boomerbuzz magazine
The Painted Ponies. The Merry-Go-Round. The Roundabout.
Social Security:
Who Benefits MOST from Waiting to Claim
Cool Shades & Warm Hues of Summer Fashions from Paulette Martsolf boomers...living life to the fullest | JULY / AUGUST 2014
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PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robin Roberson TECHNICAL & WEBSITE DESIGN AdPow, Inc. BoomerBuzz RADIO DIRECTOR Raul Enriquez PUBLIC RELATIONS Isabell Rossignol PHOTOGRAPHY Becca Menig & Katherine Garcia CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tara Anderson Julese Crenshaw Angela S. Deppe Susan Hamilton Pam Russell Stephan Sardone
Karol Wilson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHY Greg Metz
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER/ 06
PUBLISHER’S LETTER Oh the sultry dog days of summer when we observe the warmest temperatures of the season! But this year Mother Nature has blessed us with a polar vortex has given many of a reprieve! In this issue, enjoy Karol Wilson’s cool summer dining with easy recipes that beat the heat including a healthy snack for Fido! And you will delight in the cool shades and warm hues of summer fashions from Dallas designer, Paulette Martsolf, owner of Allie-Coosh where she creates for every age and body type. If you like reviews you will take joy in Cynthia Stock’s assessment of Wolfgang Puck’s diamond in the rough, Five Sixty, where you can dine in the clouds while viewing the Dallas skyline. She also contributed an enlightening report on
The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty. We wanted to include more visuals in this issue with an outstanding look at the Dominican Republic, an exotic island of ancient and modern cultures, and hopefully The Painted Ponies. The Merry-Go-Round, The Roundabout will bring back pleasant memories from your youth. Reclaimed wood is a designer trend in décor and Stephan Sardone, owner of Sardone Construction, shows you fabulous examples of how to incorporate this into your home, office or business. And on a more serious note, power-packed informative content from Angela S. Deppe, CPA shares insights on Who Benefits Most from Waiting to Claim Social Security and There Is Nothing More American. Pam Russell reflects on grief and the emotions it stirs, while Susan Hamilton discusses making more money the smart way. In News Worthy the Miller Study will grab your attention if you have a loved one who suffers from memory loss and/or slow cognition! We hope you will plan your last minute dog days of summer vacations with wonderful suggestions in BoomerBuzz Travel and enjoy listening to our streaming BoomerBuzz Radio while reading. Both are easily found on BoomerBuzzMagazine.com. Thanks for reading and stay cool,
07 | FEATURE
A Diamond in the Rough: Wolfgang Puck’s Five Sixty By Cynthia Stock
The first place I would take anyone who has never been to Dallas is Wolfgang Puck’s Five Sixty restaurant at Reunion Tower. Thanks to HBO’s Deadwood, AMC’s Hell on Wheels, TNT’s Dallas and writers Terry C. Johnston, Elmer Kelton, and Louis L’ Amour, a tourist might expect to find Dallas a cross between Zane Grey and Fifty Shades of Gray. The visual panoply and culinary delights offered by Five Sixty establish Dallas’ beauty and its ability to satisfy the most critical palates. I visited twice to make sure my first impressions were justified. My second visit, I took my husband to dinner to celebrate upcoming Father’s Day. The sights and service did not disappoint.
FEATURE | 08
The restaurant sits at a height of forty-two stories. On a Tuesday night, an elevator concierge, Drew, offered casual commentary. My ears popped twice. Images reflecting off another building shape-shifted in vivid silvers and red. Although the ride was smooth, it took my stomach a few seconds to catch up with the rest of my body. During our swift ascent, the landscape changed from normal dimensions to model train size. To the south, an expanse of miniature trees huddled on the ground. The Trinity River cut a thin line through a modest field of grass. The sun overwhelmed the delicate arches of the Margaret Hunt-Hill Bridge. Surrounding the tower, a variety of new and old architecture define the city. The infamous Book Depository sits alone, austere at the corner of Dealey Plaza. Watching the traffic flow, I relived news reports and imagined the urgent transport of a president. Looking down, the Old Red Courthouse stands out like a magical castle with peaked turrets, a watch tower, and a geometrically artistic roof in dark gray, light gray, and brick colored shingles. Ironically, just south across the freeway stands Lew Sterrett County Jail and a row of bail bond offices. The Omni Hotel abuts the Belo Building which has its own small park and fountain. The Omni, like the Hunt-Hill Bridge, provides the visual dessert for diners once the sun sets. There is not just one flow of traffic, but three: cars on the freeway, freight trains, and the light rail crisscross the view from the top. The density of traffic didn’t diminish during the entire visit and made me appreciate the frenetic pace of urban life. I requested a table next to the outer windows for a view framed by six-armed contiguous metal stars, the center of each bearing lights programmed to flash and change color, providing a light show for anyone coming downtown at night. Five Sixty declares itself an Asian fusion restaurant. I didn’t really know what that meant until I looked it up. Asian fusion combines different cooking styles and techniques from around the world to make different dishes. The table settings are simple. Plain white dishes sit atop bamboo weave looking placemats. Wooden chopsticks are propped upon a smooth black stone. The water glasses look like half-tears. Food items, the wine list, and cocktail options are presented in traditional leather bound booklets. Chris, our waiter, dressed in a black vest and slacks, looked professional and answered any questions we had about the menu. He explained that all food was cooked at once so he needed our orders for both appetizers and entrees. Once that was done, our drinks appeared quickly and we had time to enjoyed the view and accommodate to the slow sense or rotation. While we waited, Chris brought a small plate of green beans with candied walnuts and sesame seeds. I enjoyed the blend of sweet and sesame. We watched the world go by, watched the sun’s descent. I have seen many sunsets, but from this vantage point, once the sun was two-
