly. She was very efficient. She was very nice. She then left the cubicle after telling me what would happen next. But, before I heard that statement-" I will pray for you" -the nurse who had taken my vitals and asked me those endless questions they ask confirming who you say you are, also asked one that already had me alarmed. " They found this on a mammogram?" I was at a local hospital. I have a lot of memories being at this hospital. I was born in this hospital, as was my mother. My mother walked to this hospital to have all of her children. My sisters became nurses here. I had surgery at this hospital as a child. Both my parents died in this hospital. And now I was being told, " I will pray for you." I was taken to that place that women don't want to go to-at least my thoughts are that I would like to be anywhere else but there. You just want to turn around and go back out the door and keep walking, but you reluctantly tag along trying to make small conversation when each step takes you to that place. That place is the women's part of the hospital as I refer to it as. It's always quiet there. It has always struck me how quiet it is. Generally, there are no more than two other people around that area where they do mammograms. I had just been there two weeks prior. This time, it was for something different; something that I had not had done before, so I really was walking into the unknown. I had been told what to expect, but until you experience it, it is the unknown. I am usually calm when it comes to stuff like this. I try to act appropriately. I am not going to cry and have hysterics or not be nice to these people who are only trying to help. And they are wonderful people who are kind, caring, and compassionate who truly don't want you to be there either. We all talk about mundane things while waiting for the doctor to appear. For those moments, you are the sole focus of people you don't know. People you may never see again. Some, by telling you they have gone through the exact procedure. You share stories of your beloved pets. They are women-you have a bond. A couple hours later-the nurse is finishing up making sure nothing else is needed before I leave. Changing my bandage again, giving me paperwork, explaining what to do and what not to do and trying to give me assurances that this may not come out bad and then I hear those words again. " I will pray for you." My heart stopped a beat. I looked at her. She was looking at me. But this time, I wanted to cry. I didn't have that startled-get me out of here feeling-as I did the first time I heard it that morning. This time, I accepted it for the reason it was said. Comfort. She didn't just say those words-she truly meant them. Because these girls-nurses, physician's assistant, ultrasound and radiographic technologists-are truly hopeful that all will be well with you. They take time to make you comfortable and help you to prepare for what could potentially be a life-changing outcome. I am pretty sure someone has said these words to me before. When my mother died comes to mind. And you are grateful that someone takes the time to let you know they care. This time the words really held a far deeper meaning for me. These girls-these women-do this all day, every day. This stuff they do is not just a job, it's a calling. They could just be all business and want to get this over with and on to the next one. Not at all. They truly made me feel they wanted the outcome not to be a bad one. " I will pray for you." These are five words that are truly powerful. I did not know what the outcome would be, and neither did they, but I was given confidence, that whatever it was going to be, all would be well. When I left, I felt much better than when I arrived. And, as they so graciously prayed for, all is well.   " I will pray for you." I recently heard these words spoken to me more than once. " I will pray for you." When first spoken, my eyes opened just a fraction. I could feel the blood rushing through my body and hear a kind of whooshing sound in my ears. I felt alarmed. I thought what do you know that I don't? What are you seeing on that screen that I have not been informed about? I had these questions pop into my head in a split second but I was not going to ask them. I sat there silent for just a moment then I said, "Thank you." I looked at the woman who spoke them. A young physician's assistant who had a skull cap on. When I first saw her, I thought that she must be receiving treatment that causes hair loss. I did not see any hair-just this gray winter cap on her head. She was very friendly. She was very efficient. She was very nice. She then left the cubicle after telling me what would happen next. But, before I heard that statement-" I will pray for you" -the nurse who had taken my vitals and asked me those endless questions they ask confirming who you say you are, also asked one that already had me alarmed. " They found this on a mammogram?"

