Montana Senior News Feb/Mar 2012

Frosty Branches Photo by Rhonda Lee

COMPLIMENTARY! TAKE ONE! Karyn Moltzen and AniMeals Champion the Four-footed Hungry and Homeless

FREE!

By Gail Jokerst Photo by B.James Jokerst Karyn Moltzen never intended to become a modern-day Noah. Initially, her only goal was to feed neglected and abandoned pets that were going hungry. But the more cats and dogs Karyn fed, the more she grasped the magnitude of the problem and broadened her focus to include sheltering animals that otherwise would have perished.

As the founder of AniMeals, a no-kill adoption center and animal food pantry, Karyn now oversees a staff of seven employees and 150 volunteers dedicated to feeding and finding homes for lost and unwanted critters. Based in Missoula, the non-profit covers a 50,000-square-mile territory ranging from the Canadian border to Dillon to the Flathead Valley. That makes it the largest animal food bank in the nation. At last count, their waitingto-be-adopted numbers included 137 cats and kittens that are currently being housed at AniMeals or fed every few hours in foster care homes to keep them alive.

“I didn’t set out to do this; it just happened to me when I realized that some of the people participating in Meals on Wheels had pets that needed to be fed, too,” says Karyn, who has eight cats and two dogs that share her and her husband’s Missoula home. “So I contacted Wal-Mart and some local grocery stores and asked if they had any broken bags of dog or cat food they could donate.”

Indeed, they did. And Karyn got busy filling gallon-size plastic bags with pet food to be delivered to Meals on Wheels recipients along with the hot lunches. Unfortunately, Meals on Wheels did not continue distributing the pet food and Karyn ended up delivering it on her own. Before long, she was also ferrying hundreds of pounds of food per delivery to various rescue groups and no-kill shelters appreciative of the support.

“I did this for two years before telling anyone else about it. I’d hear through the grapevine about different needs and bring over food,” states Karyn, who did not go public with her story until 2005 when she got in touch with The Missoulian. Once their article appeared Karyn says, “I was inundated overnight with calls from people who needed food for their pets. The current economy has affected animals to a great degree. Some people have hit the skids and cannot afford to spare anything for their pets. In addition, people are abandoning their pets at a faster rate than those who are finding them and bringing them here.”

Karyn’s mission is to have every cat that is brought to AniMeals taken home by someone. Occasionally, this happens quickly, as in the case of any Siamese cat that happens to show up. But more often, the adoption process takes longer, especially for black cats.

“They’re the hardest to place because they look so similar,” observes Karyn.

“People can’t easily get past the sameness to the personality of the individual animals.”

Although AniMeals has made great strides in (Continued on page 13)

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Having Fun With Famous Flicks Thanks for another great walk down Nostalgia Lane. My copy of Montana Senior News arrived today, and I picked it up at the post office about 1 pm. It is now 2:45, and I am enclosing my entry to Faces in Famous Flicks to mail before the post office closes at four. You will have many correct entries, no doubt, but mine may be the first correct entry that is mailed. I have seen all the films, of course, and the only name that really stumped me was Ray Walston, but I figured that out by a

process of elimination. Many of these classic films are in my VHS/DVD collection, and all are worth re-reviewing! Thanks for acknowledging my winning entry to the Literary “Canon� quiz.

Shirley Bertin Hysham

Error Noted Please make a correction regarding the article about Ralph Brewington on page 34 of the December 2011/January 2012 issue. The airplane that I

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flew on with the 303rd carrier group was not a B29.

We were assigned C47 cargo planes – carrying supplies after the war ended.

I was trained to be an Election Center Fire Control crewmember on B29s; however, the war ended, and the B29 was the bomber that carried the atomic bomb to Hiroshima.

This ended the Second World War! When I went to the European Theater of Operations, the 303rd Troup Carrier’s group was given C47 planes, which were cargo planes transporting goods to Berlin, Naples, and England. B29 planes were never in Germany or the ETO. Thank you.

Ralph Brewington Broadview ED: On page 34 of the Dec 2011/Jan 2012 issue, we reported that Ralph Brewington flew on B29s. Brewington actually flew on C47s. We regret the error.

Beautiful Montana Beckons My husband and I had traveled across the beautiful state of Montana - last summer (June/ July 2011) on a vacation/business trip through the upper West. We are researching possible relocation areas upon selling our home and farm in Iowa.

Montana was in its full glory - with all the rain it had had, of course. We realize this amount of rainfall caused its havoc but the state’s hills and mountains also were their greenest green - and provided a magnificently adorned landscape the entire time we were there.

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We had come upon your news publication during one of our evening stops - and were immediately captivated by its articles! It was “a keeper” paper. I came across it recently, while recapping our travels. And again, I was thoroughly absorbed with its entirety. The headers and the layouts on each subject are very artfully done, too.

I would imagine that your advertisers do enjoy rewards from being able to run ads in your newspaper. Montana Senior News definitely is a positive to the state of Montana. Just reading it again brought

all the memory we had of our travel through your state. I believe that you deserve a hearty award from your state for the elegance with which you present the paper.

Thanks to everyone involved in its attractive publication! We are reminded how much we want to return to your state for our upcoming vacationing when browsing through this newspaper!

Gerald & Gayle Conklin Friends from Iowa MSN

Resolutions for 2012

By Dr. Michael R. McGough During the waning days of each year, thoughts often turn to resolutions. A number of resolutions have become perennial favorites. Those with a personal focus include weight loss, improved fitness, better management of drinking and smoking habits, improved financial management, and debt reduction.

Interpersonal resolutions include spending more time with family and friends, helping others, increased environmental awareness, and supporting worthy causes. Despite their obvious virtues, turning resolutions into reality, regardless of merit, is frequently no easy matter.

Even with great intentions, we often fall short with too many reasons and excuses to count.

Some of the biggest obstacles include: 1. Unrealistic Goals: If you have been overweight for twenty years, thinking that you are going to drop 24 pounds by Valentine’s Day is probably not realistic. The odds of making that happen without some medical intervention are slim. (No pun intended!) On the other hand, resolving that you want to lose two pounds each month for the next year and keep them off, is much more realistic.

When setting a resolution, start with something that is realistic in the context of your current life situation. If your resolutions are not realistic, you are setting yourself up to fail.

2. Related Changes: A resolution to reduce your credit card debt must include a related resolve to control spending, unless you can simply resolve to make more money. Failure to consider the many factors that affect your resolutions will most certainly frustrate your efforts. In fact, making resolutions without first considering these factors will actually cause you to work against yourself.

When making a resolution, consider all the factors and influences that will affect your success.

3. Accepting Setbacks: Very few long-term initiatives will happen without a few setbacks along the way. You have smoked for twenty years, and this is the year you decide to quit. For the first week, everything goes smoothly, and you cut back to a half a pack a day from your habitual two packs a day. Then you encounter a week where you find yourself back up to a pack a day. Frustrated, you throw in the towel with the comment, “What’s the use, I can’t do this.” Disgruntled by a temporary setback, you abandon your long-term goal and

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 3

Montana Senior News A Barrett-Whitman Publication

P.O. Box 3363 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3363 406-761-0305 or 800-672-8477 FAX 406-761-8358 www.montanaseniornews.com email: montsrnews@bresnan.net The Montana Senior News is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October and December at 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Montana.

The mail subscription rate is $8.00 per year (6 issues). The Montana Senior News is written to serve the reading interests of mature Montanans of all ages. Readers are encouraged to contribute interesting material. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication.

All copy appearing in the Montana Senior News is protected by copyright and may be reprinted only with the written permission of the publisher. Advertising copy should be received or space reserved by the 5th of the month preceding the month of publication.

Jack W. Love, Jr., Publisher/Editor Colleen Paduano Kathleen McGregor Lisa Krebs Rhonda Lee Peter Thornburg Sherrie Smith Nann Parrett

Production Supervisor Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Graphic Artist Distribution Admin/Production Assistant Editorial Assistant

Contributing Writers Bob Campbell Connie Daugherty Clare Hafferman Sue Hart Kim Thielman-Ibes Gail Jokerst Bernice Karnop Craig Larcom Liz Larcom Michael McGough Jack McNeel Dianna Troyer © 2012

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sabotage your own best efforts.

4. General Resistance to Change: There is a basic human tendency to resist change. We are generally creatures of habit, both good and bad, that find a certain level of comfort doing just what we have always done. This tendency can be strong, and it has frustrated many a wellintentioned person. Fighting it will be an ongoing battle, but being aware of this tendency is the first

step in successfully meeting and subduing this enemy.

Whether your resolution is totally achieved, partially realized, or tried for a while and abandoned, there is something empowering about the process. Resolving to do something positive is active proof of our belief that improvement of any type is possible and potentially positive.

Good luck as you go forward in 2012. MSN

We have all had a life-altering moment, when some opportunity or event changed the course of our life forever. This issue’s winning Remember When contributor is Sue Hart, whose opportunity to interview a pop vocal group for her high school paper headed her down her career path as a writer.

Thank you and congratulations to Ms. Hart for winning our $25 Remember When prize.

Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections, contributions describing fictional or non-fictional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days,” or reflections on life in general. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poetry, etc. Photos may

be included.

Each issue of the Montana Senior News features the contributions deemed best by our staff.

The contributor of the winning entry receives a $25 cash prize.

We look forward to receiving your contributions for our April/May 2012 issue. Mail your correspondence to Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to montsrnews@ bresnan.net; or call 1-800-672-8477 or 406-7610305. Visit us online at www.montanaseniornews. com.

The Days Of Flower Children

By Daniel R. Peterson, Emigrant My “life-altering” time came in the sixties when I dropped out and became a hippie. In 1967, I went to Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco for “The Summer of Love.” I turned 23 that year, so my conscious self was only driven by hormones, seeking cheap thrills, or needing to follow the crowd. I was dissatisfied.

I didn’t have anything against the 1950s. I had been an only child, had all I wanted materially, and lived in a cottage behind my parents’ duplex.

I simply had too many questions, religiously, socially, and politically. Why would a loving God

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throw a rebel into hell and torture him a billion years? How could Americans live so self-satisfied when we could see so clearly on newfangled TV people in other nations who were dirt poor? Why were politicians building numerous military bases and developing the CIA when that money could be used to increase wealth worldwide? Why was foreign aid taking money from poor people in rich countries and giving it to rich people in poor countries?

It seemed to me then – and this has come full circle with the Occupy and Tea Party movements – there was a power elite establishment in the world that worked only to show its superiority like royalty of old. Shouldn’t we do something?

When I got to San Francisco, it was a freer world. Some of the freedom turned out to be rather poisonous, but at least we were free to make mistakes. Some of the things we had never heard of were being practiced in Golden Gate park: yoga, Hindu chanting, and Buddhist meditation. Now there is a yoga studio in most every little town.

There were free medical clinics, open poetry readings where anyone could read, group smoking of marijuana with no sign of a police presence, and bands playing the weirdest music.

There were plenty of us there who were older than Baby Boomers (born before 1946), and we might be called Progressive Traditionalists. We were not about to burn out and die; we had something to offer and a reason to live. We were round pegs that couldn’t be pounded into the square holes of conformity.

I don’t have any regrets, although I can see where I made some mistakes. (Argh! How can anyone listen to that harsh rock music?!) All of us are a work in progress. I am thankful that I had the courage to go, that America gave us the liberty to be, and that enough compatriots arrived to show that we were serious. MSN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Lucille

By Ella Mae Howard Lucille is a black baldy cow, and she has a pretty face. Any good rancher who knows a thing or two about cows would take her home in a heartbeat. She raises big, beautiful calves.

She is a good keeper. She does not have “bag” problems. Her feet are good. In the pasture, she will come right up to you, stick her mug in your face, and beg for cake.

But there is another side to Lucille. She is like a hot cake that has been on the girdle too long.

The top side is a perfect inviting golden brown, ready for butter and syrup. The underneath is an uninviting burned black.

In the days of the Texas to Montana cattle drives, Lucille would have been called a “bunch quitter.” You get her right to the gate where you want her to be and before you can utter a cuss word, she and her calf have quit the bunch and disappeared into a plum thicket so thick snakes crawl around it. This past fall she gave us the slip so many times that I quit counting. Then what is so irritating about this ole girl is in an hour or two,

she will chase you down for some cake, lick your face, and eat out of your hand.

In one of our many tries to get her in, we did get her calf. Now, Lucille was in the pasture by herself. All the other cows had settled into the winter routine, looking forward to hay and cake being brought to them by the big green tractor.

Not Lucille. She was still in the hills, waiting each and every day for the 4-wheeler to show up with her half bucket of cake. You see, despite her shortcomings, I really like Lucille. I have left many piles of cuss words scattered about because of this ol’ biddy, but I find myself liking her independence and her stubborn streak.

And if she keeps producing nice calves, we’ll find a way to deal with her. MSN

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A Few Genre Books

When a man of 90 falls in love with a girl of 20, it isn’t her youth he is seeking but his own.

- Lorene Coffee

By Connie Daugherty Not all writing quite fits into a specific genre other than the broad category of either fiction or nonfiction. And some people deride genre writing as a lesser quality writing. However, as I read books by Montana genre authors, I come across some excellent writing.

Genre writing does not mean predictable or boring, and definitely not easy. In fact, quality genre writing often can be very challenging. Readers have an expectation but good writers have to manage a bit of the unexpected as well, always keeping their writing fresh and interesting. For this month’s column, I am going to focus on three of my favorite women genre writers.

B. J. Daniels, who writes Harlequin intrigues, is one of the most prolific and talented writers I know. She was an award-winning journalist in Bozeman and short story writer for many years before she started writing novels. Now, she is a USA Today bestselling author. In May 2011, she began a new series set in Whitehorse, Montana.

Stampeded is one of that series.

Alexa Cross was born with a “gift” that she has spent most of her life denying. “She didn’t want to see dead people. She didn’t want them to talk to her.” But when her brother needs her, she finds herself in the small town of Whitehorse, Montana. He is convinced that the old mansion he and his wife inherited and are trying to remodel into a bed and breakfast is haunted - by a ghost who is determined to hurt him. Alexa stubbornly

argues that she cannot see the dead and that all that paranormal stuff was just a hoax. “The truth, she finally admitted… was that her brother was right. This house has a dark history that had been coming at her like a battering ram… she could feel the unrest….” Still she is determined to prove that the hauntings in the house are more human than ghostly.

Meanwhile, on the neighboring property, the Chisholm family is dealing with its own apparent ghost that is also trying to kill a family member.

A bad dream that results in sleepwalking drives Alexa out of the haunted Wellington manor and into Marshall Chisholm’s arms. But it is something else that keeps drawing them together even though Alexa is determined to keep the handsome cowboy at arm’s length.

Two unrelated haunted mysteries, a bit of romance and self-discovery, and a realistic central Montana setting - Stampeded is a great read and typical of B.J. Daniels’ fine writing.

Kathy Tyers is most well known for her Christian science fiction writing, although she has written some nonfiction as well. Her background and education in science enable her to have that bit of authenticity in her fiction that makes her novels so readable. In her most recent novel, Wind and Shadow, she takes readers to a world beyond space and time where cloning and “subvocalization” (telepathic) communicating are the norm - within strict guidelines that is. “Telepathy had originated in humankind’s desperate isolation, but it had isolated them more than ever - it demanded constant vigilance, or else it extracted a terrible moral cost.”

This is a classic tale of good versus evil; however, it is not always clear who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. That is what makes the tale so captivating. It all begins when Wind Haworth invites a spiritual leader, Kiel Caldwell, to visit her home planet. All the planet’s dignitaries gather to meet him as he debarks at the inport.

Then “in that instant, Wind’s distinguished young visitor had disappeared as if someone had lifted him straight out of the Baseline Settlement.” The search is on, and in the process characters who did not even know the others existed are thrown together as adversaries and sometimes as seemingly

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

improbable allies.

Meanwhile Kiel is fighting his own battles.

He is given great opportunities — opportunities to save lives, including the life of his daughter, but at what cost? “With Tamim looking for unsullied piety, Kiel feared that he’d just committed a crime… he might have just delivered himself to the Adversary.” He is using these special powers for good, not evil, but something just does not feel right. Does the end really justify the means, and do good intentions trump minor indiscretions? In this complex plot that Tyers has woven in Wind and Shadow, the answers are neither straightforward nor obvious but always entertaining, and thought provoking.

Rather than transport readers into her fantasy world, New York Times bestselling writer, Patricia Briggs, plops “Other” and sometimes scary creatures like vampires, werewolves, fae, and shapeshifters down right next door in ordinary neighborhoods where they live, “in upscale houses in real towns…. It won’t be long before vampires are outed. Werewolves had outed themselves a year and a half ago.... People were gradually learning that the world is a scarier place than the scientific reasoning… had lead them to believe.”

In River Marked, Briggs continues the adventures of her most well known character - shapeshifter and auto mechanic, Mercedes Thompson who marries Adam, Alpha Wolf of the Columbia Basin, as the story begins. When they head off for

a ten-day honeymoon in a borrowed camper, the adventure begins. “We were headed back to the campsite when we found the boat… this wasn’t a place where I’d expect to find a boat…. I couldn’t see the boat… but I could smell a man’s fear.”

Contrary to popular belief, werewolves and “walkers” - especially Mercy and Adam - are just as likely to help humans in trouble as to harm them. They encounter an injured Native American fisherman whose fear is beyond normal fear; it is sheer terror. When Mercy gets close enough to help, she sees that the man’s foot has been torn off. Whatever attacked this man is not normal and it “marked” Mercy as its prize victim.

