FEBRUARY 2019 - Atlanta Senior Life

Senior Life Atlanta

ROAD TRIPS

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Valentine’s Day Dates in the Parks

A Devotion to Education

page 8

page10

Atlanta area woodworkers talk about their craft page4

page 19

FEbruary 2019 • Vol. 4 No. 2 | AtlantaSeniorLIFE.com

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

From Wood to Art

Make your floral gifts Last

Contents February 2019

COVER STORY

4 7

From Wood to Art Local Woodworking Clubs

ROAD TRIPS Visit a Georgia Park for Valentine’s Day

8

4

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

10

One Man’s Devotion to Educational Causes

11

Atlanta Music Project Offers Musical Education

11

The Kindezi Vision

12

FOOD Tiny Bubbles

14

HEALTH Mind Over Matter

16

TECHNOLOGY How to Move Your Tech to Your New Home

18

PETS Pet Pick

19

GARDENING Longer Lasting Flowers

20

PERSONAL FINANCE Ask Rusty

22

OUT & ABOUT

18

22 Atlanta Senior Life focuses on the interests, accomplishments and lifestyles of the active senior population in metro Atlanta. It aims to inspire readers to embrace a more rewarding life by informing them of opportunities to expand their horizons, express their talents and engage in their community.

CONTACT US Editorial Kathy Dean Contributing Editor kathydean@atlantaseniorlife.com

ON THE COVER

Joe Earle Editor-at-Large JoeEarle@reporternewspapers.net

John Rudert works on a toy train. A sample of the finished product sits in the foreground.

Contributors Sarah Brodd, Russell Gloor, Grace Huseth, Judi Kanne, Collin Kelley, Gene Rubel

Photo by Joe Earle.

2

12

Advertising For information call (404) 917-2200 ext 130.

Sales Executives: Melissa Kidd, Jeff Kremer, Janet Porter, Jim Speakman

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

Published By Springs Publishing LLC

6065 Roswell Road, Ste 225, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 Phone: (404) 917-2200 Fax: (404) 917-2201 Circulation/ Subscriptions For distribution information, call (404) 917-2200, ext. 110.

© 2019 All rights reserved. Publisher reserves the right to refuse editorial or advertising for any reason. Publisher assumes no responsibility for information contained in advertising. Any opinions expressed in print or online do not necessarily represent the views of Atlanta Senior Life or Springs Publishing, LLC.

Steve Levene Founder & Publisher stevelevene@reporternewspapers.net (404) 917-2200, ext. 111 Amy Arno Director of Sales Development amyarno@reporternewspapers.net (404) 917-2200, ext. 112 Rico Figliolini Creative Director rico@reporternewspapers.net (404) 917-2200, ext. 117 Deborah Davis Office Manager deborahdavis@reporternewspapers.net (404) 917-2200, ext. 110

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

R

RY

L

U UX

IO SEN

G

IN LIV

The Luxury You Desire,

the Lifestyle You Deserve The Best Senior Living in Cherokee County Has Arrived Come live like royalty at The Arbor At BridgeMill. You deserve the delightful charm of a suburban neighborhood, the luxury of a five-star hotel, and the accommodations an independent lifestyle craves, all of which will leave you feeling like you’re on vacation every day! Our independent living, assisted living, and memory care options cater to your needs, regardless of where you are in the course of retirement.

Call (770) 765-0607 to Visit Today 700 Freedom Blvd, Canton

ArborBridgeMill.com/Living

(770) 765-0607

Sixes Road Behind Starbucks

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

3

COVER STORY

From Wood to Art

By Joe Earle John Rudert tackled his first woodworking project decades ago, when he was a kid growing up in Pennsylvania. He and his dad, who happened to own a hardware store and had a shop full of tools, worked together to make a lamp. They gave it to his mom as a Mother’s Day present.

“It’s somewhere in a packing box,” Rudert said. “We still have it.”

When Rudert moved to Georgia with his I.T. job back in the mid-1990s, he settled in the area that would become Peachtree Corners in part because he wanted a place that provided enough room to set up a home wood shop. “I always had this idea of woodworking, that I would end up with the tools dad had,” he said.

Rudert’s two-story shop now stands next to his home. But the works in wood the 71-year-old now turns out can be a bit more, well, elaborate that that walnut lamp made for his mom. He makes all sorts of things out of wood, from toy trains to bowls to tables decorated with elaborate designs assembled from thin slices of wood. What’s the appeal?

“It’s the accomplishment,” he said.

Rudert looks like a man who works with wood. He’s tall, wears wire-framed glasses, sports a long and bushy beard and was dressed one recent morning in jeans, a plaid shirt and a gray cardigan.

Retired from I.T. now, he teaches a couple of woodworking classes at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina and serves as president of the Peach State Woodturners, one of more than a dozen clubs organized in Georgia for craftspeople who work with wood.

Woodworking clubs often organize around particular skills.

There are clubs for furniture makers, clubs for those who turn wood on a lathe to make bowls or other decorative objects, and

4

even one for makers of decorative fountain pens. Why so many clubs? “People are different,” Rudert said.

The Peach State club claims 30 to 40 members and meets monthly at a member’s home in Oxford, Ga. Other clubs meet in homes or at a half-dozen local woodworking businesses scattered from Midtown Atlanta to various communities across the city’s northern suburbs. One group, the Georgia Association of Woodturners, a 135-member club that organized in 1987, meets at Georgia Tech.

Clubs often offer group classes during their regular meetings.

Some make how-to videos during their classes and post them on YouTube to share with

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

SPECIAL

Gary Fader with a clock he crafted.

Mike Raftis.

SPECIAL

PHOTO BY JOE EARLE.

John Rudert displays some of his intricate woodwork.

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

Clockwise from top left: A toy truck made by Mike Raftis. (SPECIAL) Buzz Adams demonstrates how to build a Connect Four game at a Gwinnett Woodworkers Association workshop.

Dan Simken, president of the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association Gwinnett Woodworkers Association members watch a demonstration room in their meeting place at Peachtree Woodworking Supply Company.

PHOTOS BY PHIL MOSIER

other woodworkers. “We have a demonstrator come and then we have ‘Show and Tell’ when different members show what they’ve done,” said Mike Raftis, who’s 74 and webmaster for the South Metro Woodturners club, which claims 35 to 40 members.

And several clubs regularly work together by scheduling their meetings on consecutive days so an out-of-town expert can teach classes to several different groups during the same week.

The clubs seem to attract members from a variety of backgrounds. Gary Fader, the 72-year-old president of the 150-member Woodworkers Guild of Georgia, said that group includes retired lawyers, accountants, even a doctor or two.

He’s a retired nuclear engineer himself. Now he likes spending hours making all-wooden clocks that operate with wooden gears.

“A lot of guys in the guild spend their lives pushing paper, so generally you reach a point

where you want to produce something you can hold in your hands,” Fader said. “It’s just the satisfaction of making something. … A lot of the guys pushed paper and now they like getting their hands dirty.”

Woodworkers say the hobby also gives them a way to forget what’s going on around them while they focus on the projects in front of them. Dan Simken, president of the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association, finds he can relax while working on the delicate wooden pieces he cuts with a scroll saw. “I can kind of lose myself in it,” the 66-year-old retired photographer said.

What keeps them going back? It’s simple, Raftis said.

“Woodworking is kind of addictive,” he said.

Early one recent Saturday, about 28 members of the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association gathered at the Woodcraft store in Alpharetta to watch three of their club

members demonstrate how they had made a three-foot-tall Connect Four game large enough to set in a backyard for their kids or grandkids to play.

The game required a standing playing board assembled from a pair of matched sheets of plywood, each drilled with 35 holes in a 7-by-5-hole grid, and 5-inch discs to drop between the boards and fill the holes. During play, the colored discs lined up like the X’s and O’s in tic-tac-toe.

Players alternated turns dropping the discs. A win required placing four discs in a row.

As Buzz Adams, Rob Austin and Larrie Wampler demonstrated how to make the pieces and assemble the board, club members in the audience members fired questions and kept up a running, good-natured commentary on their work.

After the meeting, Adams said he got interested in woodworking after retiring from a 30-something-year career in demolition. Now, instead of tearing things down, he builds things. “We’re not carpenters, we’re woodworkers,” the 68-yearold said. “A carpenter knows all about structure. Ours is more about art, or we think it is.”