One of the most difficult decisions most families face at some point in their lives is having to place a loved one in a nursing home or other similar facility. Most of us will take on this challenge at some point and, as heart wrenching as it often is, sometimes there really is no other practical choice. For a family, that decision comes with tremendous responsibility to remain diligent in making certain that their loved ones are adequately fed, hydrated and regularly moved, to prevent bed sores that can easily lead to a terminal infection. Recently, through my own experiences, I've come to learn of another nursing home hazard to guard against, namely the possibility that our loved ones are being grossly overmedicated with drugs, being used off-label, to suppress the anxiety or aggression that can sometimes come with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. A 2011 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources found that found that 88 percent of Medicare claims for antipsychotics prescribed in nursing homes were for treating symptoms of dementia. The problem is that not only are antipsychotic drugs not approved to treat dementia, they come with a specific, black box warning that elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis who are treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk for heart failure, infections and death. Nevertheless, estimates by patient advocates reveal that approximately 300,000 nursing home residents nationwide continue to receive antipsychotic medications to "calm" their dementia-related symptoms. In recent years, substantial effort has been focused on this nationwide problem. In 2012, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") undertook a concerted effort to reduce nursing home use of antipsychotic drugs, but missed their target. In 2013, Johnson & Johnson agreed to a $2.2 billion settlement of civil and criminal charges with the U.S. Department of Justice for its aggressive off-label marketing of antipsychotic drugs to nursing homes. Nevertheless, reduction in the overuse of these drugs in the nursing home setting has proven extremely difficult and, according to CMS, over 20 percent of long-stay nursing home residents continue to receive these drugs. What's even more alarming is that the residents receiving antipsychotics are not always the aggressive or difficult ones. One study, found that 22 percent of dementia residents on antipsychotics did not have any behavioral symptoms and 29.5 percent had non-aggressive behavioral symptoms. Another study revealed that antipsychotics were being used off-label in nursing homes to treat relatively benign behavioral symptoms such as wandering, crying or "resisting care." Although many nursing homes undoubtedly find it more convenient to manage resident anxiety, confusion, or behavioral issues with antipsychotics, this practice amounts to chemical restraint, plain and simple. It's really not much different than strapping a patient down for shock therapy but, given the well-developed body of research regarding the substantial risks to dementia patients subject to this practice, it is dangerous and misguided. Our loved ones deserve better, and there are alternatives. Residents often become agitated because they are in pain or discomfort. Simply giving them due attention, to identify and address those underlying causes, can make a substantial difference. In addition, evidence continues to mount showing that well-targeted, non-drug therapies, such as aromatherapy, music therapy, massage therapy, behavior management techniques, and animal-assisted therapy, can benefit dementia patients and help reduce certain behavioral issues. CMS studies have shown that changes promoting such therapies may be achievable without a substantial investment in additional resources and, when compared to the risks and costs of the off-label antipsychotics, these alternatives seem like a relative bargain. Although strides have been made towards reducing the practice of chemically restraining nursing home residents, this practice unfortunately remains relatively widespread today. Therefore, it continues to fall to those of us with parents, grandparents, friends or other relatives in such facilities to remain diligent in an effort to enhance the quality of life for our loved ones, to protect them from substandard care and to help promote goal-directed, person-centered care for each and every resident. Please take the time to learn about the type of medication your loved ones are being prescribed. Read the labels on that medication. If you feel a resident is being subjected to improper chemical restraint, speak up. Contact the director of nursing at the facility. Contact your loved one's doctor. If that doesn't work, report the practice to OHFLAC, the State agency that regulates nursing homes and other similar facilities, or contact an experienced attorney who can help get your loved one's life back on track and ensure the safest and best care for their particular circumstances.   One of the most difficult decisions most families face at some point in their lives is having to place a loved one in a nursing home or other similar facility. Most of us will take on this challenge at some point and, as heart wrenching as it often is, sometimes there really is no other practical choice. For a family, that decision comes with tremendous responsibility to remain diligent in making certain that their loved ones are adequately fed, hydrated and regularly moved, to prevent bed sores that can easily lead to a terminal infection. Recently, through my own experiences, I've come to learn of another nursing home hazard to guard against, namely the possibility that our loved ones are being grossly overmedicated with drugs, being used off-label, to suppress the anxiety or aggression that can sometimes come with Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