Seeing ghosts is neither a common nor an unusual experience for Mercy, but she has never been visited by her father’s ghost - until now.

That visit opens doors that Mercy, with all her experience with the ‘Others,” didn’t even imagine existed.

River Marked is a fast-paced adventure that continues this already popular series. Characters that have been a part of previous stories show up here and it is helpful to have read the other books, but definitely not necessary.

Western writing is another genre type of writing that we will look at next time. Meanwhile, as the long winter days keep us inside and by the fire more often, I sincerely recommend that you check out Stampeded, Wind and Shadow, and River Marked. MSN

Smarter Than We Look Submitted by Lowell Halleen A lawyer and an older gentleman are sitting next to each other on a long flight. Now, the lawyer had the opinion that old people are so dumb that he could put something over on this old fellow. So, the lawyer asks if the gentleman would like to play a game.

The gentleman is tired and wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and tries to catch a few winks.

The lawyer persists, saying that the game is a lot of fun. “I ask you a question, and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me $5. Then you ask me a question, and if I don’t know the answer, I pay you $500,” said the lawyer.

This caught the gentleman’s attention and, to keep the lawyer quiet, he agrees to play the game.

The lawyer asks the first question. “What’s the distance from the Earth to the Moon?”

The gentleman does not say a word, but reaches into his pocket, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it to the lawyer.

Now, it is the old gentleman’s turn. He asks the lawyer, “What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?”

The lawyer uses his laptop to search all references he can find on the Internet. He sends emails to all the smart friends he knows, but to no avail.

After an hour of searching, he finally gives up.

The lawyer wakes up the gentleman and hands him $500, which he pockets and goes right back to sleep.

The lawyer is going nuts not knowing the answer. Finally, he wakes the old fellow and asks, “Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?”

The old gentleman reaches into his pocket, hands the lawyer $5, and goes back to sleep. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 9

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Well, it is the season for sweethearts, and Cupid is calling! Time to find that special someone, so you can send a heart-shaped box of sweets or fragrant bouquet of flowers. A romantic dinner for two, perhaps? By responding to one of these ads, you may discover the first flutterings of love. And what better occasion for new romance? Take a chance‌ Cupid’s arrow could be pointed directly at you!

To those who wish to respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message and address, phone number, or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

We will forward your response, including your address, phone number, and/or email address to the person placing the ad. If you answer an ad in this section, there is no guarantee that you will receive a response. That is up to the person who placed the ad. Please make sure you submit your correct address plainly printed, so you can promptly receive responses.

Respond to the ads in this issue, and also sit down now and prepare your own ad to run in our next issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may lead you down the path of true love!

Responses to pert 1BZPò FYJTUJOH .PSUHBHF sonal ads appearing in t $POTPMJEBUF $SFEJU $BSE EFCU this column can be submitted at any time. Howt $PWFS )FBMUI $BSF $PTUT ever, to place a personal t .FFU %BJMZ BOE .POUIMZ FYQFOTFT ad in the April/May 2012 t 3FNPEFM PS SFQBJS ZPVS IPNF issue, the deadline is March 10, 2012. $BMM GPS B $PNQMJNFOUBSZ $POTVMUBUJPO

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WWF Christian lady would like to meet a Billings area, Christian, non-smoking, nondrinking gentleman in his 70s. I enjoy a simple life of spending time outdoors, watching movies, and going to concerts.

If you are interested,

I would appreciate a letter. Reply MSN, Dept.

28301, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWM in Central Montana. No couch sitter. Enjoy card games and dancing. Outdoor person and enjoy having a green thumb. I go to a residence in Arizona for the winter after hunting season and return in the spring about May. Enjoy people as they are, unless it involves a chemical abuse. I’d like to share life with someone who is honest and enjoys closeness to the Lord. I find indebtedness very distasteful. Have all the toys I want and am not rooted to a particular location, so could relocate for the right lady. I prefer traveling by camper or motor home in the USA, Canada, or Alaska. At 76, to go slow and enjoy the moments is my style.

Although I do not hike as well as I once did, I do enjoy walks. The freezer is stocked with fish and wild game. If your outlook on life is similar to mine, I will treat you as a friend – who knows? I’ll answer any inquiry, even if I am in Arizona by the time you reply. Reply MSN, Dept. 28302, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Luminous lady in Southwest Montana seeks friends, men, and women share interests, such as literature, poetry, art, gardening, walking in and enjoying nature – laughter, long talks, walks, and fun. I would like to share with like-minded, likehearted individuals. I am in my late 60s, young in mind, heart, and (most of the time) body. We have a lot of good life left in us my friends! I would like to broaden my horizons with new friends.

And perhaps among them I will find a good mate.

I have been single a long time, and am ready to reach out again. I would like to communicate with non-drinkers, non-smokers, who have a positive, peaceful, and loving attitude toward life and their fellow travelers – people and animals. Someone honest, who loves to be in the glorious outdoors of Montana, who is interested in gardening and things of the earth. I am not a hunter or drinker, and prefer the peaceful aspects of life. I am a good cook; make bread, jam, and all kinds of good stuff.

How about you? I would prefer to communicate by email first, and then by phone if we are both interested. I can send a photo via email. Reply MSN, Dept. 28303, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWM seeks very affectionate female companion, 55-75. Looks are unimportant. I live in Great Falls and do not smoke or drink. All replies welcome, and I will answer them all. Please send a picture and phone number. Reply MSN, Dept.

28304, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWF, mid-70s. A Christian lady living in Billings. I own my home. I would like to meet a country gentleman. I like to dance, listen to country music, and occasionally eat out. Enjoy walking, museums, gardening, and history. I don’t smoke. Do not believe in “live-ins.” Reply MSN, Dept. 28305, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

I am a WWF, 81 years old. Want a nice fellow around Billings and about 75-80 years old. I like to dance, take walks, and eat out at times. I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs. I own my condo. Please send a picture and phone number. Reply MSN, Dept. 28306, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWF; I am 72, blue eyes, brown hair, 5’4”, 120 lbs. My interests include family, camping, walking, traveling by RV. Do not smoke, anything else I will tell you. I like to be able for us to share as equals.

Am looking for a soul mate to spend my golden years with. Seeking an honest, caring, one-woman man. Have been alone four years now, and feel it is time to show that love for someone else special in my life. Send a picture. I will answer all. Reply MSN, Dept. 28307, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

WWF seeking a friend. Live in Billings. No smoking or drinking or drugs. I like country music and easy listening. I go to church and am a Christian. I am in my 70s, but look younger. I have blue eyes, blonde hair. I am active, like to laugh, and have fun being happy. Good sense of humor a must. Reply MSN, Dept. 28308, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWF, 60ish, Southwest Montana. I’m a very happy, intelligent, educated, active, healthy, welltraveled (US and worldwide), outdoorsy, natureloving, slender woman interested in meeting men with similar characteristics. I enjoy participative sports and activities such as hiking, tennis, golf, cross-country skiing, and have long wanted to try kayaking and a few other things. I am a dog-lover and a strong supporter of animal rescues, sanctu-

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 11

aries, etc., so prefer that you are a non-hunter, or at least are not a hunting fanatic. I enjoy reading (mostly non-fiction) and listening to NPR when driving. I am self-employed (20+ years) but am pretty much retired. You, a SWM in your 60s, give or take, are at least fairly tall (I am 5’8”), healthy, fit, slender to normal build, active, intelligent, and at least like dogs if you do not have your own pets.

No smoking, no heavy drinking (social is fine), no drugs. Looking for friendship, at least at first. Reply MSN, Dept. 28309, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

nis shoes, country girl or otherwise adventurous woman for friendship, companionship... potential partner. Pen pal okay and I will answer all responses. Reply MSN, Dept. 28311, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Widow in 80s would like to correspond with gentleman of similar age. I enjoy music, animals, and plants. Originally lived on a ranch and enjoy the outdoors. I also enjoy crossword and jigsaw puzzles. Reply MSN, Dept. 28310, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWM, 78, ex-hyperactive adult, nominal Christian, latent Buddhist, looking for little old lady in ten-

WWM, senior, retired, 5’6”, 135 pounds. Not too old to fish, dance, camp, travel, cook, go to movies, take day trips or long trips, go to state or national parks. May go south some winters. Some sight-seeing and picnics. Eat out some or stay in by the fire when too cold. Take the boat out a few times, and try to enjoy as much as possible. Would like to meet a nice lady who likes to do some of these things ... or do other things to please her wishes. Please write, so we can meet and plan the future. Send picture if possible. Thanks. Reply MSN, Dept. 28312, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

(Continued on page 13)

PAGE 12 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

M O N TA N A

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE When it is Time for Memory Care.

Being the sole caregiver for a person with memory loss is a challenge from the first diagnosis. As the memory loss progresses, behaviors start to develop that are very hard to cope with, the increased confusion that can result in anger or aggression; unpredictable behavior; the need for constant supervision to prevent wandering; loss of continence and more.

Trying to handle any of these care issues on your own can be exhausting and impossible when you add them all together. Many spouses and children begin to recognize their own fatigue and frustrations and realize that this is not good for them or the person with memory loss.

Where to turn? Memory Care is the term used by senior care providers to define care services and programs for those suffering from memory loss due to stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or other diagnosed dementia. Many years and much thought has been put into finding the best way to provide for the special needs of a person with memory loss. Doctors, researchers, organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association and many senior housing companies are dedicated to developing resources and providing services for the best possible care.

The benefits of the programs are many: • Secure wings, wander guard systems and enclosed courtyards.

Residents with memory loss can be restless and need room to wander safely.

• Multiple caregivers to be of assistance around the clock. As the sole spouse or child knows, help

TM

is a good thing and a person with memory loss can have night time issues as well.

• Nursing staff to handle medication issues and secondary medical conditions. Residents often cannot express how they feel or what they need and it takes a trained person to interpret and monitor those needs.

• Caregivers that are chosen for their patience. Trained to handle the challenging behaviors and interpret the needs of residents who cannot ask for help.

• Meal programs designed to encourage eating and adapt to a residents needs. Beyond three meals and snacks, we can help them eat and find ways to make sure they are getting the best nutrition.

• Activities that are stimulating and designed to reach the memory loss resident. Quality of life can be found through social interaction, mental stimulation, music therapy and feeling purposeful.

When the personal care of a family member with memory loss becomes too much of a challenge, transitioning to a secure memory care community, whether in a nursing home or assisted living facility, can be the right choice for your family.

Pearls of Life Memory Care is the Signature Program offered by facilities managed by The Goodman Group.

The program encompasses the whole person’s needs from creating structure and routine of home, providing for the idiosyncrasies and variations of daily care and life enrichment of the mental and emotional spirit.

Pearls of Life Memory Care is available in: Missoula: Hillside Health Care Center The Village Health Care Center Hamilton: Valley View Estates Billings: Westpark Village Billings Health

The Goodman Group –

Serving Missoula Seniors Since 1980.

You are making the right choice.

At some point, we all need help for ourselves or someone we love and we have to make the choice.

Getting the right care is the right choice.

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Hillside Valley View Estates Health Care Center Health Care Center 4720 23rd Avenue Missoula, Montana 59803 (406) 251-5100 www.hillsidesenior.com

The Village Health Care Center 2651 South Avenue West Missoula, Montana 59804 (406) 728-9162 www.villagehealthcare.com

Billings& Rehabilitation Health Community

2115 Central Avenue Billings, Montana 59102 (406) 656-6500 www.billingshealth.com

225 North 8th Street Hamilton, Montana 59840 (406) 363-1144 www.valleyviewestates.org

Riverside Health Care Center 1301 East Broadway Missoula, Montana 59802 (406) 721-0680 www.riversidesenior.com

Valley

Health Care Center 1807 24th Street West Billings, Montana 59102 (406) 656-5010 www.valleyhcc.com

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2815 Old Fort Road Missoula, Montana 59804 (406) 549-1300 www.villagesenior.com

4720 23rd Avenue Missoula, Montana 59803 (406) 251-5100 www.hillsidesenior.com

Westpark Village A Senior Living Community 2351 Solomon Avenue Billings, Montana 59102 (406) 652-4886 www.westparksenior.com

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 13

is not just a feeling or an experiment, but rather a choice accompanied by commitment? SWF, youthful 62, soft and cuddly, ND/NS. Own home in Hamilton, not re-locatable. Have disability, but enjoy camping, dancing, singing, classic rock, my 12-Step program, movies, plays, cards, TV, chivalry, laughter, and mutual TLC. ISO honest, affectionate, stable, dependable, considerate Christian

gentleman who doesn’t drink, gamble, or do drugs.

If you can handle my noon-to-midnight schedule and would like to begin as friends, this attractive, faithful, fun, opinionated lady just may be your soulmate! Age, height, race unimportant. Photo with letter, please. Reply MSN, Dept. 28314, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN

Personals - continued from page 11 SWF, 68, would like to meet a fried, a lover, to be my lifetime partner. If you are 68+, a gentleman, and live in Great Falls, I would like to hear from you. I will promise you won’t be sorry! Reply MSN, Dept. 28313, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Do you still believe in forever? That real love

Karyn Moltzen - continued from cover assisting Montana’s feline population, helping their canine counterparts has not been as easy. AniMeals’ warehouse home base is not large enough or well suited to lodge dogs as well as cats. Consequently, they are seeking ten acres of land around Missoula to provide shelter for homeless dogs.

While Karyn does not post advertisements with pictures of dogs to adopt - as she does for the cats entrusted to AniMeals - she still works ceaselessly to insure no dog in Western Montana goes hungry. For that matter, she will not allow any animal to go hungry be it a pet or a pig, a horse, bison, emu, goat, or camel. And yes, we even have abandoned camels in our state.

When the Montana Large Animal Sanctuary Rescue in Niarada went broke, they contacted Karyn to ask her to help feed 1,200 deserted animals including 675 llamas. She sped to their aid.

“Within five minutes of receiving the phone call, I had a semi lined up. In three days, we had it filled with 30 tons of hay and had it delivered,” remembers Karyn. “All of that hay was donated when people learned about the plight of these animals.

Since then AniMeals has provided 50 more tons of hay and has another 50 tons of donated hay on the way. The number of animals we are feeding has continued to go up but so have donations even in this poor economy. People do not turn off compassion when times get tough. And every donation matters be it five or five-hundred dollars.”

Should you want to help AniMeals there are many ways to support them. Volunteers and donations of money, pet food, aluminum cans, and office cleaning supplies are always welcome. So are foster and adoptive parents, who can bring home one of the shelter’s felines for $55. That includes - but does not cover - the veterinarians’ fees for spaying or neutering as well as for vaccinating, de-worming, and inserting a microchip for tracking.

Pet owners short on funds but willing to work can participate in AniMeals’ Volunteer Food Exchange Program, which has been very successful.

As Karyn explains, “People feel they aren’t just getting a handout, they’re helping. Volunteers put in four hours doing things like cleaning kitty boxes, scrubbing floors, and just sitting with the cats and loving them. That earns them enough food to feed their animal for a month.”

Given that some people in this country go to bed hungry, Karyn is asked occasionally how she can put the needs of animals before those of humans. She has no problem answering.

“There are all kinds of aid programs to help people but there aren’t any for animals,” she says.

“A dog or cat cannot go out and get a job or go to the food bank. They rely entirely on us for their very existence.”

Although some might try to turn the situation into a partisan political issue, Karyn deftly avoids any name-game traps.

“We are not about politics, egos, or agendas.

We’re about feeding the animals and want help from everyone,” she emphasizes. “No one cares who you voted for. When you’re saving a life, it’s immaterial where the help comes from.”

For more information visit www.animeals.com or call 406-721-4710. MSN

PAGE 14 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Where Are They Now - Dolores Hart?

By Marshall J. Kaplan The former 1950s and 1960s leading lady is now leading a life as an American Roman Catholic nun.

Dolores Hart was born as Dolores Hicks on October 20, 1938 in Chicago, Illinois.

With the onset of her parent’s marital problems, Dolores moved in with her grandparents. Her grandfather was a movie theater projectionist, and it was his enthusiasm about films that led Dolores to pursue a career in acting.

Also, when Dolores was eleven, her father Bert Hicks, a bit player actor, was offered a contract with a movie studio and was off to Hollywood taking star struck Dolores with him.

“I was a Hollywood brat.

We lived in Beverly Hills and I would visit the movie lots with my Dad. I wanted to be part of that life!”

With her father’s help, Dolores changed her last name to Hart, got a movie contract, and was signed to play Elvis Presley’s love interest in 1957’s Loving You... a career break other actresses only dream of! It is all about whom you know!

And what about Dolores’ on-screen kiss with Elvis?

“My kiss was 15 seconds long on film, but has Great Falls

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lasted 50 years!”

After Loving You, Dolores was in demand, appearing in Wild in the Wind (1957 with Anthony Quinn) and Lonelyhearts (1958 with Montgomery Clift), until appearing in yet another Elvis movie - 1958’s hit, King Creole!

Dolores then appeared on Broadway in 1959, earning a Tony award nomination for Best Featured Actress in The Pleasure of his Company.

Dolores was then off to Rome, filming the classic Where The Boys Are (1960) and Frances of Assisi (1961).

It was during this time in Rome that changed her life.

When she met Pope John XXIII, she told him, “I am Dolores Hart - the actress playing the nun, Clare.”

