For the prime of your life
JUNE 2014 • $4.00
MESENIORS.COM
Gifford's: A Maine Tradition
Also Inside: • The Flag Lady • Solo Paddling • Touring Maine's Gardens ...and much more!
"On the road again" in Maine
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Publisher's Note
• MAINE SENIORS
For the prime of your life PUBLISHER
David. S. Nealley EDITOR IN CHIEF
Ellen L. Spooner
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Ian J. Marquis EDITORS
Bring on the summer!
Catherine N. Zub Lois N. Nealley CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Avery Hunt Joe Sawyer
SALES & DISTRIBUTION
Michelle Nadeau Karen Pulkkinen Kathleen (Taffy) Morgan Clyde Tarr Jim Gorham Andrew Hersey WRITERS
Dr. Len Kaye Donna Halvorsen John Christie Avery Hunt Kitty Wheeler Waldo Clark Joan Clark Jane Margesson Ellen L. Spooner Lois Nealley Hunter Howe Wanda Curtis Joe Marsh SUBSCRIPTIONS
12 issues for $24.95 by making a check, payable to Maine Seniors Magazine. Mail to Maine Seniors Magazine, 87 Hillside Avenue, Bangor, Maine 04401.
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n the good old summertime, in the good old summertime.” What could be a greater combination to kick off summer than music and ice cream!
Remember how in the Music Man Harold Hill taught the school board to sing “Ice Cream/ Sincere” as a barbershop quartet? “Ice… Cream!” Read about one of the largest “microbrewers” of ice cream, Gifford’s of Maine. Thank you, Randall and Audrey Gifford and your entire family, for your great summer treats! Oh, and the music. Music is all over Maine in the summertime . . . and especially enjoyable are the outdoor Bangor Waterfront Concerts at Darling's Pavilion. The legend Willie Nelson is “On the Road Again” and will be making music with his friends right here in Maine. Amidst all the great fun that summertime brings, let us not forget Flag Day or Father’s Day. Read how Judy Miller Butler has been celebrating Flag Day. This year will mark her 25th year of creating events that show pride for “Old Glory”. Special for Father’s Day, enjoy “Solo Paddling”, by John Christie and “Gardening—A Man’s View”, by Joe March. I was lucky to have a loving father that not only gave me much support, but was also a role model and an inspiration to me. Now as a father of three, I understand the many challenges of fatherhood. I also feel that being a father has been the most important and most rewarding part of my life. Happy Father’s Day!
BUSINESS OFFICE
Father’s, and yes, grandfathers have much to offer in the family dynamic. Read how Waldo Clark’s daughter, Joan, sees the value of the interaction with her children and her Dad, in the NEW column Bridging Generations.
87 Hillside Avenue Bangor, Maine 04401 Phone: (207) 944-6888
Summertime in Maine does seem to go fast. So, consider Kitty Wheeler’s suggested trips in Touring Maine’s Gardens and “stop to smell the roses”.
Maine Seniors Magazine is published in the State of Maine by Maine Seniors Magazine, L.L.C. in association with Maine Media Consulting, L.L.C. All information herein represents the views of individual writers and their understanding of the issues at hand, and may not represent the views of the Maine Seniors Magazine, its management, or editorial staff. For more information about Maine Seniors Magazine, visit www.meseniors.com.
Yes, Maine is a great place to be in the good old summertime and all of us at MAINE SENIORS Magazine hope that you can all get out there and appreciate it . . . because the world needs its seniors to stay in the game.
Cheers!
Recycled paper made in Maine
—David S. Nealley, Publisher
JUNE 2014 • 1
MAINE SENIORS •
Contributors
Dr. Lenard W. Kaye
Donna Halvorsen
Joan Clark
Jane Margesson
John Christie
Hunter Howe
Ellen L. Spooner
Lois Nealley
Kitty Wheeler
Wanda Curtis
OUR
Contributors
DONNA HALVORSEN Donna, a longtime journalist, has
language pathologist who lives in Brewer. Her hobbies include reading, knitting, cooking, sporting events, and traveling to the coast where she enjoys visiting lighthouses.
DR. LENARD W. KAYE Dr. Kaye is the Director and
JOHN CHRISTIE John Christie is a native of Camden and an
Professor for the Center on Aging at the University of Maine. He has been in the forefront of promoting and planning elder issues at the state level.
HUNTER HOWE Hunter’s Maine roots run deep. He has written for the Cape Courier and penned a column called Senior Moments for the Senior News, a publication of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging.
LOIS
NEALLEY Lois graduated from high school in
Massachusetts then moved to Maine to go to nursing school. She later went on to earn her BS in Education from the University of Maine. Lois is a resident of Bangor.
JANE MARGESSON Jane Margesson has worked for AARP for over 20 years in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and now, Maine. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Parade Magazine, and other publications.
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ELLEN L. SPOONER Ellen Spooner is a retired speech-
received numerous awards for her writing from many organizations, including the Maine Press Association and the Society of Profess-ional Journalists. She lives in South Portland.
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outdoor columnist. He is a former ski racer, ski area manager and owner, a ski historian, and member of the Maine Ski Hall of Fame.
WANDA CURTIS Wanda Curtis is a Master's-prepared nurse and journalist who specializes in health and family-related articles. She moved to Maine from a suburb of Washington, D.C., and currently lives in Gardiner.
KITTY WHEELER Kitty has been a freelance writer for 30 years. Her articles have appeared in Coastal Journal and Portland Press Herald. Kitty has four children and 10 grandchildren.
JOAN CLARK The daughter of our very own Waldo Clark, Joan Clark, is currently juggling raising her own family with her career while trying to help her Dad. She is truly Bridging the Generations... and—of course—sharing her perspective with the readers of MAINE SENIORS!
Contributors
FEATURED
• MAINE SENIORS
Contributor
MAINE SENIORS Magazine is very proud
to have a talented group of contributors, and will be featuring one in each issue. This feature is about Avery Hunt. Avery was born in New York City, but we in Maine are trying to forgive her for that. She spent almost 30 years there, as a daily financial journalist, feature writer and then as a magazine executive with the likes of Esquire, Newsweek, Business Week, among others. She also worked for several years as a consultant for the World Economic Forum. Although she will forever be “from away”, early on Avery fell in love with Maine. Since the age of 11, she has been coming to the coast every summer (except the time in high school when she went to cheerleading camp instead, to her everlasting chagrin!) Her family and friends loved Maine too. In fact her mother and father, John and Jeannette Hunt, retired to South Harpswell in the mid-60’s and both lived to a ripe old age thereafter. Her sister, Arlene, started dragging her kids up here summers from Connecticut when they were very young, and she and her husband, the late Bill Rawlings, finally moved to a big old Calvin Stevens “cottage” on Ocean Avenue in Kennebunkport in the late ‘80’s, where
they spent a fortune on winter heating bills and loved every minute of their new environs. By 2001, Avery and her late husband Don Meyers, following the family trend Down East, finally left the hustle of New York City for good. They designed their dream house on a rocky ledge by the sea in the Bath/Phippsburg area, where Avery still lives. She has never really “retired”, choosing instead to become involved in the community in a number of volunteer positions. She is President of the West Bath Historical Society, where she helped spearhead the restoration of one of Maine’s last remaining one-room school houses, The Littlefield School, which is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. She is also a board member of River Arts, the Damariscotta-based non-profit arts organization and gallery, which serves artists and the community throughout mid-Coast Maine and beyond. She has been contributing to Maine Seniors for some time. “Maine is such a special place, and there are so many interesting people doing all sorts of wonderful things here,” she says.“Age is not an issue; passion and creativity are. And there is lots of both going around!”"
JUNE 2014 • 3
Orthopaedics It’s about maintenance, tune-ups, and repairs
Our bodies are biological machines that will give us great mileage if we take care of them. You might be surprised to know you don’t have to live with pain or limited mobility due to joint problems. At the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Maine (OICM), housed here at CMMC, we have orthopaedic specialists who can relieve pain and get you going from zero to normal speed a lot faster than you might think. Orthopaedics is one more specialty you’ll find here at CMMC: Quality care... close to home.
Central Maine Medical Center
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For the prime of your life JUNE 2014 ISSUE 2 Contributors 3 Featured Contributor: Avery Hunt 6 Prime Mover: Judy Miller Butler
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12 Prime Mover Too: Randall & Audrey Gifford
TABLE OF CONTENTS
24 Prime Mover Too: Hope Haug 24 Sage Lens: Lessons Learned from Blue Zones 28 Entertainment: Willie Nelson 34 Special: The Thomas Plant House 38 Just Pondering: Earache 40 Bridging Generations:
Face-to-Face Conversation
42 The MAINE Point: Your Legal Health 44 Special: Gardening: A Man's View Page 28
50 Legacy: Investment Returns and Risks 54 Outdoors: Solo Paddling 58 Residential Review:
Hillcrest Retirement Community
64 Food For Thought: Loie's Green Pea Salad 66 Here, There & Everywhere: Page 54
Touring Maine's Gardens
70 From The Porch: Instant Gratification Scan for more info! Page 66
JUNE 2014 • 5
PRIME MOVER • Judy Miller Butler
Judy
MILLER BUTLER
Remembering Maine's Own Flag Lady
I
t was in June of 1777 that the Continental Congress adopted an official design for a national flag, almost a year after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Traditional stories tell us that Betsy Ross made the original 13 stars and 13 stripes banner. It grew to 15 stars and 15 stripes with the addition of two new states. However, in 1818 congress decided to stay with the original 13 stripes and just add a new star for each state. Good idea! It would be a pretty huge flag indeed, with 52 stripes! Well, in a manner of speaking, it is a huge flag, It is the symbol of the United States of America . . . the symbol of Freedom and Liberty. It stands for valor, honor, justice and pride. It flies high in our country and is widely recognized around the world. It represents what America is . . . who 6
• M A I N E S E N I O R S M AGA Z I N E
BY LOIS NEALLEY
we are! “Old Glory”, for over 200 years, has waved faithfully, proudly and bravely in times of conflict and times of peace. She most certainly has earned and deserves our love and respect. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson delivered a proclamation to officially make June14th Flag Day . . . a time set aside to honor our flag. Though it is not a National holiday, every year the President of the United States and the governors of all the states issue the same proclamation. In 1988, a very patriotic lady, Judy Miller Butler, went to a Flag Day ceremony and was inspired; so much so, she sought to continue and perhaps improve upon what she had seen. And that is precisely what she did starting in 1989. During that era there were demonstrations of disrespect for the flag which she found very upsetting and set out to do something about it.
Judy Miller Butler • PRIME MOVER
She was, at that time, an employee of the U.S. Postal Service, so she asked for permission to have some kind of event in front of the post office. Permission granted, she started to plan. One of her first moves was to call the office of Senator Margaret Chase Smith. The call was promptly returned by the senator herself who was very interested. She not only wanted to be present but would arrange to have the 125th Army Band there. The plans went on to include, with the help of William Stetson, the Penobscot Wind Ensemble. Mr. Stetson continued to help on other occasions. Judy arranged for the Invocation, reading of the Flag Day Proclamation, local and state dignitaries speaking on the history and meaning of the flag, the posting of the colors and the folding of the flag, the singing of patriotic songs and much more. It was truly a somber, educational, and celebratory occasion attended by veterans and the general public. Senator Smith did attend, and though she chose not to speak, she mingled with the participants and observers, and went into the post office to visit the veterans there. The following year she called Judy in the spring and said, “You will be doing the Flag Day Ceremony this year, won’t you? Of course she did, and, it too, was a memorable occasion. Most importantly, according to Judy, ”It was all about the Flag.”
Top: Judy with Margaret Chase Smith. Bottom: A letter to Judy from Margaret Chase Smith, dated 1991.
