A Special Section Focusing On Arts and Recreation
Keeping rhythm in retirement BY EMILY HEDGES
he same characteristic that makes Jim Shultis an accomplished dancer made him successful running his own advertising agency for 35 years: he’s always one step ahead. Whether its moving his partner into a spin with a subtle turn of the wrist, or producing radio and television commercials, Shultis always knows what he’s doing. That’s why finding himself in retirement without a plan left the 68-year-old Eden Prairie resident searching for the next move. “My wife and I had retirement plans. We were going to get a place in Hawaii, or maybe travel the world. But when she passed, my whole life changed,” said Shultis. A few years following his wife’s battle with cancer, he decided to sell his advertising agency. “I knew I had to find myself all over again.”
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He found retirement a difficult reality after being active throughout his life. “When I got off the merry-go-round, I was all alone. It’s strange not having anyone with you. It’s the social energy you miss the most.” Shultis decided the first thing he needed to do was start exercising again, something he had always done earlier in his life. A trainer at Lifetime Fitness got him on the right track. It wasn’t long before his new, active lifestyle led him to the passion that would define the next phase of his life: dance. “I always loved to dance, but my own steps, never a specific routine,” he said. A friend Rhythm Continued on page 2
Eden Prairie resident Jim Shultis is an advertising executive and an accomplished dancer.
2 Mature Lifestyles – Thursday, April 19, 2012 – www.MinnLocal.com
Rhythm Continued from page 1 introduced him to Social Dance Studio located in South Minneapolis. He clicked with owners Joy Davina and Todd Paulus, who initially taught him Salsa. He has since added West Coast Swing, Waltz, and even Dirty Dancing to his repertoire. “All of a sudden, it gets in your body and things just click,” said Shultis. “I don’t know how, my body understands it.” It’s hard for Shultis to pick a favorite kind of dance, because he enjoys so many. But when it comes to music, it’s all about move and groove. “I have good rhythm, so I like songs that are heavy rhythm. Now that’s my kind of music,” he said.
He loves to dance West Coast Swing to artists like the Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson, and says that for Dirty Dancing there’s nothing like the Blues. “It’s the old bump and grind thing. I feel the rhythm. It’s in my body,” he said. “Dancing is great for the mind, and it keeps the body intact,” said Shultis. However, it’s the social energy he gets from dancing that he loves the most. “I like being with people. We laugh, we learn, we have fun, and that's what it's all about,” he said. “The feeling you get when you move together with your partner and glide across the dance floor in perfect harmony is something to experience.” Social Dance Studio offers a number of different Latin dances, Ballroom, Swing, Argentine Tango and even
In a recent survey, we asked our customers to describe the care their loved one receives at Emerald Crest, here is what they said:
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Zumba. They have day classes in Waltz, Foxtrot, Swing and Latin geared for seniors. “I take a combination of day classes, night class and two private lessons a week. Seems one cannot get enough of a good thing.” Shultis may have begun his retirement without a clear plan, but he’s made up for it, accomplishing a “bucket list” of endeavors he’d always dreamed of. When he’s not moving across the dance floor, he’s exploring every corner of the globe, and using his talent for writing and movie making to record it for future generations. He self-published two books, “Tales from the Wild Side,” and produced the movie, “Tanzania, the Wild Side.” He’s gone on a number of Safari's to Africa, explored Alaska, the Yukon, British Columbia, remote parts
of New Zealand, Argentina, and secluded parts of Hawaii. “My books and movies are somewhat of a snapshot of who I am. They capture my adventures, in my own words and photos, to be passed on for generations,” said Shultis. “I feel one's spirit will always stay alive every time people read about you. Shultis is now an advocate for living retirement with as much passion and energy as you put into your working life. “When people transition, they need to have a plan of action based on your hobbies, interests and the things you love. Don’t sit around. You’ve got to get your body active. It’s a whole new life. It’s time to really enjoy what you have and keep going for it.”