The Pope replied, “No, you ARE Clare!”

After appearing in four more films and breaking off her engagement to Los Angeles executive, Dan Robinson, the 25-year-old actress decided to leave the film industry and become a nun at the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut.

“I took my final vows in 1970,” Dolores relates.

Today, Mother Dolores Hart is instrumental in bringing the arts into the community - raising awareness and money for the Abbey. She is also the only member of the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences who is a nun. A true combination of Hollywood and religion - with a touch of Elvis! MSN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

All The World’s A Dance Stage For Charlene Campbell And The Rocky Mountain Ballet Theater Company Article & Photo by Gail Jokerst If you think a world-class ballet school focuses solely on teaching familiar moves such as pirouettes and plies, you’re obviously unacquainted with the Rocky Mountain Ballet Theater Company (RMBT). Granted, when these young dancers perform you see soaring leaps and smooth glissades.

But you also see riveting jazz, tap, kick-line, and hip-hop routines seamlessly complementing those classic maneuvers.

Thanks to the vision and choreography of Charlene Campbell, the founder and Artistic Director of RMBT, her students are wowing audiences in America and abroad with an intriguing range of dance forms. For Charlene, teaching dance is definitely more than about mastering traditional steps - no matter how time-honored. It’s also about more than mastering contemporary dance idioms - no matter how visually exciting. According to this talented and generous-spirited woman, dance can’t be separated from the broader realm of the arts.

“If you’re informed about all the art forms, it makes you a better communicator and a better dancer. Dance is an expression, part of the fabric of who you are. Having inspirations and impressions is what makes you an artist,” she explains. “I want to expose my students to new ideas, to unhinge the brain, and ballet is the initiator.”

For example, when Russia’s Moscow Ballet came to Missoula last year to perform Romeo & Juliet, local dancers between the ages of seven and 16 were invited to audition for the supporting corps de ballet and children’s’ roles. As part of preparing the students who were chosen to participate, Charlene had them read Shakespeare’s play and listen to Prokofiev’s score. Likewise, when RMBT offered an after-school ballet workshop based on The Tales of Beatrix Potter, Charlene focused on the content and whimsical illustrations of those stories as well as the ballet’s operatic score and choreography.

According to Charlene, RMBT teaches, “basic proficiencies that apply throughout life. Our students develop the skills of analysis, abstract thinking, interpretation, and problem-solving that are as relevant to studying dance work as to analyzing a

work of literature or exploring physics.”

Indeed, to understand Charlene’s approach to teaching dance, it helps to know something of her own early training and background. She grew up in Chicago and began studying ballet with her mother, who was a ballerina and Radio City Music Hall Rockette. Her father worked in television as an anchorman and hosted a radio talk show. Both parents believed in tapping into Chicago’s diverse cultural offerings to educate their young daughter.

“I started dancing at age seven and there wasn’t a day that passed that we didn’t go to an art gallery or the symphony. My parents fed me a huge diet of literature, music, and art,” recalls Charlene.

“We were always at the Art Institute [of Chicago] and the library.”

Eventually, her studies led her to one of the world’s leading dance companies, the American Ballet Theatre in New York City, where she became a faculty member and assistant to the director.

Charlene’s career took an unexpected turn when she decided to move to Missoula in 1997 to start a non-profit dance school and build a pre-professional training program.

“This is both a professional company and a school. The school is my laboratory to create choice and sculpt the clay. It’s the only school like this in the United States with cowboys, Native Americans, and a wholly Montana repertoire based on our geography and culture. Everything we do is based on Montana,” says Charlene, who draws students from as far away as Lewistown.

Today, RMBT is an affiliate of the University of Montana in International Programs and Charlene is a sought-after master teacher. Fortunately for the dancers in the many countries where she has taught, sharing a common language isn’t a prerequisite to teaching or learning. All that’s needed is the ability to follow movement.

As an experienced world traveler herself, Charlene feels it’s important for artists of every medium to learn from other cultures.

It’s a value that she’s

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 15

PAGE 16 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

imbued in her students by making it possible for them to perform her choreographed works overseas. Her enthusiasm and tutelage has paid off abundantly.

“All the kids want to go on these trips. When they travel, they’re superstars. They see their pictures on billboards and hear people screaming for them. Aside from learning all kinds of dance, they learn diplomatic skills. They act as ambassadors representing America in a favorable way,” says Charlene, who makes two points clear before departure. “You eat the food you’re given and you take the bus.”

Charlene has found that exposing her students to other languages and approaches to life as well as dance has given them a sense of maturity and self-confidence that has strengthened their performance and helped cultivate them to be global citizens. So far, her troupe has performed on stages in Austria, China, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. They have also traveled as far away as Rome to study under the Balleto di Roma program.

Although it would be difficult to say which of Charlene’s accomplishments she is most proud of, without doubt the two performing tours her students have made to China would rank among

the top contenders.

In May 2008, RMBT represented Montana in a performance and cultural exchange preceding the Summer Olympics. That led to an invitation to return to Beijing in the fall to participate in an international dance competition and for Charlene to teach a master class for the National Ballet of China.

For that trip, Charlene created a unique dance program, fittingly titled “Montana,” to share familiar elements of the Big Sky landscape with the Chinese. It blended classical and contemporary dance through cowboys, Indians, and ballerinas.

Her choreography and costumes featured images of wild turkeys, frogs, and wheat fields as well as rodeo star Wade Black’s rope tricks and Louie Plant’s traditional Salish-Kootenai Fancy Dancing. The visually stunning program with its two-stepping dance moves, fast intricate footwork, and eye-high kicks was wholeheartedly received in every province where they toured.

“This program is really about celebrating our home and our sense of place in the world. It’s about new works created for our own homegrown talent. We want to show people that American culture is not only about Hollywood movies but has a more diverse context,” says Charlene.

Because the visit was such a diplomatic and artistic success, Charlene decided to return for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.

However, this time when the troupe traveled to the Middle Kingdom, they returned as guests of the Chinese government, who Charlene says, “Treated us royally.”

They took their “Montana” program on a twoweek tour that included a visit to Montana’s sister state, the Guangxi Province, to develop friendship and create new relationships between Montana and China. At the World Expo in Shanghai, they were headline performers at the American Square and American Pavilion.

“We performed for very large audiences who really ate it up. The Chinese love our choreography. After seeing us dance, they went from being formal to being friends. The Expo provided such a great stage for us to display the true Montana bronc-riding, rope-twirlin’ cowboy and Native American dancers,” says Charlene. “We gave the Expo audience an authentic taste of the culture of Montana and the American West.”

Whether her dancers are performing in America, Asia, or Europe, Charlene’s mission remains the same.

“I want to show the eclectic personality possibilities representing Montana - to present Montana through dance in a favorable and contemporary light.”

For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.rmbt.org or call 406-5495155. MSN

Thoughts To Ponder Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley Birds of a feather flock together… and then dump on your car.

A penny saved is a government oversight.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends.

The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

He who hesitates is probably right.

Did you ever notice: The Roman numerals for forty (40) are XL. If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.

The sole purpose of a child’s middle name is so he can tell when he is really in trouble.

Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

Some people try to turn back their odometers.

Not me, I want people to know why I look this way.

I have traveled a long way and some of the roads were not paved.

When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth, think of algebra. MSN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 17

PAGE 18 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Growing Perennials In Cold Climates

By Clare Hafferman In the game of gardening, there are discoveries every season. More blooms, a new spin on the color wheel, seeds from across the oceans, and hybrid combinations of old favorites.

If you have thought of a perennial border in a new spot or to improve what you already have, there is a beautiful, big new book devoted to that subject, and it’s been written for our place on the globe - Growing Perennials In Cold Climates

by Mike Heger, Debbie Lonnee, and John Whitman. Heger is co-owner of Ambergate Gardens in Chaska, Minnesota and an expert on the subject. Debbie Lonnee works for Bailey Nurseries in Newport, Minnesota, is a thirty-year veteran in the nursery business and an editor of Northern Gardener. John Whitman is a garden writer and photographer and wrote Growing Shrubs and Small Trees in Cold Climates, and Growing Roses in Cold Climates. Let us assume all three know about bitter winds and below zero temperatures!

One border drawing I saw lately was in my old Crockett’s Victory Garden, and although Mr. Crockett dealt mainly with vegetables, he included four pages of flowers that he fostered, along with the recommended varieties, colors, and their flowering time. While I could visualize the things he planted, it was difficult to think about a big clump of rhubarb near Maltese cross, Campanula, lupine and yarrow and fronted by forget-me-nots. The last border featured a dozen herb plants in front of baby’s breath, asters, and hollyhocks. Maybe he wasn’t after appearance, just a lot of variety.

Sensible as to the basics, Mr. Crockett advised digging in compost and manure beforehand, to plant clusters of color, and not to always put taller numbers in the back. He said try putting something tall in back of another plant of medium height and try to weave your favorites in and out, not just in straight shots.

When I began reading this book, I started with yarrow (Achillea), because I have grown a variety named Gold Plate that has big yellow blooms and requires little care. The hybridizers have added some new colors I had never seen. There was a shade of salmon pink, a dark wine red, and a bright Fire King that would light up any area. I

have used yarrow in fresh and dried bouquets, witnessed the butterflies that like it, but I had no idea you could dry these flowers in a box of cat litter! Learn something...

I have also grown three of the first plants noted: wormwood (Artemesia), columbine (Aquiligia), and asters. Wormwood is recommended for a grey accent, but it proved too invasive and I like a wild variety called Silver Sage instead.

I planted a wild columbine, red and yellow, a double version named Nora Barlow, and a dark purple columbine along with some coral bells, all to attract the hummingbirds. The birds seemed to prefer the coral bells and I failed to pinch off the columbine blossoms, as this book advises, so half a day spent digging out starts, was my punishment.

The asters I grow are the New England variety, planted because they attract many insects, butterflies and the bees, but the ones featured in this book are striking shades of color and a temptation to buy. Asters are grown primarily for fall color and they can last up to 15 years if you choose disease resistant kinds. Do not crowd them so they get good air circulation, and companion plants are daylilies, the aforementioned wormwood, and chrysanthemums.

The authors admitted that chrysanthemums in our climate are better treated as annuals, but they did include some elegant samples you could order and try. I have never been successful at growing them or false blue indigo or a butterfly bush, and the Coreopsis that I did get to bloom soon faded out. The indigo plant is supposed to resemble lupine, a long-lived addition and has little black seeds that you are to plant where it grows because it does not like transplanting. The seeds I tried twice have never surfaced and neither has the butterfly bush. This has a beautiful flower and smells good and again, in planting it twice; nothing has sprung up to reward me.

If you have any favorites of your own, you will no doubt discover them within these pages, and from the details and photos, you could probably begin to sketch your own border plans for next season. MSN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

When You Buy Another Home, Say Farewell To Your Old One

By Sue Ronnenkamp If you are preparing for your own downsizing, right-sizing transition, please think about how you might say good-bye and bring closure to leaving your current home. You may not feel that this is a high priority in the midst of everything else you must do related to your move, but it is important.

If this has been your home for 50 or just 5 years, it has become a part of your life and memories.

Bringing some level of closure with your current home, and allowing yourself time to grieve this loss, are essential parts of the transition process.

Treat endings with as much importance as beginnings and use this opportunity to say good-bye so you do not have regrets about this later.

1. Make plans for bringing closure with your current home. There are several ways you can do this. One is by recalling your favorite memories of this home. You might even want to think about your favorite memories on a room-by-room basis.

You can do this alone, or with family or friends.

Tears may come with this process, but that’s okay - leaving a place you have called “home” can be very emotional. And do not hesitate to repeat this as many times as needed.

Another idea is to plan a way to include family and/or friends in some kind of home celebration party. This idea is especially fitting if you have lived in your current home for many years, or if this is the house where you raised your family. Ask each person invited to come prepared with a story or favorite memory of your home. After sharing food and drink together, ask each person to tell their memory or story. Don’t forget to include several of your own favorite recollections as well.

You might also want to host a party if you have friends and shared memories among this group of people. Share favorite memories of living together in your neighborhood, and make sure everyone leaves with your new address and phone number so they can stay in touch after your move.

2. Consider those who will benefit from the home you are passing on. It may be hard when you’re leaving a long-time residence to consider the value of what you are passing on to the new owner, but this passing on is often the wonderful result of this process. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me to go back and visit the home where I grew up - the home my parents lived in for 34 years until they made their own later life move and see how much the young family who bought my parents’ house is enjoying it. The new owners are a cou-

ple with three children who love their new home!

They have done some wonderful remodeling, and the house and yard look fully lived in again as it did when I was a child growing up there.

For those of you who have been in a home for a long time and who live in neighborhoods where many of the older houses are being torn down or totally remodeled, it may be harder to think of letting go because of your fear that your current home will disappear once you sell it. In your case, you need to remember that you had the wonderful gift of living in the home you created for many years. Once you decide to pass your home on to new owners, please accept that they do have a right to a very different picture of what they want their own dream home to be.

3. Realize that you will create a new home for yourself. Last but not least, fully realize that you can create a new home for yourself anywhere you live. I experienced this for the first time after my parents’ move in 1996 when the family home that I grew up in was empty and ready for transfer to the new owner. This place I had called “home” for so many years was truly back to being just a house. I realized at that moment that my family “home” connection really resided with my parents and would so wherever they are living and for as long as they are alive. I remember that as the house got further and further dismantled during the packing process, I saw that this home I loved was turning back into just a house again. What made it home for me were all the personal touches that I added. Once those things came down, it was just an empty wall or an empty room. This helped me to see clearly that I was taking my home with me. You are taking your true home with you, too, and can create it again wherever you are living.

Remember: home is where you are, home is what you create, home is not the physical structure.

Sue Ronnenkamp is a retirement living and transition expert. Her education and consulting work focuses on planning, embracing change, moving forward, and living every season of life to the fullest. For more information, visit Sue’s website at www.AgeFullLiving.com. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 19

PAGE 20 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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By Gail Jokerst Bob Wachtel is typical of many semi-retired Missoulians: He volunteers regularly, gets involved with politics, and takes his bicycling as seriously as his Griz games. However, in Bob’s case bicycling outranks even football in his affections.

Now working as an independent computermultimedia consultant, Bob is part of an evergrowing group of bicycle commuters. If he can pedal or walk to his next job or errand, he leaves his Chevy sedan home and relies on foot-power rather than gasoline to reach his destination. In fact, Bob feels so strongly about Missoula’s need to improve air quality, free up parking spaces, [Photo by B. James Jokerst] and decrease traffic congestion, he serves on two committees to help attain those goals.

As chair of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, which was established by city ordinance, Bob and eight other board members collaborate with city planners to create the best possible venues for non-motorized transport.

“There has been strong support throughout the public works department to continue providing appropriate services for cyclists and walkers. As we see projects such as delineating bike lanes going forward, we serve as a watchdog to create a good environment for both pedestrians and bicyclists,” explains Bob. “When new roads are being built,

we want to be sure they’re designed for people, not just cars and trucks.”

In addition, he is a founding member and treasurer of the Bike/Walk Alliance for Missoula.

Formed in 2007, this non-profit citizen-advocacy group strives to improve bicycling and walking conditions in the Garden City. That covers sidewalks as well as roads, paths, lanes, walkways, and trails used for transportation and recreation.

“But we’re not limited to just the city,” notes Bob. “One of our big initiatives now is the Missoula-Lolo Trail. We want to make that part of the greater bike-trail system between Missoula and Hamilton.

Eventually, we’d like to extend that trail through St. Regis to Idaho’s Hiawatha Trail. That’s under study now with the U.S. Forest Service.”

As part of his campaign to entice people to walk and bike more, Bob often joins forces with Jennifer Thompson, a program specialist for Missoula In Motion, which is a city-county venture affiliated with the County Office of Planning and Grants. Jennifer works closely with area business owners so they can encourage employees to make smart transportation choices. One of her department’s many services is designing personalized travel routes - similar to AAA’s Triptiks - that reduce car usage while still meeting

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individual transportation needs.

A self-confessed wannabe cyclist, Jennifer is justifiably proud of the city’s 54-mile bike-trail infrastructure. Although she leans more towards ACCESS walking and taking the bus than bicycling, she is also proud of the City of ABILITY Missoula Parks, Open Space & Trails Map, which shows every park, trail, and playground in town and how to bike or walk to them. Proceeds from SOLUTIONS, INC. map sales go to a worthy cause, too - a scholarship fund for kids to attend Parks and Recreation programs.

Unsurprisingly, Jennifer and Bob rank Missoula as Montana’s most ,VSU[ -BOF r )BNJMUPO .5 bicycle-friendly city and are happy to tell you why. r “We have an extensive multi-use trail system both along the river and throughout the city. People love to use our trails, which stretch from one É LULA Elevators end of town to the other. They tend to see walking and biking as more of a norm than an exception and celebrate a bike/walk culture especially during É Home Elevators the beautiful summer months. In addition to city trails, there are 38 miles of bike lanes and bike routes,â€? explains Jennifer. É Incline Platform Lifts “Topographically speaking, we’re located on some of the state’s flattest land - the bottom of Glacial Lake Missoula. That makes for plenty of long É Vertical Platform Lifts stretches of easy level pedaling and walking. Aside from that,â€? says Bob, “our lifestyle is geared toward activity, which includes active transportation. É Portable Wheelchair Lifts People in Western Montana recreate outdoors as a way to use the land to play. We embrace our weather; we don’t hide from it. Many of us are out É Emergency Evacuation Devices there bicycling year-round. It’s not just the kids; it’s us grey beards, too.â€?

