Atlanta Senior Life - July 2021

Senior Life Atlanta

Stepping Out

Main image: Johnny’s Hideaway

Johnny’s Hideaway draws fans of classic dance tunes

Follow the ‘rules of the road’ when out on the lake page 18

His interest in severe storms led to a TV career page 8

JULY 2021 • Vol. 6 No. 7 • AtlantaSeniorLIFE.com

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PERSONAL SAFETY

PEOPLE

travel

Visiting Georgia’s national parks page 20

Contents JULY 2021

COVER STORY

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Johnny’s Hideaway draws fans of classic dance tunes

6-11 PEOPLE Atlanta actor Mitchell Anderson finds his role as a restauranteur; Greg Forbes turned an academic interest in severe weather into a TV career; Mary Capka walked through the pandemic shutdown; an artist seeks a new way to mark time in Atlanta

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THE CRATES 12 FROM Bill Lowery stood behind some of the best music recorded in Georgia

TECHNOLOGY 15 PERSONAL 5 ways to protect your

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tech from hackers

16 GARDENING The first step toward a successful shade garden: create a design

SAFETY 18 PERSONAL Follow the ‘rules of the road’ to enjoy the boating life

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.

20 TRAVEL Visiting Georgia’s National Parks

FINANCE 22 PERSONAL Ask Rusty: When should my wife start collecting Social Security?

PERSPECTIVE 23 PERSONAL It feels like time for a slice of going-out pie

On the cover

CONTACT US Editorial Joe Earle Editor-at-Large joe@springspublishing.com Contributors Collin Kelley, Greg Levine, Donna Williams Lewis, Kelly McCoy, Steve Rose, Chad Radford, Gene Rubel, Charles Seabrook, Mark Woolsey Advertising For information call (404) 917-2200, ext 1002 Sales Executives: Jeff Kremer, Rob Lee, Janet Porter

Diana and Larry Bryan dance at Johnny’s Hideaway.

Photo by Donna P. Williams.

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Keith Pepper keith@springspublishing.com (404) 917-2200 ext 1001 Publisher Steve Levene Founder & Publisher Emeritus Amy Arno Director of Sales Development amy@springspublishing.com (404) 917-2200, ext. 1002 Rico Figliolini Creative Director rico@springspublishing.com Deborah Davis Office Manager deborah@springspublishing.com (404) 917-2200, ext. 1003

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COVER STORY

STEPPING OUT Johnny’s Hideaway draws fans of classic dance tunes Birmingham in Michigan, not the one in Alabama. It’s 611 miles away, as the crow flies.

“We flew down today to come here because it’s the one and only 50s, 60s and 70s dance place that I know of in America.

It’s one of a kind and very special for us,” Voss said as the couple prepared for a foray onto the dance area. It was their first visit since the pandemic’s onset.

“We always have a good time and can relive memories of the past,” he said, lamenting that even metro Detroit—rich with Motown Sharon Siegler and music heritage-has nothing similar.

That’s an apt tribute to a club whose atmosphere can seem encased in amber—not that that’s a bad thing.

Johnny’s debuted in 1979 courtesy of the bigger-than-life tavernkeeper Johnny Esposito and has long been a favorite of the 40-and-over crowd. The watering hole tucked away in an unpretentious Buckhead strip center had skewed younger in recent years, while burnishing its retro vibe.

Then came the pandemic.

Older adults hit the pause button

for more than a year.

“The older folks are starting to trickle back in but it’s still only about 25% of what we had for happy-hour pre-COVID,” said current owner Chris D’Auria.

A recent weekday afternoon found him musing on the rollercoaster from March of 2020 until now. After a several-week shutdown, he said, Johnny’s Hideaway carefully reopened while following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gradually increasing capacity, hiring a specialized deepcleaning company and installing a high-end air filtration system have seemingly reassured more than a few older patrons.

From happy hour into a recent Wednesday late evening, mature adults were wellrepresented at the club, chatting amiably at the bar, working the crowd and bobbing and weaving on the dance floor.

But don’t necessarily expect them to be in evidence when the house lights brighten at 3 a.m.

There’s a noticeable turnover around 9-10 p.m., with the

“Everyone can dance. It doesn’t matter what age you are. I don’t want to have children with you. I don’t want to marry you. I just want a dance partner for a while.”

Jeanne and Richard Voss

By Mark Woolsey Never let it be said that longtime Atlanta nightspot Johnny’s Hideaway doesn’t gather in a dedicated and wideranging mixture of fans.

A recent Wednesday night found Richard Voss, 78, and

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his wife circulating and reconnecting with friends.

Energetic and genial, Richard Voss related how the couple would come from Birmingham and descend on Johnny’s three or four times a year.

That would be the

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Sharon Siegler (left) and Judy Cohen

older set departing and a much younger crowd flooding in until the wee hours.

But as longtime DJ Greg Picciano puts it, “Some of the older folks stay around to see what the younger folks are up to.”

Picciano and his fellow tunesmiths work the turntables expertly, rolling danceable hits of the 60s through the 90s. Music with senior appeal figures more into the mix early (Buddy Holly, Motown), segueing to tunes by the likes of Bruno Mars and Maroon 5 as the night deepens.

It’s familiar without seeming formulaic—an approach that applies to far more than what’s pumping through the speakers.

The club’s décor has changed little over the years, with hightop tables and plushy chairs reminiscent of a mid-20th century supper club. There’s a Sinatra room and an Elvis shrine with plenty of memorabilia.

Muted house lighting creates the feel of, well, a hideaway. And as for the adult beverages, the barkeeps pour with a generous hand.

And, sure, say managers and patrons alike, some people come in looking to hook up, but anyone expecting a “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” atmosphere may want to look elsewhere. The staff prides itself on maintaining a no-hassle approach, dealing with any out-of-line behavior quickly and emphatically.

The age range of the clientelequite literally from 21 to 91—can make for interesting people— watching, regulars say.

D’Auria has seen it over and over again; several younger women are sitting at a table and an older gentleman will approach and ask one of them to join him under the (yes, they have one) mirrored ball. “She’d assume she was going to be dancing with some old guy, and he’s swinging her and dipping her. And there’s no ‘get away from me you creep.’”

“It’s always fun to see,” he said.