Because woodworking offers a lot of variety in the kinds of projects people can make, it can comfortably fit the needs of older hobbyists, said Kim Muthersbough, the 66-yearold president of the Georgia Association of Woodturners.

“It involves you mentally and it involves you physically,” he said.

“Both mind and body.”

Muthersbough, who grew up in Texas, got his introduction to working with wood when he was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout. “I’ve always been a crafty person,” Continued on page 6

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

5

From Wood to Art

Over in Alpharetta, during a chat at the Woodcraft shop where several clubs hold their monthly meetings, Rudert, the retired I.T. professional, bought out samples of his varied types of woodwork. Pieces ranged from a brightly colored Christmas ornament to bowls assembled from several kinds of wood and turned to be smooth to the touch to elaborate marquetry pieces he’d made to create colorful designs by piecing together small slices of wood.

One marquetry piece started with a photo of a bird that was published in National Geographic magazine, he said.

He made his own image of the bird by assembling pieces of wood of various shapes, sizes and colors. “It’s a bit of challenge,” he said. “It’s just being able to stick with it. But the results are incredible.”

And it looked to be a long way from a wooden lamp.

Continued from page 5

he said. He was reintroduced to woodworking about 15 years ago, he said, when a co-worker suggested he might enjoy it.

“I was really intimidated by woodworking because what I wanted to do was large projects and I was afraid I would start something and never get it finished.”

But once he realized he could take on and complete projects in a small amount of time, he was hooked. Now he makes all kinds of things in his shop, from peppermills to bowls to pens, he said, and doesn’t specialize on any particular kind of item.

“I haven’t found that one thing I want to make a billion of,” he said.

For Muthersbough, woodworking also has turned into a second career. He retired after working in corporate jobs

as a supply-chain specialist, but then was hired a few years ago

by Kennesaw State University to supervise the shop where architecture students make models.

Now, in addition to his job, he spends eight to 10 hours a month on projects in his home shop. “The point is making something,” Muthersbough said. “The thing that I find engaging is I’ve always been very interested in process and woodworking is a very process-oriented type of activity. Process-type things are the things I enjoyed in school and it’s what I did as a professional. I’ve always had a very analytical and a very process-oriented type personality. A lot of woodworkers you’ll encounter are retired engineers.”

Kim Muthersbough holds a bowl he turned. SPECIAL

www.SterlingEstates.com Why Settle For Less?

Come Live a Sterling Life!

Come See Why So Many Are Calling Sterling Estates Home Beautifully Designed Neighborhoods on 10+ and 30+ Acres Cottages and Apartments, Independent or Assisted Robust Social & Residential Activities Large Wellness Centers Indoor Heated Saltwater Therapeutic Pools Variety of Fine Dining Options Cottage Floor Plans: All on One Level

6

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

EAST COBB

4200 Lower Roswell Rd Marietta, GA 30068 678-946-4454

WEST COBB

3165 Dallas Hwy Marietta, GA 30064 770-255-7000

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

Funeral Home • Crematory • Cemetery

Local Woodworking Clubs Here are some of the many clubs for woodworkers that meet regularly in Georgia.

Mountain Laurel Wood Turners Clarksville mountainlaurelwoodturners.com

Apple Ridge Woodturners Ellijay appleridgewoodturners.org

Peach State Society of American Period Furniture Makers Alpharetta peachstatesapfm.info

Atlanta Woodturners Guild Atlanta atlantawoodturnersguild.org Barnesville Woodturners Barnesville barnesvillewoodturners.com Bi-City Woodturners Columbus bicitywoodturners.com Chattahoochee Woodturners Gainesville chattahoocheewoodturners.org Classic City Woodturners Athens classiccitywoodturners.com

Serving the Atlanta Metro Area

Robert & Christine Hunsaker, Owners

Peach State Woodturners Oxford peachstatewoodturners.com Savannah River Woodturners Evans |savannahriverwoodturners.org

• Locally owned & operated • On the grounds of Cheatham Hill Memorial Park

South Metro Woodturners Newnan southmetrowoodturners.org

• Two beautiful chapels

Woodworkers Guild of Georgia Alpharetta woodworkersguildofga.org

• Cascading Waters Cremation Garden

• State-of-the-art crematory on site • Columbarium with glass-front niches

Save thousands - call for a quote 24/7.

1861 Dallas Highway SW • Marietta, GA

(770) 637-1531 • SouthernCremations.com

Dalton Area Woodturners Guild Dalton daltonareawoodturnersguild.org Georgia Association of Woodturners Atlanta gawoodturner.org Golden Isles Woodturners Brunswick giww.org Gwinnett Woodworkers Association Norcross gwinnettwoodworkers.com International Association of Penturners Georgia Chapter Alpharetta Penturners.org (Click on ‘Forums,’ scroll to ‘Local Chapters,’ click on ‘Georgia,’ then ‘Georgia Chapter Meeting Info.’)

Low Country Turners Savannah lowcountryturners.com

*You must take advantage of this during your first 12 months on Medicare.

Middle Georgia Woodturners Gray middlegeorgiawoodturners.com

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

7

ROAD TRIPS

visit a georgia park for Valentine’s Day

By Kathy Dean The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has planned events throughout the state that are perfect for a Valentine’s Day celebration. There are date nights, hikes and more that offer romance and adventure. Visit gastateparks.org for more events and updated information.

Valentine’s Dinner and Dance The drive to Fort McAllister State Park will be well worth it for this special evening. It starts with a candlelit dinner in a beautiful, historic setting.

After the meal, you’ll have the opportunity to share period music, dancing and fireside chats with the park’s historical interpreters.

Valentine’s Day Couples Hike on Panola Mountain Enjoy a guided hike through Panola Mountain’s conservation area. You’ll watch the sun set over downtown Atlanta and have an opportunity to have your photo taken. Finish up with some chocolate-covered-strawberryinspired s’mores roasted over the campfire. Be sure to bring water, a flashlight and sturdy shoes!

If you miss out on the special Valentine’s Day Hike, sign up for one of the Moonlight Mountain Hikes, offered on Saturdays, Feb. 16 and March 23.

When: Saturday, Feb. 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Where: Panola Mountain State Park, 2620 Highway 155 SW, Stockbridge 30281 Cost: Admission is $15, $5 for parking.

More info: Space is limited; call 770-389-7801 to reserve a place.

Ole Fashion Date Night on the Park What’s more romantic than Mistletoe…State Park? In honor of Valentine’s Day, the park is offering a date night at

the campground. Food will be prepared on a cast-iron skillet and there’ll even be homemade hot cocoa at the end of the program.

When: Friday, Feb. 15, 6-8 p.m.

Where: Mistletoe State Park, 3725 Mistletoe Road, Appling 30802 Cost: $20 per couple, plus $5 parking.

More info: Save your spot by calling 706-541-0321.

Astronomy Night with Your Love Look to the stars at Tallulah Gorge State Park for a perfect Valentine’s Night.

Everyone meets in front of the Interpretive Center for an opportunity to look through the telescope and learn about the sky. This program does depend on the weather.

When: Thursday, Feb. 14, 6:30-8 p.m.

Where: Tallulah Gorge State Park, 338 Jane Hurt Yarn Drive, Tallulah Falls 30573 Cost: Admission is $5, $5 for parking.

More info: Call 706-754-7981 for details.

QUALITY HOME CARE AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE. Certified Nursing Assistant Placement is an Atlanta based placement service devoted entirely to matching professional Certified Nursing Assistants with clients who desire home health care. Our owner has over 20 years experience as a CNA home health care provider.

Please visit our website at cnapllc.com or call us at 404 735-8276

8

When: Saturday, Feb. 9, 6-8 p.m.

Where: Fort McAllister State Park, 3894 Fort McAllister Road, Richmond Hill 31324 Cost: $50 per person, $5 for parking.

More info: Reservations are required; call 912-727-2339.

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

Sunset Boat Tour of the Swamp Maybe the thought of a swamp doesn’t ooze romance, but you may be surprised as you relax on Billy’s Lake to watch an Okefenokee sunset. The lake is surrounded by wildlife — sandhill cranes and barred owls, even alligators — and you can glimpse them before the sun drops below the horizon. The boat tour is also offered on Saturdays, March 16 and April 13.