JUNE 2014 • 7
PRIME MOVER • Judy Miller Butler
Over the years, 25 years to be exact, Judy has continued to orchestrate this inspiring Flag Day event. The preparations are enormous. Deciding on a site became an issue when the post office area became too congested, so the Parks and Recreation Department became involved. Recruiting volunteers required many phone calls; so did inviting speakers and military presenters. Arranging for an Invocation was on her list. Signing up music providers, be they bands, ensembles, barbershop groups, or vocalists, was a time consuming process. There were decorations and posters to be made (most of which she did herself and often at her own expense). The VFW often provided flags to be given away to those attending. It was, and still is, an on-going process, taken on by a determined and extremely capable lady. Some things have changed in the program over the years. Master Sergeant Mike Gleason was a big supporter and Master of Ceremonies for many years. Bill Knight a wellknown figure for his role in the “Troop Greeters” in Bangor, spoke one year. Former Mayor of Bangor, Gerry Palmer
PROTECTIWNhaGt :You Love. Top: Judy with her Grandchildren, Flag Day, 1999. Middle: Flag day attendees. Bottom: The Flag Day color guard.
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Judy Miller Butler • PRIME MOVER
took part and involved the 20th Maine in ceremonies. Bill Jones brought in the Marine League and William Stetson continued to support the effort.
Over the years—25 years to be exact—Judy has continued to orchestrate this inspiring Flag Day event. Judy Miller Butler is not a “sedentary senior”, in fact, has probably never been “sedentary“. She was born, raised and educated in Bangor, Maine. She married young and had four children…3 daughters and a son. She retired from the United States Postal Department after 30 years in 1992. She married her second husband, James “Jim” Butler in 1996. They both have remained very active, especially in three
ATV Clubs and two Snowmobile Clubs. Judy and Jim have been active in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. This enabled Judy to take a job for a while on the Voyager, a Penobscot river cruiser. She also worked as a caterer and a saleswoman at the gift shop at Bangor International Airport. For eight years she took in foster care children to provide respite for their parents. More recently, this busy lady has taken some classes at the Senior Center and worked on the restoration of the bow scroll of the USS Maine, from the Spanish-American War, now mounted in Davenport Park in Bangor. Judy was one of the original “Troop Greeters” at Bangor International Airport. She and her husband have taken a rescue dog and cat. She likes to garden and entertain, as well. When asked how, at the age of 78, she finds the time and energy for all this she replies,“I like to keep busy and God does take awfully good care of me.”
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PRIME MOVER • Judy Miller Butler
Judy is more than grateful for all the enthusiastic help she has received over the past 25 years. A special treat came to her in the form of a portrait of Senator Margaret Chase Smith, which the Senator gave her. Judy, being selfless and civic minded, presented the portrait to be displayed in the Sen. Margaret Chase Smith Federal Building and is so happy it is there. There are celebrations of Flag Day all over Maine, especially in smaller towns. Schools are left on their own to opt for their type of ceremony, if any. The American Legion has no big area event, but does go around to schools to promote flag rules and etiquette. If one really wants to see a memorial service, you can count on the Elks (BPOE). They always have a ceremony…it’s part of their Ritual Book. Their program usually includes the Boy Scouts carrying flags, presentations of the history of the Flag, patriotic music, and more. Their Flag Day celebration will be held at the Elks Lodge on Odlin Road in Bangor on Saturday evening. The
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public is welcome. Meanwhile, Judy Butler has plans for the 25th annual Flag Day Ceremony to be held on Saturday, June 14th at 6:00 pm. She says that this will be her final year as the organizer for the ceremony. It will be at the Bangor Parks and Recreation building (old Bangor Armory) on Main Street in Bangor. Everyone is welcome for patriotic music, speeches, readings, poems and more. A time set aside to pay tribute to our flag and our country. Come early and look around at displays and visit . . . Betsy Ross might even be there. If this is Judy Butler’s last year as the “Flag Lady”, what happens next?
O RA P E N I SH N O IN R E
“Well,” she said, “I would like to see a caring, maybe younger group take it over and make it even bigger and better. It’s important for young people to know what the flag stands for.” Judy will be sorely missed, but as she keeps repeating, "It's all about the Flag." MSM
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Dancing was Debi Irons’s life. An incredible surgeon gave it back to her.
When professional dancer Debi Irons learned she needed two hip replacements, it was as if her life had been taken away. Fortunately, there’s a team of exceptional orthopedic surgeons right here in Maine. Maine Medical Partners — Orthopedics is recognized for exceeding U.S. standards in quality. In fact, these surgeons and their team at Maine Medical Center are rated in the top 1% nationally. It seemed before she could say “arabesque” Debi was back where she belonged. Dancing and teaching in her Art Moves Dance Studio.
For more on Debi, her doctors and other orthopedic procedures, go to mainemedicalpartners.org/orthostory
Orthopedics
PRIME MOVER TOO • Randall & Audrey Gifford
RANDALL & AUDREY
Gifford
BY WANDA CURTIS
Their Legacy to Their Family and the State of Maine When Randall and Audrey Gifford moved to Maine to operate a small
dairy in Skowhegan, they brought with them a long history of ice cream making experience. Randall, now 87, first learned to make ice cream in Connecticut.
D
"
ad learned to make ice cream at the University of Connecticut from 1945 to 1949, and then from his father-in-law, Chester Main, who owned Westerly Dairy and Ice Cream in CT,” said John Gifford, Randall’s son. “Ice cream making goes back in our family to the late 1800’s to our great grandfather, Nathaniel Main. He delivered milk and ice cream by horse and buggy to surrounding homes.” Randall and Audrey’s sons, Roger and John Gifford, grew up working alongside their parents in the dairy business. In 1980, they began creating small batches of ice cream using family recipes handed down through the generations. “Randall and Audrey played an important role with the ice cream company, especially in 1980, when they worked
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with Roger on the old recipes used by our great-grandfather, Nathaniel Main and grandfather, Chester Main,” said John. “We wanted to make the best possible ice cream that we could with the best ingredients. Mom helped us with the first stand that we opened in Skowhegan, Maine in 1980. She had worked in her father’s (Chester Main) and mother’s (Fayolyn Main) ice cream stand since she was 12 years old. They both mentored us since we were old enough to go on milk routes at the age of 6.” According to John, his parents included them in business decisions as they were growing up which helped to prepare them to later assume responsibility for the business. “Our father involved us in all business decisions since as long as I could remember, right at our board meeting table, which served as our kitchen table as well,” said John. In 1983, Roger and John were presented with an opportunity to sell the dairy business and purchase their parents’ ice cream business. “What I’ll remember most of all about our parents, is when
Randall & Audrey Gifford • PRIME MOVER TOO
Left Page: Randall and Audrey Gifford. Above: One of the Giffords' ice cream stands. Bottom Left: Roger and John. Bottom Right: The quart filler at work.
JUNE 2014 • 1 3
PRIME MOVER TOO • Randall & Audrey Gifford
the next generation take their energy and ideas and run with them when they’re ready and let the older generation watch and enjoy life and be proud of what they will accomplish!’" John and Roger did just that. They sold the dairy business in 1983 and purchased their parents’ ice cream business.
Stan Bennett from Oakhurst Dairy approached Roger and me in 1982 and asked if we would be interested in selling our milk business and coming to work for him,” said John.
“We started with 10,000 gallons of ice cream sales in 1983 after we sold our milk business,” said John. “Our first store was Jimmy’s Market in Bingham. Our first ice cream stand account was Ferris’s Market in Vassalboro, Maine. When we began our ice cream business in 1983, we weren't known in Augusta, Bangor, Lewiston or Portland, Maine. Our delivery area in the milk business was from our plant in Skowhegan, Maine north to Greenville and west to Bethel and all areas in between; about a 100 mile radius from our plant in the furthest direction.”
“First of all, we said ‘we don’t own the business ourselves, we own just a very small portion, so we’ll have to discuss that with our parents.'" Roger stated, “I know we’re not for sale. We’re a young growing family business that’s not going anywhere. Would you be interested in us purchasing you?”
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According to John, Gifford's sold 1.7 million gallons of ice cream last year. He said 13 percent of those gallons were sold in Maine.
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John recalls that when they discussed the decision with their parents, his father left the decision up to them. “Our dad said, ‘Listen boys, Mom and I are on the decline and you two are going up, so you two make the decision that you would like and we’ll stand behind you.’ I will tell you from our experience in the Dairy industry that is not the norm, most of the time the parents are unwilling to let go for the next generation. There is a very positive message and/or lesson from this for everyone in business, in my opinion; let 14
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Randall & Audrey Gifford • PRIME MOVER TOO
Left Page: Randall and Audrey Gifford with Tubby. This Page: Shrink-wrapped quarts.
During the past 30 years, Gifford's has gone from operating one ice cream stand in Skowhegan to five ice cream stands in Skowhegan, Waterville, Bangor, Farmington, and Auburn. They also sell Gifford's Ice Cream in stores throughout New England, New York state, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, MidAtlantic states, Illinois and Michigan. “We purchased another Gifford’s Ice Cream in Maryland (no relation) in 2011,” John said.“This expanded our territory to the Mid-Atlantic (Washington D.C, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia). They were a small company and we needed to protect our name and our trademark as our family business continued to grow.” According to John, Gifford's sold 1.7 million gallons of ice cream last year. He said 13 percent of those gallons were sold in Maine. The flavors they sell the most of in Maine are Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Grapenut, and flavors like Maine Lobster Tracks, Maine Wild Blueberry, and Maine Deer Tracks. Gifford's has added several new flavors this year, which John describes as follows:
Chocolate Toasted Coconut—Brimming with chocolate toasted coconut shreds, this 'coconutty' chocolate ice cream is rippled with salted caramel. Sugarloaf Mint Chip Frozen Yogurt (low-fat)—Let your taste buds hit the slopes of cool white mint frozen yogurt with chocolate chip moguls that’ll melt in your mouth! Espresso Chip (available in retail only-quarts)—Whipped cream whirls in espresso-chip-spiked coffee ice cream. John said their recipes have come from searching through their old recipes, from customers, from employees, from suppliers, and by trial and error—“mixing numerous background ice cream flavors and any ingredient you can think of.” He said they have had a few flops over the years including Caramel Popcorn, which was their worst selling flavor ever. “We were giving pounds and pounds of the popcorn away for months!” said John. JUNE 2014 • 1 5
PRIME MOVER TOO • Randall & Audrey Gifford
Randall Gifford is pleased with the direction that his offspring have taken the business. Roger currently is President of the company, John is Vice President, their brother Arland works in sales in the Northeast. Their sister Donna also worked in the business but isn’t currently involved. Their nephew Ryan Porter is Plant Supervisor for one of the plants. John’s daughter Lindsay is General Manager. His son John Jr. is Vice President of Sales, and his daughter Samantha covers sales for the state of Maine. Randall Gifford recently made the following comment, “The greatest blessing in my life has been having my children and grandchildren follow in my footsteps.” MSM
Above: More shrink-wrapped quarts on the production line. Below: Gifford's ice cream warehouse. Right Page: The whole gang—Lindsay, Roger, John, JC, and Ryan.
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Childhood Memories of John Gifford "When our father Randall worked for his fatherin-law Chester Main, he would deliver milk in the morning and afternoon then in the evening he would make ice cream for their dairy bar. The smallest of us kids would be in a crib nearby. Our mother Audrey would be serving ice cream in the dairy bar in the next room. Our grandmother Fayolyn Main would prepare flavoring for the ice cream in her kitchen. She would brew strong coffee for the coffee ice cream, peel and sugar peaches, strawberries, blue berries, etc. -- whatever was in season. Many of the same recipes we use today."
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PRIME MOVER TOO • Hope Haug
Hope Haug BY DONNA HALVORSEN
H
er parents named her Hope, and she is a visage of hope still at 89 years plus. Everyone at Thornton Oaks, the Brunswick retirement community, knows her. She’s the tall, willowy woman with the straight back, quick wit and ready smile who shows only a little evidence—the occasional use of a cane—that some of her joints are newer than the rest of her.
