La50 aug2014la oc

LOS ANGELES METRO AUGUST 2014

southern california

S HARI BELAFONTE Sharing insights on her famous father, racism, aging and more

KEEPING FASHION FRESH AFTER 50 A “new you” can be just days away

CHARLES FOX The award-winning composer on following his path of dreams

PARADISE AND CULTURE FOUND Hawaiian beauty and history awaits at Kaanapali Beach

lifeafter50.com

CONTENTS

August 2014

13

18

32

COVER PROFILE

DEPARTMENTS

13 Shari Belafonte

06 50-Plus: What You Need to Know

A true Renaissance woman shares thoughts on her childhood, famous father, multi-faceted career, racism, marriage, aging and much more.

38

A quick look at things 50-plusers should be aware of.

09 It’s The Law Mitchell A. Karasov on freeing up funds for parental care.

FEATURES 18 Keeping Fashion Fresh After 50 A fresh “new you” can be just days away with these simple fashion tips.

24 Fifty-Plus And Fabulous Style it up, care for your skin and be more playful, because life is far from over.

32 The Look Of Life After 50 * Charles Fox The award-winning composer has made things happen on the unending path of dreams.

10 Financial Fitness William Jordan explains the real cost of your mutual funds.

28 Cooking, Eating And Living Well Jackie Keller on keeping properly hydrated.

31 Tuned In To What’s On The best in August television viewing.

35 Let’s Get Out Looking to get out and about? Our August/September calendar has some great suggestions.

38 Travel Ed Boitano finds paradise and culture at Hawaii’s Kaanapali Beach.

42 And Finally…The Bookworm’s Best, A Look Back and Just A Thought Before We Go Cover photo by Mark Andrew Gonzales of Mark Andrew G Photography All material published within this issue of “Life After 50” and on www.lifeafte50.com is strictly for informational and educational purposes only. No individual, advice, product or service is in any way endorsed by “Life After 50” or Southland Publishing, Inc. or provided as a substitute for the reader’s seeking of individualized professional advice or instruction. Readers should seek the advice of qualified professional on any matter regarding an individual, advice, recommendations, services or products covered within this issue.

All information and material is provided to readers with the understanding that it comes from various sources from which there is no warranty or responsibility by “Life after 50” or Southland Publishing, Inc. as to its or their legality, completeness or technical accuracy.

Our August book suggestion, memory, and a little something to leave you with.

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Editor’s Note...

A Captured Moment That Speaks To Me

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consider photography to be one of the most significant of all inventions.

Because of the creation of the camera we are able to look upon the faces of historical figures and relatives that died before we were born; see what we ourselves looked like as children, and can forever preserve visual keepsakes of people, pets and the best times of our lives.

I recently thought about my appreciation for photography as I spoke with photographer extraordinaire, Shari Belafonte, for this month’s cover feature. It’s impossible to spend time with her and not get caught up in her passion for what she calls “the capturing of a moment in time that tells a story or speaks to people.”

My father also loved photography and, like Shari’s grandmother did for her, gave me my first camera when I was very young. As a result of my dad’s picture taking, and my own early interest in photography that grew over the years, I now have files of photos I have taken, and that have been taken of me, beginning with the one my father took of my mother holding me as I was first introduced to the world on the steps of Brooklyn’s Carson Peck Memorial Hospital.

You may notice I say “the one” my father took. That’s the way people took photographs (or should I say “a photograph”) back in the days of film. In those days of yore, snapping a photograph was done judiciously with a twinge of pulse-racing trepidation and excitement as you carefully clicked the shutter.

I recently spent time with my friend, Brett Flood, who, like me, is a photo buff.

We both grew up as huge fans of the New York Jets and I shared with him some photos I took at games I attended as a teenager.

While showing him my photos, I wondered out loud why it was that, while I attended just about every Jets home game from the early-to-mid-1970s, I only took a few dozen photos. It then dawned on me in a flash, like those little flashcubes that sat atop the Kodak Instamatic I used during those games, that it was because we had film rolls that only gave us 12 shots.

“Why didn’t I ever buy two or three rolls?” I asked Brett. That question resulted in us both staring at one another with Oliver Hardy looks of bewilderment on our faces followed by laughter. “You’re right pal,” he said as I stated my way-too-late epiphany. “Back then no one ever thought to buy more than one roll at a time!”

Soon after bringing this observation up with others of my era, someone sent me a photo of Neil Armstrong in his space suit alongside a current-day teenage girl.

The caption on the Armstrong photo read: Went to the moon, took five photos, while the shot of the girl, snapping off selfies in the mirror of a public restroom was captioned: Went to the bathroom, took 37 photos.

It’s a photo that perfectly captures the moment of time in which we live. It tells a story and it speaks to me.

David Laurell, Editor-in-Chief

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Advertising Director/Associate Publisher Valarie Anderson Editor David Laurell Editorial Assistants Steve Stoliar, Marie Giusto Blauvelt, Max Andrews Associate Editor Claire Yezbak Fadden Travel Editor Ed Boitano Art Director Kent Bancroft Art Director Ernesto Esquivel Account Executives Los Angeles/South Bay: Jackie Kooper Jackiek@lifeafter50.com Orange County: Herb Wetenkamp Herbw@lifeafter50.com San Diego County National Accounts: Phil Mendelson Phil@lifeafter50.com VP Of Finance Michael T. Nagami Human Resources Andrea E. Baker Business Manager Linda Lam Billing Supervisor Kacie Sturek VP Of Operations David Comden

For advertising/distribution inquiries contact: Valarie Anderson (310) 822-1629 x 121, Valarie@lifeafter50.com To contact our editorial department: (818) 563-1007 davidl@lifeafter50.com To contact our travel editor: (818) 985-8132 eboitano@lifeafter50.com 5355 Mcconnell Ave LA CA 90066 Valarie Anderson Valarie@lifeafter50.com 310 822-1629 x 121 ©2014 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved

AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 5

An Aerobic Aphrodisiac

50

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PLUS

What You Need To Know

By Claire Yezbak Fadden

hirty minutes of exercise before intercourse can reduce the effect of libido-dulling drugs for women, according to a recent study. When 52 women who reported sexual side effects from taking antidepressants exercised for 30 minutes right before they had sex, they experienced a significant boost in sexual pleasure. University of Texas at Austin researchers published their conclusions online in “Depression and Anxiety,” indicating that sexual dysfunction can be effectively treated with moderately intense workouts. According to the findings, women who committed to a regular exercise routine experienced improved orgasm function. The reason for this is that moderately intense exercise activates the sympathetic nervous system, which facilitates blood flow to the genital region, counteracting the inhibiting effects of the antidepressants.

Clinton Chronicles Her Crises, Choices And Challanges

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illary Rodham Clinton, the former first lady, U.S. senator, secretary of state and presumptive 2016 presidential candidate, has a life story no one else can match – and there may be much more to come. In her latest book, “Hard Choices: A Memoir” (Simon and Schuster, 2014), Clinton, who will turn 67 in October, shares an insider’s account of the crises, choices and challenges she faced during the four years she headed up the U.S. state department, and how those experiences have formed her view of the world and the future. Among the challenges she confronted during her tenure was working with President Obama to repair fractured alliances, wind down two wars, and address a global financial crisis.

Facing a rising competitor in China, growing threats from Iran and North Korea, and revolutions across the Middle East, Obama and Clinton grappled with some of the toughest and most historic dilemmas of U.S. foreign policy, especially the decision to send Americans into harm’s way, from Afghanistan to Libya and to capture and kill Osama bin Laden. By the end of her tenure, Secretary Clinton had visited 112 countries, traveled nearly one million miles, and gained a truly global perspective on many of the major trends reshaping the landscape of the 21st century world.

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Fifty Candles ifty years ago this month: North Vietnam fired on a U.S. destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin; civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney were found buried inside an earthen dam in Mississippi; actress Anne Bancroft married comedian Mel Brooks; race riots broke out in New Jersey, Illinois and Pennsylvania; and President Lyndon Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act. Notable personalities born in August 1964 who are celebrating their 50th birthday this month include Counting Crows musician Adam Duritz, actor Blair Underwood, actresses Mary-Louise Parker and Debi Mazar, tennis star Jimmy Arias, Melinda French Gates, wife of Bill Gates, and Playboy’s January 1985 Playmate Joan Bennett.

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Losing The Gray For A Lot Less Green

A new hair care company, eSalon. com, is infuriating hairstylists by providing affordable hair color for home use that comes with the personal guidance of a professional colorist. Nothing like the one-sizefits-all boxed hair-color kits, eSalon offers custom-blended, salon-grade ingredients that leave hair soft, shiny and provide excellent coverage. Each hair color order is delivered to the client’s door and includes a professional coloring brush, gloves, stain guard, stain remover, shampoo and conditioner – in addition to the guidance of expert colorists. While it may be a stretch to say, even with these quality products and expert assistance, a novice can duplicate the talent of an experienced color pro, the price of under $20 is a far cry from the $100-plus one would pay at a salon. Plus, to top it off, eSalon has a special reduced-price offer for new customers, with a money-back satisfaction guarantee. For more information, click on www.esalon.com.

A Little More You Need To Know

Where You Need To Go

The Most Important Thing to Know This Month

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his year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has already responded to some 1,300 wildfires, more than double their average. With fire season now officially underway, it’s a good time for Southern California homeowners to ensure they are prepared for wildfires and that their home has at least 100 feet of defensible space. Here are some tips to help prepare your home:

B

ing Crosby was there to greet the first fan through the gate in 1937. Since that day, the scenic spot, known to locals as the place “where the turf meets the surf,” has provided glamour and excitement for Southern California racing fans while also becoming an integral part of thoroughbred horseracing history. The 75th summer meeting (they lost three years during World War II) of worldclass Thoroughbred Racing in Del Mar is now underway, utilizing a newly installed turf course widened to 80 feet completely around the oval that allows for larger fields (up to 14 horses) to participate in the track’s turf races.

After the races, you can cap off your warm summer evenings with an incredible lineup of entertainment, at the Four O’Clock Fridays and Weekend concert series. The Del Mar

Thoroughbred Club will host a wide variety of bigname musical acts on their Seaside Stage including the Canadian reggae fusion band MAGIC!, electro musician Steve Aoki and a Reggae Fest featuring Ziggy Marley.

Can’t get enough racing? No worries. For the first time in decades, Del Mar, which has been chosen to host the 2017 Breeders’ Cup, horse racing’s version of the Super Bowl, will offer a fall race meeting running from November 7 to 30.

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club is located at, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard in Del Mar. Racing takes place Wednesday through Sundays through September for an entry fee of $3 to $10.

For more information, call (858) 755-1141 or click on www.delmarracing.com.

• Clear all pine needles and leaves from your yard, roof and rain gutters.

• Trim branches six feet from the ground.

• Landscape with fire-resistant/drought-tolerant plants.

You can also take proactive steps to prevent wildfires by: • Using trimming, mowing and powered equipment outdoors before 10 a.m.

• Checking to make sure any sort of burning is allowed in your area. CAL FIRE has banned outdoor burning in some areas and requires a burn permit in others.

• Completely extinguish all campfires.

• Making sure trailer chains and other parts of your vehicle are not dragging on the road.

For more information on preparing for wildfires and defensible space, click on www. readyrorwildfire.org.

New Words

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ou might not find them in a dictionary yet, but they’re a part of the everyday American vocabulary. Here’s what they mean.

Punt: The dimple at the bottom of a wine bottle, also known as a kick-up.

Ratchet: A low-class, annoying, rude or trashy person.

Uber: An app created by a venture-funded startup and transportation network company based in San Francisco that connects passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire and ridesharing services.

AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 7

It’s the Law Mitchell A. Karasov Mitchell A. Karasov, Esq. has offices in Los Angeles, Ventura County and the Coachella Valley. He specializes in elder law with emphasis in estate planning, Medi-Cal eligibility, trust administration, probate, conservatorships of person or estate, estate and trust litigation and financial abuse litigation. For more information click on www.karasovelderlaw.com or call (818) 508-7192.

When It Comes To Care, Who Pays?

Our dad always took care of our parents’ finances and, in the last few years, also cared for our mom, who suffers from advanced Lewy Body dementia. Although he was pretty healthy for 86, a few months ago, he had a stroke and is no longer be able to be our mom’s caregiver or take care of their finances. My siblings and I stepped in to care of our mom with the assistance of a hired caregiver. This arrangement has worked out well and we are all relieved that our parents can stay at home. Unfortunately, we have a problem with the financial matters. When my parents set up their estate plan, they only named each other to make decisions and transactions, so we can’t get access to any funds to pay their bills. We weren’t expecting this, and, due to our mom’s dementia and our father’s stroke, neither of them is able to sign any new power of attorney forms or change their living trust. Since we cannot get access to their money, one of my sisters is paying for all our parents’ expenses, but she cannot afford to continue this on an ongoing basis. It looks as though our dad might improve to the point that he could sign documents, but the trust requires both of our parents’ signatures to add us as signers for them on trust accounts. What, if any, options do we have?

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This situation is all too common and most families do not have a back-up plan. Although stepping in to manage the financial accounts is complicated by your mom’s medical issues, your dad’s potential recovery could smooth the path to correcting the financial management. The actual strategy will not only depend on his recovery, but also what type of authority your mom gave your dad in her power of attorney.

If your dad is able to sign a new power of attorney, he could immediately name you and/or your siblings to manage accounts and communicate directly with the financial institutions to allow sole authority or co-management with him for any accounts which he owns. If your mom’s power-of-attorney document allows this, he could sign an amendment on his and her behalf allowing for substitute trust management by his adult children. In addition, he could transfer any permissible non-trust accounts into the trust. If your mom has any IRAs or accounts that should not be in the trust, he could initiate or at least nominate you and/or your siblings to be your mom’s conservator of the estate to manage her finances. The same would most likely be done over her healthcare decisions with a conservatorship of the person.

If none of this is possible, you would have no choice but to initiate a conservatorship of the estate and person for both your mom and dad. This would give you the authority to manage any and all accounts in their names, as well as manage their healthcare decisions. In addition, you would petition the probate court to amend the trust for you and/or your siblings to act as the substitute trustees on the trust.

There are also other options including potential government benefit plans your family should explore. Whichever route you go, I strongly recommend that you consult with an elder law attorney who is wellversed in these situations.

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Financial Fitness William Jordan William Jordan is a nationally recognized wealth manager and a well-known speaker on financial and investment topics. To request a meeting to discuss William’s “Seven Percent Solution,” contact his office at (949) 916-8000 or click on www.WJIca.com

What Does Your Mutual Fund Cost?

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utual funds are among the most popular investments in America. In fact, there are more mutual funds to choose from than there are stocks to invest in on the U.S. stock exchanges. With all those choices, how do you know which fund is right for you?

While there are many factors to consider, the most reliable indicator of future performance is cost. The more expensive the fund, the worse it does.

The Real Cost

All funds have a prospectus that will tell you all of the costs they are required to report. The prospectus will report the management and marketing fees.

However, those aren’t all the costs. An additional and potentially significant cost is a transaction cost.

The transaction costs are based on two factors. The first is the difference between the price you can buy a stock for and the price you can sell the same stock for at that exact same time. The difference in these prices is called the bid/ ask spread.

This spread means there is a cost of doing business every time a fund manager buys or sells a stock, which is referred to as turnover. Mark Carhart, former professor of finance at the University of Southern California, estimated this to be almost one percent of cost for every 100 percent in turnover.

In short, if your fund manager has 100 percent turnover (many have that, and more) you should know there are unreported costs you are paying.

The other factor in the transaction cost is moving the market. If a large fund wants to sell a significant amount of a stock, you can expect that sale will move the market down somewhat. This is harder to calculate, but is a real expense nonetheless.

Cost Is An Anchor

Imagine taking a boat out to sea, but trailing the anchor behind you in the water. The drag on the boat’s performance is similar to the drag cost places on a mutual fund.

If one fund has a half percent in cost and another fund has two percent in cost, the second fund starts the year with a drag of one and a half percent compared to the first fund. The manager has to make that up and, unfortunately, few ever do.

The clear conclusion of this would be to carefully evaluate the true costs of any mutual fund you own or are considering purchasing.

A Tool to Use

A great tool for evaluating cost is the website www.PersonalFund.com. I use this site myself and I have no ownership or other involvement except as a client.

You can create a free trial account and enter a few of your funds to find out the real cost. If you have a good-sized portfolio, this is a website worth investing in.

If you are managing your own investment portfolio, you should be taking a close look at what the real costs are for each of your funds. If you are working with an advisor, ask them if they are aware what the costs are. Better yet, do your own research and then ask your advisor to explain if there are any funds that are overly expensive.

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A true Renaissance woman shares thoughts on her childhood, famous father, multi-faceted career, racism, marriage, aging and much more

Story by David Laurell Photos by Mark Andrew Gonzales of Mark Andrew G Photography

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S

hari Belafonte throws her head back and laughs when asked how she responds to the question: “What do you do for a living?”

“What do you need?” she snaps back.

With a resume that includes successes in modeling, acting, writing, singing, art design and photography, the daughter of legendary singer and actor Harry Belafonte, who, as a model, graced hundreds of magazine covers including Vogue, Mademoiselle and Essence, is, perhaps, bestknown for her role as Julie Gilette on the popular 1980’s television series, “Hotel.”

And yet, Shari, who ironically was never as comfortable in front of the camera as she was behind it, first and foremost considers herself a photographer. “I’ve really always seen myself as a photographer,” she reveals. “When I started working in front of the camera as a model and an actress, it was such a fluke to me. I couldn’t believe I was actually making money at it. So my response to that question is that I consider myself to be a photographer.”

The Belafonte Backstory

Born in New York City in 1954, Shari was the second daughter of Marguerite and Harry Belafonte, one of the most successful pop stars in history and dubbed the “King of Calypso” for popularizing Caribbean music. Harry was also an early supporter of the civil rights movement and a close friend and confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. He financially assisted King and his family, who were barely getting by on his $8,000-a-year salary as the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in the 1950s.

Like many other civil rights activists of the time, Harry was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He gave that little mind and would go on to post bail for numerous jailed civil rights protesters, finance the Freedom Rides, support voter registration drives, help to organize the March on Washington in 1963 and bankroll the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee during Freedom Summer in 1964.

While Harry’s actions did make him a controversial figure, nothing garnered higher raised eyebrows than, while appearing on a 1968 Petula Clark primetime special on NBC, Clark briefly touched Belafonte’s “My camera is arm. The show’s sponsor, Plymouth Motors, demanded the segment be cut, but Clark, who always close by had ownership of the special, told NBC that and I take pictures the performance would be shown intact or she would not allow it to be aired at all. That everyday. There is same year, Harry appeared on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” and performed a always some controversial “Mardi Gras” number intercut moment in time with footage from the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots, which was cut by I want to preserve.” the CBS censors.

While her father may have been mired in his share of controversy surrounding civil rights, Shari’s childhood and teenage years were, for the most part, shielded from the struggles of racism as she lived a life reserved for the elite of New York’s Upper West Side.

Educated at Windsor Mountain School, Buxton School and Hampshire College, all in Massachusetts, she ultimately matriculated to the prestigious Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drama.

Off On A Multi-Faceted Career

Shari began her career as a model. Appearing on the covers of over 300 magazines, she also appeared in commercials for Calvin Klein jeans. Transitioning to acting in 1982, she made her feature film debut in “Time Walker” followed by “If You Could See What I Hear,” both low-budgeted and forgettable.

Throughout the following year and into the mid-1980s, Shari moved from in front of the camera to behind it and worked as a production assistant and an assistant director in public television and then as an assistant to the publicist at HannaBarbera Productions in Los Angeles.

While still accepting modeling, commercial and acting assignments, she was noticed by the legendary television producer Aaron Spelling, who considered her for the role of Julie Rogers on “Charlie’s Angels,” which ultimately went to Tanya Roberts. In 1983, Spelling cast her in a pilot for “Velvet,” an action-adventure series he was producing. The show was never picked up, but did air as a made-fortelevision movie. That same year, Spelling cast Shari as Julie Gilette in the ABC 14 LIFEAFTER50.COM AUGUST 2014

television series “Hotel,” in which she appeared throughout the show’s five-year run from 1983 to 1988.

Based on Arthur Hailey’s 1965 novel of the same name, “Hotel” gave viewers a peek into the lives of the staff and guests of the elegant St. Gregory Hotel in San Francisco.

Along with Anne Baxter, James Brolin, Connie Sellecca and Heidi Bohay, the show also started Shari who played the part of the hotel’s reception manager.

Similar to “The Love Boat,” episodes of “Hotel” also provided viewers with a cavalcade of big-name guest stars, although unlike “The Love Boat,” subjects in the story-lines of “Hotel” broached serious and controversial topics such as infidelity, abortion, rape, suicide, spousal abuse and child molestation.

In the wake of Shari’s starring role on “Hotel,” she began her music career. Signed

by Metronome Records, she released two albums in Europe – 1987’s “The Eyes of Night” and “Shari,” which came out in 1989.

The 1990s saw Shari take to the stage in a long-running production of “Tamara,” star as Dr. Laura Wingate in the USA Network’s dramatic series “Beyond Reality,” and co-host the syndicated series “Lifestyles” with Robin Leach, a revamped version of Leach’s signature show, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”

Shari’s multi-faceted career also saw her do voiceovers, produce theater, public and network television programs and feature films. She has also been an advocate for various animal, environmental and children’s causes and has served as a spokesperson for numerous corporations and weight loss products.

Sharing Time With Shari

Today, living with her second husband, actor Sam Behrens, and their seven dogs on six rural acres outside of Los Angeles, Shari has become an accomplished and renowned photographer who has been commissioned to do work for various magazines including National Geographic, and regularly stages photograph exhibitions in major cities across the U.S. Asked if, due to her love, interest and knowledge of photography, she was more inclined than most actors to be conscious of lighting and what the director of photography and camera crew were doing, she laughs and admits what was going on behind the camera always held more interest to her.

Shari Belafonte (SB): Throughout my entire modeling and acting career, I was always more interested in what was going on behind the camera and how the camera crew was operating rather than what I should have been concerned with. I was always following them around and asking questions. I’m sure they thought I was an obnoxious little puppy at times. I remember once working with a very prestigious cameraman who did all the testing of ARRI cameras. We were doing a commercial and he mentioned he would be using a new ARRI camera and, if it was alright with me, would be shooting a behind-the-scenes thing on the use of the camera. He asked me if I minded and I told him I had no problem with that as long as he would promise to teach me how to shoot with it.