When: Saturday, Feb. 16, 5:30-7 p.m.

Where: Stephen C. Foster State Park, 17515 Highway 177, Fargo 391631 Cost: $15 to $20, plus $5 parking.

More info: To learn more, call 912-637-5274.

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

WHEN YOU NEED A

HELPING HAND.

WE CAN HELP. We understand that taking care of a loved one can be challenging.

When the weight of everyday tasks becomes too overwhelming, Manor Lake is here with 24-hour support and assistance for your loved one – and peace of mind for you.

2 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU: Manor Lake BridgeMill: 131 Holly St, Canton, GA 30114 • 678.990.5055 • manorlakebr.com Manor Lake Gainesville: Leasing Office: 2654 Browns Bridge Rd, Unit B, Gainesville, GA 30504 Community Address: 2900 McEver Rd Gainesville, GA 30504 • 678.940.1101 • manorlakegv.com

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

9

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

One Man’s Devotion to educational Causes

By Joe Earle Two moments changed Steve Wadley. Taken together, they convinced him to spend part of his retirement devoting his time, talents and experience to raising money for local organizations that support education in Atlanta’s inner-city schools.

The first moment came when Wadley was a boy. He played football then on a team based in Buckhead. His team played in a city-wide league and when he and his teammates played away games in poorer Atlanta neighborhoods, he saw that those players had nowhere near the level of support — the new equipment, the uniforms, the practices — that benefited him and his teammates.

“We would kill ‘em,” the 61-year-old said. “It’d be 56 to nothing. It just wasn’t a fair fight. It just wasn’t fair. It stuck with me.”

His second insight arrived decades later, when, as a father, he was grieving the death of his son. By then, Wadley had founded and operated a few restaurants, including Café 290 in Sandy Springs, and moved on to create an internet marketing firm. In 2012, Wadley’s son, Nick, suddenly died from respiratory failure two weeks shy of his 25th birthday.

“He died on a Friday. We buried him on a Tuesday,” Wadley recalled one recent afternoon as he sat outside a Midtown coffee shop. “On Wednesday morning, we were sitting at the breakfast table saying, ‘What the hell are we going to do now?’”

He decided he should remember his son by helping others.

Nick loved to play guitar, so Wadley looked into music-based charities. He found the Atlanta Music Project, which provided free music education to underserved Atlanta youth. Wadley joined the

10

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

organization’s board and helped raise money for it, setting up events such as a golf tournament named for his son.

Wadley’s fundraising work has made a significant difference for the group and made him one of the largest individual donors for the Atlanta Music Project, Co-founder and Executive Director Dantes Rameau said. “He works hard on behalf of our SPECIAL organization. He Steve Wadley has started Think Local Atlanta, an organization that works to help does it because of his provide funds for small, local groups. love for the kids we serve,” Rameau said.

“He’s one of our most dynamic board members.”

Through the music project, Wadley learned of another group working to improve education in Atlanta public schools, The Kindezi Schools, which operates two public charter schools and a turnaround Atlanta city school. Kindezi says it takes its name from a Bantu word describing “the act by which a community educates, loves and values every child.”

Wadley began raising funds for Kindezi, too. He said working with the two individual organizations has convinced him there could be a better way to raise money for them and similar organizations. He’s now starting a new organization he believes will create a simpler way to raise money for local charities.

He thinks his new group, called Think Local Atlanta, will broaden, and stabilize fundraising for such small, local groups.

His idea sounds a bit like a small-scale United Way: Instead of going to a few rich folks to give large chunks of cash through traditional fundraisers such as a charity golf game or auction, Wadley wants to convince large numbers of donors to pledge relatively small amounts of money so that, together, the effect will be large.

Think Local Atlanta asks donors for a dime a day — about $3-plus a month or $36.50 a year — to be distributed to the charities it supports.

“Every charity does the same thing. They try to raise a lot of money from a small number of people,” he said. “It kind of reminds me of a 6-year-old girls’ basketball team: they all were after the ball. Raising money like this means it comes in fits and starts. …. [We] try to get small amounts of money from large groups of people … 12,500 people giving 10 cents a day each is [nearly] $500,000 a year.”

As of now, Think Local Atlanta is set up to contribute to the Atlanta Music Project and The Kindezi Schools. But Wadley thinks the fundraising could expand to support additional charities.

Why shouldn’t potential donors give directly to the charities, rather than to Think Local Atlanta? Wadley argues that many people don’t give because they don’t know enough about which charities are effective and deserve support. The volunteers operating the fundraising group, he said, will do the legwork and get the word out.

“I think if people are aware of what’s going on,” Wadley said, “they’ll have the ability to support it.”

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

Atlanta Music Project offers musical education

“Enjoying Life It’s a community of active adults.”

By Grace Huseth

Atlanta Music Project empowers under-served youth to help them realize their potential through music. The project uses an immersion approach modeled after a program founded in Venezuela called El Sistema and uses music as a tool for social change.

The tuition-free program goes to neighborhoods where families either don’t have access or funds to attend music academies to build youth choirs and orchestras. Most of the kids in the orchestra program had never touched an instrument before joining Atlanta Music Project. Students first learn to play melodies and enjoy creating music before reading music and theory. Since its inception in 2010, Atlanta Music Project has remained free for all musicians, but there is a strict attendance policy.

For more information about Atlanta Music Project and upcoming concerts, visit atlantamusicproject.org.

55+ APARTMENT HOMES

Gwen, Overture Resident

ASK ABOUT OUR MOVE

Discover carefree and maintenance-free living that’s modern, spacious, and spontaneous.

Schedule a visit to experience Overture today!

IN SPECIALS!

855-971-2436

658 Lindbergh Drive NE, Atlanta, GA

OvertureBuckheadSouth.com Overture is an equal housing opportunity. Amenities and services vary by location. Photo of Overture resident(s).

See a Greystar representative for details.

Way more than just chairs, since 1992

Hey! If you’re finally ready for some crazy comfortable new furniture, c’mon over!

AMERICAN MADE SOFAS, RECLINERS, SWIVEL Power LIFT chairs can CHAIRS, help those with back pain, difficulty standing & & MORE

The Kindezi Vision

swollen legs or ankles

E Cro

ssville

Rd

GA 400

92

Canton St

Hw y

Crabapple

ON SALE NOW! Sandy Plains

Kindezi is a community of public schools in Atlanta that has a goal to provide a life-changing education that helps students thrive.

They accomplish that goal with small classes led by dedicated teachers, and a philosophy that every child has the right to reach their full potential. Kindezi currently operates three schools in Atlanta Public Schools: Kindezi West, on Wilson Mill Road; Kindezi at Gideons, on Windsor Street; and Kindezi Old Fourth Ward, on Pine Street.

In 2018, the Georgia Department of Education identified The Kindezi Schools as a High Progress Reward School and one of the top 10 percent Title I schools in the state.

Visit kindezi.org to learn more the Kindezi schools and how you can support them.

770-518-8518

Exit 7

B

Holco

mb B

r

Tues-Sat, 10–6, Sun 12-5 30 E Crossville Rd (Hwy 92 @ Crabapple) Roswell, GA 30075

DIRECTIONS: Take Roswell Rd N & continue 1.5 mi N of Historic Roswell, OR take GA 400, Exit 7B/Holcomb Bridge & we’ll be 2.7 mi on the right

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

11

FOOD

Tiny bubbles Doctors Dedicated to Serving Seniors

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: Respectful doctors who listen Dedicated specialists Medications provided on-site On-site tests and screenings Door-to-doctor transportation available

5 ATLANTA AREA LOCATIONS

Brookhaven 3371 Buford Hwy NE Atlanta, GA 30329 East Point 2084 Headland Drive East Point, GA 30344

Where to get your milk tea fix

By Collin Kelley Whether you call it bubble tea, milk tea or boba tea, the Taiwanesecreated comfort drink has quickly become a hit with Atlantans. A tea base of black, green, oolong or blended tea is mixed with powdered milk or fruit syrup and tiny, chewy balls of tapioca — called pearls or boba — and served over ice. The cups are then sealed with a plastic film, which you puncture with a fat straw to suck up the boba. It’s an acquired taste, but also addictive.