09 | FEATURE
thirds below the horizon, the rest dropped away in just a minute. Points of interest turned from landscape to lights. The Omni Hotel lights pulsed and danced in various shapes and colors. Scattered patterns of blue, pink, purple, and orange hypnotized the observer. The lines of cars turned into strings of gems. And cell towers beckoned. With every inch of rotation, something new appeared. For appetizers my husband and I shared spring rolls and crystal chive crab dumplings. The spring rolls contained lobster and shrimp in a wrap so thin and flaky it dissolved in your mouth. The honey-ten spice sauce was neither too sweet, nor too salty. Crab, shrimp, and ground pork filled the flat, oval shaped dumpling. Without the dipping sauce, each bite had enough spice to get my attention, but not enough to make me need a sip of water. Hot Chinese mustard or Szechuan chili-garlic sauce added to the flavor but in an understated, not eye-watering way. For my entrée, I chose the stir-fried velvet chicken. A thin dark sauce covered thinly sliced pieces of chicken mixed with kernels of corn, red onion, and mushrooms. White rice came with the dish, but there was so much meat and vegetables, I ate little of the rice. My husband ordered tilefish, pronounced “Ta-eel.” The tilefish is a deep sea creature that feeds on crab and shrimp making the meat firm, tender, and sweet. Served on a bed of spinach with bits of shrimp, it came with a sweet sauce and rice. I debated about dessert because the chicken filled me, but it WAS a Father’s Day celebration. I wavered until Chris recommended the double chocolate mousse. I think he said it was a bit of extreme decadence. My husband picked a strawberry-rhubarb crumble. The mousse added at least one hour to my weekly work-out regimen. It had a light, fluffy texture, but burst with chocolate and bathed in a cluster of sweet, dark cherries. The crumble appeared via a rolling table where a cook scooped it from a hot pan onto a plate and placed a dollop of lavender ice cream next to the steaming bits of strawberry and rhubarb. Written on the rim of the plate in chocolate sauce was “Happy Father’s Day.” There was nothing left over from this meal. To talk about a restaurant without recognizing the “wait staff” would be like talking about a hospital and not talking about nurses. I asked Chris why he thought he got hired over another applicant. He credited good timing and an immediate connection with his manager. But he also discussed maturity, that his age associated him with a different work ethic and commitment that someone in college, putting himself through school or in Dallas for the summer, might not have. He talked about his family and how he strives to raise his children. For me his willingness to share was the best part of the evening. Five Sixty is a rare and special treat for anyone wanting a unique look at Dallas, deliciously different food, and professional service.
Cynthia Stock is a free-lance writer, a published author, and a Registered Nurse who lives in Garland, TX. Visit www.Cynthia-Stock.com
11 | FEATURE
Who Benefits Most From Waiting to Claim? Maximizing Your Social Security Benefit
By Angela S. Deppe, C.P.A.
On May 27, 2014 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report stating that lower- and middle-income retirees are much less likely than wealthy retirees to wait to claim their Social Security benefit. As you’ve probably heard over and over by now, for most people it makes financial sense to delay claiming your Social Security. So, why the disconnect?
The GAO conducted this study to find out exactly that: to better understand the
circumstances faced by those who claim Social Security benefits early. Although it is possible to claim benefits as early as age 62, your benefit rises 6-8% annually for every year you delay between ages 62-70. A person with a $1000 benefit at Full Retirement Age (FRA) of 66 receives only $750 if he claims early at age 62. On the flip side, if he waits until age 70, he will receive $1320. That’s nearly double what he’d receive by claiming early at age 62! The GAO study found that those who were more likely to claim early: had worked at least 35 years by age 60-62, were out of the workforce at age 60-62, held blue collar jobs at age 60-62, had earned less than a college degree, OR didn’t expect to live past age 75. For example, those who had worked at least 35 years by age 60-62 were 38% more likely to claim early. Those that worked in physically demanding blue-collar jobs were 55% more likely to claim early than those in other
FEATURE | 12
occupations. And those who held less than a college degree were 23% more likely to claim early. The same study found that those who were less likely to claim early: were employed full-time at age 60-62, held managerial or professional jobs at age 60-62, OR had greater income and wealth in retirement and relied less on Social Security. For example, those who were employed full-time at age 60-62 were 30% less likely to claim early. And those that held managerial or professional jobs at age 60-62 were 32% less likely to claim early. The study showed that the median income for those who delayed was 45% higher than those who claimed early. It’s important to note that although those who delayed claiming had higher median Social Security incomes, those benefits made up a smaller percentage of their total household income. However, as both early and delayed claimers aged, Social Security benefits accounted for a larger share of total household income for both early and delayed claimers.
