F R E E WINTER
2015
Stamping On A lifetime of stamp collecting has resulted in quite a collection for Bruce Gray. Also in this issue: Keep Your Pants On! Weaving Wonder Best Christmas Pageant Ever
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Contents
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MATURE LIFEST YLE • WINTER 2015 • VOLUME 7, ISSUE 1
FEATURES 6 Stamping On After 70 years of collecting, St. Peter stamp collector will let go of thousands of stamps.
10 Keep Your Pants On Retired from the publishing industry, Gary Larson has started his own suspenders company.
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12 Weaving Wonder It all started with a sheep; now Mankato artist Meg Stump can create all kinds of 3D objects with pin looms and imagination.
16 Best Christmas Pageant Ever The Merely Players Christmas production is all about faith, family and community.
DEPARTMENTS
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14 To Your Health 18 Book Review 20 Travel 22 Calendar of Events Mature Lifestyles WINTER 2015 3
PUBLISHER’S NOTES
Welcome to the Winter edition of Mature Lifestyle…
W
elcome to the winter edition of Mature Lifestyle! This issue is packed with stories to enjoy with your families over the winter season. From stamp collecting to starting a business when you retire and what to do in the winter, you will find it all within these pages. Our cover features Bruce Gray and his passion for philately (the study of stamps). In my phone conversations with Bruce, he has many loves of his life along with his collection. I asked, “Aren’t you the one that sings barbershop and has a beautiful voice?” Sheepishly he said, “Only for 52 years, Kelly!” And then he went on to explain that he is also a part of the small group barbershop quartet called, “Magic.” But that’s not all. He and his wife have written a book called Black and Bold about how Gustavus Adolphus College was instrumental in the 60’s with adopting black students from the south to start their education in the north, in Minnesota, at Gustavus. He recalled how the college president pulled them together and said if they were a church college, then they needed to make the steps to include everyone. To this day, Bruce and Sue have students at their home discussing their careers and where they want to go in life. Some of those original students, who ended up being doctors, are retired now but still are connected to the Gray’s. Continue on with “Keep Your Pants On,” the story which features Gary Larson from St. Clair and his new design of
suspenders. What a great idea! Gary took a “problem,” formed a solution and now is happily retired at his sewing machine. My Dad wears suspenders and there has been more than one occasion when there is a “zing” and his suspender buckle became detached from his pants. He hasn’t gotten hurt (yet) and there is usually a chuckle from all of us kids in the room...a chuckle about the buckle. So, one of Gary’s suspenders will be bought for my Dad for Christmas. It’s the least we can do, to keep his pants on, anyway! Please take a minute and read the story about pin loom weaving. I had the pleasure of sitting beside Meg Stump at a style show. If you know Meg, she oozes with enthusiasm and it didn’t take us long to talk about her craft of pin loom weaving. Of course, I remember a pin loom but that was when I was a little girl and I remember making a lot of potholders with it. Needless to say, the pin loom has come a long way since my potholder days and Peg’s book about the craft is out on Amazon. Pin loom was once considered a dying craft, but it is definitely making a comeback and it is something we all can do! In closing, be sure to check out the Merely Players play of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” our calendar of events and winter travel...good reading for everyone. Enjoy the winter and enjoy this issue of Mature!
Mature Lifestyle is a Quarterly Publication of the Home Magazine, Mankato, MN. A Property of Community First Holdings, Inc.