Sharon Siegler, 69, is a twodecade Johnny’s fan who’s gotten to know the Vosses and other regulars over the years. Like

them, she’s putting her boogie shoes back on after holding off for more than a year. Being back on familiar ground brings a smile.

“Everyone can dance,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what age you are. I don’t want to have children with you. I don’t want to marry you. I just want a dance partner for a while.”

That said, marriages have occurred on the heels of Johnny’s meetups, according to D’Auria. And inevitably some of those unions wind up on the rocks. “So, the standing joke is, ‘Who gets the Hideaway in the divorce?’” he said with a grin, adding that one longtime patron who had been married three times met all of his wives there.

Older patrons also stake a claim on Johnny’s during the day. A regular weekday lunch bunch gather. A group of college football fans spends the gridiron season throwing money into a pot, then picking winners.

D’Auria, the son of one of Esposito’s original partners, and his staff work hard to keep the nightspot’s tried-andtrue approach intact. You get the feeling that he’s not only running a busy club, he’s safeguarding a legacy.

No detail escapes his notice, whether it’s the music mix, the quality of the bar food or how quickly managers and servers greet and seat guests. Those who repeatedly run afoul of his particulars can expect to hear about it in a very direct and sometimes heated way, he admitted.

D’Auria says he has weighed expanding, but not elsewhere in Atlanta. He doesn’t want to splinter his base of support.

Nashville is a distinct possibility, he said. He even had a potential location lined up, but the deal fell through.

So in the meantime, Johnny’s remains—in the truest sense of the phrase—one of a kind.

“I’ve been all over the world and I’ve never seen a place like this,” one patron said.

JULY 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

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PEOPLE

Atlanta actor finds sustaining role in the kitchen, behind the bar Before he opened the popular MetroFresh restaurants in Atlanta, Mitchell Anderson was known for his roles on TV shows and films like “Party of Five,” “The Karen Carpenter Story” (he played brother Richard), “Jaws: The Revenge” and most recently an Emmy-nominated turn on the Amazon Prime series “After Forever.”

When he’s not in front of the camera, Anderson is in the kitchen and now behind the bar.

His longtime partner is salonowner Richie Arpino.

Atlanta Senior Life contributor Collin Kelley caught up with Anderson to talk about the evolution of Bar MetroFresh and his upcoming acting gigs.

Q. You opened the first MetroFresh in Midtown Promenade almost 16 years ago, which predates the farmto-table and “fresh” food trend in restaurants. How did you

come up with the initial concept and what’s the secret to the restaurant’s longevity?

A. Honestly my inspiration came from my mentor and friend Jenny Levison, aka Souper Jenny. When I decided to leave show business, she took me into her kitchen and taught me a very improvisational approach to fresh food. I took to it right away and MetroFresh was born. Jenny was definitely ahead of her time and, with her blessing and help, we brought farm-to-table food to Midtown all those years ago.

I think I responded to this kind of fresh cooking because it’s what my mother did. We grew up in the farm country of western New York, where seasonal produce was specific. My mother visited the farm stand daily in spring, summer and fall. Her menu was 100% based on what came in that day. Somehow, corn brought from the field and into your boiling

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Mitchell Anderson

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Q. Tell us about the latest iteration – Bar MetroFresh. What can fans and newcomers expect?

A. MetroFresh Uptown opened in August of 2019 in the beautiful Midtown Plaza, a block north of the High Museum. We copied our original location with breakfast and lunch for the office crowd, but added an after-work bar experience.

Of course, that location was impossible to operate for much of last year because of the pandemic.

We closed for six months and reopened in September. Since then, we have continued to do breakfast and lunch for the hearty few who ventured into their offices. I’m happy to report that our determination and perseverance has paid off and we are beginning to see an uptick as people finally return to offices.

In January of this year, I decided to open the bar on Thursday nights, with me as the bartender. I had never tended bar in my life, but like everything about the last 12 months, you just sort of create and adjust. I realized that having a safe place for people to socialize in the middle of the pandemic was incredibly fulfilling.

Based on that experience, I decided to upgrade my existing beer and wine license at the Midtown Promenade store and add liquor. Our location off the BeltLine, and the upgrade to the entire complex creates an incredible opportunity to evolve.

I am thrilled we survived this last year and I was super excited to reopen for nighttime dinner service with the addition of Bar MetroFresh. We’ve always been such a great, casual, neighborhood staple that having the option to

pop in for a cocktail with friends and hang out for a bit is perfect.

We look forward to feeling out the potential of Bar MetroFresh, including live music and entertainment both inside and on the patio.

Q. What are some of your other favorite restaurants and bars in the city?

A. I love Kyma, where our friend Chef Pano always treats us to his amazing Greek specialties. We never put in an order, the food just keeps coming out. Canoe is our favorite special-occasion restaurant. You just can’t beat the setting and the food is always inspiring. We live right up the street from Nino’s, which is the best for traditional old school Italian. I’m also a huge fan of Ford Fry and love No. 246 in Decatur.

Q. You’re well known for your acting work in TV, films, and on stage. Which came first: your love of acting or cooking?

A. Honestly, cooking came first. But they were sort of tied together. I’m not kidding you when I tell you as a child, making cookies or pies at home, I used to pretend I was Julia Child or The Galloping Gourmet. I’d set out all the ingredients and narrate my process as I went along for an imaginary camera and an imaginary audience.

Q. You were recently nominated for an Emmy for “After Forever” – are there more acting roles coming up soon?

A. We are shooting season three of “After Forever” in September of this year. It was postponed for a year because of the pandemic.

I am also working on a one-man show about my life in Hollywood and how I wound up cooking for a living. It was a New Year’s resolution that I made to challenge myself in the year I turn 60! I have just booked Synchronicity Theater for the first weekend in November.

I’m scared to death, but also super excited.

I’ve never done anything like this, but I needed a project that was not “restaurant related.” It’s been awesome to be able to take a break from my day job when I can to focus on something else – something that I’ve always loved.

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PEOPLE

Greg Forbes’ interest in severe storms led to a career on TV [The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/ National Weather Service scientific agency that forecasts severe storms and tornadoes and issues watches] Q. You were at Penn State from 1978 until 1999, teaching severe weather and a variety of other topics. Can you draw a line on what led you from there to The Weather Channel in Atlanta?

A. I left Penn State because I got an offer from The Weather Channel. I figured at that age that that was going to be my only chance to go be an operational severe weather forecaster and save some lives. I decided I would take the opportunity even though it meant being on television.

