PrimeTime - July 2020

PrimeTime livi ng you r b e st i n th e p r i m e of you r li f e

R H O D Y B E AT. C O M

Summertime Senior Fun Enjoy The Season Even During the Pandemic

By DON FOWLER

Every summer for the past 43 summers I have written about the wonderful entertainment opportunities in Rhode Island.

Summer brought us Theatre-by-the-Sea, The Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals, The Labor Day weekend Rhythm and Blues Festival, Music on the Hill, Waterfire, plus many other major weekend art, music, dance, and food festivals and events.

There was something to do every day and night of the week from Memorial Day to Labor Day. And now, here we are in the summer of 2020, searching for anything that will get us safely out of the house.

Definitions of “Entertainment” include amusement, pleasure, leisure, fun, and enjoyment, but staying at home, social distancing and the resulting cancellation of every major event limits most opportunities.

Staycations For Seniors

Seniors confined to their homes or senior facilities turn to their televisions and computers for entertainment. With summer re-runs, few new shows and specials, and limited sporting events, network TV is living up to its “wasteland” label.

Many of us have turned to Netflix and other services.

With so many choices, I have relied on my adult children and the Rotten Apples web site for guidance. After watching all seasons of Breaking Bad, Dexter, “Nurse Jackie, Ozark, and Outlander, I am now looking forward to Grace and Nancy, Money Heist, Dead to Me, and The Crown. I watch one or two episodes a day, unwilling to binge watch like my younger friends.

Years ago I wrote an article on “staycations” for Prime Time, aimed at seniors who were limited in their activity

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With the concerns over crowds and travel this summer, the term “staycation” became a way to find entertainment in your own back yard, translated literally to “Your own Back Yard,” and expanding to include the State of Rhode Island.

Gardening, bird watching, backyard pools, horseshoes, cornhole and other games, and back yard barbecues have grown in popularity this summer.

I started walking different streets in my neighborhood of Edgewood, discovering interesting architecture, flower beds, front porches and backyards, and friendly neighbors.

Hiking trails, including the Pawtuxet River Trail starting in the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet parking lot, Rocky Point, and the three mile trail at Warwick City Park are SUMMER FUN - NEXT PAGE

Anchor Bay at Pocasset gives our residents a reason to get up in the morning.

We build our well-rounded Resident Experience programs by getting to know our residents. Our social calendar is filled with culture, fun and best of all – a rewarding life.

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by PAT R I C I A R A S K I N

Communication During COVID Summer is a time, especially in New England, where most of us spent more time outdoors, travel on vacations and spend time with friends and family.

This summer is different as many of us cannot spend time in person with our family and loved ones and if we do it 6 feet apart. It is so important to communicate effectively especially during this time when we need our connections now more than ever before.

And some of those connections are challenging to deal with.

Through my work and my own experience, these are my five ways to deal with people who are challenging.

1. Understand the behavior – It is not easy to be kind and understanding when people close to you, hurt, annoy and anger you.

This is where you can use your objective view and see them from a distance, from an unemotional lense. This

helps you to depersonalize the behavior even though it affects you.

2. State your truth – State in a kind way how this behavior and words affects you. Use I statements without blaming the person.

Let them know how you feel but do this for you to stay in your truth.

3. Accept that the behavior may not change – This is a tough one but when you accept the behavior, you avoid being triggered and taking it personally. (However, this does not apply to abusive behaviors that negatively affect you- which is where professional help may be needed.)

4. Change your perception or attitude or situation. When the behavior is not abusive or destructive as described above, change how you view it. Become an observer. Ask yourself, if this affecting me long term?

Is this annoying to me but not hurtful? Can I learn to

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most enjoyable and can be done at an easy pace.

I visit the Pawtuxet Farmers Market at Rhodes every Saturday morning.

Many Warwick and Cranston residents have told me that they wouldn’t think of going “Downcity.”

Think again!

Downtown Providence is the perfect place to take a walking tour this summer.

The students are mostly absent. Many office workers are doing their jobs from home. The streets and sidewalks are uncrowded.