Publisher Kelly Hulke Sales Manager Mary DeGrood Sales Executives Yvonne Sonnek Debby Carlson Deena Briggs Dorothy Meyer Editorial/Photography Amanda Dyslin Gregg Andersen Graphic Designer Deb Granger Production Heather Zilka Business Manager Ron Bresnahan Advertising Information: Home Magazine 1400 Madison Ave., Suite 610 Mankato, MN 56001 (507) 387-7953 fax 387-4775 homemag@homemagonline.com
Kelly Hulke, Publisher On the cover: Bruce Gray
4 WINTER 2015 Mature Lifestyles
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vistaprairie.org/monarchmeadows facebook.com/monarchmeadows.mn Mature Lifestyles WINTER 2015 5
3.9” x 10.25”
Mature Magazine (November)
BRUCE GRAY
6 WINTER 2015 Mature Lifestyles
Stamping On
By Amanda Dyslin
T
he bug bit 70 years ago. A man named John Hansen came to talk to Bruce Gray’s Cub Scout pack in Sauk Centre about philately, the study of stamps. Gray was just 8 years old at the time, and all it took was one good look at Hansen’s collection to pique his own interest in stamp collecting. Hansen even got Gray started on his own collection. One of the unique pieces he bestowed upon Gray was an envelope with various postmarked Japanese stamps, which is still in excellent condition in Gray’s collection. “He gave me lots of stamps back then,” said Gray, 78. Gray met his immediate goal of earning a Cub Scout badge for stamp collecting pretty much right away. What he didn’t know at the time was that stamp collecting would become a life-long hobby – a pastime that now occupies dozens upon dozens of binders and folders in the cabinets of his home office in St. Peter. “Oh, yes, I’ve got quite a few,” Gray said.
Vast Collection After 70 years, Gray said it’s time to let his collection go – a collection that spans more than 100 years of stamps from almost every country on the globe. His goal, by the time he’s 80 years old, is to appraise the collection and contact dealers, who would travel to his home to buy the thousands of stamps he has amassed. For now, he’s not entirely sure what his collection might be worth, or exactly how many he has. Although he certainly seems to know exactly where specific stamps are located when a memory of one in particular arises. Name a topic or theme and Gray has a stamp for it. He has stamps from presidential inaugurations; American flags and other patriotic stamps; wildlife and nature stamps; plenty of stamps featuring celebrities; and every subject in between.
In terms of age, Gray still collects stamps being issued by the U.S. Postal Service today, and he has stamps dating back to the 1800s.
How It Started “There are many ways to collect,” Gray said. Many stamp collectors choose a theme or topic they’re most interested in. While Gray’s collection is eclectic, he does have areas of particular interest. Having spent his career working at Gustavus Adolphus College, Gray has many Swedish stamps. Gray is known at Gustavus for the work he did for recruiting black students, especially from the South, in the 1960s and 1970s. So African Americans on stamps also is an area of special interest to him. Gray also has a wide collection of circus stamps. “My father, when I was 8 years old, took me to the Ringling Bros. circus,” Gray said. “That got into my blood, and so I followed it.” Gray said stamps pre-1940 hold the most value. Stamps released after 1940 generally only hold their face value, unless they have something unique about them, such as a printing error, for example. The theme of the stamp, the date, whether the stamp is used or unused, and whether a collector has a complete series of a certain stamp are the main points that most collectors are concerned with. Gray has many complete series of stamps, some of which are very old. A series of 1930s stamps that he has, for example, is valuable. “But the value isn’t why you do it,” Gray said. “It’s about the joy of learning about other people, other countries, other cultures.”
As for the others, when he does finally part with the collection, Gray said he and his wife might take a vacation with the proceeds. “That’s what she would like to happen,” Gray said with a laugh. Or, Gray said, he might make a donation to Gustavus. Either way, Gray said it will be tough to kick the collecting habit after all these years. “It’s been fun,” he said. “A lot of fun.” Bruce Gray retired from teaching at Gustavus Adolphus College in 2006. Since that time he and his wife, Sue, have written a book together entitled Black and Bold. It can ordered through the Gustavus Adolphus College Book Store. He also is active in the Riverblenders and the barber shop quartet named “Magic.”
Kicking the Habit Not all of Gray’s stamps will be for sale, he said. There are some that have gone on particularly interesting journeys that he won’t part with, including one that went to the South Pole.