Q. At The Weather Channel, you both prepared forecasts and researched behind the scenes and went on the air to warn of potential severe outbreaks before guiding viewers through them. What’s the number one severe weather event you covered?

Greg Forbes

First, Greg Forbes developed an interest in science. Then came a desire to save lives.

That combination led the Cobb County resident to a respected career as a meteorology educator and researcher, then to a 20-year, high-profile stint as the oncamera severe storms expert for the Atlanta-based Weather Channel. On days when severe weather threatened destruction, Forbes provided a familiar and comforting presence for millions of viewers.

Now retired after years of guiding nervous viewers through most of the major storms since 1999, the Latrobe, Pennsylvania, native has taken up other pursuits. But he still does some consulting and — as you might expect — checks in on the

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A. I would probably have to name as number one being on the air for what we now call

forecast regularly.

Atlanta Senior Life contributor Mark Woolsey caught up with him recently for a phone chat.

Q. Can you tell us about your journey, which led you to national TV? A. In the eighth grade, our science teacher taught a module on meteorology, and I thought that was pretty cool. When I was shown that meteorology was an actual science, rather than the goofballs — who were sometimes, Bozo the Clown or whatever — giving the weather, I thought it was something that would work for me.

I went to school at Penn State and got my bachelor’s and, while there, heard about the pioneering work being done by

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Dr. Ted Fujita at the University of Chicago. I went there beginning in the fall of 1972.

I had never intended on being a TV meteorologist. I’d gone to the University of Chicago to get my master’s degree and be a forecaster at what we now call the Storm Prediction Center.

the super outbreak of 2011.That had so many violent tornadoes going on all at once. Just about every [severe storm] produced a strong or violent tornado and some of them long-track.

One of them that got a lot of notoriety formed southwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and hit

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part of that community, then tracked all the way up into parts of the Birmingham metro area.

In Birmingham, it was dropping shingles from Tuscaloosa out of the sky 10 to 15 minutes in

and analysis of what those were and what was causing those.

advance.

A. I think a lot of the public has grown more weather-savvy. One thing that has changed from my years as a student to my years of retirement is that the numerical models and other ways to analyze the weather have improved. Back in the 70s, the public viewed the forecast very skeptically. Now the public has high expectations of the forecast being accurate.

Q. What’s it like being on the air for something like that? You said there were days when you put in 10 hours straight or more.

A. On those days, it’s pretty much adrenaline that kicks in. I don’t get tired all that easily. [There are] tornado outbreaks that have constant tornadoes, so many that you can hardly keep up with them. I would try to find the five or six I thought were either the most dangerous in terms of communities they were about to impact or the ones that looked the most dangerous on radar and talk about them.

Q. You had a hand in revising one of the main tools of modern meteorology, the Fujita Scale, which measures tornado damage. But you also delved into other topics that have had a specific application to our part of the country. Can you talk about that?

A. I did research at Penn State on ice storms and a phenomenon we call cold-air damming. That’s where a wedge of cold air gets trapped east of the Appalachians.

That can sometimes result in ice storms and anomalously cold weather even down into the Atlanta area. I was involved in some of the early documentation

Q. Do you think the public has grown more knowledgeable about weather over the course of your career?

Q. What’s keeping you busy in retirement?

A. I take a hike on one of the nature trails every day unless it’s raining. Also, I have a basement full of books. I’m a part-time online used book dealer.

Q. One more thing. I hear you acquired the moniker “Stormmaster G” during your years at The Weather Channel.

How did that happen?

A. Weather Channel producer David Waller gave me that nickname early in my TWC career. One of the EVPs (executive vice presidents) actually had two rap videos made—one about me and one that had me apparently doing some rap moves. They taped me with my arms in different positions and then edited it to continuous motion.

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PEOPLE

Taking the pandemic in stride with a virtual walk to Delaware

By Donna Williams Lewis Mary Capka came up with a novel way to stay fit when pandemic restrictions closed the pool and gym at Canterbury Court, her senior living community.

“We were shut in with the COVID quarantine and literally we could not leave [the facility] for many, many months,” said Capka, a retired nurse who worked at Emory for 30 years and who lives in Buckhead.

“I wanted to continue my exercise for many reasons — one, just for general health.

I also have multiple sclerosis and I need to walk for comfort reasons. I’ve had a kidney transplant, so keeping active and keeping healthy is very critical to my continuing health,” she said.

“Really, the only viable option I had was to walk.”

So, walk she did, daily, logging her miles with an app on her phone. As the miles piled up, she thought, “Well, wait a minute, I can go somewhere with this. I can make this a game.”

Capka decided she would make a virtual trek from Atlanta to Millsboro, Delaware, to visit her brother.

“I missed him and missed his family,” Capka said. “Since a real visit was out of the question, I set an exercise goal to walk there virtually. I gave myself one year to make that mileage.”

Her brother, Albert Bonan, mapped out a door-to-door route, which he calculated at 749 miles.

And on July 1, 2020, she was off, walking two to three miles per day through the halls and garden at Canterbury Court.

She called her brother every couple of weeks or so to give him a mileage update and ask him where she was on his map.

“I also made sure that I told a lot of people here at Canterbury what I was doing because I wanted to have, one, that support, and, two, to finalize it as

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JULY 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

Mary Capka reaches the finish line of her virtual walk to visit her brother in Delaware on May 19.

a goal.”

She says she believes goalsetting is “critical to senior health.”

Capka’s neighbors became her cheerleaders, enjoying asking her where she was on her journey.

Some even told her she inspired them to start walking.

She normally walks slowly, with a limp, so her daily mileage goal was already a challenge.

But nothing stopped her quest, not even a fall in November that pulled a hamstring and injured a knee. After a week, she was back on track.

On May 19, six weeks before her self-imposed deadline, Capka reached her finish line, congratulated by her husband, Vince, and a few friends.

She then called her brother for some FaceTime.

“He ‘answered the door’ but he said, ‘I’m at the back door. Come around to the back,’ ” Capka said.

“He lives off the Indian River Inlet, so the water is behind him.

So he panned the water and the seagulls were chirping and I could see his beautiful back area with the crabbing pier and we just chatted because, you know, I had arrived!”

Capka said she feels a great sense of accomplishment for achieving a goal she wasn’t sure she could reach. Her brother says he never doubted she would succeed.