Sure enough, the entire time I was supposed to be glamming it up to sell computers, I was over with the camera crew asking all sorts of questions. Finally, to get the thing done, he said the camera was going to be taken back to this place in Burbank if I ever wanted to stop by and learn more about it. Two weeks later, I called and asked if I could come over and learn some more and he was shocked. He said “Wow, you were really serious huh!” I was always that way. I was always a learner.

Life After 50 (LA50): Shari, as you know, many people really get into photography when they have grandchildren or when they retire. Can you share your thoughts as to why you can take the same camera, of whatever quality, put it into two different hands and one person will shoot stunning images while the other will get nothing.

SB: I really can’t answer that other than to say you do have to have an eye for what you want to capture – a moment in time that tells a story or speaks to people. My grandmother gave me my first camera when I was four years old. It was a Brownie.

But things have changed dramatically since then. It used to be that only a few highly trained or exceptionally talented photographers could get amazing images, but

today, with what cameras can do and with what can be done in the computer with Photoshop, it’s a whole different world. The days of an Ansel Adams or a Richard Avedon being few and far between are gone. Today we have defined technology to a point that has made it easy – or at least easier – for everybody and their mother to take a decent picture, even with little inexpensive cameras and their phones. It used to be very expensive to take photos. You had to buy film and then get it processed, and people took very few risks, because each shot was an expense. But with digital, you can shoot 500 pictures on a little tiny card and even if you get one or two great shots – great – you just delete the rest.

LA50: Outside of commissioned projects, what sort of things are you currently photographing?

SB: My camera is always close by and I take pictures every day – mostly of our dogs.

There is always some moment in time I want to preserve. And now you can not only preserve a moment, but then instantaneously share it with everyone you know and the world. I even use my camera for practical purposes. If I need to get a receipt or a document or something to someone, I just take a picture of it and send it over to them.

LA50: While you may consider yourself first and foremost a photographer, you know that for most people, the show “Hotel” comes to mind when they hear your name. Do you keep in touch with your old cast mates from the show?

SB: I run into Jim Brolin now and then because Barbra [his wife, Barbra Streisand] is friends with my dad and they have a lot of mutual friends. So I see him at dinner parties when I tag along with Harry. I haven’t seen Connie Sellecca in some time, but I keep in touch with Heidi Bohay on Facebook. We always swear we’re going to get together, which we never do, but at least we keep in touch and we text and e-mail. I love Facebook. It keeps me in touch with a lot of friends. In fact, I just recently had a friend resurface that I haven’t seen since I was 17 – in high school.

We ended up getting together and I thought it would be strange after all these years, but we started right back in like only a few months had passed and were hysterically laughing about old stuff and reminding each other of old stories. So I never thought it would happen but, I have become a real fan of Facebook.

LA50: Back to “Hotel,” you got to work with a galaxy of Hollywood legends.

SB: We did. Aaron was adamant about having the old stars – the big names of Hollywood – on all of his shows – “Fantasy Island” and “Love Boat.” We had Elizabeth Taylor and Ginger Rogers and Louis Jourdan, and Shelly Winters. It was a Who’s Who of old Hollywood and it was great for me, because so many of them were friends of my dad. You would be surprised how many of those big stars were nervous when they would come on the set and I think they enjoyed sitting around and chatting with me and telling old stories about Harry. I think that made them feel more relaxed. I loved doing that show. It was a lot of fun. And my only regret is that I never got to do a scene with Bette Davis. She did the pilot and I later found out that she encouraged Aaron to make more of my character.

LA50: Of all the huge stars who did “Hotel,” there was one that never guest starred on the show – your dad.

SB: Yeah. Harry never did roles like that on television. He would do variety shows to promote an album, but he never guest starred on shows.

LA50: Speaking of doing variety shows, it was really quite a controversial situation when he appeared with Petula Clark.

SB: Yeah, because she simply touched him and it almost ended that network’s life.

Unbelievable.

LA50: But, as your father’s daughter, you know that racism was, and is, all too believable.

SB: I’m appalled that racism is still such a part of our country and that it has become even more apparent since President Obama was elected. I know there are people out there who are not fans of our president. That’s always the case with every president.

But I don’t think I have ever seen such a vehement hatred for a president. It’s really treasonous. But maybe that’s not totally a bad thing, because it has thrown the light on just how much racism does still exist in America. It forces rational people to come to grips with that fact. It forced me to do that because for me, I was never personally touched by racism. My mother’s mother was a white Native American and her husband, who was also a Native American, was black. Then on my dad’s side, there were both black and white members of the family. So racism was not a part of my life growing up. And frankly, if I ever did encounter any sort of racism from anyone, AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 15

I always made the decision to just step aside and walk away.

LA50: Your father was very close to Martin Luther King Jr. Do you have any memories of Dr. King?

SB: I met him many times because, like you say, Harry and Dr. King were best friends. My dad just adored him.

I was very young, but I remember he would stay at our apartment when he was in New York and he wrote many of his speeches there. I don’t have many memories of him, but I do remember him working on drafts of speeches and then giving them to Harry to look over. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet many fascinating and historically significant people through my dad when I was young – I met Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Bobby Kennedy. It was not out of the ordinary to have important people around when I was young, Danny Kaye once saved me from drowning in our pool and Audrey Hepburn was over at our house a lot.

LA50: Were you aware of how important these people were and what a big star your own dad was?

SB: I was, but it was all I knew, so I didn’t think much about it. Also, you have to remember, my parents had already begun divorce proceedings when my mother was pregnant with me, so I didn’t really grow up with Harry. During the summer, my sister and I would go with him on concert tours to Africa, and Japan and Hawaii – which I loved. Now I was always aware that I lived a charmed life and was being exposed to wonderful things and people and was living a life that was extremely different than most minority families. But on a day-to-day basis, Harry was not a part of our lives. He would come by and take us out for dinner or to the park, but we lived separate lives.

as I could to get in the best shape I could for a 45 year old and figured that was that, that I would never be in that kind of shape again. So I stopped working out, except for carrying around a 50 pound camera bag everywhere I go. The weight gain wasn’t really bothering me that much until I got up to 162 pounds which, in the big picture, isn’t obese. But I’m only five foot four, and so for me, that was just too much weight. I was finding my joints to be achy and I just didn’t feel great. I called my doctor and he wanted to put me on Qsymia. I didn’t want to go the pill route but he asked me to try it. I did, and it really worked for me. In nine weeks I had lost 18 pounds. I also cut back on my gluten intake. My cholesterol has always been high, so I cut the gluten and took the pills and it worked well for me. I was so impressed with Qsymia that I contacted the company and told them I would like to do whatever I could to get the word out. So we did a campaign called “Inspired to Lose,” which was me photographing people who had lost weight and had inspiring stories to tell.

I photographed people who had lost anywhere from 15 to over 100 pounds and they used them on their website, along with interviews I recorded with the people.

LA50: So we have to know – as a singer who had a recording career, are there any recordings stashed away of you and your dad singing together?

SB: No. Not a single one. I did sing with him once, at a convention for the travel industry. It wasn’t a planned thing and it was back before everyone recorded everything on their cell phones, so I doubt if there is any recording of that. And that was the only time we ever performed together.

LA50: Do you adhere to any special diet today?

SB: I eat anything I want. I was never really a huge eater. My big problem is that I was the type who would go most of the day without eating anything and then I’d have a few candy bars and a huge dinner and two Martinis. So I may have only been consuming a couple thousand calories a day, but I was doing it all at night. So now I have a small breakfast and maybe an apple or some carrots instead of candy bars and cookies, and I have cut down my portions greatly when it comes to dinner.

LA50: Did anyone from either his record company or yours ever suggest that you record together?

SB: No. However, you have no idea how many people have stopped me over the years to tell me how much they love the duet I did with my father [laughs]. I always have to tell them that wasn’t me, it was Natalie Cole. The song may have been “Unforgettable,” but I guess an awful lot of people did forget who did it [laughs].

LA50: Do you do any sort of regular exercise?

SB: I always use the stairs no matter where I go, but I don’t adhere to any real routine. I do walk a lot. I do have a stationary bike I use, and I love to dance so I’ll get the Latin music cranked up and dance around the house. I also use a jump rope just to get my heart rate up.

LA50: How is your dad doing today?

SB: He is doing great. He is still traveling. He is involved with gang-related programs. We stay in touch on a regular basis, but it seems like every time I’m in New York, he’s in Jamaica, or if he’s in L.A., I’m in Virginia or somewhere. But we do keep in touch on a regular basis.

LA50: You recently lost weight and then went very public with how you did it, teaming up with VIVUS to educate people about the importance of seeking medical treatment for weight management when diet and physical activity alone have not been successful.

SB: I sit on my tush a lot working on my photos. Because of that, I started gaining weight that I couldn’t lose. I am the type of person who gets regular physicals every year because diabetes and heart problems run in my family and I have always had problems with my knees, which has kept me from working out much. I really haven’t had any sort of exercise regime since I was 45 and asked to pose for “Playboy.”

Before doing the shoot, I worked out like crazy to get in the best shape possible.

Well, as soon as that was done, I kind of felt like I was done. I had worked as hard 16 LIFEAFTER50.COM AUGUST 2014

LA50: You will be celebrating two milestones this year. You’ll turn 60 in September and celebrate 25 years of marriage in December. Do you have any advice to share on having a successful marriage or getting older?

SB: Well, as far as making a marriage work, I think you have to be friends. That is the key. If you can laugh through anything that happens, you can make it. Passion wears thin, but if you are friends and can laugh with one another, that’s the most important thing. As for getting older, I have never been afraid of trying new things and don’t see that stopping just because I’m not as young as I once was. I think people should always be into exploring and trying new things no matter what their age. I work on a lot of different projects. I do my artwork and photography. I do gallery shows in Palm Springs and Las Vegas. I’m designing uniforms and doing artwork for a resort that will be opening in Tahiti. I can’t say I ever have a typical day. I’m always open to something new. I guess the closest thing I ever have to a typical day is sitting on my butt, taking pictures of my dogs and watching all those reality shows I swore I would never watch. But that’s okay, too.

For more information on Shari’s weight loss, click on www.inspiredlosing.com or www.vivus.com.

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Keeping Fashion Fresh After 50 Has it been more than a few years since you’ve updated your wardrobe?

If so, a fresh and fabulous “new you” can be just days away!

Special to Life After 50 by Rayne Hagstrom * Photos by David Laurell

A

s we enter new seasons of our lives, we all still want to look our absolute best, but just because that is what we may want, the years still continue to roll by, responsibilities and stressors mount, and we can only maintain our appearances if we really work at it.

For many folks who have passed the age of 50 it becomes all too easy to fall into a style rut. We know we need to update our wardrobe, but we’re just not sure what changes we should be making or, in some cases, even how to go about making them.

So what do you do? Grab some jeans and black tees like you see twentysomethings wearing or squeeze yourself into a clingy dress that looks like it should be hanging in your daughter’s closet?

If you are asking yourself questions like that, you, my friend, are in need of a fashion tune-up.

As a personal stylist who has seen my share of fashion mishaps, I’ve created a simple step-by-step plan that will take you from blah and outdated to a dazzling and well-put-together new version of you, while still remaining true to your personality, age and overall lifestyle.

Step 1: “Rayne Check” Your Closet Every year, perhaps during the spring or around your birthday, you should do a full wardrobe edit. Is it bedazzled, too tight, too big, or too short? Toss it. Do you have shirts or sweaters with logos, cartoon characters, or goofy sayings on them? Lose them all. There is no reason to ever hang on to an old suit or dress that you hope you may fit into again if you could just lose 20 pounds. It doesn’t matter that you someday may be able to fit into them again; they’re out of style and they need to go.

Other articles of clothing that should be removed immediately include anything purchased from the junior department. For women, please take note that wearing younger clothes does not make you look younger. It simply makes you look like an older person who is dressing like a kid. And for my male friends, please toss all your pleated pants and shorts and anything that is stained and showing wear.

Remember, the key to achieving a polished image is to dress for the person you are today, not the one you were 20 years ago.

Out With The Underpinnings

Please, please, and again I say PLEASE, get rid of any underwear that is not in good condition. Far too many women keep underwear too long and men are especially guilty of holding on to boxers that should have been retired back during the Bush or even the Clinton administrations.

Where We Are With Nylons

Okay ladies, I know, this can be a tough one. The days of the pantyhose are gone and nylons should

only be worn when absolutely necessary. That is why I highly suggest dumping that entire drawer of nylons. However, if you have varicose veins, you may need some coverage. You can try Sally Hanson Airbrush Legs Spray or get a professional spray tan on your legs that will help you go bare with confidence.

If that doesn’t work and you are still afraid to wear a skirt or dress because you don’t feel comfortable baring your legs, I recommend that my clients do slip into some nylons. They are perfectly okay as long as you don’t wear them with open-toe shoes.

Translucent black tights with a control top are the best for evening and look great with a dark dress or skirt. I recommend Spanx, Calvin Klein and Donna Karen for a non-matted and less-noticeable look.

I Know! It Can Be Hard

If I have a client who is having a hard time letting go of a particular item, I have them “Rayne Check” it. I ask them to ask themselves: * Have I worn this garment in the past year? * Is it showing wear like holes, tears, yellowing or pilling? * Does it fit properly? * Does the cut still flatter my body type? * Does the color look good with my skin tone, hair color, and eye color?

If your answers are tilting more towards “no” rather than “yes,” it is time for that garment to go.

Now I know some things can be sentimental. Well, go ahead and store those things in a box or treasure chest. They are keepsakes – not wardrobe. The rest should go to the donation pile. In a short time, you won’t even miss those items.

Trust me, you will be enlightened after this process.

A successful closet purge will leave you with only the things that fit, flatter, and are timelessly fashionable.

Step 2: Make A List.

Check It Twice.

Stick To It With some newfound room in your closet, it’s time to go shopping. I suggest creating a list with your core wardrobe pieces listed first. Putting together a “perfect for you” core wardrobe will make getting dressed effortless and stress-free.

A core wardrobe for someone over 50 should include: dark jeans, slacks, button-ups and blouses, cashmere sweaters, a pencil skirt or sheath dress for the ladies, and a well-tailored and fashionable sports jacket and suit for the men. Investing the most money you can afford into these items is highly recommended. When you are purchasing clothing, always think quality over quantity.

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So let’s break it down and look at these core items a bit closer.

Jeans And Slacks

Every man and woman needs a pair of dark denims that fit perfectly. Dark denim can be worn with light colored tops during the day and can be dressed up with blazers, blouses, sweaters and button-ups at night. The front should be flat with no pleats or embellishments. The pockets should be free of bling, squiggles, or other distracting designs.

For women, mid-rise is a safe option. Stay away from high-waist and low-rise. Once you find a fit that you love, you should purchase other colors in the same cut and style. Slacks, like your denims, should have minimal design – flat in front and in a neutral color like navy, black or a shade of grey.

Remember: the fit is key. Oh, and here’s my “Rayne Check” on checking to see if any pants really fit well: If you can’t fit two fingers in the waist of the pants they are two small; if you can fit more than two fingers they are too big.

Button-Ups, Blouses And Sweaters

When it comes to your tops, color it up! Experiment with colors that complement your skin tone. You can make or break how you look by wearing the right or wrong color. Find out what colors flatter your face. Black is the color that can age you the most. White can often wash you out. Don’t believe me? Stand in front of a mirror and drape yourself in a black shirt. Notice how your eyes go to the dark mass instead of to your face. Now slip into a colored shirt that matches the intensity of your eyes and check out the difference. If you have hazel eyes try a moss green shirt. If you have deep brown eyes try something in deep purple. Do you appear more vibrant? Does your attention go straight to your eyes? Have someone take a photo of you in various colors and then put the pictures side by side. This way, you can really see the difference for yourself.

Skirts And Dresses

Skirts and dresses need to be kept classy and 20 LIFEAFTER50.COM AUGUST 2014

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elegant. Women over 50 often make the mistake of showing off too much cleavage and wearing skirts that are too short. The key to an elegant sexy-at-50 dress is fit, color and shape.

Sheath dresses with ruching, the gathering up of fabric, are great for all body types. Ruching camouflages anything you may want to conceal. Color is also a great way to show your fun side. Jewel tones, like violet, magenta and emerald green are a fabulous way to pep up your style and complement most skin tones. The lighter your skin, eyes and hair, the lighter your hues can go.

Suits

The bottom line – a man in a suit is hot no matter what his age. Every man should have a good quality, well-fitting suit on the ready for weddings, dinners, dates and parties. To get more use out of your suit, break it up. Pair slacks with a cashmere sweater or the jacket with jeans for a casual business meeting or dinner date. Choose one with texture or barely-there pin stripes, rather than black, in a modern fit with no shoulder pads, pleats or super boxy cuts. Keep in mind, an all-black suit can come off cold, generic and stuffy. Ladies – instead of wearing a head-to-toe suit, mix and match the jackets and slacks with cardigans or tanks for a gentle, yet youthful, look.

Step 3: Shop In The Name Of A Stylish You!

Let Rayne Help You Go From Drab To Fab! All of these steps can be done in just a few days. You can easily polish, transform and tune up your wardrobe and personal style within a week. For more tips on keeping your wardrobe fresh, contemporary and right for you, click on to stylist Rayne Hagstrom’s website at www.

StyleByRayne.com and pick up a copy of her book, “The Ultimate Guide to Style: from Drab to Fab!” (Pick Out Artists, 2012) that is available at www.Amazon.com. You can also contact her at Rayne@StyleByRayne. com for style services, inquiries and any fashion-related questions you may have. She has a 100-percent styling success rate, regularly works with clients over 50, and it is always her ultimate pleasure to serve her clients and keep them in style.

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Is your list complete? Okay, that means it’s time to go shopping. In addition to your core wardrobe, add the pieces that you are lacking for the current season. Purchase what you think you will wear the most, then add other pieces along the way. Remember, to stick to your list. Getting distracted by clearance racks and sales people wanting you to “buy, buy, buy” is very easy. Don’t let that happen!

Shopping Tips * Find your favorite clothing designer or brand for your jeans, tops, suits and dresses. Once you know the brands that work with your body type, you can shop online for different colors in the same style you have previously purchased, plus it will save you time next time you shop. * Stick to your list. Have you ever found yourself buying a clearance item because it was such a great deal? Then you get it home and it sits in your closet because, HELLO, nothing goes with a banana yellow polka-dot button up. Yep, it has happened to the best of us. * Stay away from trends and focus on the hues that work best for you. Shopping in the same color family will make mixing and matching your wardrobe less arduous. I suggest you start with three shades and your neutrals.

Now that you have your basics, it’s time to sprinkle in some accents.

Accessories

To keep your look fresh, add colorful jewelry, scarves, and bags to your sophisticated style. Let your personality shine with a leopard scarf or handsome watch. Don’t be afraid to try something new and bold.

Shoes

Patterns, texture and leather are sleek and sexy options, but stay away from square-toed or superpointy styles. Ladies, if you’re still sporting or hanging on to your five-inch-high heels, let them go. Your feet will thank you. Try a kitten heel, ballet flats and a trend-setting boot. If you do opt to go with a heel, make sure it has a platform so it gives you support. Guys, my favorite comfortableyet-fashionable shoe is by a company called Ryz. Check them out.

Step 4: Tailor, Tailor, Tailor!

A tailored fit can make you look ten pounds lighter and more polished. Buy every garment in a size that fits your biggest part and then have the rest taken in.

For example, I’m top heavy, so I have almost all my shirts taken in an inch or two at the waist. For skirts and dresses, have the hem stop at the skinniest part of your leg, usually right under your knee.

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Fifty-Plus And Fabulous Start styling it up, caring for your skin and being more playful because, at 50, life is far from over Special to Life After 50 by Sally Van Swearingen

O Okay, I’m putting it out there for all the world to see. I’m 56.

There! I said it.

Now of course I want to hear what all ladies love to be told: “No way. Fifty-six! Really? I w would have never guessed.”

I actually do hear that when I tell people my aage and that is because I work hard at maintaining an appearance. Looking younger than my actual age has proven to be a benefit in my industries – beauty and entertainment. As a woman who is maturing while still working as a make-up artist and hair stylist, I know that maintaining a younger appearance is what most women strive for and I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade along the way to help them accomplish that.

In my recently released book, “It’s Not Over Yet – Reclaiming your REAL BEAUTY POWER in your 40s 50s and Beyond” (BP Ink, 2014), I get real with women who, like me, have reached a certain age and may be finding themselves at a crossroads. In my opinion, women tend to go in one of three directions after turning 50: 1) The “Daisy Dukes and Ugg boots” route (trying to compete with younger women) 2) The “baseball cap and sweat pants” route (also known as the I’ve given up look) 3) The “I’m embracing my beauty power” route (continuing to rock their appearance in a playful yet age-appropriate way) I would like to share three of the key points from my book that will help you embrace your beauty power and keep your edge beyond 50. In other words, allow me to share some of my tips on how to use what you’ve got to make more of who you are.

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1) Exfoliate, Hydrate, And Please – Lose The Foundation!

Peel It Off. Peel It All Off

Youthful skin has an even tone. It is reflective and luminous. Women spend millions of dollars to duplicate this look with moisturizers, make-up, highlighters and bronzers. This does help, but to really get a healthy glow to our skin, we must start at the bottom, underneath all the make-up.

Light peels, (natural based acids, like lactic) break down the uneven, dry, upper layer of the epidermis, helping to slough off the aged look of our faces, giving us a more reflective, healthy glow. Salon facials will usually include an exfoliation, which makes a big difference. At home, even a simple scrub in the shower is important. Make sure your scrubs dissolve when you use them and never use scrubs that have crushed walnut shells in them. As an esthetician, I’m shocked that the FDA is still allowing these types of products to be sold.

I make a simple in-shower scrub by mixing a half cup of granulated sugar, enough water to make a paste, and a drop of tea tree oil in a small bowl.

Tea tree is a natural antibacterial, and the sugar dissolves easily under shower water. This is so simple and inexpensive to do that there really is no excuse that you can’t find the time or budget to exfoliate.