The good news in the report is that more people are waiting to claim Social Security. 43% of men and 49% of women born in 1935 claimed benefits at age 62. In contrast, for those born in 1946, those percentages decreased to 32% of men and 38% of women who claimed benefits at age 62. Age 62 remains to be the most common age to claim benefits (early) and the majority tend to claim by their Full Retirement Age (FRA). For those born in 1946, only 8% of men and 7% of women waited to age 67 or later to claim. So, the message remains the same: For the majority, it makes financial sense to delay claiming your Social Security. However, due to life circumstances and personal situations, the majority still chooses to claim early and receive reduced Social Security benefits. And there stands the disconnect. For more information on how you can maximize your Social Security benefit, please go to www.socialsecuritycentral.com. They offer the only online Social Security Benefit Maximization Calculator that provides the user instant results with a step-by-step guide. Angela
S.
Deppe
is
a
of SocialSecurityCentral.com and
CPA, its
founder
easy-to-use
Benefit Maximization Calculator, and co-author of It's Your Money! Simply Strategies To Maximize Your Social Security Benefits. She has been featured in The New York Times, USNews, MarketWatch, Investors Magazine,
Business and
Daily
is
BoomerBuzz Magazine.
a
&
Alaskan
contributing
Airlines
writer
to
is the Official Health Supplement Supplier of the WTA, US Speedskating, US Women’s Ski Jumping, US Luge, Speed Skating Canada, Cross Country Canada, Biathlon Canada, and Pachuca Club de Fútbol
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Telly Award: Nutritional Video PR News Digital Awards: Digital Communicator W3 Award: Business Blog, What’s Up USANA? PR News Award: Blogger of the Year, Tim Haran USANA has been a member of the Council for Responsible Nutrition since 2009 MountainWest Capital Network named USANA the #11 Top Revenue Growth Company in 2010 (our 6th time on the list)` Utah Business magazine named USANA to the Fast 50 for its revenue growth
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HEALTHY BALANCE | 14
Nutrition for Every Stage of Life By Tara Anderson Seniors: The need for some nutrients increases. Because bone density decreases, it is important to increase your intake of vitamin D when over the age of 70. The sun is the absolute best source of this vitamin. 15-20 minutes of full-face exposure (without sunscreen) per day makes a huge difference. Adults: Maintain a balanced diet. It is imperative to maintain a balanced diet as responsibilities (and stress) increase. Drinking plenty of water, as well as getting enough sleep are also keys to keeping your body healthy and happy. It is also important to give your body the nutrients it needs: protein, complex carbohydrates, plenty of leafy greens and fresh, seasonal fruit.
Teens: Adequate calcium intake is critical. Calcium is needed to achieve peak bone mass, which is reached in late teens and early twenties. Consider your teen’s activities when meal planning. An athlete and a non-athlete may be eating at the same table. Their plates should not necessarily look the same. Toddlers: Vitamins and minerals need to increase. To insure that your child is receiving the recommended amounts of vitamins A, C, and E, as well as the minerals calcium, iron, and zinc, make sure they are eating a variety and plenty of fruits and vegetables. These nutrients are essential to health, growth, and development. Infants: Fat is their friend. Because fatty acids are essential for the rapid brain growth and nervous system development that take place in the first 1 to 2 years of life, make sure your child is getting enough fat in their diet (35-45%). Full-fat yogurt, avocado, fatty fish (such as wild salmon), whole eggs, and nuts (after the age of 1) are all great ways to get healthy fats into your little one’s diet. Tara Anderson is a mom, a wife, a chef and the owner of Half Pint Palates who enjoys sharing food tips, recipes and more with consumers.
15 | HEALTHY BALANCE Fun (and Tasty) Frugal Foods By Karol Wilson
Watching one’s budget is on everyone’s mind these days, including food. With the trend towards using more fresh foods comes a somewhat false belief that “fresh” means expensive. I contend that if you use seasonal foods and ingredients that can be re-purposed, you can eat like a king on that beer budget you’ve set. The following recipes for humans refrigerate beautifully if there are leftovers. You’ll use the Greek yogurt in the carrot salad for breakfast or any number of other recipes. Mint? Ask or discreetly “borrow” from a neighbor if you don’t grow your own. For the roasted chicken thighs with basil, just use what you might be growing in the backyard. If you’re not a gardener, save a couple of dollars and stop by and buy a basil plant at a nursery. The packaged basil is super expensive comparatively at the store and it’s a cinch to grow in a pot through October. Fresh peaches are in season and at bargain prices. As far as the recipe for dog treats…try it, your four-legged friend will love it. The homemade chips are so much cheaper than some of the treats at the pet store. Buy a few extra sweet potatoes for yourself as they’re a nutritious and yummy addition to a dinner menu.
Summer Night Supper Appetizer: Consider hummus (I’m partial to the red pepper flavor) with some simple water crackers. Use the leftover hummus instead of mayonnaise on sandwiches.