Many of Gray’s stamps are on postcards and the collection spans over 100 years. Mature Lifestyles WINTER 2015 7
GARY LARSON
8 WINTER 2015 Mature Lifestyles
Keep Your Pants On! G
ary Larson’s business venture began out of necessity. A suspenders-wearing man from way back, he knew something had to be done about the long-standing design of the metal buckles that attach to pants. “One day I sat down in the car, and the clip came undone and damaged the upholstery,” said Larson of St. Clair, also known as “The Suspender Guy.” Retired from the publishing industry, Larson had both the time and the personal drive to solve the problem himself by starting his own company in May, St. Clair Suspender Company. In just a few months Larson has managed to solve all the issues he has both experienced himself and seen on other suspenders-wearers. First item on the agenda? Do something about the pesky clips. “It was just so frustrating when the clips popped loose,” he said. That’s why most of Larson’s suspenders are designed with loops on the ends to thread the belt through, which removes any possibility of the suspenders coming loose. For those who prefer clips – including those who don’t wear belts – Larson uses a durable version with multiple teeth for a much tighter grip. Larson’s wife, Nancy – his partner and marketing guru – came up with quite the unique way to describe the clips. “Cue the ‘Jaws’ music. The big guy has arrived,” Nancy wrote on the company’s Facebook page. “Just take a look at our multitoothed beefy clip compared to the wimpy standard one.”
By Amanda Dyslin
The durable polyester fabric that the couple purchases from a company in Oregon is also an upgrade from the typical cotton blend and elastic suspenders, Larson said. “It’s the highest quality polyester I could get, and it’s U.S. sourced,” Larson said. “That was very important.” “I told him, ‘You really messed up. These things will never wear out,’” Nancy joked. St. Clair Suspender Company offers a variety of designs, including camouflage and an eagle on an American flag, and Larson does all the sewing himself. There’s even a pink camouflage design for those with a softer side. The tag reads, “Pink camouflage suspenders? Please don’t tell us why you want a pair.” Most of the suspenders have plastic hardware so that they are machine washable, Nancy said. The added bonus, Larson said, is that they don’t damage upholstery like metal buckles can.
Photos below: Ashley Marie Photography, LLC
Mature Lifestyles WINTER 2015 9
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MEG STUMP
Weaving Wonder
By Amanda Dyslin
12  WINTER 2015 Mature Lifestyles
M
eg Stump’s pin loom weaving journey seems to mirror the way she describes the art form itself: “It is in some ways very new, and in some ways very old,” she said. The hobby was popular from the 1930s to the post World War II era and then fell from favor for many crafters and artisans. “It was something a lot of people once did, and it was great,” said Stump of Mankato. “And then it was something that almost got lost entirely.” Recently, however, Stump says pin loom weaving has experienced an incredible resurgence in popularity. That’s been exciting for Stump to see, considering she has been weaving on pin looms since she was about 10 years old. But just as the art has experienced a rejuvenation in popular culture, Stump found a way to take a fresh approach with her own creations. For decades Stump created twodimensional projects, including numerous blankets and wall hangings, with the square and rectangular pieces she weaved with yarn on her pin looms. A few years ago, however, she came up with the idea of creating 3D objects. The results – little horses, pigs, sheep, Amish figures, barn totes, purses and more – can be seen in her book, “Pin Loom Weaving: 40 Projects for Tiny Hand Looms.” And they also were display at the Maker Fair Fall Festival this fall in Garden City, where they were seen by numerous admirers. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” one woman said, picking up a red horse figure. “They’re just incredible.”
Stump said her passion can be traced back to the 1960s when her mother bought pin looms to make baby clothes. Eventually the looms were stored in the attic, and Stump remembers digging them out to use them herself. The hobby stayed with her throughout the years, and for quite some time, she was hard-pressed to find anyone who shared it. “For years and years I thought I was the only one,” she said, adding that the advent of eBay showed her there were actually a few other pin loom weavers still out there. About 10 years ago Stump self-published her first book on pin loom weaving, and it ended up catching the attention of a publisher, Stackpole Books. An editor told Stump that pin loom weaving was becoming quite the popular hobby again, and Stump landed a book deal that showcased some of her 3D pieces, among other things. “Pin Loom Weaving: 40 Projects for Tiny Hand Looms” was released in June. The 3D creations came from Stump’s love of primitive-style art. “I was thinking about a sheep, and I thought, ‘I can make a sheep,’ and I did,” Stump said. “And then I thought, ‘If I can
make a sheep, then I can make a pig.’” That thought pattern has resulted in quite a collection of animals and figures, including “Little Mermaid” characters. And it also has led to quite a goal: “I want to do the whole Noah’s ark,” she said, with animals ranging from donkeys to tigers to flamingos. That’s going to take quite a few woven squares, Stump admits. But it hardly feels like work; more like a labor of love. “This is a massive part of my life,” she said. Stump’s other joy comes from sharing the art form with other people. She loves giving demonstrations and showing people how easy pin loom weaving is, and what beautiful pieces can be created with just a little bit of imagination. With her book selling well on Amazon, Stump has been thrilled to be able to reach even more people than she ever thought possible. And it’s been fun for her to read their reviews. “My favorite one was, ‘I see a barn tote in my future,’” said Stump with a laugh. For more information, visit www.pinloomweaving.com.