“Mary is the type of person — has been all her life — when she sets goals, she follows through,” Bonan said.

Capka continues to walk, with a goal of reaching 1,000 miles by the end of this year.

She will teach belly dancing classes this summer, and she and her husband plan to drive to Delaware in September for a real visit with her brother.

“We’ll take the same route that I took on my virtual trip,” she said. “It took me six days to cross the Chesapeake Bay BridgeTunnel. We’ll do it in about 15 minutes.”

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Counting time by watching the rivers flow

By Chad Radford Conceptual artist and writer Jonathon Keats has announced plans to build a new municipal clock for the metro area based on the flow of the Chattahoochee River, Peachtree Creek and other local waterways.

The Atlanta River Time project aims to change Atlantans’ perspective on time, the natural environment, and the impact of modern human existence on both.

“We can overcome dehumanization and environmental devastation by calibrating our lives according to personal observations of seasonal changes in our natural surroundings,” Keats said in a press release.

His solution is to redefine time not just in terms of people’s lives but also based on ecology.

River Time project organizers say Atlanta may be ripe for a shift in thinking about rivers and time.

“Atlanta was built around the railroad rather than the river,” Keats said. “It’s a business-first town that was founded and continues to be driven to make the trains run on time. Although these days it’s more about UPS trucks, Delta jets and Amazon Prime delivery.”

Keats delivered the first version of River Time in Anchorage, Alaska, in 2020 by creating a digital Alaska River Time clock metered by glacial melt’s impact on regional rivers.

Now, various Atlanta organizations tied to the river and arts are collaborating to bring Keats and his alternative time-reckoning systems to Atlanta. That includes nonprofit arts group Flux Projects and the South Fork Conservancy, which works to restore the banks of the South Fork of Peachtree Creek, among others.

JULY 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

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FROM THE CRATES

Bill Lowery stood behind some of the best music recorded in Georgia Even if you’ve never heard of Bill Lowery, I’d bet my money and yours you’ve heard his music.

For over 50 Years, awardwinning Bill Lowery Music published hundreds of songs, covering rock, country, pop, gospel, rhythm & blues, comedy,

from the crates Kelly McCoy is a veteran Atlanta broadcaster who writes about the days popular music only came on vinyl records, which often were stored in crates. and more… selling millions, and millions of records.

“Mr. Bill” had the first music-publishing company in Georgia. It began in 1952. Later, he operated Southern Tracks Studio and the Southern Tracks Records label. Over the years, he was connected to artists such as Tommy Roe, Billy Joe Royal, Jerry Reed, The Tams, Ray Stevens, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Alicia Bridges, Dennis Yost and the Classics IV, BJ Thomas, Lynn Anderson and

(L to R) Kelly McCoy, his late wife Cary, former Atlanta Falcon Mike Kenn, and Music Promoter Johnny Bee at a Lowery barbecue

Joe South…just to name a few.

When I was a child and then, later, as a teen, I heard many Lowery hits on my transistor radio, 45s, albums, 8-track and cassette tapes. I saw his

artists on the Ed Sullivan Show, American Bandstand and other TV variety shows.

Little did I know that I’d get to hang with such greatness.

My experiences with this

legendary family are because of a longtime friendship with Butch Lowery…Bill, and Billie’s only son.

Over the last 45 years, we’ve been to concerts together, Continued on page 14

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as "ear beggar of the dog" — which perfectly describes what these tiny creatures do: feed on wax and oils in your dog’s ears. While they don't bite skin, their presence causes itching and the secondary damage caused by scratching can be serious.

It’s important to exterminate ear mites as soon as possible, for the benefit of the infected pup and the other pets in your home it can easily spread to. Mites can also infect humans, but this is very rare.

It's best to visit your veterinarian for a diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately, ear mites are relatively easy to treat — a deep ear cleaning and some medications prescribed by your veterinarian usually clear up infections quickly.

Ear infections are a common and often recurrent problem in many dogs, but routine care can keep your pup clean and comfortable. It's important to regularly monitor their ear health, as infections can begin and worsen quickly. If your dog is showing signs of an ear infection, seek treatment right away to ensure the problem does not become serious.

Scenthound will handle your dog’s basic grooming needs, so you don’t have to. If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, let us take care of cleaning your pup's ears as part of their monthly E-scent-ials package!

At Scenthound, ear exams are just a part of the routine care we provide to keep your pup clean, comfortable and healthy. We focus on all five of the core areas of maintenance that dogs need: Skin, Coat, Ears, Nails, and Teeth (SCENT).

And to keep you in the loop, after

every groom you’ll receive our S.C.E.N.T. Check report detailing our assessment of your dog’s overall external health. Plus, you can reference your pup's historical S.C.E.N.T. Check data in the new Scenthound mobile app to track the progress they've made since becoming a member of the Monthly Clean Club.

The S.C.E.N.T. Check is just another way Scenthound helps you stay informed, educated and empowered when it comes to your dog’s health and well-being. This way, you can be assured we are well-acquainted with your dog and any issues he may have which helps you stay on top of small problems, like ear infections, that can turn into big problems if ignored.

Dr. Jim MacLean Chief Veterinarian, Scenthound Dr. MacLean’s first job was working as a grooming assistant when he was 15 years old. Since then, he has worked in every aspect of small animal veterinary hospitals, has practiced in small animal medicine and surgery for 26 years, and has owned and started multi-doctor veterinary hospitals.

With a mind for both medicine and business, Jim received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from VMRCVM at Virginia Tech in 1994 and his MBA from Georgetown University in 2011.

Coming full circle, he joined the Scenthound pack to bring his expertise and experience to the grooming world.

As chief veterinarian, Dr. MacLean guides Scenthound from a health and medicine perspective and helps achieve our mission to improve overall pet health on a broader scale.

JULY 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

13

Continued from page 12

enjoyed countless lunches and dinners and played many racquetball matches in the ‘80s.

Butch taught me darts at the Rusty Nail on Buford Highway.

We’re still in close contact today. It’s certainly nice to be writing about a close friend who is still alive. We don’t often get to do that.

The annual Lowery Music BBQ event was like a family reunion. You never knew who you’d see there: friends from the radio and music industry; the Lowery family and staff; recording stars, athletes and people from all over the region.