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Hope Haug • PRIME MOVER TOO Our highly skilled surgical team
Like many summer visitors, Hope Haug was committed to living out her life in Maine long before she and her husband, John, moved here fulltime.“I wasn’t born here,” she says,“but my heart is in Maine.” Her grandparents had a summer home in Kittery Point, but she was more closely connected to Maine through Bailey Island, where her husband’s Philadelphia family had a longtime summer presence, with three cottages on the island. When Hope Wilson and John Haug met in 1943 at a friend’s home in Kittery Point, she had just graduated from a prep school in Boston, and he had just completed a course in naval architecture and marine engineering at the Naval Academy. They had much in common. Both were only children, so they understood the dynamic of that kind of childhood. Both were skiers and sailors. But Hope was just 18, and John, 24, was assigned to a submarine repair vessel in the Pacific. “He wanted me to get an education,” she says. “We courted by mail. I’m sure we weren’t the only ones to do that.” Growing up in Massachusetts in the 1930s, she had little interest in having a career. “Few of my friends were headed in that direction except the ones who wanted to be doctors,” she says.
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When John returned home after the war, he and Hope were married, and he went to work for a Boston engineering firm. She left Wellesley College without getting a degree, explaining, “We wanted to have a family, and that was not to be put off too long.”
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The couple soon had three children, two daughters and a son, and initially lived in a house near Boston where they shared the kitchen with the owner. Next was a third floor walk-up in Marblehead, then a house around the corner, built in 1723. “You’ve heard the saying, 'A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money’? Well, this house was a hole in the ground into which you pour money.”
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No matter. The couple couldn’t resist. “We wanted to live in a place where every weekend was a vacation,” she says.
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PRIME MOVER TOO • Hope Haug
and “retired” as a life trustee. She also was the first woman on the executive committee. “That was when women were agitating,” she recalls. “You’re going to have a board without any women? You shouldn’t do that.” The Haugs were active in the Episcopal Church in Marblehead, with John serving as vestryman, warden and treasurer. Haug says she “got a bee in my bonnet that the church should have needlepoint kneelers” so she asked women to do the needlepoint and did some herself. Then she invited church members to give the kneelers in memory of family members who had worshiped in the church.“That was a lot of fun,” she says. “That took some doing.” This page and next: Hope and John.
“We wanted to live on the water.” They spent 36 years in the Marblehead house, and she became what she calls “a perennial volunteer.” When her youngest child was in the second grade, “a friend called and said, ‘Now, dear, your children are all in school, and we need you very much at the Science Museum,’ ” she recalls. “ ‘I don’t want you to volunteer at Salem Hospital because there’ll only be people you know there, and I want you to broaden your horizons.’ ” Broaden them, she did. The museum had only one staff member, an executive secretary. “They promised us we wouldn’t have to raise money,” Haug says, to which she replies: “Phooey. We ended up putting on big fundraisers.” Never one to take on little jobs when big jobs beckoned, Haug helped establish the museum’s first volunteer group and drew more than 200 people to it. The volunteers worked in many capacities in support of the museum’s mission to “get science into the minds of children early on,” Haug says. As the museum grew in stature, it was able to attract people like Walter Cronkite, who spoke at a dinner to celebrate the museum’s new wing. Haug’s job at the Science Museum would have been a career if she’d been paid for it. Instead, she volunteered for 35 years 20
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Each summer, Bailey Island beckoned. The Haugs’ roots on the island were undeniable: The family was instrumental in the founding of All Saints Chapel by-the-Sea. At one point the family’s houses could sleep 20. Now the oldest cottage is
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Hope Haug • PRIME MOVER TOO
still family-owned, and the family still gathers there. Haug pretends not to know how much family she and John created, joking, “I haven’t counted noses lately.” Of course, she does know: there are three children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. With spouses, that’s 21 and counting. When the cottage’s five bedrooms are spoken for, some of the younger visitors might pitch tents, an experience far removed from the days when summer people arrived on the island by steamer. The cottage seems able to exist comfortably under the weight of four generations, and the traditions continue: the younger generation does the dishes and dumps the lobster shells back into the ocean. Then they bring out their guitars and sing. “I refer to the houses as cardboard cottages because they had no insulation, no second wall, just studs,” Haug says. Nonetheless, the cottages were precious, especially to John, who was smitten by the Maine coast early on. When he was 16, he got his first sailboat and spent most of the summer at the cottage alone, teaching himself to sail. Later he did whatever he could to maintain a closeness to Maine.
The Haugs’ roots on Bailey Island were undeniable: The
family was instrumental in the founding of All Saints Chapel by-the-Sea.
When he was in the Navy, he asked to be stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard “to be within spitting distance of Bailey Island,” Haug says. As an engineer, he managed the construction of the Wyman power station on Cousins Island, Yarmouth. Skiing was among the couple’s passions. They skied at Sugarloaf for 30 years, though their bones took a beating. John broke a leg and quit skiing at age 79. Hope broke a hip but skied until she was 75. (The other hip was replaced, too, but that couldn’t be blamed on skiing: “It just wore out.”) JUNE 2014 • 2 1
PRIME MOVER TOO • Hope Haug
Hope enjoying the birds outdoors at Thornton Oakes.
During all those years that the Haugs lived in Marblehead, visiting the island every summer, they knew they would retire to Maine. They bought land on a hill in South Freeport and in the early 1980s built a year-round house on the property. The couple lived there until John died in 2009 at age 90. Haug moved to Thornton Oaks the following year. “I chose this place because I wanted to be able to get to Bailey Island,” she says.“It was a good move. I love it here.” She knows many others share her passion for Maine. “I’m thinking about all the people John and I knew who are here because they want the Maine lifestyle,” she says. “There are so many military retirees who have one assignment here, and they buy a house and do everything possible to keep that house because, they say, ‘I’m coming back here to live the rest of my life.’ ”
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Home for Hope now is a spacious apartment that is an easy drive to her beloved island. She seldom goes out on a boat anymore, but she still drives her convertible and is grateful for the freedom that this allows. She knows she has led a charmed life. “As I’m sitting here, I think, dear Lord, was I blessed,” she says. “I have wonderful children, and they’re so good to me here at Thornton Oaks.” When she looks back, the best part of her life story is that she and John, both only children, created a large family: “Bless their hearts, they all enjoy each other, especially on summer visits to the island.” “I’m a great-grandmother,” she says as though it’s too good to be true. “Nothing is more rewarding than watching your daughter become a grandmother, and she, too, is Nana. It’s like watching yourself.” MSM
Ann LePage • PRIME MOVER
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SAGE LENS
Live Long Lessons learned from the Blue Zones BY DR. LEN KAYE
Maybe it’s the time of year. Maybe it’s the warm weather.
M
aybe it’s the fact that I am finally feeling my energy and mood returning to levels they were at prior to the long and challenging winter we have just experienced. Whatever the reason I thought it timely to revisit the wisdom of the long-lived and share with readers the lessons learned from the world’s blue zones. What are blue zones you ask? Blue zones is the name given to those places on earth where people live longer and healthier lives. A report by National Geographic back in the 1970s first made the idea of blue zones popular. You would have to travel to Japan and the island of Okinawa to be in the healthiest place on earth. That is where you will 24
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find more people 100 years of age and over per 100,000 citizens than anywhere else in the world. That is also where you will find the lowest death rates from cancer, heart disease, and stroke (top killers in the U.S.). Elder Okinawans tend to be lean, energetic, and have very low rates of chronic disease. And, it’s not just due to their genetics. They eat fewer calories which results in fewer free radicals (byproducts that cause damage to the cells of the body), don’t smoke, use alcohol moderately, have a positive attitude, are not very stressed, and stay active. You could also live in the Hunza Valley in Pakistan where living into your 90s and as much as 120 years is not uncommon. The diet of the residents of the mountainous Hunza Valley is primary fruit, grains, and vegetables. Apricot trees abound in the Hunza Valley and when the Hunzakut is hungry he or she climbs a fruit tree and grabs a
SAGE LENS
snack. This lush green valley is thought to be the inspiration for Shangri La, the land of eternal youth described in the James Hilton novel Lost Horizon. Or you could relocate to the small and isolated village of Vilcambamba in southern Ecuador. Scientists have been studying residents of this village since the 1950s. There is very little chronic disease in Vilcambamba. The mineral water there is thought to be a factor as are the vegetables and fruits picked and eaten the same day, and the regular hikes taken on the surrounding slopes. Almost no animal products find their way into the residents’ diets nor do they chow down on packaged and pre-prepared foods.
Of course, there really is no magic to enjoying a long life. The fact is we need not live in a blue zone to reap the benefits of blue zone living. Or consider Abkhasia, a disputed territory on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and southwest of the Caucasus in southern Russia. The Abkhasia live in the mountains and climb them daily in the thin air. Their diet is (you guessed it) plant-based, made of fresh foods, whole grains, and nuts. Their average diet is well below 2,000 calories a day (compared to Americans who eat an average of 2,600 or more calories daily). And, the Abkhasia like being old – it gives them status and respect in the community.
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SAGE LENS
or the mountains of Abkhasia. Living longer is associated with living a healthful lifestyle. Enacting lifestyle changes at any point can add years to our lives and life to our years. The blue zones offer three universal rules of thumb – 1) improve your daily diet, 2) keep moving, and 3) keep your stress levels low. Getting started now by learning to change our eating habits for the better, staying physically active and engaged in life, and ridding ourselves of unnecessary stress and anxiety will give all of us a leg up on enjoying a longer and healthier life. MSM Of course, there really is no magic to enjoying a long life. The fact is we need not live in a blue zone to reap the benefits of blue zone living whether it means living on the island of Okinawa, in the Hunza Valley, in the village of Vilcambamba
Want to read more about blue zones? Get the book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest by Dan Buettner (National Geographic Society, 2008).
You focus on whatever makes you happy; we take care of the details. Thornton Oaks residents are full of vitality! They audit classes and attend both sporting and cultural events at Bowdoin College; take classes from Midcoast Senior College; enjoy Maine State Music Theatre, the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, Bowdoin International Music Festival and more. Brunswick’s downtown, a popular destination of Thornton Oaks residents, is just minutes away and offers outstanding restau-
rants, inns and unique places to shop, plus summer and winter Farmers’ Markets. Are you ready to join a stimulating retirement community of cottage and apartment owners who enjoy the convenience of full dining and maintenance services, many in-house programs such as lecture series, art exhibits, parties, exercise classes, and so much more?
Retirement Community 25 Thornton Way, Brunswick, Maine • www.ThorntonOaks.com • 800-729-8033 • thoaks@gwi.net
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Cardiology There’s a reason it’s called the old ticker
Your heart is very much like a fine watch. It will last a long time and serve you well if you take good care of it. The Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute offers a comprehensive program of advanced care, from wellness to testing, treatment, and surgical services. It’s specialized care for the heart, from the heart. Cardiology is one more specialty you’ll find at CMMC: Quality Care for the Heart from the Heart, Close to Home.
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ENTERTAINMENT • Willie Nelson
WILLIE NELSON On The Road Again — BY ELLEN L. SPOONER
Willie Nelson is on the road again and this time that road leads to Maine. Willie and
Family, along with Alison Krauss and Union Station will be appearing at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor on Thursday, June 19. Is there no end to this? Top-notch talent continues to flood our state and yet another “ageless” senior will grace us with his presence.
Willie Nelson is a poet, author, actor, activist, musician and prolific composer, having written over 300 songs. Most of all, he is a superstar. When people hear his name, many 28
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“The life I love is making music with my friends. And I can’t wait to get on the road again.”
immediately think of great country music, but that is only part of the story. Born in Abbot, Texas in 1933, Willie and his sister Bobbie, two years his elder, were raised by their grandparents. He talks about his childhood and what it was like growing up during those Depression years in Willie: An Autobiography (p.1988) which he wrote with Bud Shrake. Fortunately, for Willie and Bobbie, their grandparents were people who not
Willie Nelson • ENTERTAINMENT
only taught them the value of hard work but helped them develop and polish their musical talents.
Willie Nelson is a poet, author, actor, activist, musician and prolific composer, having
written over 300 songs.