The drink first arrived on Buford Highway, thanks to its concentration of Asian restaurants, but you can now find it in Downtown, Midtown and several places outside the Perimeter.

Here’s a guide to some of the local places to get your bubble tea fix: Tea Top ► If you’re having dinner at Kura Revolving Sushi, save room for some bubble tea next door at Tea Top. Our favorite: Earl Grey with boba. 6035 Peachtree Road, Suite A in Doraville. facebook.com/ teatopdoraville Tea House Formosa ▼ This Buford Highway favorite has an inviting dining area to enjoy your bubble tea (they have hot tea and fruit flavors as well) in sleek white pots and cups along with a yummy dessert. Brother-sister coowners Tao Huang and Winnie Peng are always crafting special or seasonal drinks such as the recent FrosTea, a frozen smoothie version of the milk and fruit tea. 5302 Buford Highway, #A3. facebook.com/ teahouseformosa.

Morrow 1331 Mount Zion Road Morrow, GA 30260 South DeKalb 2124 Candler Road Decatur, GA 30032 West End 1325 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW Atlanta, GA 30310

Call today to schedule an appoitment or tour (855) 845-9333 JoinJenCare.com Some services are not covered under all plans. Check your plan documents for details and service availability at each individual center.

Due to space and time limitations, some services are not available at all centers. Limitations, copayments and restrictions may apply.

Offer good while supplies last. Promotional value is nominal.

12

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

Honey Bubble You don’t have to travel far for bubble tea if you’re in the vicinity of Poncey-Highland. Try the signature honey-flavored milk tea or maybe taro or raspberry lychee. Be sure to grab a tasty macaron or other sweet treat. 798 Ponce de Leon Ave. facebook.com/honeybubbletea.

Sweet Hut The bakery and café is mostly known for its out-of-this-world pastries, cakes and buns (have you tried the Nutella Bun? Wowsers!), but they also have milk tea including flavors like honey jasmine, caramel, strawberry and coconut. 935 Peachtree St., Suite 935 in Midtown; 3393 Peachtree Road, Suite 1006 in Buckhead; and 5160 Buford Highway, Suite A-100. sweethutbakery.com.

Quickly As the name suggests, you can grab milk tea fast at one of the locations along with some yummy bites like spicy chicken nuggets or mozzarella sticks. We recommend the peppermint milk with boba. 5090 Buford Highway in Doraville or 3780 Old Norcross Road in Duluth. quicklyusa.com.

caramel. 1630 Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth. gongchausa.com.

Kung Fu ▼ The long lines at the minimalistchic shops (including the newlyopened location near Georgia State University in Downtown) are a testament to just how popular bubble tea has become in Atlanta. Whether you want traditional milk tea or blended into a slush, we recommend the oolong with boba. If you want to be adventurous, try adding coffee or grass jelly. 2/4 Park

Place South in Downtown; 5280A Buford Highway in Doraville; or 3473 Old Norcross Road in Duluth. kungfutea.com.

Two more to try Tiny Bubbles Tea Bar, 21 Park

Square in Marietta and 230 Chambers St. in Woodstock. tinybubblesteabar.com Maji Tea Bar, 5725 State Bridge Road in Johns Creek. majiteabar. com

We call it home.

VELMA FARMER Resident since 2014

“Saint Anne’s Terrace has a beautiful setting and the staff is professional, friendly, courteous, which creates a family atmosphere. I’m very happy to be a part of this community.”

• Serving Buckhead community for over 30 years • Minutes from OK Café • Quiet residential neighborhood • Apartments tailored to personal needs

CALL US TO SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT 3100 Northside Parkway, NW Atlanta 30327 www.saintannesterrace.org • 404-238-9200

Sharetea Along with traditional milk tea with boba, branch out and try the strawberry ice blended with lychee jelly and ice cream or satisfy your chocolate craving with the cocoa tea. 5975 Roswell Road, Suite B-209 in Sandy Springs. 1992sharetea.com.

Boba Mocha Whether you want regular milk tea, a slush or a smoothie, drop

by Boba Mocha in Duluth and be sure to try their green tea flavors. You can also grab a bowl of soup, light bite or dessert. 2628 Pleasant Hill Road. bobamocha. com.

Gong Cha When the New York-based bubble tea mainstay opened its first location in Georgia a few months ago, there was nearly a mob scene. It’s much calmer now, but bubble tea fans swear by the stuff. We recommend the Earl Grey, the brown sugar ginger or

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

13

HEALTH

Mind Over Matter When living alone is no longer an option...

call us to find out how Georgia Medicaid can help you or your loved one find affordable care & housing in a licensed personal care home.

Call (770) 466-7771

GEORGIA HEALTH SERVICES NETWORK Medicaid Provider for Personal Care Homes: SOURCE,CCSP, ICWP

155 Bankers Boulevard, Monroe, GA 30655

*As a licensed Georgia Medicaid Provider GHSN does not charge any fee for assessment and placement

www.georgiahealth.us SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS

UPCOMING CONCERTS Friday, February 1, 8:00 p.m.

BOX OFFICE

ST. OLAF CHOIR February 8–9, 8:00 p.m.

EMORY ANNUAL JAZZ FEST

404.727.5050 arts.emory.edu/senior

FEATURING VANESSA RUBIN, VOCALIST Friday, February 15, 8:00 p.m.

CZECH NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WITH ISABEL LEONARD, MEZZO-SOPRANO CANDLER CONCERT SERIES Friday, March 22, 8:00 p.m.

ERIC OWENS AND LAWRENCE BROWNLEE CANDLER CONCERT SERIES Czech National Symphony Orchestra

14

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

CALL FOR DISCOUNTS

A common February problem might be keeping up your momentum with last year’s resolutions. (You know, those promises you plan to fulfill before 2019 ends.) Are they vanishing before Valentine’s Day? Need a little support?

Here are some approaches that offer alternatives to traditional medical approaches. You might want to consider trying one or two.

Help for Your Self-Help

Judith L. Kanne, RN, BSN, BA is a registered nurse and freelance writer who lives in Atlanta.

No one knows you as well as you do, and, often, you’re the real expert on what you need. Self-help means you guide your improvement. Even so, experts rely on others for knowledge and support.

People may offer to help you ‘find yourself’ this year, but guard against frauds and worthless promises. Self-help can make a difference, if you find the right mentors.

Atlanta nurse Sharon Reynolds is also a naturopath, a person who uses natural remedies to help the body heal itself.

She often speaks with older adults about mental health and the art of self-healing.

Like most naturopaths, Reynolds embraces many therapies to treat the

whole person.

“It’s much more fun for me to understand a person’s preferred behavior style than focus on disease and a physical symptom,” she said.

Reynolds also said that adults need purpose in their lives and to be able to contribute something of value at every age. She wants the person to be healthy: mind, body, and spirit; that’s the World Health Organization’s definition of health, Reynolds explained.

Following her nursing education, she became interested in, and mastered, studies including hypnotherapy, mind-body health issues and life coaching. Now semi-retired as a nurse, Reynolds is a passionate believer in life-long learning. She has produced a video on behavioral styles, and she shares mind-body information online and through speaking engagements.

Life Coaching

Reynolds agreed that hiring a life coach — someone who will counsel and encourage you — may be something to consider at any juncture in life.

The U.S. Department of Labor refers to life coaches, via the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as someone who wants to establish a “partnership” between people and their “life’s vision.”

And although you may be in your 50s, 60s or even 80s, it’s not too late to rethink your life — or your life’s plan, for that matter. However, major changes generally work best when they are thoughtfully planned with a skilled individual.

Why look for a life coach? Have you found retirement is not quite as gratifying as you first thought?

Perhaps you’ve trekked a few places in Europe and the Orient.

What’s next? Australia or New Zealand? Maybe both?

Or maybe you’re ready to get back to work, with the stipulation of doing something you love?

There are no formal life-coach requirements. “The field is unregulated,” according the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, bls.gov.

“There are dozens of life-coach training and certification programs in the United States.”

When looking for a life coach, do your homework. Seek

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

recommendations from others you trust.

Take the time to choose someone with credentials who can provide the right background and teaching opportunities for you. It makes sense to find a life coach who has experience and shares an interest in a field you’d like to explore — anything from Jungian psychology to photography.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recommends [gaining] “... knowledge of a field related to life coaching, such as psychology” from your coach.

