Find out the latest news and topics of interest from Dr. James G. Hood, D.D.S., M.A.!
Archive for the ‘This & That’ Category
Taco Saturday
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Saturday May 5th is Cinco de Mayo. Mexican Independence Day from Spain (1821) is September 16th, NOT Cinco de Mayo (May 5th). Cinco de Mayo is the commemoration of the victory of the Mexican Militia over the French army in 1862. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated heartily in parts of the United States and particularly in the state of Pueblo, in Mexico, the site of the Mexican victory.
In Spokane, Washington, the first weekend in May will be a busy time. Saturday is Cinco de Mayo and Sunday is Bloomsday. Saturday will be a day of celebration with Margaritas, tequila, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and plenty of tortillas. There may even be a piñata or two broken. The typical carb-loading which takes place before the big Bloomsday 12k race is pasta, but this year that tradition may be replaced with tortillas.
Mexican restaurants may replace their usual Taco Tuesday with a Taco Saturday. Margaritas, salsa, refried beans and tortilla chips should surely flow abundantly this weekend.
The red, white, and green of the Mexican flag may fly boldly on this Mexican holiday. The red, white, and blue of course trump all others in this democracy. I don’t adhere to the melting pot notion of a nation, I prefer the tossed salad analogy.
With the United States acceptance of foreign immigrants into our nation it is not surprising that we celebrate a holiday with our bordering neighbors. Mexican restaurants are plentiful in almost every city in our great nation. I never thought about it eh, but I’ve never seen a Canadian restaurant, Canadian bacon yes, but Canadian ethnic food, no.
Needless to say there are plenty of ways to celebrate this Mexican holiday in America. Observance might even include a continuation of last week’s Arbor Day with a tree planting. Northern Quest Casino will draw people with their quarter of a million dollar prize. Yard work may be the necessary outlet for those needing to effectively accomplish something with their weekend. Relaxation for Bloomsday Sunday may be in the agenda for over 50,000 individuals in Spokane. No matter what your ritual to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, arriba!
Keep brushing and flossing,
Dr. James G. Hood
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Dental Care Associates of Spokane Valley, P.S.
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Welcomes Patients
from Age 2 to 102!
James G. Hood, D.D.S., M.A.
507 North Sullivan Road, Suite A-1
Spokane Valley, WA 99037-8576 USA
Phone: (509) 928-9100 | Fax: (509) 928-0414
Email: drhood@drhood.com
Websites: www.drhood.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalley.com
Blogs: www.drjamesghoodblog.com
www.dentalhealthandnutritionblog.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalleyblog.com
www.jamesandkarenhoodfoundationblog.org
www.sjogrensblog.org
Online Store: www.dentalhealthandnutritionstore.com
1
Arbor Day Gone?
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Last Friday was Arbor Day, April 27th, 2012. But the trees are one of those special things in life that we can enjoy and celebrate every day. In Spokane we’ve seen more trees in blossom in the last two weeks than we’ll probably get to appreciate all year. Arbor Day is a tree-planting holiday. The tradition was started in Nebraska and on April 10, 1872. On the first Arbor Day over one million trees were planted in Nebraska alone. Today Arbor Day is celebrated nationally and internationally.
In my family, I am the one who brings attention to trees as a regular routine. As we drive together as a family I will question family members to identify different trees. While blooming, as is the case for many right now, they are especially easy to identify. The flowering pear and cherries, and the flowering thundercloud plum have been particularly spectacular this spring.
Most of my children have favorite trees or a handful which they can easily identify. One of my older daughters says “Sycamore” for every tree when questioned. Her thought apparently being eventually she’ll be right. I tell her that’s like a broken watch which is at least right twice a day.
Trees are often very unique. Sunburst locust, Douglas fir, hackberry, white pine, service berry, Russian-olive, dogwood and Catalpa all have characteristics which make them easily identifiable. Everyone should be able to identify Ponderosa Pine if they live here in the Inland Northwest. Go out into your yard or your neighbor’s and identify all the trees you encounter. Most people know maple even if they don’t know the difference between sugar maple, Norway maple, or silver maple. Make an effort to learn 8-10 trees by sight this summer. Have you ever seen a ginko tree? The leaves are said to give you good luck.
Celebrate Arbor Day all summer. Learn the name of trees in your area. Plant a tree and enjoy it for life.