Willie wrote his first song when he was 7, and by the age of 9, he was performing before audiences. Bobbie was becoming the exceptional pianist that she is today. Willie continued to perform at a variety of places during high school. After graduating in 1951, he enlisted in the Air Force but was discharged less than a year later for medical reasons. He also attended Baylor University for one year where he studied agriculture. For the next several years, Willie worked as a radio announcer and performed at a variety of clubs. In 1960, he sold his first song,“Family Bible”, which is considered by many people to be a gospel classic. Then it was off to Nashville, the Country Music Capital of the World. Where else would a budding country singer/ songwriter go to seek fame and fortune? While in Nashville, Willie sold several of his songs that became major hits for other performers: “Night Life” (Ray Price), “Hello Walls” (Faron Young), “Pretty Paper” (Roy Orbison), “Funny How Time Slips Away” (Billy Baker),“Crazy” (Patsy Cline). For some music lovers, however, Willie’s later recordings of these songs are the best. When you are aware of the circumstances under which Willie wrote his songs, many of them following losses or major bumps in the road, you truly experience the poetry of his lyrics and the emotion in his music that only Willie brings forth. Fame and fortune were elusive, however. Willie, as a performer, was not accepted by the Nashville “country” JUNE 2014 • 2 9
ENTERTAINMENT • Willie Nelson
Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys”, “Good Hearted Woman”, “Uncloudy Day” . . . and in 1978 the album “Stardust”, a collection of old pop standards . . . “Blue Skies”, “All of Me”,“September Song”,“Georgia on My Mind”,“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”, and five others. Willie Nelson had found the fame and fortune he had sought for so long. He has gone on to collaborate successfully with many exceptional musicians . . . Ray Charles, Wynton Marsalis, Dolly Parton, Faron Young . . . to name a few. In 1985, Willie, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson got together to form The Highwaymen and, for the next ten years, performed before sold-out audiences. (To access The Highwaymen in concert, go to YouTube. com and search Highwaymen.) In the late 1970‘s Willie launched an additional career as an
world. His music did not conform to the strict Nashville standards that dictated true country. He was an “outlaw” . . . someone who crossed over to other genres . . . embracing pop, gospel, blues, jazz, as well as country. Nashville was not ready to accept this and fortunately, for us, Willie was not about to change. Willie said goodbye to the sixties and Nashville and “retired” to his home state. He settled in Austin and bought nearby Pedernales Golf Club which he renovated to include a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, swimming pool, and a recording studio. That was only the beginning. What followed, for Willie, was a string of singles and albums that quickly found their way to the top of the charts . . . “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” (Willie”s first #1 hit on the charts as a singer”), “Bloody Mary Morning”, “If You’ve Got The Money Honey, I’ve Got The Time”, “Mammas, Don’t Let 30
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Willie Nelson • ENTERTAINMENT
actor. He appeared in numerous movies . . . “The Electric Horseman” (1979),“Honeysuckle Rose” (1980),“Barbarosa” (1982), “Red Headed Stranger” (1986), “Wag the Dog” (1997).” The Dukes of Hazzard” (2005), and others. Willie also was featured in many television shows such as, “Miami Vice”, “Monk”, “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”, and “Bones”. In the last year alone, in addition to touring with his band “The Family”, and publishing his memoir, Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die—Musings from the Road, Willie has recorded three new albums: “Let’s Face The Music And Dance”, a collection of pop, country, jazz, and rock classics from the 30s, 40’ and 50s; “To All The Girls”, a collection of duets with top country/pop woman singers; and the soon to be released “Band of Brothers”, which has 14 songs including nine new songs written by Willie.
Willie is pictured on the cover of his “To All the Girls” album wearing a very uncharacteristic black outfit by designer John Varvatos. For his recent Fall/Winter Collection, Varvatos
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ENTERTAINMENT • Willie Nelson
included Willie’s two sons, Lukas and Micah, in the pictures along with a brief film featuring the three Nelson men. Afterward, Varvatos stated, “In all the iconic music ad campaigns we have shot over the last eight years, I have never been so moved as I was working with Willie Nelson and his sons.” Willie Nelson is recognized as one of America’s greatest performers and has received numerous awards and honors spanning the years from 1975 to the present. These include over 37 Grammy, American Music, Country Music, and Academy of Country Music Awards, among others in a variety of categories . . . Best Performer, Best Single, Best Album, Entertainer of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. He also was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1973), the Country Music Hall of Fame
(1993), the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2001), and the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame (2014), has an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of Music in Boston (2013), and is a Kennedy Center Honoree (1998). What is Willie Nelson’s legacy? Perhaps Carlos Santana summed it up best when he said, “Willie Nelson’s impact on American music is indelible. He stands at the crossroads of all the sounds and colors of this country. What he reflects is true soul and sincerity. What he is . . . is Americana.” ("He’s also pretty mean guitar player.”) Still going strong at the age of 81, Willie’s response when he is asked when he plans to retire is: “All I do is play music and golf. Which one do you want me to me give up? “ Neither, Willie. Neither.
MSM
WILLIE NELSON: Interesting facts you may not have known . . . Willie has a sidekick named “Trigger”. It is the guitar that has been with him since 1969 and has been refurbished frequently due to the amount of use it has had. In fact, at one point a gaping hole appeared and had to be patched. Trigger is also covered with the autographs of famous performers. (Looks like something he picked up at a yard sale!) Willie has traveled hundreds of thousands of miles over the years on his bus(es) Honeysuckle Rose. Willie has endured, however, the first three Honeysuckle Rose’s simply aged-out and had to be replaced. Willie Nelson played with or had many bands early in his career. Following his return to Texas, however, he formed The Family which remains his band to this day. From the beginning, sister Bobbie has played piano in all of Willie’s bands. Bobbie’s fingers flying over the 88 keys produce “mighty fine” music. An avid Biker and golfer, Willie also has practiced martial arts for decades and considers it to be the best form of exercise. Just shy of his 81st birthday, Willie Nelson received his 5th-degree black belt in the Korean modern martial art of Gong Kwon Yu Sul. Willie, Neil Young and John Mellencamp sponsored the First Farm Aid Concert in 1985 and continue to support the organization with the goal of strengthening and preserving family farms. The concerts continue to be held each year and, to date, have raised well over 45 million dollars. (Just one of the many causes Willie actively supports.)
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SPECIAL
Thomas Plant A growing number of Maine’s elderly population is now living in some sort of assisted or independent living facility.
Among those, the Plant Home in Bath, with long historic roots, stands out as a unique retirement community. First built in 1919, its stately building on the scenic banks of the Kennebec River looks more like a huge classic white mansion than an assisted living residence. This special “home” was the philanthropic brain child of one Thomas Plant, a shoe magnate who grew up dirt poor in Bath. He believed that “those who have lived honest, industrious lives and are without means or friends to take care of them, have earned the right to be cared for.” The Plant Home is still one of the few non-profit nursing 34
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BY AVERY HUNT
and The Plant Home
homes in Maine—particularly amazing today, when contemporary retirement villages and accommodations for the aged or infirm are popping up everywhere as investors look to reap the financial benefits of the market-driven needs of the elderly. The retirement and nursing home industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country.
The story of Thomas Gustave Plant, born in 1859 to Franco American parents, is a real rags-to-riches saga. By the 1850’s, many French-Canadian families assimilated into their new homes quickly, even changing their religion and/or Anglicizing the spelling of their name— for instance, Plante became Plant. Tom was born on French Hill, an ethnically mixed neighborhood in Bath, today known as Floral Street. He might have been doomed to a life of predictable poverty and hard work, but the growth of industrialization created opportunities for working people to rise, regardless of their
SPECIAL
Left: The Plant Home. Inset: Thomas Plant. Above: Plant Home with Executive Director Don Capaldo.
origins, and to strive for a better life than their parents. Tom rose to the challenge, and then some. He worked many jobs locally, ending up in a country shoe factory. He was also a "wicked-good" baseball player, known as one of the best in Maine. At 21, he moved to Lynn, Massachusetts, then the “shoemaking capital of the world”, where he apprenticed as a shoe laster, attaching the tops of shoes to the soles. Lasting required a high degree of skill and was one of the most highly paid positions in the factory. He must have been very skilled indeed. He struck out on his own in 1891 (helped in part by monies he won in a baseball wager!), and by ’95, he had consolidated his prosperous shoe manufacturing business on 13 acres on the outskirts of Boston. He was a model factory owner—and way ahead of his time. For openers,
instead of the inhumane use of children to lug heavy loads up the factory floors, he would begin the construction of shoes at the top, using gravity and chutes to eventually land them on the first floor for shipment. Soon, Plant’s shoes were sold in every city in North America and even overseas. In 1902 he built a six-story addition to his factory, designed for maximum use of outside light. Several floors were designated solely for recreational purposes. He supplied a gym with an athletic instructor, bowling alleys, a doctor and nurse, showers, a sick room, library, theater, rooftop garden, men’s smoking room, free entertainment, cooking classes, and a restaurant. He also built a baseball diamond (he was still a great amateur baseball player), and sponsored two company teams named after his shoe lines: the Dorothy Dodd’s and Queen’s Quality.
JUNE 2014 • 3 5
SPECIAL
In the business of shoe manufacturing, he was ingenious. Because he understood machinery, he was directly involved in its application and improvement, and obtained several patents. He was hands-on in all aspects of his business; experienced with labor unions, employee accidents, and industry economics. He became one of the leading progressive industrialists of his day, practicing “enlightened capitalism.” By that, he believed that the self-serving focus of production and profit above all else should be replaced with the credo that utilizing advanced safety measures, as well as providing benefits and incentives to employees, could actually have a positive impact on revenue. Also, fighting the strong prejudices of the day against “foreigners”, Tom hired employees of a mixed ethnicity, and like him, they were often first- and second-generation Americans; hard-working and talented.
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Top: Plant Home, 1930, courtesy of the Oscar Marsh Postcard Collection, Sagadahoc History & Genealogy Room, Patten Free Library.
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Middle: Plant Home in blossom: the front of the home today. Bottom: An artist's rendering of the proposed expansion.
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SPECIAL
Remember: he instituted such advanced labor practices at the turn of the 19th century, not 2014! Such enlightened policies clearly worked. Nineteen years later, he sold what had become the largest women’s shoe company in the world for $16 million dollars, a whopping sum in those days. He was said to be the wealthiest Franco-American in the country. Tom retired to New Hampshire, purchased 6,500 acres in the mountains, and built an extravagant home, a famous estate known as “Castle in the Clouds”, now run by a conservation trust.
says executive director Don Capoldo,“when we realized our endowment — currently about $2.5 million—would not last because so many of our residents are now subsidized. This expansion, planned for next spring, will enable the Plant Home to change its ratio of market-rate, private-pay residents to subsidized units “…more in line with an income that can sustain us in perpetuity.” Thirty-two of its current apartments are for low-income residents; the new building will contain all market-rate units, which will run about $3200 or so a month.
With all his vast wealth, he never forgot his humble beginnings in Bath, Maine. In 1917, he purchased land and built the Plant Home in memory of his parents. He also donated 3,300 shares of his company to a volunteer board, who immediately sold the shares and set up a $400,000 endowment from the proceeds. The Plant home opened its doors in 1919 to Bath’s ailing elderly population, with the promise that if they turned over their assets, (if they had any; no one in need was turned away), all their expenses would be paid until their death.
In announcing the loans to finance this ambitious growth, Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said, “This is a warm and wonderful place. Our seniors need our care. Pretty soon one out of four people in Maine will be a senior citizen and we need more places like this.”
Sadly, a series of bad investments around the time of the stock market crash of 1929 wiped out Plant’s fortune. But he was steadfast to the end; he even refused to harvest lumber on his estate property to regain his wealth. Tom Plant died broke, in 1941, just before creditors auctioned off everything he owned.
Despite the Plant Home’s recognition of the financial realities of needing to generate operating income from those who can afford to pay market rate that will help support subsidized units, it remains true to Tom Plant’s mantra that “none of our elders deserve the indignity of hearing they must leave a home because they ran out of money.” MSM
But his legacy lives on in the Plant Home, which has been modernized and expanded over the years, and now has 37 private apartments in the main building and 11 apartments in stand-alone duplexes and one single-occupant home for assisted and independent living. While old-timers in Bath still consider the Plant Home their own, since the last expansion in 2004, the facility is now open to qualified Mainers from a broader regional base. Recently, a $10 million Federal loan was awarded to the Plant Home for a long-planned expansion—a three-story, 48,000-square-foot building with 45 more units. “We began planning for this expansion about five years ago,”
Seeded in tradition: the motto of the Plant Home.