Mr. Bill was, of course, the ultimate host. One year at the party I was having a beverage, and chatting with a gentleman, and realized it was Billy Joe Royal. Ray Stevens came walking by. The party was held outdoors in the parking lot of the Lowery Music offices on Clairmont Road. There would

be a huge tent with seating.

Great Q and beverages. Live entertainment from a Lowery artist. A lot of old friends hugging, and high fiving.

A couple of quick stories: Mike Clark was one of the main engineers at Southern Tracks and was quite secretive on who was recording in “his” studio.

One particular year, Butch was leaving the office and saw some gentlemen shooting hoops at a basketball goal in the

(L to R) Butch Lowery, Music Promoter Geno Rumple and the late Herb Emory, local broadcaster and traffic guru

parking lot of the studio. He greeted them and asked who they’d been working with. They replied, “Bruce.”

Butch asks, “Bruce who?”

With “duh” expressions on their faces they answered, “Springsteen!”

Of course Butch was surprised, and pleased that one of the biggest superstars in the country was in their studios making music.

Mike was a man of few words, and it took a lot to impress him. He’d played with and recorded with many big stars in his time and was a “star” himself. He told me one evening he walked into a common area of the studio, and there was Bruce writing a song on a legal pad. He stopped, paused, and thought, “that’s pretty cool…Bruce Springsteen is writing a song on my sofa in my room…how ‘bout that.”

Unfortunately, Bruce never showed up at any of the picnics.

If you travel Clairmont Road these, you’ll see the Bill Lowery Parkway sign. I was traveling by the studio one day, and a Lowery song came on the radio. I called Butch to say, “I’m on Billy Lowery Parkway,

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JULY 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

in front of your office listening to a Lowery record…how cool is this?”

It just so happened that his mother was in the car with him. What were the odds of that happening? Definitely a Lowery Music moment. It was the last time I spoke with Miss Billie.

Great people with great souls who gave Georgia, America, and the world great songs and music that has endured the test of time, and will continue to do so.

BJ Thomas died from lung cancer while I was working on this article. He was 78…not ancient, but no spring chicken.

It’s a reminder that these greats in every genre are aging out but their songs will be here and musical memories passed along the way to fit in that golden oldies/classic songs category. Quite a few are “still kickin’,” but not performing.

I was in an establishment in Athens recently, and heard an Atlanta Rhythm Section song, and it made me smile.

Do a little research on Lowery Music. You’ll be quite impressed. I’m going to go call Butch.

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PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY

5 ways to protect your tech from hackers As it turned out, the biggest problem the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack created for most of us was uncertainty about gasoline supplies and prices.

It’s also clear for now that big corporations are the main targets for ransomware because, as the notorious robber Willie Sutton once supposedly said of banks, “that’s where the money is.”

Having only personal money

PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY 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. accounts doesn’t let you off the hook. As hacking and ransomware tools become easier for small-time crooks to obtain and use, you could be a target for someone looking for a few hundred or thousand dollars.

That said, we have five basic steps that anyone can take to toughen their technology defenses against hackers. Most of them are free; some involve minimal investments – certainly less money than you might stand to lose.

1. Be Extremely Careful Hackers thrive on your carelessness. In the case of the Colonial Pipeline attack, reports indicate they gained access through one account on the company’s IT system. We tell our clients all the time – and we’ll repeat it here – to be extremely careful about clicking on links in emails and links that pop up on your computer or device while you browse the internet. Hackers are very good at emulating

corporate logos and throwing in an extra letter or number in an email address or website address (URL), hoping you’ll overlook their misstatement. They’re also good at spoofing your contacts’ email addresses.

We offer this advice: ■ If something doesn’t look right in the slightest way, don’t click on it.

■ If you’re given a website or phone number, don’t use it. Go out of your internet browser or email and open a new window for the official corporate website and get a phone number or other contact info.

2. Keep Your Tech Up to Date Make sure you download and install updates and upgrades for your operating systems and application software for your computers and devices.

Updates and upgrades improve performance and contain security patches and bug fixes to make your technology harder for hackers to breach. Those updates and upgrades are generally free – as long as the provider has enough of a userbase to support the investment needed to provide them.

If your operating system (OS) and app software providers no longer support your systems, we recommend you spend the money to upgrade to a newer version of the OS or app or buy a new computer or device that will run the latest software. If you balk at an investment that should be less than $1,000, think about what you might pay in ransomware – and think about what you spend for your various insurance policies.

As a corollary to that, make sure the hardware and software for your in-home Wi-Fi networks are up to date and running. This includes firewalls (protective software) as well as updates for your network’s routers.

3. Use Virus and Malware Protection You can find free anti-virus and anti-malware software online, or your computer may already have

something available through its operating system. Install it and use it. Many of the companies that offer free anti-virus and anti-malware software also offer it on a subscription basis for less than $100 a year, and their key benefit is that they work automatically in the background to block the malware hackers try

to plant on your system. They also install updates and upgrades automatically.

4. Use Offsite File Storage Make sure you have at least one offsite file storage arrangement.

Yes, more than one is preferrable because you never know how you or a storage server might be hit – either by a hacker or an outage.

While it’s unlikely that a reputable, secure storage provider will be hit by a hacker, you can line up more than one for $100 to $150/year for each. Companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Google offer free and subscription-based file storage and they have backup plans, too.

Other independent providers have separate storage and backup programs.

There is a difference between file storage and file backup.

Storage programs are designed for the retrieval of individual files, whether they be Word documents, spreadsheets or photo or video files. Backup systems are not designed for individual file retrieval. They’re intended to restore files when you replace a hard drive or computer.

Hackers generally get into an individual computer, and a good storage or backup provider should have extra layers of security to

protect your files if you’re hacked.

5. Beef up Password Protection Use strong passwords and consider using a password manager.

Weak passwords are the superhighway to your data. Don’t use things like admin or admin1 or a string of numbers. They are the easiest to crack. Also, don’t use a password that involves any kind of public information that anyone can look up on readily accessible public information websites.

Strong passwords include upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters. They’re even better when they have no rhyme or reason – but, of course, that makes them difficult to remember.

A password manager can give you the best of both worlds.

You can allow them to generate random characters for passwords and update (change) them regularly or periodically. All you need to do is remember your master password – but it’s critical that you do because you may not be able to recover it. However, you can generate a list of all your passwords at any time, and you’ll need it if you decide to discontinue using a specific password manager.