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Everyone has a story to tell
BY EMILY HEDGES Remember a time you were embarrassed, or a time you failed? What job did you love? What was your best friend like? Helping memories emerge that might not have seen the light of day in decades, or ever, is the purpose behind the City of Eagan’s new workshop, Life Stories: Memories into Memoirs. “We’re not trying to write whole life stories. It’s about capturing memories,” said David Coward, storyteller, genealogist and librarian who will teach the workshop. “None of us is here forever. Our stories will continue to live if they are in writing.” Coward has worked in public and academic libraries for over 20 years, the last five years with the Dakota County Library system at the Wescott branch in Eagan. He is primarily a children’s librarian, but has a passion for storytelling for all ages. “Children are regularly given the opportunity to hear and tell stories, but adults are not,” said Coward. “I approached Loudi, and her enthusiasm was infectious.” Loudi Rivamonte, recreation supervisor for the City of Eagan, knew from surveys and feedback that residents, especially seniors, would be open to a workshop like this. “Many people have no idea where to start. They have collections of things, with no idea how to go from oral to written, or written to oral,” she said. David Coward, storyteller, genealogist and librarian
Finding the right prompt is the way to get someone talking. This is how Coward hopes to help students access specific memories and find a particular story to tell. “Most folks already remember this and that story from Grandma. I want to encourage the ones you haven’t heard before,” he said. “How many have ever been asked, ‘Grandma, tell us about your life?’ It’s better to start with, ‘Tell me about the home you grew up in,’” for example. Coward already teaches a two-hour basic course with the library on how to use online resources to uncover family history and genealogy. “The census figures and other documents are like the skeleton, with names, places and dates, etc.,” he said. “The stories are the part that flesh it out and bring our ancestors to life.” The structure of the workshop will be informal. “I want to create a space where folks can tell their stories in a safe setting. The intent of the course is to get people comfortable with it,” said Coward. The two-part workshop will begin on May 14 when participants are encouraged to recall and share story images. Coward will then ask students to take those ideas and comments received during class home and put them into writing to be shared during the May 21 class. For anyone who is hesitant to register because
Memoirs Continued on page 4
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Memoirs Continued from page 3 they’ve never written creatively before, Coward encourages them to give it a try. “We try to meet everyone at their particular area of need,” he said. “I hope we do get people who have never written before. The only skill required is remembering.” While some people might want to write with the intention of
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becoming a best seller, Coward says that is not most people’s goal. “Our stories are our gift to the future,” he said. “For those who have a story they want to pass on, it’s a way to connect with those who have gone before us.” These stories are what give meaning to life, although he knows that appreciation for family history sometimes takes years to acquire. “A lot of people get discouraged because they think no one cares. I
love this quote from my son: ‘I know it’s interesting, Dad. I’ll be getting interested in about 30 years,’” said Coward. Life Stories: Memories into Memoirs is a two-day workshop held on May 14 and 21, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. in the Eagan Community Center Lone Oak Room. The cost is $3 per person for refreshments. Register by May 9 by calling (652) 675-5500. Space is limited to 15 students. For anyone interested in learn-
ing how to begin basic genealogy research, Coward will present the free class, “Family History on the Internet” on April 24, 2-4 p.m. at the Wescott Library. Registration begins April 10. Call 651-450-2900 for more information. On April 25, he will be the guest speaker at a potluck from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in Eagan’s Municipal Center, Eagan Room, where he will answer questions on genealogy resources, his class offerings and the importance of storytelling.
Hobbies for the golden years
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Whether retirement is on the horizon or has already begun, more free time equates to an increased opportunity to fill your days with enjoyable activities. Individuals facing busy schedules are often forced to push hobbies to the sidelines, as more pressing things, such as a job, household responsibilities, and parenting tasks, are accomplished. Once retirement arrives, a newfound freedom in your schedule may occur, and there can be plenty of hours to devote to the hobbies and pastimes you find enjoyable. According to research, hobbies can have many benefits. They may serve as an emotional outlet or a way to relax. Hobbies can keep the mind and hands active. They also allow for quiet time and mind wandering — which can free up creative thinking. Hobbies can also serve as a means to connecting with people and opening up new groups of friends. There are many hobbies you can consider, depending on physical health and abilities. These may be hobbies you once enjoyed in the past or new activities to expand your horizons. And hobbies need not be crafty in the traditional sense, just about any activity — even being a mentor — can be a form of a hobby.
Starting a hobby When deciding on a hobby, you can first take an inventory of your skills and interests. If you have always been handy around wood and construction, perhaps a woodworking hobby will be enjoyable and also may work as a source of income revenue. Other activities that require the use of the hands and mind include knitting, needlepoint, painting, puzzles, quilting, scrapbooking, and crocheting. These can keep the mind active and improve dexterity and fine motor skills. Next, you may want to consider the costs surrounding a hobby. While something like taking photos may have relatively low costs, collectibles, exotic sports, sports cars, and travel could become expensive. It’s important to weight the costs against your finances to ensure that you will be financially comfortable while engaging in this particular hobby. Explore what your friends are doing. If you want to get into a new hobby, ask neighbors and friends what they do to keep busy — and try it out. You just may find that you’re naturally inclined to do this type of activity and enjoy it. Visit a local hobby shop or craft store and browse through the aisles. See where your attention is drawn and give that activity a try. From building model trains to cultivating an herb garden, there are dozens of ideas to try.
Other pastimes A hobby can take the form of volunteer work, teaching, mentoring, joining a martial arts class, taking classes at a college, and even caring for a pet. If you are the type who likes to interact with other people instead of engaging in a solitary hobby, consider one of these types of activities instead. Once a hobby is started, it is not set in stone. If you find you do not feel motivated to do this hobby, try something else. Remember, the days are now yours to fill, so maximize time spent with activities you can enjoy.