Use Retinol Cream

Retinol cream is a Vitamin A-based resurfacing cream. This type of product works wonders on maturing, sun-damaged and blemished skin. Retinol cream increases the production of cells in the top layer of skin while cumulatively thinning the deep lines. But remember, if you use Retinol you absolutely must use sun block during the day.

Hydrate Obsessively

Use moisturizer every night. We do a lot of our perspiring when we sleep. This means more moisture loss.

When we wake in the morning we wonder why our skin looks so dry and the lines are more visible. It has been proven that a potent collagen-stimulating cream will actually deep moisturize parched and aging skin by reenergizing collagen threads in the dermis and epidermis, strengthening the bonds that keep skin pliable and younger looking.

If I am just too lazy to do anything else, I try at least to quickly cleanse and put on my night cream. On those mornings that I haven’t done it, my make-up never looks right. When I am working on set as a makeup artist, there is nothing more challenging than to try to brighten up an on-camera talent when they are lacking sleep and haven’t used a night cream. It is vitally important to keep your skin extra moist. People ask me why my skin isn’t deeply lined. I am convinced that my years of taking an extra minute to apply facial cream is the answer to that question.

Cut The Ties With Your Base

If you have been using the same foundation for years, it is time to say “bye bye.” That foundation is probably making you look older than your years. Why? Let’s consider what foundation’s purpose is. It evens out the skin color and tone and covers imperfections. However, after 40 we must show the skin, not hide it. In addition, ladies tend to put on too much, and that actually makes one look older. So toss the base and start over with a more flattering type of product, like a tinted primer.

A Tinted Primer Is Amazing!

I call mine “the amazing tinted primer” because it truly is. It gives a touch of coverage (which is all most women need) while imparting a subtle luminescence that does double duty as a sunscreen.

Buy Some BB

Beauty balm cream, or BB cream as it is known, is the beauty industry’s current push product. Every major cosmetic company is pushing their own BB cream. What is it? It’s an all-inclusive product and the best one you can invest in. It contains moisturizer, sun block and a bit of coverage, too. My recommendation: Don’t let another day go by without buying a good BB cream.

Style Up With Sally Celebrity make-up artist and hair stylist Sally Van Swearingen is in demand from Los Angeles to New York, from Las Vegas to Montreal.

Her work in Hollywood and with Brides magazine has made her the go-to person for flawless images on camera. Called “One of the best make-up artists in the country” by Allure magazine, Sally’s salon, The A List Hair and Make-up Studio in Santa Clarita, California is quickly becoming one of the most popular beauty spots in the area.

Her Studio Essentials Cosmetics make-up line gives women of any age the ability to look beautiful in three minutes or less. For more information on Sally, connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest or her website – www.sallyvanswearingen.com.

You can also e-mail her at Sally@ ItsNotOverYet.net and order a signed copy of her book by clicking on www.

ItsNotOverYet.net.

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2) Update Your Style Along with my book, I highly recommend “How Not to Look Old: Fast and Effortless Ways to Look 10 Years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better” (Grand Central Life & Style, 2008). That book served as one of the inspirations for my book and believe me, it’s a “must have.”

Both of these books compel you to consider what your personal fashion style is and to keep the best and lose the rest. One way to do that is to hire a wardrobe consultant who will help you get rid of your out-of-date pieces and replace them with current looks. You’ll find most professional stylists will encourage you to push the envelope a bit by adding some zest with color. And don’t think that just because you are over 50, you have to wear unflattering shoes. Shoe manufacturers have finally figured out that many of us of a certain age can’t wear the high-heeled stilettos we did when we were younger. They are now designing flattering shoes that are comfortable, too. So don’t give up showing off your legs just because you can’t wear those killer, uncomfortable spiky pumps anymore.

As for shopping, I always suggest making your most significant “fashion investment” on well-made dresses and pants, while saving the bargain hunt for tops, fashion-forward summer dresses, and costume jewelry.

And with everything you purchase, make sure that it accentuates your best features.

3) Stay Fit But Also Be Playful By accentuating your best features, I mean to work with your natural body type. I’m a curvy girl (not fat, but a size 12). I’m also done trying to diet down to a size nine, but I do take care of my body with dance, yoga and walking. I look forward to enjoying good food, wine and a fun life. Sure it is very important to stay fit as we get older, but please, can we stop fighting and avoiding everything that offers us pleasure. In my salon I regularly hear my mature clients being hard on themselves, lamenting the shortcomings in their looks and dwelling on their flaws.

I say be the woman you are at the age you are. That doesn’t mean I recommend letting your hair go grey and wearing frumpy clothes. I’m all for coloring your hair, wearing makeup, getting a bikini wax, having some “work done” or just getting a little Botox. These adjustments to aging can be great ways to keep you feeling good about yourself. But, perhaps the most important point I make in my book is to be playful and you can read all of my suggestions for this in a chapter I call “Get your playful on!” Believe me, a playful and joyful attitude can do wonders in taking off the years, because there is nothing more stylish and beautiful for anyone to wear than a smile.

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Cooking, Eating and Living Well Jackie Keller Jackie Keller is a best-selling author, wellness coach and the founder of Nutrifit. You can contact her directly at www.jackiekeller.com or by clicking on www.nutrifitonline.com.

For Hydration – Eight Or Eat?

H

ow do you usually answer the question: “How much water should you drink on a daily basis?” The answer most people give, because they have heard or read it, is: “Eight glasses per day.” But where did this eight-glass rule come from, and is it really backed by scientific evidence?

Tracing the eight-per-day rule takes us back to 1945, when the determination was made that the intake of water should be based on consuming one milliliter (ml) of water for each kilocalorie (kcal) consumed. The average calorie intake was determined to be 1,900 kcals (1,900 mls is approximately 64 fluid ounces).

This guideline was created without taking into consideration the amount of water in foods and other beverages. The Institute of Medicine has now set a dietary reference intake that does take this into account, and it is set at 2.7 liters per day (91 ounces) for women, including water in food and 3.7 (125 ounces) for adult men, which includes water found in food and other beverages. The difficulty in translating this for most of us is that hydration needs vary a great deal among individuals, as does dietary intake.

Several factors come into play when trying to determine the need for water, including climate, muscle mass, physical activity, age (which affects our thirst response) and diet. Most athletes, both professional and recreational, don’t adequately hydrate to compensate for water lost through sweat. Others, especially novice athletes, over-hydrate, which can place them at risk for potentially life-threatening hyponatremia.

So how much water is really in our food? On the average, it provides 20 percent of the fluid we need. Eating a diet rich in high-water-content foods can add to that total considerably. And since most of us need to consume 11 to 15 cups of water daily (again, a combination of foods, beverages and water), eating your water can really help. Eating your water also helps us consume more minerals, such as sodium and potassium, which can help us retain the water that we eat.

Which foods are highest in water content? Fruits and vegetables lead the way.

Here’s a list of 15 that are over 90 percent water (in descending order): cucumber, iceberg lettuce, celery, radishes, tomatoes, green peppers, cauliflower, watermelon, spinach, star fruit, strawberries, broccoli, grapefruit, baby carrots and cantaloupe.

There’s a lot of talk about caffeine and its effect on hydration. According to the Institute of Medicine and the American College of Sports Medicine, it’s a myth that caffeine dehydrates us. While the kidneys are signaled to rid excess water when we consume caffeine, we still retain more fluid than we lose and our bodies replenish quickly. Thus, caffeinated beverages contribute to our daily water needs as much as non-caffeinated drinks.

What’s the best way to tell if you’re dehydrated? Thirst doesn’t necessarily indicate dehydration – we can sense thirst when we are as little as one percent dehydrated, according to Ann Grandjean, executive director of the Center for Human Nutrition in Omaha, Nebraska. Dry mouth can set in at three percent dehydration. Reaching this level of dehydration does make our blood more concentrated, which causes sensors in the brain to send us a signal to drink more.

And, as we drink, our blood becomes more diluted and these signals subside.

Water can truly be considered to be the single most important nutrient, because humans cannot survive more than a few days without it. So if you’re feeling thirsty, you may not be technically dehydrated, but it’s time to eat your fruits and vegetables, and, oh yeah…drink your water!

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The Best In August Television Viewing

By Sandi Berg

Tuned In To What’s On The Knick – New Series, Cinemax – Premieres Friday August 8 at 10 p.m.

Set in New York City circa 1900, this 10-part series centers on the real life Knickerbocker Hospital and the surgeons, nurses and staff, who pushed the bounds of medicine in a time of astonishingly high mortality rates and no antibiotics. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Clive Owen stars as Dr. John Thackery, a brilliant surgeon despite his secret addiction to cocaine. He leads a team of doctors including his protégé Dr. Everett Gallinger, the young Dr. Bertie Chickering Jr. and Dr. Algernon Edwards, a promising surgeon who’s been recently thrust upon him. The lively cast of characters at the hospital also includes Cornelia Robertson, the daughter of its benefactor, Captain August Robertson, surly ambulance driver Tom Cleary, Lucy Elkins, a freshfaced nurse from the country, the crooked hospital administrator Herman Barrow, and Sister Harriet, a nun who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

Stranded In Paradise – New Original Movie, Hallmark Channel - Premieres Saturday August 9 at 9 p.m.

Based on Lori Copeland’s novel, this new romantic film stars Vanessa Marcil as Tess Nelson, a poised and confident human resources executive who is aiming for a well-deserved promotion. When her boss informs her she’s being laid off instead, Tess is furious and worried about letting down her demanding mother, Mona, played by Cindy Pickett.

Determined to use a business trip to a convention in Puerto Rico to score a new job, Nelson is discouraged when the trip is a disaster from the start, and an approaching hurricane makes it impossible to fly home. After bumping into a handsome fellow traveler, Carter, played by James Denton, Tess opens up to the possibilities beyond her desk job and the couple’s adventures on the island bring them closer while the hurricane rolls in.

The September Issue Legends – New Series, TNT – Premieres Wednesday August 13 at 9 p.m.

Summer is no longer for light beach reading or popcorn movies. We’re getting some serious dramas on television making up for a lack of interesting programming in the last couple of years. From “Homeland” producer Howard Gordon, TNT presents this 10-part thriller which follows deep-cover operative Martin Odum played by Sean Bean, who has an uncanny ability to transform himself into a different person for each job. His own identity comes into question when a mysterious stranger suggests that Martin isn’t who he thinks he is. Ali Larter, Rob Mayes, and Tina Majorino co-star.

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Life After 50 Explores Southern California Living, Senior Housing Options and Real Estate

ISSUE DATE: September 8 Artwork Due September2 Advertise to 100,000 Southern California Readers Today 310.822.1629 xt 121 advertise@lifeafter50.com AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 31

Charles Fox The award-winning composer reflects on a career of making things happen while traveling the unending path of dreams Story by David Laurell * Photos courtesy Charles Fox

ew things stir our emotions and memories like music, and, by virtue of nationwide television programs, records and radio playlists of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, American baby boomers were the first generation to embrace the same songs and music no matter where they grew up.

There is hardly a baby boomer alive today who, upon hearing the stirring, brassy musical fanfare that was first played over a montage of sports clips in 1965, will not repeat the words of sportscaster Jim McKay: “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition...This is ABC’s Wide World of Sports!”

Most boomers will also immediately recognize the sound of a pulsating instrumental they were first introduced to on the evening of September 21, 1970, as ABC debuted “Monday Night Football” and can hum or sing the lyrics to “Love American Style,” “Happy Days” and “The Love Boat,” without a moment’s hesitation.

Want proof of that? Just repeat that odd phrase Laverne De Fazio and Shirley Feeney would say at the beginning of their weekly sitcom: “Schlemiel, schlemazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated” to any boomer and then sit back and listen as they break out in song:

F

“Give us any chance – we’ll take it Read us any rule – we’ll break it We’re gonna make our dreams come true....

Doin’ it our way.”

While no one who grew up with those songs and music ever gave any thought that there was a connection between them, there was. They were all composed

by Charles Fox. “Doing those early themes, for ‘Wide World of Sports’ and ‘Monday Night Football’ and ‘Love American Style,’ led to a bunch of other television and film work for me,” says Fox. “Back in those days, the producers were looking for theme music that would be immediately recognizable and bring viewers into the show. They wanted the music and the lyrics to introduce the premise and the characters of the show. The theme songs gave viewers a sense of what the shows were about. I was very fortunate to have been a part of that era, and did about 50 themes for various shows and pilots in the 1970s and ‘80s.”

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There Was Something In The Water

Born in the Bronx in 1940, Fox began taking piano lessons when he was eight years old and soon became good enough to accompany his father, who was an amateur mandolin player. Showing a clear talent for music by his early teens, he attended New York’s High School of Music and Art, which he credits with first exposing him to extremely diverse styles of music.

“I was very influenced by the other students I was around, who were very talented,” says Fox. “It was during that time I started going to the opera every week and I also really got into jazz and Latin music. I began performing with my first band at the Catskill Mountain resorts when I was 15 and the earliest songs I composed for were in Spanish. I started writing and recording with some great Latin bands and, while I don’t speak Spanish at all, I had a great feel for the music. I played with some of the greats like Tito Puente and Ray Barretto.”

Asked why he thinks the New York City area has produced so many great musicians, he sheepishly laughs and shrugs. “I recently wrote a song with Alan and Marilyn Bergman called ‘There’s Something in the Water,’ about all the famous comedians, and actors, and singers, and writers and performers who came out of Brooklyn,” he says. “And I guess in my case, some of that spilled over into the Bronx.”

Although it may not have been out of the ordinary for a Bronx boy from a working-class family to perform in the Catskills, studying in Paris under Nadia Boulanger, the most acclaimed composition teacher of the 20th century, was not the norm.

“That was a big turning point in my life,” Fox says. “I was just 18, and having the opportunity to study under Nadia Boulanger, who taught Aaron Copland, was life-changing for me.”

That change became manifest when, after two years, Fox returned to the U.S, and began his professional career, which would eventually encompass the worlds of film, television, recording, ballet, and symphonic music, as a composer, pianist and conductor. Along with his television work, Fox composed the music for over 100 feature films including “Barbarella,” “Goodbye Columbus,” “Nine to Five,” “One on One,” and “Foul Play,” for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for the Barry Manilow-performed hit song, “Ready to Take A Chance Again.” He also

hit the music charts with his lyrical collaborator Norman Gimbel by composing the Grammy Award-winning song, “Killing Me Softly,” which, over the years, has been separately recorded by Lori Lieberman, Roberta Flack and the Fugees, and Jim Croce’s “I Got a Name.”

In addition to Gimbel, Fox has also written songs in collaboration with Paul Williams, Hal David, Bob Crewe, and Sammy Cahn that were recorded by Lena Horne, Fred Astaire, Luther Vandross, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis and hundreds of other pop, rock and jazz artists.

While best-known for his television and film music and songs, Fox has also composed ballets for The San Francisco Ballet, the Dance Theater of Harlem, and the Smuin Ballet. His concert music includes the oratorio, “Lament and Prayer,” based on the words of Pope John Paul II, and he has conducted the Poland National Opera Company as they performed “Fantasie en Hommage à Frédéric Chopin,” to honor the 200th birthday of the legendary Polish composer.

The Memories of Music

In a period of his life where he is finding himself partial to classical music, Fox adds that he keeps current on what and who is happening in the music business. “I think there are a lot of very talented young people out there today,” he opines. “Pharrell Williams is terrific. I like Arcade Fire.

There really are a lot of nice things happening in music today, but I do understand that most people, as they get older, relate best to the music that was popular when they were young – when they had their first relationships and were first experiencing so many of life’s milestones.”

Fox says that music evokes memories, and when people listen to big band, folk, pop and rock songs, or whatever was popular during the era in which they were growing up, they become very nostalgic.

“I don’t think that means you don’t enjoy other types of music or music from other eras, but there will always be a reverence for the music you listened to when you were young.

Every era has its own unique style of clothing, and jargon, and architecture, and automobiles, and, as a student of music, I have found those things have always fit together well. We seem to connect things categorically. In the post-World War II era, we saw a youth explosion with the creation of a simple little three-chord blues structure that laid the groundwork for rock ‘n’ roll. The older generation in the 1950s and early ‘60s wondered how long that fad would last, and today, in 2014, it has grown and is as strong as ever. Rap speaks for its generation – for those who are on the outskirts of society. It always amazes me how the music seems to always perfectly fit into the era of its creation – with everything going on in the world at that moment. Every generation has a different style or tempo that becomes a part of them for the rest of their lives. No matter how old we get, we all remember the music and songs from when we were teenagers and children.”

Making It Happen

With the many significant contributions to music that have resulted in his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Fox is completely fine with the fact that most people will remember him best for his television theme music.

“Those songs are an indelible part of the culture and of people’s lives,” he says.

Pressed for his memories on how either easy or challenging it was to create some of those classics, he uses “Making Our Dream Come True” from “Laverne & Shirley” as an example.

“With the success of the characters of Laverne and Shirley, who had appeared on ‘Happy Days,’ the producers put together a pilot with Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams. It wasn’t a traditional pilot. They did a short example of what the premise of the show was and who the characters would be. There was no real script. They just pieced together some scenes from ‘Happy Days’ and they needed a title song that would speak for the girls and explain who they were and what they were longing to do. The show’s creator, Garry Marshall, told us they were two girls who worked in a brewery and were looking to get out of their dead end job and do something with their lives. So we wrote a song about looking forward to doing things and wishing and hoping that dreams would come true. When Garry and the producers heard what we first did, they liked it, but said that Laverne and Shirley would not be the types who would sit around wishing and hoping – they would be the types who would take the world by storm and make things happen. That phrase – make things happen –

changed everything about that song. That they would make their dreams come true instead of wishing and hoping they would come true made it a whole different song. That change then called for music that was more explosive and dynamic. And that was how we came to write ‘Making Our Dreams Come True.’”

Making It Happen For Others

While it is obvious that Fox is passionate about his music, his passion level boils over when he talks about his work with the Fulfillment Fund – an organization that, for over 30 years, has made the dreams of many musicians come true.

“I am so happy and proud to be involved with the Fulfillment Fund that was established to help young people, mostly from the inner cities, who are economically challenged and don’t have the same opportunities for education that people from more affluent areas have,” says Fox. “The program offers mentoring, scholarships, love and support that has proven to have a phenomenal success rate for high school graduation and college attendance.

It is a life-giving operation that has given people the opportunity to succeed and make their dreams come true. Many of them have even gone on to become mentors themselves, so it has created a very positive cycle of giving.”

Fox says he was attracted to the work of the Fulfillment Fund because,

“If our paths are made of dreams, there is never an end. The dreams and the paths just continue as you dream of new things you want to do.”

without a helping hand, he would never have been able to make his own dreams come true. “My parents had very little money and my teacher knew I couldn’t afford lessons, so while she didn’t charge me, she would always tell me that her hope was that someday, if I were to become successful, I would help someone in return and that would be her payment.”

The Unending Path Of Dreams

Today, at the age of 73, while Fox is still working and teaching musical composition at UCLA, he also loves to travel with his wife, Joan, and spend time with their seven grandchildren. “We have a home in New York and we love to spend time there,” he says. “We also enjoy going to concerts, and the opera, and to see films, and play golf and bridge. But I’ll never retire. I don’t think composers ever retire.

The music never stops, so you can’t retire from it. I love the challenge of always creating something new. If our paths are made of dreams, there is never an end.

The dreams and the paths just continue as you dream of new things you want to do. I’m still dreaming my way through life. I think having dreams makes life better and sweeter. My dreams are not goals so much. I’m not really goal-oriented as much as I am a believer that opportunities open up for those who have dreams.

Then it’s up to us to grab those opportunities that may lead us down a path we never thought we would take. That’s why I’ll never retire. I always want to see where the new paths may lead me.”

For more information on Charles Fox, the Fulfillment Fund and their many events, click on www.charlesfoxmusic.com or www.fulfillment.com.

AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 33

34 LIFEAFTER50.COM AUGUST 2014

LET’S GET OUT A Preview of Upcoming Events for August/September By Claire Yezbak Fadden

LA/Ventura

August/September 2014

ENTERTAINMENT FRIDAY, AUGUST 15 WE WILL ROCK YOU In the future, computer-generated music reigns, live rock is outlawed and conformity is brutally enforced. Until a pair of young renegades, Galileo and Scaramouche, dare to break free and search for a long-buried electric guitar. Before “Another One Bites the Dust,” you can be sure our heroes will find “Somebody to Love.” This musical captures the majestic grandeur and rock and roll spirit of Queen. Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum At the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Through Aug. 24. $20$70. (213) 628-2772. centertheatregroup.org.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL In the Bard’s bittersweet comedy, lowborn Helena heals the king and wins the right to marry the man she loves — a count above her station. But no one is prepared for the severity and ruthlessness of Bertram’s rejection of Helena as his royally-decreed wife, nor with the lengths Helena is prepared to go to in order to win his love. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga.

Performances vary through Sept. 27. $10$37. (310) 455-3723. theatricum.com.

BUYER AND CELLAR A struggling actor takes a job working in the Malibu basement of a beloved megastar. One day, the lady herself comes downstairs to play. It feels like a real bonding in the basement but will their relationship ever make it upstairs? Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum At the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Through Aug. 17. $25-$70. (213) 628-2772. centertheatregroup.org.

THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT A wacky comedy about two couples, ex-spouses and their new mates. When the four get together for the first time, it blows up in a delightful mess of romantic complications that none of them is entirely prepared to deal with. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles.

Fri.-Sun. through Aug. 24. $25. (323) 9607712. plays411.com/wayyoulook.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16 BROADWAY BOUND Returning from World War II, Eugene teams up with his brother Stanley to break into the world of comedy writing, but a family crisis threatens to destroy their dreams. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Fri.-Sun. through Sept. 21. $30, (310) 477-2055 x2. odysseytheatre.com.

GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL The festival features with two plays by William Shakespeare, “Twelfth Night” and “The Taming of the Shrew.” Dates vary through Aug. 31. Free. The Old Zoo at Griffith Park (near 4730 Crystal Spring Dr.), Los Angeles. iscla.org. (818) 710-6306.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM The beauty of Topanga’s countryside takes on a new dimension as fairies and mortals alike are beguiled by midsummer passions and puckish potions. Shakespeare’s most beloved comedy pits mischievous sprites against heartsick humans for a night of revelry, chaos, love and comedy. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga. Performances vary through Sept. 27. $10-$37. (310) 455-3723. theatricum.com.

PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS: THE ART DETECTIVE Enjoy tableaux vivants (living pictures), faithful re-creations of classical and contemporary works of art using real people posed to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces.

This year’s exhibition showcases how lost treasures were discovered, where crimes of passion were uncovered (or covered up) and how creative riddles were unraveled, with a gallery of the world’s great masterpieces providing the clues.

The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters, Irvine Bowl, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Through Aug. 30. $15-plus. (800) 487-3378. (949) 4976852. foapom.com.

IN A DARK DARK HOUSE The Los Angeles premiere of Neil LaBute’s play pitting two estranged brothers against one another in a search for the truth about their shared past. Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. Thurs.-Sun through Aug. 31. $35. (323) 960-7612. darkhousela.com.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17 LEAR Ellen Geer takes on the title role in a

gender-reversed Lear for the 21st century, a daring new production that sees Lear divide her kingdom and test the loyalty of her three sons. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga. Performances vary through Oct 4. $10-$37. (310) 455-3723. theatricum.com.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 19

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Beatrice and Benedick thoroughly detest one another. But under the barbs they hurl lie feelings that neither is even aware of— until circumstances bring them together to rescue their young friends. Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga. Performances vary through Sept. 28. $10-$37. (310) 4553723. theatricum.com.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20

WESTERN MUSIC ASSOCIATION JAM Musicians and cowboy poets perform stories and songs of the romantic days of the Old West, contemporary music of the American West and songs of the open range and the American cowboy. The Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park, Los Angeles. $6-$10.

(323) 667-2000. theautry.org.

RAINWATER, GREYWATER AND YOUR GARDEN Discuss rainwater harvesting and recapturing greywater to use in your garden. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. $6-$8. (818) 9494200. descansogardens.org.

THIRD WEDNESDAY Third annual “Stay and Play” happy hour and tropical drink and treat tasting.

Downtown Culver City, between Culver and Washington Blvds. and Duquesne Ave., Culver City. downtownculvercity.com.

GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS Duo Recital: Nancy Roth, violin; Lorenzo Sanchez, piano. First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 N. Louise St., Glendale. Free.

(818) 242-2113. glendalenoonconcerts. blogspot.com.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 THE BROTHERS SIZE Recently paroled Oshoosi Size seeks to jumpstart his life. Working in an auto repair

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August/September 2014 LA/Ventura

CALENDAR

Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City. Through Sept. 28. $25-$55.

(213) 628-2772, centertheatregroup.org.

SEPTEMBER MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 BODDY’S BIG BACKYARD An annual Labor Day bash paying tribute to Descanso’s founding couple, Manchester and Berenice Boddy. Activities include a history walk and live music. Pack a picnic, a blanket or lawn chairs to a picnic under the oaks. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. $6-$8.

(818) 949-4200. descansogardens.org.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 N. Louise St., Glendale. Free. (818) 242-2113. glendalenoonconcerts.blogspot.com.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 EQUIVOCATION In London in the year 1605, a downand-out playwright called “Shagspeare” receives a royal commission from King James to write a play promoting the government’s version of the Gunpowder Plot, a recent failed attempt to blow up Parliament and the Monarchy. Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga. Fri.-Sat. through Oct. 4. $10-$37. (310) 455-3723. theatricum.com.

BASEBALL! THE EXHIBITION This 12,000-square-foot exhibit features some of the most rare, historic and iconic baseball pieces from the largest known private collection of baseball memorabilia, including extraordinary artifacts from Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and scores of other historically important players and organizations. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, 40 Presidential Dr., Simi Valley. Through Sept. 4. $13-$16. (800) 410-8354. reaganlibrary.com.

shop for his brother Ogun, however, was not what he had in mind. When his old friend Elegba rolls up, offering a different direction, Oshoosi quickly finds himself torn between his brother, his loyalties and his dreams. This drama weaves together the pulsing rhythms of the Louisiana bayou with African Yoruba mythology to create a stylized story of love and heartache. The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles. Thur.-Sun. through Aug. 31. $34.

(323) 663-1525. fountaintheatre.com.

MUSIC ON THE MAIN Summer jazz. Bring your friends, picnics and folding chairs and savor the season of summer jazz. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. $6-$8.

(818) 949-4200. descansogardens.org.

SUNSET CONCERTS Yiddish Tango Club. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Free. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 TRYING A poignant, poetic and powerful story about the friendship forged between

36 LIFEAFTER50.COM AUGUST 2014

81-year-old Francis Biddle, U.S. attorney general under President Roosevelt and chief judge at the Nuremburg trials and a tenacious 25-year-old woman from the Canadian plains. International City Theatre, Long Beach Performing Arts Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. Thurs.-Sun. through Sept. 14. $32-$47. (562) 4364610. internationalcitytheatre.org.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27 MY SON THE WAITER - A JEWISH TRAGEDY This hybrid play weaves a bittersweet tale of one man’s lengthy struggle in New York. His send-ups on his family, career, childhood and misbegotten love life are as warm and poignant as they are hysterical.

Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Scherr Forum Theatre, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. Wed.-Sun. through Sept.

21. $45-$55. (805) 449-2787. toaks.org.

VENTURA BLUEGRASS JAMS Milano’s Italian Restaurant, Patio, Ventura Harbor Village, 1559 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura. (805) 658-0388. milanositalianrestaurant.com.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28 SUNSET CONCERTS Jeffery Broussard and The Creole Cowboys.

Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Free. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 HANSEL AND GRETA BLUEGRASS A new version of the classic story set in depression-era Kentucky features the rollicking bluegrass sounds of The Get Down Boys. 24th Street Theatre, 1117 West 24th St, Los Angeles. Through Nov. 16. $10-$24. (213) 745-6516. 24thstreet.org.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31 RACE Two lawyers find themselves defending a wealthy white executive charged with sexually assaulting a black woman. When a new legal assistant gets involved in the case, the opinions that boil beneath explode to the surface. Center Theatre Group/Kirk

BURT BACHARACH Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. $45-$125. (888) 645-5006. sabantheatre.org.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 THE TEMPEST One of Shakespeare’s final works, “The Tempest” tells the tragicomic tale of Prospero, The Duke of Milan and his daughter, Miranda, who are marooned on an island by Prospero’s brother, Antonio.

When Antonio’s ship is run aground by a massive storm, he and his comrades must navigate an isle rife with spirits and temptation. A Noise Within, 3352 East Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. Wed.-Sun. through Nov. 22. $34-$40. (626) 356-3100. anoisewithin.org.

FREE FIRST SUNDAY Free admission to the Museum of Ventura County including its galleries and any special events. Museum of Ventura County, 100 East Main St., Ventura. First Sunday of each month. (805) 653-0323. venturamuseum.org.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 VENTURA BLUEGRASS JAMS Milano’s Italian Restaurant, Patio, Ventura Harbor Village, 1559 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura. (805) 658-0388. milanositalianrestaurant.com.

August/September 2014 LA/Ventura THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 WALKING WITH DINOSAURS: THE ARENA SPECTACULAR Ten dinosaur species are represented from their entire 200 million year reign. The largest of them, the Brachiosaurus is 36 feet tall, and 56 feet from nose to tail. It took a team of 50 – including engineers, fabricators, skin makers, artists, painters, and animatronic experts – a year to build the production. Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. Through Sept. 14. $22-$79. (213) 742-7100. staplescenter.com.

WAITING FOR JACK: A BEAT POETRY EXPERIENCE Go back in time for a night with the beats— Kerouac, Ferlinghetti, Bukowski, Di Prima, Micheline and others. Participate in an evening of spoken word with prominent Los Angeles poets, actors, and musical artists reading the works of beat-era poets in a loose reenactment of the historic 1955 Six Gallery poetry reading. The Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park, Los Angeles. $20. Reservations recommended.

(323) 667-2000. theautry.org.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 EZRALOW DANCE Daniel Ezralow has created choreography and aerial choreography for theater, film, opera and television around the world.

Following his choreography for the 2014 Sochi Olympics opening ceremonies, he presents a commissioned world premiere with live music. Ford Theatres, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., E. Hollywood. $45-$100.

(323) 461-3673. fordtheatres.org.

EXHIBITIONS FALLEN FRUIT The latest in an ongoing series of community-based projects that use fruit as a medium to explore social engagement.

The exhibition features a “commitment document” inspired by an illustrated 17th century ketubbah (Jewish marriage contract). Skirball Cultural Center, Ruby Gallery, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Tues.-Sun. through Oct. 12. $7$10. (310) 440-4500. skirball.org.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ The Sounds of Laurel Canyon 1965-1977: Explore the story of the Los Angeles rock scene from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, a golden age of music, creativity and culture.

The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live, Special Exhibits Gallery, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. Through Nov. 30. $12-$13. (213) 765-6803. grammymuseum.org.

WHO’S MINDING THE STORE The Small Grocery Business in Ventura County. This exhibit celebrates and explores the creation of family-owned grocery stores started by immigrants in the early 1900s in search of livelihoods and a home.

Told through their eyes, the exhibition explores issues of independence, survival, assimilation, and family values. Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St., Ventura.

Through Aug. 31. $3-$4. (805) 653-0323. venturamuseum.org.

JUNE WAYNE: PAINTINGS, PRINTS AND TAPESTRIES Best known for single-handedly revitalizing printmaking in the United States through the founding of the Tamarind Lithographic Institute, Wayne’s artistic interests and contributions were extraordinarily varied. This exhibition features over 80 paintings, prints, drawings and tapestries as well three videos, including a short compilation of the artist speaking about her life and art. Pasadena Museum of Art, 490 East Union Street, Pasadena. Through Aug. 31. $5-$7. Wed.Sun. (626) 568-3665. pmcaonline.org.

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SUMMER OF WONDER Get closer to the animals than ever before, and enjoy special interactive experiences, including the new steelhead exhibit, the all-new bonnethead shark and cownose ray touchpool in Shark Lagoon, the horseshoe crab touch tank at the Molina Animal Care Center, the new Micronesian Kingfisher exhibit, a chance to make and drive a remotely operated vehicle and special behind-the-scenes looks at animal feedings.

Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach. $26-$29. Through Sept.

1. (562) 590-3100. aquariumofpacific.org.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER The exhibit tells the fascinating stories of history’s most famous diamonds and their equally famous owners. The display features the well-known diamond replicas of Scott Sucher and the stunning Historical Figures of artist-historian George Stuart.

Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St., Ventura. Through Aug. 24. $3-$4. (805) 653-0323. venturamuseum.org.

ROUTE 66: THE ROAD AND THE ROMANCE Learn the facts and fiction surrounding the most famous road in America through more than 200 artifacts that trace the history of the road and its impact on American popular culture. See the oldest existing Route 66 shield along with vintage gas pumps and neon art. Read from the pages of John Steinbeck’s original handwritten manuscript for “The Grapes of Wrath” and Jack Kerouac’s typewriter scroll of “On the Road.” Be moved

by Dorothea Lange’s powerful photographs and Woody Guthrie’s Martin guitar, along with countless objects adorned with the Route 66 moniker or acquired along the route.

The Autry National Center, Gamble Firearms Gallery, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park, Los Angeles. Through Jan. 4. $6-$10.

(323) 667-2000. theautry.org.

THE SNOWY DAY AND THE ART OF EZRA JACK KEATS Enter the evocative world of the groundbreaking children’s book author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats in this exhibition, featuring over 80 original works by the artist.

Ranging from preliminary sketches and “dummies,” or preparatory books, to final paintings and collages, the displayed works explore a life and career that became an inspiration for generations of readers. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Tues.-Sun. through Sept. 7. $7-$10.

(310) 440-4500. skirball.org.

BUTTERFLY PAVILION A living habitat where hundreds of butterflies flutter among nectar-producing plants. The Pavilion will again be home to

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

MARJORIE PRIME Eighty-five-year-old Marjorie (Lois Smith), a clever, wry woman, finds that her memory is failing. She is living out her days at an assisted living facility where she is frequently visited by her anxious, quick-witted daughter, Tess and her kind, easygoing son-in-law, Jon. With the urging of Jon and the facility and despite Tess’s misgivings, a mysterious young man, joins the group with the hope that he can help reverse Marjorie’s decline. Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum At the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Through Oct.19. $25-$70.

(213) 628-2772. centertheatregroup.org.

California natives and travelers from across North America. But it will have a distinctive subtropical feel as well, with showy new species from the Rio Grande Valley along the Texas- Mexico border. Of the 30 species of butterflies, 20 will be native to the Golden State and 10 will arrive from south Florida and Texas. Natural History Museum, Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles. Through Sept. 1. $9-$12.

(213) 763-3466. nhm.org.

TIME, SPACE AND MATTER This exhibit brings together six California artists who explore natural phenomena through installation. Using scientific data and techniques, as well as materials and media as varied as wood, glass, metal, video, ice and sound, the artists create five works that are both aesthetically resonant and imminently approachable. Pasadena Museum of Art, 490 East Union Street, Pasadena. Through Aug. 31. $5-$7. Wed.-Sun. (626) 568-3665. pmcaonline.org.

RAINFOREST OF THE AMERICAS Housed within a newly-built exhibit this display replicates a tropical rainforest experience. See and learn about exotic animals like cotton-top tamarins, a Goliath bird eating spider and mata mata turtles as well as endangered species including the Central American tapir, giant river otters and a blue billed curassow. The exhibit showcases various reptile, bird, mammal and fish species that can be found in rainforest areas of Mexico, Central and South America. Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Griffith Park, 5333 Zoo Dr., Los Angeles. $18-$15. (323) 644-4200. lazoo.org.

Get the Word Out. E-mail your announcements to Claire Fadden, cfadden@lifeafter50.com. Include a brief description, location, date, time, cost, phone and website. Submission does not guarantee publication. Deadline for the September/October calendar is August 1.

AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 37

Enjoying Hawaiian beauty and history at Kaanapali Beach

By Ed Boitano

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hildren frolicked in the surf and sand. Parents and grandparents stretched out on lounge chairs around the pool, basking in the gentle Hawaiian sun. Teens reported back to their families with adventurous tales of snorkeling and body surfing. I don’t think, in all my travels, I’ve ever seen so many multi-generational families in one place as I did at the Kaanapali Beach Resort.

For me, my time at the Maui oasis had me exploring the pool’s long circular canal, complete with cascading waterfalls, bridges and tropical vegetation that caressed lava-enhanced walls that matched the color of the resort’s Black Rock (Pu’u Keka’a), the iconic symbol of Kaanapali Beach. I swam over to the Cliff Dive Bar where I marveled at the ethereal red sun that was melting into the ocean.

This was the ideal spot to witness a traditional cliff-diving ceremony, which pays homage to the legendary dive of Maui’s Chief Kahekili from the Black Rock. Said to have been seven feet tall and 300 pounds, Kahekili demanded fearlessness from his warriors and demonstrated his own bravery by taking a 400 foot dive into the sea. Today’s divers stand at the top of that same cliff, recite a Hawaiian chant, offer a torch and lei to the ocean, and then make their leap.

Back Story

Steeped in culture and history, Kaanapali’s pristine sands and lush gardens were a popular retreat for Hawaiian kings and queens. Green sugar cane and taro covered the land that warriors used as a training ground and, in 1846, came whaling ships, which changed the texture of Hawaiian life forever.

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Nestled on the southwest coast of Maui, Kaanapali Beach Resort was established in 1963 as Hawaii’s first master-planned destination resort. Its threemile stretch of white sand beach was recently voted the Best Beach in America by TripAdvisor. Today, dotted by oceanfront luxury hotels and condos, the area rests on an expansive tropical lawn with a wide array of high-end restaurants and oceanfront bars. My pick is the Hula Grill, where the chef is influenced by the slow-food movement, using seasonal ingredients from local farms, ranches and the sea. Around the corner, Whalers Village is an open-air mall featuring many Hawaiian-made products. The centerpiece of the village is the Whalers Museum that showcases Maui’s whaling history with artifacts, exhibitions, video productions and lectures.

Things To Do

For water sports, the choices are endless: snorkeling, scuba and Snuba diving, kayaking, windsurfing, catamaran cruises and parasailing. Just stop by one of the many kiosks you’ll find on the beach and take your pick. For landlubbers, there’s championship golf, zip-lining, luaus and classes that will teach you how to hula, do lauhala weaving, quilting and make leis. If you’re interested in exploring Kaanapali’s past, don’t miss the free Kaanapali Historical Trail and History and Legends Tour.

The Wa`a Kiakahi Hawaiian Canoe Sailing Festival

Luckily, my visit coincided with the Wa`a Kiakahi Hawaiian Canoe Sailing Festival that had me watching in wonder as ten canoes, each with a

colorful mast, rounded the Black Rock. Minutes later, the canoes were pulled up onto the beach by their crews and I found myself part of a welcoming ceremony. Soon the crews and spectators formed a circle, held hands, and a Hawaiian cultural practitioner gave a traditional blessing.

Every year, the Hawaiian Canoe Association (HSCA) holds a race between the islands of Hawaii.

During their stop on Kaanapali Beach, they give rides to the public and educate them about the wa’a tradition. Wa’a kaikahi means a canoe with a single mast. The mission of the HSCA is to revive and practice ancient Hawaiian skills and values as they relate to sailing canoes and local culture.

The following day, I paddled out with a canoe crew to experience the action first-hand. I quickly learned, from myself, that sailing a canoe requires an unfathomable amount of strength, and, from a crew member, why the canoe and the water are so important to the Hawaiian way of life.

“Although today most wa’a are made of composite graphite or fiberglass, they are still considered to be living entities by the Hawaiian people,” he explained. “They are the boats that allowed the Polynesians to walk upon the water, crossing the ocean from the Pacifica, Tahiti and the Marquesas.”

Early the next morning, I was back in the circle where the same practitioner offered a farewell blessing, and then they were gone, racing on to Molokai. I was so glad to have been there during the race. It was something that truly deepened my understanding and appreciation of this ancient and proud culture.

For further information, click on www.

KaanapaliResort.com or www.sheraton-maui.com.

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And Finally...

The Bookworm’s Best A Life After 50 book review

by Terri “The Bookworm” Schlichenmeyer

The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish

By Linda Przybyszewski

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our mama dressed you funny when you were a child. She couldn’t help it, though: frou-frou garments with bows and buttons, snaps and poufs, polka-dots and ruffles were all that was available when you were a child. And besides, you were so darn cute. At least, that’s what your grandma said. And what the heck was she wearing – and why? Read “The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish” by Linda Przybyszewski and find out.

Back at the turn of the last century, when more people lived in rural areas than in cities, Secretary of Agriculture David F. Houston grew concerned that farm life was uncomfortable. He sent out a survey to farm wives and was surprised to learn that fashion and art were important to them.

In 1914, the U.S. Department of Agriculture answered rural pleas for help through state-run public programs called “cooperatives.” Co-ops allowed an influential group of female experts to teach women and girls, among other things, how to stretch a dollar and to look their best doing it. Przybyszewski calls those experts “dress doctors.”

This came at a time when fashion was simple: there was a dress for church and a dress for every day. Two dresses were all that most farm women had and, when the Great Depression hit, they were further tasked with clothing family members on less than a dollar apiece for the entire year. The dress doctors had a fix for that.

Through classes, pamphlets, and books they penned, the dress doctors showed that dressing well was relatively easy. They weighed in on thrift, using whatever fabric was at hand, repurposing garments, and getting current looks with pieces of aging dresses.

In the post-World War I years, the dress doctors tried to get women to settle on a standard style, believing that ever-changing fashion was frivolous. They instructed readers to find comfortable shoes and they explained how to wear one suit to work for up to three weeks. They advised against pants. They taught women about hygiene, modesty, the proper times to wear gloves or a hat, and what colors to wear – or not.

But by the early 1960s, fashion had changed radically. Frumpy was out, replaced by miniskirts and jeans. Corset use was dead. Dressing your age was dying. And so, it seemed, was the usefulness of the dress doctor’s advice.

So what’s that you say? You haven’t a thing to wear?

Then “prepare to feel ashamed,” says Przybyszewski. And prepare to be at least a little bit wistful about bygone fashions, too, because “The Lost Art of Dress” is surprisingly sentimental. And yet, this book isn’t about going back in time, clothes-wise. Indeed, Przybyszewski agrees with her dress doctors sometimes, but she also sprinkles history and humor in between modern advice, entertaining as she instructs. That makes this book freshly nostalgic and enormously fun. For modernday fashionistas who love a good throwback, “The Lost Art of Dress” has that all buttoned up.

“The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish” by Linda Przybyszewski, 2014, Basic Books, $28.99, 347 pages The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer, who lives on a hill with two dogs and more than 12,000 books. You can read all of Terri’s book reviews, updated weekly, at www.lifeafter50.com. Just click on “Entertainment” and then “Book Reviews.”

Just A Thought Before We Go

A Look Back

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Photo by Hollywoodphotographs.com

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his month marks the passing of 50 years since the premiere of “Mary Poppins” at Hollywood’s Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Walt Disney first tried to purchase the rights to “Mary Poppins” from author P.L. Travers in 1938. Initially uninterested, it took many years for her to finally consent. Once she did, Walt considered Mary Martin, Bette Davis and Angela Lansbury before offering the lead to Julie Andrews, who hesitated to accept, hoping she would be called to star in “My Fair Lady,” a call that never came.

For the role of Bert, Disney looked at Danny Kaye, Fred Astaire and Cary Grant before selecting Dick Van Dyke. Filmed at the Disney Studios in Burbank, the most expensive film Disney ever produced paid off by becoming the top grossing film of 1965. With 13 Academy Award nominations and five wins, it was the only film Walt himself produced to be nominated for Best Picture. Travers, who had been difficult during production, detested the film and left the premiere in tears. She objected to making Poppins warm and cheery, the musical score, and that, at the film’s end, Mrs. Banks gives up her campaign for women’s rights to remain a housewife.

“Elegance is the only beauty that never fades.”

– Audrey Hepburn

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ORANGE COUNTY AUGUST 2014

southern california

S HARI BELAFONTE Sharing insights on her famous father, racism, aging and more

KEEPING FASHION FRESH AFTER 50 A “new you” can be just days away

CHARLES FOX The award-winning composer on following his path of dreams

PARADISE AND CULTURE FOUND Hawaiian beauty and history awaits at Kaanapali Beach

lifeafter50.com

CONTENTS

August 2014

13

18

32

COVER PROFILE

DEPARTMENTS

13 Shari Belafonte

06 50-Plus: What You Need to Know

A true Renaissance woman shares thoughts on her childhood, famous father, multi-faceted career, racism, marriage, aging and much more.