Of all the events, Jennifer and Bob have worked on to promote bicycling É Stairway Chair Lifts and walking, Sunday Streets Missoula has proven to be among the most effective. It is based on a popular Columbian model called Cyclovia that www.aasimontana.com began in Bogota during the 1970s. Fun-loving Missoulians decided to emulate their South American counterparts and cordon off a busy thoroughfare Access Ability Solutions, Inc. to vehicular traffic so people could play in the street or dance, rollerblade, Licensed Montana Elevator Contractor or stroll arm-in-arm with a sweetheart. “We’ve held three of these open-street events since September 2010 Max Johnson and they keep drawing more participants. Last September, 6,000 people Licensed Montana Elevator Mechanic showed up between 10 am and 4 pm,â€? recalls Jennifer. “We blocked off Higgins from the X’s at the north end of town to 5th Street in the south end. “For every time I have wished I had spoken there have been Folks walked and biked to the event and there were sponsored activities numerous times I have wished I had not. I am a quiet person.â€? all day long. Everything from dog training and chalk art to Taekwondo and climbing walls. People got to focus on things they do not normally do in the Doug Miller middle of the street. If we can get people to walk and bike for this kind of recreation,â€? concludes Jennifer, “there’s a possibilYour health – our commitment to you, from day one. ity they’d walk or bike for work or for another trip.â€?

The next Sunday Streets Missoula is Gardener scheduled for early June Health nut on Higgins. And in September, the plan is to take it to a neighborhood to connect a park and school. “I would love to see this happen in other Montana communities,� says Jennifer. “It gives us all a chance to envision a public space in a When it comes to heart health, Community whole new way.�

For more informagives me more than an ounce of prevention. tion, contact: jthompThe Montana Heart Center at Community has always believed when it comes to heart health, defense is the best offense. son@co.missoula.

But for the times it isn’t enough, we’re here to provide all aspects of cardiac care. It takes only seconds for a heart attack mt.us, 406-258-4961, or stroke to occur, but it takes years of experience to be able to offer best-in-class cardiac care. From nuclear imaging visit www.bikewalkmisto personalized cardiac rehabilitation programs. soula.org, or email Bob If it’s cardiac care, of course it’s Community. Visit communitymed.org/cardiology at QuailR@msn.com.

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PAGE 22 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Flathead Author Beth Hodder Connects Kids With Wilderness Through Her Award-Winning Books Article By Gail Jokerst Photo by B. James Jokerst If you think that today’s middle-schoolers only want to read about dragons and wizards, space ships and intergalactic battles, it is time you learned about the books penned by Beth Hodder. Not that there is anything wrong with plots featuring imaginary creatures and fantasy worlds; they certainly can and do entertain and teach us important life lessons at the same time.

But there is also a place on kids’ bookshelves for adventure fiction dealing with sensitive topics closer to everyday Montana life. Topics such as theft, poaching, and arson that have occurred in our wildest areas and from which some people might prefer to shield children. Beth unflinchingly tackles these difficult subjects with honesty, a sense of intrigue, and a lot of heart in her engaging wilderness-based mysteries. As one mother told her, “I have had a hard time getting my son to read anything but Star Trek but he loves your books.� “Wilderness is an important setting to write about. We’re getting away from the outdoors, going at such a fast pace in life people don’t take the time to see what the world has to offer outside of urban settings,� says Beth, who works from her home in

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West Glacier. “If we’re to preserve wilderness for future generations, kids need to be better informed about our wild areas and the challenges we face in maintaining them.�

Tw o i n c i dents in particular spurred her to start writing about these issues. “When I heard Gail Kimball, the former Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, say, ‘this is the first generation of kids with no connection to the outdoors’ it struck a chord with me. That occurred shortly after I had listened to a man speak on public radio about bringing a group of kids into the backcountry.

Once they reached their destination, all of them took out their video games. They were oblivious to their surroundings. Eventually, they came to appreciate where they were but it took awhile,� recalls Beth. “I want kids to know they could have fun and find importance in things in the outdoors.�

So far, Beth has self-published two books and has completed a third manuscript. Her first book, The Ghost of Schafer Meadows, earned her a silver medal in the 2008 Independent Book Publisher competition for regional fiction. She wrote this action story centered on an unsolved theft in the spirit of the Nancy Drew mysteries she grew up reading and loving. However, sacrificing accuracy for the sake of art was never an option for her when crafting her own story. “I started out with the intention of keeping it light and weaving in lots of adventure along with

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

red herrings to throw readers off the scent. My goal was to create a strong story line about a theft while describing life in the backcountry. But the plot also evolved to include environmental type things like people leaving behind litter,” says Beth. “I wanted the story to be truthful and real both visually and emotionally because the places I talk about are real and litter is a problem in the backcountry.”

Aside from further developing the characters introduced in her first book, Beth found herself delving into deeper environmental issues in her second book, Stealing the Wild. She aimed straight for the jugular as she dealt headon with the ugliness of poaching. By page three, her young protagonists have discovered the remains of an abandoned deer carcass and what they find is far from pretty.

“I chose to write about poaching because it’s important to me that people know it goes on. What is wild out there is a gift to all the people in the world,” says Beth. “It’s not to be taken lightly or to be taken away by anyone else.”

One of the messages she convincingly communicates in Stealing the Wild is that poachers are not necessarily evil-looking characters with shifty eyes.

They can be of any background and any age, and you cannot detect one based on appearance.

An anecdote based on a true incident is included in the story and humorously brings home this point. One of the book’s characters relates how a game warden stopped a truck after a rifle appeared from one of its windows and was fired illegally at what someone thought was a deer. After the passengers, a family of four, got out of the truck, the game warden handcuffed the father. One of the children piped up, “Why are they taking my daddy away? Daddy didn’t shoot the deer. Mommy did.”

Parents, kids, teachers, and other writers obviously agree with how effectively Beth has handled this unsavory topic. So far, Stealing the Wild has earned her regional and national recognition. The prestigious WILLA Literary Awards, which honors books written about women or girls in the West, chose it for second place in their Children’s/Young Adult Fiction and Non-fiction category. In addition, the book won a silver medal for the best pre-teen fiction/mystery book from the Moonbeam Children’s Awards. Finally, it received first place in the Purple Dragonfly’s contest for best Children’s Chapter Book.

Considering Beth majored in English in college and worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 26 years, her credentials for writing this type of children’s fiction are as sound as the information in her books. She began her career as a mail clerk and patiently worked up to a position developing the Flathead National Forest’s native plant program. Aside from that, Beth’s husband, Al Koss, worked for this same government agency for 34 years and spent 13 of those summers as the ranger at Schafer Meadows. Beth visited him on weekends and as part of her job with rare and native plants. The time she spent there enabled her to forge a strong bond with the region and inspired her to use this pristine backdrop for her stories.

As to advice to others considering penning a book for kids, Beth suggests people learn what they can about the craft in whatever way works for them.

“It takes perseverance to be a writer. You have to have a thick skin, be willing to listen, and to take advice you think is relevant. You need to be willing to rewrite again and again,” she explains. “To reach kids, your language has to be colorful. You have to entertain them and hold their attention with

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interesting characters and a good story including action and suspense. Otherwise, kids will put the book down. The various elements must be believable but you can’t be preachy and sound like an adult. I found this wasn’t easy to do but it was rewarding.”

Beth’s third book, which is currently in the manuscript-review phase, deals with arson in wilderness areas and the devastation that results from such purposely vengeful acts. That project was jump-started when Beth was selected as one of three Artists in Residence for the Artist-

Wilderness-Connection program sponsored by the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, Hockaday Museum of Art, Swan Ecosystem Center, and Flathead National Forest. For eight days, she was provided with a cabin located in a remote area so she could work on the storyline for her newest project in a setting of solitude and beauty.

Visit www.grizzlyridgepublishing.com to learn more about when and where the book will be available or to get more information about Beth’s other two books. MSN

Howie and Peggy Fly Keep Ovando Strong

By Bernice Karnop The first thing Howie Fly says about Ovando is that it is the real thing. It’s what he hears most often from first timers to this small town tucked in the shadow of the Bob Marshall Wilderness area.

“It’s not put together to make people think it is an old town. It is an old town,” he states with his trademark grin. The original buildings sit right where they were built in the 1880s. They’ve shored up the foundations, added plumbing and electricity, and removed a century’s worth of dirt and dust, but you won’t mistake Ovando for one of those builtfor-tourists, old-west towns.

Even the people in Ovando are the real thing.

Howie spent his early years in California, but he grew up in Ovando, which is a just a couple football fields off Highway 200, between Lincoln and Missoula.

Ovando is lucky that he did. He’s the town’s number one promoter and he literally

knows it inside and out. He’s dug underneath the façade of a surprising number of the hundred-year-old buildings and has the good sense to treasure and preserve what he’s found. He found hand carved and store bought toys lovingly stashed under the eaves of old homes. Now on display at the Brand Bar Museum, they bring up images of well-loved children and what captured their imagination a century ago. Howie can tell you the story of the Blackfoot Valley starting with the Indians whose moccasins smoothed this trail to the buffalo, to Captain Meriwether Lewis who camped near here in the summer of 1806, to the early settlers and their stories.

He was just 12 years old when he moved in with wilderness outfitter and storyteller Howard Copenhaver’s family. Howie’s dad, a traveling tool salesman in the 1930s, thought so much of this man that he named his son Howard after Copenhaver.

While his mom worked in Missoula, Howie stayed at the ranch and attended a small country school near Cooper’s Lake. That’s where he graduated from 8th grade. He boarded out in Deer Lodge, the county seat, for high school.

He left the Blackfoot Valley once, to work for a pack outfit out of Lake Tahoe. Romance came when his brother told him about a girl he needed to meet named Peggy who was his boss’s cousin.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Sure enough, Howie and Peggy were married in 1971 and returned to Ovando.

“And that,” he says, “is how it works out.”

They worked for the outfitter, and then started building horse surgery tables. For 20 years, they shipped them all over the U.S., to Canada, South America, and as far away as Saudi Arabia.

When the economy dipped and shipping became impractical, they looked around for other things. “You just do what you have to do to make a living when you live in Montana,” he says.

One of the things they did was invest in Ovando. They bought the century old mercantile building and remodeled it into the Stray Bullet Café. Peggy and others operated it until last spring.

When Cenex announced that they would pull out of town, the Flys bought that historic building and made it into the Blackfoot Commercial Company.

There a local person or traveler will find an answer to just about any need they might have. They sell gas and tires, convenience store products, items made by local artisans, and more.

What you won’t find is the made-overseas-for-tourists stuff you find in less authentic places.

“That’s just not the kind of stuff we like to see here,” Howie says. Instead, they promote the local artisans, potters, and painters.

The Blackfoot Commercial Company building started its life as the Elkhorn Bar and Cooper’s Hotel. Howie and Peggy restored the hotel, which they call the Blackfoot Inn. It took some work to get the hotel ready for guests. Howie explains that in earlier days it was common to cover the rough lumber walls with “English linen,” a fabric similar to cheesecloth only stiffer and smoother. This was then covered with wallpaper to make the walls appear smooth.

When they remodeled, they removed the old wall coverings, sheet rocked, and added a bathroom in each room - no more guests traipsing out back to the outhouse or to a bathroom down the hall.

Today the Blackfoot Inn is a favorite spot for anglers, hunters, and travelers looking for a clean room with personality where they can hang their hats for a few days. Shuttle service is available for folks who come to enjoy the Blackfoot River with a rod, reel, canoe, or kayak.

When a store closes in a city, you expect another one to open. That’s not true in a small town like Ovando, according to Howie Fly. “When businesses here start closing down the town can just disintegrate. If businesses go away there’s nothing left.”

He’s not going to let that happen on his watch. He promotes the school and notes that their post office is not listed for closure. That’s no accident, according to Howie. People here rent boxes rather than have their mail delivered, even when they live just a few blocks from the post office. Local artisans use the post office rather than alternative options for mailing packages, buying stamps, and more, so the Ovando post office shows a profit.

In the 1880s, when Ovando was being built, the Drummond and Avon newspapers advertised concrete for $100 a bag. As he looks at the concrete and stone foundations built more than 125 years ago at considerable cost, Howie Fly considers it a good investment. And he feels the foundations of the town are still worth some sacrifice.

Credit Howie and Peggy Fly and the people who share their passion for the past, for keeping Ovando’s foundations strong.

For more information, call the Blackfoot Commercial Company at 406-793-5555. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 25

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Living Life Creatively: Missoula’s Ray and Susie Risho Article by Gail Jokerst Photo by B. James Jokerst If ever a couple epitomized art in action, that couple would be Ray and Susie Risho. Ray’s artistry comes in an edible form through the old-world foods he skillfully prepares. Susie’s expressions of beauty and awe take form through the sculptures and jewelry she handcrafts and her poetry, paintings, and gardens. And that is just the short list.

Everywhere you look in the Rishos’ 1908 A.J. Gibson home, you find evidence of their love of the arts. Some 1,500 cookbooks overflow their bookcases; vibrant scarves from far-off lands festoon doorways, freeform sculptures perch in corners, and eye-candy beaded necklaces drape luxuriously from walls.

Their artistry even surrounds you in their kitchen with its battery of well-used pots and whisks dangling from the ceiling. The grand old i d welcoming l i Wolf stove, stacks of spice tins, and wooden table promise amazing meals along with warm hospitality. And to be sure, for over four decades those promises have been kept in this room where the Rishos have fed three sons, four grandchildren, and more grateful people than anyone could count.

Hospitality comes as naturally as breathing to Ray and Susie, who both learned the meaning of the word while growing up in New England.

“My parents regularly took in exchange students. Ray’s parents opened their home to anyone needing a place to sleep,” remembers Susie, who with Ray started Missoula’s first daycare for adults.

“At one time, 24 people were staying in our house and we had just one bathroom,” adds Ray, who learned to cook through observation and

osmosis by watching his mother prepare Assyrian specialties such as stuffed grape leaves and skewered lamb kebabs. “I knew what a particular dish should look and taste like and figured out on my own how to make it.”

Despite his eventually launching two landmark Missoula eateries - Emmaus Road and Perugia Ray admits he never intended to become a chef or restaurateur. As he says, “This wasn’t a path I chose. It was like falling into a funnel: it was easy for me so I did it.”

One of his first jobs in the 1960s after serving in the army was whipping up 25 different sauces and helping prepare up to 500 dinners nightly at an Italian restaurant on Cape Cod. Cupid’s arrow struck the moment he noticed Susie as they passed on a village sidewalk.

“We shared a greeting. Then I caught up with her and asked for a d date,”” says R Ray. “I “It was h her first day in Provincetown, so I offered to take her around town and show her where I worked. Then I invited her to come back after-hours to cook her dinner. From then on, we made time to see each other.”

At summer’s end, Susie’s leather-design work took her to Cambridge while Ray headed to Rhode Island to attend community college. They courted long-distance for a year before marrying. Shortly after exchanging vows, they moved west.

“I was fascinated by A.B. Guthrie and The Big Sky. Montana seemed like the last frontier to me so we both enrolled at the University of Montana (UM) to study art. It was a chance to get away, an adventure, but also a hardship life,” remembers Ray, who sat with Susie in Rudy Autio and Walter Hook’s classrooms. “We lived on food stamps and

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struggled to pay the rent.”

Although Ray and Susie no longer depend on food stamps, they still live lean, donating money and volunteering time to causes close to their heart.

“You could say we have an unencumbered life. We won’t even put political signs on our lawn,” notes Susie. “Our focus is on others not on ourselves. That’s empowered us. Everything we have is a gift from God. The creativity isn’t ours to keep either. If we keep it to ourselves, we die.”

Unstinting in their generosity to others, the Rishos have aided scores of people to pursue their own passions and to live better lives. Chances are, if you have served on a committee to support the arts or feed the hungry, Ray or Susie very likely attended the same committee meetings you did.

Currently, Susie pursues her artistic muse while also teaching part-time - things like bookmaking, painting, and drawing - to kids in the city’s after-school Flagship Program. She teaches at the Missoula Art Museum and serves on the Humanities Montana Speakers Bureau. To her, the arts cannot be valued enough on a personal and civic level.

“The arts bring a huge amount of money into our state through music, drama, and visual media.

They enhance our lives. I believe everyone is made to be creative. Whatever we do is an expression of our creativity,” says Susie. “We can know civilizations by artifacts and marks on caves left behind. They inspire us with beauty and hit deep inside our soul.”

The Rishos’ bountiful creativity and spirit of goodwill to fellow Missoulians have made them one of the city’s best-known and beloved couples.

As testament to that, The Missoula Cultural Council bestowed their Individual Cultural Achievement Award on them in 2008. The couple was jointly honored for supporting the arts and enhancing the quality of life in Missoula.

“That year, we raised over $35,000 by auctioning dinners we cooked and served at our home,” recalls Susie. “Dinners for eight to ten people with

themes like Babette’s Feast and Monet’s Garden went for thousands of dollars that we donated to Big Brothers and Sisters, the Missoula Art Museum, the Jeanette Rankin Peace Center, and other nonprofit organizations. Ray cooked and volunteers washed dishes and waited on guests.

Those of us working in the back had as much fun as those sitting out front.”

