Magic Maze

U.S. WOMEN IN SPACE

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Embarrassing parents

A shout out to our local first responders

We were suddenly plunged into darkness last night when a car struck a utility pole at the north end of Bronson Hill Rd. in Avon. The first police officer arrived on the scene in what couldn’t have been more than 3 minutes. I counted four police cars and I don’t think ten minutes had gone by. The ambulance arrived shortly thereafter. The power company was there in less than 30 minutes and power was restored within an hour and a half. I hope all is well with the accident victims. I was amazed at how quickly the first responders were on the scene. Thanks to all involved. You really start to appreciate it when you’re sitting in the dark with no heat or electricity on a cold 30 degree night!

Thanks for helping our cat

Years ago, Anna, my daughter, went fishing. She heard loud meowing nearby. Anna found a small, gray kitten with funny, spiky hair. Anna brought the kitten home. Stryker got her name because she likes to stick out a paw and playfully strike people as they walk by. She has the heaviest, thickest fur coat I have ever seen. We are not sure if she is part Maine Coon, but she has a fur ruff around her neck, a bushy tail and thick fur like a bear. When Stryker went outside she would come back with ticks hidden in her thick fur. I tried to groom her myself but ended up taking her to the vet after I accidentally cut her. Beth at Lab’s Landing in Darien Center has been a lifesaver. We even discovered Stryker has gray stripes under all her baggy fur. Thanks Beth for making life so much easier.

To the wonderful people who helped me!

I want to say thank you to the three people who stopped on Route 63 yesterday to help me when I flipped my car over the guardrail in the snow storm. You stopped and helped me get out of my car and waited with me til 911 arrived. I really and truly appreciate your kind hearts to wait in the blistering cold with me. I am home and doing ok thanks to all of you and everyone who helped me. So thank you from the bottom of my heart!

At a recent hockey game with 10yr. old players I was shocked by some parents’ behavior. First, the kids can’t hear you screaming constantly: helmets, hats, it’s noisy on the ice. Second, you are not the only parent who paid for gear, got up early on weekends and brought kids here, then help them get dressed. Third, your entire family should be embarrassed as you taught those kids to scream and complain if things don’t go your way. I did not go there to listen to you up in the top row screaming your opinion about refs, coaches and calling kids by name, telling them you know best!

You are rude, sir.

Technically Handicapped

Not really a Rant, but there is a lot of computer help out there. Libraries offer free computer use and probably instruction. Also used and rebuilt are really cheap these days. I’m no wizz but over 70 and I get by with the tech stuff.

Technology Choice

This is in response to Technically Handicapped. I have an old-fashioned cell phone for use when I leave the house. I CHOOSE not to have a smart phone! I do have a computer, know how to use it, and think it belongs at home. I agree that there’s far too many businesses and medical

For call regardless of age.

800-848-8569

INFLUENTIAL JAZZ MUSICIANS

Miles Davis (1926-1991): Compared to other jazz legends, Illinois-born Miles Davis was introduced to music rather late. It wasn’t until Davis was 13 years old that his father introduced him to the trumpet, an introduction that would dramatically alter the course of jazz music. Under the tutelage of local music school director Elwood Buchanan, Davis learned to play the trumpet without vibrato, which Biography.com notes marked a departure from the style of trumpet-playing popular at the time. A true pioneer, Davis is considered one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music.

(NAPSI)—The Employee Benefit Research Institute estimates that a typical 65-year-old couple will spend a total of $265,000 in health care costs over the remainder of their lives. This staggering amount of money has the potential to derail even the best-laid retirement plans.

Vanguard and Mercer recently developed a new framework, “Planning for Health Care Costs in Retirement,” that identifies practical tips for forecasting your health care expenses. Here are four top ideas:

1. Personalize health care costs. Start by understanding how your health history and current health status will influence expenses. Even your geographic location, marital status and age at retirement will impact your forecasts.

2. Plan for long-term care. This is a tough one to assess because half of retirees won’t even incur these costs, but on the other end of the spectrum, 15 percent of retirees will spend more than $250,000. Consider potential long-term care options, such as unpaid care from family and less-expensive available facilities.

3. Create a hedge in your budget for other expenses. Research shows that retirement spending in virtually all categories other than health care tends to decline with age. By forecasting steady spending in other expense areas, you may create a buffer in your budget to deal with rising health care expenses.

4. Forecast costs in annual spending. There are so many variables involved in estimating health care costs in retirement that trying to plan around a total lifetime budget can be overwhelming. Experts recommend that you focus on annual spending plans instead, provided that you understand costs will rise as you age.

For seniors who are struggling to find cash in their retirement budgets to offset unexpected health care expenses, it may be a good idea to take stock right now of all your assets. Many seniors are surprised to learn that one potential asset for generating immediate cash is a life insurance policy. You should review your life insurance policy from time to time and determine whether or not it’s still needed. A life insurance policy is considered your personal property, so you have the right to sell it anytime you like. When a consumer sells a policy—something called a “life settlement” transaction—the policy owner receives a cash payment and the purchaser of the policy assumes all future premium payments, then receives the death benefit upon the death of the insured. Candidates for life settlements are typically aged 70 years or older, with a life insurance policy that has a death benefit of at least $100,000.

If you own a life insurance policy you no longer need or can afford, you may be able to generate immediate cash to pay your health care expenses by selling that policy for immediate cash.

To learn more about life settlements, visit www.LISA.org or call the LISA office today at 888-921-3793.