38

A quick look at things 50-plusers should be aware of.

09 It’s The Law Mitchell A. Karasov on freeing up funds for parental care.

FEATURES 18 Keeping Fashion Fresh After 50 A fresh “new you” can be just days away with these simple fashion tips.

24 Fifty-Plus And Fabulous Style it up, care for your skin and be more playful, because life is far from over.

32 The Look Of Life After 50 * Charles Fox The award-winning composer has made things happen on the unending path of dreams.

10 Financial Fitness William Jordan explains the real cost of your mutual funds.

28 Cooking, Eating And Living Well Jackie Keller on keeping properly hydrated.

31 Tuned In To What’s On The best in August television viewing.

35 Let’s Get Out Looking to get out and about? Our August/September calendar has some great suggestions.

38 Travel Ed Boitano finds paradise and culture at Hawaii’s Kaanapali Beach.

42 And Finally…The Bookworm’s Best, A Look Back and Just A Thought Before We Go Cover photo by Mark Andrew Gonzales of Mark Andrew G Photography All material published within this issue of “Life After 50” and on www.lifeafte50.com is strictly for informational and educational purposes only. No individual, advice, product or service is in any way endorsed by “Life After 50” or Southland Publishing, Inc. or provided as a substitute for the reader’s seeking of individualized professional advice or instruction. Readers should seek the advice of qualified professional on any matter regarding an individual, advice, recommendations, services or products covered within this issue.

All information and material is provided to readers with the understanding that it comes from various sources from which there is no warranty or responsibility by “Life after 50” or Southland Publishing, Inc. as to its or their legality, completeness or technical accuracy.

Our August book suggestion, memory, and a little something to leave you with.

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Editor’s Note...

A Captured Moment That Speaks To Me

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consider photography to be one of the most significant of all inventions.

Because of the creation of the camera we are able to look upon the faces of historical figures and relatives that died before we were born; see what we ourselves looked like as children, and can forever preserve visual keepsakes of people, pets and the best times of our lives.

I recently thought about my appreciation for photography as I spoke with photographer extraordinaire, Shari Belafonte, for this month’s cover feature. It’s impossible to spend time with her and not get caught up in her passion for what she calls “the capturing of a moment in time that tells a story or speaks to people.”

My father also loved photography and, like Shari’s grandmother did for her, gave me my first camera when I was very young. As a result of my dad’s picture taking, and my own early interest in photography that grew over the years, I now have files of photos I have taken, and that have been taken of me, beginning with the one my father took of my mother holding me as I was first introduced to the world on the steps of Brooklyn’s Carson Peck Memorial Hospital.

You may notice I say “the one” my father took. That’s the way people took photographs (or should I say “a photograph”) back in the days of film. In those days of yore, snapping a photograph was done judiciously with a twinge of pulse-racing trepidation and excitement as you carefully clicked the shutter.

I recently spent time with my friend, Brett Flood, who, like me, is a photo buff.

We both grew up as huge fans of the New York Jets and I shared with him some photos I took at games I attended as a teenager.

While showing him my photos, I wondered out loud why it was that, while I attended just about every Jets home game from the early-to-mid-1970s, I only took a few dozen photos. It then dawned on me in a flash, like those little flashcubes that sat atop the Kodak Instamatic I used during those games, that it was because we had film rolls that only gave us 12 shots.

“Why didn’t I ever buy two or three rolls?” I asked Brett. That question resulted in us both staring at one another with Oliver Hardy looks of bewilderment on our faces followed by laughter. “You’re right pal,” he said as I stated my way-too-late epiphany. “Back then no one ever thought to buy more than one roll at a time!”

Soon after bringing this observation up with others of my era, someone sent me a photo of Neil Armstrong in his space suit alongside a current-day teenage girl.

The caption on the Armstrong photo read: Went to the moon, took five photos, while the shot of the girl, snapping off selfies in the mirror of a public restroom was captioned: Went to the bathroom, took 37 photos.

It’s a photo that perfectly captures the moment of time in which we live. It tells a story and it speaks to me.

David Laurell, Editor-in-Chief

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Advertising Director/Associate Publisher Valarie Anderson Editor David Laurell Editorial Assistants Steve Stoliar, Marie Giusto Blauvelt, Max Andrews Associate Editor Claire Yezbak Fadden Travel Editor Ed Boitano Art Director Kent Bancroft Art Director Ernesto Esquivel Account Executives Los Angeles/South Bay: Jackie Kooper Jackiek@lifeafter50.com Orange County: Herb Wetenkamp Herbw@lifeafter50.com San Diego County National Accounts: Phil Mendelson Phil@lifeafter50.com VP Of Finance Michael T. Nagami Human Resources Andrea E. Baker Business Manager Linda Lam Billing Supervisor Kacie Sturek VP Of Operations David Comden

For advertising/distribution inquiries contact: Valarie Anderson (310) 822-1629 x 121, Valarie@lifeafter50.com To contact our editorial department: (818) 563-1007 davidl@lifeafter50.com To contact our travel editor: (818) 985-8132 eboitano@lifeafter50.com 5355 Mcconnell Ave LA CA 90066 Valarie Anderson Valarie@lifeafter50.com 310 822-1629 x 121 ©2014 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved

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An Aerobic Aphrodisiac

50

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PLUS

What You Need To Know

By Claire Yezbak Fadden

hirty minutes of exercise before intercourse can reduce the effect of libido-dulling drugs for women, according to a recent study. When 52 women who reported sexual side effects from taking antidepressants exercised for 30 minutes right before they had sex, they experienced a significant boost in sexual pleasure. University of Texas at Austin researchers published their conclusions online in “Depression and Anxiety,” indicating that sexual dysfunction can be effectively treated with moderately intense workouts. According to the findings, women who committed to a regular exercise routine experienced improved orgasm function. The reason for this is that moderately intense exercise activates the sympathetic nervous system, which facilitates blood flow to the genital region, counteracting the inhibiting effects of the antidepressants.

Clinton Chronicles Her Crises, Choices And Challanges

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illary Rodham Clinton, the former first lady, U.S. senator, secretary of state and presumptive 2016 presidential candidate, has a life story no one else can match – and there may be much more to come. In her latest book, “Hard Choices: A Memoir” (Simon and Schuster, 2014), Clinton, who will turn 67 in October, shares an insider’s account of the crises, choices and challenges she faced during the four years she headed up the U.S. state department, and how those experiences have formed her view of the world and the future. Among the challenges she confronted during her tenure was working with President Obama to repair fractured alliances, wind down two wars, and address a global financial crisis.

Facing a rising competitor in China, growing threats from Iran and North Korea, and revolutions across the Middle East, Obama and Clinton grappled with some of the toughest and most historic dilemmas of U.S. foreign policy, especially the decision to send Americans into harm’s way, from Afghanistan to Libya and to capture and kill Osama bin Laden. By the end of her tenure, Secretary Clinton had visited 112 countries, traveled nearly one million miles, and gained a truly global perspective on many of the major trends reshaping the landscape of the 21st century world.

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Fifty Candles ifty years ago this month: North Vietnam fired on a U.S. destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin; civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney were found buried inside an earthen dam in Mississippi; actress Anne Bancroft married comedian Mel Brooks; race riots broke out in New Jersey, Illinois and Pennsylvania; and President Lyndon Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act. Notable personalities born in August 1964 who are celebrating their 50th birthday this month include Counting Crows musician Adam Duritz, actor Blair Underwood, actresses Mary-Louise Parker and Debi Mazar, tennis star Jimmy Arias, Melinda French Gates, wife of Bill Gates, and Playboy’s January 1985 Playmate Joan Bennett.

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Losing The Gray For A Lot Less Green

A new hair care company, eSalon. com, is infuriating hairstylists by providing affordable hair color for home use that comes with the personal guidance of a professional colorist. Nothing like the one-sizefits-all boxed hair-color kits, eSalon offers custom-blended, salon-grade ingredients that leave hair soft, shiny and provide excellent coverage. Each hair color order is delivered to the client’s door and includes a professional coloring brush, gloves, stain guard, stain remover, shampoo and conditioner – in addition to the guidance of expert colorists. While it may be a stretch to say, even with these quality products and expert assistance, a novice can duplicate the talent of an experienced color pro, the price of under $20 is a far cry from the $100-plus one would pay at a salon. Plus, to top it off, eSalon has a special reduced-price offer for new customers, with a money-back satisfaction guarantee. For more information, click on www.esalon.com.

A Little More You Need To Know

Where You Need To Go

The Most Important Thing to Know This Month

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his year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has already responded to some 1,300 wildfires, more than double their average. With fire season now officially underway, it’s a good time for Southern California homeowners to ensure they are prepared for wildfires and that their home has at least 100 feet of defensible space. Here are some tips to help prepare your home:

B

ing Crosby was there to greet the first fan through the gate in 1937. Since that day, the scenic spot, known to locals as the place “where the turf meets the surf,” has provided glamour and excitement for Southern California racing fans while also becoming an integral part of thoroughbred horseracing history. The 75th summer meeting (they lost three years during World War II) of worldclass Thoroughbred Racing in Del Mar is now underway, utilizing a newly installed turf course widened to 80 feet completely around the oval that allows for larger fields (up to 14 horses) to participate in the track’s turf races.

After the races, you can cap off your warm summer evenings with an incredible lineup of entertainment, at the Four O’Clock Fridays and Weekend concert series. The Del Mar

Thoroughbred Club will host a wide variety of bigname musical acts on their Seaside Stage including the Canadian reggae fusion band MAGIC!, electro musician Steve Aoki and a Reggae Fest featuring Ziggy Marley.

Can’t get enough racing? No worries. For the first time in decades, Del Mar, which has been chosen to host the 2017 Breeders’ Cup, horse racing’s version of the Super Bowl, will offer a fall race meeting running from November 7 to 30.

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club is located at, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard in Del Mar. Racing takes place Wednesday through Sundays through September for an entry fee of $3 to $10.

For more information, call (858) 755-1141 or click on www.delmarracing.com.

• Clear all pine needles and leaves from your yard, roof and rain gutters.

• Trim branches six feet from the ground.

• Landscape with fire-resistant/drought-tolerant plants.

You can also take proactive steps to prevent wildfires by: • Using trimming, mowing and powered equipment outdoors before 10 a.m.

• Checking to make sure any sort of burning is allowed in your area. CAL FIRE has banned outdoor burning in some areas and requires a burn permit in others.

• Completely extinguish all campfires.

• Making sure trailer chains and other parts of your vehicle are not dragging on the road.

For more information on preparing for wildfires and defensible space, click on www. readyrorwildfire.org.

New Words

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ou might not find them in a dictionary yet, but they’re a part of the everyday American vocabulary. Here’s what they mean.

Punt: The dimple at the bottom of a wine bottle, also known as a kick-up.

Ratchet: A low-class, annoying, rude or trashy person.

Uber: An app created by a venture-funded startup and transportation network company based in San Francisco that connects passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire and ridesharing services.

AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 7

It’s the Law Mitchell A. Karasov Mitchell A. Karasov, Esq. has offices in Los Angeles, Ventura County and the Coachella Valley. He specializes in elder law with emphasis in estate planning, Medi-Cal eligibility, trust administration, probate, conservatorships of person or estate, estate and trust litigation and financial abuse litigation. For more information click on www.karasovelderlaw.com or call (818) 508-7192.

When It Comes To Care, Who Pays?

Our dad always took care of our parents’ finances and, in the last few years, also cared for our mom, who suffers from advanced Lewy Body dementia. Although he was pretty healthy for 86, a few months ago, he had a stroke and is no longer be able to be our mom’s caregiver or take care of their finances. My siblings and I stepped in to care of our mom with the assistance of a hired caregiver. This arrangement has worked out well and we are all relieved that our parents can stay at home. Unfortunately, we have a problem with the financial matters. When my parents set up their estate plan, they only named each other to make decisions and transactions, so we can’t get access to any funds to pay their bills. We weren’t expecting this, and, due to our mom’s dementia and our father’s stroke, neither of them is able to sign any new power of attorney forms or change their living trust. Since we cannot get access to their money, one of my sisters is paying for all our parents’ expenses, but she cannot afford to continue this on an ongoing basis. It looks as though our dad might improve to the point that he could sign documents, but the trust requires both of our parents’ signatures to add us as signers for them on trust accounts. What, if any, options do we have?

Q

This situation is all too common and most families do not have a back-up plan. Although stepping in to manage the financial accounts is complicated by your mom’s medical issues, your dad’s potential recovery could smooth the path to correcting the financial management. The actual strategy will not only depend on his recovery, but also what type of authority your mom gave your dad in her power of attorney.

If your dad is able to sign a new power of attorney, he could immediately name you and/or your siblings to manage accounts and communicate directly with the financial institutions to allow sole authority or co-management with him for any accounts which he owns. If your mom’s power-of-attorney document allows this, he could sign an amendment on his and her behalf allowing for substitute trust management by his adult children. In addition, he could transfer any permissible non-trust accounts into the trust. If your mom has any IRAs or accounts that should not be in the trust, he could initiate or at least nominate you and/or your siblings to be your mom’s conservator of the estate to manage her finances. The same would most likely be done over her healthcare decisions with a conservatorship of the person.

If none of this is possible, you would have no choice but to initiate a conservatorship of the estate and person for both your mom and dad. This would give you the authority to manage any and all accounts in their names, as well as manage their healthcare decisions. In addition, you would petition the probate court to amend the trust for you and/or your siblings to act as the substitute trustees on the trust.

There are also other options including potential government benefit plans your family should explore. Whichever route you go, I strongly recommend that you consult with an elder law attorney who is wellversed in these situations.

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Financial Fitness William Jordan William Jordan is a nationally recognized wealth manager and a well-known speaker on financial and investment topics. To request a meeting to discuss William’s “Seven Percent Solution,” contact his office at (949) 916-8000 or click on www.WJIca.com

What Does Your Mutual Fund Cost?

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utual funds are among the most popular investments in America. In fact, there are more mutual funds to choose from than there are stocks to invest in on the U.S. stock exchanges. With all those choices, how do you know which fund is right for you?

While there are many factors to consider, the most reliable indicator of future performance is cost. The more expensive the fund, the worse it does.

The Real Cost

All funds have a prospectus that will tell you all of the costs they are required to report. The prospectus will report the management and marketing fees.

However, those aren’t all the costs. An additional and potentially significant cost is a transaction cost.

The transaction costs are based on two factors. The first is the difference between the price you can buy a stock for and the price you can sell the same stock for at that exact same time. The difference in these prices is called the bid/ ask spread.

This spread means there is a cost of doing business every time a fund manager buys or sells a stock, which is referred to as turnover. Mark Carhart, former professor of finance at the University of Southern California, estimated this to be almost one percent of cost for every 100 percent in turnover.

In short, if your fund manager has 100 percent turnover (many have that, and more) you should know there are unreported costs you are paying.

The other factor in the transaction cost is moving the market. If a large fund wants to sell a significant amount of a stock, you can expect that sale will move the market down somewhat. This is harder to calculate, but is a real expense nonetheless.

Cost Is An Anchor

Imagine taking a boat out to sea, but trailing the anchor behind you in the water. The drag on the boat’s performance is similar to the drag cost places on a mutual fund.

If one fund has a half percent in cost and another fund has two percent in cost, the second fund starts the year with a drag of one and a half percent compared to the first fund. The manager has to make that up and, unfortunately, few ever do.

The clear conclusion of this would be to carefully evaluate the true costs of any mutual fund you own or are considering purchasing.

A Tool to Use

A great tool for evaluating cost is the website www.PersonalFund.com. I use this site myself and I have no ownership or other involvement except as a client.

You can create a free trial account and enter a few of your funds to find out the real cost. If you have a good-sized portfolio, this is a website worth investing in.

If you are managing your own investment portfolio, you should be taking a close look at what the real costs are for each of your funds. If you are working with an advisor, ask them if they are aware what the costs are. Better yet, do your own research and then ask your advisor to explain if there are any funds that are overly expensive.

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A true Renaissance woman shares thoughts on her childhood, famous father, multi-faceted career, racism, marriage, aging and much more

Story by David Laurell Photos by Mark Andrew Gonzales of Mark Andrew G Photography

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S

hari Belafonte throws her head back and laughs when asked how she responds to the question: “What do you do for a living?”

“What do you need?” she snaps back.

With a resume that includes successes in modeling, acting, writing, singing, art design and photography, the daughter of legendary singer and actor Harry Belafonte, who, as a model, graced hundreds of magazine covers including Vogue, Mademoiselle and Essence, is, perhaps, bestknown for her role as Julie Gilette on the popular 1980’s television series, “Hotel.”

And yet, Shari, who ironically was never as comfortable in front of the camera as she was behind it, first and foremost considers herself a photographer. “I’ve really always seen myself as a photographer,” she reveals. “When I started working in front of the camera as a model and an actress, it was such a fluke to me. I couldn’t believe I was actually making money at it. So my response to that question is that I consider myself to be a photographer.”

The Belafonte Backstory

Born in New York City in 1954, Shari was the second daughter of Marguerite and Harry Belafonte, one of the most successful pop stars in history and dubbed the “King of Calypso” for popularizing Caribbean music. Harry was also an early supporter of the civil rights movement and a close friend and confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. He financially assisted King and his family, who were barely getting by on his $8,000-a-year salary as the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in the 1950s.

Like many other civil rights activists of the time, Harry was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He gave that little mind and would go on to post bail for numerous jailed civil rights protesters, finance the Freedom Rides, support voter registration drives, help to organize the March on Washington in 1963 and bankroll the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee during Freedom Summer in 1964.

While Harry’s actions did make him a controversial figure, nothing garnered higher raised eyebrows than, while appearing on a 1968 Petula Clark primetime special on NBC, Clark briefly touched Belafonte’s “My camera is arm. The show’s sponsor, Plymouth Motors, demanded the segment be cut, but Clark, who always close by had ownership of the special, told NBC that and I take pictures the performance would be shown intact or she would not allow it to be aired at all. That everyday. There is same year, Harry appeared on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” and performed a always some controversial “Mardi Gras” number intercut moment in time with footage from the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots, which was cut by I want to preserve.” the CBS censors.

While her father may have been mired in his share of controversy surrounding civil rights, Shari’s childhood and teenage years were, for the most part, shielded from the struggles of racism as she lived a life reserved for the elite of New York’s Upper West Side.

Educated at Windsor Mountain School, Buxton School and Hampshire College, all in Massachusetts, she ultimately matriculated to the prestigious Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drama.

Off On A Multi-Faceted Career

Shari began her career as a model. Appearing on the covers of over 300 magazines, she also appeared in commercials for Calvin Klein jeans. Transitioning to acting in 1982, she made her feature film debut in “Time Walker” followed by “If You Could See What I Hear,” both low-budgeted and forgettable.

Throughout the following year and into the mid-1980s, Shari moved from in front of the camera to behind it and worked as a production assistant and an assistant director in public television and then as an assistant to the publicist at HannaBarbera Productions in Los Angeles.

While still accepting modeling, commercial and acting assignments, she was noticed by the legendary television producer Aaron Spelling, who considered her for the role of Julie Rogers on “Charlie’s Angels,” which ultimately went to Tanya Roberts. In 1983, Spelling cast her in a pilot for “Velvet,” an action-adventure series he was producing. The show was never picked up, but did air as a made-fortelevision movie. That same year, Spelling cast Shari as Julie Gilette in the ABC 14 LIFEAFTER50.COM AUGUST 2014

television series “Hotel,” in which she appeared throughout the show’s five-year run from 1983 to 1988.

Based on Arthur Hailey’s 1965 novel of the same name, “Hotel” gave viewers a peek into the lives of the staff and guests of the elegant St. Gregory Hotel in San Francisco.

Along with Anne Baxter, James Brolin, Connie Sellecca and Heidi Bohay, the show also started Shari who played the part of the hotel’s reception manager.

Similar to “The Love Boat,” episodes of “Hotel” also provided viewers with a cavalcade of big-name guest stars, although unlike “The Love Boat,” subjects in the story-lines of “Hotel” broached serious and controversial topics such as infidelity, abortion, rape, suicide, spousal abuse and child molestation.

In the wake of Shari’s starring role on “Hotel,” she began her music career. Signed

by Metronome Records, she released two albums in Europe – 1987’s “The Eyes of Night” and “Shari,” which came out in 1989.

The 1990s saw Shari take to the stage in a long-running production of “Tamara,” star as Dr. Laura Wingate in the USA Network’s dramatic series “Beyond Reality,” and co-host the syndicated series “Lifestyles” with Robin Leach, a revamped version of Leach’s signature show, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”

Shari’s multi-faceted career also saw her do voiceovers, produce theater, public and network television programs and feature films. She has also been an advocate for various animal, environmental and children’s causes and has served as a spokesperson for numerous corporations and weight loss products.

Sharing Time With Shari

Today, living with her second husband, actor Sam Behrens, and their seven dogs on six rural acres outside of Los Angeles, Shari has become an accomplished and renowned photographer who has been commissioned to do work for various magazines including National Geographic, and regularly stages photograph exhibitions in major cities across the U.S. Asked if, due to her love, interest and knowledge of photography, she was more inclined than most actors to be conscious of lighting and what the director of photography and camera crew were doing, she laughs and admits what was going on behind the camera always held more interest to her.

Shari Belafonte (SB): Throughout my entire modeling and acting career, I was always more interested in what was going on behind the camera and how the camera crew was operating rather than what I should have been concerned with. I was always following them around and asking questions. I’m sure they thought I was an obnoxious little puppy at times. I remember once working with a very prestigious cameraman who did all the testing of ARRI cameras. We were doing a commercial and he mentioned he would be using a new ARRI camera and, if it was alright with me, would be shooting a behind-the-scenes thing on the use of the camera. He asked me if I minded and I told him I had no problem with that as long as he would promise to teach me how to shoot with it.

Sure enough, the entire time I was supposed to be glamming it up to sell computers, I was over with the camera crew asking all sorts of questions. Finally, to get the thing done, he said the camera was going to be taken back to this place in Burbank if I ever wanted to stop by and learn more about it. Two weeks later, I called and asked if I could come over and learn some more and he was shocked. He said “Wow, you were really serious huh!” I was always that way. I was always a learner.