In 2003 the Rishos were also given UM’s Community Recognition Award in appreciation for outstanding and dedicated service to international students. And last year Ray received UM’s Outstanding Volunteer Award, which honored him for 40 years of uncompensated time donated in capacities ranging from campus chaplain to cofounder of the Model Arab League.

Today, The Silk Road restaurant operated by their sons Abe and Sam and Sam’s wife, Elise, carries on the Risho legacy of serving enticing food in gracious surroundings.

“Dad taught us to cook international cuisine and find a passion for it. Many of the dishes we serve here we learned from him,” says Sam. “I’ve always been exposed to food and hospitality was always one of our family’s gifts to the community.”

Despite enjoying retirement, Ray occasionally steps up to the stove as a guest chef at The Silk Road. He also continues to teach his course, “Cuisine Artistry: The Global Kitchen,” as part of UM’s MOLLI program, a lifelong learning institute for people 50 and over. Plus he hosts river trips on the Missouri called Ports of Call.

Without doubt, food and family, community and volunteering all blend together perfectly for the Rishos like the flavors in a slow-simmered stew - though Ray’s stews rarely resemble the familiar one-pot meal found on most Montana tables. Instead, his tasty mélanges will likely feature fennel or eggplant rather than carrots and potatoes and taste of cumin and coriander, spices more common to the Middle East than the American West. Those who know him would expect nothing less than a delectable creation born of Ray’s love of people and cooking. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 27

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A lot of people who have made our lives a little better go unnoticed or forgotten. Famous Inventions is the subject of this month’s quiz. Can you name the innovators behind these gadgets, games, and goodies?

Congratulations to Erma Cochran of Billings who submitted the winning answers to the Faces In Famous Flicks quiz that appeared in our December 2011/January 2012 issue. Thank you, Erma.

Two $25 cash prizes are awarded from the “Contest Corner” in each issue of the Montana Senior News. One prize goes to the person who submits the entry that our staff selects as the featured quiz or puzzle in the “Contest Corner” for that issue. Be creative and send us some good, fun, and interesting puzzles!

The second $25 prize goes to the person who submits the most correct answers to the featured

quiz or puzzle from the previous issue. When there is a tie, the winner is determined by a drawing.

Please mail your entries to the Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to montsrnews@bresnan.net by March 10, 2012 for our April/May 2012 edition. Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website www. idahoseniorindependent.com.

Famous Inventions Created by MSN Staff Below are 25 inventions, along with a list of 25 inventors. On a numbered sheet of paper, match each invention with its correct inventor, and send it to us. The winner will receive a $25 cash prize. Good luck!

1. Cotton gin R. Mary Anderson 13. Microwave oven 25. Windshield wiper I. James Naismith 2. Electric iron S. Ezra Warner 14. Electric refrigerator J. Eli Whitney 3. Zipper T. Alessandro Volta 15. Sandwich A. Ruth Wakefield K. Benjamin Franklin 4. Polaroid camera U. Earl john Montagu 16. Teabag B. Henry W. Seeley L. Thomas Sullivan 5. Paper clip V. Edwin Herbert Land 17. The game of basketball C. Johann Vaaler M. Tim Berners-Lee 6. Telegraph W. George Crumb 18. Bubblegum D. Frank Henry Fleer N. Galileo Galilei 7. World Wide Web X. John Lloyd Wright 19. Crossword puzzle E. Thomas Moore O. Arthur Wynne 8. Automatic bread slicer Y. Samuel Finley 20. Lincoln Logs F. Dr. Percy LeBaron Spencer P. Dr. John Stith 9. Can opener Breese Morse MSN 21. Ice resurfacing machine G. Frank J. Zamboni Pemberton 10. Chocolate chips 22. Bifocal glasses H. Otto Frederick Rohwedder Q. Judson L. Whitcomb 11. Coca-Cola 23. Chemical battery 12. Potato chips 24. Thermometer

Answers to Faces in Famous Flicks

When a man tells you he is rich through hard work, ask him, “Whose?”

- Don Marquis

By MSN Staff 1. F - Gregory Peck 2. N - Boris Karloff 3. T - Henry Fonda 4. H - Rosemary Clooney 5. W - Gene Kelly 6. C - Fay Wray 7. D - Kirk Douglas 8. S - Ray Walston

9. O - Alec Guinness 10. I - Vivian Leigh 11. X - Bela Lugosi 12. L - Ingrid Bergman 13. A - Paul Newman 14. V - Buster Keaton 15. Q - Judy Garland 16. G - Sidney Poitier 17. Y - Humphrey Bogart

18. K - Robert Duvall 19. U - Audrey Hepburn 20. B - Frank Sinatra 21. M - Grace Kelly 22. R - James Dean 23. J - Elvis Presley 24. P - Clint Eastwood 25. E - Katharine Hepburn

MSN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Across 1. “Like a Rolling Stone” singer 4. Sam and Dave’s 60s hit (2 words) 9. Yes, to De Gaulle 10. “___ of The Needle” by Ken Follett 12. Israel’s 60s and 70s war leader 14. 1960’s Chinese communist leader 15. 1979 horror flick 17. My gal 18. “Blazing Saddles” director, Brooks 19. The 70s saw this genius discover black holes 23. “Live and Let ___” 24. The bad guy in “Dallas” 26. “A” variation 27. DNA’s cousin 28. 70s country music great 30. Packers great QB from the ‘60s, Starr 32. Baltimore’s state 34. Wall is one

36. Blues Rock Band originally called the Electric Elves 37. “The Cincinnati ___” 40. One of the 60s most successful cars 43. TV’s tank engine 46. Oriental game 47. “____ are the apple of my eye” 48. Woodward and Bernstein’s famous investigation 52. Soak up the sun 54. Missile crisis site 56. One kind of gang member 57. “I Have a Dream” speaker 58. Camera action 59. “Of mice and ___” 60. 1977 Mini-series 61. “Let’s Get it On” singer 62. “__ are the champions” song

Down 1. Fathers 2.70s hit from Eric Clapton

3. ___ proliferation treaty 4. One of the “Bridge over Troubled Waters” singers 5. In the late 70s these flying objects became a national sensation 6. 1972 Superbowl winners 7. First name of the Commander of the mission that put the first man on the moon 8. Placido Domingo, for one 11. You, for Shakespeare 13. Sound of relaxation 16. Ogle like Bond 20. Existed 21. Ending of the Ali vs Liston fight 22. Talks too much 23. Greenback, for short 24. Wing it, musically 25. Nolan Ryan was one 29. Sandy Koufax was one 31. The 60s saw the development of this banking machine 33. Like a lot, in the 60s 35. First man into space 38. “___ in love with her and I feel fine” Beatles

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 29

39. “This is the ___ of the Age of Aquarius” 41. 1979 Fleetwood Mac song 42. “Just the opposite!”

44. Santa sound 45. Salvation Army, for short 49. ____ bopper 50. 70s military plane, aka F-15 51. Identifying mark 53. “The ___ Daba Honeymoon” 55. Friend 57. He met Barbie in 1961 58. “___, I love You” Beatles MSN

PAGE 30 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Help Today’s Children - Tomorrow’s Leaders

Warm Beds And Hot Meals… The Pov Provides

“On Monday they’re cast as a character, by Saturday they’ve gained character - the kind that really counts.” That statement, coined years ago by the Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT), was fully realized in Fort Washington, Maryland during the week of January16-21, 2012.

In 2009, MCT and the U.S. Forest Service formed a partnership to promote the general physical and mental health of children by helping them rediscover and play in the outdoors. They invited participation of outdoor professionals and educators and developed a series of interactive children’s workshops as well as a new children’s tour show.

The results were fantastic! In January, the newest workshop, If Forests Could Talk, was presented in Fort Washington schools while the Harmony Hall Regional Center hosted the rehearsals and performances of the newly developed tour show, The Secret Garden. Tens of thousands of children around the world will embrace the message of “celebrate life” as they participate in a production of The Secret Garden during its lifetime as a tour show.

Many readers have watched their children blossom or develop much needed self-esteem through an MCT experience. Remembering MCT at tax time ensures that other children around the world have the same opportunity.

For information on how you can support children through MCT, please call Don Collins at 406-728-1911 or email dcollins@mctinc.org. MSN

Since its founding over 36 years ago, the Poverello Center, Inc. has earned recognition for its commitment to supporting our neighbors living in poverty and homelessness. The organization’s approach offers a continuum of programs that reach over 5,000 individuals and families each year.

In 2011, the Poverello Center’s emergency food and shelter program was able to serve every eligible individual that walked through our doors, providing 127,103 hot meals and 25,351 total nights of shelter. Many of these shelter services were provided to veterans. From 2010-2011 the number of eligible veterans who enrolled in our emergency shelter jumped from 2,433 to 4,241, a 75 percent increase.

Emergency services are supplemented by homeless outreach efforts. In 2011, our teams of dedicated professionals and volunteers made over 100 face-to-face contacts with hard to reach homeless individuals living on the streets.

In addition to our emergency services, The Poverello Center operates transitional housing programs for homeless families and veterans. These programs are operated in collaboration with the Missoula Housing Authority and provide our community with real solutions to homelessness.

To learn more or to support our programs please visit www.thepoverellocenter.org or call 406-728-1809. MSN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Montana Tells The Feds Our State Elections Are Free And Open

By Bob Campbell On the last day of 2011, the Montana Supreme Court gave us the best New Year’s gift possible.

It was a historic decision that in all Montana elections corporations ARE NOT people and they cannot corrupt our elections with secret campaign contributions.

The most unpopular decision of the United States Supreme Court during our lifetime is its decision in the case of Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission in 2010. That decision came out from right field by deciding in a 5-4 decision that corporations are people having first amendment rights to contribute any amount of money to support or oppose a candidate.

Eighty per cent of Americans strongly disagree with that decision and a national movement is growing to amend the U.S. Constitution to declare that corporations are not persons and to overrule that decision.

The tenth amendment to the federal constitution guarantees that states have full rights to enact their own constitutions and laws as long as they do not conflict with a specific provision of the federal

constitution. Montana has always demanded that our rights as a state be recognized and we have successfully challenged many federal attempts to deprive us of our rights.

We are now the first state to say that the Citizen United case applies only to federal elections and neither the Congress, Supreme Court, nor the President has the authority to invalidate our state election laws. In 1912, the voters of Montana by initiative enacted the Corrupt Practices Act that ended the corrupt corporate contributions that had plagued our elections for decades.

Today we can celebrate that our attorney general Steve Bullock refused to accept the decision of the district court judge in Helena who did not recognize our right to control our own state elections. The Montana Supreme Court agreed with the attorney general and reversed the district court by issuing a historic decision that will be cited across our nation as a courageous decision recognizing our right to control our own elections.

We can be proud to live in Montana and start the year off with good news for all of us. MSN

Museum Tells Park County History Tales The Yellowstone Gateway Museum has under gone a complete makeover. We will be re-opening for our 2012 season on Saturday, March 10.

Along with our historic exhibits on transportation, pioneer life, expeditions, and native cultures, we are adding new exhibits to kick off our new season.

March is Women’s History Month. To honor the women in our history we are putting together an exhibit on some of the special women in the Park County area and Yellowstone National Park. Other new exhibits will feature life on the homestead before electricity and a look at the Livingston Railroad Shops.

We will also be presenting a new traveling exhibit on the Crow Indians.

This exhibit, Parading Through History, is a collaboration between the Western Heritage Center in Billings and the Crow Nation. It features the history of the Crow nation through text panels, Native American dress and cultural objects, and computer programs for adults and children. This exciting exhibit fits into a fascinating portion of our history here at the Big Bend of the Yellowstone River.

We will continue to upgrade our facilities, and throughout the year, we will be changing the exhibits to bring to light the endless stories of our heritage. By visiting the museum, becoming a member, or donating you too can be part of this great new era of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum. Visit us at the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, 118 West Chinook St, in Livingston.

Please call 406-222-4184 for additional information. MSN

What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t invent with your mouth.

- Jewish Proverb

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 31

PAGE 32 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

The Benefits Of Funeral Preplanning A growing number of people are finding both emotional and financial security in something that is also an important part of estate planning. They are preplanning their funeral.

Many are also finding that taking advantage of what preplanning has to offer may be easier if they do their homework about what they may want and the options available before they sit down with the experts. Thinking ahead can help you make informed and thoughtful decisions about funeral arrangements. It allows you to choose the specific items you want and need and to compare the prices offered by several funeral providers. It also spares your survivors the stress of making these decisions under the pressure of time and strong emotions.

Although some people may find it hard to talk about advance planning, it can be harder on your family if you do not talk about your wishes for your final arrangements. One way to tackle planning without feeling overwhelmed is to break up the process into more manageable steps.

Memorial or Funeral Service - Focus on the type of service you would want and how you can personalize that service, whether it’s more traditional, somber, or a unique celebration of

your life. Decide if it should be a more intimate or larger gathering and consider music, readings, or any other unique element to personalize the service. Remember, it is your funeral and it can be as elaborate or simple as you desire.

Burial or Cremation - If burial is your preference, consider purchasing a cemetery plot in advance. If you decide on cremation, remember to make plans for permanent placement of the cremated remains. Consider a mausoleum or columbarium to give your family a physical place for visitation and reflection. This also prevents the possibility of the ashes being misplaced or discarded in later years if kept with a family member.

Select a Funeral Home - Compare the options available and the quality of service provided.

What types of facilities do they have? With the right funeral provider, you can feel more confident that your wishes will be fulfilled and you will not feel uncomfortable asking questions or rushed into making selections. You will want the funeral home you select to provide you with the administrative guidance to make sure that your family receives the benefits to which they are entitled and that the location of all your personal records

and papers are properly recorded so that they are available to your family.

Funding Options - One advantage of prearranging your funeral is that you can lock in today’s prices for products and services that may be more expensive in the future. It is best to work with a professional to understand the particular laws and regulations that protect those funds. It is also important that provisions are in place to protect your funds, such as insurance and a trust arrangement.

Flexibility - Remember, not all providers offer the same services. Can you change your plans before your death? Should you move could your prearranged funeral services be transferred to another funeral provider? What if you are in a nursing home at the time of your death? Try to anticipate all of the circumstances that may arise between the time you plan your final arrangements and your death. It is also wise to review your plan every few years.

With thoughtful planning and collaboration with your funeral provider, you will be able to ease the burden of your passing on your family and friends. MSN

Gravesite Care When You Can’t Get There

By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, Do you know of any services or organizations that provide gravesite care and decorating? My 82-year-old mother cannot take care of Dad’s grave anymore, and I don’t live nearby to do it either.

Need Help Dear Need, Depending on where your dad is buried, there is a variety of places you can turn to for gravesite grooming, decorating, and special care when you cannot get there. Here is what you should know.

Gravesite Care - As a rule, most cemeteries only provide basic grounds maintenance like mowing the grass and trash pickup. Special gravesite care is usually up to the family. But for people who have trouble getting around, or for families who live a distance from their loved one’s burial place and cannot get back very often, what options are available? Here are several to check.

A good starting point is to call a friend or family member in the area, or contact your parent’s church or religious organization to see if they would be willing to help you. If that is not a possibility, contact some local funeral homes or the cemetery staff where your dad is buried to see if they offer any gravesite services or know of anyone who does.

If you do not have any luck there, another option is to hire a gravesite care company. These are small, individually-owned businesses that provide services like plot maintenance including grass trimming and weeding, headstone cleaning and restoration, flower and wreath deliveries, and more.

And, so you know the work was completed or the flowers were delivered, many companies will take pictures of the gravesite and e-mail or mail them to you.

There are literally dozens of small businesses that provide gravesite care services in communities or regions across the U.S. To find them, try contacting your nearby memorial society or local funeral consumer alliance program (see www.funerals.org/

“Who Else Wants to “Do Something�

To Solve the Cemetery Vandalism Problem?�

GREAT FALLS, September 19, 2011 – Cascade County sheriff's office Capt. Ray Hitchcock, says vandals knocked over more than 200 headstones at the Highland Cemetery. On Memorial Day, four months prior, vandals toppled 200+ headstones in this same cemetery, some over 100 years old.

Ron Bealer, at Glacier Monuments of Cut Bank says, “It’s a shame this senseless vandalism happened, however, there is a solution to this problem!â€? He describes his effective and exclusive 2-part solution. “If only families knew about our Vandal Prevention Program™ and our $10,000 Memorial Protection Program™ they

would have all their memorial vandalism problems solved. The $10,000 Memorial Protection Program 9DQGDO 'DPDJH *UHDW )DOOV &HPHWHU\ is FREE, no charge to you. Now, you don’t have to be at the mercy of vandals. “Do Something� to protect your Family Heritage!

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

affiliates-directory or call 802-865-8300 for contact information). These are volunteer groups that offer a wide range of information on local funeral and cremation providers, cemeteries, and more. They may be able to refer you to a local service if one exists. You can also do a search online. To do this, go to any internet search engine and type in “grave care services” plus your city or state.

If you cannot find a local service to help you, check into some national companies like Grave Groomers (gravegroomers.com), which has 22 different businesses in 12 states. Or Gravesite Masters (gravesitemasters.com, 877-476-6687), which provides a wide array of services nationwide through its nearly 200 subcontractors around the U.S. The cost for most gravesite care services can range from $30 to $50 for flower and wreath deliver-

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 33

ies, $20 to $60 for plot grooming, and $40 to $150 for headstone cleaning and memorial restoration.

Special discounts for multiple gravesite services and visits may also exist.