Mature Lifestyles WINTER 2015 13
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MERELY PLAYERS
Best Christmas Pageant Ever By Amanda Dyslin
T
he play title, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” is a reference to its plot – a Christmas pageant being staged within the play. The Merely Players aren’t saying for certain that the play itself will be the best Christmas show ever, although Director Seth Rausch understands the title might heighten the expectations of audience members a little. “That’s OK,” said Rausch, 22. “I’m excited for the challenge,” he said. The play is the Merely Players’ annual children’s production, with kids as young as 7 years old welcome to audition to play one of the coveted roles of the Herdman clan. The six Herdman children – Imogene, Claude, Ralph, Leroy, Ollie and Gladys – are synonymous with trouble in the community. After hearing that free snacks are offered at church, the kids attend for the first time and end up being given the lead roles in the Christmas play. Community members are up in arms, sure that the Herdmans will ruin the production. “But, in the end, it turns out to be one of the best shows ever,” Rausch said. Merely Players Artistic Director Jonas Nissen selected the production for this season because of its multi-generational cast and its emphasis on the true meaning of the holiday season. Christmas isn’t just about food and shopping, Nissen said. It’s about faith, family and community, and he and Rausch hope that audience members who attend the production feel that Christmas spirit.
16 WINTER 2015 Mature Lifestyles
Merely Players director, Seth Rausch says that the “Best Christmas Pageant Ever” was selected this year because of its multi-generational cast and its emphasis on the true meaning of the holiday season. Other plays that are on the docket for the spring include; The Good Doctor and Guys & Dolls. Check out www.merelyplayers.com for more information.
To help accomplish this and get his cast in holiday mode, Rausch had everyone who auditioned for a role sing their favorite Christmas carols because the cast will be singing carols in the hallways of the Lincoln Community Center surrounding play times. There will also be a collection taken for the food shelf, he said. “It’s definitely going to be a good Christmas show,” said Rausch, who is making his Merely Players directorial debut with the production. Rausch and his cast have no intention of shying away from those audience expectations of attending “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”
“I hope it will be one of the best shows here,” Rausch said. “I want people to say, ‘Wow, look what all of those kids and actors did on that stage.’”
If you attend … “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” by Barbara Robinson and directed by Seth Rausch Where: Lincoln Community Center Theater, 110 Fulton St., Mankato When: 7:30 pm, Dec. 5,6,12,13; 2:00 pm, Dec. 6,7,13,14
Along with a cast of children as young as age 7, there are plenty of adults to make up this year’s production. The “Best Christmas Pageant Ever” was written by Barbara Robinson and is called one of America’s favorite Christmas stories.