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www.MinnLocal.com – Thursday, April 19, 2012– Mature Lifestyles 5
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This offer is free of charge and you are under no obligation. These computerized digital hearing instruments use the latest microtechnology. It’s so small, it hides out of sight, while it performs millions of precise calculations to provide you with the most natural sound quality available today. This technology has been proven to improve speech understanding while reducing background noise.
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Raspberry royalty with a side of pickle(ball) BY EMILY HEDGES llan and Judy Johnson of Hopkins, 2010-2011 Raspberry Festival Senior King and Queen, have a new domain: the pickleball court. Their scepter is a slightly oversized pingpong paddle; their robes are waterwicking; their royal wave is a wicked backhand. For the couple that loves to be on the go, pickleball is the latest passion that gives their active lifestyle its flavor. A cross between ping-pong, tennis and badminton, pickleball is played with two or four people on a smaller court, both indoors and outdoors, using a paddle to volley a
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wiffleball across the net. “It’s caught on like wildfire in Hopkins and lots of other places,” said Allan. He points out that while it’s mostly seniors who play at the community center, it’s also becoming popular in some high schools. The sport was born at the home of Joel Pritchard, Congressman from the State of Washington, in the summer of 1965. They wanted to play badminton but couldn’t find the shuttlecock. They used a whiffleball instead, lowered the badminton net a bit and cut paddles from plywood. The name was
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Pickleball Continued on page 6 The benefits of hearing aids vary by type and degree of hearing loss, noise environment, accuracy of hearing evaluation and proper fit. CMYK
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Pickleball Continued from page 5 coined by his wife, Joan, who said the game reminded her of the “pickle boat” in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the scraps of other boats. The popular story is that it was named for the family dog, Pickles, who would chase down the balls, but, in fact, the dog was named after the game. Although it began in the backyard, pickleball is now an organized sport represented by national and international governing bodies. The United States Pickleball Association estimates that more than 100,000 Americans participate in the sport that is becoming popular around the world. Debbie Vold, assistant coordinator for the Hopkins Activity Center, said pickleball started in Hopkins after one of her coworkers saw it played while on vacation in Michigan. They began
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offering it in September of 2011, and it became an immediate hit with members. “It’s a fun indoor or outdoor game that is not quite as intense as tennis, that’s why people like it,” said Vold. “I love to tease them about it. I tell them they’re addicted to it, which is a good thing.” Pickleball players might be serious about making time to play, but they aren’t serious about winning. “Some people like to compete, but most just do it for fun,” said Allan. “If we make mistakes, we laugh about it. If we miss a shot or hit it out, we’ll just laugh and say, ‘Oh darn it!’” Judy began playing pickleball first and introduced it to Allan.
She also got him involved in their other passion: kayaking. “A friend rented one on the St. Croix and oh my word, we went out and bought them,” said Judy. “Now there’s a good 15 or 20 of us that go on trips.” As with pickleball, kayaking is just about having fun. “We have horns on our kayaks like a bike,” said Allan. “We squirt each other with squirt guns and have picnic lunches.” The Johnsons also find time to bike, hike, cross-country ski and camp. Allan sings in a barbershop quartet called the Clip Tones and performs all over the area in nursing homes, churches and senior facilities. He also sings and emcees for a group of senior women called the Satin Dolls.
‘It was a chance in a lifetime. We met a lot of people. We’re so glad we did it.’
Last year, Allan and Judy were named the 2010-11 Raspberry Festival Senior King and Queen. “I grew up here in Hopkins. We had to wait till we were 67 to be King and Queen,” said Judy. “It was a chance in a lifetime. We met a lot of people. We’re so glad we did it.” Judy and Allan both understand that staying active is the key for staying young. “It’s important to maintain our health as were getting older, not only for weight, but muscles and joints,” said Judy. “Plus, we love the interaction with people. We’re both outdoors people.” The Hopkins Activity Center, located at 33-14th Avenue North, encourages seniors to come and learn to play pickleball. Court times are Monday, 1:30 p.m.; Tuesday, 11:30 a.m.; Wednesday, 3:15 p.m.; and Thursday 5-7:30 p.m. For more information, call (952) 939-1333 or go to www.hopkinsmn.com/activitycenter.
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www.MinnLocal.com – Thursday, April 19, 2012– Mature Lifestyles 7
Extending retirement savings through your golden years The good news: We’re all living longer. The bad news: We’re all going to have to come up with a way to pay our living expenses for our longer lives. How do you make sure your retirement income lasts as long as you do? There’s a fine line between spending enough, but not too much, according to the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. Careful budgeting and planning helped you develop your retirement nest egg. Continued budgeting and planning can help you enjoy your retirement just like you planned. How much can I spend? You’ve worked diligently to build your 401(k) plan over the years and now it’s time to start drawing on it. There is no limit on what you can withdraw from your 401(k), but limiting the withdrawal rate is the best way to make the money last.