Curried Carrot Salad with Non-fat Yogurt Serves 4 - 6 Ingredients: ¾ cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint 1 large green onion, chopped 1 ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice ¾ - 1 tsp. mild (sweet) curry powder 1 lb. carrots, peeled and coarsely grated (often available pre-made at grocery) ¼ cup dried currants Preparation: Whisk first five ingredients in a large bowl. Add the carrots and currants; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
HEALTHY BALANCE | 16 Roasted Chicken Thighs with Peaches, Basil and Ginger Serves 3 If you choose not to serve the carrot salad, a simple tossed salad will be great. Plate the chicken with brown rice with some sautéed green onions in a little butter. Bread, such as a baguette, would be a nice to sop up the sauce.
Ingredients: ½ lb. hard peaches (A little greenish. If ripe, drain a bit of the juice) 1 lb. boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch strips 2 Tbsp. evoo 2 Tbsp. dry sherry 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil 2 minced garlic cloves 1 inch-long fresh ginger root, grated OR about ½ tsp. ginger powder ½ tsp. kosher salt, ½ tsp. pepper Preparation: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and halve the peaches. Remove pits and slice fruit ½” thick. In a 9 x 13” pan, toss all ingredients except 1 Tbsp. of basil. Roast until meat is cooked through and peaches are softened, about 20 minutes. Garnish with remaining basil. Sauce will be thin. Serve with bread or brown rice.
17 |HEALTHY BALANCE Sweet Potato Chips For You & the Dogs
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes. No need to peel unless you really want to. Slice into ¼-inch slices. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Place slices in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Bake 2.5 – 3 hours until crunch looking. Cool and store in a cookie tin.
Karol Wilson is a Dallas-based publicist and food-writer. Currently working on her first cookbook, Karol is a longtime member of the prestigious and worldwide organization, Les Dames d’Escoffier. Members are voted in for their experience in the food, wine, and hospitality industries. The Dallas Chapter raises significant funds for women interested in these fields and supports numerous nutrition-related programs throughout North Texas. karolwilson@hotmail.com
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19 | NEWS WORTHY
Using Reclaimed Wood By Stephan Sardone
Of the many ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle, reclaiming old wood for new purposes is one of the more-exciting ways. It can be used in any way new lumber can, such as for flooring, siding, paneling, decking, etc. If you are intrigued by the idea of the wood in your home having real history, natural beauty, and enhanced character, then reclaimed wood may be the right choice. TerraMai has beautiful options of reclaimed wood, including redwood that is reclaimed from wine barrels! Besides the wood’s history and beauty, there are a couple of big advantages that reclaimed wood offers. Since it is reclaimed, it is old, dense wood – meaning it was milled decades ago and offers a stability you won’t find in new lumber from younger trees. In addition to getting beautiful, aged hardwood, you are also not contributing to the clear-cutting of forests. As Dwell.com states, reclaiming about one million board feet of lumber saves a thousand acres of old-growth forest. Now that is something to feel incredible about! Check out these 4 images of the amazing work done with TerraMai’s reclaimed wood!
NEWS WORTHY | 20
Stephan Sardone, owner of Sardone Construction, has been serving the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex since 2000, with home renovations & commercial remodeling. He has gained a reputation for quality. He enjoys writing about exciting remodels, unique techniques, and new products. www.sardoneconstruction.com
21 | NEWS WORTHY
Successful Study: 100% Benefit Restoring Memory & Cognition Using Enhanced Nutrition
Many of you may have family members or individuals who live with the challenge of memory loss and cognition with mental confusion. A recent study gives hope that nutrition could be a major factor in those fighting dementias and Alzheimer’s. Currently, conventional medicine and science offers little encouragement for those with such a problem. The Miller School of Medicine in cooperation with the Miami Jewish Health System has published a clinical study in which enhanced nutrition resulted in a 100% benefit to patients that included those with far advanced symptoms. The study, "The Effect of an Aloe Polymannose Multinutrient Complex on Cognitive and
Immune Functioning in Alzheimer’s Disease," was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in January 2013 (J Alzheimers Dis. 2013;33(2):393-406.), led by John E. Lewis, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was to test if a dietary supplement, aloe polymannose multinutrient complex (APMC), might improve mental conditions. In an interview with NEWSMAX, Lewis added. “Helping the body to heal itself would be an
important step forward for patients. Improved nutrition is safe, effective, and feasible for patients and the nation.” Read the full interview: http://goo.gl/xeFj3Y Dr. John Lewis states that 100% demonstrated some benefit, with 46% showing clinically and statistically significant memory and cognitive improvement, a first time observation of the seasoned clinical research team, and 23% maintained their cognitive functioning at the end of 12 months. The neuropsychologist who monitored the patients, Mairelys Martinez, stated in a recorded interview, “This is the first study of this type in which advanced patients were included; all prior studies only accepted patients in the early or mild stage of this health problem. In addition, there were improved qualities of life the patients experienced that were not revealed in the published manuscript.” With 10,000 people a day turning 65 and over 5 million suffering from dementias and Alzheimer’s, a small study like this important because it is among the first to provide evidence that improved nutrition may be able to reverse brain deterioration.
NEWS WORTHY | 22
What is Dementia? How do I know if it is Alzheimer’s? I do not want to take drugs! What can be done to help?