Mature Lifestyles WINTER 2015 17
BOOK REVIEW by CNHI News Service
Timeless: Love, Morgenthau and Me by Lucinda Franks
D
o you have to psychoanalyze everything,” asks husband Robert Morgenthau in wife Lucinda Franks’ unrestrained romance memoir about her improbable marriage to the celebrated former Manhattan district attorney. The answer is a resounding yes, as Franks explains why in 400 pages that enliven readers with insecurities and discernments about her relationships with her mother, her father, her stepchildren, and especially with the man, 27 years her elder, she wed. Intimate details of the couple’s rapt affection for each other despite the generational divide entice but also overwhelm at times the message of how they navigated the shoals of “a marriage that was never supposed to happen.” Franks was an apple-cheeked, potsmoking 26-year-old journalist honed by anti-Vietnam war sentiment when she interviewed the widower Morgenthau in 1973 about the Watergate scandal. He was the patrician U.S. Attorney for New York forced to resign by Richard Nixon early in his presidency. Morgenthau’s wife had died of breast cancer a year earlier, his heart available for the taking. Even though their first date didn’t occur for months later, Franks admits first impression fascination with his clever demeanor, his intellect and his aristocratic bearing. She observed later, during their courtship, that “he was the kind of man they didn’t make anymore.” The couple married in 1977 despite disapproval by his four children, who thought the age difference too much and feared gold-digger intentions. Franks and 18 WINTER 2015 Mature Lifestyles
An intriguing true love story with adventures, humorous anecdotes and happy endings. Morgenthau didn’t blink. They went on to prove that a younger woman and a man old enough to be her father from dissimilar backgrounds can attract electricity like opposite poles if their hearts are in sync. Timeless: Love, Morgenthau and Me is a documentary novel that publicly rewinds the nearly four decades of marriage through its exciting, exhausting and distressing times. Franks tells their love story with the precision of an observant journalist who co-won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 1971 for a series of stories about an anti-war radical who died when a nail bomb she was making exploded. A 24-year-old UPI reporter at the time, Franks was the youngest recipient of journalism’s Holy Grail.
With Morgenthau’s backstage influence, Franks next works briefly for the New York Times before becoming a freelance magazine writer and triumphant author. Now 68, she casts her literary hubris secondary to the marriage, to the encouragement of her husband’s career, to seeing their journey through the eyes of endearment. The unlikely and forever commitment clicked. Franks and Morgenthau went on to have two children of their own, he was elected district attorney an astounding nine times, retiring only four years ago at age 91, earning the reputation as one of the smartest prosecutors around. Timeless is enthusiastically personal to Franks’ beloved “Bob,” a protégé of New York’s political royalty. Morgenthau’s father served as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Treasury secretary; his grandfather President Woodrow Wilson’s ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during World War I. “Light falls upon your exquisite forehead, your extravagant Roman nose,” Franks writes of her husband. “The hand beneath your cheek rumples your lips. I gently place my fingers on your lids and feel the rapid flutter of your eyes. The wings of a hummingbird. Such are the things that make love ache.” All well and good, but repeatedly Franks tells us far more than we want or care to know about their sexual adventures – he made pancakes in the morning after their initial night together, they get intimate in a hospital bathroom. She describes waves on a beach (“They rode in like stallions, manes flying, then suddenly broke, spilling over into a million pieces, routed, fooled, disintegrating, their ends a foamy nothingness …) before getting right down to it. “… My nightgown was streaked with dirt. He wanted to put me in a hot shower, but I shook my head and put my icy hands under his nightshirt. He jumped. “He scowled but didn’t move a muscle. Did I see a little glint of amusement? We took off our nightclothes, and, with salt on my face, frigid as an ice block, we made love as we never had before.”
Throughout the book, Franks describes conversations and incidents in such incredible dialogue, replete with facial expressions and hand gestures from decades past, that she must have a photographic memory, be one of the most assiduous diarists in literary history or has chosen to take a novelist’s license. A pixie peacenik with charm, she didn’t lack for male friendship. Actor Robert Redford called her three times in 1975 after she interviewed him about his role as a bookish CIA employee in “Three Days of the Condor.” Nothing came of it. Her destiny was Morgenthau. There are other, less sensuous rewards for the reader deeper into this richly introspective narrative, including background about her husband’s pursuit of several famous cases, his successes are said to have inspired the fictional chief prosecutor’s role of Adam Schiff in the TV series “Law and Order.” She notes that Morgenthau, twice an unsuccessful candidate for New York governor, has had a remarkable career, including prosecuting Mark David Chapman, who assassinated John Lennon; Bernie Goetz,
the “Subway Vigilante,” and several corporate scoundrels, particularly 1991’s Bank of Credit and Commerce International investigation that Morgenthau described as “the largest bank fraud in world financial history.” Former Morgenthau-trained assistant district attorneys include New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former Gov. Elliot Spitzer, John F. Kennedy Jr., and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Franks also peers into the lives of other prominent men and women, including Ronald Reagan, Ariel Sharon, Joyce Carol Oates and particularly Hillary Rodham Clinton. Franks landed the first sit-down interview with her about Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. Hillary’s claim that Clinton’s infidelity and sex addiction stemmed from his abusive mother caused a national sensation. The enduring marriage of Morgenthau and Franks is not without its trials – he developed melanoma, she breast cancer – and many arguments. Yet this is an intriguing true love story with adventures, humorous anecdotes and happy endings.