Keep brushing,
Dr. James G. Hood
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Dental Care Associates of Spokane Valley, P.S.
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Welcomes Patients
from Age 2 to 102!
James G. Hood, D.D.S., M.A.
507 North Sullivan Road, Suite A-1
Spokane Valley, WA 99037-8576 USA
Phone: (509) 928-9100 | Fax: (509) 928-0414
Email: drhood@drhood.com
Websites: www.drhood.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalley.com
Blogs: www.drjamesghoodblog.com
www.dentalhealthandnutritionblog.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalleyblog.com
www.jamesandkarenhoodfoundationblog.org
www.sjogrensblog.org
Online Store: www.dentalhealthandnutritionstore.com
Moments Unfading
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
A few years ago my mother passed away. Today is her birthday. Events in my life still trigger that inborn reaction to give her a call. It is amazing to me how that instinct to share life’s moments persists even now long after a family member is gone.
Today, my daughter returns home after being a foreign exchange student for a semester. This is an exciting moment for our family. In fact, the calendar of events in our family is viewed differently than many groups and organizations. It is not merely January, February, March through, which the passage of time is measured. In our family, it is birthdays, holidays, vacations, trips, anniversaries, which are used to ‘calculate’ time. “After Caleb’s birthday, but before the 4th of July” would be an easily understood time period to our family.
You might wonder why I’m at all concerned about the yardstick used to gauge time. Well, time is one of those non-refundable resources that is often “wasted”, “spent”, or “killed”. Moments of time, special periods are what stick in our memories and, since time cannot be retrieved except in memories, special moments need to occur often and with intention. I have no more time with my mother, but I will always have the memories of time which I spent with her.
Think back in your own life of things you vividly remember. Usually, these are comical times or moments spent with family or friends that were maybe not spectacular, but comfortably memorable. Each of us is capable of creating special moments in the lives of those around us. We should be intentional in making these moments. It may be the moment of the day, or moment of the week, month, or year, or it may be the moment to which all other moments are compared to. A simple Thank You recognition or moment which makes one smile on recalling something from 20 years in the past may be memorable and special. Create a special moment with a person(s) today.
…and always keep smiling,
Dr. James G. Hood
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Dental Care Associates of Spokane Valley, P.S.
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Welcomes Patients
from Age 2 to 102!
James G. Hood, D.D.S., M.A.
507 North Sullivan Road, Suite A-1
Spokane Valley, WA 99037-8576 USA
Phone: (509) 928-9100 | Fax: (509) 928-0414
Email: drhood@drhood.com
Websites: www.drhood.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalley.com
Blogs: www.drjamesghoodblog.com
www.dentalhealthandnutritionblog.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalleyblog.com
www.jamesandkarenhoodfoundationblog.org
www.sjogrensblog.org
Online Store: www.dentalhealthandnutritionstore.com
Showers, Blossoms, Babies, and Bleach
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Greetings from the dental office! Spring has made its presence quite obvious outside lately. First crocus and now daffodils, forsythia, and magnolias are blooming here in the Spokane Valley. The rhubarb is up and trees all around us are budding out and ripe for a foliage explosion.
At our house, we have had 3 baby lambs and 4 baby goats born in the last 3 weeks, one new doeling last night. In the next two weeks, what will spring bring? I expect to see hummingbirds and serviceberry blossoms. Who will be the first to spot these landmarks of spring.
And, what are dental patients looking for? Well, as people do their spring cleaning inside the house and outside in the yard, to make the house and property look great, likewise, people want to have their smile look great also. Whiter teeth is a frequent request all year, but more so in the spring. Many people may be looking forward to graduation, reunions, weddings, and whiter teeth may be on their mind. But, whatever drives the desire, we can whiten teeth.
Just a couple caveats to consider before bleaching teeth:
- Whitening toothpastes are really a con – don’t buy into it. What is done during and after bleaching is a big determiner of success vs. failure.
- Teeth are covered with enamel rods. Despite the fact that enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, under an electron microscope enamel is quite porous. It looks like PVC pipe stacked in a pile, from the end you see all the tubes. When teeth are bleached, all the coffee, tobacco, tea, blueberry, etc. stains are cleaned out of those tubes. Following bleaching, the teeth reflect light better and look both whiter and brighter.