Visit the mall, walk along Benefit Street with its historic buildings, cross the new bridge over the Providence River, dine outside at one of the many open restaurants.

Roger Williams Park offers a chance to enjoy the outdoors. The zoo is now open with a few restrictions and is handicapped accessible. Check out their web site before going. You will find scattered food trucks there on Fridays.

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accept that this behavior is the way that person copes with anger and fear or this is part of their personality?

And lastly, can I change my view so that I can be with this person without triggering them or being triggered?

Ask yourself what you can learn from them to help you deal with other similar situations.

5. See the person in the best light. Remember times when that person has been at their best and try to create those types of situations when you are with them.

That means avoiding statements and actions that you know will trigger the behavior you want to avoid.

This is a challenging time for us all and emotions can run high.

These steps have helped me tremendously in dealing difficult moments with those special people in my life and has allowed me to appreciate the good side.

Patricia Raskin is president of Raskin Resources Productions, Inc. She is recognized as the “powerhouse voice” of positive lifestyle and aging and “positive media” pioneer. An award winning radio producer and business owner, Patricia has served as a catalyst for creating positive change for almost four decades. Her programs have aired on FOX, PBS, NPR affiliates and for ten years on WPRO radio in Providence. Internet radio & podcast program, The Patricia Raskin Positive Living Show, in its seventeenth year, is heard on VoiceAmerica.com and iTunes.

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When I was a boy, my father would pack us in the station wagon and we would go off on a Sunday Drive.

Our little state has so many beautiful places that can be visited in a day, starting with Newport’s Ocean Drive and Cliff Walk. Pack a picnic lunch, stop and enjoy the ocean waves pounding against the rocky shore, watch the kite flyers, gaze at the mansions (some are even open), drive to Fort Adams, enjoy the many boats, and take a stroll (with face mask) done Thames St. Watch Hill is one of our favorite spots.

Get off the main roads and drive the side roads where mansions overlook the ocean.

Oops! That’s a driveway. Sorry!

Drive on through Misquamicut, visit Ninigret Park, Charlestown Breachway, and Matunuck. Catch the ocean breezes along Route 1. Stop in Galilee to watch the seagulls from the Salty Brine Beach and enjoy clam cakes at George’s and fried clams at Champlin’s.

The quaint island of Jamestown has an outdoor arts exhibit that will take you to historic places around the island. Don’t worry about getting lost. You will eventually come to the lighthouse, downtown, or the Jamestown Bridge.

And make sure to stop at Beavertail.

Hopefully, the Block Island Ferry has insisted on face masks and social distancing, making a trip to the island safe and enjoyable. Rent a moped, bike, or jeep and tour the island. I am just as happy to get off the boat, take a left across the parking lot and park myself on the beach at Ballard’s, one of the best beaches in the world. Fish and chips and a cold beer will top off the day trip.

Galilee offers deep sea fishing and whale watching adventures under strict safety rules.

Don’t forget northern Rhode Island, where a trip up Route 12, over the Scituate Reservoir, into Burrillville and many of the small towns with white churches on the green will give you a sense of being in the backwoods of Maine.

While driving around, you should discover a few yard sales by those who spent their quarantines cleaning out garages and cellars.

Movies

Misquamicut and Route 146 drive-ins are open and are drawing big crowds. Showcase Warwick is currently offering classic (That means old) movies, with the first new movie (“Unhinged”) opening July 31.

Where are the Live Performances?

We couldn’t find any!

Entertainers in all aspects of the performing arts in Rhode Island like their counterparts around the world, are some of the hardest hit victims of the pandemic. Some are sharing their skills on line, while all struggle to survive financially. If you are able, please donate to the many non-profit arts organizations. suduko solution

Join 2020 Walk To End Alzheimer’s The Alzheimer’s Association is inviting Rhode Island residents to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® on four different dates.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s continues, but instead of hosting a large gathering, the Alzheimer’s Association is encouraging participants to walk as individuals or in small groups on sidewalks, tracks and trails across Rhode Island because this year’s Walk is everywhere.