She writes: “I am fortunate to have a husband who allowed me to do this; to talk about the personal life that he has kept so private during his 45 years as a public figure; to divulge the unknown stories behind his major cases; to reveal the intimacies, the foibles, the highs, and the lows of our 36 years together.” If there is a denouement, it is Franks’ discovery that Morgenthau suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from his heroic service as a Navy officer in World War II. With that realization, both husband and wife come to a better understanding about his often-stoic treatment of her. “Word by the millions have been printed about you,” she writes, “but none have revealed your real life, your secret life – that you belong to me.”
His successes are said to have inspired the fictional chief prosecutor’s role of Adam Schiff in the TV series “Law and Order.”
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Mature Lifestyles WINTER 2015 19
TRAVEL TIPS
Budget-Friendly Travel Tips For The Holidays D
uring a winter that never seems to end, families are aching to enjoy some fun in the sun, turning their attention to a well-deserved getaway. According to a recent Bank of America survey, 46 percent of Americans plan on hitting the road and organizing family-friendly vacations this year. But nearly half of these survey respondents, 48 percent, said the most difficult part of planning a trip is managing a budget. Here are a few tips for you to think about when planning your vacation: Think about how you’re going to pay, not just what you are purchasing. Travel Channel host Samantha Brown has trekked the globe and is an ace at keeping costs low while maximizing adventure. She shared a budget-saving tip for the millions of Americans looking to take a family vacation and ensure lasting memories. “When you start researching vacation destinations, it’s important to keep in mind that a good rewards card can help to offset travel costs,” Brown said. 20 WINTER 2015 Mature Lifestyles
Many cards have special promotions during certain times of the year that provide cash back when you spend at certain kinds of businesses. Some travel rewards credit cards let you use your points to “pay yourself back” for any type of travel purchase such as flights, hotels, vacation packages, cruises, rental cars or baggage fees through a statement credit. You can even use your points to pay for theme park tickets and camp sites. Check what programs are in place with your card and plan accordingly.
Think about staying off the beaten path. The majority of survey respondents said they are headed towards easy to access, family-friendly destinations like beaches, theme parks and zoos. They also said they
are careful to steer clear of popular college party destinations. Sixty three percent of respondents said car trips are the preferred mode of travel because they are easier on the budget and also ensure that the vacation will be an adventure. Road trips are also ideal because travel schedules are more flexible; you can stay an extra night in a location, or if the weather is nice, consider camping or visiting public parks which are often more affordable. And don’t forget travel journals for each family member so they track the vacation and save memories. Families are increasingly looking for ways to stretch the dollar, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that 36 percent of men and 47 percent of women agreed that costs are extremely important when planning a vacation. Half of the survey respondents
agreed that hotels and lodging generally eat up most of the budget. Search for ways to save a bit of money in other places by being flexible with your dates or traveling to locations that are off the beaten path.
Plan all of your activities in advance if you can. One of the best parts about a family vacation is getting the whole family involved in the travel planning process. Hold a family meeting about a month before your trip and have each member choose and plan an activity so everyone is invested in the family vacation. This will take all the responsibility off the parents’ shoulders and make travel easier. Challenge the family to plan activities that are unique to the area – those you wouldn’t be able to do in your hometown like surfing, mountain hiking or stargazing. These types of new and unique activities will create lasting memories and strengthen the bonds of family – which is what family vacations are all about.
Always have a back-up plan. Whenever you travel, you’re likely to experience missed connections, wrong turns, long lines or unexpected closings. One thing you can do to prepare for the unexpected is to create a plan A and plan B for your entire trip. Start two weeks in advance of your departure date by brainstorming with the whole family all of the possible routes, attractions, restaurants and hotels that you’d like to incorporate into your trip. Throughout the next two weeks, narrow down the list and create two plans for going to your destination and heading back home. In the event you run into any issues, you won’t have to waste time figuring out another option. With these tips in mind, you will be able to better enjoy your holiday travel. – Family Features
“Ask A Trooper” by Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State Patrol
Q
How bad is winter compared to summer when it comes to crashes? Is it as bad as we think it is or what? It seems like we have a lot more crashes when the snow flies. How about some winter driving tips too for everyone? Thanks!