Life After 50 (LA50): Shari, as you know, many people really get into photography when they have grandchildren or when they retire. Can you share your thoughts as to why you can take the same camera, of whatever quality, put it into two different hands and one person will shoot stunning images while the other will get nothing.

SB: I really can’t answer that other than to say you do have to have an eye for what you want to capture – a moment in time that tells a story or speaks to people. My grandmother gave me my first camera when I was four years old. It was a Brownie.

But things have changed dramatically since then. It used to be that only a few highly trained or exceptionally talented photographers could get amazing images, but

today, with what cameras can do and with what can be done in the computer with Photoshop, it’s a whole different world. The days of an Ansel Adams or a Richard Avedon being few and far between are gone. Today we have defined technology to a point that has made it easy – or at least easier – for everybody and their mother to take a decent picture, even with little inexpensive cameras and their phones. It used to be very expensive to take photos. You had to buy film and then get it processed, and people took very few risks, because each shot was an expense. But with digital, you can shoot 500 pictures on a little tiny card and even if you get one or two great shots – great – you just delete the rest.

LA50: Outside of commissioned projects, what sort of things are you currently photographing?

SB: My camera is always close by and I take pictures every day – mostly of our dogs.

There is always some moment in time I want to preserve. And now you can not only preserve a moment, but then instantaneously share it with everyone you know and the world. I even use my camera for practical purposes. If I need to get a receipt or a document or something to someone, I just take a picture of it and send it over to them.

LA50: While you may consider yourself first and foremost a photographer, you know that for most people, the show “Hotel” comes to mind when they hear your name. Do you keep in touch with your old cast mates from the show?

SB: I run into Jim Brolin now and then because Barbra [his wife, Barbra Streisand] is friends with my dad and they have a lot of mutual friends. So I see him at dinner parties when I tag along with Harry. I haven’t seen Connie Sellecca in some time, but I keep in touch with Heidi Bohay on Facebook. We always swear we’re going to get together, which we never do, but at least we keep in touch and we text and e-mail. I love Facebook. It keeps me in touch with a lot of friends. In fact, I just recently had a friend resurface that I haven’t seen since I was 17 – in high school.

We ended up getting together and I thought it would be strange after all these years, but we started right back in like only a few months had passed and were hysterically laughing about old stuff and reminding each other of old stories. So I never thought it would happen but, I have become a real fan of Facebook.

LA50: Back to “Hotel,” you got to work with a galaxy of Hollywood legends.

SB: We did. Aaron was adamant about having the old stars – the big names of Hollywood – on all of his shows – “Fantasy Island” and “Love Boat.” We had Elizabeth Taylor and Ginger Rogers and Louis Jourdan, and Shelly Winters. It was a Who’s Who of old Hollywood and it was great for me, because so many of them were friends of my dad. You would be surprised how many of those big stars were nervous when they would come on the set and I think they enjoyed sitting around and chatting with me and telling old stories about Harry. I think that made them feel more relaxed. I loved doing that show. It was a lot of fun. And my only regret is that I never got to do a scene with Bette Davis. She did the pilot and I later found out that she encouraged Aaron to make more of my character.

LA50: Of all the huge stars who did “Hotel,” there was one that never guest starred on the show – your dad.

SB: Yeah. Harry never did roles like that on television. He would do variety shows to promote an album, but he never guest starred on shows.

LA50: Speaking of doing variety shows, it was really quite a controversial situation when he appeared with Petula Clark.

SB: Yeah, because she simply touched him and it almost ended that network’s life.

Unbelievable.

LA50: But, as your father’s daughter, you know that racism was, and is, all too believable.

SB: I’m appalled that racism is still such a part of our country and that it has become even more apparent since President Obama was elected. I know there are people out there who are not fans of our president. That’s always the case with every president.

But I don’t think I have ever seen such a vehement hatred for a president. It’s really treasonous. But maybe that’s not totally a bad thing, because it has thrown the light on just how much racism does still exist in America. It forces rational people to come to grips with that fact. It forced me to do that because for me, I was never personally touched by racism. My mother’s mother was a white Native American and her husband, who was also a Native American, was black. Then on my dad’s side, there were both black and white members of the family. So racism was not a part of my life growing up. And frankly, if I ever did encounter any sort of racism from anyone, AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 15

I always made the decision to just step aside and walk away.

LA50: Your father was very close to Martin Luther King Jr. Do you have any memories of Dr. King?

SB: I met him many times because, like you say, Harry and Dr. King were best friends. My dad just adored him.

I was very young, but I remember he would stay at our apartment when he was in New York and he wrote many of his speeches there. I don’t have many memories of him, but I do remember him working on drafts of speeches and then giving them to Harry to look over. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet many fascinating and historically significant people through my dad when I was young – I met Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Bobby Kennedy. It was not out of the ordinary to have important people around when I was young, Danny Kaye once saved me from drowning in our pool and Audrey Hepburn was over at our house a lot.

LA50: Were you aware of how important these people were and what a big star your own dad was?

SB: I was, but it was all I knew, so I didn’t think much about it. Also, you have to remember, my parents had already begun divorce proceedings when my mother was pregnant with me, so I didn’t really grow up with Harry. During the summer, my sister and I would go with him on concert tours to Africa, and Japan and Hawaii – which I loved. Now I was always aware that I lived a charmed life and was being exposed to wonderful things and people and was living a life that was extremely different than most minority families. But on a day-to-day basis, Harry was not a part of our lives. He would come by and take us out for dinner or to the park, but we lived separate lives.

as I could to get in the best shape I could for a 45 year old and figured that was that, that I would never be in that kind of shape again. So I stopped working out, except for carrying around a 50 pound camera bag everywhere I go. The weight gain wasn’t really bothering me that much until I got up to 162 pounds which, in the big picture, isn’t obese. But I’m only five foot four, and so for me, that was just too much weight. I was finding my joints to be achy and I just didn’t feel great. I called my doctor and he wanted to put me on Qsymia. I didn’t want to go the pill route but he asked me to try it. I did, and it really worked for me. In nine weeks I had lost 18 pounds. I also cut back on my gluten intake. My cholesterol has always been high, so I cut the gluten and took the pills and it worked well for me. I was so impressed with Qsymia that I contacted the company and told them I would like to do whatever I could to get the word out. So we did a campaign called “Inspired to Lose,” which was me photographing people who had lost weight and had inspiring stories to tell.

I photographed people who had lost anywhere from 15 to over 100 pounds and they used them on their website, along with interviews I recorded with the people.

LA50: So we have to know – as a singer who had a recording career, are there any recordings stashed away of you and your dad singing together?

SB: No. Not a single one. I did sing with him once, at a convention for the travel industry. It wasn’t a planned thing and it was back before everyone recorded everything on their cell phones, so I doubt if there is any recording of that. And that was the only time we ever performed together.

LA50: Do you adhere to any special diet today?

SB: I eat anything I want. I was never really a huge eater. My big problem is that I was the type who would go most of the day without eating anything and then I’d have a few candy bars and a huge dinner and two Martinis. So I may have only been consuming a couple thousand calories a day, but I was doing it all at night. So now I have a small breakfast and maybe an apple or some carrots instead of candy bars and cookies, and I have cut down my portions greatly when it comes to dinner.

LA50: Did anyone from either his record company or yours ever suggest that you record together?

SB: No. However, you have no idea how many people have stopped me over the years to tell me how much they love the duet I did with my father [laughs]. I always have to tell them that wasn’t me, it was Natalie Cole. The song may have been “Unforgettable,” but I guess an awful lot of people did forget who did it [laughs].

LA50: Do you do any sort of regular exercise?

SB: I always use the stairs no matter where I go, but I don’t adhere to any real routine. I do walk a lot. I do have a stationary bike I use, and I love to dance so I’ll get the Latin music cranked up and dance around the house. I also use a jump rope just to get my heart rate up.

LA50: How is your dad doing today?

SB: He is doing great. He is still traveling. He is involved with gang-related programs. We stay in touch on a regular basis, but it seems like every time I’m in New York, he’s in Jamaica, or if he’s in L.A., I’m in Virginia or somewhere. But we do keep in touch on a regular basis.

LA50: You recently lost weight and then went very public with how you did it, teaming up with VIVUS to educate people about the importance of seeking medical treatment for weight management when diet and physical activity alone have not been successful.

SB: I sit on my tush a lot working on my photos. Because of that, I started gaining weight that I couldn’t lose. I am the type of person who gets regular physicals every year because diabetes and heart problems run in my family and I have always had problems with my knees, which has kept me from working out much. I really haven’t had any sort of exercise regime since I was 45 and asked to pose for “Playboy.”

Before doing the shoot, I worked out like crazy to get in the best shape possible.

Well, as soon as that was done, I kind of felt like I was done. I had worked as hard 16 LIFEAFTER50.COM AUGUST 2014

LA50: You will be celebrating two milestones this year. You’ll turn 60 in September and celebrate 25 years of marriage in December. Do you have any advice to share on having a successful marriage or getting older?

SB: Well, as far as making a marriage work, I think you have to be friends. That is the key. If you can laugh through anything that happens, you can make it. Passion wears thin, but if you are friends and can laugh with one another, that’s the most important thing. As for getting older, I have never been afraid of trying new things and don’t see that stopping just because I’m not as young as I once was. I think people should always be into exploring and trying new things no matter what their age. I work on a lot of different projects. I do my artwork and photography. I do gallery shows in Palm Springs and Las Vegas. I’m designing uniforms and doing artwork for a resort that will be opening in Tahiti. I can’t say I ever have a typical day. I’m always open to something new. I guess the closest thing I ever have to a typical day is sitting on my butt, taking pictures of my dogs and watching all those reality shows I swore I would never watch. But that’s okay, too.

For more information on Shari’s weight loss, click on www.inspiredlosing.com or www.vivus.com.

AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 17

18 LIFEAFTER50.COM AUGUST 2014

Keeping Fashion Fresh After 50 Has it been more than a few years since you’ve updated your wardrobe?

If so, a fresh and fabulous “new you” can be just days away!

Special to Life After 50 by Rayne Hagstrom * Photos by David Laurell

A

s we enter new seasons of our lives, we all still want to look our absolute best, but just because that is what we may want, the years still continue to roll by, responsibilities and stressors mount, and we can only maintain our appearances if we really work at it.

For many folks who have passed the age of 50 it becomes all too easy to fall into a style rut. We know we need to update our wardrobe, but we’re just not sure what changes we should be making or, in some cases, even how to go about making them.

So what do you do? Grab some jeans and black tees like you see twentysomethings wearing or squeeze yourself into a clingy dress that looks like it should be hanging in your daughter’s closet?

If you are asking yourself questions like that, you, my friend, are in need of a fashion tune-up.

As a personal stylist who has seen my share of fashion mishaps, I’ve created a simple step-by-step plan that will take you from blah and outdated to a dazzling and well-put-together new version of you, while still remaining true to your personality, age and overall lifestyle.

Step 1: “Rayne Check” Your Closet Every year, perhaps during the spring or around your birthday, you should do a full wardrobe edit. Is it bedazzled, too tight, too big, or too short? Toss it. Do you have shirts or sweaters with logos, cartoon characters, or goofy sayings on them? Lose them all. There is no reason to ever hang on to an old suit or dress that you hope you may fit into again if you could just lose 20 pounds. It doesn’t matter that you someday may be able to fit into them again; they’re out of style and they need to go.

Other articles of clothing that should be removed immediately include anything purchased from the junior department. For women, please take note that wearing younger clothes does not make you look younger. It simply makes you look like an older person who is dressing like a kid. And for my male friends, please toss all your pleated pants and shorts and anything that is stained and showing wear.

Remember, the key to achieving a polished image is to dress for the person you are today, not the one you were 20 years ago.

Out With The Underpinnings

Please, please, and again I say PLEASE, get rid of any underwear that is not in good condition. Far too many women keep underwear too long and men are especially guilty of holding on to boxers that should have been retired back during the Bush or even the Clinton administrations.

Where We Are With Nylons

Okay ladies, I know, this can be a tough one. The days of the pantyhose are gone and nylons should

only be worn when absolutely necessary. That is why I highly suggest dumping that entire drawer of nylons. However, if you have varicose veins, you may need some coverage. You can try Sally Hanson Airbrush Legs Spray or get a professional spray tan on your legs that will help you go bare with confidence.

If that doesn’t work and you are still afraid to wear a skirt or dress because you don’t feel comfortable baring your legs, I recommend that my clients do slip into some nylons. They are perfectly okay as long as you don’t wear them with open-toe shoes.

Translucent black tights with a control top are the best for evening and look great with a dark dress or skirt. I recommend Spanx, Calvin Klein and Donna Karen for a non-matted and less-noticeable look.

I Know! It Can Be Hard

If I have a client who is having a hard time letting go of a particular item, I have them “Rayne Check” it. I ask them to ask themselves: * Have I worn this garment in the past year? * Is it showing wear like holes, tears, yellowing or pilling? * Does it fit properly? * Does the cut still flatter my body type? * Does the color look good with my skin tone, hair color, and eye color?

If your answers are tilting more towards “no” rather than “yes,” it is time for that garment to go.

Now I know some things can be sentimental. Well, go ahead and store those things in a box or treasure chest. They are keepsakes – not wardrobe. The rest should go to the donation pile. In a short time, you won’t even miss those items.

Trust me, you will be enlightened after this process.

A successful closet purge will leave you with only the things that fit, flatter, and are timelessly fashionable.

Step 2: Make A List.

Check It Twice.

Stick To It With some newfound room in your closet, it’s time to go shopping. I suggest creating a list with your core wardrobe pieces listed first. Putting together a “perfect for you” core wardrobe will make getting dressed effortless and stress-free.

A core wardrobe for someone over 50 should include: dark jeans, slacks, button-ups and blouses, cashmere sweaters, a pencil skirt or sheath dress for the ladies, and a well-tailored and fashionable sports jacket and suit for the men. Investing the most money you can afford into these items is highly recommended. When you are purchasing clothing, always think quality over quantity.

AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 19

So let’s break it down and look at these core items a bit closer.

Jeans And Slacks

Every man and woman needs a pair of dark denims that fit perfectly. Dark denim can be worn with light colored tops during the day and can be dressed up with blazers, blouses, sweaters and button-ups at night. The front should be flat with no pleats or embellishments. The pockets should be free of bling, squiggles, or other distracting designs.

For women, mid-rise is a safe option. Stay away from high-waist and low-rise. Once you find a fit that you love, you should purchase other colors in the same cut and style. Slacks, like your denims, should have minimal design – flat in front and in a neutral color like navy, black or a shade of grey.

Remember: the fit is key. Oh, and here’s my “Rayne Check” on checking to see if any pants really fit well: If you can’t fit two fingers in the waist of the pants they are two small; if you can fit more than two fingers they are too big.

Button-Ups, Blouses And Sweaters

When it comes to your tops, color it up! Experiment with colors that complement your skin tone. You can make or break how you look by wearing the right or wrong color. Find out what colors flatter your face. Black is the color that can age you the most. White can often wash you out. Don’t believe me? Stand in front of a mirror and drape yourself in a black shirt. Notice how your eyes go to the dark mass instead of to your face. Now slip into a colored shirt that matches the intensity of your eyes and check out the difference. If you have hazel eyes try a moss green shirt. If you have deep brown eyes try something in deep purple. Do you appear more vibrant? Does your attention go straight to your eyes? Have someone take a photo of you in various colors and then put the pictures side by side. This way, you can really see the difference for yourself.

Skirts And Dresses

Skirts and dresses need to be kept classy and 20 LIFEAFTER50.COM AUGUST 2014

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elegant. Women over 50 often make the mistake of showing off too much cleavage and wearing skirts that are too short. The key to an elegant sexy-at-50 dress is fit, color and shape.

Sheath dresses with ruching, the gathering up of fabric, are great for all body types. Ruching camouflages anything you may want to conceal. Color is also a great way to show your fun side. Jewel tones, like violet, magenta and emerald green are a fabulous way to pep up your style and complement most skin tones. The lighter your skin, eyes and hair, the lighter your hues can go.

Suits

The bottom line – a man in a suit is hot no matter what his age. Every man should have a good quality, well-fitting suit on the ready for weddings, dinners, dates and parties. To get more use out of your suit, break it up. Pair slacks with a cashmere sweater or the jacket with jeans for a casual business meeting or dinner date. Choose one with texture or barely-there pin stripes, rather than black, in a modern fit with no shoulder pads, pleats or super boxy cuts. Keep in mind, an all-black suit can come off cold, generic and stuffy. Ladies – instead of wearing a head-to-toe suit, mix and match the jackets and slacks with cardigans or tanks for a gentle, yet youthful, look.

Step 3: Shop In The Name Of A Stylish You!

Let Rayne Help You Go From Drab To Fab! All of these steps can be done in just a few days. You can easily polish, transform and tune up your wardrobe and personal style within a week. For more tips on keeping your wardrobe fresh, contemporary and right for you, click on to stylist Rayne Hagstrom’s website at www.

StyleByRayne.com and pick up a copy of her book, “The Ultimate Guide to Style: from Drab to Fab!” (Pick Out Artists, 2012) that is available at www.Amazon.com. You can also contact her at Rayne@StyleByRayne. com for style services, inquiries and any fashion-related questions you may have. She has a 100-percent styling success rate, regularly works with clients over 50, and it is always her ultimate pleasure to serve her clients and keep them in style.

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Is your list complete? Okay, that means it’s time to go shopping. In addition to your core wardrobe, add the pieces that you are lacking for the current season. Purchase what you think you will wear the most, then add other pieces along the way. Remember, to stick to your list. Getting distracted by clearance racks and sales people wanting you to “buy, buy, buy” is very easy. Don’t let that happen!

Shopping Tips * Find your favorite clothing designer or brand for your jeans, tops, suits and dresses. Once you know the brands that work with your body type, you can shop online for different colors in the same style you have previously purchased, plus it will save you time next time you shop. * Stick to your list. Have you ever found yourself buying a clearance item because it was such a great deal? Then you get it home and it sits in your closet because, HELLO, nothing goes with a banana yellow polka-dot button up. Yep, it has happened to the best of us. * Stay away from trends and focus on the hues that work best for you. Shopping in the same color family will make mixing and matching your wardrobe less arduous. I suggest you start with three shades and your neutrals.

Now that you have your basics, it’s time to sprinkle in some accents.

Accessories

To keep your look fresh, add colorful jewelry, scarves, and bags to your sophisticated style. Let your personality shine with a leopard scarf or handsome watch. Don’t be afraid to try something new and bold.

Shoes

Patterns, texture and leather are sleek and sexy options, but stay away from square-toed or superpointy styles. Ladies, if you’re still sporting or hanging on to your five-inch-high heels, let them go. Your feet will thank you. Try a kitten heel, ballet flats and a trend-setting boot. If you do opt to go with a heel, make sure it has a platform so it gives you support. Guys, my favorite comfortableyet-fashionable shoe is by a company called Ryz. Check them out.

Step 4: Tailor, Tailor, Tailor!

A tailored fit can make you look ten pounds lighter and more polished. Buy every garment in a size that fits your biggest part and then have the rest taken in.

For example, I’m top heavy, so I have almost all my shirts taken in an inch or two at the waist. For skirts and dresses, have the hem stop at the skinniest part of your leg, usually right under your knee.

The September Issue FALL HOUSING & HOME Life After 50 Explores Southern California Living, Senior Housing Options and Real Estate

ISSUE DATE: September 8 Artwork Due September 2

Advertise to 100,000 Southern California Readers Today 310.822.1629 x 121 advertise@lifeafter50.com AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 23

Fifty-Plus And Fabulous Start styling it up, caring for your skin and being more playful because, at 50, life is far from over Special to Life After 50 by Sally Van Swearingen

O Okay, I’m putting it out there for all the world to see. I’m 56.

There! I said it.

Now of course I want to hear what all ladies love to be told: “No way. Fifty-six! Really? I w would have never guessed.”

I actually do hear that when I tell people my aage and that is because I work hard at maintaining an appearance. Looking younger than my actual age has proven to be a benefit in my industries – beauty and entertainment. As a woman who is maturing while still working as a make-up artist and hair stylist, I know that maintaining a younger appearance is what most women strive for and I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade along the way to help them accomplish that.

In my recently released book, “It’s Not Over Yet – Reclaiming your REAL BEAUTY POWER in your 40s 50s and Beyond” (BP Ink, 2014), I get real with women who, like me, have reached a certain age and may be finding themselves at a crossroads. In my opinion, women tend to go in one of three directions after turning 50: 1) The “Daisy Dukes and Ugg boots” route (trying to compete with younger women) 2) The “baseball cap and sweat pants” route (also known as the I’ve given up look) 3) The “I’m embracing my beauty power” route (continuing to rock their appearance in a playful yet age-appropriate way) I would like to share three of the key points from my book that will help you embrace your beauty power and keep your edge beyond 50. In other words, allow me to share some of my tips on how to use what you’ve got to make more of who you are.

24 LIFEAFTER50.COM AUGUST 2014

1) Exfoliate, Hydrate, And Please – Lose The Foundation!

Peel It Off. Peel It All Off

Youthful skin has an even tone. It is reflective and luminous. Women spend millions of dollars to duplicate this look with moisturizers, make-up, highlighters and bronzers. This does help, but to really get a healthy glow to our skin, we must start at the bottom, underneath all the make-up.

Light peels, (natural based acids, like lactic) break down the uneven, dry, upper layer of the epidermis, helping to slough off the aged look of our faces, giving us a more reflective, healthy glow. Salon facials will usually include an exfoliation, which makes a big difference. At home, even a simple scrub in the shower is important. Make sure your scrubs dissolve when you use them and never use scrubs that have crushed walnut shells in them. As an esthetician, I’m shocked that the FDA is still allowing these types of products to be sold.

I make a simple in-shower scrub by mixing a half cup of granulated sugar, enough water to make a paste, and a drop of tea tree oil in a small bowl.

Tea tree is a natural antibacterial, and the sugar dissolves easily under shower water. This is so simple and inexpensive to do that there really is no excuse that you can’t find the time or budget to exfoliate.

Use Retinol Cream

Retinol cream is a Vitamin A-based resurfacing cream. This type of product works wonders on maturing, sun-damaged and blemished skin. Retinol cream increases the production of cells in the top layer of skin while cumulatively thinning the deep lines. But remember, if you use Retinol you absolutely must use sun block during the day.

