Sometimes I would read things by older mothers when I was a younger mother with all tiny babies, things about how much easier things were for them now that their kids were older, and even though I sometimes allowed myself to imagine the days when I would be writing things like that, mostly I tried to keep a disinterested distance so as not to fall into a pit of despair (despite the fact that I had dreamed about and hoped for those baby days my whole life, and miss them terribly now that they’re gone!). Those years were just a lot of “one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.” It was such good work! Taking care of babies — taking care of anyone who can’t take care of themselves — is such good work. Many times I reminded myself that loving others in this way makes a real difference in the world, truly makes the world a better place, which is what we all want, right? But oh man. It is hard.

I think the very hardest days for me were when I wasn’t feeling well, whether because of pregnancy or illness. I’ve never been good at dealing with discomfort or pain; all I want to do is lay down and sleep until I feel better. I certainly do not want to get myself up to make food for others, or deal with potty issues, or change diapers. I definitely do not want to break up squabbles or deal with monitoring timeouts or feel endlessly guilty because I kept the TV on for the kids all day while I tried to rest. I don’t want to remind little people to do their homework, and I don’t want to deal with the unending laundry and dishes. 

I would count the seconds until my husband got home from work and could take over the majority of everything, but even then, I have so many memories of feeling absolutely rotten but still needing to nurse the baby, or of having to put the boy to bed who wouldn’t go peacefully for anyone but me. I have vivid memories of feeling so sore from feverish achiness but still I had babies and little boys draped on me, rubbing themselves all over my sensitive skin. (I will say that I was always grateful my little guys never seemed to care one bit if I wasn’t showered and if my clothes were dirty, they just wanted to be close to me.)

I’m actually writing this as I’m getting over a bug, which is probably why these kinds of memories are so fresh in my mind. This time, I’m the older mom writing about how, now that the kids are older, things are so much easier! Yesterday I could barely get out of bed, today I feel only a little better. But it’s been fine! Even my youngest can get himself something to eat and take himself to the bathroom, and he’s fantastic at playing contentedly with Legos for hours. It’s amazingly different from how it was even a year ago! Last year at this time, my youngest was still in diapers and still using a pacifier every second of the day and night. The truth of “long days and short years” never ceases to amaze me.

There are other things that have struck me as part of this new “older mom” life recently that I actually wrote down in a notebook so I wouldn’t forget: how I don’t have to worry about waking the baby up with flushing the toilet at night, or how I can put older boys in charge and run upstairs to take a shower instead of waiting all day for my husband to come home, or run out on an errand without getting everybody into boots and winter coats to do so. I saw a mom in line at the Starbucks at Target the other day — she had a bunch of little ones strapped into her cart and something about the whole thing made me think she’d gotten the kids all out of the house and into Target just for the coffee, which sounds insane from my current perspective but it only took me a minute to remember being in that very spot and thinking, “A nice coffee is exactly what will perk up my day right now, and I’m willing to get everyone dressed and out of the house just for that.” Those “long days and short years”!

Of course, now that things are easier — now that I can take care of myself the way I’d like to — I have other things to deal with, like how the longer I lay in bed or on the couch, the sorer my body feels. Or how the more rest I get during the day, the less peaceful my night will be. All of that is evidence to me that my ability to handle what I used to handle is greatly diminished — funny how that happens! I wouldn’t trade those earlier years for anything! But I’m becoming more and more peaceful with life the way it is now.

Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 18, 16, 14, 12, 11, 8, and 4. Email her at kmtowne23@gmail.com.

2022 was an incredibly difficult year for the economy and the markets. In fact, it was the worst year for US stock markets since 2008. Rapidly rising interest rates meant that there were few places to hide as an investor, since even fixed income funds sank due to interest rate pressure. 

The S&P 500, the most broadly used US index, ended the year down 20%, while the NASDAQ suffered a 33% loss, according to FactSet. You’ll be in good company if you open your December statement and find that your balance dropped in 2022.

Down years happen, and it’s something that every investor must accept. The question is: where do we go from here?

We think that the economy and markets will be impacted by several factors. The first of which will be the continued raising of interest rates by the Fed.

Caught flat-footed in early 2022, the Fed began a rapid series of interest rate increases in a desperate attempt to rein in rampant inflation, which resulted from the wanton subsidies and stimulus of the government’s pandemic response. Since interest rates are essentially the price of money, raising them should slow down economic activity, although it can be a messy and very imprecise process.