A
Historically during the winter weather months in Minnesota, the number of vehicle crashes, especially property damage crashes, increase substantially, but we actually have more serious and fatal crashes on clear dry roads during the summer months. People drive too fast for conditions in the winter, but the speeds seem to be much greater when the roads are dry and the weather is good. Because of the higher speeds, the crashes produce more injuries and deaths. Speed is a major factor in crashes. In fact, it is the number one contributing factor on our crash reports. Of course we don’t see many motorcycle crashes in the winter but we do see a slight rise in sport utility vehicle type crashes because of the false sense of security riding in those vehicles. The weather conditions of course are a huge factor, which in turn affect the road conditions. For example, during a winter storm we might have between 200 and 400 vehicles off the road or in crashes. We normally don’t see that volume of traffic incidents occurring on summer days unless there is a natural disaster type of situation that occurs, affecting a large number of motorists. Winter white-out conditions are very common in parts of the state and are extremely dangerous. Great winter tips for motorists include: ◆◆ Always use seat belts. ◆◆ Give yourself plenty of travel time – don’t put your schedule before safety. ◆◆ Clear snow and ice from all vehicle windows, hood, headlights, brake lights and turn signals. ◆◆ Adjust speed to road and weather conditions. ◆◆ Lower speeds help drivers avoid crashes and minimize those that occur. ◆◆ Keep a safe stopping distance between vehicles, and leave extra room between your vehicle and snow plows or other removal equipment. ◆◆ Headlights must be turned on when it is snowing or sleeting. ◆◆ Never use cruise control in poor weather conditions.
If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Trp. Troy Christianson – Minnesota State Patrol 2900 48th Street NW, MN 55901-5848 Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us Mature Lifestyles WINTER 2015 21
HEADLINE WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE
David Olson & David Hyduke Exhibit Through 11/30 Arts Center of Saint Peter 507-351-6521 Collecting Herter’s Exhibit Through 12/30; 9-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday Waseca County History Center 507-835-7700 Kiwanis Holiday Lights Parade & Opening Night 11/28; 6 p.m. Sibley Park 507-385-9129 Kiwanis Holiday Lights 11/29-12/31; 5-9 p.m. daily Sibley Park 507-385-9129 Holiday Family Clay Days 11/29; 2-4 p.m. Arts Center of Saint Peter 507-931-3630 Holiday Harmony Concert Featuring Mankato Riverblender Men’s Barbershop Chorus and Minnesota Valley Chorus of Sweet Adelines 12/1 3-4:45 p.m. at Christ the King Church, Mankato; 7:30 p.m. at Church of St. Peter 507-388-1995 Fall Dance Concert 12/5; 7:30 p.m. and 12/6; 2 p.m. Ted Paul Theatre of the Earley Center for Performing Arts, Minnesota State Mankato 507-389-6661
Where To Go & What To Do This Winter! The Merely Players’ “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” 12/5-6 and 12/12-13; 7:30 p.m. and 12/6-7 and 12/13-14; 2 p.m. Lincoln Community Center 507-388-5483 Christmas at the Hubbard House 12/7; 1-4 p.m. R.D. Hubbard House 507-345-5566 Mankato Symphony Orchestra’s “Handel. With Love – Sing Along Messiah,” a sing-along concert 12/7; 5-7 p.m. Mankato West High School 507-625-8880 The Annual Michael Johnson Concert 12/12; 8 p.m. Bjorling Recital Hall Gustavus Adolphus College 507-933-7590 Lorie Line’s “The 25th Anniversary Christmas Special” 12/14; 3 p.m. Verizon Wireless Center 507-389-3000
Holiday Family Clay Days 12/27; 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Arts Center of Saint Peter 507-931-3630 Richie Lee & the Fabulous 50’s – New Year’s Eve Party 12/31; 8-12:30 a.m. Kato Ballroom 507-625-7553 Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Center’s McKnight Emerging Artists Show 1/9-2/8; 11-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 1-5 p.m. weekends Arts Center of Saint Peter 507-351-6521 Young Historians, technologies from the 1920s through the 1940s 1/10; 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Blue Earth County Historical Society History Center 507-345-5566 Mankato Meltdown Weigh In 2015 1/14; 4-8 p.m. Kato Entertainment Center 507-625-7553