JUNE 2014 • 3 7
Just Pondering
Earache BY WALDO CLARK
Verbal assault. Please stop. Right
now.You might ask, are you OK, Waldo?
W
ell, I’m not. My ears hurt, scratchy sandpaperlike. And I want to pull my hair out in frustration. You see, I’ve had it. So have thousands of others who plead, lower your voice you loud-talking cellphone users.
Most of us suffer from the lingering effects of second hand cigarette smoke. Hey, toss the cig, buddy. Yet, the lighter flip, ignite, and puff refrains from whacking my eardrums, while the cellphone’s flip and “lip” jawin’ grates some bad on my tympanic membrane.
You’ve invaded my protected noise wave barrier, intruded on my fragile equilibrium, upset my karma. You’ve bored me into submission.
Most of the overheard conversations drone on and on, mindless chatter, narrative nonsense, uninteresting to us innocent bystanders. “What’s in the corn chowda, Mom?” Phoney baloney.
So here’s the question. Why do so many cellphone users blare into the microphones? Waldo’s Loud- Talking Cellphone Theory states: They talk loud because they feel important. And that’s that. To point, Daphne du Maurier wrote, “Living as we do in an age of noise and bluster, success is now measured accordingly. We must all be seen, and heard, and on the air.” 38
• M A I N E S E N I O R S M AGA Z I N E
Verbal assaults strike lightning quick. Symphonies of clashing sounds, they’re duck down inducing, hands over the ears cupping. No fun at this fair. How about hearing that loud yapper way across the lake. A nature nuisance.
Just Pondering
How about the passenger in your car who grabs the phone and engages in an ear-splitting war with a contractor. You want to boot her out the door. How about your friend who answers the phone while conversing with you. Say, what about old intriguing me? How about going into a public restroom. Someone in a stall shouts into his “celly”. Talk about conducting your business. Yuck. How about all those annoying interruptions in elevators, at weddings and funerals, on busses, trains and planes. A recent Boston Globe Editorial, “Cellphone ban means orderly flying,” said, “Voices get louder during cellphone conversations … pity the poor flight attendant who must keep the peace when the passengers in 12A and 12C get fed up with 12B’s strident cellphone rant.”
Another Globe Editorial, “Pedestrians: Stumbling into the smartphone age,” addresses a “new phenomenon, the smartphone stubblebum.” Apparently, many distracted loud-talkers bump into telephone poles, fall into ditches, and even get hit by cars. Welcome to the emergency room. A big bugaboo. I’d like to send all those loud-talkers to a remote place called PIPE DOWN COURTESY CELL CAMP, soundproofed and hidden away deep in Maine’s western mountains. Just imagine these cellphone hermits, huddling around the old bonfire, in sour moods, hardly hearing themselves think, forced to talk louder and louder and louder, a massive verbal assault, on each other, culminating in a self-imposed gag order. Ah, the hushed, sweet silence of tranquility, the noiseless cry of a colossal collective Earache. MSM
JUNE 2014 • 3 9
Bridging Generations
Face-to-face
Conversations BY JOAN CLARK
H
i, again! It’s Joan, Waldo's daughter. I have to tell you about last weekend. The kids spent Saturday and Sunday with Dad. They had a great visit, even though it had a rough beginning. It seems that dad was quite agitated by their ever-present smartphones with their loud ringtones, beeping when games were played, and magnification of, in his view, silly conversational chatter. He told them, “those gadgets are an unnecessary distraction,” and banned them in his home for the weekend. The kids dealt with it, however, and went along with dad’s proclamation. Dad filled the weekend with actual face-to-face conversations; stories about his childhood, his school years with ink wells, paper and pencils, actual textbooks instead of computers, going home for lunch . . . He also told them about traveling
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in different countries when he was in the service and his first car, an old “jalopy” he purchased for $75 and scrimped to buy gas for at 17 cents a gallon! They learn so much from Dad. If only other kids could participate in these activities and be enriched by the wealth of information that seniors have to share and pass on to the younger generation . . . things that they will never experience. How can we get more seniors and kids together to accomplish this? Any ideas? I would really like to hear from you. MSM
Send your thoughts and ideas
to joan@meseniors.com, or visit MAINE SENIORS on Facebook at www. facebook.com/MaineSeniorsMagazine
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THE MAINE POINT
Take Care of your legal health
No one wants to think about it. It’s a difficult topic to broach: how to get one’s affairs in order in case of illness or death.
P
reparing a Will and Advance Directive takes forethought. What do you want? What does your family need? Ideally, it can be helpful to discuss these matters as a family, but that is not always feasible. For some, “family politics” have a way of interfering with the process, especially if assets are involved. It might help if you think of your Will and Advance Directive as a gift to your family. Do you really want your children to have to decide who gets what after you’re gone? Do you want your loved ones to be able to make decisions on your behalf if something happens to you? When one is strong and healthy, it can be hard to imagine that anything could happen, but that’s the point. Accidents can happen when you least expect it. You’ll be helping yourself and those you love if you make these important decisions now. 42
• M A I N E S E N I O R S M AGA Z I N E
BY JANE MARGESSON What we call “legal health” problems most frequently come to the surface on the heels of a major medical problem, an accident or the death of a loved one. This is not the time to be scrambling for missing documents and trying to deploy your best "United Nations" skills in an effort to smooth troubled waters among family members. The stress on loved ones is multiplied when they have to cope not only with the emotional problems of the event, but with a potential series of legal difficulties. A good place to begin the process of examining your legal health is with some basic questions: Do you or a family member know where your important personal documents and records are? Records such as your birth or marriage certificate are important to have. If you cannot find them, the Department of Health has an excellent publication, “Where to Write for Vital Records", which is available in print and online.
THE MAINE POINT
least for documents such as your Financial Power of Attorney.
As with all legal documents, it is essential to have competent advice throughout this process. Who would you like to handle personal decisions and your financial affairs if you are unable to do so? If you are hospitalized, who will serve as your health proxy? The person you appoint to represent you as your Power of Attorney should be someone you trust to carry out your wishes. An appointee must be someone who is capable of doing whatever might need to be done in your interests. If you have no one you can easily designate, consider a professional, at
Speaking of professionals, as with all legal documents, it is essential to have competent advice throughout this process. Maine’s Legal Services for the Elderly (LSE) provides free legal services statewide to people aged 60 and over on a number of issues, with priority being given to those who are socially and economically needy. You can find out more at www.maine4a.org or by calling 1-800-750-5353. AARP has some excellent articles and information under “estate planning” at www.aarp.org. In addition, The Maine Bar Association offers a state-wide lawyer referral service. While it may not be easy to think about putting together a plan for your final wishes, remember that you and your family will receive a great reward in return: Peace of mind. MSM
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SPECIAL
GARDENING
A Man’s View In my estimation nothing beats fresh home grown garden vegetables. Garden food is not only tasty but you know how it’s grown—no sewer sludge, what pesticides were used, soil enhancements and the quality of water. Home gardening can be cost saving, environmentally friendly, carbon reducing, organic, interesting, educational and fun. In past years my wife handled most gardening chores. I supplied a few homemade tomato cages, bean poles, fencing, advice and complaints. I retired at the age of 62 and decided—after some hints from my wife—that I would pitch in on the veggie production at our place. As I had been in excavation for over 45 years, I knew it would be a breeze. After all, you might say I had a PHD (Profound Horticultural Desire) in dirt. My prior business years told me preparation was everything; plan ahead, set a 44
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BY JOE MARCH
goal, and go for it. All men know action is paramount, but they always think first. Setting in my recliner and fortified with garden books, seed catalogs, magazines, a giant iced tea, and a massive bowl of popcorn, I drew up an attack pattern. For me, popcorn is brain food. It stimulates me into a constructive attitude. It’s man fuel. My plan would be long term—not a flash in the pan venture. Based on my excavation knowledge, I started with a site evaluation. I needed a fairly level spot with good sun, sufficient size and close enough to the house for a water hose connection. After some study, I located the perfect spot. It meant moving my boys swing set, wading pool, basketball hoop, sandbox, bike rack, baseball diamond, playhouse, whiffle ball setup, and the wife’s clothes line. No big deal— but my kids did complain about the swings being on such a side hill that the whole A-frame toppled over with any
SPECIAL
serious swing action. Again, my construction savvy kicked in. I have a mind like a steel trap, as do most men, so I set the posts in cement. The swing chains now hang about 45 degrees off vertical but the boys got the hang of it after a spell. After all, they are young men and my blood, so you know they’re smart. Thinking organic, I decided to make up a compost pile. Like most men, I planned ahead and thought the process through completely. Comfy in my chair, stocked with popcorn and tea, compost how-to books and literature in hand, my compost venture started. My mind was in overdrive. I already had some compost material handy; veggie kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, wood ashes, leaves, grass clippings, seaweed, and sawdust from my wood shop. This I figured to augment with horse, cow, and poultry manure.
After several farm trips with garbage cans in my minivan, I had some piles of rotten goodies but nowhere near enough. My van was pretty ripe even though I had two dozen pine tree air fresheners, six rolls of paper towels soaked in Airwick and had liberally sprayed the entire interior with Pine-Sol laced with Chanel No. 5. I went to plan B. All real men have a back-up plan. I toodled to my nearby Chevy dealer and bought a snazzy brown (the poop wouldn’t show so much) pickup. I chose GM because I figured we—the taxpayers—own ‘em, so why not keep it in house, so to speak. The pickup worked great. A farmer friend loaded me with a tractor scoop and soon I had some nice piles in my yard compost “pantry”. Trouble was, I had to shovel the stuff out of the pickup. Bummer.
JUNE 2014 • 4 5
SPECIAL
Being a true man-genius, I soon had the problem beat with a darling air-nailer and compressor, Nothing like the right tool for the job. I went around nailing everything I could find. It was so much fun. It gave me that true feeling of power that all men love.
"For me, popcorn is brain food. It stimulates me into a constructive attitude. It's Man Fuel." —Joe March
Two iced teas and a bowl of corn later saw me off to a farm equipment dealer on the Atlantic Highway. Two hours later, with handsome power dump insert in my new brown pickup, I just pushed a button and two cubic yards (about 30 large trash cans full) effortlessly slid out. My kids said it was “Awesome, totally awesome!” I beamed with pride. I possess the profound ability to bond, even over equipment and poop!
Next, I purchased a big ten-horse chipper-spreader to prepare brush and yard waste for compost. I named it “Jaws”. Watching Jaws digest a bunch of limbs and spit out beautiful chips was a sight to behold. The awesome power thrilled me. All men adore power. Then, I set to making a high, rugged fence to keep critters out as I live in the woods and hungry wildlife abounds. I cut some cedar posts on my own land, which was handy and easy. The post holes were a different story. After a losing battle with an iron bar, sledge hammer, shovel, big iron wedge, and bruised fingers, I blasted off to the Home Center. The store help knew me on a first name basis by
I mixed compost based on what my books said about carbon-nitrogen quantities as best as I could. I inserted a long stem thermometer, let her cook, and went to step three of my plan. Step three was starting seeds. Pre-started plants are for babies, not men. I bought a nifty eight by eight clear plastic starter hose, grow lights, heat mats, benches, water system, fans, tools, pro-mix, flats and hanging pots. It cost a few jingles but that’s going at it man fashion—lead, follow, or get out of my way! Since my plan was to have raised beds, I set out to construct some. Taking my new pickup, I zoomed off to the Home Center for some planks, stakes and hardware. Back at the garden site with a wicked big pile of lumber, I set to work. Man, those big spikes drive hard into pressure-treated lumber. After bending several spikes, and whaling my finger once, it was time for tea, corn, and a plan.
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SPECIAL
now. I bought the biggest, meanest mother of all post hole diggers. It was raw power. My hands hurt wicked, so I got some safety gear. On the job safety is priority. Outfitted with hard hat, ear protectors, bug screen, gloves, leggings, Quick Draw pruners, heavy shirt, safety orange traffic vest, strobe light, first aid kit, and man down flag, I felt better and looked the part of the swashbuckling garden hero that I am.