Savvy Tip - If you are looking to decorate your dad’s grave with fresh cut flowers or live plants, another option is to call a local florist to see if they can make a delivery directly to his gravesite. Many florists will accommodate this request if you provide them the cemetery location and plot number, but you probably will not get a photo verifying the delivery.

Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. MSN

Colorful Expressions Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley Well, if you hold your horses, I reckon I’ll get this whole kit and caboodle done and sent off to you. Please don’t be too persnickety and get a bee in your bonnet because I’ve been pretty tuckered out. I haven’t been just stringin’ around and I know I’m not the only duck in the pond, but I do have too many irons in the fire. I might just be barking at a knot, but I have tried to give this article more than just... a lick and a promise.

“I’ll just give this a lick and a promise,” my mother used to say as she quickly mopped up a spill on the floor without moving any of the furniture.

“What is that supposed to mean,” I asked as in my young mind I envisioned someone licking the floor with his or her tongue.

“It means that I’m in a hurry and I’m busy canning tomatoes so I am going to just give it a quick swipe with the mop and promise to come back and do the job right later.”

A lick and a promise was just one of the many old phrases that our mothers, grandmothers, and others used that they probably heard from the generations before them. With the passing of time, many old phrases become obsolete or even disappear. This is unfortunate because some of them are very appropriate and humorous. Below are a few of these expressions that have added color to the English language over the years.

A Bone to Pick - wanting to discuss a disagreement.

An Axe to Grind - someone who has a hidden motive. This phrase is said to have originated from Benjamin Franklin who told a story about a devious man who asked how a grinding wheel worked. He ended up walking away with his axe sharpened free of charge.

One bad apple spoils the whole barrel - one corrupt person can cause others to go bad if you don’t remove the bad one.

At sea - lost or not understanding something.

Bad egg - someone who was not a good person.

Barking at a knot - meaning that your efforts

were as useless as a dog barking at a knot.

Barking up the wrong tree - talking about something that was completely the wrong issue with the wrong person.

Bee in your bonnet - to have an idea that you won’t let loose of.

Been through the mill - had a rough time of it.

Between hay and grass - not a child or an adult.

Blinky - between sweet and sour as in milk.

Calaboose - a jail.

Catawampus - something that sits crooked such as a piece of furniture sitting at an odd angle.

Dicker - to barter or trade.

Feather in your cap - to accomplish a goal.

This came from years ago in wartime when warriors might receive a feather they would put in their cap for defeating an enemy Hold your horses - be patient!

Hoosegow - a jail.

I reckon - I suppose.

Jawing/jawboning - talking or arguing.

Kit and caboodle - the whole thing.

Madder than an old wet hen - very angry Needs taken down a notch or two - like notches in a belt usually a young person who thinks too highly of himself and needs a lesson.

No spring chicken - not young anymore.

Persnickety - overly particular or snobbish.

Pert near - short for pretty near.

Pretty is as pretty does - your actions are more important than your looks.

Red up - clean the house.

Scalawag - a rascal or unprincipled person.

Scarce as hen’s teeth - something difficult to obtain.

Skedaddle - get out of here quickly.

Sparking - courting.

Straight from the horse’s mouth - privileged information from the one concerned.

Stringing around, gallivanting around, or piddling around - not doing anything of value.

Sunday go to meetin’ dress - the best dress you have. MSN

Remington Letcher Funeral Chapel Did you know that pre-paid funeral trusts are transferable?

That’s right, consumers can select the funeral services that best meets their financial needs, regardlesss of where the funeral trust may have been originally ginally selected for pre-planned and pre-paid services. vices.. oods ds An itemized comparison is available of alll ggoods and services funeral homes offer by a simple ple telephone call. When you need assistance with funeral services, call 406-672–0099. remingtonletcherfuneralservices.com

PAGE 34 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

A critical heart condition.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

The choice: Billings Clinic.

This retired doctor from Butte notices his endurance waning while building his log home. He knows it’s his heart, and following diagnostic testing, finds out he needs surgery. After extensive research he chooses Billings Clinic for his care.

He sees an interventional cardiologist who performs a cardiac catheterization and consults with the cardiovascular surgeon. The next day, Charles’ aortic valve is replaced. Throughout this process, Charles’ care is coordinated by a clinical nurse navigator, who links him to his hometown cardiac rehab program.

Charles is impressed with the team approach, the education he receives and friendliness of the nurses and staff. Thanks to the life-saving care from Montana’s first and most experienced heart program, Charles is now building memories in his new home.

Check it out at www.CharlesStory.com

Where it all comes together.

Attaining a Healthy and Robust Heart in Today’s Modern World

By Ramin Manshadi, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FAHA, FACP Most people know very little about what makes them tick. Some stick to the old adage that “what you don’t know won’t hurt you,” but when it comes to the health of your heart, that’s a very dangerous mindset. What you don’t know CAN hurt you… and will.

According to respected cardiologist Ramin Manshadi, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FAHA, FACP, most heart attacks happen to people who have no clue they even had a problem, which is why everyone should know what is going on with their bodies so they can lead a longer, healthier, and happier life.

Dr. Manshadi shares his extensive knowledge of cardiovascular health through his new book, The Wisdom of Heart Health: Attaining a Healthy and Robust Heart in Today’s Modern World. Covering a wide range of important topics related to heart health, this guide should be mandatory reading for everyone concerned about cardiovascular disease.

Written in a very accessible way, The Wisdom of Heart Health enables readers to understand, better than ever before, how their heart functions and how to take the best care of it. Touching upon the most useful and intriguing issues in cardiovascular care – ones that will help the reader step up several notches in their ability to care for themselves - Dr. Manshadi presents an easily understood, as well as highly informative and factual guide to heart health.

“The purpose of this book,” says Dr. Manshadi, “is to offer understanding of something incredibly vital to your own life: your heart. In ways, it literally is the center of your being. Dutifully beating throughout the day without a second thought from you – your heart needs to be cared for.”

Broken into engaging, short, easy to digest chapters, The Wisdom of Heart Health touches important, potentially life-saving topics including: • Congestive Heart Failure – Not What You Think • Cholesterol – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly • Women and Heart Disease – Equality for All • Technology on Our Side – Testing Today for Heart Health • The Cardiologist’s Office – Unveiling the Mystery • Human Side of Heart Health – Treating Patients with Patience • And so much more!

“What I wish to pass along to you through The Wisdom of Heart Health,” adds Dr. Manshadi, “is an appreciation for this most amazing organ. The center of our being.

The heart.” MSN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 35

R ’ E E W R A N N O S K A E E D R #1 IN MT A S ’ E R E TH FOR CARDIAC SURGERY IN 2012 We’re excited to be recognized by Healthgrades for Cardiac excellence in 2012.

This includes awards of being RANKED #1 IN MT FOR CARDIAC SURGERY, IN ADDITION TO A 5-STAR RATING FOR CORONARY BYPASS SURGERY. What does this mean to you? It means that our St. Vincent Healthcare physicians are exceptional in their level of care and this translates to better outcomes for our patients. To learn more about our outstanding services, call (406) 237-7010 or visit www.svh-mt.org.

PAGE 36 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Sugary Soft Drinks Can Lead to Poor Heart Health in Women Provided by www.spot55.com Ladies, you’ve probably heard this mantra for years, whether it has come from that inner voice that’s always berating you for not weighing precisely what you weighed at age 16, or from various sources always reminding us of the importance of lowering our exposure to heart disease and diabetes: too many of those soft drinks will make you fat. But according to the American Heart Association, it’ll also make you prone to a number of health issues by significantly raising your diabetic blood sugar levels.

Alas, you don’t have to be a doctor to know that your diabetic blood sugar levels should be low and that having them run too high in your system would set off bells and whistles if only you were naturally equipped with them. Apparently, though, you don’t even have to be much of a soft drink enthusiast to be hit with the negative side effects of ingesting them on a regular basis.

According to the American Heart Association, women who drink two or more sugar-enriched drinks a day are at higher risk of developing heart disease and diabetes than women who limit themselves to having one or less.

This doesn’t mean that you’re in the clear to switch from your favorite carbonated soda to an equally tasty beverage with a sporty logo on the side. According to the study, the drinks that

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Does it seem to be getting worse? If so, St. Peter’s Behavioral Health Unit can help. Our program is designed to help stabilize the symptoms and treat the conditions quickly and safely in a secure environment.

were shown to have caused the most significant negative impact in women also included sugary sports drinks, which in many cases only appear to be better for you because they don’t have the negative association that carbonated sodas have.

The way it works is this: sugary drinks can cause a spike in the level of triglycerides in the blood, which are basically fat particles. The more fat particles are present in the blood, the greater the chances of developing heart disease further down the line. Interestingly enough, researchers only found this to be the case in women. Men apparently did not experience a significant risk for heart disease or diabetes as a result of ingesting sugary drinks on a regular basis.

This last fact begs the question: are fat particles biased in favor of men? Hardly. But the fact is, women are built differently and therefore require fewer calories in a given day than their male counterparts. So when a woman ingests two sugary beverages, the calories that are contained go much further and represent a larger percentage of their daily caloric intake.

It’s entirely possible for women to enjoy sugary drinks and keep their diabetic blood sugar levels low - the trick is to do so in moderation, and to balance out their intake of liquids with the original health drink: water. MSN

Colorectal Cancer

By Elliot Morris, M.D. Cancer of the colon and rectum is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the country. Almost 150,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2011, and almost 50,000 people will die from the disease. The average American has a 6 percent chance of developing colorectal cancer during their lifetime.

It affects men and women in almost equal numbers. Although the disease may occur at any age, the incidence begins to increase dramatically after age 50, and is further increased in those who have close relatives with the disease.

Although the prognosis for colorectal cancer has improved over the past 20 years, the best opportunity for decreasing death rates attributable to the disease is to diagnosis it an early stage, before symptoms develop. In the vast majority of cases, colorectal cancer develops from polyps, which are small growths that develop in at least 25-30 percent of people after the age of 50. These polyps generally do not cause symptoms, but may, over a period

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of years, grow and turn into cancer. If the polyps are removed before symptoms develop, the cancer may be prevented.

Since polyps do not cause symptoms, they can only be found with screening tests. The best test, and the one that has consistently been shown to provide the greatest protection against developing colorectal cancer, is colonoscopy. Use of this test can decrease the cancer rate by up to 85 percent.

It involves the insertion of a small, flexible tube into the bowel, and permits removal of most polyps right at the time of the procedure. It is done with sedation, and usually takes about 15-20 minutes to perform. The worst part of the procedure is usually the bowel preparation, which involves cleansing of the bowel prior to the exam to permit good visualization of the bowel wall. The accuracy of the procedure

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 37

has been shown to be greatest when performed by gastroenterologists, physicians with extensive specialized training in the field. Medicare and most insurance companies now partially or fully cover the costs.

Other screening tests for colorectal cancer are available, although less effective than colonoscopy. Fecal occult blood tests involve testing a stool sample for the presence of blood. However, as only a small number of colon polyps bleed, and as not all bleeding is due to polyps, the test is not very accurate. Flexible sigmoidoscopy is similar to colonoscopy in that it uses a flexible scope to evaluate part of the colon, but it only exams the bottom 30-40 percent of the large intestine, and may miss many lesions. Barium enema is an x-ray test that is done to evaluate the colon for abnor-

malities. It is done without sedation, is generally uncomfortable, and is not particularly accurate. It also does not permit treatment of any abnormalities that may be found. Both it and sigmoidoscopy are rarely performed nowadays.

Virtual CT colonography is another x-ray test used to evaluate the colon. It is more accurate than barium enema, but does not permit any therapeutic intervention, and requires a bowel purge similar to that of a regular colonoscopy. If polyps are seen on this exam, a regular colonoscopy, requiring yet another bowel preparation, is required in order to remove the polyps.

Elliot Morris, M.D., is a gastroenterologist and is the medical director of the Endoscopy Unit at Community Medical Center in Missoula. MSN

Easing Anxiety About Psychiatric Care Do you or someone you care about suffer from a mental illness? One of the most common treatment methods for mental illness involves inpatient stays within a hospital. The good news is St. Peter’s has a behavioral health unit that helps people in need of acute psychiatric care.

Unfortunately, the stigma of psychiatric treatment prevents people from seeking it. To help ease these concerns, this is what someone can expect when they are admitted to the St Peter’s Behavioral Health Unit.

• A physician or nurse practitioner will visit with you every day. They will evaluate which medications work best for your illness. We utilize modern medical technology, including telemedicine, to achieve the best outcomes possible. There are always two nurses available on the unit to assist with care.

• You will be assigned a clinical social worker as a case manager during your admission • Patients participate in group therapy programs offered throughout the day.

• Patients and their families work together with the treatment team to develop an appropriate follow up plan. Our goal is to help maintain the progress upon discharge from the hospital.

Remember, the behavioral health unit is open 24/7 and someone will always be there to answer your call. For more information, please dial 406495-6576 during regular business hours or 406-495-6560 at anytime to reach our nurses. MSN

Seniors and HIV Many people seem surprised to hear that older Montanans are also at risk for HIV infection.

This may be due to the misconception that older adults are no longer sexually active or interested in intimate relations. But according to a national survey conducted among Americans 57 to 85, many in this age group are sexually active, but not talking about it.

People who came of age before HIV was a known risk may not understand the importance or the necessity of protecting themselves and others.

Many seniors have been widowed or divorced and may be exploring intimacy with a new person for the first time in many years. It is appropriate and

important that you talk openly with your potential partner about sexual health and past experiences - even though such conversations may feel uncomfortable.

If you have a question or would like more information about navigating intimacy safely in this life stage or have questions about HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, please contact Open Aid Alliance at 406-543-4770, visit www.openaidalliance. org or stop in today at 500 North Higgins, Suite 100, Missoula.

Open Aid Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving all people affected by HIV, Hepatitis C, and STDs. MSN

PAGE 38 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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A Clouding of the Lens in the Eye A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. The lens is a clear part of the eye that helps to focus light, or an image, on the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

In a normal eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina. Once it reaches the retina, light is changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain.

A cataract can occur in either or both eyes. It cannot spread from one eye to the other.

Cataracts and Aging Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.

Age-related cataracts develop in two ways.

Clumps of protein reduce the sharpness of the image reaching the retina.

The clear lens slowly changes to a yellowish/ brownish color, adding a brownish tint to vision.

Protein Clumpings Cloud the Lens The lens consists mostly of water and protein.

When the protein clumps up, it clouds the lens and reduces the light that reaches the retina.

The clouding may become severe enough to cause blurred vision. Most age-related cataracts develop from protein clumpings.

When a cataract is small, the cloudiness affects only a small part of the lens. You may not notice any changes in your vision. Cataracts tend to grow slowly, so vision gets worse gradually.

Over time, the cloudy area in the lens may get larger, and the cataract may increase in size.

Seeing may become more difficult. Your vision may get duller or blurrier.

Discoloration of the Lens Cataracts cause the lens to change to a yellowish/brownish color. As the clear lens slowly colors with age, your vision gradually may acquire a brownish shade. At first, the amount of tinting may be small and may not cause a vision problem.

Over time, increased tinting may make it more difficult to read and perform other routine activities. This gradual change in the amount of tinting does not affect the sharpness of the image transmitted to the retina.

If you have advanced lens discoloration, you may not be able to identify blues and purples.

You may be wearing what you believe to be a pair of black socks, only to find out from friends that you are wearing purple socks.

Risk Factors The risk of cataract increases as you get older. Other risk factors for cataract include: • certain diseases like diabetes • personal behavior like smoking or alcohol use • environmental factors such as prolonged exposure to ultraviolet sunlight.

Common Symptoms The most common symptoms of a cataract are: • cloudy or blurry vision and poor night vision • glare - headlights, lamps, or sunlight may appear too bright or a halo may appear around lights • double vision or multiple images in one eye • frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Tests for Cataract Cataract is detected through a comprehensive eye exam that includes a visual acuity test, dilated eye exam, and tonometry.

The visual acuity test is an eye chart test that measures how well you see at various distances.

In the dilated eye exam, drops are placed in your eyes to widen, or dilate, the pupils. Your eye care professional uses a special magnifying lens to examine your retina and optic nerve for signs of damage and other eye problems.

In tonometry, an instrument measures the pressure inside the eye. Numbing drops may be applied to your eye for this test.

Dealing with Symptoms The symptoms of early cataract may be improved with new eyeglasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses, or magnifying lenses. If these measures do not help, surgery is the only effective treatment. Surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens.

A cataract needs to be removed only when vision loss interferes with your everyday activities, such as driving, reading, or watching TV. You and your eye care professional can make this decision together.

Is Surgery Right For You? Once you understand the benefits and risks of surgery, you can make an informed decision about whether cataract surgery is right for you.

In most cases, delaying cataract surgery will not cause long-term damage to your eye or make the surgery more difficult. You do not have to rush

into surgery.

Sometimes a cataract should be removed even if it does not cause problems with your vision. For example, a cataract should be removed if it prevents examination or treatment of another eye problem, such as age-related macular de-

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 39

generation or diabetic retinopathy.

If you choose surgery, your professional may refer you to a specialist to remove the cataract.

If you have cataracts in both eyes, the surgery will be performed on each eye at separate times, usually four to eight weeks apart.