Third Thursday Gallery Walk 12/16; 5 p.m. 523 South 2nd Street, Mankato 507-387-1008
Mankato Symphony Orchestra’s “Haydn Go Seek – The Frog” 1/17; 11-11:45 a.m. Mankato YMCA 507-625-8880
Our History Matters, the Blue Earth County Poor Farm 12/18; 6-8 p.m. Blue Earth County Historical Society History Center 507-345-5566
“Assassins” (musical) Jan. 29-31 & Feb. 4-7; 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 1, 7 & 8; 2 p.m. Andreas Theatre of the Earley Center for Performing Arts, Minnesota State Mankato 507-389-6661
Home Free “Full of Cheer Tour” 12/21; 7-10 p.m. Verizon Wireless Center 507-389-3000
Joel Moline & Faith Wicklund “Low Fire Explorations” 2/13-3/15; 11-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 1-5 p.m. weekends Arts Center of Saint Peter 507-351-6521
winter
Rural America Contemporary Artists (RACA) Show 12/5-1/4; 11-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 1-5 p.m. weekends Arts Center of Saint Peter 507-351-6521 22 WINTER 2015 Mature Lifestyles
TO YOUR HEALTH
Young Historians, America’s involvement in World War II 2/14; 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Blue Earth County Historical Society History Center 507-345-5566 Amore Affair Henderson Area Arts presents the 2nd Annual Craft/Art Fair 2/14; 11-5 p.m. 510 Main Street, Henderson 952-200-5684 The Gustavus Wind Orchestra 2015 Home Concert 2/14; 1:30-3:30 p.m. Bjorling Recital Hall The 2015 Gustavus Choir’s International Concert Tour Home Concert 2/14; 7:30-9:30 p.m. Christ Chapel “Life Is A Dream” 2/19-21 and 2/26-28; 7:30 p.m. and 2/28 and 3/1; 2 p.m. Ted Paul Theatre of the Earley Center for Performing Arts Minnesota State Mankato 507-389-6661 River Hills Home & Lifestyles Show 2/20-2/22, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. River Hills Mall 507-387-7469 River Hills Boat & Vacation Show 2/27-3/1, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. River Hills Mall 507-387-7469
Find more events, and more information, at greatermankatoevents.com.
Seasonal Affective Disorder D o you feel depressed during the winter months? You shouldn’t dismiss that annual feeling as a case of the “winter blues” or a seasonal funk that you have to deal with on your own. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that happens at the same time every year. It’s caused by a reduced amount of sunlight that affects the natural chemicals in your body that determine mood and energy. In order to be diagnosed with SAD, you should experience symptoms at the same time of the year for at least two consecutive years. Symptoms usually start in the fall and continue through the winter months and can include: ❤❤ Depression
❤ Anxiety
❤❤ Hopelessness
❤ Lack of energy
❤❤ Social withdrawal
❤ Appetite changes
Meg Stump, L.M.F.T. Mayo Clinic Health System
❤❤ Change in sleeping patterns Rather than moving south to the equator, where sunlight is always plentiful, the most common ways to treat SAD are: 1. Medication. Certain medications can help with SAD, especially if the symptoms are severe. Your health care provider may recommend you begin taking antidepressants before your symptoms typically begin and for a period of time after the winter season ends. You may have to try several different medications before finding the one that helps you best with the least amount of side effects. 2. Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is another option for anyone with SAD. Speaking with a professional counselor can help you identify problems and provide solutions. You can learn
healthy ways to cope with SAD and manage stress in your life. 3. Light therapy. Also called phototherapy, light therapy is a treatment for SAD. Special light therapy boxes are used to expose your body to the light it requires. These broad-spectrum lights mimic outdoor light and affect the brain chemicals associated with mood. 4. Alternative therapies. Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, yoga, meditation and massage may also help alleviate some of the symptoms of SAD, especially when used in conjunction with other treatments.
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