Dementia is neither an illness nor a single symptom, but rather a complex group of symptoms that impair how people function on an everyday basis and usually hits people in midlife. Alzheimer’s is a common type of dementia which causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. It is progressive disease which is why it is important to recognize the symptoms sooner rather than later. While a person with dementia may not have all of the possible signs of the disease, he or she will have at least some of the symptoms with short-term memory loss being among the most common, along with confusion and a diminished ability to stay organized. Patients can become easily agitated or grow paranoid, even to the point they hallucinate. Memory loss may be mild in the early stages and may include getting confused in familiar places, taking longer than usual to complete normal daily tasks and forgetting common tasks people are affected differently and at different rates of progression. As those with dementia and Alzheimer’s progress - or worsen – they will move through different stages of the disease.
Moderate Stage • • •
Increased memory loss and confusion Problems recognizing family and friends Continuously repeating stories, favorite wants, or motions • Difficulty doing things that have multiple steps, like getting dressed • Lack of concern for hygiene and appearance
Severe Stage • • • • •
Inability to recognize oneself or family Inability to communicate Lack of control over bowel and bladder Groaning, moaning, or grunting Needing help with all daily activities
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Discount
The Cool Shades of Summer Paulette Martsolf Designs
Allie-Coosh 6726 Snider Plaza Dallas, TX 75205
Phone 214-363-8616
The Warm Hues of Summer
Each collection is created in the Dallas workshop with styles to flatter every body type Not all styles are in store; clothes pictured are some examples of her overall summer looks /style and to grant an idea/vision of what Allie-Coosh offers.
29 | YOUR STYLE
A Compelling Beach Read: The Husband’s Secret By Cynthia Stock
My favorite books pull me into settings as vivid as my real world and introduce me to characters I want to meet and hope to win as friends. I read The Shining cover-to-cover in one day. I didn’t skim one page or skip one word and mourned leaving the world of the Overlook Hotel. I opened The Husband’s Secret, by Liane Moriarty, recommended by a friend who is a voracious reader, planning to read just a few chapters before doing my day-off-from-work chores. Seven hours later I turned the last page. Today my moral compass still contemplates the characters, the plot, the outcome, and the question: What would I have done? It is a novel both easy to read and hard to let go.
The first three chapters introduce three separate families facing three different, yet common crises of human relations. Cecilia and John-Paul Fitzpatrick, married for years, and the parents of three unique and interesting children, are suffering from insurmountable walls of silence, loss of sexual appetite, and anxiety. Symbolized by Esther, their eldest child’s interest in the construction and razing of the Berlin wall, from Cecilia’s perspective, something stands between her and John-Paul. She contemplates the usual, an affair, and the not-so-usual, latent homosexuality. She blames herself, her unimpressive life, her task of coordinating a life issued in “a thousand tiny pieces.” In the course of her wondering what is wrong, she finds a letter to her from her husband: “To be opened only in the event of my death.” From the point of its discovery, its contents not revealed at the time, I couldn’t stop reading.
Your Style |30
Next Moriarty introduces the business ménage a trois of Will, Tess, and Felicity. Although Will and Tess are married, because of her friendship with Tess, Felicity has been ever-present in Tess’ life. In the process of building a business, boundaries blurred. Will and Felicity confess to contemplating the consummation of their infatuation with each other. Tess takes her and Will’s son, Liam, and retreats to Sydney, where her mother, Lucy, helps her regroup and recover from the betrayal by Will and her best friend. Finally the reader meets Rachel Crowley, whose adult son, Rob, has lived in the shadow of tragedy and loss. Rachel’s other child, Janie, was murdered, the killer never caught. Rachel has always been suspicious of a teacher at the school where she works, Connor Whitby, who had been a school mate of Janie’s. But nothing linked him to her daughter’s death. She works in restrained silence and replays a mantra of the boy with “lies in his eyes” when she sees Connor. Rachel’s grief and lack of closure are exacerbated when Rob announces he and his wife, Lauren, are moving to America and taking Jacob, Rachel’s only grandson with them. Rachel already mourns the loss of Jacob and their time together. She states: “It felt like he was dying.” But it was Rachel who was suffering, losing yet another child. Moriarty intertwines the lives of Cecilia, Tess, and Rachel through the school where Rachel works. As the novel progresses, the three lives become more entangled. Friendships develop, emotions are shared, and each woman reveals the depth of their vulnerabilities and the strength of their will to survive. Moriarty’s writing flows. She provides the perfect amount of setting without overwhelming the reader with detail. In one scene where Cecilia is at a funeral, Moriarty gifts the reader with a simple presentation of the event, but fleshes it out by sharing the thoughts running through Cecilia’s head which are out of context for a funeral, but so pressing for Cecilia. Without belaboring Tess’ anguish, Moriarty shows Tess in conflict about her husband and Felicity. In her confusion, Tess connects with Connor Whitby to fill the void created by the loss of her two closest intimates. Tess evolves to the realization that she has used Felicity
31 | YOUR STYLE