Password manager providers offer various levels of service.

You can use a free one for a single device with a limited number of accounts, or you can pay for one that allows you to access more than 50 or 100 accounts on multiple computers or devices.

A Final Note Whatever you decide to do to toughen your technology, you’ll improve your protection against being hacked or being asked to ransom your files. We suggest you do something in each of the five basic steps we outlined. No matter how few or how many actions you take in each, you’ll keep yourself from becoming a sitting duck if someone decides to target you.

JULY 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

15

GARDENING

The first step toward a successful shade garden: create a design and frame the spaces. Gardens that include places for seating, eating, and resting will increase the value of the shade garden to the family.

2. Develop a path system before you plant your first tree or flower. Focus on how you want to move through the space.

The paths can meander through the garden or be more direct.

Either way, using plants with interesting structure or color can help pull attention, creating the desire and intrigue to move throughout the space.

3. Incorporate alluring objects, sculptures, varied seating, and screening at places along your pathways. Thoughtful placement helps to create an enchanting atmosphere in which to stroll or linger.

Whether or not you choose to work with a landscape designer, creating a simple layout concept

Clethra “humming bird”

It’s July in Atlanta, which means many of us are looking for ways to beat the heat. For some, that means waking up at 6 a.m., whether to get some gardening work done or just to enjoy a garden without melting.

Personally, I prefer gardening strategically and setting a later alarm. I start working in the sunny areas upon waking, and by 10 or so, I definitely am working in the shade. I don’t

THE ENVIRONMENTAL GARDENER Greg Levine, co-executive director of Trees Atlanta, describes himself as happiest when his hands are in the dirt. mind a good sweat, but since reaching the half-century mark, I would rather not work in the sun in 90-plus degree weather.

A well-shaded garden

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Dwarf Turks Caps

provides more than just respite from the summer heat, including habitat for unique plants and reduced maintenance for you.

My nieces sum it up as a cool place to get away from each other and vibe.

If you want to create a shade garden and you’re starting with a treeless lot, the first thing to do is to create a plan. We are all tempted to just buy some of our favorite plants and place them in the first convenient spots, but there’s a better way than winging it!

Getting your ideas on a piece of paper can make a big difference over the life of your

JULY 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

garden. After all, a tree can easily live well over 100 years. Even the simplest design will help give your shade garden structure that can make the garden more usable, enjoyable, and refined.

So, get out the pencil and paper now, and you will be ready to start planting in the fall!

Here are a few things to consider when designing a shade garden: 1. Create a garden with places where people can engage with their surroundings, not just a pretty view from the kitchen window. Design “rooms” throughout your garden using foundational plants to define

Franklinia

will help make a garden not only for people to enjoy, but also where all the plants you love can thrive.

Draw a simple layout using a bubble diagram to place the major elements of the garden.

First, lay out the different seating areas and objects of interest in your space. Create multiple layouts to see how the relationship of these desired spaces change with each different orientation and location. Next, draw circles to represent the placement of trees and large shrubs that separate, enclose, and define the

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spaces. Your efforts will help communicate your ideas to a designer or will just help you create a better shade garden.

Frame your space and create a foundational structure by selecting some bottomland tree species that tend to be fastgrowing and tough. Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), pine (Pinus spp.), tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), and river birch (Betula nigra) can be used to create quick shade and enclosure for the shade garden.

These are a few flowering plants that have interesting structure, texture, or form to bring interest to the well-shaded garden in the middle of July:

- This native deciduous shrub blooms in the middle of summer with white fragrant flower spikes. They are sweetly fragrant and enjoyed by butterflies, a variety of bees, and, not surprisingly, hummingbirds. It is a dwarf variety, growing to about 3 feet tall. Summersweet prefers consistently moist soil and partial sun, but can tolerate full shade and wet soils.

■ River oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) - This native fourseason grass can grow to nearly 3 feet tall in partial sun to the deepest of shade and thrives in average soils and moisture. The oat seed heads hang elegantly and tremble in a breeze, turning a bronze to orangeyred in the fall. It is a Franklinia Tree prolific re-seeder and, when the conditions are right, it can be a great groundcover and a bit of work to control.

I find it easiest to cut it where I don’t want it, and eventually it weakens and fades out.

■ Sweet Tea gordlinia (x Gordlinia grandiflora ‘Sweet Tea’) - A beautiful, 30-foot-tall tree that has white camellia-like flowers from July to November.

No joke, my tree has five months of flowering. This evergreen has a few leaves regularly turning red in the winter and spring. Gordlinia prefers full to partial sun, well-drained soil, and consistent moisture. It is easier to grow than franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha) and really worth trying.

■ Hummingbird summersweet (Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’)

■ Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii – Dwarf Turks Cap – This woody perennial is extremely drought tolerant once established and relishes the heat of summer.

Starting in late June, early July, small twisted red flowers looking like hibiscus that refuse to open its petals, are produced which are guaranteed hummingbird attractors along with selected butterflies including Sulphurs.

The blooming continues well into September and October, when small red fruit replace the flowers. This is one perennial that will not fade away, but after several years you may wish to separate a few out for friends.

Once you complete your design, it gets even more fun because you get to go shopping.

You can do this with a good conscience, knowing your plants won’t be sitting in their containers or have a lifetime of being moved around. Good luck and get started.

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PETS & THEIR PEOPLE

For our August issue, we’ll be featuring photographs of pets and their owners. Send us a snap of you and your pet (or pets) and you might see yourself in this special section! Photos should be high resolution with all persons and pets identified by name.

Send your images by July 9 to editor Joe Earle at joe@springspublishing.com or Instagram or Facebook @atlantaseniorlife

JULY 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

17

PERSONAL SAFETY

Follow the ‘Rules of the Road’ to enjoy the boating life The motherload of summer has arrived and with it, the humidity and meteorologists yelling, “code red!” In other words, it’s hot. To beat the heat, we seek the water of the lake.

I live next to Lake Lanier and according to Georgia law, I am

Steve Rose takes the helm, as Sandy, his wife, enjoys the ride.

STAY SAFE Steve Rose is a retired Sandy Springs Police Captain, veteran Fulton County police officer and freelance writer. He is the author the book “Why Do My Mystic Journeys Always Lead to the Waffle House?” and the column “View from a Cop.”