“This year the Alzheimer’s Association is everywhere. All of us will be raising funds for one goal: to live in a world without Alzheimer’s and other dementias,” said Donna M. McGowan, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association, Rhode Island Chapter. “Because this disease is not waiting neither are we. We are working with all participants to ensure that they experience a powerful and moving experience in a safe environment.”

Time-honored components of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s are being replicated. On Walk day, an Opening Ceremony will feature local speakers and a presentation of Promise Flowers to honor the personal reasons participants join together to fight Alzheimer’s and all other dementia, all delivered to participants’ smartphones, tablets and computers. A small group of Alzheimer’s Association staff and volunteers will create the iconic Promise Garden in a “view only” format on Walk day in the cities and towns we would have gathered in to honor all those impacted by Alzheimer’s. Those Gardens will be viewed on September 12 in Westerly, September 13 in Newport, September 26 on Block Island and October 4 in Providence.

To enhance the participant experience leading up to the event and on Walk day, new features are being added to the Walk to End Alzhemer’s mobile app to create an opportunity for the community to connect. Participants can use the app and new “Walk Mainstage’’ to track their steps and distance, follow a virtual Walk path, manage their Facebook fundraisers, and access information and resources from the Association and Walk sponsors to help individuals and families affected by the disease. A new audio track is available to encourage participants along the way and to congratulate them upon completion of their Walk.

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Rhode Island alone, there are more than 24,000 people living with the disease and 54,000 caregivers.

To register and receive the latest updates on this year’s Walk to End Alzheimers, visit: alz.org/ri/walk Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk®; now the Alzheimer’s Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s.

RETIREMENT SPARKS

by ELAINE M. DECKER

In Praise of Pigs If COVID-19 isn’t disruptive enough, now there are reports of a new “G4” Swine Flu in China. Part of the collateral damage from the COVID pandemic was a shortage of meat. Many processing plants were shut down because of outbreaks of the disease. The domino effect of this was that cattle and pig ranchers had no place to sell their animals. A news feature showed a pig farm where the mature stock was being “humanely euthanized” to make room for the baby piglets to grow up. You needed a heart of stone to not feel sad about all those pigs being shot. Of course, absent the pandemic, they were headed to a fate that was no happier.

My husband and I don’t eat a lot of meat, other than chicken. We prefer fish. I stopped eating veal altogether years ago. I had seen photos of young calves kept in tiny stalls so they wouldn’t develop muscles and would stay tender until they were slaughtered. Now I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to eat a pork chop again. My husband and I have often toyed with becoming vegetarians. The pig TV feature has me considering this more seriously. It also led me to think about the places that pigs appear in our cultural psyche.

It starts when we’re babies and everyone around us wants to count on our toes. “This little piggy went to market; this little piggy stayed home.” And so on. There’s also the nursery rhyme: “To market, to market, to buy a fat pig.

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig. To market, to market, to buy a fat hog. Home again, home again, jiggetyjog.” I sing this to my cats on the way back from the vet, letting them know that we’re headed home. I have no idea if they understand this, but it makes me feel better.

Early on, we learned about The Three Little Pigs, with their varying home construction materials and how those fared against the huffing and puffing of the Big Bad Wolf.

Not long after that, we became familiar with Looney Tunes and P-P-P-Porky Pig and his girlfriend Petunia. As our literature selections became somewhat more sophisticated, we were no doubt introduced to Winnie the Pooh and his dearest friend, Piglet. And who can forget Wilbur, the pig who was saved from slaughter in Charlotte’s Web? The Muppet, Miss Piggy, deserves a paragraph all her own, even if it’s just two sentences. She has an entire media and promotional empire built around her. The literary creation, Olivia, could give Miss Piggy a run for her money.

Olivia has her own books, translated into many languages.

Her original book won a Caldecott Honor in 2000. Both of these ladies were featured on U.S. Postal Service stamps, Miss Piggy in 2005 and Olivia in 2006.