What do Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Robert Downey, Jr., Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, 50 Cent, Matt Damon, Jake Gyllenhaal and Vin Diesel all have in common? Of course they are all accomplished actors, but they all have also recently filmed movies in Pittsburgh. A quick Google search showed that at least 48 movies have been shot in Pittsburgh since 2010. While many people have always known that Pittsburgh has a lot to offer, I could not help but wonder why major motion pictures have recently flocked to the area. After doing some research, one reason, as with most businesses, is the price of production. Since 2004, Pennsylvania has offered a 25 percent tax credit to films that spend at least 60 percent of their total production budget in Pennsylvania. Moreover, many of the additional costs that go into making a movie, such as security, labor, etc., are also cheaper in Western Pennsylvania. Additionally, Pittsburgh's diverse landscape allows for a wide variety of scenes to be filmed in the same region. The best thing about the recent influx of film production is that many steps are being taken to keep money and jobs in the region. While award winning actors will always be flown in for big movies, the film industry brought in over $300 million to the region's economy from 2009 to 2012. Furthermore, the money brought into the region has not only gone to the local film industry, but local business owners stated that restaurants, coffee shops, hotels and many other industries have seen more business when movies are being filmed. Companies, like 31st Street Studios, are doing everything they can to ensure the industry is here to stay. 31st Street Studios is a sound stage and production company located at a former steel mill in the Strip District. According to CNN, the Pittsburgh facility is currently 300,000 square feet, which is the largest production facility outside of New York or Los Angeles. 31st Street Studios has not only provided the resources needed to make movies in Pittsburgh, but also has partnerships with national entertainment companies looking to film in the region. If any of our readers are interested in making their movie debut, Will Smith's new movie, Concussion, has recently been looking for extras and websites such as Pittsburgh Film Office consistently post casting notices.   What do Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Robert Downey, Jr., Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, 50 Cent, Matt Damon, Jake Gyllenhaal and Vin Diesel all have in common? Of course they are all accomplished actors, but they all have also recently filmed movies in Pittsburgh. A quick Google search showed that at least 48 movies have been shot in Pittsburgh since 2010. While many people have always known that Pittsburgh has a lot to offer, I could not help but wonder why major motion pictures have recently flocked to the area.

"Silent Night, Holy Night..." Every Christmas we sing the words of this beloved carol. But have you ever wondered: just how "silent" was it on that first Christmas? With Mary ready to deliver, the holy couple is led quickly to a stable behind a busy inn. You can hear the sound of Joseph's frantic preparations, making a suitable place in the hay for his wife to lie down and give birth. Then the night air is filled with Mary's labored breathing. When the baby finally arrives, he greets the world in the usual way: with an ear-splitting cry! Believe me, it's anything but silent in the stable. Meanwhile, there are shepherds in the hill country outside of the city guarding their flocks. The quiet of the evening is interrupted by a host of angels appearing in the sky overhead. The angelic visitors direct the shepherds to the newborn child. Then they sing out praises to God that echo throughout the neighboring hills and valleys. There's no silence here either. The shepherds hurry to the stable to see the baby for themselves. The gospel writer, Luke, tells us that the shepherds are amazed and can't help sharing everything they've seen and heard. In the streets of Bethlehem, the silence is broken as the shepherds stop and share their exciting story with every passerby. It wasn't quite a silent night, was it? But the sounds of the first Christmas must have blessed the Father's heart. The baby's cry confirmed that the old prophecy had been fulfilled: "To us a child is born, to us a son is given." The savior, Jesus, had come just as He promised. The angels' announcement to the shepherds was the very first proclamation of the gospel. And the ragtag shepherds who visited the Christ child were actually the world's first missionaries--sharing with everyone the good news they had heard with their own ears and witnessed with their own eyes. I love "Silent Night." We sing it as part of a candlelight service at our church every Christmas Eve. But I'm thankful that the first Christmas wasn't too silent. The sounds of the first Christmas are reminders to us of God's amazing and boundless love. Merry Christmas from all of us at Bordas & Bordas!