The goal of the Fed is to reduce inflation, while maintaining employment, and keeping the economy from crashing into recession. This is the so-called “soft landing”.

We expect continued interest rates increases through the first quarter of the year, and hope that, by then, the Fed will take a breather. The risk, since the Fed relies on prior-period data, is that it won’t know if it’s gone too far, until after it’s gone too far. 

Recent economic data shows inflation beginning to ease, while we still have full employment, and an economy that rebounded in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2022. One wonders, then, whether Jerome Powell would recognize a soft landing if it fell on him.

Internationally, we would be remiss if we didn’t give proper attention to the geopolitical risks facing the economy. 2022 saw much of the world deal with food, energy, and physical insecurities, all of which weighed heavily on economic activity. 

The war in Ukraine, which threatens to become a wider conflict, has weighed heavily on the region, and has likely pushed Europe into recession. Europe would deserve more credit for finding alternatives to Russian energy, if it hadn’t been so reliant on it in the first place. Its fate, and the fate of its markets in 2023, will likely be closely tied to events in Ukraine.

China’s somewhat manic departure from three years of zero-Covid has thrown the region into unknown territory. While the Chinese government has not issued official figures, many outside estimates indicate that a million citizens may die in just the first four months of 2023. The question will be whether, once the initial waves have passed through the population, the country will finally be able to get back to work, and will global supply gains finally normalize. 

The US is, by far, the largest and most diverse economy in the world. It is two-years removed from the brunt of the pandemic. It stands the greatest likelihood of staying resilient in the face of economic pressures, compared to most of the rest of the world. That said, we do believe opportunities exist international, especially if the dollar continues to come down from its 2022 highs.

We believe that inflation in the US has peaked and, barring being dragged into any major geopolitical issues, we believe the US markets stand a good chance of working toward a rebound in 2023.

This not to say that we think the NASDAQ will see the 50% increase it would need in order to recoup its 2022 losses, but we think the US economy continues to be resilient, and probably the best option for investors, relative to much of the rest of the world. We think that a US recession is still likely at some point in the not-too-distant future, however the ingredients are there to help make it fairly minor. 

Continue to work closely with your Certified Financial Planner® professional, as they help shepherd you through these uncertain times, and remember that markets ebb and flow and, while it’s impossible to say just when, we believe that the tide will come back in. Afterall, it always has.

Stephen Kyne CFP® is a Partner at Sterling Manor Financial in Saratoga Springs, and Rhinebeck.Securities offered through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Sterling Manor Financial, LLC, or Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc, SEC registered investment advisors. Sterling Manor Financial and Cadaret, Grant are separate entities.

A friend asked me recently who of the boys is the best at doing chores. I guess my definition of “best” would be “does what I ask without too much fussing” plus “does a really good job,” in which case I wouldn’t say that any of the boys rises to the top as consistently doing both, but they all basically do a fine job. 

I should also clarify that I don’t really assign regular chores. Here, it’s mostly a “this needs doing, and I’m telling you to do it” situation. The older boys are the ones we ask to do more heavy-lifting kinds of things and I try to play to their strengths. One of them kind of likes vacuuming, so he’s usually the one I ask to do that. I rotate between the older ones for washing and drying dishes. The big boys shovel for a neighbor, so the middle boys do the shoveling for our house. Taller boys are asked to bring the garbage cans up from the street after garbage pick-up; the strongest boys are asked to carry heavy things upstairs or downstairs. The younger boys are asked to do different things: pick up all the Legos off the floor and put them back in their bin; put all the toys back in the closet; find all the dirty socks in the house and put them by the washer machine. And of course, there are the things they all need to do: put their clothes away, rake the yard, bring in groceries from the van.

All that said, there is something that they all regularly amaze me with: they all seem to really enjoy participating in what they call “a deep clean,” and deep cleans are often done spontaneously by them, without me asking them to! 

For example, I’ve been watching my eight-year-old grow into the kind of boy who seems to enjoy spending his time deep cleaning certain areas of the house. Over the past few months, he has happily spent an hour or two in the front room and entryway, all on his own, getting things straightened up, throwing out garbage, sweeping up dirt and crumbs. He’s done the same in the toy closet, which is a large walk-in closet with four large shelves whose contents are usually all over the floor of the closet and spilling into the room. And I regularly find him cleaning and rearranging his desk. He inspires me!