I went around nailing everything I could find. It was so much fun. It gave me that true feeling of power that all men love. Noticing that my compost pile was at the “turn” stage according to my thermo-probe, I tore into the pile with a stout four-tined fork. I sweat. My back hurt, my legs hurt. Blisters I had from the iron bar post episode bled profusely. By now, you can guess the next move. Tea, corn, bandages. Later, after idly thumbing through a garden magazine— mentally licking my wounds—the problem solved itself, as always with the power of team popcorn and a cool head. Men are the “A-Team” when it comes to problem solving. I will sum it up with one word—Kubota.
My garden was coming along splendidly—almost a small farm. You can’t beat a man for excelling at anything he’s a mind to do. Male minds are naturally fertile.
A trip to the friendly dealer soon saw me outfitted with a sparkling orange diesel, four wheel drive tractor complete with hydraulic bucket loader. I noted the transmission was controlled by a pedal with arrows for forward and back. The throttle had a rabbit and turtle, so even my wife could get the hang of it. A drink holder was an added bonus.
I saw a show on television about man caves. They showed sports, game rooms, TV rooms. pool rooms. bars and more. Why not a garden man cave? I roared off and in no time at all landed back at my “farm” with an ornate cast iron table, umbrella, chairs, gas grill, cooler, Hawaiian lamps, fire pit, mammoth lp gas corn popper, and a keg of iced tea. A setup for a man’s man. The real article. You could cut the testosterone with a knife.
I soon had my compost pile turned nicely. Now I could load my pickup/dump with free horse manure at a no tractor in residence place.
The day we moved the plants from the green house and planted the raised beds, I threw a party at my garden man cave. Ladies were in awe at my little farm. Men expanded
JUNE 2014 • 4 7
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grape arbor, nut trees, berries, melon patch—it’s endless what a man can do. The wife quietly, she knows when I’m in a tea/corn thinking trance to be soft-spoken, mentioned money. When you tie the knot, your darling wife smiles sweetly and ok’s the richer or poorer part. Women quickly forget what they want to. Shucks, my farmer friend said he didn’t make any money the first fifteen years or so. All men know that. Men are born with financial wizardry. Women—I truly love them but they just don’t get it. It’s a guy thing. MSM
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Contact us today for your complementary insurance review. JUNE 2014 • 4 9
LEGACY —
Investment Returns & Risks What you need to know for your future. BY BRIAN BERNATCHEZ, CFP®
W
ith the bull market in U.S. stocks reaching its 5 year anniversary and most companies trading at multiples of current earnings which exceed historical averages, I thought it was a good time to get a little nerdy with numbers and write about a risk which doesn’t get a lot of attention in good markets—Sequence of Return Risk.
the loss was 10% or more and in 6 of those years (including 2002 and 2008) the market fell by more than 20% (see Figure 1).
The financial services industry has done an excellent job over the years of training investors to expect 10% average annual returns from the stock market. Unfortunately, it has largely failed to emphasize how important the sequence of return is for retirees who withdraw a consistent percentage (typically 4%-5%) of their portfolios annually.
This chart (see Figure 2) compares 2 investors who both average 8% annually on an initial investment of $500,000 over 20 years but get there on much different paths. Investor A‘s first three years have negative returns and a string of positive ones at the end. Investor B has very good returns early on with some negative years at the end. Assuming both remained fully invested the entire time they end up with the exact same amount at the end of 20 years—$2,115,025.
In reality, although the stock market as measured by Standard & Poor’s 500 index has indeed averaged 10.20% per year since 1926, the yearly returns have rarely been anything close to 10%. As the chart below illustrates, in only 7 of the 87 years since 1926 has the return been between 5% and 10%. In addition, there have been 12 years in which 50
Brian Bernatchez
• M A I N E S E N I O R S M AGA Z I N E
Sequence of return risk only exists for an investor in the distribution phase, not the accumulation phase: Rate of Return During Accumulation Phase
However, once an investor begins to withdraw annual income, the sequence of annual returns is a critical factor in maintaining or growing principal. Consider the chart below.
— LEGACY
Guest Article
Calendar year returns: U.S. Stocks (1926-2013)
Figure 1
15
10
1990 2001 1969 1994 5 2000 1962 1981 1973 1946 1977 1966 1940 1953 2008 2002 1957 1932 1939 1931 1937 1974 1930 1941 1929 1934 -35% or -35% to -30% to -25% to -20% to -15% to -10% to -5% to more -30% -25% -20% -15% -10% -5% -0%
2011 1987 1984 1970 1960 0% to 5%
2007 2005 1992 1978 1956 1948 1947 5% to 10%
2004 1993 1971 1968 1965 1959 1926 10% to 15%
2012 2010 2006 1988 1986 1982 1972 1964 1952 1949 1944 15% to 20%
1999 1998 1996 1983 1967 1963 1951 1942 20% to 25%
2009 1989 1979 1976 1961 1943 25% to 30%
2013 2003 1997 1991 1985 1980 1955 1950 1938 1936 30% to 35%
1995 1975 1945 1927 35% to 40%
1958 1928 40% to 45%
1954 1935 1933 45% to 50% to 50% 55%
Source: Vanguard Note: For U.S. stock market returns, we use the Standard & Poor's 90 from 1926 to March 3, 1957; the Standard & Poor's 500 Index from March 4, 1957 to 1974; the Wilshire 5000 Index from 1975 to April 22, 2005; and the MSCI US Broad Market Index thereafter.
Rate of Return During Withdrawal Phase
(with a 3.5% annual increase in the withdrawal amount each year for inflation).
These (see Figure 3) are the same 2 investors as in the previous chart, each investing $500,000 initially. The only difference is that they begin to withdraw 5% annually immediately
How can it be that investor A and investor B both averaged 8% annually, both take out the same amount annually, but investor B ends up with over $ 1 million while investor A has less than $200,000?
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Investor B was lucky enough to experience a series of good annual gains early on with no significant losses until the end—providing enough capital gains to offset the steep losses at the end of the 20 year period. However, poor investor A had 3 years of significant losses right at the beginning, and the portfolio was reduced so much that it was never able to recover even though the market did.
Creating Relationships For Life
Steve Morgan, Realtor
As investment advisors, one of our primary objectives is to “manage” the range of potential returns as much as possible without managing out the potential for long-term www.stevemorgangroup.com capital growth. In addition, it is important that we attempt Tel 207-689-9898 | Fax 207-689-9801 to avoid significant capital losses in the years immediately 75 John Roberts Road | South Portland, ME 04106 preceding and following retirement. RATE OF RETURN DURING ACCUMULATION PHASE ®
steve@stevemorgangroup.com Office: 207-754-2773
(Initial Investment $500,000) YEAR INVESTOR A MARKET DOWN EARLY INVESTOR B MARKET DOWN LATE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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AVG.
ENDING VALUE
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-5
-15
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8%
$2,115,025
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8%
$2,115,025
Figure 2
Rate of Return During Accumulation Phase (initial investment $500,000) JUNE 2014 • 5 1
LEGACY — Guest Article
says “too good to be true” it always is and I don’t know of any investments which guarantee returns anything close to 8% per year. Historical average returns are typically even lower.
Figure 3 VALUE
$ 1,750,000 $ 1,500,000
$ 1,250,000
$ 1,000,000 $ 750,000
Difference of Over $850,000
Market Down Early
$ 500,000
Market Down Late
$ 250,000 $ 0
Getting as close as possible to the “8% guaranteed sign”…
When explaining how we manage risk and volatility to new clients, I often joke with them that if we could put a sign out by the road which reads “8% Returns Guaranteed” we would have a line each morning stretching for miles of investors who cashed in their low investment savings accounts and CD’s to invest at 8%. I also tell them that if it
Our Residents LOVE Living Here. . . We’re Confident YOU Will Too. Services included in your monthly rent: • Caring Staff On Duty 24 Hours Per Day • Three Daily Chef-Prepared Meals, Plus Snacks • Laundry and Housekeeping Services • Full Calendar of Activities and Events • Scheduled Transportation CALL TODAY TO ARRANGE A VISIT 207.518.7430
For retirees withdrawing 3%- 6% of their portfolio annually we see our job as attempting to get as close as possible to the 8% number on the fantasy sign by the road over the longterm. In order to pursue this, we commit to a long-term stock/bond allocation strategy which attempts to reduce the range of potential returns but still provides the potential for long-term returns to exceed withdrawal percentages enough to offset inflation. Portfolio allocation
The chart above (see Figure 4) shows the average returns for hypothetical combinations of stocks and bonds as well as the highest gains and biggest losses since 1926. No surprise that the highest average annual return is from a 100% stock
ASSISTED LIVING at In addition to our spacious independent living apartments and retirement cottages, Parker Ridge also offers beautiful assisted living suites. Each suite is handicapped accessible and has a living and dining area, kitchenette, bedroom, and full bath. A caring staff is on duty 24 hours a day to help you with personal care, housekeeping and the activities of daily living. We work with families and residents to learn about each person, their likes and dislikes, their history and their aspirations. Through our activities, beautiful surroundings, caring staff, and neighbors, we help each new resident settle into their new home and become a part of our community.
63 Parker Ridge Lane, Unit 290, Blue Hill, ME 04614 • www.ParkerRidge.com • (207)518-7430 • 52
• M A I N E S E N I O R S M AGA Z I N E
using broadly diversified funds
— LEGACY
Guest Article
The mixture of assets defines the spectrum of returns
• When building a portfolio to meet a
Best, worst, and average annual returns for various bond/stock allocations, 1926–2012 Portfolio allocation 100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Bonds
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Stocks
54.2%
Best
10.0%
Average
Annual returns 60% 50 40
32.6%
31.2%
29.8%
28.4%
27.9%
5.5%
6.2%
6.7%
7.3%
7.8%
–8.1%
–8.2%
–10.1%
30
32.3%
36.7%
41.1%
45.4%
20 10
8.3%
8.7%
9.1%
9.4%
49.8%
9.7%
0 –10 –20 –30 –40 –50
Figure 4
–14.2%
–18.4%
–22.5%
–26.6%
–30.7%
–34.9%
–39.0%
–43.1%
Worst
Note: Past performance does not guarantee future results. The performance of an index is not an exact representation of any particular investment, as you cannot invest directly in an index. Stocks are represented by the Standard & Poor’s 90 Index from 1926 to March 3, 1957; the S&P 500 Index from March 4, 1957, through 1974; the Wilshire 5000 Index from 1975 through April 22, 2005; and the MSCI US Broad Market Index thereafter. Bonds are represented by the S&P High Grade Corporate Index from 1926 to 1968; the Citigroup High Grade Index from 1969 to 1972; the Barclays U.S. Long Credit AA Index from 1973 to 1975; and the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index thereafter. Data are through December 31, 2012.
objective, it’s critical to select a com of assets that offers the best chanc Note:meeting Stocks are thatrepresented objective. by the Standard & Poor's 90 • The figure at left demonstrates how Index from 1926 to March 3, allocation affects the variability of re 1957; the S&P 500 Index from Each bar shows the best and worst March 4, 1957, through 1974; return, with the average return in th the Wilshire 5000 Index from • Why not minimize 1975 through April 22,potential 2005; losses b low-risk portfolio? Because assum and a the MSCI US Broad little risk can result in failure to stay Market Index thereafter. inflation achieve long-term goa Bonds areor to represented otherS&P hand,High assuming too much risk by the Grade to levelsIndex of volatility so high that yo Corporate from 1926 wantthe to abandon your strategy. to 1968; Citigroup High Grade Index from 1969 • Performance leadershiptois quick to 1972;among the Barclays U.S. Long classes the many sub-asset Credit AA Index from 1973across the f portfolio that diversifies to 1975; and the Barclays markets is less vulnerable to the im U.S. Aggregate Bond in Index significant swings performance b thereafter. Data are through one segment. Vanguard believes m December 31,are 2012. investors bestSource: served by signific Vanguard. allocations to investments that repr
broad markets, such as U.S. stocks bonds and international stocks and
Source: Vanguard.
portfolio. However, as I have shown earlier, sequence of return risk would be way too high as experienced by the 43.1% loss in the worst year (2008). Take a look at the 40% bond 60% stock allocation. It has 87% of the average annual return of an all stock portfolio, but only 60% of the maximum downside risk as measured by the worst annual loss. Not surprisingly, our normal target allocation for most investors withdrawing 3%-6% income annually is about 60% stock and 40% bond. What we hope to do over time is select active managers who outperform the index, and adjust normal targets based on an assessment of the current economical cycle. In addition, we slice off little pieces of the conservative core to invest in smaller companies, international companies and high yield bonds. If you are a retiree who feels as though you missed out on the last 5 years of the stock market growth, you should proceed with caution and resist the temptation to dramatically increase the risk in your portfolio in an attempt to make up for lost time in the market. Instead, consult with your
financial advisor and design a long-term asset allocation strategy with a systematic reallocation in place. However, be willing to accelerate your reallocation if the greed that has crept into the markets over the last few years suddenly turns to fear causing lawn sale prices on great companies. MSM Brian Bernatchez, CFP® is an LPL Financial Advisor who works with Maine seniors and non-profit organizations. He is President and LPL Registered Principal of Golden Pond Wealth Management. He has specialized in building and managing sustainable investment portfolios for more than 20 years. Brian can be reached at 1-800897-1338 or brian@goldenpondwealth.com
Give us a call at 207-944-6888 to find out how you can tell your story to our readers in your very own Guest Article.