Behind every great man, stands an even greater woman. Right? Well, what do we really know about Mrs. Claus? I envision her always baking cookies and I kind of imagined the elves as her "children." I have no doubt she hums Christmas tunes all day long and smells like sugar. I imagine I could lick the walls of her house because I believe they are coated with icing. And, I believe there are little lace doilies all throughout her home with pillows so fluffy that when you lay your head upon them, the feathers puff right out. She seems like she has the answer to anything and could wrap a present in a jiffy. I believe she has special communication powers with animals and they gather around her because they know she always has a treat for them in that apron pocket. I don't think she ever gets upset from all the social media I have seen. And, I do not believe she ever strays from her standard clothing color pallet. Whoever she really is up the in the North Pole, I like her a lot. Not just because she is married to an important man, but also because I can never picture her without putting a smile on my face. Therefore, Mrs. Claus brings me lots of happiness and I hope she gets the credit she so deserves. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

On Saturday, a man named Ismaaiyl Brinsley woke up in Baltimore and shot his girlfriend in the stomach. He then drove to New York City and killed two police officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, before taking his own life. The officers were the 44 th and 45 th law enforcement officers to fall to gunfire in 2014. The crime in New York stands out in many ways. In a pre-meditated, senseless, and cowardly fashion, Brinsley snuck up on a marked police vehicle and shot the officers as they sat in the front seat. Brinsley's social media messages indicate that he intended to kill LEOs for the sheer sake of it. Because of Brinsley's sickening and depraved actions, two families lost husbands and one lost a father. Ramos had two sons, one just thirteen-years-old. Liu was a newlywed. The vicious and pointless nature of the crime will haunt the families and friends of these men for the rest of their lives. However, Ramos and Liu are not the first United States LEOs to lose their lives to "revenge-style" killings, even this year. This past June, in Las Vegas, two police officers were shot in an equally cowardly and pointless attack. Officers Igor Soldo and Alyn Beck were murdered by white supremacists Jerad and Amanda Miller, while eating pizza on their lunch break. The killers left a swastika and Gadsen flag on Beck's body. The Millers also killed Joseph Wilcox, a civilian who attempted to stop them. Similar to Brinsley, these killers had boasted in advance of their intention to kill police officers because they believed they were "oppressors," and followed through. Jerad Miller was killed by police and Amanda Miller shot herself before she could be apprehended. Like every mass shooting in America, there are two main lines of thinking. One is that mass shooters like Brinsley or the Millers are psychopaths, or mentally ill, if you prefer. No broader conclusions can be drawn from their actions and, at best, we can hope to watch out for people who may suddenly open fire on others, and then themselves, in this manner. In this mindset, mass shootings are a sort of natural disaster that can't be predicted or reliably prevented. The other line of thinking is that Millers or Brinsleys "represent" whatever ideas they claim to have about what they are doing, and everyone else with any similar thoughts. In this case, Brinsley's extreme anti-police postings - death threats in fact - mean to some that he represents anyone who has been critical of the Brown, Garner, or Tamir Rice deaths that have been so much in the news. Likewise, in some minds, the Millers were representative of the Cliven Bundy Ranch protesters and anti-tax or anti-government regulation thinking out west. Too often, the view a person has of the "meaning" of a mass shooting depends on what they already thought before it happened. We're so deeply buried in our politics that a mass murder of human beings becomes nothing more than a bloody Rorschach test for whether a person watches right-wing or left-wing TV news. New facts and situations confirm what we already think, so nothing is solved, nothing is learned, and nothing improves. On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated. News traveled so slowly then that a group of people who had assembled to hear Robert Kennedy speak actually got the news from him, instead of off their phones and tablets. Kennedy knew something of violence, having lost his elder brother to an assassin's bullet, and he would soon die himself at the lands of another "lone gunman." Here is what he said, in part: What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black. So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King -- yeah, it's true -- but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love -- a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke. We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times. We've had difficult times in the past, but we -- and we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and it's not the end of disorder. But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land. You can score the killing if you want, by color, by uniform, by point of view, even. You can explain how each one shows how right you are about everything you've already said, or thought, or heard. We are as good at that as anything we do. But there is another way to spend our energy. We can say a prayer for our country; and, in 2015, we can try to live more peacefully, more justly, and with more compassion for "all human beings that abide in our land."

I love Christmas. Family gatherings, children's Christmas programs, shopping, Christmas parties, remembering Christmas' past and those loved ones who are no longer with us. Christmas memories take me back to an uncomplicated, happy time, before so much life happened. One of my favorite memories is singing Christmas hymns at church. If I had to pick an all time favorite hymn as a child, I would have to say "Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem," an old time hymn from the 1940s (and of course, "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer")! There are so many incredible hymns that may seem "old-fashioned" or "outdated," but as I sing those same hymns as an adult, with a greater understanding of the words that are strung together and the One they are so powerfully written about, I am humbled and amazed. When I sing those hymns today, I'm reminded of Who Christmas is about and the simplicity of a season that can so easily be overcrowded by busy holiday to-do lists. Today, I encourage you to think back on some "old" Christmas hymns, maybe one you can remember your grandmother always singing or one you remember singing as a child; search it on YouTube, and see the words with fresh eyes and then sing along, because you know you want to. J Oh, today's favorite is "Emmanuel." Translation "God is with us." Can you even imagine? GOD with US. God, the creator and sustainer of all things, the KING of Kings, the Great I AM humbled Himself and came to earth to dwell among us -- His people! Crazy! I can hardly wrap my mind around such a profound truth. And everyone knows "O Holy Night." Hillsong has a great version on YouTube, too. The line "Long lay the world in sin and error pining 'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth, the thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices." Wow. That's what I want to consume my heart and mind, not only on Christmas, but year round! Are any of you weary? Well, because of what happened on that very first Christmas over 2,000 years ago, we have an invitation to rejoice and have hope again. What are your favorite hymns??   I love Christmas. Family gatherings, children's Christmas programs, shopping, Christmas parties, remembering Christmas' past and those loved ones who are no longer with us. Christmas memories take me back to an uncomplicated, happy time, before so much life happened. One of my favorite memories is singing Christmas hymns at church. If I had to pick an all time favorite hymn as a child, I would have to say "Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem," an old time hymn from the 1940s (and of course, "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer")!