throughout her life as a type of personal armor to protect Tess from her own insecurities. She identifies that Felicity has always been in her life. Rachel is presented as someone who survives through routine. She possesses a wisdom born of her loss and believes others see her only in terms of the loss of her daughter. This changes Rachel’s persona and effects how she interprets life, how she judges those around her, including Rob’s wife, Lauren. The dialogue is crisp, sometimes glib, but always accurately human. The magic of Moriarty’s writing is there are no wasted words, nothing I’d want or need to skip. It is not sparse writing, but clean. Scenes urged me to linger and digest the action, but the story sped me along to find another scene just as exciting, peppered with characters treading in an undercurrent of foreboding. The story lines are never straight, but manage to establish a direction which warns the reader of the approaching climax as the intricacies of each family are revealed. The atmosphere of the novel reminded me of Wilder’s The Bridge of San Luis Rey. Every chapter heightens the urgency and the danger of a coming convergence of the three families. When the contents of the letter are revealed, they become diluted in the myriad of activities of daily life. Cecilia contemplates her options. She weighs the richness of her life against the heft of her husband’s words. Throughout the novel, Moriarty confronts how different people deal with loss, grief, and disappointment. The catastrophic coming together of three lives pushes the reader to rethink the measures of justice, redemption, and morality. I started this novel as a “light read.” I ended with a story that continues to spin my moral compass. It can be read at the beach, but an umbrella and sunscreen are required accouterments. This review, like the novel, has an epilogue. Moriarty’s starts: “There are so many secrets about our lives we’ll never know.” It proceeds to list a composite of unknown truths that rewrite the emotional ambiance of the entire novel. Each bit of information reminds me of facts suppressed in a trial with the jury still expected to arrive at a reasonable verdict. If only they had known a certain fact, what would they have done? Would the outcome have been different? The take-away for each reader is personal. And although I felt blindsided by the revelations, I felt satisfied by having yet another reason to continue pondering this novel and my “friends” Cecilia, Tess, and Rachel. Cynthia Stock is a Registered Nurse and a published author. Visit www.Cynthia-Stock.com
A PICTORIAL VIEW The Dominican Republic By Hanson Myers
There's no place quite like the Dominican Republic, an exotic land, the cradle of fire-dancing. Its history is the result of an unlikely mixture of influences; a blending of European, African, and native TaĂno Indian cultures which still drive the social identity of the people today. Every aspect of their food, music, art, sports and religion provides a unique insight into the development of this beautiful country. In a single day you can experience both ancient and modern cultures from around the globe.
Hanson Myers is a world traveler and freelance travel writer who calls Virginia home.
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HELP! How Do I Make More Money, I’m Out Of Time! By Susan Hamilton
The issue isn’t that you’re NOT doing enough, you know. Why do we always think that doing more will make more money come in? It never works, but I don’t know ANYONE who hasn’t gone through a cycle of thinking like that at least a couple of times – sometimes CONSTANTLY – during the course of their entrepreneurship. Eventually you get to a spot where if you did work harder or work more, you’d never do anything else! Friends, don’t let your company be the only thing in your life. It’s a big, fat, hairy lie. People who have
SLOW Stop.
DOWN.
gone before us and others who mentor me now, making the money that we all want to see in our futures, say the exact. Same. Thing. The magic sauce you’re looking for can’t even get near you with your elbows in the air like that. It takes ‘forced time off’ to see beyond your circumstance. Every productivity expert knows this. It’s what makes consultants and coaches a LOT of money. People really struggle with ‘letting go’. We can’t get past bad relationships, we can’t get over cravings, we can’t we can’t we can’t … Wait a minute. Did you see that? Isn’t ‘can’t’ running around in your head and off your tongue just a little too easily? It’s time to write a new song.
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So could ‘busy’ be a prison? I teach in prisons and jails. I know what bondage looks like. Many think it is bars and brick walls, but the truth is that bondage goes deeper than that. It goes into our very hearts, minds, and spirits. In my opinion, it starts with not taking any control of our thought lives. We DON’T have to think every thought that comes through our noggin. Taking a step back allows us to really think about what we’re thinking about, and gives us an opportunity to get the bad information out and CHOOSE to put good information in. The decision to do that is first. The ‘right information’ is the second decision to make. Don’t settle for what’s popular and what’s I know who I can count on and where I can find them. They answer the phone, they are available at networking events, and they communicate their value well. If I need something, they provide it – referrals, advice, services. They could NOT do this at the computer all day or pining away working ‘in’ their businesses. No. You have to learn how to rise up over it, and see it from above. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, not only from my experience as a business woman, but from other successful people around me, that working SMARTER is the ONLY option – and you cannot work smarter without the ability to back away from the machine.
trending. Go for sound, common-sense, actionable mentorship that’s stood the test of time. My favorites are Zig Ziglar and his son, Tom, as well as Dan Kennedy, Perry Marshall and Sandi Krakowski. I get information from only a select few, and I don’t take it in all at once! Some local professionals I defer to are Lissa Duty for social media advice, Butch Bellah for sales training, and Jeff Klein for speaking information and venues. ALL making waves with serious direction, focus, and duty. And I almost forgot my business mentor and sounding board, Jean-ann Cooper.
Go take a break, give yourself permission to take a couple of days. You’ll be more productive in less time and make more money. When you die, your life will be reduced to two numbers on a stone. Live between the dashes. Susan Hamilton Owner, Leaping Walls Consulting & Services. Founder, Renew My Heart Ministryis a speaker and freelance writer from Richardson, TX.
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There’s Nothing More American Than Social Security Will it still be around when you need it?
By Angela S. Deppe, C.P.A.