Mindfulness

“Stay in the present,” say the mindfulness experts. Focus.

Originally a Buddhist concept, the ancient art of mindfulness remains somewhat experimental.

Studies suggest that mindfulness practices may help people manage stress, cope better with serious illness and reduce anxiety and depression, according to the National Institutes of Health PIXABAY (NIH).

According to Mayo Clinic News Network, “Mindfulness is the act of being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling at every moment — without interpretation or judgment.”

Simply put, mindfulness is the art of taking a negative thought and replacing it with something positive — or having an anchor, such as your mental vision of ocean waves or snow-covered mountains.

One of the reasons for the mindfulness buzz is that it’s readily accessible. In other words, “anyone can learn about it and anyone can practice it,” according an article in the Berkeley Science Review.

Many people who practice mindfulness report an increased ability to relax, a greater enthusiasm for life and improved self-esteem. In fact, one NIH-supported study found a link between mindfulness meditation and measurable changes in the brain where memory, learning and emotion are involved.

The hard part is finding the time for mindfulness in our fast-paced culture. The NIH suggests practicing mindfulness when sitting in traffic or waiting in line, especially when you’re in a hurry and prone to frustration.

Change the part of your mind that’s racing to the future and bring it into the present. Try deep breathing, too. You won’t change the traffic, but you can improve how you manage the situation.

Following many scientific studies of EFT, research suggests even veterans have improved —and remain better over time — using this treatment for specific types of stressors.

Be Open, Not Gullible

The list of self-help methods is long but, remember, the State of Georgia does not license practitioners of life coaching, mindfulness or EFT. It’s a good idea to stay skeptical of two-week courses and people who have “expert” printed on their business cards.

“If you feel overwhelmed or are unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking professional help,” says the American Psychological Association.

In fact, psychologists are uniquely trained to help. In addition, nurses and other medical professionals receive training in goal setting with their patients. After all, it takes years of training to understand the connection between the mind and body.

As always, check in with your physician before starting any new self-care regimen. As a rule, healthcare professionals are supportive to their patients who want to improve their lives and are happy to offer helpful direction.

Penny!! Breaking news!!

GBC has raised their doggone rates again!!

Georgia Banking Company Georgia Banking Company

Emotional Freedom Techniques or Tapping

If last year’s holidays left you feeling a bit empty (e.g., Christmas Georgia Banking Company wasn’t merry and Thanksgiving just left you thankful it was over), Georgia Banking Company then you should know about another self-help strategy that has been gaining in popularity.

CD Disclosure: Annual Percentage Yields (APYs) are accurate as of 10/12/18. The minimum deposit Its formal name is ‘emotional freedom technique’ or EFT. It’s a to earn the stated APY is $500. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Money Market Disclosure: Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 10/12/18. No minimum balance to earn the stated APY. $100 minimum deposit required to open. Rate may change after the account is mind-body-spirit approach to self-care. This technique involves a CD Disclosure: Annual Percentage Yields (APYs) are Yields accurate(APYs) as ofopened.

10/12/18.

The to earn theKasasa statedDisclosure: APY deposit is $500.

A couldminimum reduce on the account.

Qualification Information: CD Disclosure: Annual Percentage areFees accurate asearnings ofdeposit 10/12/18.

The minimum AccountAnnual transactions and activities take is one or more as days post and No settle to the account penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal.

Money Market Disclosure: Percentage Yieldmay (APY) accurate of to 10/12/18. specific movement — physically tapping on 12 acupuncture points of to earn the stated APY is $500. A penalty may imposed for early withdrawal.

Money Market andbe all must do so during the Monthly Qualification Cycle in order to qualify for the account’s minimum balance to earn the stated APY. $100 minimum deposit rewards. requiredThe to open.

Rate may change after the account is opened.

Fees could following activities doNo not minimum count toward balance earning account rewards: ATM-processed Disclosure: Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 10/12/18. to earn reduce earnings on the account. Kasasa Disclosure: Qualification Information: transactions and debit activities take one or more transactions, Account transfers between accounts, card may purchases processed by merchants and your body — while repeating emotionally charged statements that theand stated APY. $100 and minimum required to byopen.

Rate may change the account our bank as ATM transactions, payment transactions and purchases made days to post settle to the account all must deposit do so during the received Monthly Qualification Cycle in ordernon-retail to after qualify for the account’sisrewards.

Georgia Banking Company with debit Kasasa cards not issued by our bank.Qualification “Monthly Qualification Cycle” means a period beginning opened.

Fees could reduce earnings on the account.

Disclosure: Information: relate to specific health issues.

The following activities do not count toward earning account rewards: transactions, transfers between accounts, card one ATM-processed (1) business day prior to the first day of the current statement cycledebit through one (1) business and activities may astake one days topayment post and settle to account purchasesAccount processed transactions by merchants and received by our bank ATM transactions, non-retail transactions andthe purchases madeyour withKasasa Cash day prioror to more the close of the current statement cycle.

Reward Information: When According to the EFT Universe website, “there are no exact words, accountaqualifications are met during a business Monthly Qualification Cycle, rewards will be debit cards not all issued by our “Monthlythe Qualification means period beginning one (1) day prior to the the firstfollowing day of the and must dobank. so during MonthlyCycle” Qualification Cycle in order to qualify for the account’s distributed to your account(s): (1) Balances up to $25,000 receive an APY of 2.95%; and balances current statement cycle through one (1)activities business daydo prior the close of the current statement cycle.

Reward Information: When resulting your Kasarewards.

The following nottocount toward earning account rewards: ATM-processed over $25,000 earn 1.00% interest rate on the portion of balance over $25,000, in a range from phrases or statements, as tapping is an individualized process.” sa Cash account qualifications are met during a Monthly Qualification Cycle, theAPY following rewards will be distributed account(s): (1) You will 2.95% tocard 1.39% depending onprocessed the account’s balance and to (2) your ATM Fee Reimbursements: transactions, transfers between accounts, debit purchases by merchants and receive reimbursements for nationwide ATM incurred during theover Monthly Qualification Cycle Balances received up to $25,000 an APY 2.95%;transactions, and balances over $25,000 earn 1.00% interest rate on thefees portion of balance $25,000, However, some suggested tapping statements are listed on the byreceive our bank asofATM non-retail payment transactions and purchases made in which you met your Kasasa Cash qualifications. An ATM receipt must be presented within sixty resulting in a range from 2.95% to 1.39% APY depending on the account’s balance and (2) ATM Fee Reimbursements: You will receive reim(60) calendar days of transaction for reimbursements individualbeginning ATM fees of $5.00 or higher. When debit cards not issued by our as bank.10/12/18.

“Monthly Qualification Cycle” means a ofperiod Disclosure:bursements Annualwith Percentage Yields (APYs) are accurate TheCash minimum deposit for nationwide ATM fees incurred during theofMonthly Qualification Cycle in which youATM metfees your Cash all qualifications.

An Kasasa qualifications are not met areKasasa not refunded, balances in your Kasasa Cash site. One example is: “Even though I have a problem, I deeply and CD one (1) business to(60) thecalendar first day ofof the current cycle through one (1) day business to earn the stated is must $500. penaltyday mayprior be imposed for early Money account earns anstatement APYMarket of 0.02%. Rewards are creditedATM on thefees last of the current statement cycle.

ATM APY receipt beApresented within sixty dayswithdrawal. transaction for reimbursements of individual of $5.00 or higher.

APY = Annual Percentage Yield. APYs areWhen accurate your as of 10/12/18.

Rates and rewards are variable day prior to the close of the current statement cycle.

Reward Information: Kasasa Cash Disclosure: Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 10/12/18.

No minimum balance to earn completely accept myself.”

When Kasasa Cash qualifications are not met ATM fees are not refunded, balances your Kasasa CashFees account earns an APY ofAdditional 0.02%. Information: and mayallchange afterinaccount is opened. may reduce earnings. the stated APY. $100 account minimum deposit required to current open.

Rate may change after the account isqualifications, met during a Monthly Qualification Cycle, the APYs following rewards will be are creditedqualifications on the last day ofare the statement cycle.

APY = approval, Annual Percentage Yield. aretimeframes, accurate asenrollments, of 10/12/18.

Account conditions, limits, and Rates other requirements CD Disclosure: Annual Percentage Yields (APYs) accurate as of 10/12/18.