Hydrate Obsessively

Use moisturizer every night. We do a lot of our perspiring when we sleep. This means more moisture loss.

When we wake in the morning we wonder why our skin looks so dry and the lines are more visible. It has been proven that a potent collagen-stimulating cream will actually deep moisturize parched and aging skin by reenergizing collagen threads in the dermis and epidermis, strengthening the bonds that keep skin pliable and younger looking.

If I am just too lazy to do anything else, I try at least to quickly cleanse and put on my night cream. On those mornings that I haven’t done it, my make-up never looks right. When I am working on set as a makeup artist, there is nothing more challenging than to try to brighten up an on-camera talent when they are lacking sleep and haven’t used a night cream. It is vitally important to keep your skin extra moist. People ask me why my skin isn’t deeply lined. I am convinced that my years of taking an extra minute to apply facial cream is the answer to that question.

Cut The Ties With Your Base

If you have been using the same foundation for years, it is time to say “bye bye.” That foundation is probably making you look older than your years. Why? Let’s consider what foundation’s purpose is. It evens out the skin color and tone and covers imperfections. However, after 40 we must show the skin, not hide it. In addition, ladies tend to put on too much, and that actually makes one look older. So toss the base and start over with a more flattering type of product, like a tinted primer.

A Tinted Primer Is Amazing!

I call mine “the amazing tinted primer” because it truly is. It gives a touch of coverage (which is all most women need) while imparting a subtle luminescence that does double duty as a sunscreen.

Buy Some BB

Beauty balm cream, or BB cream as it is known, is the beauty industry’s current push product. Every major cosmetic company is pushing their own BB cream. What is it? It’s an all-inclusive product and the best one you can invest in. It contains moisturizer, sun block and a bit of coverage, too. My recommendation: Don’t let another day go by without buying a good BB cream.

Style Up With Sally Celebrity make-up artist and hair stylist Sally Van Swearingen is in demand from Los Angeles to New York, from Las Vegas to Montreal.

Her work in Hollywood and with Brides magazine has made her the go-to person for flawless images on camera. Called “One of the best make-up artists in the country” by Allure magazine, Sally’s salon, The A List Hair and Make-up Studio in Santa Clarita, California is quickly becoming one of the most popular beauty spots in the area.

Her Studio Essentials Cosmetics make-up line gives women of any age the ability to look beautiful in three minutes or less. For more information on Sally, connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest or her website – www.sallyvanswearingen.com.

You can also e-mail her at Sally@ ItsNotOverYet.net and order a signed copy of her book by clicking on www.

ItsNotOverYet.net.

AUGUST 2014 LIFEAFTER50.COM 25

2) Update Your Style Along with my book, I highly recommend “How Not to Look Old: Fast and Effortless Ways to Look 10 Years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better” (Grand Central Life & Style, 2008). That book served as one of the inspirations for my book and believe me, it’s a “must have.”

Both of these books compel you to consider what your personal fashion style is and to keep the best and lose the rest. One way to do that is to hire a wardrobe consultant who will help you get rid of your out-of-date pieces and replace them with current looks. You’ll find most professional stylists will encourage you to push the envelope a bit by adding some zest with color. And don’t think that just because you are over 50, you have to wear unflattering shoes. Shoe manufacturers have finally figured out that many of us of a certain age can’t wear the high-heeled stilettos we did when we were younger. They are now designing flattering shoes that are comfortable, too. So don’t give up showing off your legs just because you can’t wear those killer, uncomfortable spiky pumps anymore.

As for shopping, I always suggest making your most significant “fashion investment” on well-made dresses and pants, while saving the bargain hunt for tops, fashion-forward summer dresses, and costume jewelry.

And with everything you purchase, make sure that it accentuates your best features.

3) Stay Fit But Also Be Playful By accentuating your best features, I mean to work with your natural body type. I’m a curvy girl (not fat, but a size 12). I’m also done trying to diet down to a size nine, but I do take care of my body with dance, yoga and walking. I look forward to enjoying good food, wine and a fun life. Sure it is very important to stay fit as we get older, but please, can we stop fighting and avoiding everything that offers us pleasure. In my salon I regularly hear my mature clients being hard on themselves, lamenting the shortcomings in their looks and dwelling on their flaws.

I say be the woman you are at the age you are. That doesn’t mean I recommend letting your hair go grey and wearing frumpy clothes. I’m all for coloring your hair, wearing makeup, getting a bikini wax, having some “work done” or just getting a little Botox. These adjustments to aging can be great ways to keep you feeling good about yourself. But, perhaps the most important point I make in my book is to be playful and you can read all of my suggestions for this in a chapter I call “Get your playful on!” Believe me, a playful and joyful attitude can do wonders in taking off the years, because there is nothing more stylish and beautiful for anyone to wear than a smile.

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Cooking, Eating and Living Well Jackie Keller Jackie Keller is a best-selling author, wellness coach and the founder of Nutrifit. You can contact her directly at www.jackiekeller.com or by clicking on www.nutrifitonline.com.

For Hydration – Eight Or Eat?

H

ow do you usually answer the question: “How much water should you drink on a daily basis?” The answer most people give, because they have heard or read it, is: “Eight glasses per day.” But where did this eight-glass rule come from, and is it really backed by scientific evidence?

Tracing the eight-per-day rule takes us back to 1945, when the determination was made that the intake of water should be based on consuming one milliliter (ml) of water for each kilocalorie (kcal) consumed. The average calorie intake was determined to be 1,900 kcals (1,900 mls is approximately 64 fluid ounces).

This guideline was created without taking into consideration the amount of water in foods and other beverages. The Institute of Medicine has now set a dietary reference intake that does take this into account, and it is set at 2.7 liters per day (91 ounces) for women, including water in food and 3.7 (125 ounces) for adult men, which includes water found in food and other beverages. The difficulty in translating this for most of us is that hydration needs vary a great deal among individuals, as does dietary intake.

Several factors come into play when trying to determine the need for water, including climate, muscle mass, physical activity, age (which affects our thirst response) and diet. Most athletes, both professional and recreational, don’t adequately hydrate to compensate for water lost through sweat. Others, especially novice athletes, over-hydrate, which can place them at risk for potentially life-threatening hyponatremia.

So how much water is really in our food? On the average, it provides 20 percent of the fluid we need. Eating a diet rich in high-water-content foods can add to that total considerably. And since most of us need to consume 11 to 15 cups of water daily (again, a combination of foods, beverages and water), eating your water can really help. Eating your water also helps us consume more minerals, such as sodium and potassium, which can help us retain the water that we eat.

Which foods are highest in water content? Fruits and vegetables lead the way.

Here’s a list of 15 that are over 90 percent water (in descending order): cucumber, iceberg lettuce, celery, radishes, tomatoes, green peppers, cauliflower, watermelon, spinach, star fruit, strawberries, broccoli, grapefruit, baby carrots and cantaloupe.

There’s a lot of talk about caffeine and its effect on hydration. According to the Institute of Medicine and the American College of Sports Medicine, it’s a myth that caffeine dehydrates us. While the kidneys are signaled to rid excess water when we consume caffeine, we still retain more fluid than we lose and our bodies replenish quickly. Thus, caffeinated beverages contribute to our daily water needs as much as non-caffeinated drinks.

What’s the best way to tell if you’re dehydrated? Thirst doesn’t necessarily indicate dehydration – we can sense thirst when we are as little as one percent dehydrated, according to Ann Grandjean, executive director of the Center for Human Nutrition in Omaha, Nebraska. Dry mouth can set in at three percent dehydration. Reaching this level of dehydration does make our blood more concentrated, which causes sensors in the brain to send us a signal to drink more.

And, as we drink, our blood becomes more diluted and these signals subside.

Water can truly be considered to be the single most important nutrient, because humans cannot survive more than a few days without it. So if you’re feeling thirsty, you may not be technically dehydrated, but it’s time to eat your fruits and vegetables, and, oh yeah…drink your water!

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The September Issue FALL HOUSING & HOME Life After 50 Explores Southern California Living, Senior Housing Options and Real Estate

ISSUE DATE: September 8 Artwork Due September2 Advertise to 100,000 Southern California Readers Today 310.822.1629 xt 121 advertise@lifeafter50.com 30 LIFEAFTER50.COM AUGUST 2014

The Best In August Television Viewing

By Sandi Berg

Tuned In To What’s On The Knick – New Series, Cinemax – Premieres Friday August 8 at 10 p.m.

Set in New York City circa 1900, this 10-part series centers on the real life Knickerbocker Hospital and the surgeons, nurses and staff, who pushed the bounds of medicine in a time of astonishingly high mortality rates and no antibiotics. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Clive Owen stars as Dr. John Thackery, a brilliant surgeon despite his secret addiction to cocaine. He leads a team of doctors including his protégé Dr. Everett Gallinger, the young Dr. Bertie Chickering Jr. and Dr. Algernon Edwards, a promising surgeon who’s been recently thrust upon him. The lively cast of characters at the hospital also includes Cornelia Robertson, the daughter of its benefactor, Captain August Robertson, surly ambulance driver Tom Cleary, Lucy Elkins, a freshfaced nurse from the country, the crooked hospital administrator Herman Barrow, and Sister Harriet, a nun who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

Stranded In Paradise – New Original Movie, Hallmark Channel - Premieres Saturday August 9 at 9 p.m.

Based on Lori Copeland’s novel, this new romantic film stars Vanessa Marcil as Tess Nelson, a poised and confident human resources executive who is aiming for a well-deserved promotion. When her boss informs her she’s being laid off instead, Tess is furious and worried about letting down her demanding mother, Mona, played by Cindy Pickett.

Determined to use a business trip to a convention in Puerto Rico to score a new job, Nelson is discouraged when the trip is a disaster from the start, and an approaching hurricane makes it impossible to fly home. After bumping into a handsome fellow traveler, Carter, played by James Denton, Tess opens up to the possibilities beyond her desk job and the couple’s adventures on the island bring them closer while the hurricane rolls in.

Legends – New Series, TNT – Premieres Wednesday August 13 at 9 p.m.

Summer is no longer for light beach reading or popcorn movies. We’re getting some serious dramas on television making up for a lack of interesting programming in the last couple of years. From “Homeland” producer Howard Gordon, TNT presents this 10-part thriller which follows deep-cover operative Martin Odum played by Sean Bean, who has an uncanny ability to transform himself into a different person for each job. His own identity comes into question when a mysterious stranger suggests that Martin isn’t who he thinks he is. Ali Larter, Rob Mayes, and Tina Majorino co-star.

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Charles Fox The award-winning composer reflects on a career of making things happen while traveling the unending path of dreams Story by David Laurell * Photos courtesy Charles Fox

ew things stir our emotions and memories like music, and, by virtue of nationwide television programs, records and radio playlists of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, American baby boomers were the first generation to embrace the same songs and music no matter where they grew up.

There is hardly a baby boomer alive today who, upon hearing the stirring, brassy musical fanfare that was first played over a montage of sports clips in 1965, will not repeat the words of sportscaster Jim McKay: “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition...This is ABC’s Wide World of Sports!”

Most boomers will also immediately recognize the sound of a pulsating instrumental they were first introduced to on the evening of September 21, 1970, as ABC debuted “Monday Night Football” and can hum or sing the lyrics to “Love American Style,” “Happy Days” and “The Love Boat,” without a moment’s hesitation.

Want proof of that? Just repeat that odd phrase Laverne De Fazio and Shirley Feeney would say at the beginning of their weekly sitcom: “Schlemiel, schlemazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated” to any boomer and then sit back and listen as they break out in song:

F

“Give us any chance – we’ll take it Read us any rule – we’ll break it We’re gonna make our dreams come true....

Doin’ it our way.”

While no one who grew up with those songs and music ever gave any thought that there was a connection between them, there was. They were all composed

by Charles Fox. “Doing those early themes, for ‘Wide World of Sports’ and ‘Monday Night Football’ and ‘Love American Style,’ led to a bunch of other television and film work for me,” says Fox. “Back in those days, the producers were looking for theme music that would be immediately recognizable and bring viewers into the show. They wanted the music and the lyrics to introduce the premise and the characters of the show. The theme songs gave viewers a sense of what the shows were about. I was very fortunate to have been a part of that era, and did about 50 themes for various shows and pilots in the 1970s and ‘80s.”

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There Was Something In The Water

Born in the Bronx in 1940, Fox began taking piano lessons when he was eight years old and soon became good enough to accompany his father, who was an amateur mandolin player. Showing a clear talent for music by his early teens, he attended New York’s High School of Music and Art, which he credits with first exposing him to extremely diverse styles of music.

“I was very influenced by the other students I was around, who were very talented,” says Fox. “It was during that time I started going to the opera every week and I also really got into jazz and Latin music. I began performing with my first band at the Catskill Mountain resorts when I was 15 and the earliest songs I composed for were in Spanish. I started writing and recording with some great Latin bands and, while I don’t speak Spanish at all, I had a great feel for the music. I played with some of the greats like Tito Puente and Ray Barretto.”

Asked why he thinks the New York City area has produced so many great musicians, he sheepishly laughs and shrugs. “I recently wrote a song with Alan and Marilyn Bergman called ‘There’s Something in the Water,’ about all the famous comedians, and actors, and singers, and writers and performers who came out of Brooklyn,” he says. “And I guess in my case, some of that spilled over into the Bronx.”

Although it may not have been out of the ordinary for a Bronx boy from a working-class family to perform in the Catskills, studying in Paris under Nadia Boulanger, the most acclaimed composition teacher of the 20th century, was not the norm.

“That was a big turning point in my life,” Fox says. “I was just 18, and having the opportunity to study under Nadia Boulanger, who taught Aaron Copland, was life-changing for me.”

That change became manifest when, after two years, Fox returned to the U.S, and began his professional career, which would eventually encompass the worlds of film, television, recording, ballet, and symphonic music, as a composer, pianist and conductor. Along with his television work, Fox composed the music for over 100 feature films including “Barbarella,” “Goodbye Columbus,” “Nine to Five,” “One on One,” and “Foul Play,” for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for the Barry Manilow-performed hit song, “Ready to Take A Chance Again.” He also

hit the music charts with his lyrical collaborator Norman Gimbel by composing the Grammy Award-winning song, “Killing Me Softly,” which, over the years, has been separately recorded by Lori Lieberman, Roberta Flack and the Fugees, and Jim Croce’s “I Got a Name.”

In addition to Gimbel, Fox has also written songs in collaboration with Paul Williams, Hal David, Bob Crewe, and Sammy Cahn that were recorded by Lena Horne, Fred Astaire, Luther Vandross, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis and hundreds of other pop, rock and jazz artists.

While best-known for his television and film music and songs, Fox has also composed ballets for The San Francisco Ballet, the Dance Theater of Harlem, and the Smuin Ballet. His concert music includes the oratorio, “Lament and Prayer,” based on the words of Pope John Paul II, and he has conducted the Poland National Opera Company as they performed “Fantasie en Hommage à Frédéric Chopin,” to honor the 200th birthday of the legendary Polish composer.

The Memories of Music

In a period of his life where he is finding himself partial to classical music, Fox adds that he keeps current on what and who is happening in the music business. “I think there are a lot of very talented young people out there today,” he opines. “Pharrell Williams is terrific. I like Arcade Fire.

There really are a lot of nice things happening in music today, but I do understand that most people, as they get older, relate best to the music that was popular when they were young – when they had their first relationships and were first experiencing so many of life’s milestones.”

Fox says that music evokes memories, and when people listen to big band, folk, pop and rock songs, or whatever was popular during the era in which they were growing up, they become very nostalgic.

“I don’t think that means you don’t enjoy other types of music or music from other eras, but there will always be a reverence for the music you listened to when you were young.

Every era has its own unique style of clothing, and jargon, and architecture, and automobiles, and, as a student of music, I have found those things have always fit together well. We seem to connect things categorically. In the post-World War II era, we saw a youth explosion with the creation of a simple little three-chord blues structure that laid the groundwork for rock ‘n’ roll. The older generation in the 1950s and early ‘60s wondered how long that fad would last, and today, in 2014, it has grown and is as strong as ever. Rap speaks for its generation – for those who are on the outskirts of society. It always amazes me how the music seems to always perfectly fit into the era of its creation – with everything going on in the world at that moment. Every generation has a different style or tempo that becomes a part of them for the rest of their lives. No matter how old we get, we all remember the music and songs from when we were teenagers and children.”

Making It Happen

With the many significant contributions to music that have resulted in his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Fox is completely fine with the fact that most people will remember him best for his television theme music.

“Those songs are an indelible part of the culture and of people’s lives,” he says.

Pressed for his memories on how either easy or challenging it was to create some of those classics, he uses “Making Our Dream Come True” from “Laverne & Shirley” as an example.

“With the success of the characters of Laverne and Shirley, who had appeared on ‘Happy Days,’ the producers put together a pilot with Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams. It wasn’t a traditional pilot. They did a short example of what the premise of the show was and who the characters would be. There was no real script. They just pieced together some scenes from ‘Happy Days’ and they needed a title song that would speak for the girls and explain who they were and what they were longing to do. The show’s creator, Garry Marshall, told us they were two girls who worked in a brewery and were looking to get out of their dead end job and do something with their lives. So we wrote a song about looking forward to doing things and wishing and hoping that dreams would come true. When Garry and the producers heard what we first did, they liked it, but said that Laverne and Shirley would not be the types who would sit around wishing and hoping – they would be the types who would take the world by storm and make things happen. That phrase – make things happen –

changed everything about that song. That they would make their dreams come true instead of wishing and hoping they would come true made it a whole different song. That change then called for music that was more explosive and dynamic. And that was how we came to write ‘Making Our Dreams Come True.’”

Making It Happen For Others

While it is obvious that Fox is passionate about his music, his passion level boils over when he talks about his work with the Fulfillment Fund – an organization that, for over 30 years, has made the dreams of many musicians come true.

“I am so happy and proud to be involved with the Fulfillment Fund that was established to help young people, mostly from the inner cities, who are economically challenged and don’t have the same opportunities for education that people from more affluent areas have,” says Fox. “The program offers mentoring, scholarships, love and support that has proven to have a phenomenal success rate for high school graduation and college attendance.

It is a life-giving operation that has given people the opportunity to succeed and make their dreams come true. Many of them have even gone on to become mentors themselves, so it has created a very positive cycle of giving.”

Fox says he was attracted to the work of the Fulfillment Fund because,

“If our paths are made of dreams, there is never an end. The dreams and the paths just continue as you dream of new things you want to do.”

without a helping hand, he would never have been able to make his own dreams come true. “My parents had very little money and my teacher knew I couldn’t afford lessons, so while she didn’t charge me, she would always tell me that her hope was that someday, if I were to become successful, I would help someone in return and that would be her payment.”

The Unending Path Of Dreams

Today, at the age of 73, while Fox is still working and teaching musical composition at UCLA, he also loves to travel with his wife, Joan, and spend time with their seven grandchildren. “We have a home in New York and we love to spend time there,” he says. “We also enjoy going to concerts, and the opera, and to see films, and play golf and bridge. But I’ll never retire. I don’t think composers ever retire.

The music never stops, so you can’t retire from it. I love the challenge of always creating something new. If our paths are made of dreams, there is never an end.

The dreams and the paths just continue as you dream of new things you want to do. I’m still dreaming my way through life. I think having dreams makes life better and sweeter. My dreams are not goals so much. I’m not really goal-oriented as much as I am a believer that opportunities open up for those who have dreams.

Then it’s up to us to grab those opportunities that may lead us down a path we never thought we would take. That’s why I’ll never retire. I always want to see where the new paths may lead me.”

For more information on Charles Fox, the Fulfillment Fund and their many events, click on www.charlesfoxmusic.com or www.fulfillment.com.

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LET’S GET OUT A Preview of Upcoming Events for August/September By Claire Yezbak Fadden

San Diego/Orange County/Inland Empire

August/September 2014

Old Globe Theatre, Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, San Diego.

Through Aug. 24. $29-plus. (619) 234-5623. theoldglobe.org.

DEL MAR THOROUGHBRED RACING Besides world-class Thoroughbred racing, Del Mar is known for its incredible lineup of entertainment, hosting big name musical acts on the Seaside Stage for its Summer Concert Series. Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar. Racing Wed.Sun. through Sept. 3 (also Labor Day, Sept. 1). $6-$10. (858) 755-1141. delmarracing.com.

SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL Join the Cat in the Hat as he tells the story of Horton, an elephant who not only must protect a speck of dust containing the Whos from a world of naysayers, but also guard an abandoned egg. Witness the powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community overcome each challenge encountered.

LifeHouse Theater, 1135 N. Church St., Redlands. Weekends through Aug. 30. $14$18. (909) 335-3037 ext. 21. lifehousetheater. com.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

TUESDAY, AUGUST 19

LES MISERABLES Victor Hugo’s epic story about the nature of law and grace. Lamb’s Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado. $22-plus.

Tues.-Sun through Aug. 24. (619) 437-6000. lambsplayers.org.

ONCE The enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa.

Through Aug. 31. $25-$109. (714) 556-2787. scfta.org.

WIN, PLACE OR DIE . . .

Interactive mystery comedy dinner theater set at the Thoroughbred Club at Upson Downs Race Track. Everyone who’s anyone is here, including movie stars, a gossip columnist, a politician, a debt-ridden track owner and a jockey who may be in for the ride of his life.

Mystery Cafe Dinner Theater, Imperial House Restaurant, 505 Kalmia St., San Diego. $60.

Fri.-Sat. through Aug. 30. (619) 466-2200. mysterycafe.net.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS

Blessed with one of the most distinctive voices in music, Frankie Valli continues to dazzle. The rock ‘n’ roll’s legend shares an evening of unforgettable classics like “Sherry” and “My Eyes Adored You.” Valli’s incredible career as a solo artist and with The Four Seasons has produced 19 top 10 hits and sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. $49-$129. (714) 556-2787. scfta.org.

ENTERTAINMENT FRIDAY, AUGUST 15 ONCE The enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights, but their unlikely connection turns out to be deeper and more complex than your everyday romance.

Emotionally captivating and theatrically breathtaking, this musical draws you in from the very first note and never lets go. San Diego Civic Theatre, Third and B St., 1100 Third Ave., downtown San Diego. Through Aug.17. Prices vary. (619) 570-1100. broadwaysd.com.

BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY Buddy Holly’s short yet spectacular career is told through classic songs including “That’ll Be the Day,” “Peggy Sue,” “Not Fade Away,” The Big Bopper’s “Chantilly Lace,” Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba.” Laguna Playhouse, Moulton Theatre Main Stage, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach. Through Aug. 19. $36-$66.

949-497-2787. lagunaplayhouse.com.

QUARTET Three former opera singers, Reginald, Cecily and Wilfred, lead a harmonious existence at a home for retired musicians — until Reginald’s ex-wife, grande dame Jean Horton, arrives. As long-ago grudges surface and old scores are settled, the quartet heads back into the rehearsal room for one final encore.

(outdoors), 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, San Diego. $29-plus. Through Sept. 14.

(619) 234-5623. theoldglobe.org.

PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS: THE ART DETECTIVE Enjoy tableaux vivants (living pictures), incredibly faithful re-creations of classical and contemporary works of art using real people posed to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. This year’s exhibition showcases how lost treasures were discovered, where crimes of passion were uncovered (or covered up) and how creative riddles were unraveled, with a gallery of the world’s great masterpieces providing the clues. A live narrator serves as a guide through the story of each living picture accompanied by the music of a professional orchestra. The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters, Irvine Bowl, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Through Aug. 30. $15-plus. (800) 487-3378. (949) 497-6852. foapom.com.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17 THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA Best friends Valentine and Proteus travel to the big city to seek their fortunes, only to find themselves rivals, both madly in love with the beautiful Silvia, daughter of Milan’s most powerful duke. A fast-paced, exuberant tale of friendship, romance, and secret identities, featuring a band of outlaws, two bumbling servants and one unforgettable dog. The Old Globe, Lowell Davies Festival Theatre

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20 MY FAIR LADY Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle have been vying for our hearts - and each other’s since 1956 when this musical debuted on Broadway. The show blooms with witty comedy and characters in this tale of Eliza Doolittle’s transformation from street vendor to high society lady. With some of the best musical theatre songs ever, it’s no wonder everyone falls in love with Eliza. Moonlight Amphitheatre, 1200 Vale Terrace, Vista. Dates vary through Aug. 30. $20-$52. (760) 7242110. moonlightstage.com.

GREEN FLASH CONCERT SERIES Marc Broussard and Tyrone Wells. Live music with panoramic ocean views on the aquarium’s stunning outdoor tide-pool plaza. Keep an eye out for a real “green flash,” a rare optical phenomenon caused by refraction of light as the sun sets on the horizon. Birch Aquarium at Scripps, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla. $36.

(858) 534-3474. aquarium.ucsd.edu.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 CASH’D OUT: A TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY CASH San Diego Symphony Summer Pops Concert.

Embarcadero Marina Park, behind Convention Center, San Diego. Prices vary. (619) 2350804. sandiegosymphony.com.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 OKLAHOMA! This Rogers and Hammerstein classic tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams.

Features songs “Oh, What A Beautiful

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August/September 2014 San Diego/Orange County/Inland Empire

CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 KINGDOM CITY When displaced New York director Miriam finds herself in Kingdom City, Missouri, she reluctantly agrees to direct a high school production of “The Crucible.” The play unlocks the students’ unspoken desires, creating a firestorm in this small Christian town. La Jolla Playhouse, UCSD Campus, Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla. $15-plus. Through Oct. 5. $25. (858) 550-1010. lajollaplayhouse.org.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 FALL KICK-OFF Dinner, entertainment and raffles. San Dimas Community Center, 245 E. Bonita Ave., San Dimas. $7. (909) 394-6290.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 LIVE JAZZ ON THE PATIO Bernardo Winery, Tasting Room Patio, 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte, San Diego. Free. bernardowinery.com.

CLASSICS AT THE MERC Chamber performances by the region’s best professional musicians. Old Town Temecula Community Theater, The Merc, 42051 Main St., Temecula. Sundays. $12. (866) 6538696. temeculatheater.org.

REX BRANDT: IN PRAISE OF SUNSHINE

Known for his watercolor paintings from the mid-1930s to the 1990s, Rex Brandt (1914–2000) preferred watercolor, a medium he considered to be the most expressive, perfect vehicle to paint light and atmosphere. This retrospective exhibition features 52 works and is accompanied by a fully illustrated scholarly catalogue. Laguna Art Museum, Main Level Gallery, 307 Cliff Dr., Laguna Beach. Through Sept. 1. Closed Wednesdays. $5-$7. (949) 494-8971. lagunaartmuseum.org.

Morning,” “Surrey With the Fringe On Top” and “I Can’t Say No.” Welk Resorts Theatre, 8860 Lawrence Welk Dr., Escondido. Dates vary through Nov. 16. $45-$75. (888) 8027469. welktheatre.com.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 COWBOY JACK Live vintage country and island music covering Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Jimmy Buffet and more! Featuring Cowboy Jack and Lee Johnson on acoustic guitar, harmonica, ukulele and bass guitar.

Solana Beach Blanket Movie Night Fletcher Cove, 140 S. Sierra Ave., Solana Beach. Free.

(858) 720-2453 ci.solana-beach.ca.us.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24 OZOMATLI San Diego Symphony Summer Pops Concert.

Embarcadero Marina Park, behind Convention Center, San Diego. Prices vary. (619) 2350804. sandiegosymphony.com.

CHAMPAGNE JAZZ: AL JARREAU With Nick Colionne. Thornton Winery, 32575 Rancho California Rd., Temecula. $70. (951) 699-0099. thorntonwine.com/champagne-

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jazz-series.

CHORAL FESTIVAL Singers from community, school, university, church and temple choirs join the voices of Pacific Chorale. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. Free.

(714) 556-2787. scfta.org.

3000. humphreysconcerts.com.

JAZZ WEDNESDAYS The Jet Set Quintet. Laguna Beach Live, The Ranch at Laguna Beach, 31106 S. Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach. $15-$20. (949) 715-9713. lagunabeachlive.org.

CLASSICS AT THE MERC Chamber performances by the region’s best professional musicians. Old Town Temecula Community Theater, The Merc, 42051 Main St., Temecula. Sundays. $12. (866) 6538696. temeculatheater.org.

TWILIGHT IN THE PARK The Legends: San Diego’s original oldies show band. This summertime concert series features music ranging from military bands and Dixieland jazz to big band swing and Latin salsa. Balboa Park, Spreckels Organ Pavilion, San Diego. Free. (619) 239-0512. balboapark. org.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28

TWILIGHT IN THE PARK Hillcrest Wind Ensemble. This summertime concert series features music ranging from military bands and Dixieland jazz to big band swing and Latin salsa. Balboa Park, Spreckels Organ Pavilion, San Diego. Free. (619) 2390512. balboapark.org.

JAZZ AT THE MERC Peter Smith Trio. Old Town Temecula Community Theater, The Merc, 42051 Main St., Temecula. $15. (866) 653-8696. temeculatheater.org.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27

LIVE JAZZ ON THE PATIO Bernardo Winery, Tasting Room Patio, 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte, San Diego. Free. bernardowinery.com.

B.B. KING Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Dr., San Diego. $75. (800) 745-

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 CATCH ME IF YOU CAN The musical tells the story of Frank W. Abagnale, Jr., a teenager who runs away from home in search of the glamorous life.

With nothing more than his boyish charm, a big imagination and millions of dollars in forged checks, Frank successfully poses as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer - living the high life and winning the girl of his dreams. But when Frank’s lies catch the attention of FBI agent Carl Hanratty, Carl chases Frank to the end...and finds something he never expected.

Moonlight Amphitheatre, 1200 Vale Terrace, Vista. Dates vary through Aug. 30. $20-$52.

(760) 724-2110. moonlightstage.com.

JAZZ WEDNESDAYS All Stars led by Bijon Watson. Laguna Beach Live, The Ranch at Laguna Beach, 31106 S. Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach. $15-$20. (949) 715-9713. lagunabeachlive.org.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 CHICAGO Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Dr., San Diego. $102. (800) 745-3000. humphreysconcerts.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 NATIONAL ACROBATS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA This elite group of acrobats continues a remarkable 2,000-year-old tradition of mastering precision, balance, grace, strength and artistry that result in dazzling and high

August/September 2014 San Diego/Orange County/Inland Empire

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adrenaline performances that also feature beautiful costumes, thrilling choreography and both traditional and modern music.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. $19-$69. (714) 5562787. scfta.org.

THE FOX ON THE FAIRWAY A tribute from Ken Ludwig to the great English farces of the 1930s and 1940s, this play takes audiences on a hilarious romp which pulls the rug out from underneath the stuffy denizens of a private country club. Filled with mistaken identities, slamming doors, and over-thetop romantic shenanigans, it’s a charmingly madcap adventure about love, life and man’s eternal love affair with... golf. Riverside Community Players, 4026 14th St., Riverside.

Weekends through Sept. 29. $15-$18. (951) 686-4030. riversidecommunityplayers.org.

CHAMPAGNE JAZZ: BONEY JAMES With Nick Colionne. Thornton Winery, 32575 Rancho California Rd., Temecula. $85. (951) 699-0099. thorntonwine.com/champagnejazz-series.

AIR SUPPLY Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Dr., San Diego. $50. (800) 7453000. humphreysconcerts.com.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 SAMSON Experience the truths of a Nazarite man who pays the ultimate price to right that which he made wrong. Despite having been chosen for greatness by God, Samson’s struggle with human weakness is traced in this epic musical biography based on the scriptural account. LifeHouse Theater, 1135 N. Church St., Redlands. Weekends through Oct. 12. $14-$18.

(909) 335-3037 ext. 21. lifehousetheater.com.

EXHIBITIONS AFTER ANSEL ADAMS This presentation of a selection of original photographs by Ansel Adams that show the immense beauty of National Parks of the American West, alongside the work of nine contemporary photographers who have photographed in this same landscape.

Ranging from traditional landscape photography to conceptual work that captures the magnitude, essence and history of each specific place, every artist brings a unique sensibility to these familiar landscapes.

Museum of Photographic Arts, Balboa Park, 1649 El Prado, San Diego. Through Sept. 28. $7-$8. (619) 238-7559. mopa.org.

JOHN ALTOON: DRAWINGS AND PRINTS This intimate exhibition looks at John Altoon’s (1925-69) hesitation between being a commercial illustrator and a fine artist. On the commercial side, he made illustrations for magazine articles. He also designed album covers and in 1956 was included in Pacific Jazz’s “West Coast Artist Series” along with Robert Irwin, Sueo Serisawa, and Keith Finch. By the early 1960s, Altoon’s work

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

WALKING WITH DINOSAURS: THE ARENA SPECTACULAR

Ten dinosaur species are represented from their entire 200 million year reign. The largest of them, the Brachiosaurus is 36 feet tall, and 56 feet from nose to tail. It took a team of 50 – including engineers, fabricators, skin makers, artists, painters, and animatronic experts – a year to build the production. Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave. Anaheim. Through Sept. 7. $23-$80. (714) 704-2400. hondacenter.com.

as a fine artist was his priority. Even as his style became more abstract, elements of the figure and the importance of line were evident throughout. Laguna Art Museum, Upstairs Gallery, 307 Cliff Dr., Laguna Beach. Through Sept. 21. Closed Wednesdays. $5-$7. (949) 494-8971. lagunaartmuseum.org.

THEN AND NOW 100 Years of Plein Air Painting. The exhibition features a selection of celebrated historic landscape paintings alongside contemporary plein air works. Works range from “A Clear Day” by William Wendt to the most recent work featured in the exhibition, “Sunset” by Alexander Orlov. The Irvine Museum, 18881 Von Karman Ave., Ground Floor, Irvine.

Tues-Sat. through Oct. 2. (949) 476-2565. irvinemuseum.org.

PLAY BALL! PRESIDENTS AND BASEBALL This new exhibit showcases the colorful history between U.S. presidents and the game of baseball through rare memorabilia and one-of-a-kind artifacts. The exhibition includes personal letters written by President Nixon to some of his favorite players, including notes to Yankees pitcher Dave Righetti on his Fourth of July no-hitter, Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry with words of encouragement on a 1986 hitting slump and a congratulatory

letter to Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan on his Major League-record seventh no-hitter. Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda. Through Sept. 2. $8.50$12. (714) 993-5075. nixonfoundation.org.

SPITTING IN THE WIND Art From the End of the Line by Richard Allen Morris, John Baldessari, Bob Matheny and Russell Baldwin. The exhibition is focused on, but not limited to, the late 1950s and the 1960s, when these young artists frequently saw each other’s work and participated in the same exhibitions. Although the four friends produced some of the most vigorous, humorous and unconventional art in the region, their efforts were often stymied

by San Diego’s rather limited capacity to appreciate them. Oceanside Museum of Art, Bob and Estelle Gleason Gallery, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside. Through November 2. $5-$8. (760) 435-3720. oma-online.org.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 THE AVANT-GARDE COLLECTION In the 1960s it was cutting-edge to employ imagery from popular culture, and by the 1970s performance and installation were the bywords of innovation. In the 1980s new media and appropriation appeared on

everybody’s radar for the first time, while the 1990s in retrospect were all about identity politics and post-colonialism. Due to the pluralist tendencies of the 21st century that make the notion of avant-garde seem quaint, the challenge for artists to produce work that conceals the influence of generations past is more demanding than ever. Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Dr., Newport Beach. Through Jan. 4. $10-$12.

(949) 759-1122. ocma.net.

REAL PIRATES The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship. The exhibition features more than 200 artifacts recovered from the ocean floor. Telling the true story of the Whydah—a real pirate ship that sank off the coast of Cape Cod nearly 300 years ago— the exhibit showcases treasure chests of coins and gold, jewelry, weaponry such as cannons, pistols, and knives and a replica of the actual ship that visitors can board. San Diego Natural History Museum, 1788 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego. 15-$27. Through Sept. 1. (619) 232-3821. sdnhm.org.

Get the Word Out. E-mail your announcements to Claire Fadden, cfadden@lifeafter50.com. Include a brief description, location, date, time, cost, phone and website. Submission does not guarantee publication. Deadline for the September/October Calendar is August 1.

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Enjoying Hawaiian beauty and history at Kaanapali Beach

By Ed Boitano

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hildren frolicked in the surf and sand. Parents and grandparents stretched out on lounge chairs around the pool, basking in the gentle Hawaiian sun. Teens reported back to their families with adventurous tales of snorkeling and body surfing. I don’t think, in all my travels, I’ve ever seen so many multi-generational families in one place as I did at the Kaanapali Beach Resort.

For me, my time at the Maui oasis had me exploring the pool’s long circular canal, complete with cascading waterfalls, bridges and tropical vegetation that caressed lava-enhanced walls that matched the color of the resort’s Black Rock (Pu’u Keka’a), the iconic symbol of Kaanapali Beach. I swam over to the Cliff Dive Bar where I marveled at the ethereal red sun that was melting into the ocean.

This was the ideal spot to witness a traditional cliff-diving ceremony, which pays homage to the legendary dive of Maui’s Chief Kahekili from the Black Rock. Said to have been seven feet tall and 300 pounds, Kahekili demanded fearlessness from his warriors and demonstrated his own bravery by taking a 400 foot dive into the sea. Today’s divers stand at the top of that same cliff, recite a Hawaiian chant, offer a torch and lei to the ocean, and then make their leap.

Back Story

Steeped in culture and history, Kaanapali’s pristine sands and lush gardens were a popular retreat for Hawaiian kings and queens. Green sugar cane and taro covered the land that warriors used as a training ground and, in 1846, came whaling ships, which changed the texture of Hawaiian life forever.

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Nestled on the southwest coast of Maui, Kaanapali Beach Resort was established in 1963 as Hawaii’s first master-planned destination resort. Its threemile stretch of white sand beach was recently voted the Best Beach in America by TripAdvisor. Today, dotted by oceanfront luxury hotels and condos, the area rests on an expansive tropical lawn with a wide array of high-end restaurants and oceanfront bars. My pick is the Hula Grill, where the chef is influenced by the slow-food movement, using seasonal ingredients from local farms, ranches and the sea. Around the corner, Whalers Village is an open-air mall featuring many Hawaiian-made products. The centerpiece of the village is the Whalers Museum that showcases Maui’s whaling history with artifacts, exhibitions, video productions and lectures.

Things To Do

For water sports, the choices are endless: snorkeling, scuba and Snuba diving, kayaking, windsurfing, catamaran cruises and parasailing. Just stop by one of the many kiosks you’ll find on the beach and take your pick. For landlubbers, there’s championship golf, zip-lining, luaus and classes that will teach you how to hula, do lauhala weaving, quilting and make leis. If you’re interested in exploring Kaanapali’s past, don’t miss the free Kaanapali Historical Trail and History and Legends Tour.

The Wa`a Kiakahi Hawaiian Canoe Sailing Festival

Luckily, my visit coincided with the Wa`a Kiakahi Hawaiian Canoe Sailing Festival that had me watching in wonder as ten canoes, each with a

colorful mast, rounded the Black Rock. Minutes later, the canoes were pulled up onto the beach by their crews and I found myself part of a welcoming ceremony. Soon the crews and spectators formed a circle, held hands, and a Hawaiian cultural practitioner gave a traditional blessing.

Every year, the Hawaiian Canoe Association (HSCA) holds a race between the islands of Hawaii.

During their stop on Kaanapali Beach, they give rides to the public and educate them about the wa’a tradition. Wa’a kaikahi means a canoe with a single mast. The mission of the HSCA is to revive and practice ancient Hawaiian skills and values as they relate to sailing canoes and local culture.

The following day, I paddled out with a canoe crew to experience the action first-hand. I quickly learned, from myself, that sailing a canoe requires an unfathomable amount of strength, and, from a crew member, why the canoe and the water are so important to the Hawaiian way of life.

“Although today most wa’a are made of composite graphite or fiberglass, they are still considered to be living entities by the Hawaiian people,” he explained. “They are the boats that allowed the Polynesians to walk upon the water, crossing the ocean from the Pacifica, Tahiti and the Marquesas.”

Early the next morning, I was back in the circle where the same practitioner offered a farewell blessing, and then they were gone, racing on to Molokai. I was so glad to have been there during the race. It was something that truly deepened my understanding and appreciation of this ancient and proud culture.

For further information, click on www.

KaanapaliResort.com or www.sheraton-maui.com.

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And Finally...

The Bookworm’s Best A Life After 50 book review

by Terri “The Bookworm” Schlichenmeyer

The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish

By Linda Przybyszewski

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our mama dressed you funny when you were a child. She couldn’t help it, though: frou-frou garments with bows and buttons, snaps and poufs, polka-dots and ruffles were all that was available when you were a child. And besides, you were so darn cute. At least, that’s what your grandma said. And what the heck was she wearing – and why? Read “The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish” by Linda Przybyszewski and find out.

Back at the turn of the last century, when more people lived in rural areas than in cities, Secretary of Agriculture David F. Houston grew concerned that farm life was uncomfortable. He sent out a survey to farm wives and was surprised to learn that fashion and art were important to them.

In 1914, the U.S. Department of Agriculture answered rural pleas for help through state-run public programs called “cooperatives.” Co-ops allowed an influential group of female experts to teach women and girls, among other things, how to stretch a dollar and to look their best doing it. Przybyszewski calls those experts “dress doctors.”

This came at a time when fashion was simple: there was a dress for church and a dress for every day. Two dresses were all that most farm women had and, when the Great Depression hit, they were further tasked with clothing family members on less than a dollar apiece for the entire year. The dress doctors had a fix for that.

Through classes, pamphlets, and books they penned, the dress doctors showed that dressing well was relatively easy. They weighed in on thrift, using whatever fabric was at hand, repurposing garments, and getting current looks with pieces of aging dresses.

In the post-World War I years, the dress doctors tried to get women to settle on a standard style, believing that ever-changing fashion was frivolous. They instructed readers to find comfortable shoes and they explained how to wear one suit to work for up to three weeks. They advised against pants. They taught women about hygiene, modesty, the proper times to wear gloves or a hat, and what colors to wear – or not.

But by the early 1960s, fashion had changed radically. Frumpy was out, replaced by miniskirts and jeans. Corset use was dead. Dressing your age was dying. And so, it seemed, was the usefulness of the dress doctor’s advice.

So what’s that you say? You haven’t a thing to wear?

Then “prepare to feel ashamed,” says Przybyszewski. And prepare to be at least a little bit wistful about bygone fashions, too, because “The Lost Art of Dress” is surprisingly sentimental. And yet, this book isn’t about going back in time, clothes-wise. Indeed, Przybyszewski agrees with her dress doctors sometimes, but she also sprinkles history and humor in between modern advice, entertaining as she instructs. That makes this book freshly nostalgic and enormously fun. For modernday fashionistas who love a good throwback, “The Lost Art of Dress” has that all buttoned up.

“The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish” by Linda Przybyszewski, 2014, Basic Books, $28.99, 347 pages The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer, who lives on a hill with two dogs and more than 12,000 books. You can read all of Terri’s book reviews, updated weekly, at www.lifeafter50.com. Just click on “Entertainment” and then “Book Reviews.”

Just A Thought Before We Go

A Look Back

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Photo by Hollywoodphotographs.com

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his month marks the passing of 50 years since the premiere of “Mary Poppins” at Hollywood’s Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Walt Disney first tried to purchase the rights to “Mary Poppins” from author P.L. Travers in 1938. Initially uninterested, it took many years for her to finally consent. Once she did, Walt considered Mary Martin, Bette Davis and Angela Lansbury before offering the lead to Julie Andrews, who hesitated to accept, hoping she would be called to star in “My Fair Lady,” a call that never came.

For the role of Bert, Disney looked at Danny Kaye, Fred Astaire and Cary Grant before selecting Dick Van Dyke. Filmed at the Disney Studios in Burbank, the most expensive film Disney ever produced paid off by becoming the top grossing film of 1965. With 13 Academy Award nominations and five wins, it was the only film Walt himself produced to be nominated for Best Picture. Travers, who had been difficult during production, detested the film and left the premiere in tears. She objected to making Poppins warm and cheery, the musical score, and that, at the film’s end, Mrs. Banks gives up her campaign for women’s rights to remain a housewife.

“Elegance is the only beauty that never fades.”

– Audrey Hepburn

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