- Once teeth are bleached, those now clean tubules need to avoid all staining colored liquids, not forever, but for at least 2 weeks. This gives these newly bleached enamel rods a chance to fill in with clear fluid. This interim period must be gone through without cola, tea, coffee, huckleberry sauce, apple juice, etc. If you can’t give up coffee, tobacco, etc. for two weeks, don’t consider bleaching teeth. Anything with color can and will re-stain those freshly bleached tubules.
Ask your dentist about bleaching your teeth for a fresh spring smile.
Keep smiling,
Dr. James G. Hood
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Dental Care Associates of Spokane Valley, P.S.
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Welcomes Patients
from Age 2 to 102!
James G. Hood, D.D.S., M.A.
507 North Sullivan Road, Suite A-1
Spokane Valley, WA 99037-8576 USA
Phone: (509) 928-9100 | Fax: (509) 928-0414
Email: drhood@drhood.com
Websites: www.drhood.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalley.com
Blogs: www.drjamesghoodblog.com
www.dentalhealthandnutritionblog.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalleyblog.com
www.jamesandkarenhoodfoundationblog.org
www.sjogrensblog.org
Online Store: www.dentalhealthandnutritionstore.com
Greetings to all and a good Monday morning!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Today is the last day of winter, ending tonight at 10:14 pm. I hope everyone had a Happy St. Patrick’s Day, on Saturday, 3/17/12. It’s hard to get enough corned beef and cabbage…in my book.
And a bit of tooth trivia on this National Poultry Day, from the Spokane Regional Health District: Every March 19th, the swallows return to California’s Mission San Capistrano, after spending the winter in Argentina. Swallows, like all modern birds, have no teeth. They “chew” their food by swallowing tiny bits of gravel. The gravel chews the food internally. The last time that a bird-like creature could actually bite was about 90 million years ago.
My wife, son, and I went to visit Carroll College in Helena, Montana this past weekend. As a graduating senior, he is in search of the perfect fit for his college education. We were extremely impressed with the curriculum, professors, and campus. Located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, the setting was more beautifully pristine than any campus I had ever seen. The weather was clear and crisp and the students and faculty were warm and welcoming.
We toured the campus and visited all buildings. My son is considering pre-med as his initial direction and Carroll has an unmatched record for placement in Medical schools for graduating seniors from Northwest US colleges. The small size (1,500 students) and personalized student-to-faculty ratio (13:1) make it an excellent institution for higher education. The Carroll College fighting Saints have won the national title in football for their division 6 of the last 10 years. And, the ecumenical atmosphere in this diocesan college makes it appear that mental, physical, and spiritual growth is part and parcel of the learning process.
The six things that Carroll College and its faculty and staff aim to instill in its graduates are for them to:
- Continue learn and search for truth
- Develop and exercise thinking skills
- Become and practice effective communication
- Always see the connectedness in the world around us
- Always keep a focus on physical, emotional, and spiritual strength building
- Graduate with a sense of vocation and a willingness and desire to give back to the community.
I would encourage anyone seeking an excellent undergraduate education to consider Carroll College in Helena, Montana.
While in Helena, Montana’s capitol, we went to the Cathedral of St. Helena, the Capitol Building, and Montana Historical Museum. Of course we saw Indian artifacts, gold mining maps, Charlie Russell paintings, and bronzes, dinosaur bones, and a white buffalo. We also saw a giant mastodon tooth. Elephants have teeth like mastodons but have only four, which re-grow six times during their life.
Happy Spring!
Keep brushing and flossing,
Dr. James G. Hood
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Dental Care Associates of Spokane Valley, P.S.
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Welcomes Patients
from Age 2 to 102!
James G. Hood, D.D.S., M.A.
507 North Sullivan Road, Suite A-1
Spokane Valley, WA 99037-8576 USA
Phone: (509) 928-9100 | Fax: (509) 928-0414
Email: drhood@drhood.com
Websites: www.drhood.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalley.com
Blogs: www.drjamesghoodblog.com
www.dentalhealthandnutritionblog.com
www.dentalcareassociatesofspokanevalleyblog.com
www.jamesandkarenhoodfoundationblog.org
www.sjogrensblog.org
Online Store: www.dentalhealthandnutritionstore.com
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