Many celebrities have (or had) pet pigs, including George Clooney, Ariana Grande (who appears to have won

the custody battle with Pete Davidson), the Beckhams, Miley Cyrus and countless others.

Let’s not forget colloquial expressions that feature pigs: a pig in a poke, in a pig’s eye, when pigs fly, male chauvinist pig. OK, maybe let’s forget that last one, but the other three are permanently entrenched in our lexicon. How about going hog wild and its cousin, going whole hog?

Did you have a piggy bank? Ever get carried piggyback?

Wear pig tails? And one that I could never do without: As happy as a pig in ____. (You fill in the blank.) Let’s end this exercise with a phrase that’s been showing up in political discourse lately: Put lipstick on a pig. I know there are more pig/hog/sow expressions, but my list should give you a sense of porcine usefulness in language.

This essay is by no means a complete survey of pigs in our culture, but I hope it makes you think twice the next time you order roast pork in a restaurant. Maybe the shortage of chops during the pandemic will result in permanent changes to our culinary behavior. For the sake of all those little porkers, I certainly hope so.

Copyright 2020 Elaine M. Decker Elaine M. Decker’s newest book is Retirement Downsizing—A Humorous Guide. Her other books include Retirement Sparks, Retirement Sparks Again, Retirement Sparks Redux and CANCER: A Coping Guide. Her essays appear in the anthologies: 80 Things To Do When You Turn 80 and 70 Things To Do When You Turn 70. All are available on Amazon.com. Contact her at: emdecker@ix.netcom.com

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SENIOR ISSUES

by LARRY GRIMALDI

Coming to America On the Fourth of July we celebrate our independence from England. My heritage can be traced not to colonial America, but to the shores of southern Italy. My ancestry is embedded into the melting pot of what the late President John F. Kennedy termed, “A Nation of Immigrants.”

About 1905, my grandfather Vincenzo Grimaldi left the small town of Teano, near Naples in the hill country of Caserta, Calabria for a seven to 10-day voyage across the Atlantic to New York’s Ellis Island. His wife, Celeste and his fouryear old daughter and my aunt Celeste, followed in 1910. My grandmother’s surname is listed as Grimaldo on her immigration documents. The family settled into a tenement house on Providence’s Hudson Street, near the Cranston Street Armory.

Less is known about the Aquinos, my mother’s side of the family. The surname Aquino is associated with one of Italy’s houses of nobles. The family name is associated St. Thomas Aquinas and the city of Venice. My branch of the family tree lived in Naples. (When my wife Kathy asks my Italian friends about where their families lived in Italy she chuckles at what is always the response, “Near Naples”). It appears that the route to America for the Aquino family passes through Canada, not Ellis Island.

Both families were part of the “New Immigration,” the third and largest wave of arrivals to the shores of America that began in 1890. This group included mostly Slavs, Jewish immigrants, and Italians.

The “Old Immigration” featured the influx of Germans, Irish, British, and Scandinavians who were already fanning out across the nation.

Between 1880 and 1924, more than four million Italian immigrants came

The Great Italian Migration to America. In the 1880s, approximately 300,000 Italians arrived. They were joined by 600,000 in the 1890s and, and three million of their friends, neighbors, and fellow adventurers who landed in New York between 1890 and 1924. The vast majority were from southern Italy and Sicily This “New Immigration” was driven by poverty, hunger, social stigma and political repression. Southern Italians were considered to be ignorant, uneducated peasants by their more cultured and learned compatriots from northern Italy.

Rome had its history, culture, and import as one of the world’s great civilizations.

The Vatican and the Catholic Church were the spiritual and political centers of Christianity. Venice and Florence were known for their ruling class nobility, artists, painters, sculptors, and writers, and skilled artisans.

For the 20 percent of Italian immigrants who were not peasants or farmers, the wages in America far outstripped those in their native country. The agricultural worker in southern Italy earned 16 to 30 cents a day. A carpenter could earn 40 cents to $1.40 a day. In their newly adopted home, a carpenter could earn $18 per week for 56 hours of work. This represented a huge raise from the $1.80 to

$8.40 per week pay he was used to in Italy. America was viewed as a place where land was available and abundant, wages were higher, taxes were lower, and there was no military draft.