JUNE 2014 • 5 3
OUTDOORS
Donnell Pond, Maine April
Solo Paddling BY JOHN CHRISTIE
Any of us who have ever taken a kayaking safety course, and those of you who have yet to do so but plan to in the future, will remember the stern admonition of our mentors: never paddle alone!
W
ell, I'm here to tell you that we are all done a disservice, if the warning is given without the following caveat: unless you are competent, confident, and well-prepared.
I say this because the value of developing the ability to handle alone whatever surprises you may confront on an excursion will make you a more valuable member of a group. The benefit of learning to launch, recover, and land all on your own is an asset. 54
• M A I N E S E N I O R S M AGA Z I N E
And I say this because missing out on the sheer, unfettered, satisfying delight of an early morning solitary paddle on a Maine pond being entertained by the calls of a pair of loons, or waking a basking seal on a warm Penobscot Bay ledge when you're the only human in sight is to fail to appreciate much of what's so wonderful about an invigorating paddle. So, as we prepare for six months of fun on the water, let's think about what makes a solo paddle so special and, equally important, everything we need to remember to make our trip just as safe as possible. Perhaps the best thing, in my view, about paddling alone is that you can set and change, on a moment's notice, your departure time, itinerary and route. You control completely your entire schedule, and there's something very liberating
OUTDOORS
A solo kayaking campsite
about that. You can cut your trip short, or extend it on a whim. You can idly watch a mother osprey teaching her fledglings how to fish for just as long as you want; you can lie leisurely on a beach listening to only the sound of the surf; and you can select the perfect spot to pitch your tent for the night . . . or several nights, if you decide to do so. The downside, of course, is that you miss the friendly camaraderie of like-minded outdoor lovers. For me, the toughest thing of all is that when you see the perfect sunset, or the Minke whale surfacing within not much more than an arm's length of your boat, or you discover to your surprise the undisturbed stretch of white sand beach that you'd never seen before, there's no one with you to share the special moment. When you're paddling alone, at the very least, you should always know exactly where you are, and that someone on land knows your intentions and that you have a way of communicating with them if your plans change. You need to be prepared for unexpected immersion in water that can be pretty unforgiving, especially in the early part of the
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JUNE 2014 • 5 5
Richardson Lake, August 2007
OUTDOORS
kayaking season. The ocean's around forty degrees this time of year, and many of our spring-fed ponds can be just about as cold. And we all know about hypothermia and the short amount of time we can expect to survive in frigid temps. Dress prepared for immersion, always wear your PFD, and never set out without both a pump and a paddle float. Wayne Horodowich, founder of the University of Sea Kayaking, has been teaching kayakers for some thirty years, and I'm pleased to count him as a kindred spirit when it comes to solo kayaking. We both contribute material to Atlantic Coastal Kayaker magazine, and in a recent issue he listed the following things every one of us should have before we set off alone: • •
• •
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Reliable self-recovery skills My mother at 17either from Familiarity with our intended route, experience, by a thorough study of available maps and charts, and/or the advice of trusted friends Skill level to handle a variety of weather and water conditions Solo launching and landing skills
OUTDOORS
Aziscohos, 2008
• • • • • • • •
Directional awareness (navigation skills, compass and charts) Ability (and willingness) to change itinerary as needed to adapt to changing conditions Knowledge of anticipated weather conditions (from most recent forecasts) Float plan filed with friends (including a call to them when you're off the water) Spare paddle Signaling kit (with VHF radio and/or cell phone) Repair kit Emergency equipment (food, drink, spare clothes, etc.)
Paddling alone may not be for everyone, just as kayaking in a group isn't everyone's cup of tea. There's plenty of room for all of us. The most important thing is to get out there and safely enjoy it. Don't be intimidated and understand it's never too late to start. Perhaps you'll be encouraged to know that I didn't even buy my first sea kayak until I was over 70! MSM
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JW CLARK
DENTAL STUDIO
John W. Clark D.D.S. at JW Clark Dental Studio. Registered Medicare provider.
207-990-5887 • www.jwclarkdental.com 753 Stillwater Avenue, Bangor, Maine 04401
JUNE 2014 • 5 7
RESIDENTIAL REVIEW • Hillcrest Retirement Community
Guest Article
Retirement COMMUNITY Consideration
A OPTION WORTH
— HILLCREST RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
Hillcrest is a 55+ community.
Maine has so many options for retirement communities. The variety of housing opportunities allows something for everyone. Hillcrest Retirement Community is a model that has stood the test of time and is growing! “What a glorious place to live! My husband and I have felt so included in the many events and activities offered to us. The residents are very friendly. Everyone waves and smiles as you drive through the community! The properties are clean, neat and well maintained. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child and I say it takes a community like Hillcrest to grow young in your retirement. It feels like you're on vacation every day!” —Debbie, current resident I recently viewed the above testimonial offered by Hillcrest resident “Debbie” and found it while searching for a 55+
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manufactured home community near Portland, Maine. The search brought me to the website for State Manufactured Homes located on Route 1 in Scarborough not far from Portland. With a strongly felt testimonial like that, I wanted to visit the location for myself as I sought a great 55+ community to call home and what I found was downright amazing and gratifying. Hillcrest Retirement Community is a 55 and older land-lease community conveniently located right off Route 1 at the gateway to Scarborough by the entrance to Interstate 295. What could be more convenient! Scarborough is a growing and thriving community with all of the major conveniences within a 5 to 10 minute drive from its 126 Route 1 location. Again, what could be more convenient? The continued growth and popularity of Hillcrest is further
Guest Article
Hillcrest Retirement Community • RESIDENTIAL REVIEW
Many floor plans are available.
supported by the fact they are currently preparing plans for the third of a four phase expansion project providing an additional 93 home lots creating thereby one of the largest retirement communities in northern New England. I wanted a community that was stable and constantly adding value with improvements and the expansion gave me that impression. The growth allows for many housing options! But how did Hillcrest get its start and why has it remained so popular with the 55+ home buyer? Apparently, in 1943 when Bob and Agnes Desfosses founded the company, they did so with a tremendous amount of forethought and vision for the needs of the 55+ resident. Their concern for seniors is evident today in the Hillcrest Retirement Community in Scarborough. The couple wanted to create the perfect residential atmosphere, where folks could feel right at home with a sense of being close to the neighbors and part of a caring community.
In the mid-1960’s, Bob and Agnes were joined by their daughter Theresa. In the mid-1990’s, her children Tina and Gordon came on board. Each generation of the family has committed to improving on the last generation’s hard work and foresight by continuously updating the community. This commitment is keeping Hillcrest a modern community while meeting the demands of the 55+ home buyer. They provide homes with great value, in a location that keeps us close to numerous amenities. The Desfosses family has remained reliable and up to date by including all of the design changes and improvements demanded by the astute manufactured home buyer. Theresa Desfosses was recently honored with induction into the National Manufactured Housing Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana. This is one of the highest honors available to industry leaders, and shows the high esteem in which she is held by JUNE 2014 • 5 9
RESIDENTIAL REVIEW • Hillcrest Retirement Community
her peers in the industry. These are the kinds of folks you want owning and operating a community where you have your home. Debbie is just one of many residents who speak to the all around enjoyment at Hillcrest. Program Director Andy McBrady completes the team and helps seniors grocery shop, stay active with exercise and walking tours,and schedules fun excursions around town and beyond. But, let me share more about what I found while visiting the staff at Hillcrest Community. My visit gave me a great deal of confidence about making Hillcrest my choice to buy and locate my home. The “whys” are easy to understand once you stop by and visit... here are just a few: Hillcrest is one of the best kept “secrets” in the greater Portland/Scarborough area. It’s a hidden gem and basically
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Guest Article
unseen from Route 1 providing lots of privacy in a nice, comfortable community setting. Beautiful homes, manicured lawns, private snow plowing and trash removal plus lots of great amenities provide each resident with many choices and conveniences freeing up time to spend with friends and neighbors. The model homes are terrific and I did not know before my visit what wonderful changes have been made to manufactured and modular homes. You can visit all of the model homes and there are many to see. Each offers a unique floor plan and each represents tremendous value for the home buyer including public water and sewer and paved two-car driveways. The sales staff is informed, neighborly and extremely helpful in matching your needs to the perfect home. Homes from 1,000 to 2,000 sq.ft. are on display and its fun to visit each as you determine the perfect one for you and your retirement.
Guest Article
Hillcrest Retirement Community • RESIDENTIAL REVIEW
You can view first hand examples of Corian or Formica countertops with stylish back-splashes in the kitchen and baths. Different styles of kitchen cabinetry are available, too. Many types of floor coverings including hardwood, tile and carpeting are available. Having 36” doors is a great benefit to seniors along with the lever door handles. There are many examples of well placed overhead and track lighting along with comfortable commodes in the baths and walk-in showers with grab bars. If you are downsizing, rest assured you will still have ample storage space. These homes have a full-length walk-up attic and are designed with spacious first floor closets throughout. Great homes, great neighbors, a perfect location close to everything important, a wonderful community and sales staff, gracious owners/managers all providing me a sense of a truly relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. You can immediately
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Top: Hillcrest is filled with carefree and beautiful homes. Middle: The community is set in a peaceful location. Bottom: The bus to Spring Point.
We deliver—no minimum load charge In Business for over 48 years! Joe March “The Black Dirt Guy” Friendship, Maine Call 975-6583 or 354-7145 blackdirtguy@gmail.com
JUNE 2014 • 6 1
RESIDENTIAL REVIEW • Hillcrest Retirement Community
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Guest Article
Guest Article
Hillcrest Retirement Community • RESIDENTIAL REVIEW
sense the benefits of dealing with a family that has earned a sterling reputation over the past 70 years. There is so much to see and learn from a visit. My recommendation is to get all the information you can and the best way is to book a tour and see for yourself. A house is a significant investment and you want to be sure to work with the right place to select and locate your home. Visit as I did and I’m certain you will love every minute of it. This is truly a location perfect for me. If you are an active 55+ person seeking the best value in home ownership and you want to be in a good area, this is the perfect location for you, too. MSM Top: You get to choose the styles and colors of your home. Above: PIctured is a single-floor home with plenty of space for all of your needs. Left: Another nice home at Hillcrest.
Give us a call at 207-944-6888 to find out how you can tell your story to our readers in your very own Guest Article.
JUNE 2014 • 6 3
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Loie s Green Pea Salad 1
BY ELLEN L. SPOONER
S
pring has arrived! Yesterday was sunny, with no sign of clouds, and the temperature reached 70 degrees for the first time since October. Finally! Summer can’t be far away!