Spigelia marilandica

required to own a boat. I do and have since that time when I was using a callbox on the beat.

I’ve owned several different types of boats over the years, from small, 15-foot runabouts to a 38-foot cruiser. The bigger the boat, the more you better love boating, because she is an expensive mistress to have. If

you are new to boating, here is a short synopsis of the rules and safety moves you’ll need to make it in boating society.

First, make sure your wife [or

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TM

whatever person fills that blank] likes it, but remember, you will be compared to the other boats on the lake so spend out of your comfort zone just a bit and get

something respectable.

1. Getting into the water Assuming you have a boat to trail, find a parking lot and

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practice backing the trailer. Use the side mirrors and get used to it. You don’t want to be that guy on the boat ramp zigzagging down the ramp while everyone looks on.

When you arrive at the boat ramp, park to the side, load the boat, which includes family, life jackets, cooler, food, friends who brought the food, and music.

Then, unstrap the back of the boat from the trailer, put the all-important plug in the back of the boat (see “Hey Siri, what do I do when my boat sinks?) and get on the ramp. Back it, start it, and get off the ramp and get the trailer parked. Lug all the stuff you forgot to load to the dock, get in, and go.

2. On the water The Rules of the Road are simple, pass the other guy on the left. In other words, yield to anything coming across your path from the right. Respect “No Wake” signs, and be respectful,

which unfortunately, many on the lake are not. Keep your eyes open when you are moving.

Boats seem to appear from nowhere on a large lake.

3. Getting out of the water At the end of the day comes boat-ramp duty and it is all business. People want to go home, and this is when you need to be at the top of your game.

I’ve seen fights on the ramp, known as “ramp-rage,” and yes, alcohol is involved. Don’t worry about those guys.

To be your best, have a plan.

Drop off the trailer driver and get the boat in line for the ramp while at the same time, the driver enters the trailer line. This is where your trailerbacking skills are best needed because there is no boat to see and the trailer sits low. Side mirrors are your friend so keep the trailer at a slight angle so you can see it. Make small adjustments and line up with

the ramp curbs. Slip the trailer deep enough to just cover the wheels and then set the parking brake. (You can view examples of ramp failures on YouTube all day long.)

Loading the boat is where couples find the strength or weaknesses in marital bliss.

My wife excelled in putting the boat on the trailer, even during crosswind evenings. Perfect, because she would never back the trailer, so our combination was a good fit.

Someone on the boat needs to pilot when loading the boat so again, practice. Go out on a weekday when the ramps are clear and practice. Go slow. You want the boat loaded onto the trailer, not the bed of your new pickup truck. Get it hooked, raise the engine, and get off the ramp. Find a spot out of the way and offload the boat. Make sure everyone is accounted for, and you are done for the day.

4. Don’t and dos Don’t be “That Guy.” The guy who takes all day loading the boat while blocking the line to the ramp. The guy who, after six tries, still can’t get the boat in the water.

The guy who never checked the engine, spending 15 minutes on the ramp wondering why it won’t start.

The guy who didn’t practice loading the boat, and the guy who blocks the exit while offloading.

There are more but if you avoid these, you are good to go.

Once you have the routine down a few times, it is not difficult or time-consuming.

There is so much more to boating and lake society, but the bottom line is that if you like it, try it. When you are ready to move up, try that. Find that happy place where the boat and your marriage are in sync and ride the wave, dudes!

JULY 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

19

TRAVEL

Visiting Georgia’s national parks Some 50 years ago, I set an ambitious lifetime goal for myself — to visit every unit of the National Park Service, 423 of them by the latest count. I wouldn’t just drive through them to gaze at their waterfalls, mountain peaks and other features, but I’d also walk their

list — such as Wrangell — St. Elias National Park in Alaska or the American Samoa National Park.

Why go? Mystery writer Nevada Barr, a former park ranger whose novels are set in national parks, summed

Travels with Charlie Veteran Georgia journalist Charles Seabrook has covered native wildlife and environmental issues for decades.

For “Travels with Charlie,” he visits and photographs communities throughout the state. trails, canoe their streams, explore their historic structures — even ramble through their visitors’ centers.

The park units, of course, are a diverse lot. They range from a few acres to millions of acres in size. They include our familiar national parks such as Yellowstone and the Everglades, but also encompass national monuments, national historic sites, national battlefields, national seashores, national recreation areas and on and on.

No matter their title or purpose, though, they’re all referred to as “national parks.”

So far, I’ve made it to 336 of them — and, even though I’m now in my late 70s, I still hope to visit all 423. It’s questionable, though, if I ever will ever get to some of the remotest, most farflung parks still on my bucket

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JULY 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

up the feelings of many park lovers in Sierra Club Magazine: “Our parks are the home of our wildness, our pioneer spirit.

Seeing them we know we can do much, go far, withstand the harshest punishment. We know we can make it; we can survive

and thrive and flourish.”

Not surprisingly, I long ago achieved a part of my ultimate goal — visiting all of the national parks in Georgia.

Actually, I’ve visited them several times, but never get tired of them. They are:

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, where in 1863 Union and Confederate forces fought for control of Chattanooga, the “Gateway to the Deep South.”

Kennesaw National Battlefield Park, which preserves a Civil War battlefield of Sherman’s 1864 Atlanta campaign.

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, whose 14 units stretch like an emerald necklace 48 miles downriver from Buford Dam.

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Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, which tells the life story of the revered civil rights leader.

Cumberland Island National Seashore, a stunningly beautiful, historyrich barrier island off Georgia’s coast.

Fort Frederica National Monument, archaeological remains of an early British settlement.

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, featuring prehistoric American Indian sites.

Andersonville National Historic Site, home of the notorious Camp Sumter, the largest Confederate military prison during the Civil War.

Jimmy Carter National Historical Park, which includes Plains, the former president’s hometown, and his boyhood home and farm.

Fort Pulaski National Monument, which for most of the 19th Century helped protect the coast from overseas enemies.

In addition, an important section of the park service’s Appalachian National Scenic Trail lies in North Georgia. Also running through the state is part of another unit, the Trail of Tears National Historical Trail, which commemorates the Cherokee people who were forcibly removed from Georgia.

JULY 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com

21

PERSONAL FINANCE

Should my wife wait until age 70 to claim her Social Security benefits?