The Social Security Act was written into law during the backdrop of the Great Depression and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1935 as part of FDR’s New Deal. It was created to protect what were seen as dangers in the “modern American” life: old age, poverty, unemployment, and the burdens of widows and fatherless children. Think of it as a financial safety net. It promised the American people “some measure of protection against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age.”
Social Security is a social insurance program that is primarily funded through dedicated payroll taxes called Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). It is the largest government program of its type in the world as measured in dollars and is one of the single greatest expenditures in the federal budget. Even though it was written into law in 1935, payroll taxes weren’t collected to pay for the system until 1937. Originally, you had the choice of taking a lump sum or monthly payout. In the first 3 years, everyone took the lump sum, with Ernest Ackerman being the first American to receive a lump sum payment in 1937. He received a total of 17 cents and had paid 5 cents into the program. The first monthly check was issued in January of 1940 to Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, VT. She is also the first American who truly maximized the value of her Social Security benefit. She paid a total of $24.75 into the system for 3 years, 1937, 1938 and 1939. The first monthly payment she received was for $22.54, and by her second check she had already received more out of Social Security than she had paid into the system. Any guess on how long Ida May lived for? Let me give you a hint. In the 1930s, if you lived until 60 you were doing pretty well. In fact, life expectancy in 1930 was only 58 for men and 62 for women. Miss Fuller actually lived to be 100 years old and maximized her benefits by choosing the monthly payout. Over her lifetime, she collected just under $23,000 in total Social Security benefits having contributed only $24.75 - a return of over 92,000%! It’s a wonderful story (posted on www.ssa.gov), but also highlights the importance of understanding how you can maximize your Social Security benefits. Just think, what if Ida May had taken the lump-sum payout? Many American’s believe that for a myriad of reasons, Social Security is going bust very quickly. Much of the information that your have read or heard about regarding the lack of solvency in the near term is simply bad information. The current long-term financial condition of the Social Security program
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remains challenging and will require legislative modifications due to substantial cost growth in the upcoming decades. This is the result of an aging population (we are living longer) and fewer workers per retiree paying into the system. However, the 2012 report on the status of Social Security and Medicare Programs by the Board of Trustees who oversee the fund found that if left alone, the Social Security Trust Fund will be able to pay all benefits though 2021 simply from the interest earned on the fund itself. After 2021, tapping both principal and interest from the fund will support and pay all scheduled benefits as is through 2033. Thereafter, collected receipts from income tax (FICA) would be able to pay 75% of current benefits through 2086. While the Social Security system will need legislative change to avoid its long-term financial challenges and potential to disrupt payments for today’s young workforce, the summary by the fund’s trustees found that it currently satisfies the conditions for short-term financial adequacy. By law, the trustees are required to publish a current status summary of the Social Security and Medicare programs and make a 75-year long-term forecast of the program. The need to reform the system is nothing new. In fact, there have been many modifications to the system over the years to ensure its solvency. The first changes to Social Security were made back in 1939, four years after it was signed into law. Back then, one reason sited for the changes was the growing concern over the impact that payroll taxes were having on the economy. The payroll taxes were even partially blamed for the Recession of 1937. Sound familiar? During the early 1980s, the Reagan administration along with Congress made several controversial changes, including: raising the amount that employers and workers contributed, gradually increasing the Full Retirement Age (FRA) from 65 to age 67, and creating the idea of “means testing” by making Social Security benefits taxable for higherincome individuals. As a result, the Social Security system began to generate surplus funds designed to cover the added costs of the baby boomers. President Reagan summarized these needed changes by stating, “Social Security assures the elderly that America will always keep the promises made in troubled times a half century ago.” To insure the long-term promise of Social Security, we join others in acknowledging a need to make changes to the current system including, raising the FRA, raising payroll taxes, and diversifying the Social Security Trust Fund. However, none of these changes would have a material affect for Americans 55 and older according to the experts 1. Bottom line, claiming your Social Security benefits early because you think the system is going broke and you won’t get your money is a poor decision. Furthermore, it is an uninformed and uneducated decision, yet has remained a mindset since the early days of the program. Claiming early can cost you and your family thousands of needed retirement dollars and will not allow you to maximize the benefits you worked hard for so many years to earn. Think if in 1940 Ida May Fuller took a lump sum based out of fear instead of the monthly lifetime check she continued to receive until she passed away in 1975 at age 100! Angela S. Deppe is a CPA, founder of SocialSecurityCentral.com and its easy-to-use Benefit Maximization Calculator, and coauthor of It's Your Money! Simply Strategies To Maximize Your Social Security Benefits. She lives with her family in Chicago.