The first step is to design a lifestyle that you are looking to live in retirement. This will require coordination with the other people in your life to discuss the various options. The next step is to calculate all of your sources of inflows available to you in retirement (pensions, investment assets) and all of your required outflows (expenses, liabilities). Don’t forget that if you withdraw money from your 401(k) before you reach age 59 1/2, you could be subject to a 10 percent penalty from the IRS. All of the money that you take out of your 401(k) is also taxable as ordinary income. The next step is to see if the numbers work. Are the projected inflows sufficient to cover the outflows? If so, then you are on your way. If not, then you are back to step one and the desired lifestyle will
have to be adjusted to meet your specific situation. In order to make the numbers work, you’ll probably need to revamp the budget you created when you were still working. What has changed? Maybe you’re about to pay off your mortgage. Perhaps you need to remove some business expenses, such as dry cleaning, lunches at restaurants and downtown parking, and replace them with new expenses you foresee. Your financial planner can be very helpful in this effort. Ongoing cash and investment management are important You got to where you are by creating a budget and sticking to it. Don’t stop now. Once you establish your new budget, you will have to be diligent. Be ready to alter your plans as conditions change. Some financial planning experts advocate covering your expenses solely with your interest
and investment income to ensure you don’t outlive your money. When you are examining different scenarios for the long term, don’t forget about inflation. Free online tools and calculators can assist you in calculating alternatives for how long you might live, inflation, market changes and other variable factors. Examining these potential changes can help you see how spending decisions now can help you down the road. A CPA can help Once you’ve started drawing on your retirement funds, it’s very important to continue to keep a close eye on your investments. Does your portfolio need to be rebalanced? Make sure the structure of your portfolio will continue to cover your needs over time. For more retirement planning advice, consult your CPA. To locate a CPA, visit www.mncpa.org/referral.
Assisted living. Exceptional lifestyle. Be assured. Nine Mile Creek Senior Living is here for enriching senior living today and if you ever need extra help in the future. Our gracious apartments give you a maintenance-free lifestyle, and if needed, assisted living is available in every apartment, tailored for each person’s needs: A Refreshing Lifestyle with · Registered nurse health assessments Assurance for the Future · 24-hour health and personal care 2301 Village Lane · Spacious, private apartment Bloomington · Three delicious meals each day · Emergency call pendant On the corner of Old Shakopee Road and Penn Avenue in Bloomington. · Housekeeping and laundry · Scheduled transportation 952-888-0731 Select, affordable studio apartments and respite www.NineMileSenior.com care are now available! follow us on You and your family are invited to join us for a Developed by GRECO, LLC. Managed by Ebenezer Management Services. complimentary lunch. Call us today! Respite Care · Assisted Living · Memory Care · Senior Living with Services CMYK
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★★★ ★★
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Heritage of Edina is proud to present its 5-star senior/assisted living community.
Dear Maria, Just a note of appreciation to you and your staff for taking such good care of Leonard Granzow during his residency at the Tiffany Building. This is my third relative who has resided at Heritage over the past five plus years, and I can’t say enough for the care given to each of them. I find it hard to understand the bad press that is given to other facilities. I’m sure some of it is warranted, but because I have never experienced it at Heritage I find it hard to comprehend. Your personnel are so accommodating! Mary Sandahl has been very supportive to us whenever we needed information, checking with his doctors for medications, or just personally checking on Leonard. I know that is supposed to happen and is all part of the job description, but when it is actually realized it is special to the individual. Just a short time before Leonard’s death, a couple times a week he would still walk himself down to Mary’s office and sit and chat with her. I know she didn’t really have the time, but she always made time for him. Whenever Leonard had to go to the doctor she always had him ready to go when we asked. Sometimes it was on short notice, but he was always ready just the same. I would also like to mention a couple of aides, Nick and Mustafas, who we have had more contact with than some of your other fine people. Again, they are always so caring, cheerful, respectful, and willing to help even on short notice. READERS’ Again, our sincere thanks for how you and your staff care CHOICE for each resident of your facility. We often recommend you to others and will continue to do so. www.MinnLocal.com Sincerely,
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Heritage of Edina is PROUD to honor the life of
Leonard Granzow 6-17-15 to 1-22-12
We believe:
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That our Residents are the reason for our existence. That tender loving care today means better health and happiness tomorrow. That our guiding principle is REVERENCE FOR LIFE. That by service to our fellow man we will justify the confidence placed in us. February 1965 Wayne Field
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Heritage of Edina, Inc. To make reservations for a tour and complimentary lunch call 952-920-9145 CMYK