Italian immigrants brought their determination to prosper, and their skills as laborers, carpenters, brick layers, tailors, masons and barbers to America.

The thousands of laborers and craftsman that settled in New York helped to build the bridges, roads, skyscrapers, and subway tunnels that crisscross Manhattan and its boroughs. They created communities of faith and family, and were destined to carve out a better life in a new country brimming with opportunity. They raised their families, sent their children to school, and paved the way for second generation Italians to follow their dreams.

Many of these newly minted Americans found work in the mines and quarries, textile companies, and clothing manufacturers that dominated the landscape in the industrial northeast. By 1910, 20,000 Italian immigrants were working in Rhode Island and Massachusetts mills. Still other Italian immigrants opened neighborhood grocery stores, tailoring shops, furniture stores, barber shops, variety stores, and local taverns. My grandfather, Antonio Aquino, owned a bar on Eddy Street in

Providence near the Rhode Island Hospital.

For the men, social interaction revolved around clubs that paid homage to various Catholic saints, such as St. Bart’s Society in Silver Lake or the San Bernardino Society in Federal Hill. The life of an Italian immigrant wife was centered on her spouse and children. Women gained admittance to the sanctum only if they were cooking for a club event or a post-funeral gathering for a former member.

I can only imagine the mixture of hope, fear, uncertainly, and sense of anticipation my immigrant ancestors felt on that voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

I’m sure they realized that there would be challenges learning a new language, living and surviving in a new environment, and assimilating into a new culture. Those challenges would test their courage and resolve.

As the grandchild of pilgrims who left their homes in Italy and set foot in America as part of the “New Immigration,” I am grateful that they took that giant leap of faith to start anew. They came America. They put down new roots and paved the way to a better life for their children, grandchildren, and their descendants. The Fourth of July is a tribute to our independence. In a way, it’s also a celebration of the diverse nation that we have built on the hopes, dreams, hard work and courage of immigrants. Tha nation has been greatly enriched by their legacy.

Larry Grimaldi is a retired freelance writer living in North Providence. Comments can be e-mailed to lvgrimaldi49@ gmail.com

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Safe Entertaining Tips in a COVID-19 World

(eLivingtoday.com) Depending on where you live, restrictions on social gatherings may become less strict in the coming weeks and months. However, many experts caution that care should still be exercised when groups of people gather.

After an extended period without social contact, it’s only natural to crave some interaction, and there’s evidence that doing so can be advantageous for your mental health.

However, taking precautions to protect your physical health, along with your guests’, can make for a more enjoyable event.

Keep it contained. Limit your gatherings

to a few close friends or family members so if someone does get sick, contact tracing is a simple task. Keep in mind the number of same-household families you invite is more important than the number of people in that family. For example, one family of six that has already been living in close quarters poses a lower risk than three couples living in separate houses. Also be mindful of your guests’ approach to prevention; if they’ve been less cautious than your family or vice versa, there’s room for conflict and anxiety.

Celebrate outdoors. Indoor event spaces naturally have less circulation, meaning po-

tential airborne particles hang around longer. Planning your gathering outdoors helps ensure more free-moving fresh air and more space for guests to spread out and practice social distancing.

Encourage guests to bring their own. It may go against all your good hosting inclinations but hosting a bring-your-own party eliminates shared food and the risk of crosscontamination. You can provide disposable table service (plates, silverware and napkins) and single-serve beverages, but skip the cooler everyone reaches into.

Provide ample, well-spaced seating. En-

courage guests to keep some distance from one another by creating comfy seating arrangements. You can take it a step farther by asking guests to bring their own chairs and directing each family to set up its space a reasonable distance from the next.

Make cleanliness a priority. Create stations with hand sanitizer or wipes. You can also create a makeshift sink to minimize trips to the restroom indoors. Provide a spray bottle or bucket, soap and paper towels near the hose for quick clean-ups.