The minimum deposit could reduce onyour the Kasasa Information: Some experts may refer to this as “acupressure for the emotions,”opened. Fees Rewards apply. $100 minimum deposit isAdditional required to open this account.

Receipt of electronic statements is a distributed account(s): (1)Disclosure: Balances up toare $25,000 receive an APY of 2.95%; and balances and rewards areearnings variabletoand mayaccount. change after account is opened.Qualification Fees may reduce earnings.

Information: Account approval, condition ofto thisthe account.

Enrollment in online banking is Money required to Market view your electronic statement.

Account transactions and activities may take oneinterest more days to the postother and settle account to earn the stated APY isor$500.

A penalty may beofimposed for early withdrawal. conditions, qualifications, limits, timeframes, enrollments, and requirements apply. $100 minimum deposit is required to open this over $25,000 earn 1.00% rate on portion balance over $25,000, resulting in a range from Limit 1 account per social security number. There are no service charges or fees to open or close according to Duke Integrative Medicine, part of Duke University. and all must account. do so during the Monthly Qualification Cycle in order toisqualify for the account’s Disclosure: Annual Percentage Yield (APY) accurate as ofin10/12/18.

No Reimbursements: minimum balance toelectronic earn thisbalance account.

Contact one of our Georgia Company customer service Receipt of electronic statements is a condition of this account.

Enrollment online banking isBanking required to view your 2.95% to 1.39% depending on theaccount account’s and (2) ATM Fee You will representatives for rewards. The following activities do notAPY count toward earning rewards: ATM-processed additional information, details, restrictions, limitations and one enrollment stated APY. minimum deposit required to open.

Rate may change after the account is of instructions. statement.the Limit 1 account per $100 social security number.

ThereATM are nofees service charges or fees to open or closeprocessing this account.

Contact receive reimbursements for nationwide incurred the Monthly Qualification Cycle EFT can help people with anxiety, weight loss and food cravings, transactions, transfers between accounts, debit card purchases processed byKasasa merchants Kasasa, Cashduring andand Kasasa Saver are trademarks of Kasasa, Ltd., registered in the U.S.A. our Georgia BankingFees Company customer service representatives for additional information, processing limitations could reduce earnings on the account.

Kasasa Disclosure: Qualification Information: in you met your Kasasa Cash qualifications.

ATM receipt mustrestrictions, be presented within sixty and received by our bank opened. as which ATM transactions, non-retail payment transactions and An purchases madedetails, enrollment instructions.

Kasasa, Kasasa Cash and Kasasa Saver are trademarks of Kasasa, registered the U.S.A. depression, PTSD, phobias, pain and other physical symptoms.

Account transactions and activities may take oneaor daysLtd., to post and settle the account with debit cards not issued by our bank.

Qualification Cycle” means period beginning (60) calendar days“Monthly of transaction for reimbursements ofmore individual ATM fees ofin$5.00 ortohigher.

When and allthe must do during thestatement Monthly Qualification in order to qualify for the account’s one (1) business day prior to firstqualifications day so of the current cycle through (1) business Kasasa Cash are not met ATM fees are one notCycle refunded, all balances in your Kasasa Cash day prior to the close of the current statement Reward Information: When your Cash rewards.

The following do not are count toward earning account ATM-processed account earns an APYcycle. ofactivities 0.02%.

Rewards credited onKasasa the last day of therewards: current statement cycle. account qualificationstransactions, are met during transfers a Monthly Qualification Cycle, the following rewards will be between accounts, debit card processed by merchants and APY = Annual Percentage Yield.receive APYs are accurate as ofpurchases 10/12/18.

Rates and rewards are variable distributed to your account(s): (1)byBalances up to $25,000 an APYnon-retail of 2.95%; and balances received our bank ATM transactions, payment transactions and purchases made and mayrate change afterasaccount opened. may earnings. Additional Information: over $25,000 earn 1.00% interest on the portion of balanceisover $25,000, Fees resulting in areduce range from with debit cards not issued byqualifications, our(2)bank.

“Monthly Qualification Cycle” means a period beginning Account conditions, timeframes, and other requirements 2.95% to 1.39% APY depending onapproval, the account’s balance and ATM Fee limits, Reimbursements: Youenrollments, will

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

15

TECHNOLOGY

How to Move Your Tech to Your New Home Moving your technology to your new home doesn’t have to be as stressful as you fear. If you keep the process organized and do a little “newhome homework” before you move, you can get yourself set up relatively efficiently. Here’s a suggested checklist to follow:

1. What TV/internet service is available?

Gene Rubel the Digital Device Doctor, cures digital anxiety for seniors and home/home-office users.

A graduate of Harvard Business School, “Doctor Gene” spent more than 30 years in international business.

He can be reached at generubel@gmail.com.

Some apartment or condominium communities allow you to contract with your own provider, such as Comcast, AT&T, Charter, Google, DirecTV, etc. to deliver TV and internet service. Your choices likely would be no different than they are where you live now.

Other communities and senior residences may have arrangements with a carrier to deliver TV and internet. If that’s the case, your choices may be limited — but you shouldn’t face an overwhelming array of decisions. Still, you should find out if the “house provider” has already installed hookups for your TVs and hardwired access for a computer and a Wi-Fi network.

Also make sure that those access points can be activated without any additional installation work, and you might want to

see how their locations will affect your furniture arrangements.

Personally, it’s not something I worry about very much, but it may be important to you.

You should also find out if a Wi-Fi network is available within your living space and what its capacity is. In my experience, many networks are not capable of supporting streaming and other functions on TVs, laptop computers, mobile devices and other internet-based devices. You may need to have your internet service upgraded to support everything you want or need to use — which brings us to the next item on the checklist.

2. What are your priorities for using your TV/internet service?

These will determine how much service — or the service speed — you’ll need to have. Everything will come in through the same connection. It’s just a matter of getting the service level you need. The most common uses for TV/internet service are: ■ Watching TV (obviously) ■ Connecting your computer (or multiple computers) to the internet for entertainment, transactions such as shopping and banking, and checking email ■ Using mobile devices such as phones, tablets and e-book readers on Wi-Fi networks instead of cellular service Beyond these basics, you might be one of the growing number of people using smart speakers — like Amazon Echo (sometimes known as Alexa), Google Home and others — or a device that alerts others

Lenbrook is expanding. So are your possibilities.

Introducing Kingsboro at Lenbrook - the newest addition to the Lenbrook community. These 53 luxury Villas and Flats all come with the acclaimed amenities and lifestyle that have made Lenbrook Atlanta’s premier intown community for engaged senior living for more than 35 years.

Scheduled for move-ins in early 2022, Lenbrook is currently taking fully refundable Priority Deposits for Kingsboro at Lenbrook.

All you want.

More than you expect.

Join us at our next Kingsboro at Lenbrook Preview Event Call 404-800-9717 kingsboroatlenbrook.org

To learn more about becoming a Priority Depositor, call us today at 404-800-9717 to attend one of our preview events. With only 53 residences being built, now is the time to reserve your place in line!

16

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

Live your best life possible if you have a fall or an emergency. You may also be using a Wi-Fi network to replace or supplement cable TV, and you may be using that network with several devices, all at the same time. This leads to your next — and final — checklist item.

3. How powerful a Wi-Fi network will you need?

The answer depends on what you’ll be using your network for. Here are some guidelines: ■ Check email and browse the web: 1-5 Mbps (megabits per second) minimum ■ Stream HD content: 15-25 Mbps minimum ■ Stream 4K content and play competitive online games: 40-100 Mbps minimum ■ Stream 4K content, play online games and download very large files: 200+ Mbps minimum ■ How many devices are active simultaneously also affect what you need.

To put this in perspective, unless you’re an online gamer or have a frequent visitor who is, you won’t need 200 Mbps service. If you do have one or more smart TVs with 4K picture quality that you use to stream TV content, you might want to look at 100 Mbps service as a minimum. With one TV, you can go lower.

If you use your cable TV service for delivering Netflix, Amazon or another source of content associated with the internet, you can back off the Wi-Fi capacity and take advantage of the cable capacity. For email and web browsing plus some HD streaming to a laptop or mobile device, 10-25 Mbps might be a good level.