1
Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research
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The Gift of Time By Pam Russell
Grief. It can come like a thief in the night. Leaving you feeling violated, devastated and lost. I lost my parents a few days apart in December 2004. I can easily say that I felt all of those things…oh, let’s not forget anger. I don’t wish it on anyone but it is a reality of life. Losing people we love so dearly and having to find a way to move on with our life afterwards when we often want to crawl in a whole and never come out. I remember the fog in the days, weeks and even months afterward. Seeing people walking around smiling, laughing and living life while I was thinking, “Stop. Can you not see that my heart is broken into a million pieces? I can’t breathe.” Have you felt that way? Then healing came. Slowly but surely. With time. Time. Healing doesn’t mean you won’t have a scar. Healing means you begin to live again. One of the things I recommend to people going through and/or struggling with grief is to give yourself the gift of time. Time. There is no set rule or policy on how long you are allowed to grieve. Others may try to make you feel like you have been grieving too long or not long enough. Be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be healthy about it. Grief is a unique process for each individual and each loss. For some it’s black. For some it is white. For some it’s black and white. Honor that uniqueness in yourself and others. We want to press fast forward. We can’t. It is a process. Don't stop living but allow yourself to walk through your own process. We can’t rush it even though we want to get through it as fast as we can…to stop the excruciating pain. Walk through it not away from it. By choosing to walk away from it, the grief, the feelings, instead of through it, can alter the process and could prolong healing. Through it not away from it. One breathe at a time. One tear at a time. One step at a time. Time. Pam Russell empowers entrepreneurs and small businesses to Be Noticed, Be Coached and Be Inspired. Find out how at http://www.pam-russell.com/
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FLOYD PIONEER CEMETERY At Restland Funeral Home
John B. Floyd, his wife Julia, and their six sons came to Texas from Kentucky in 1855. He bought 900 acres in Dallas County for $4 an acre. Restland Cemetery encompasses part of the original 900 acres. Floyd Road is named for this family. The Floyds built the first 2-story house which also served as an inn for many years, known as the Stage Coach Inn and the Floyd Inn. Several notorious outlaws were said to have stayed at the inn – the Younger Brothers, Sam Bass, and Belle Starr. In the 1860s, John Floyd set aside an acre of land for a cemetery after two children passing through the area on their way west died of diphtheria while staying at the inn. John and Julia Floyd are both buried in this cemetery as are many of their descendants. The Floyd family sold most of their land in 1910 but retained control over the Floyd Cemetery. The Floyd Inn was torn down in 1920. In 1924 Restland Memorial Park Cemetery incorporated the Floyd Pioneer Cemetery into their perpetual care program. Floyd family members are still being buried in the Floyd Pioneer Cemetery. A Texas Historical Marker was placed at the site on December 11, 1976.
Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park (972) 238-7111 RestlandFuneralHome.com
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The Painted Ponies. The Merry-Go-Round. The Roundabout. The Carousel of Your Youth By Julese Crenshaw All names for the carousel, that magical machine full of brightly colored wooden animals, mirrors, lights, and carnival music usually provided by a Wurlitzer band organ. Ahhh‌ the memories. Relationships with other people may not be easy, friends are not always around so sometimes we need to find other things to fill our days. Recalling memories and making new ones is an easy way to bring some joy and happiness into life. Most everyone has encountered a carousel at some point in their life and likely have a favorite memory. Today carousels are everywhere. We see them at every theme park, local fair and mall. But these lightweight fiberglass rides are only a reflection of the craftsmanship and artistry of the wooden carousel that once captured the world's imagination. Carousels have a rich history that combines recreation, design and entertainment to create the beautiful amusement park rides people of all ages appreciate today. The word carousel comes from the Italian word carosello (meaning "little war"). Carosello was a 12th-century game played by the Arabs and Turks, on horseback, using scented balls tossed from one to another. Anyone missing a catch was readily identified by the perfume they were doused with when the scented ball broke on impact. Carosello was adopted by the French into an exhibition (now called carousel) of many types of horsemanship pageantry and competition, and because of the practice ring for knights, the carousel was born. The carousel gained even more popularity when steam power was harnessed to drive the platform around and around. Though there were a few carousels operating in the US by the end of the Civil War, the real "golden age" of the carousel was from about 1880 to about 1930. In addition to the master carvers whose companies bore their name (such as Dentzel and Illions), and several famous master carvers included Daniel Muller, Charles Carmel, John Zalar, and Salvatore Cerniglario. Sadly, out of the many thousands of hand-carved carousels that were built during the 'golden age', only a small fraction have survived, less than 200. Conservation organizations such as the National Carousel Association have done much to preserve the few remaining carousels for future generations. After all - they are magic...just try to ride one with a frown on your face! It won't stay there for long.... Julese Crenshaw is a freelance writer from Tennessee.
A Dentzel Outside Row Stander at the Carousel at Fair Park in Dallas, TX.
The Columbia Carousel at California’s Great America Park in Santa Clara, CA
The Black Charger on the Illions-Mangels carousel. Columbus Zoo, Columbus, OH
The Flying Horse Carousel in Watch Hill in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island is a state designated historical landmark and it may or may not be the oldest carousel in the nation, but it is certainly the oldest of its type ("in which the horses are suspended from a center frame"). The carousel is believed to have been built 1876 by the Charles W. Dare Company as part of a traveling carnival until 1879 when the carnival was forced to abandon the carousel in Watch Hill.
The 1924 Spillman Engineering "Over the Jumps" Carousel at Little Rock Zoo in Little Rock, AR.
Carmel Carousel at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, CA
If you're thinking of taking a yacht vacation, no need to look any further than SELECT CHARTERS! – Carlene Robinson Dailey
www.SelectCharters.com Peggy@SelectCharters.com 4020 N. MacArthur Boulevard Suite 122-183 • Irving, TX 75038 (972) 659-8941