We could never understand when family and friends would come to our home for Christmas and ask our mom, "Why don't your trees have a lot of ornaments around the bottom?" Our mom would say to them, "I've dog proofed the trees and our home," some would look at her like she was crazy, others would just say, "Oh that's interesting." Well I'm here to tell you that our mom makes sure we don't get hurt over the Christmas holiday. Both of us boys love to play ball and man, oh man, some of those ornaments look just like a beautiful ball to run with and play keep away from one another. Mom tries to keep what she calls "Dog proof" ornaments at the bottom of the trees, but sometimes my brother and I just can't help ourselves, we grab it off the tree to run, play and chew the heck out of it. Stuffed ornaments are the best. Mom always puts anything that she feels would cause us harm up and out of the way, but what can we say, we love the good stuff that we are not allowed to have. She does this all year long, but especially at Christmas. Sometimes my brother leaves evidence of this (that would be Guinness because he's the ornery one) and we get a very stern talking to. Mom says it's because she loves us and doesn't want us to get hurt or have upset tummy's, we know that, but sometime we just can't help ourselves. We are her four legged kids, and kids cause mischief a lot of time. I guess what we're trying to ask of all our pet owner families out there is to please remember to pet proof your homes, just like you would child proof your homes. Please remember that we are part of your family too. We protect you; please protect us at Christmas time and always. We know our mom does. Remember "Adopt, Don't Shop." If you see animal abuse of any kind, please call the authorities to help out our four legged friends. No animal should be abused verbally or physically. Also remember dog fighting is not a sport, it is the worst case of abuse out there for our four legged friends. Help stop this madness, spread the word about dog fighting. Merry Christmas, Barley & Guinness Bark on Bordas Dog Nation Bark on   We could never understand when family and friends would come to our home for Christmas and ask our mom, "Why don't your trees have a lot of ornaments around the bottom?" Our mom would say to them, "I've dog proofed the trees and our home," some would look at her like she was crazy, others would just say, "Oh that's interesting." Well I'm here to tell you that our mom makes sure we don't get hurt over the Christmas holiday. Both of us boys love to play ball and man, oh man, some of those ornaments look just like a beautiful ball to run with and play keep away from one another. Mom tries to keep what she calls "Dog proof" ornaments at the bottom of the trees, but sometimes my brother and I just can't help ourselves, we grab it off the tree to run, play and chew the heck out of it. Stuffed ornaments are the best.

When I was a child growing up in the 50s my family always got a real tree at Christmas time. Usually about three or four days before Christmas, all of us, dad, mom, my brother, Sam, and my two sisters, Annie and Jean and I would climb into the car and my dad would drive us out to the Dairy Queen in Elm Grove, which at the time was located on Route 40 East where the Rite Aid parking lot is now. The Dairy Queen, of course, was closed for the winter, but we weren't there for ice cream. We were there to buy a live cut tree to take home and decorate it for Christmas. For a little kid, that was really exciting and the memory of it warms my heart to this day. There were a couple of times I remember actually going out in the woods to get our tree. My parents, Clifford and Anna Swallow, were born and raised in Washington County in eastern Ohio near the town of New Matamoras. The landscape there is rolling hills and farmland. Sometime in the early 1940s, as a young married couple eager to find a new way of life instead of farming, they traveled north up the river to the "big city" called Wheeling, West Virginia, where there was an abundance of employment opportunities. Most of my mom and dad's older siblings had already moved to Wheeling. My dad obtained a job at Blaw Knox iron foundry and except for a few years he spent in the U.S. Navy serving our country during World War II, he continued to work there until he retired in the mid-1970s. But no matter how many years they lived in Wheeling, my mom and dad would still refer to the place that they grew up in Washington County, Ohio as "down home." My dad's mother, Clara Swallow, together with my Uncle Gene and Aunt Vera, remained living at the homestead farm where my father grew up. Many of my most cherished childhood memories were of spending time at grandma's farm on the weekends and entire weeks during the summer months. Grandma didn't have electric or in-door plumbing. So needless to say, she got her water from a well and, of course, the bathroom facilities were the old proverbial "out house." But the land was rich in natural gas, so she was able to cook and heat her home with gas and she even had a few gaslights that I always