It can’t go unmentioned that the original spontaneous deep cleaner in our house was our oldest — before he was old enough to work, he would make a summer project out of deep cleaning certain areas of the house. He set a great example for his younger brothers, not only the eight-year-old, but the others as well. My twelve-year-old has said to me several times recently that when school gets out for Christmas break, he wants us all to spend the first couple days cleaning the house so that it’s nice for Christmas, and when he says he wants “us all” to do it, he’s totally including himself. Others of the boys have chimed in, agreeing — they all want a clean house for Christmas and don’t mind doing what needs to be done in the forty-eight hours leading up to it to make it happen. They’ve said similar things before Thanksgiving and Easter for the past couple of years, and I can see that we’ve fallen into a nice every-few-months team-deep-clean. Every time we do, we all sit around happily in our clean spaces, enjoying the tranquility before life messes the house
up again. 

I myself prefer to do almost anything else to cleaning — I’m happy to take care of my family in all other ways (cooking, chauffeuring, doing laundry, grocery shopping, meal planning, working, taking care of sick people, helping with homework, reading to children, meeting with teachers, handling doctor appointments, etc., etc., etc.) — so I’m extra grateful for children who mostly do what I ask them to do chore-wise with a basic semblance of acceptability, and I feel completely undeserving of children that choose to spend free time and vacation time helping me get the house in order at an even deeper level. I love the feeling of “we’re all in this together” that working on the house this way creates.

So if any children or young adults are reading this, consider cleaning your house for your parents as a Christmas present — if they’re anything like me, they’ll be thrilled! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, and 4. Email her at kmtowne23@gmail.com.

Doctors of chiropractic are experts in addressing musculoskeletal conditions without the use of drugs or surgery. While best known for spinal manipulation, chiropractors may use a variety of evidence-based therapies to help their patients. Some DCs are even trained in acupuncture or work in integrative clinics where acupuncture is provided, giving patients access to two of the most effective non-drug approaches to pain management.

If acupuncture is on the list of your doctor’s services, here’s what you should know—including what it entails, conditions it may help treat, and who should avoid this type of treatment.

What Is Acupuncture?

During acupuncture, hair-like needles are inserted into specific points in the body to achieve various therapeutic effects. One of its effects is the release of tight muscles, making it easier for patients to move. Acupuncture also stimulates the release of certain hormones in the brain, providing benefits for some medical conditions.

Conditions Acupuncture Can Treat

One of the conditions treated by acupuncture is pain. Acupuncture has a profound effect on pain. It causes the brain to release some of the body’s natural pain relievers. That makes it a way to get pain relief without taking addictive medications. And it can be used for pain that exists in one area of the body (called local pain) or pain that is more widespread (systemic or chronic pain).

For chronic pain, you get a beneficial effect because you’re altering the brain chemistry. This has been supported by research using MRI images. When you induce pain, certain pain centers in the brain light up on functional MRIs, when you needle the patient, they turn off.

In addition to traditional body acupuncture, there are specific microsystems utilized in acupuncture. Acupuncture administered to the head (called scalp acupuncture) can be beneficial for treating neurological and psychological conditions, even helping to resolve addictions. Acupuncture performed on the ear (auricular acupuncture) can help you stop smoking and ease withdrawal from drugs.

Acupuncture also works very well for people who experience post-chemotherapy neuropathy. In fact, most cancer institutes have incorporated acupuncture as part of their treatment programs.

Acupuncture vs. Dry Needling: What’s the Difference?

Sometimes acupuncture is confused with dry needling, but they aren’t the same thing. In dry needling, the needles are longer and placed based on myofascial trigger points, which are the same trigger points targeted when patients get a cortisone shot.

Dry needling is the exact same thing without shooting in the cortisone. You needle the trigger point to get the muscle to twitch and release. Studies have shown that results are similar between dry needling and injection, which shows that the benefits come from inserting the needle into the muscle.

This makes dry needling good for musculoskeletal complaints that involve a restriction in movement, such as frozen shoulder, neck pain and back pain. But it’s also helpful if you’ve experienced trauma to the muscle, whether through a sports injury, a car accident, or due to a medical condition like arthritis.

Who Should Avoid Acupuncture?

Despite acupuncture’s many benefits, this treatment isn’t right for everyone. A proper case history and examination must be performed to determine if the patient is a candidate for acupuncture. Taking blood thinners or having recent joint replacement surgery might be contraindications for treatment.

Some medical conditions require you to avoid acupuncture over certain regions of the body, like lymphedema, complex regional pain (CPRS), or cancer.

Combining Acupuncture and Chiropractic

While acupuncture and chiropractic services are two different treatments, they can be used together to potentially provide greater benefit.