Cataract removal is one of the most common operations performed in the United States. It also is one of the safest and most effective types of surgery. In about 90 percent of cases, people who have cataract surgery have better vision afterward. MSN

Stay Healthy As Montana Cowboy Cereal nears the Century Mark

By Bernice Karnop Readers may remember the original Cream of the West package with a young cowpoke in chaps, bandana, and hat, sitting cross-legged on the ground spooning up porridge from a gigantic bowl in his lap. Over time the cowboy has aged a bit, but the porridge he is spooning up is exactly the same.

Cream of the West cereal got its start almost a century ago in a kitchen south of Billings. A rancher’s wife is credited with cooking up the original roasted wheat. They started packaging and selling Cream of the West out of a plant in Billings, and it has been produced continuously ever since.

Other Cream of the West cereals include Roasted 7-Grain and Roasted Ranch Oats.

There has always been a cowboy on Cream of the West products, but he was updated in 1992 and is seen in different variations on the different products. He’s not a real person like the Marlboro Man, but Alicia Moe admits that she and Susan Moore, co-owner/ managers, like to think he’s their husbands – a man who has grown up a bit. But if you like your cowboy young, you can buy tins of product sporting the traditional picture.

Ten years ago Alicia and Richard Moe, Susan and Steve Moore and several other ag producers from Wheatland County noticed that the company was for sale. They were looking for something that would bring economic opportunity to central Montana. So they bought it, built a plant, and moved the production from Billings to Harlowton.

Alicia says they bring in big totes of high protein, high quality Montana grains, and roast it using the original secret process, and package it for sale. The products are truly all natural, with no added salt, sugar or preservatives, with no added anything at all.

“We have kept the same process because that is the magic of it, what makes it different,” says Alicia. While the quality is superior, the price is

about the same as similar products.

I like what it says on the box of my favorite, the Roasted Ranch Oats. “Mother Nature provides the high-fiber and high-protein Montana oats which we gently roast to bring out the robust, old-fashioned, whole grain flavor. None of our oats have been smashed, beaten, chopped, processed, or otherwise abused. They are the real deal - thick and hearty just like Mother Nature made them!”

They really are not like other oat cereals which have been “abused.” Try them once and I think you’ll be back for more. They take a few extra minutes to cook but, really, you are not in that big of a hurry. Well, if indeed you are, cut morning cooking time by soaking them overnight.

The best selling of the traditional cereals products in Montana are Roasted 7-Grain and Roasted Wheat. In Washington and Oregon, the Roasted Oats are most popular. Other Cream of the West products you’ll want to try are the 7-Grain Flapjack mix, which Alicia notes tripled in sales last year, and Montana Crunch, a popular snack item similar to granola but not as sweet.

The newest products are organic flours, launched in 2010 under the Green Barn label.

You can find Cream of the West products in most grocery stores, including Albertsons and IGA, throughout Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Independent grocery stores, including 2-J’s in Great Falls, sell them in bulk.

Those who can’t buy them locally and who don’t live in the northwest, can always order on line at www.creamofthewest.com. Not connected to the internet? No problem. They also do a thriving phone business. Just call 1-800-477-2383.

Cream of the West has customers in Arizona and California urging them to expand to their areas. They have shipped products to

Dubai and China and plan to expand into Canada and Taiwan, which is Montana’s sister trading area.

Alicia says they receive a lot of fan mail. One which particularly delighted her was from a 96 year old man from Oregon. He wrote to thank them for continuing to make Cream of the West products and added that he walked by the plant in Billings on his way to school each morning in the 1920s.

The Harlowton owners are producers who knew little about marketing when they started.

Alicia, an educator in Great Falls before launching this venture, says learning to market the products has been both the greatest challenge and the most

PAGE 40 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

rewarding part of the business. They enjoy working with those who have helped them along the way. “Montana is supportive of its small businesses,� she says. “We are proud of the quality of our product and we are also proud to be a Montana company with one of the oldest Montana products around,� she says. She also likes to remind folks that buying Montana made products is good for us in more than one way. “By supporting Montana products you are supporting Montana economy and that helps all of us.�

Cream of the West’s Fluffy Meatloaf Recipe Cream of the West products are more than just a bowl of hot cereal fresh from a Montana grain field. This meatloaf recipe and other recipes printed on the boxes of cereal, will jump start your creative ideas for incorporating these home-grown products in your own cooking.

Want more recipes? A few years ago as part of a promotion, the Billings Gazette asked, “How do you use Cream of the West?� The cookbook is now available at www.creamofthewest.com.

Cream of the West’s Fluffy Meatloaf pound lean ground beef ½ pound country-style pork sausage ½ cup Cream of the West 7-Grain cereal (uncooked) cup milk egg, beaten Ÿ tsp each pepper; dry mustard; sage; celery salt; garlic salt Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

ž tsp salt Ÿ cup minced onion Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Place in a loaf pan or shallow cake pan (glass). Mix Piquant Sauce (3 Tbsp.

Brown sugar, Ÿ cup catsup, 1 tsp dry mustard, Ÿ tsp nutmeg) and spread on top. Bake for 1 ½ hrs or until done. MSN

Tinnitus: What To Do For Ringing In The Ears

By Suzy Cohen Dear Pharmacist: What can be done to relieve the discomfort of tinnitus? The crackling, buzzing, and popping in my friend’s ear drives her to distraction. She has tried several commercially available products from the health food store, all without relief so far. What do you suggest? -L.J., Orlando, Florida Answer: Buzzing, clanging, whooshing, musical tones, humming, ringing, even jack hammering... tinnitus can drive you absolutely bonkers. I cannot stand it even when my neighbor fires up his leaf blower, and that is over in 20 minutes. You may recognize these celebrities who have confessed to bouts of tinnitus: Eric Clapton, David Letterman, and Steve Martin.

The internal racket can be caused from exposure to sudden or chronic loud noises, free radical damage, age-related hearing loss, medication side effects, ear wax, and a number of diseases. That is just for starters. All I can do here is give you some more perspective about options. If your tinnitus does not yield to simple remedies, see your doctor for an evaluation.

Look in your medicine cabinet. There is a surprisingly long list of prescription and OTC drugs that have been tied to tinnitus: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), loop diuretics (like furosemide), and many antibiotics, anti-depressant drugs, and salicylates (like aspirin). Auditory-related side effects might develop suddenly, even if you have been taking the drug a long time. Discuss this possibility with your doctor and pharmacist. In cases of reversible tinnitus, sometimes switching medications brings relief.

Stress ramps up the noise! Consider biofeedback. Studies suggest that biofeedback training

could help you find your internal Acontrol knob@ and turn down the volume.

Deficiencies of specific nutrients can sometimes affect hearing health: zinc, coenzyme Q10, vitamins D and B12. Also, magnesium - a mineral in spinach and leafy greens - has been shown repeatedly to support auditory mechanisms, improve hearing loss, and ease tinnitus. As we speak, the Mayo Clinic is conducting a clinical trial to verify this. And an Israeli study long ago found that military personnel with tinnitus were often short on B12.

Asian folks seem to have good grip on this condition. Chinese medicine doctors use acupuncture and a variety of herbals to deal with tinnitus.

These treatments vary considerably, but could be very effective. I keep up with Korean news because my 24-Hour Pharmacist book is published in this language. A recent study concluded that two compounds: Bojungikgitang and banhabaekchulchonmatang significantly improve tinnitus.

American health food stores are going to screech and whine if you ask them to order that stuff, so don’t even bother.

A few studies support the herbal gingko biloba, which may help by improving blood flow and scavenging free radical toxins. Other herbs worth looking into include black cohosh root and vinpocetine which improve blood flow and oxygen to the brain; goldenseal could help too, and also mullein herb which addresses inflammation.

Did You Know?

People with pale skin (who burn easily) appear to be more likely to be deficient in vitamin D. Become a fan on my facebook page and interact with me about health topics: Facebook.com/ SuzyCohenRPh. MSN

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Beware of the silent killer

By Dr. Michael Haderlie, M.D. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often called the silent killer. Typically, abnormal blood pressure has no symptoms, the reason for this nickname, which makes blood pressure checks an important part of every individual health screening.

Blood pressure expressed in millimeters of mercury consists of systolic and diastolic blood pressures written as a fraction would be written, such as 120/80. The top number is the systolic blood pressure, and the bottom is the diastolic pressure.

Maximum blood pressure (systolic) occurs when the left side of the heart contracts producing blood flow. Minimum blood pressure (diastolic) occurs when the left side of the heart relaxes for refilling with oxygen-rich blood supplied by the lungs. Normal blood pressure is controlled by several factors, including the strength of the heart contraction, the tension of the blood vessels, and complicated interactions among hormonal systems, the nervous system, and even individual cells. The kidneys are the organs of the body primarily responsible for regulating blood pressure.

The majority of individuals with hypertension have what is called primary or essential hypertension. In other words hypertension without any particular identifiable cause. Many studies have tried to find a cause for this type of hypertension, and we have gained some new insights, but there is no single factor thus far.

Some individuals have what is termed secondary hypertension, which is due to a positively identified abnormality that when corrected, will lead to correction of the hypertension as well.

Secondary hypertension is uncommon and typically requires a specialist trained in hypertension to uncover these diseases, such as a nephrologist or cardiologist.

Hypertension is currently defined as a blood pressure greater than 140/90 on repeated occasions. All of us experience regular changes in our blood pressure, even minute to minute.

There is also variability in blood pressure related to sleep/wake cycles. Nighttime typically yields lower blood pressures in normal individuals. In normal subjects, transient elevation of systolic blood pressure can easily reach 150 at times, without cause for concern. The problem is when blood pressure elevation is sustained on multiple occasions.

Heart Disease And Depression - A Healthy Mind Can Make A Healthier Heart

By Michael A. Ell Heart disease affects millions of Americans each year. This condition can often lead to heart failure. According to the Center for Disease Control, heart disease is responsible for a quarter of the deaths in the United States. There is evidence suggesting that depression can exacerbate heart disease symptoms.

To understand the reason for this, it is important to learn about depression and recognize the warning signs. Depression can manifest as persistent feelings of hopelessness and sadness.

The symptoms can also include a continual presentation of one or more of the following; poor concentration, uncontrollable crying, lack of energy, and/or significant changes in sleep patterns and appetite. Depression can interfere with daily life activities as well as relationships with loved ones. This disease, when left untreated, can create immense physical pressures on the body.

Depression not only aggravates the disease increasing heart failure risk, it can hinder recovery after a heart attack.

“After an acute coronary episode, you can experience a strong awareness of your own

Primary hypertension is an epidemic in the not have a diagnosis of hypertension and more United States where the incidence has increased often if you do. Lifestyle changes are the most from 11% in the early 1900s, to nearly 31% today. important way to naturally lower blood pressure.

This means nearly 65 million Americans have In individuals where lifestyle changes alone are hypertension. This trend has also been observed not adequately reducing elevated blood pressure, in other developed areas of the world. Why is this talk to your physician. Now more than ever, we occurring? Those who study population trends have many medications to assist with improvand statistics have noticed a direct correlation ing blood pressure. In individuals whose blood with the increasing frequency of obesity, type 2 pressure is not controlled even with medication, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, suggesting consider discussing with your primary care proa close relationship. Other risk factors include in- vider a referral to a hypertension specialist for creased age, male gender, and race with genetic additional testing. factors also being contributors.

Dr. Michael Haderlie is a board certified neThe risks of uncontrolled hypertension are phrologist and internist with specialized training largely cardiovascular including stroke, heart in hypertension among other areas. MSN attack, kidney disease, and heart failure. Other diseases related to hypertension include visual impairments, aneurysms, coronary artery disease, and the list goes on.

The most important thing to emphasize is that a healthy lifestyle is the most important aspect of prevention and that a number of strategies can help avoid developing hypertension. Nearly all health professionals agree that the following yield significant improvements in blood pressure: • Discontinue tobacco use • Lose weight • Limit alcohol consumption • Exercise regularly • Reduce salt intake • Increase fruit and vegetable intake • Decrease total fat intake, particularly saturated fats Of the items on this list, the two most important starting points are making a plan to quit smoking and to reduce weight. Unfortunately, 65% of adults in the U.S. are overweight, which is driving this epidemic of hypertension, not to mention many other related illnesses.

Hypertension is a serious illness without symptoms in most individuals. Make sure you have your blood pressure screened by THERAPY CENTER at your primary care proWESTVIEW HEALTH CARE vider at every visit. It is important to have blood pressure screened at least annually if you do

PAGE 42 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

mortality. People begin to have regrets about their lives which can lead toward depressive episodes.” says Dr Patricia Bowling, psychiatrist and medical director of St. Peters Behavioral Health Unit.

The good news is there are ways to prevent

and treat depression. Several types of medications, therapies, and in-patient options can help overcome this disease. So, it is important to speak with a medical or mental health professional before starting treatment for depression.

Because a healthy mind can make a healthier

heart.

If you have any questions or concerns about depression, you can call the St. Peter’s Behavioral Health Unit 24 hours a day at 406-495-6560. or contact Michael Ell at 406-495-6576 or email at mell4@stpetes.org. MSN

Balancing the Benefits and Risks of Pain Medications

By Lynn Pribus, Senior Wire “Take two aspirin and call me in the morning” often makes good sense. Problems arise, however, when people think that if two are good, four are even better. This is not only untrue, it can be dangerous.

Aspirin and other over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers must be taken prudently because of potential risks such as liver damage, ulcers, or internal bleeding. These risks increase as people age, especially if they use alcohol, blood thinners, caffeine, or steroids.

Acetaminophen Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is inexpensive and often the first medication recommended for arthritis, headaches, and other pain. Although not as effective as an anti-inflammatory (a medication that reduces fever or inflammation) when compared to other medications, it is also less likely to cause stomach upset or gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.

Keeping track of acetaminophen consumption level is very important because too much can cause serious liver complications. National surveys show acetaminophen overdoses cause more than 50,000 ER visits, 25,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths annually.

The problem is that only a little more than the recommended dosage can cause serious, even fatal liver damage. In fact, acetaminophen poisoning is a leading cause of liver failure in the United States. Early symptoms - appetite loss, nausea, or vomiting - may be easily misdiagnosed, and overdoses can become fatal in only a few days’ time.

Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) NSAIDs (pronounced enn-seds) such as aspirin, ketoprofen (Actron), ibuprofen (Advil), and naproxen (Aleve) provide pain relief, reduce inflammation (the cause of the pain in arthritis), and help prevent heart attacks and strokes. Early studies indicate some NSAIDs may help prevent or control strokes and colon cancer, but this is not definitive.

However, these medicines are not entirely

benign. The American College of Gastroenterology estimates that more than 100,000 Americans are hospitalized each year from ulcers and GI bleeding caused by NSAID overuse, and as many as 20,000 die. The risk is magnified for those taking high doses on a long-term basis. Other risk factors include regular alcohol consumption, previous ulcer or GI bleeding, liver or kidney disease, hypertension, congestive heart failure, a bleeding disorder, asthma, anemia, lupus, or diabetes.

Age is also a factor because older people often require more pain relief and may process medications less effectively. People who take steroids or anti-coagulants should be particularly cautious.

GI bleeding can occur without a person’s being aware of it. Symptoms include vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds; red- or maroon-colored blood in the stool or black, tarry stool; and tiredness or shortness of breath caused by anemia.

Some doctors suggest that patients stop taking NSAIDs at age 55 or 60 and switching to acetaminophen. While there is a risk with acetaminophen if you overdose, there is a risk with NSAIDs even when you do not.

Taking Pain Relievers Safely Always ask your doctor and pharmacist if an OTC pain reliever may interact badly with any prescriptions or supplements you are taking.

Use a single pharmacy, since most have computerized systems that automatically warn when medications might interact badly. Be sure your record includes your OTC medications.

Be vigilant about your intake of OTCs. Medication packaging always indicates the recommended, maximum 24-hour dose, but this varies depending on age, medical factors, physical condition, and the use of alcohol and other medications.

Remember that OTC medications are sometimes combined with each other or in prescriptions where they may be difficult to identify. For example, Excedrin contains both aspirin and acetaminophen.

Never swallow medications “dry” - particularly pain relievers. Instead, drink at least a half glass

of water to let the pill go completely through the esophagus before it starts breaking down. It is also a good idea to take NSAIDs with meals.

Remember that high doses and long-term use - especially by those over 50 - are the main causes of potential side effects. Because of this, many physicians recommend taking Prilosec, an OTC product which decreases stomach acid.

Read labels completely, even if you have to use a magnifying glass.

If you have been taking a medication for years, take time to review the maximum dosage.

If you always use pain medications at the lowest possible dose and have an appreciation of possible side effects, you can be comfortable in taking pain relievers. MSN

From Prisoner Of War To Prison Volunteer: Missoula’s John MacDonald

By Gail Jokerst Recently, John MacDonald was seated in a Missoula restaurant when a man stopped at his table saying, “Are you Mac? I want to thank you again for what you and the other team members did. I’ve been out ten years and just want you to know I’m clean and doing well.” The man wasn’t referring to a drug rehab program but to a spiritual rehab program that John has loyally supported in prison settings for 33 years.

To understand why this soft-spoken grandfather has continued to volunteer in penal institutions for so long, it helps to know something about John’s childhood in the Philippines including the two and a half years he spent as a prisoner of war.

As missionaries, John’s parents were considered personae non gratae by the invading Japanese.

Consequently, the MacDonalds fled their home along with other missionary families and headed into the sparsely populated hills upon hearing the news about Pearl Harbor.

Initially, the 18 fugitives survived with the aid of sympathetic Filipinos. The villagers kept them informed about battles and shared their meager stores of rice, bananas, chicken, and fish. The MacDonalds and other families managed to hide out for seven months before they were captured.