Find more advice for navigating pandemic life at eLivingtoday.com.

Take the Fun to the Backyard

Get outside for some fresh air. Here’s how to make your backyard the center of family fun.

• Set up an outdoor theater: There’s no need to spend the day indoors, even if your family wants to binge watch favorite shows. Whether you’re viewing a movie, video chatting with friends or looking at a slideshow of old family photos, a portable projector can quickly transform the backyard into a home theater. Those from Casio are particularly versatile, offering speedy set-up and the ability to transition from daytime to nighttime viewing.

need is a portable keyboard to set the tone. Not only do Casio keyboards have the ability to hook up to a laptop or tablet so you can play any song from your library, if you put the keyboard on Dance Music Mode, you can add beats, sounds or filters to anything you want.

• Get ready, get set, go: Keep everyone busy and active with a decathlon. Feature all-age friendly events like a potato sack race, Frisbee toss, long jump and more.

• Be sure to get comfy: Your home theater will get more Whether you keep score or play just for the fun of the use if it offers the same amenities as the living room. game, you can make a day of it -- and add a little graviLuckily, these days, it’s easy to find weather-resistant tas -- by including opening and closing ceremonies. furniture as comfortable as your favorite couch.

With the right tools and ideas, the backyard can be• Make music: Host a socially distanced block party with come your go-to destination for relaxation, entertainyour neighbors and offer to provide the music. All you ment, competition and fun.

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FAMILY FEATURES

hen temperatures soar this summer, many American families may be seeking a break from the monotony of their everyday routines. To make the most of the extra time at home, firing up the grill can be a simple solution for relatively quick food preparation that also allows for spending time with loved ones in the comfort of your own backyard.

A gas grill provides families flexibility for preparing everything from a casual meal of burgers and hot dogs to an upscale surf and turf menu. You can prepare virtually every course on the grill, including protein, veggies, sides and even fruits like pineapple or watermelon.

Whether you are grilling for the first time or the first time in a long while, above all, play it safe during your next cookout.

Transporting Propane Cylinders

Unless your grill connects directly into your home’s propane system, you’re likely to use a standard 20-pound propane cylinder to fuel your grill. When transporting a propane cylinder, place it in the vehicle securely and upright so it can’t fall, shift or roll. Avoid leaving a propane cylinder in a hot vehicle; always head straight to your destination and remove the cylinder when you arrive.

Lighting Your Gas Grill

Propane gas grills are popular because they provide fast, efficient heat for grilling. To safely operate your gas grill, consider these tips from the Propane Education & Research Council. n

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Whether it’s assembly, use, maintenance, cleaning or storage, make your grill manufacturer’s instructions your go-to resource for safe grilling.

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Position the grill in a safe location. Keep your grill outdoors and away from the house based on the recommendations of the equipment manufacturer. Choose a level surface that is clear of outdoor furniture, overhead trees or other potential fire hazards.

When most people think of propane cylinders, the allpopular gas grill comes to mind. However, propane can fuel many other aspects of your outdoor living space. Full outdoor kitchens, patio heaters, fire pits and flame lighting are all examples of propanepowered outdoor products that can keep the fun going well into the night. In addition, pools and spas can heat quickly and efficiently using propane heat.

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Verify the grill is off. All knobs and switches should be turned to the off position before you attempt to attach or replace a propane cylinder.

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Ensure a tight connection. When attaching the propane hose to the fitting on your grill, be cautious of cross-threading. Keep twisting by hand until the hose and fitting are as tightly sealed as possible to minimize the chance of leaks.

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Check for leaks. Use a leak detector solution or soapy water solution to check connections for leaks. Slowly open the cylinder valve and watch for bubbles, which indicate a leak. If bubbles appear, close the valve, tighten the connection and check again.

Follow this procedure every time you replace a cylinder.

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Follow proper lighting procedures. Follow the manufacturer’s lighting instructions to generate a flame. Regardless of the grill model, keep the lid open and avoid leaning over the grill when lighting it.