What to Expect

One concern that many have is, “Does acupuncture hurt?” Not if it’s done properly. Ancient Chinese proverbs describe it as “less than a mosquito bite.” You might feel a little bit of discomfort, but most patients find the experience relaxing.

The needles used for acupuncture are much smaller than those used for injections—or about the thickness of a hair. That allows them to enter the body without causing the same discomfort you might experience when getting a shot.

Each acupuncture session generally lasts between 15 and 30 minutes and you should begin to feel its benefits after just a few treatments. Talk to your chiropractor to learn what options exist for your medical condition or concerns.

Potential Side Effects

The risks of acupuncture treatment are minimal. The most common side effects are drowsiness, minor bleeding or bruising, or a temporary increase in symptoms. Some people feel more energetic after an acupuncture session.

Serious adverse side effects are rare. Fainting is also a rare occurrence following needling. This is the same response that causes people to faint at the sight of blood and is due to an overactive nervous system (vasovagal response).

The risk of infection is low if you are receiving acupuncture anywhere in the Western hemisphere. The sterile needles are used only once and then discarded.

How to Pick an Acupuncture Practitioner

If your chiropractor offers acupuncture, this is a good place to start. Otherwise, look for a practitioner that is licensed in your state and has experience treating your type of problem.

Dr. Matt Smith has been a Chiropractor in Saratoga Springs for 36 years. He and his daughter Dr. Kevy Smith Minogue can be reached at 518-587-2064 or at MySaratogaChiropractor.com.

A Day Full of Holiday Cheer

Friday, December 16

Sponsored by Highmark

• 11 a.m. Member Meeting & Building Update

There are a lot of rumours flying around about the building and our move. Come to the meeting for the latest news and get your questions answered.

• 12-2 p.m. Holiday Gift Wrap

 Hate to wrap? Bring in your gifts and we will wrap them for you!

• 1:30 p.m. Holiday Lunch Buffet $10

BBQ Chicken, Mashed Potatos, and more. RSVP required. Call the Front Desk.

• 2-3 p.m. Decorate Holiday Cookies

Member Holiday Party

Wednesday, December 21 • 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. • $8

Sponsored by Aetna

RSVP required. Call the Front Desk. 

• Live music by Jay Yager & Chris Dollard.

• Guest appearance by Kelsey Dodd.

• Buffet prepared by Prime at Saratoga National.

• Have you been naughty or nice? Santa will be here…

Holiday Sing-A-Long

Friday, December 23 • 1:30-2:30 p.m.Holiday music with Garland Nelson. A well known and loved Saratoga staple, Garland will get us all in the spirit.

The Joy of Food!
Eat Drink & Be Merry 

Dinner with The Olde Bryan 

Tuesday, December 13 • 5:30 p.m.
$12 per dinner. Chicken Cordon Blue. 

PaL’s Meals To Go  

3:30-5:30 p.m. Curbside Pick Up
$12 per dinner. 

Tuesday, December 6: Lasagna
Place order by Friday, December 2.

Tuesday, December 20: Chicken Picatta with Ziti Place order by Friday, December 16.

Continental Breakfast

Wednesday, December 28 • 9-10 a.m. 

Free. Start your day with friends, laughter and good food. Sponsored by Albany Guardian Society

 What’s New This Month!

Zentangle Art Program
facilitated by Katie Long

Thursday, December 15 • 2 p.m. • $5 

Make a holiday card and ornament with Zentangle. Zentangle is an American method for drawing, which pro-motes concentration and creativity and increases personal well-being.   

Chinese and American Mahjong

Thursdays • 1-4 p.m.

New players welcome! Mahjong is fun and enormously popular, a classic Chinese game of strategy, skill, and summation.

Bridge Has Started!  

Mondays • 1-4 p.m.

We have had many members ask about starting bridge back up.  So if you are interested in playing, come to the Center on Mondays and let’s get the games rolling again.  

Van Trips
Sponsored By Zieker Eye

Troy Savings Bank – Carl Gutkowski & James Fitzwilliam, Classical Flute & Piano

Tuesday, December 13 • Music at Noon

Carl Gutowski is a flutist based in the Hudson Valley and Cape Cod who performs regularly in solo and chamber music settings. James Fitzwilliam is a Hudson Valley pianist, organist and composer. He has served as Organist at Christ Episcopal Church in Poughkeepsie. Lunch at the Latham Diner following the performance. Pay $10 at signup. Concert is free. Bring money for lunch.  Leave the Center at 10:45am. Return about 3 p.m. 