found quite fascinating. That and a few oil lanterns were the only light that we used during the evening hours as we sat in the living room with the adults quietly talking, kids munching on cinnamon toast made with homemade bread and real butter while grandma played some gospel music on the old player piano that was a prominent fixture in that home. The farm's 250 acres was spread out over a hillside and the only way to get to it was up a dirt road. As you can imagine, when it would rain or snow, sometimes that dirt road was impassable by vehicle and we would have to park the car at the bottom of the hill and walk up an often time muddy and slippery or snow covered two mile hike to grandma's house. My mom's brother, Sam Ring, lived in a hollow at the bottom of that hill and a couple of times we left our car at his house and walked to Grandma's up through the woods behind his house. We would do this usually around Christmas time so mom and dad could scout for a tree. Dad would chop it down, drag it up to the farm, and later in the weekend load it up in the car to take home. Once we got it home we would always have to listen to the inevitable bickering that occurred while mom and dad tried to get the tree straight in the stand before we could start decorating it. This is a frustration that people who have only used artificial trees will never experience! When I got older, artificial trees became more and more popular and my mom and dad finally decided that an artificial tree was more economical and convenient than going out to get a real one so we stopped making our yearly "find a tree" outings. Grandma, Mom and Dad are all gone now and the homestead farm and property have long since been sold. Even now when I let these memories wash over me it reminds me of a much warmer, simpler and easier time. I realize that is probably because I was little and my life was simpler and easier. Some, like my sister, Jean, still do go out and buy a real tree every year. Though I appreciate her "must have a real tree" spirit, it just isn't enough to make me want to go to the trouble of doing it. I will continue to take the easy way out; drag my pre-lit artificial tree out of storage every year, stick it in a corner and celebrate the birth of Christ and let the memories of yesteryear warm my heart.   When I was a child growing up in the 50s my family always got a real tree at Christmas time. Usually about three or four days before Christmas, all of us, dad, mom, my brother, Sam, and my two sisters, Annie and Jean and I would climb into the car and my dad would drive us out to the Dairy Queen in Elm Grove, which at the time was located on Route 40 East where the Rite Aid parking lot is now. The Dairy Queen, of course, was closed for the winter, but we weren't there for ice cream. We were there to buy a live cut tree to take home and decorate it for Christmas. For a little kid, that was really exciting and the memory of it warms my heart to this day.

When you think of Holiday meals, you often think of a big turkey or ham dinner. But what about breakfast? My family has started a tradition of having a big Christmas breakfast on Christmas morning. It started when my son and twin nephews were very young. My parents would wait, not so patiently, for my brother and myself to pack up the kids and come up there to see them. Breakfast was always the last thing on the kid's minds, so it started out simple with my mom making cinnamon rolls. As the boys got a little older and could wait a little longer to start opening up gifts, a more traditional breakfast was made. As my son Zach grew older, I found myself up pacing in the morning waiting for him to wake up. There were no more surprises so he didn't really have a reason for waking at the crack of dawn. I decided a few years ago while I was up early watching A Christmas Story for the millionth time to make a big batch of sausage gravy and biscuits to take up to my parents for our annual Christmas breakfast. It was a huge hit on our breakfast menu and a tradition that my dad, brother and husband now look forward to every year. A very simple recipe turned into a great Christmas tradition for our family. Brown 1 roll of Jimmy Dean (or your preference) sausage in a large pot. After it is all brown and crumbly, set the cooked sausage aside leaving all the fat in the pot. Add about 4 tablespoons of butter and let it melt. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons of flour over the melted butter and stir until there aren't any lumps. Let that cook for a few minutes and then add 5 cups of milk, while whisking the whole time. Let that come to a slow boil and thicken, about 5 minutes or so. Add your cooked sausage and a ton of black pepper (the more black pepper the better). You can also add some crushed red pepper flakes if you like it a little on the spicy side. As always, add salt to taste and continue to let it simmer. I found that the longer this simmers, the better and better it will get. When it is breakfast time, simply make some frozen buttermilk biscuits (we love the Pillsbury frozen biscuits) and enjoy. Happy Holidays!!!!