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Follow proper relighting procedures. If your flame goes out, turn off the gas and refer to your owner’s manual. At a minimum, keep the lid open and wait at least 15 minutes before relighting.

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Be present. Stay close and never leave your grill unattended.

Storing Propane Cylinders

Your propane cylinder can remain attached to the grill when not in use, but if you have extra cylinders that are not in use, it’s important to store them safely and properly. Never store a small cylinder inside; it should always be kept outside, never in an enclosed area like a basement, garage, shed or tent. Choose a location away from potential heat sources over 120 F, such as a stove or fireplace. Never store extra cylinders near the grill. Keep ignition sources away from the area while handling or transporting a propane cylinder.

Find more tips for grilling safely this summer at propane.com.

Just like an indoor gas range, propane grills give you instant on-off convenience and precision temperature control for perfectly done meals. With no coals, soot or ash, cleanup is a breeze, too.

Propane grills come in a variety of sizes and styles, with different perks like side burners for sauces and even rotisserie features.

First, consider your budget and what size grill will reasonably fit your space. Then determine which features are essential, as well as what extras might make your grilling experience more enjoyable.

When you’re ready to browse, remember the more burners a grill has, the more you can cook in different temperature zones so you can perfectly grill fish, burgers and corn simultaneously, for example.

For a large family, getting a larger grill allows you to put all the food on the table at once rather than grilling in batches.

Homemade Ice Cream!

PrimeTime

Call me for a free, no-obligation consulation

Donna DeLauro, Realtor

(without a machine)

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream • 2 cups half-and-half cream • 1 cup sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Freeze an empty freezer-safe shallow bowl or pan. Use a 13×9-inch Pyrex pan, but anything stainless steel .

MIX: In a large bowl, stir all the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. For a smooth texture, make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before you freeze.

FREEZE: Transfer your mixture into the cold pan and stick it back in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. Around that time, check the ice cream. Once the edges start to freeze, take out the mixture and beat it using a hand mixer. By breaking up the ice cream, you’ll help make it smooth and creamy. You cannot beat the mixture too much.

Return the pan to the freezer. Every 30 minutes or so, take it back out and beat the ice cream again. Repeat until it is firmly frozen, usually around four or five mixing sessions.

Once it’s frozen, the mixture should be smooth and creamy. If at any time the ice cream becomes too hard, place it in the refrigerator until it becomes soft enough to beat, and then continue the process.

Store your homemade ice cream in a covered freezer container.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN: • Mix in chunks of your favorite candy bars.

• Drizzle in toppings like melted caramel, dark chocolate or toffee.

• Layer the ice cream between two cookies or a homemade ice cream sandwich

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NURSING HOME RESIDENTS & CAREGIVERS NEED

SAFE STAFFING NOW

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s nursing home caregivers, we have been the familiar face and only social interaction for nursing home residents during the three month pandemic. Many of us have gotten sick ourselves or have had to worry about bringing the virus home but we have shown up every day because our residents need us.

But too many of us have not received the support we need in return. Even before the pandemic, we have struggled with short staffing, inadequate supplies and wages too low to support our families.

Many of us could make as much working at a Dunkin Donuts with a tip jar.

The status quo in nursing homes needs to go. Elected leaders should stop calling us heroes and instead pass policies that give residents the care they deserve and caregivers a living wage. Rhode Island ranks 41st in the country in terms of the average hours of care residents receive.

The truth is the nursing home industry has the resources to solve our state’s staffing crisis now. Since April, Rhode Island nursing homes have received nearly $60 million in state and federal aid in addition to the nearly $242 million they made in profit in 2017-2018. It is time nursing home owners prioritize seniors, people with disabilities and caregivers over their profit margins.

We need our legislators to hold nursing homes accountable to residents and caregivers by passing The Nursing Home Staffing and Quality Care Act without delay. This legislation will establish a minimum staffing standard of 4.1 hours of resident care per day, raise wages to recruit and retain more caregivers and provide us with the training opportunities we need.

It’s time to put nursing home residents and caregivers first by passing safe staffing now.

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