Dear Rusty:

ask rusty Russell Gloor is a certified Social Security advisor with the Association of Mature American Citizens.

I’m 74 and receiving my Social Security benefits. My wife is 68 and we are delaying her benefits until she’s 70. But I read an article about a wife receiving half of her husband’s benefit, which makes me wonder if my wife waiting is smart. Please let me know your thoughts.

Wondering Dear Wondering:

Your wife’s waiting until she is 70 to claim her own Social Security retirement benefit may be a smart move, but only if her age 70 benefit will be more than the benefit she is already entitled to as your spouse.

Her benefit as your spouse is 50% of the benefit you were entitled to at your full retirement age, which was 66.

She would get that 50% because she has already reached her own full retirement age, but your wife’s spousal benefit doesn’t grow beyond what she’s entitled to at her full retirement age. Her own Social Security retirement benefit, however, grows by .667% per month until she is 70, at which point it reaches maximum (32% more than her amount at her full retirement age benefit).

So, the question is: Which will be higher – her spouse benefit, or her age 70 benefit? If the answer is her spousal benefit, then she should claim that now. But if the answer is her age 70 benefit, waiting until she is 70 makes more sense.

There is, however, another option which would work even better if your wife’s own benefit at age 70 will be her highest. Since you are already collecting, and because your wife was born in 1953, she is eligible to file a “restricted application for spousal benefits only.”

Doing so would allow her to collect her 50% spouse benefit from you now, while still allowing her own Social Security retirement benefit to grow to maximum at age 70.

That would give your wife half of your benefit amount each month, while she simultaneously maximizes her own Social Security retirement benefit. Then at age 70 when her personal

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benefit reaches maximum, she can switch to her own higher benefit.

I suggest that your wife get a Statement of Estimated Benefits from Social Security to determine if her age 70 benefit will be higher than her spouse benefit. If so, she can file the “restricted application for spouse benefits only” and then simply wait until she is 70 to switch from her spouse benefit to her own higher benefit (32% more than her full retirement age amount).

Note that this “restricted application for spouse benefits only” option is no longer available to anyone born after Jan. 1, 1954, but is still available to your wife because she was born before that.

Unless her spousal benefit will be her highest, I suggest that your wife file the “restricted application for spouse benefits only” which will give her 50% of your full retirement age benefit amount (including COLA awarded since then). She should also ask for six months retroactive spouse benefits since she was eligible to do this at her full retirement age.

The easiest way for your wife to get her Statement of Estimated Benefits is by using her personal “My Social Security” online account. If she doesn’t yet have an online account with Social Security, it is easy to create one at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. She will need that account anyway to apply for her benefits online, which is by far the most efficient way to apply.

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, visit (amacfoundation.org/programs/ social-security-advisory) or email ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.

About AMAC The 2.3 million member Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] www.amac.us is a conservative advocacy organization founded in 2007 that represents its membership in the nation’s capital and in local Congressional Districts throughout the country. The AMAC Foundation (www.

AmacFoundation.org) is the Association’s non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and educating America’s Seniors.

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PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

It feels like time for a slice of going-out pie Today is the day I tried cooking a strawberry pie.

Strawberry pie may not seem Joe Earle is ediall that special. There are many more elegant desserts: roulades, tor-at-large and souffles, flaming crepes. But to has lived in me, strawberry pie has always metro Atlanta for somehow ranked among the over 30 years. He fanciest of Fancy Desserts. can be reached at Piled high with huge red berries joeearle@reportand even higher with mounds of sweetened whipped cream, that ernewspapers.net glistening red-and-white slice may really be little more than a brightly colored sugar delivery system, but, since I was a boy, it seemed a piece of the good life.

I grew up in a small Southern city. In those days, we didn’t dine out a lot and there weren’t that many choices for restaurants when we did.

So, any dinner or Sunday lunch cooked and served by an honest-togoodness, sit-down-to-be-served restaurant seemed special. And ending a meal with strawberry pie made it even more of an event. It seemed a special dessert reserved for dining out.

We ate plenty of fine homemade desserts – pecan pies, boiled custard, coconut cakes, even fresh ice cream – but never strawberry pie. That, in my limited boyish imagination, required some special skill reserved for the cooks at exotic eateries such as Morrison’s Cafeteria or Shoney’s Big Boy. (I told you the choices were few.)

To tell the truth, our homemade desserts probably tasted better, but somehow strawberry pie was proof that you were out and about and seeing what the world had to offer. It was going-out pie.

As we start to escape (we hope) from COVID lockdown, I have been preparing to go out into the world again and thinking about how I spent my time during the past 15 months or so. Throughout my career as a newspaperman, I’ve spent a lot of time on the move. I’ve lived in different states, seen new sights, witnessed strange events and met a wide variety of people who were either confronting extraordinary events or doing important deeds or who simply had interesting things to say.

Like most of us, since March 2020, I’ve mostly stayed at home. I

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wish I could say I’ve used the time wisely. I could have practiced to be a better guitarist or written a novel or learned French. I didn’t. I did some work from home, but I suspect I’m one of many who simply whiled away empty hours doing mundane things: crossword and jigsaw puzzles, gardening, watching a lot of TV, occasionally cooking something that seemed interesting.

I think I understand, at least in part, why it was so hard to rise to the challenge offered by the empty hours of lockdown. COVID made everything scary.

In the days before widespread vaccinations, COVID made going out of the house into something threatening. A simple trip to the grocery literally could prove fatal. Working at your office could make you sick.

People were — and still are — fighting over wearing masks, keeping apart and just how to act in the company of strangers.

In a world like that, it was easy to keep to oneself and fall back on simple pleasures. Puzzles. Books and magazines. TV shows delivered up by Netflix that provided hours of English detectives and French detectives and even Icelandic and Korean detectives unraveling twisted crimes.

Those things offered a measure — or at least a feeling — of control.

They seemed to say that the world, despite the weirdness of lockdown and the sudden scariness of strangers, hadn’t really changed. My little domestic pleasures provided a sort of comfort food for the scared.

Which brings me back to strawberry pie.

I spotted a recipe online recently and thought there could be no better way to celebrate the beginning of the end of pandemic lockdown than to bite into a slice. Just like when I was a kid, it could be a sign I was out of the house and into the wide world around me.

So, I made a strawberry pie.

I haven’t tasted it just yet. It’s still cooling in the fridge.

But it looks damn good.

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