Holiday Lighted Nights at Washington County Fairground

Thursday, December 15

The Holiday Lighted Nights flicker on at the Fairgrounds for its drive-thru holiday cheer. Enjoy close to two miles of large-scale holiday light displays, from Santa Clauses to North Pole scenes.  Pay $10 at sign up. Bring  additional money for snacks. Leave the Center at 3:45 p.m. Return about 6:30 p.m.

Lunch Bunch – Fo’Castle Farm

Tuesday, December 20

FoCastle Country store brings you back to a sweeter time… when neighbors gathered on the front porch while fireflies lit up the night sky.  Come back to that time and experience unique gifts that inspire the soul and life the spirit. Pay $10 at  ign up. Bring  additional money for lunch and shopping. Leave the Center at 9:30 a.m. Shop first then have lunch at the cafe. Return about 2:30 p.m.

One of the most popular New Year resolutions is to get your financial house in order. Understanding your finances, learning about the steps you should be taking, and then putting an action plan to work, are critical steps toward that worthwhile resolution. This is where hiring a financial advisor can make all the difference. 

When you’re thinking about hiring a financial advisor, it’s important that you do your due diligence to help make sure you and your advisor are well matched. Ideally, you and your advisor are both looking to establish a very long-term relationship, and part of that involves being very open and honest about your expectations, and asking probing questions. It’s also very important that your advisor be forthcoming with their expectations. Be sure to include the following questions in your vetting process. 

1. Are you a fiduciary? 

An advisor who is a fiduciary is legally required to put your interests ahead of their own, and ahead of the interests of their employer.

2. How are you compensated?

There are a few compensation models in the industry, and you have a right to know how you will be paying for the services you will receive. 

Commission Based – This “eat what you kill” compensation model means that your advisor only gets paid when a transaction takes place, and it had been the traditional model for decades. It has fallen out of favor with both clients and advisors because of the obvious conflict of interest it presents. 

Fee Based – Most advisors now operate under a fee-based structure. What this means is that they charge a stated fee for providing advice, as opposed to earning a sales commission. This fee is often a percentage of the assets they manage, but could also be hourly depending on the scope of work. Since the fee is assessed as a percentage of your balance, it changes as your accounts grow or shrink, and you and your advisor now have the same goal; to be careful stewards of your assets over time.  

Because certain important products, like life insurance, are inherently commission-based, a fee-based advisor has the latitude to provide these solutions as well. Here, again, it is important to understand if the advisor is a fiduciary.

3. Are you independent?

It’s important to consider whether the advisor works for a company with proprietary products to sell. Generally this will be common with insurance and mutual fund companies. Even with the best intentions, your advisor may be limited to, or incentivized for using, their employer’s products.

When the only tool in your toolbelt is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail. An independent advisor will generally have access to a universe of products, and be beholden only to you.  

4. Are you, or members of your team, a CFP®?

A Certified Financial Planner® professional is an advisor who has been through a rigorous education and examination process beyond the regular licensing requirements for the industry. A CFP® has demonstrated a level of proficiency across a wide range of planning topics, and has committed to a higher code of ethics. If your advisor is not a CFP® it could be beneficial to you that they are, at least, working directly with one in formulating their recommendations.

5. How much education can I expect from you?

The financial industry is full of jargon and acronyms. Every client has a different level of financial experience, and a good advisor will act as an educator to make sure you understand their recommendations. Most advisors don’t intend to talk over your head, but if you find them using language that you’re not familiar with, don’t be shy about asking for terms to be defined or strategies to be better explained. 

Good communication is the cornerstone of any relationship, and it’s crucial that you and your advisor are speaking the same language.  

6. How long have you been in practice?

There is no substitute for experience. Every advisor can look like a rock star during good times, but it’s important to know that they have been battle-tested and have the temperament to keep their head even if you’re losing yours, when volatility strikes.  In order to help shepherd you through the inevitable periods of uncertainty, they need to have been there before, and know the way through. 

Your relationship with your financial advisor can be the key to your financial success. It’s important that you feel comfortable asking them any questions, and that you’re satisfied with the answers they provide. When you find a good match, work closely with your advisor, and you’ll be well on your way to keeping your New Year resolution.  

Stephen Kyne CFP® is a Partner at Sterling Manor Financial in Saratoga Springs, and Rhinebeck.Securities offered through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Sterling Manor Financial, LLC, or Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc, SEC registered investment advisors. Sterling Manor Financial and Cadaret, Grant are separate entities.