I knew it was time to make my first potato salad of the season. And, to go with it . . . barbecued spare ribs. What vegetable would I serve? After some consideration, I decided on sister Loie’s Green Pea Salad . . . a great accompaniment to any warm-weather fare. It provides great color, wonderful texture, and a little “bite” to awaken your taste buds. Moreover, it's easy to put together and can be made ahead of time. So I set to work in my kitchen. Two hours later, the ribs were ready to go, the potato salad and Loie’s Green Pea Salad were cooling in the refrigerator, and the prep dishes were washed and returned to their respective cupboards. Dinner was prepared! I had the remainder of that beautiful day all to myself, and it was only 10:30 in the morning! By dinnertime, the clouds had rolled in, the breeze had become a fairly strong wind, and the temperature had dropped to a somewhat nippy 55 degrees. Oh well, that’s life in Maine. Perhaps I was a bit premature in my menu planning. Our dinner was great, however. Try this dish. If you like peas, I know you will love Loie’s Green Pea Salad. Remember, even though quality frozen peas can be used in this recipe, fresh green peas will soon be found in abundance at farmers markets, in grocery stores and, maybe, even in your own back yard. MSM
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
FEATURED RECIPE LOIE’S GREEN PEA SALAD (SERVES 6–8) Ingredients: ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
4 cups green peas, fresh or frozen 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped 1/2 cup red onion, chopped 1/3 cup Miracle Whip 1/3 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard Salt and pepper to taste
Directions: 1. Fresh peas: cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook for one minute only. Remove from heat and rinse with very cold water. If using frozen peas, thaw in hot or boiling water but do not cook. Then, rinse with very cold water.
2. In large bowl, combine peas, celery, and onions and mix gently. If desired, you may also add: 1 cup crisp bacon bits, 1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed, or 2 cups pasta al dente (elbow macaroni, shells, etc.). I prefer the dish without these additions, however, as it allows the peas to take center stage. 3. Combine Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise), sour cream, and Dijon mustard and fold into pea mixture. You may want need to increase the Miracle Whip mixture is you have added pasta. 4. Add salt and pepper to taste. 5. Chill for at least two hours. 6. Serve . . . and ENJOY!
PS-1/2pghMaine Seniors2014_Layout 1 5/21/14 1:55 PM Page 2
We have cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at home. But after dinner they do the dishes.
207. 338. 2332 | penobscotshores.com | Belfast, Maine
JUNE 2014 • 6 5
HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE
Peony in bloom
Touring Maine's Gardens BY KITTY WHEELER
As a follow up to my April article
on the allure of joining Maine garden clubs, I want to share summer garden tours with you now. A few of the tours include homes as well.
P
lease note that there are contacts through websites, addresses or telephone numbers for you to get more information or purchase your ticket ahead of time. Ticket prices increase the day of the tour, so it is advisable to buy early.
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In highlighting a few of the tours, the following information gives a sample of what you can expect. Camden’s tour includes Rockport homes and gardens with an emphasis on large gardens. Boothbay concentrates on the lower part of the peninsula with Southport and Barter’s Island gardens and homes included. Each home has a unique history for visitors to enjoy. Mt. Desert’s tour, known as Open Garden Day, has four gardens in Northeast Harbor and two in Seal Harbor. Some garden clubs may well decide to hold a summer garden tour on the spur of the moment. Keep your eyes on store window announcements and event calendars in your local newspapers to discover these opportunities.
HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE
A harbor view from Holmes Rockport Garden
Hillcrest Retirement Community
For over 70 years, the Desfosses family has been providing affordable, energy efficient, beautiful homes to 55+ seniors in Scarborough. Come see why we have stood the test of time and why you should become part of our story.
Phases Three and Four Opening Soon! 126 Route 1, Scarborough, ME • (207) 883-2512 Open 7am - 4pm M-F, 8am - Noon on Saturday
www.StateManufacturedHomes.com
A Camden garden
JUNE 2014 • 6 7
HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE
Garden Tours
These tours are listed by dates; the earliest one is first.
Saturday, June 14: Sagadahoc Preservation Inc. House and Garden Tour, Phippsburg, Maine, 10:30am-3:30pm; FMI www. sagadahocpreservation.org Saturday, June 28: Deer Isle Garden Tour, 9am12pm or 1pm-4pm; FMI, call 348-2493. Saturday, June 28: Monmouth Garden Tour; FMI, email vegetarianpam@yahoo.com Sunday, July 13: Bar Harbor Garden Tour, 10am4pm; FMI, www.barharborgardenclub.com, or mail check for $25 to Bar Harbor Garden Club, PO Box 652, Bar Harbor, 04609, with self-addressed envelope enclosed.
Top: Seal Harbor garden on Mount Desert Island Bottom: Boothbay Garden
Sunday, July 13: Appleton, Rockport, Union and Warren; seven country gardens on a self-guided tour for Georges River Land Trust; FMI, call 594-5166, www.georgesriver.org; $28 ($25 in advance) Thursday, July 17: Camden House and Garden Tour, 9:30am-4pm; www.camdengardenclub.com, $30 ($25 in advance) Friday, July 25: Boothbay House and Garden Tour, “The Sea Around Us”, 9:30am-4pm; FMI, call Irene Gerny, 633-5052, or Pat McMurry, 633-7405, to purchase $25 ticket. Saturday, July 26: Mt. Desert Garden Club Tour, 12pm- 4pm; FMI, www.gardenclubmountdesert. com, $35 in advance Sundays in the Garden, The Garden Club of Wiscasset: June 15 (Westport Island), 22 (Dresden) and 29 (Wiscasset) and July 13 (Damariscotta), 20 (Edgecomb) and 27(Woolwich). $5 is the donation for each garden, and if it is pouring rain, the tour will be the following Wednesday. FMI, call Carol Blake, 882-4267 Sundays in the Garden, Old York Garden Club: June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, July 6, 13, 20, 27, 12pm- 4pm, $4; oldyorkgardenclub.org
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More importantly, enjoy these gardens and, if offered, homes. We are fortunate to see them. And with visions of possibilities for our own gardens or interior spaces dancing in our heads, we might create fantastic new ‘looks’ to call our own." MSM
Dawson Bradford, Co. REALTORS
DEDHAM - Beautiful 3 Bedroom/2 Bath home with sep-
VEAZIE - Well maintained & beautifully landscaped Veazie 3 Bedroom /1.5 Bath Ranch. Living room with fireplace, lovely Kitchen & Dining area with sliders to deck, wood floors, neat as a pin & ready to move in. Partially finished basement with half Bath offers opportunity for expansion. $169,900 Contact Tricia Quirk
arate Dining Room for entertaining with open Living Room/Family Room/Kitchen area. Large Fireplace with propane insert. Glass porch to overlook Green Lake. Large deck less than 1' from waters edge. Beach area for swimming/park boat. Metal roof, granite counters, Hardwood floors. $369,900
BANGOR – This Mallard Pond unit is ideally located (first corner unit on right) & two minutes to downtown, Efficient to heat, affordable to own & priced to sell. Great floor plan with door to back patio & 3rd floor Bedroom or loft. Walk to Husson and/or shopping. $119,000 Contact Joe Lawlor
HAMPDEN - Have it all at home! Near the Dorthea Dix Park and walking trails to the Penobscot River! Spread out in the shaded lawn with garden area and BBQ on the back deck. Charming details, finished Family Room and toasty pellet stove round out this total package! $149,900 Contact Zach Malloy
Contact The Nadeau Bragdon Team
417 Main Street, Bangor, ME 04401 Office 207.947.3363 | Fax 207.941.9866 | www.eradawson.com
FROM THE PORCH
Instant
Gratification
BY HUNTER HOWE
G
ive it to me and give it to me, Right Now. Ah, it’s the rallying cry of the impatient crowd, the folly of the instant gratification folk, choosing Now over Later.
it makes us less patient.” He cites a University of Texas marketing professor, ‘The need for instant gratification is not new, but our expectation of instant has become faster, and as a result, our patience is thinner.’”
Regrettably, Americans thirst for pleasure in the present without delay, an insatiable desire for immediacy. To point, Carrie Fisher said, “Instant gratification takes too long.” To counter, wise sage said,“Beware of the impatient.” A minister friend of mine said, “God give me patience and give it to me right now.” Confused?
The Muther piece reminded me of the ongoing sports debate, namely, which is more important in the long run, offense or defense?
Christopher Muther, in a Boston Globe article titled The growing culture of impatience makes us crave more and more instant gratification, wrote, “The demand for instant gratification is seeping in to every corner of our lives … experts caution that instant gratification comes at a price:
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Imagine two football teams squaring off on life’s playing field. The Now Team, wearing blazing red uniforms with silver lightning streaks, embraces a high octane, fast-paced offense, risks taken, “go for it all” philosophy. The Later Team, wearing staid brown and white uniforms, relies on patience, positional integrity, avoiding impulse behaviors, limiting defensive mistakes, while waiting for opportunity. Game on!
FROM THE PORCH
So, who wins? Many successful coaches tell us that a good defense will usually triumph over a good offense. How about the days of yesteryear. Our courageous forefathers forged on, those daring pioneers in pursuit of a new beginning. They sought their own playing field; and they understood that the shortest route westward wasn’t always the most prudent. Remember the joke, “Know what the too fast pioneers got—arrows.” Upon reaching their destination and cautious to venture into the unknown surrounding wilderness, they trusted in a defensive position, the Later Team building a fort first. Then, as the community grew, along came the roving merchant, the peddler, that purveyor of the moving general store. His wagon loaded to the brim, pots and pans dangled
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from wooden staves, sharp knives for skinning shone in the sun, and feather dusters lured the woman folk. But, the peddler’s best seller drew in the Now Team. This captivating product promised instant gratification, a quick fix for many of the body’s ailments, like belly aches, nose bleeds, rashes, drooling, rattlesnake bites, and coughs. Back then, back when, it was the forerunner of today’s pill. The Magic Elixir. The Now Team surged forward, waving their hard-earned dollars, yelling “I’ll take one.” Ever wonder what those bottles contained? Probably a few herbs and water from the local stream polluted by animal pee. Oh my. I’ll wager there were no warning labels pasted on those jars. In 1903, an archeologist, while digging in ruins in far away JUNE 2014 • 7 1
FROM THE PORCH
Katchamania, uncovered an ancient tablet. Anticipating a cultural treasure, he carefully scraped away the dirt and grime, finding this inscription, “Instant Gratification Bad Idea.” Nowadays, instant relief dogma worms its way into every area of our society, no more apparent than in the medical sector. Their ads, found on TV, radio, billboards, the internet and in magazines, overwhelm us. Yes, we’re inundated with the give it to me right now religion. It’s mind-numbing to read and listen to the constant buzz of those annoying and misleading beacons of the quick cure, the hidden theme, you guessed it, instant gratification.
I don’t know about you, but when I hear the words absolutely and revolutionary, I’m history. When it comes to quick fixes, I’ll bet most folks in Maine Seniorland and our Maine Seniors magazine readers opt for the Later Team. No Magic Elixir or Magic Pill for us. No sir. You see, we regard those on the Now Team as “some disturbed.” Let me tell ya’… the only quick fix I want when I’m in a hurry is my Nescafe Taster’s Choice Instant Coffee and my Instant Crème of Wheat cereal. Better yet, Richard Schiff said,“The only instant gratification comes in the form of potato chips.” MSM
For example, one ad proclaims that a single pill will boost brain memory, kind of a brain tune-up; another, a new smile in one morning—instant teeth; another, lose weight by hypnosis without hunger or starvation; another, new medical cocktail gives instant relief to heartburn, diarrhea. Sound familiar? And my favorite, the lunch time face lift. Huh? Can you see it. George, hoping for a miracle, drops off Doris and heads across the parking lot to the drive through Big Burger salivating over his own impending instant gratification: three combo cheese burgers, two large fries, and a sixteen ounce sugar splurge beverage. An hour later, a woman crawls into his pickup. Not recognizing her, he reaches for the pepper spray. She shouts, “It’s me honey.” George exclaims, “Oh no.” Silly stuff or willful ignorance? A mind field of enticing medical words supports the ads and boggles our bombarded beanies, like “clinically approved, nationally recognized, world renowned expert, backed by scientific studies, absolutely no side effects, wonder compound, a highly sought after technique, free test dose, revolutionary prescription medication.” Yeah right. Hey, just pop the Magic Pill.
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Peace of mind...
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Who can it be now? —Men at Work
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