The important thing to remember is that you can always change

Personal Care and Hygiene

Meal Preparation

Medication Reminders

Companionship

770-649-9930

NWAtlanta.ComForCare.com Serving Metro Atlanta

your service level — providers are always happy to increase it — because you’ll use the same pipeline to bring it in.

Once you’ve determined your TV/internet service needs and you know what’s available to meet them, arrange to have everything set up before you move in or within a few days of moving. You should also consider getting professional help to set up your network and make sure all your devices connect to it properly for full security and fastest possible speed. It will help you settle in more comfortably.

Sometimes, Life Comes Down to the Millimeters Millimeters matter when an interventional cardiologist is opening blockages in your coronary arteries. The new CorPath Robotic Angioplasty puts the precision of a robot in the hands of your physician, often resulting in a quicker recovery. We are the only hospital in metro Atlanta offering this technology — it’s part of our commitment to offer the latest in cardiac advances to help you return to the people that matter most in your life.

Robotic Angioplasty — close to home

To learn more about our advances in cardiac care or to schedule an appointment, call (770) 956-STAR or visit WellStar.org/CorPath 18-WNFH-0400 - Robotic Angioplasty-Senior_Life_Reporter-10x6.185.indd 1

1:45 PM FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com12/18/18 17

PETS

Pet Pick Meet Elvis, a.k.a. “The King.” True to his name, Elvis is looking for a home where he can be the king of your heart, and he’d do best in a home without young children or other cats. At 6 1/2-years-old, Elvis is playful but also enjoys relaxing on the couch and enjoying the finer things in life.

He came to the Atlanta Humane Society already declawed, so if you’re looking for a declawed pet, Elvis could be the perfect guy for you. If his bright green eyes don’t win you over immediately, his charming personality is sure to! He’s curious, playful, and loves human affection.

Elvis is neutered, microchipped, up-to-date on vaccinations and ready to spend forever with you! For more information about Elvis, please email adoptions@atlantahumane.org or stop by Atlanta Humane Society's Howell Mill location, 981 Howell Mill Road in Atlanta, to meet him.

A better environment creates a better life.

Our assisted living communities offer an environment with every detail and service thoughtfully designed to improve the health and lives of our residents so they can spend their time doing what they love.

Call us at (770) 691-3900 or visit us online at DogwoodForest.com to learn more.

Dunwoody � Decatur � Grayson � Acworth

18

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

GARDENING

With Valentine’s Day comes candy, cards and flowers. Flowers arrangements are quite pricey this time of year, but a beautiful bouquet of fresh cut roses always says “I love you” to that special someone.

If you’ve received a gift of fresh flowers, you’ll want to get the most enjoyment out of your arrangement for the longest amount of time. Here are some helpful tips to keep the flowers around for more than just a few days:

PIXABAY

Longer Lasting Flowers

For flowers not already in a vase: ► Cut of ½ to 1 inch from the bottoms of the stems.

► Place the flowers in warm water. ► Add a couple drops of 7-UP and a couple

Sarah E. Brodd is an Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent for UGA Extension in DeKalb County. She enjoys educating the community about horticulture and working with her great group of DeKalb Master Gardeners.

drops of chlorine bleach to the water.

For already-prepared bouquets: ► Place the arrangement out of direct

sunlight, away from heat sources, such

as appliances and lights, and make sure

it’s not under an air vent. ► If possible, place the bouquet in the refrigerator at night. ► Recut the stems every 3 days, change the water and add a preservative mixture of 7-UP and chlorine bleach.

With proper care, you should be able to extend the life of your bouquet.

If you like the idea of a fresh bouquet or arrangement, but don’t like short-lived cut flowers, ask your special someone to give you something that blooms, like a plant for your flower bed. Several landscape plants have pretty blooms that last for a month or longer.

Some good options are hydrangeas, camellias, flowering bulbs and gardenias.

You might have to wait for the blossoms, but spring is right around the corner. Every season that the plant blooms, you’ll be reminded of this special Valentine’s Day gift from your loved one.

All-Inclusive Personal Care Home close to Emory, VA Hospitals & CDC Located within Clairmont Place, it’s a non-profit community offering assisted living services at an affordable monthly fee.

678-686-6170

16 acres

& 5 acre lake

2100 Clairmont Lake, Decatur, GA www.assistedlivingatMontclair.com

4:04 PM FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com 11/6/18 19

PT0205 MECH RPTR-ASL 1/2v 4C 2018-12-DEC.indd 1

Clip & Save or Give to a Friend

Trusted Senior Care Since 1974

• Personal Care Aides • Nursing Care • Companion/Sitter • RN Senior Care Mgmt • In-Home or In-Facility • Part or Full Time • Locally Owned & Managed

Dear Rusty:

404.266.8773 • 24/7 ®

www.AlwaysCare.com

For a DISCOUNT, use this code: SL-BR-7-18 /

Ask Rusty: FILE & SUSPEND? RESTRICTED APPLICATION? OR JUST WAIT?

By AMAC Certified Social Security Advisor Russell Gloor

Taking Care Of Yours... As If They Were Ours

®

PERSONAL FINANCE

© 2018 Always-Care ®

TAKE THE UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY OF THIS 1988 PULITZER PRIZE‑WINNER!

My wife and I were both born in 1953. My wife will reach her full retirement age in March 2019 and I will reach mine in June 2019. My wife's benefit will be roughly $2,200/month and mine will be about $2,700/month if we were to file for payments. An option I have considered is spousal benefits only. In June 2019, can my wife or I file and suspend our benefits and the other file for spousal benefits and receive half of the others benefits while both our benefits continue to earn credit (8 percent per year) until we both hit 70?

Signed: Looking to Maximize

Dear Looking:

Show Sponsor

At the Roswell Cultural Arts Center - 950 Forrest St., Roswell, 30075 G E T. O R G | 7 7 0 . 6 4 1 . 1 2 6 0

20

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

Well, you can’t do things quite the way you suggest, but you do have a different option known as the “restricted application for spousal benefits only” which either of you can exercise because you were both born before the cutoff date in the 2015 law which changed the File and Suspend option.

You can’t both “file and suspend” benefits as you asked but using the Restricted Application (RA) allows one of you to file for benefits and the other to file the Restricted Application to collect half of the PIXABAY other spouse’s benefit while allowing their own benefit to grow. To use the restricted application, I usually suggest that the lower-earning spouse apply for their retirement benefits first, allowing the higher-earning spouse to file the Restricted Application and collect half of the lower-earning spouse’s benefit while their own retirement benefit grows at a rate of 8 percent per year of delay (actually 2/3rds of 1 percent per month of delay). You can delay up until age 70 when you’ll get 32 percent more than you will get at age 66.

So if your wife applies in March 2019 and collects her full benefit, you could file the Restricted Application when you reach age 66 in June 2019 and get half of your wife’s benefit (about $1,100/month) for 4 years until you reach 70, at which point you can switch to your own retirement benefit which would be about

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

$3,564/month (using the numbers you provided). Since your wife’s retirement benefit would always be more than her spousal benefit (half of your Full Retirement Age benefit), she would continue receiving her own full retirement benefit, unless you should predecease her, in which case she would get 100 percent of the increased benefit you are receiving instead of her normal retirement benefit.

But there is another alternative: You could both simply wait until you are 70 to apply and both get the 32 percent benefit increase, which for your wife would mean about $700 more per month. Which is the better alternative? Only you can decide, while comparing expected longevity against your wife collecting an additional $700 per month starting at age 70. In a little over 6 years, your wife’s additional monthly benefit would offset what you would have received in spousal benefits from the Restricted Application, and she’d get the higher benefit for the rest of her life.

In the end, it always comes down to how badly you need the money now, your health and your expected longevity.

This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question or learn more, visit amacfoundation.org/programs/ social-security-advisory).

for her

for him

for home Four stores with on-trend and in-demand fashions and accessories for you and your home.

Finders Keepers Consignments | fkconsign.com AVONDALE ESTATES • DECATUR

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

21

►Out & about The Arts

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Feb. 6-26. This 21-day event offers a broad selection of genres and themes to moviegoers. Highlights include: “Shoelaces,” a tender family story nominated for eight Israeli Academy Awards; “Leona,” a delicate romance about a young woman torn between her Syrian-Jewish family and a forbidden love; and “Chewdaism: A Taste of Montreal,” a nosh-umentary in which two best friends eat their way across the city. Festival venues include Cobb Energy Per"SHOELACES" forming Arts Centre, Regal Atlantic Station, Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center at City Springs and Rich Auditorium at Woodruff Arts Center. Visit AJFF.org for details.

