The Evolution of the Department of Veterans Affairs

The Department of Veterans Affairs officially began in 1776. Created by the Continental Congress to provide pensions to soldiers in the Revolutionary War, the Department traces its roots back to the Plymouth Colony in 1636, and has provided American veterans with an ever-expanding package of benefits and health care services.

After the US Congress expanded and consolidated veterans’ services in 1924 and in 1928, President Herbert Hoover signed into law Executive Order 5398 in 1930 and promoted the Veterans Bureau to a federal administration. This created the Veterans Administration, which was an even more consolidated and expansive veterans’ benefits program. Smaller parts of the Veterans Bureau, such as the National Homes and the Pension Bureau, also joined the Administration. Brigadier General Frank T. Hines became the first Administrator of the modern Department of Veterans Affairs.

World War II brought many more soldiers to Veterans Affairs, with Congress passing laws providing veterans with more services, the most famous of which was the GI Bill, which allowed returning soldiers to attend college tuition-free and receive federal home loans. The VA administered the benefits from the GI Bill, signed into law on June 22, 1944. Scholars now argue that the GI Bill has affected the American way of life more than any law since the Homestead Act of 1862.

Susan M. Taylor is proud to be a part of the history of the Department of Veterans Affairs. She was the Deputy Chief Procurement Officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, for four and a half years before she retired in November 2014.

How to Safely Store Your Civil War Artifacts

Creating a good environment to store your Civil War artifacts in is an important aspect of preserving your treasures. There are certain things that you need to be aware of when storing your artifacts because each artifact responds differently depending on the environment where it is kept. Paper and textile artifacts are especially sensitive to moisture and temperature changes. Paper and textile will physically respond to humidity and temperature change, thus affecting the condition and value of the artifact.

The wrong environmental conditions will have a negative effect on your artifact. Certain conditions may create harmful chemical reactions, encourage the growth of mold, and increase the activity and presence of insects in and around your artifacts. Visible signs of damage, including cockling, which is the distortion and rippling of paper, warping in book covers, for example, or foxing, which is when reddish-brown spots start to appear on textile and paper. Avoiding damages is simple.

There are a number of safe places to store your artifacts. You can store your artifacts under a bed as long as everything is kept covered and in a box. You could also store artifacts on high shelves in finished basements because finished basements have a more controlled temperature and humidity level. Do not use high shelves if they are placed alongside exterior concrete walls. If you have smaller boxes of artifacts, then you could keep those at the back of a bookshelf or in a closet that is built within interior walls.

Susan M. Taylor is a Civil War artifact and art collector.

Tips for Beginner Tennis Players

Tennis is a very enjoyable sport that can be played leisurely and competitively. The movement and technique are very natural to your body although there are certain technical aspects of the game that every beginner tennis player will struggle with. Here are three tips that every beginner level tennis player should consider when taking up tennis.

•          It isn't a bad idea to invest in tennis lessons. There is only so much that you can read online and practice yourself or with your friends, but if you want to improve as a tennis player, it's best to take some classes. Having a knowledgeable teacher work on technique and movement with you will go a long way in improving your overall tennis skills. Tennis lessons don't have to be expensive, and you can take up to five as a crash course of you want.

•          Learn the lingo that is used on a tennis court. For example when someone says “love” that means zero, points go up from 15 to 30 to 40, when you are tied at 40 it is called “deuce,” all matches are played in set and to win a set you need to win six games.

•          Learn the different names for the strokes. Forehand is a swing that if you are right handed, is when you open up your body and swing from your right side, and the opposite if you are left-handed. Backhand is when a right handed players swings from the left side of his or her body. A serve is how you put the ball in play, a drop shot is when you hit a ball that lands right in front of the net on your opponent's side, and a lob is when you lift the ball over the head of our opponent.

Susan M. Taylor has been playing tennis for close to 40 years.

Three Things Every Puppy Needs to Know After Three Months of Training

Puppies are a bundle of joy to a household, however, training the will be exhausting and frustrating at times. No matter what though, you cannot give up because the training process will tighten the bond between you and your dog and it will be rewarding for both of you. Here are three things every puppy should know or start learning by the age of three months and older.

·         Your puppy needs to be able to inside a gate or your house when the door is open, and only go through when you tell him or her to do so. This is important because it teaches your dog to not run away, but it also teaches your dog to not chase you when you are leaving and to not chase other dogs or animals. This has much to do with respect as well.

·         Teaching your dog the word "quiet" is important depending on your dog. Some dogs have the tendency to bark often and at everything. It's okay for your dog to bark because it is a natural instinct. However, you should train your dog to not bark at every person who walks by your house. Teaching your dog "quiet" will prevent this behavior.

·         Teaching your dog the words “give” and “drop” are important. Like most training tips, this has a lot to do with teaching your dog to respect you. Those words could also be important for safety reasons as well.

Susan M. Taylor has years of experience training and breeding dogs. In 2003 and 2004 she was the owner of the No. 2 nationally ranked female Bearded Collie.