Eddie Owen Presents: Standards and Classics of Love Friday, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with all the elegance of yesteryear. Duluth vocalist Allan Wiltshire premieres Standards and Classics of Love. Reserve seating is $20, $23 the day of the show; Premium seating is $25, $28 the day of the show. Red Clay Music Foundry, 3116 Main Street, Duluth 30096. Call 678-892-6373 or visit eddieowenpresents.com for info and tickets.

Gina’s Journey: A Film Exploration on the First Official Slave Narrative Thursday, Feb. 21, 6 p.m. In 1825, William Grimes wrote and published

the story of his life as a slave and his escape to freedom. Two centuries later, his great-great-great-granddaughter, Regina Mason, picks up where her ancestor left off, with a book, a documentary and her own story of self-discovery. Gwinnett County Public Library, Lilburn Branch, 4817 Church Street, Lilburn 30047. Visit gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154 for info on this and more GCPL events.

The Adult Spelling Bee Friday, March 1, 7-9:30 p.m.; VIP event at 5:30 p.m. There’ll be laughs, unusual-on-stage antics and truly funny attempts at spelling difficult words. This isn’t your average spelling bee. Adults are the ones spelling, they wear costumes and the audience gets to participate! Cobb EMC Community Foundation, The Marietta Daily Journal and S.A. White Oil present this grown-up evening of comedy benefitting Communities In Schools Georgia in Marietta/Cobb County. The students and family-friendly event is $15 for students, $20 for adults and $60 for VIP tickets. Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre, 117 North Park Square, Marietta 30060. Call the box office at 770-293-0080 or visit earlsmithstrand.org for tickets and additional info.

Learn Something North Fulton Master Gardeners Series of Classes for Homeowners Mondays, Feb. 18 & 25, 7-8:30 p.m. The Recreation & Parks Department and Friends of the Lost Corner host the North Fulton Master Gardeners series of classes for homeowners. The Lawn Care class on Feb. 18 will cover: how cool and warm-season grasses differ and what they require: soil testing, fertilizing, weed control, aerating and watering. The Good Soil and Composting class on Feb. 25 is the foundation for spring

The Holbrook is introducing an unprecedented way to live a bold and passionate life.

Each residence will be unequaled in design, amenities and programs.

With magazine-worthy architecture, spacious apartments and restorative green spaces, the Holbrook will surround you with the best of luxury living.

Now taking reservations for our Decatur and Acworth locations.

Reservations coming soon for our Woodstock location.

(404) 445-7777 www.HolbrookLife.com

22

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife

classes on growing and maintaining vegetables, perennials, shrubs and roses. It provides an understanding of the science of soil and covers the use of compost and mulch to improve and protect your soil.

Cost for the classes are $10 each or $60 for the entire series. Pre-registration is requested, but walk-ins are welcome. Lost Corner Preserve Cottage, 7300 Brandon Mill Road, Sandy Springs 30350. For additional info or to register, visit friendsoflostcorner.org.

The Natural History of Sandy Springs – History and Ecology Series Thursday, Feb. 21, 7-8:30 p.m. Learn about the ecology of this area before and after the European settlers arrived. Instructor Alan Toney, FOLC Board Member and Master Naturalist, gives a non-human perspective of which species disappeared, which ones benefited and what was introduced as the forest was replaced by agriculture. Cost for the class is a suggested $5 donation to the Friends of the Lost Corner. Lost Corner Preserve Cottage, 7300 Brandon Mill Road, Sandy Springs 30350.Cost: Suggested $5 donation to the Friends of the Lost Corner.

Find out more and register at friendsoflostcorner.org.

Afrocentric Fabric History and Design Sunday, Feb. 24, 3 p.m. Presented by Gwinnett County Public Library in partnership with the United Ebony Society. The bright colors, distinctive designs and quality of African fabrics are rich with cultural meaning. Learn the history of African fabrics and how they can enhance your wardrobe. Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville Branch, 1001 Lawrenceville Highway, Lawrenceville 30046. Call 770978-5154 or go to gwinnettpl.org to get details on this and more events at Gwinnett County libraries.

Health & Wellness Heart Health Monday, Feb. 18, 10:15-11:15 a.m. What do the numbers mean? Learn about cholesterol, its components, health effects and ways to improve your cholesterol to reduce your risk of a heart attack. North Cobb Senior Center, 3900 S. Main St., Acworth 30101. Call 770-975-7740 or visit cobbcounty.org for more info.

SUBMIT YOUR EVENT LISTING WITH US AT

editor@AtlantaSeniorLife.com

Services directory justTRASHit!

JUNK REMOVAL & RECYCLING

We Haul Away: We Clean Out: *Furniture *Appliances *Construction *Pianos *Hot tubs *Paint cans

*Basements *Garages *Attics *Offices *Storage units *Estate sales

(770) 314-9867 www.justTRASHit.com

Winter Clean-up Special

Atlanta’s Premier • Window Cleaning since 1968 • Gutter Cleaning • Pressure Washing • Family Owned • Licensed and Insured • Free Estimates

404.355.1901 www.WindowCleanAtl.com

Family Education Series on Dementia Wednesdays, Feb. 20, March 20, April 17 and May 15, 7-8:30 p.m. This dementia skills education series, begun in December, is still open to family members and caregivers of people with brain change. It offers invaluable knowledge while providing guidance and a forum for questions and discussion. Free; registration is required. Oak Grove United Methodist Church, 1722 Oak Grove Road, Decatur PIXABAY 30033. Register by emailing wecare@ orchardseniorliving or calling 404-775-0488. Find out more at orchardseniorliving.com/brookhaven.

Are you about to retire?

Are you interested in participating in an investigational memory intervention?

We are currently looking for English-speaking volunteers over the age of 65 who are transitioning to retirement to take part in a 5-week Everyday Memory and Metacognitive Intervention study. We are interested in whether our program can help people improve their everyday memory.

Georgia Tech’s Adult Cognition Lab Please call 404-894-7450 to participate in the study.

Leave your name and phone number.

You can also email Principal Investigator, Dr. Ann Pearman at ann.pearman@psych.gatech.edu to express your interest.

To advertise, call 404-917-2200 ext 110 Hearing Aids Decatur Hearing Aid Service Over 40 Years Experience!

404-299-1141

917 N. Indian Creek Drive • Clarkson, GA 30021

www.DecaturHearingAidService.com

TRUSTS and ESTATES LITIGATION ATTORNEY

MARK ELLIOTT Legal representation when disputes arise from the estate plan or within the estate ■ Will, Trust, or Power of Attorney Challenges ■ Breach of Fiduciary Duty of Trustees, Executors and others ■ Litigation of the Probate Estate ■ Disputes among Heirs ■ Other related litigation as necessitated by party misconduct

www.atlantatrustsandestatesattorney.com Complimentary Initial Consultation

404-330-8854

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

23

The Wait Is Over: The Solana at East Cobb Is Open!

The New Signature of Senior Living has arrived in East Cobb!

The Solana at East Cobb sets an impressive standard for assisted living and dementia care. Our beautiful senior living community brings the highest commitment to care to each resident we are privileged to serve. But we aren’t just service and care; The Solana at East Cobb delivers luxury you might otherwise expect from a five-star resort.

Our amenities and services include: Spacious studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments Restaurant-style dining featuring outstanding chefs Emergency call system with 24-hour response Access to our wellness program, supervised by a licensed nurse Award-winning dementia care neighborhood Round-the-clock trained, professional staff Bistro

Don’t take our word for it—meet our great team, tour our community, and see for yourself.

Call 770-659-7753 or visit www.SolanaEastCobb.com/Jan to schedule a tour. But don’t delay; space at The Solana at East Cobb is filling fast!

Theater Art studio Fitness/rehab center Patio and courtyard Exercise classes and fitness program Housekeeping services

The Solana East Cobb | 1032 Johnson Ferry Rd., Marietta, GA 30068 24

FEBRUARY 2019 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

facebook.com/AtlantaSeniorLife