John was 14 at the time, a child about to receive some very adult lessons.

“We were eventually taken by ship to Manila and from there we were interned in Camp Santo Tomas. Then we were released to live with a group of about 100 people from missionary families in Manila,” recalls John. “We had enough to feed ourselves because Filipino and Chinese merchants were willing to loan us the money to buy food.”

However, in July 1944 this group along with other religious workers was taken to Los Banos Internment Camp, where the conditions rapidly got worse. As meals became scarcer and scarcer, some older prisoners starved to death. Fortunately, the 11th Airborne Division aided by Filipino guerrilla forces rescued the internees in a historic raid on the same February day in 1945 that the American flag was raised on Iwo Jima. Over 2,000 prisoners were safely evacuated via amphibious tractors some 20 miles behind enemy lines.

“That raid is still studied in military schools,” remarks John. “I later learned they hoped to save two-thirds of the prisoners but expected to get only one-third of us out. We were all amazed to hear that every internee made it.”

After the war, the MacDonalds came to Missoula, where John’s mother had grown up. John finished high school and then enrolled at the University of Montana for two years prior to enlisting for pilot training in the U.S. Air Force.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

“I was commissioned and rated the day before the Korean War started,” says John, who also flew missions in the Cold War and the Viet Nam War as part of his military service. He retired after 20 years of active duty and returned to Missoula. Nine years later, in 1978, his life took an unexpected turn when he decided to attend a three-day religious retreat.

“At 14, I had expected to be executed. So I learned young to shut down my emotions, which caused me a lot of problems. It wasn’t until I took part in this workshop that I felt a sense of acceptance, a sense of love, for the first time,” remembers John.

“Before that, I had always felt like an outsider because of my experience in the Philippines.”

According to John, Montana was the first place in the world to bring that three-day workshop into the prisons. Because itt had changed his life, John wanted to join in those efforts to offer support to inmates and build a religious community within the prisons. Today, he coordinates and participates in six three-day workshops annually: two at Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, one at Crossroads Correctional Facility in Shelby, and three at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Aside from [Photo by B. James Jokerst] lining up speakers—men from varied walks of life known as team members who have already participated in the program—he attends monthly follow-up meetings with workshop graduates and newcomers at all three locations.

“I wanted to show prisoners there are still people who love them and who believe God loves them,” says John. Considering he describes himself as someone who at one time, “was determined never to go behind barbed wire and prison walls again,” it was a surprising decision.

From the start, though, John felt comfortable talking with the men once he got over his initial fear. As a lay minister, he began teaching a short course in Christianity alongside a dedicated group of other team-member volunteers.

Prisoners of any denomination who chose to show up were welcome.

“It was fantastic to see how the men responded. Many of them were cut off from their own families or had no fathers. I met so many Viet Nam vets, some were convicted murderers, who never had felt loved before,” says John.

“This has become the most meaningful worthwhile thing I do. Having been a prisoner myself, I can empathize with the men. That experience helps me form a bond and gives me a good rapport with inmates. Some of the most effective team members are former inmates. They have credibility because they’ve walked in their shoes and the prisoners believe them. The type of prison is immaterial. The issue is still the same: someone else controls your life.”

John donates not only his time but his expenses to travel from Missoula to the different prisons.

He recalls one particular Walla Walla inmate, a biker, who attended the 90-minute follow-up meetings for a year.

“The man watched and listened but never participated or spoke a word. One day he stood up to speak for the first time. He confessed he had returned monthly to prove we were phonies.

‘But you’re not,’” the man admitted. “It takes consistency and repeatability to show we’re sincere,” says John, who notes that team members travel from across the state—Billings, Livingston, Great Falls, Helena, Belfry—and return time and again.

“For them, it’s a calling,” says John. “I’ve come to see that what we say there isn’t as important as the fact that we are there. The inmates start to think, ‘If some men can care, maybe God cares a little for us.’ About a quarter of the prisoners who start the program end it with a changed heart.”

Hardest of all for John in this avocation is to simply listen to the men without giving advice.

Through the years, he has reached out to thou-

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 43

sands of prisoners, touched their lives, and shared the great gift of compassion.

“They don’t have anyone they can unload on. I often end up holding them when they cry from those wounds that don’t show,” says John, who admits, “I can’t quit this kind of work. I’ve even volunteered and flown to Russia 25 times to present this program to communities there.”

John likes to sum up his approach to life and volunteering with an oftenparaphrased quote from Mother Teresa that tells his own story eloquently: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” MSN

PAGE 44 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Doctors Relate Embarrassing Medical Incidents Submitted by Jim Meade 1. A man came into the ER and yelled, “My wife’s going to have her baby in the cab!”

I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady’s dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs, and I was in the wrong one. Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Francisco.

2. At the beginning of my shift, I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient’s anterior chest wall. “Big breaths,” I instructed “Yes, they used to be,” replied the patient.

Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes, Seattle.

3. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a “massive internal fart.” Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg.

4. During a patient’s two week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having trouble with one of his medications “Which one?” I asked.

“The patch. The nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours, and now I’m running out of places to put it!”

I had him quickly undress and discovered what I had hoped I would not see. Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body Now, the instructions include removal of he old patch before applying a new one. Submitted

by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair, Norfolk.

5. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, “How long have you been bedridden?”

After a look of complete confusion she answered, “Why, not for about twenty years - when my husband was alive.” Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson, Corvallis, Oregon.

6. I was performing rounds at the hospital one morning and while checking up on a patient I asked, “So how is your breakfast this morning?”

“It is very good except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can’t seem to get used to the taste,” Bob replied.

I then asked to see the jelly, and Bob produced a foil packet labeled “KY Jelly.” Submitted

by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit.

7. A nurse was on duty in the emergency room when a young woman with purple hair styled into a punk rocker mohawk, a variety of tattoos, and strange clothing, entered. It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery. When she was completely disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyed green, and above it there was a tattoo that read “keep off the grass.

Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient’s dressing that said, “Sorry, I had to mow the lawn.” Submitted by an anonymous nurse.

8. As a new, young, MD doing his residency in OB, I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams. To cover my embarrassment, I had unconsciously developed a habit of whistling softly.

The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing, further embarrassing me.

I looked up from my work and sheepishly said, “I’m sorry. Was I tickling you?”

She replied, with tears running down her cheeks from laughing so hard, “No, doctor, but the song you were whistling was ‘I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener.’” Submitted by an anonymous doctor.

The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions.

- Ellen Glasgow

9. A woman and a baby were in the doctor’s examining room, waiting for the doctor to come in for the baby’s first exam.

The doctor arrived, examined the baby, checked his weight, and - a little concerned asked if the baby was breast-fed or bottle-fed.

“Breast-fed,” she replied.

“Well, strip down to your waist,” the doctor ordered.

She did. He pinched her nipples, pressed, kneaded, and rubbed both breasts for a while in a very professional and detailed examination.

Motioning to her to get dressed, the doctor said, “No wonder this baby is underweight. You don’t have any milk.”

“I know,” she said, “I’m his grandma. But I’m glad I came.” MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 45

PAGE 46 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 47

You Must Re-title Assets in the Name of Your Trust to Avoid Probate

By Jonathan J. David Dear Jonathan: I am a bit angry right now.

I am writing to you because I know you have no vested financial interest in how you respond to my question.

Five years ago, my husband and I completed our estate planning with a local attorney. The documents we had prepared included wills, financial power of attorneys, health care power of attorneys, living wills, and a joint trust. The meetings and the documents were quite comprehensive, and the cost was not cheap. Our main concerns, which were expressed to the attorney at that time, was that neither one of us wanted any hassles when the first one of us died and we certainly did not want to deal with probate. He assured us that what we were doing with our documents would address those concerns.

A few months back my husband passed away, and about a month later, I received a letter from that same lawyer asking me to contact his office to set up a time to meet to review our estate planning file and to make sure no probate estate had to be opened on my husband’s behalf. I figured this was a routine meeting and was shocked to find out that not only did the attorney aggressively recommend that I redo all of my estate planning documents, but that a probate would be required of my husband’s estate. Then when he told me what all of this would cost, I told him I would think about it and get back to him.

That was three weeks ago and I have no intention of calling him back. I am very upset by all of this and I feel that I have been taken advantage of. Am I overreacting? What was the purpose of setting up our trust five years ago when my husband’s estate has to be probated anyway?

I look forward to your response.

Jonathan Says: I cannot tell you whether you are overreacting based on the information you provided me. What I can tell you is that I always try to meet with the surviving spouse of a deceased client relatively soon after the deceased client’s death. The purpose of this meeting is two-fold; (1) to determine whether a probate estate needs to be opened on behalf of that deceased client’s estate; and (2) to determine whether the surviving spouse’s estate-planning documents should be updated. This is in line with what you said your attorney’s reasons were for wanting to meet with you. Let’s look at both.

Regarding the question of probate, first of all you have to understand that a trust only helps a person’s estate avoid probate if the trust in fact owns that persons assets at his or her death. If the individual dies with assets in his or her name alone, then those assets generally need to be probated.

Did the attorney advise you when you met five years ago that in order for the trust to accomplish its probate avoidance purpose, that you actually had to re-title assets in the name of the trust? If he did not, he should have.

I assume in your husband’s case that a probate estate has to be opened because whatever assets he owned in his own name alone at the time the trust was implemented were never transferred to that trust or that he acquired assets subsequent to the trust’s implementation, and never titled those assets in the name of the trust. I always advise

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

clients that once the trust is established, the next step they have to take is actually to re-title assets to the trust. Sometimes clients are very diligent in making sure that they do that, but sometimes clients do not follow through or later on they acquire new assets that they fail to put in the name of the trust, and unfortunately, in either case, a probate estate has to be opened on their behalf at the time of their death.

Regarding the attorney’s recommendation to update your estate planning documents, I often will advise a surviving spouse that it makes sense to update his or her documents to not only bring them current (which depends upon how long it has been since the last set of documents was prepared and whether there have been any changes to either state or federal law over

that period of time), but for the sake of clarity, to remove any reference to the decedent spouse in those documents, either as a fiduciary or as a beneficiary, and to name other individual(s) in his or her place. This is a common practice.

If after reading this you are still not inclined to call your attorney back, I recommend that you at least meet with another attorney in your area to see if he or she agrees with the recommendations your attorney made, and if so what he or she would charge you to handle this work on your behalf. Good luck.

Jonathan J. David is a shareholder in the law firm of Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C., 1700 East Beltline, N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525. MSN

Don’t Let Politics Affect Your Investment Decisions Provided by Edward Jones® While the election season heats up, you will hear many promises, claims, and counter-claims from the candidates. As a citizen, you may or may not enjoy this “political theater,” but as an investor, you might be concerned over all the talk about taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and other financial topics. Will you need to adjust your savings and investment strategies? If so, how?

Before you think about adjusting your investment strategy in anticipation of any actions coming from Washington, keep in mind a couple of facts. First, few campaign promises become reality. And second, due to our system of government, radical shifts in direction are difficult to imple-

ment — which is why so few of them occur.

Still, we may see some smaller-scale — yet not insignificant — changes in the near future. In light of this possibility, what investment decisions should you make? Here are a few suggestions: • Consider owning investments that are taxed in different ways. No one can predict what will happen with income tax rates or the tax rates that are applied to capital gains and dividends. Consequently, it may be a good idea to seek “tax diversification” by owning investments that are taxed in different ways. For example, when you sell appreciated stocks, you pay capital gains taxes, whereas interest payments from bonds will be taxed at your individual tax rate. And it’s always a good idea to take advantage of tax-advantaged vehicles, such as an IRA and your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan.

• Stick with quality. It’s a good idea, when owning stocks, to invest in quality companies with diversified businesses. These companies are usually less dependent on a particular government policy, and they typically have a global reach, so they may be better able to handle any changes implemented in Washington.

• Stay focused on your long-term goals. Politicians come and go, and our political parties seem to take turns holding the reins of power. Yet your long-term goals — such as college for your children, a comfortable retirement, and the ability to leave a legacy to your family — don’t really change. By realizing that you are largely responsible for achieving your goals, and by following an investment strategy that’s suitable for your individual risk tolerance and time horizon, you can make gradual, but still meaningful, progress toward those goals — no matter what’s happening in Washington.

• Review your strategy regularly. With the possible approach of changes in tax policies and in government programs that can affect your retirement security, you’ll want to review your investment strategy regularly to make sure it’s still on track toward helping you meet your objectives. As part of this review, you may want to seek out more “tax-smart” investment opportunities, while always looking for ways to supply the asset growth you’ll need to enjoy the retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned.

Aside from voting for the candidates who best represent your interests, you may not have much influence over what goes on in Washington. But by “electing” the right moves to help meet your goals, you can have plenty of control over your investment strategy. MSN

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Talk Everything Over with the Kids Now to Avoid Complications Later

By Jonathan J. David, Senior Wire Dear Jonathan, In a trust I created several years ago, I divided everything equally among my four children. I am currently updating that trust, and in doing so, I am going to give half of my estate to one daughter who has fallen on hard times and the balance of my estate in equal shares to two of my three remaining children. I am not going to give anything to my fourth child because I have already given him plenty. Once I complete my new trust, and since I have altered the percentages going to my children upon my death, do I tell them now as to what I did and why I did it, or should I just wait and let them find out after my death?

I am a big proponent of open and honest communication in families when it comes to estate planning decisions, especially when the children are not treated equally in the estate plan. Although I understand that it might be uncomfortable for you to discuss this, I think you would be doing them a great service because it allows the three that are being treated differently than your daughter to understand why you are doing what you are doing.

Your reasons may or may not salvage any hurt feelings, but at least those children will understand

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

why you did what you did and not be left questioning it after your death.

Further, by discussing these matters with your children now, you might be able to avoid irreparably damaging their relationships with each other, which could easily happen if they do not find out about the change to your estate plan until after your death.

Finally, explaining to your one child the reasons why you are not leaving him any money at your death could head off any attempt by him to challenge your estate plan in court after your death. Good luck.

Dear Jonathan, I am in the process of updating my estate planning documents, and I am having a difficult time deciding which of my children to name in the various fiduciary capacities, i.e., agent under my financial durable power of attorney, patient advocate under my health care durable power of attorney, trustee under my trust, and personal representative under my last will and testament. I have four children, I am equally close to each one of them, and they are all very capable of serving in those capacities. What I don’t want to do is offend any of them by naming one person over another.

Is it possible to name all four to act together?

Although it is possible to name all four children together, I would not recommend it. Having that many decision makers will only serve to make things more complicated and could possibly inhibit them from taking action if they cannot all agree as to what action should be taken. I always tell my clients who have these types of concerns that acting as a fiduciary is a thankless job because it is a lot of work and a lot of responsibility and that they should make that clear to any child who is offended at not having been named.

What you might do is name one or possibly two children to act as your patient advocate under your health care power of attorney. You could also name one person, or possibly two, to act as your personal representative under your will, your agent under your financial durable power of attorney, and your trustee under your trust. I usually like to name the same people in these positions since they would be doing basically the same thing (i.e. being responsible for making decisions regarding your assets and your financial matters).

I would also recommend that you discuss this dilemma with your

Old age is like everything else.

To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young.

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 49

children to let them know whom you are thinking of naming and in what capacity and even allow their input. In doing so, you might find your problem resolved - one or more of them may not have any interest in acting in those fiduciary capacities as long as there is someone else who is willing to act on your behalf. Good luck. MSN

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Travelersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rest: A Premier Site the Lewis and Clark Trail

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By Bernice Karnop The Journals indicate that Captain Lewis preâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Who Pooped in the Park?â&#x20AC;? is a book that scribed Dr. Rushâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bilious Pills to Privates Silas explains how to identify animals by their scat. At Goodrich and Hugh McNeal when they camped Travelerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rest State Park just outside of Lolo, here, June 30-July 3, 1806. The powerful laxative west of Missoula, you will get an even messier pills contained mercury, among other things, and take on the question. ingesting them guaranTravelersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rest is at teed that the users spent the east end of the Lolo considerable time at the Trail, a natural hub for latrine. When archaeolotrails going every direcgist excavated the latrine, tion. Native Americans they found traces of merused the trails long before cury vapor in the pit. Since white people came to the no one else in the west at area. Old Toby, Native the time used mercury for guide for the Lewis and medicinal purposes, the Clark expedition, led them findings confirm exactly here to camp and rest beâ&#x20AC;&#x153;who pooped in the park.â&#x20AC;? fore tackling the forbidding The first artifact found Bitterroot Mountains in at Travelersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rest was a 1805. They camped here tombac button, a metal again when they came button made mostly of back in 1806. brass. They found it by runTravelersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rest is ning metal detectors over the only archaeologically the ground before they verified Lewis and Clark started digging. Analysis campsite from their 4,000showed that the button mile journey. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a was manufactured in the lot of other evidence to 19th Century and was the Bring the grandchildren to Travelersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rest State Park type used on military unisupport the theory, but the just outside of Lolo for an afternoon of discovery mercury in the latrine was about the Corps of Discovery, Native Americans, and forms at the time of Lewis something that was spe- early settlers in Montana. [Photos by Bernice Karnop] and Clark.

Archaeologists opened cific to the Lewis and Clark expedition at that time,â&#x20AC;? says Martha Lindsey, two dig sites - the latrine and a cooking fire. The Program Director of Travelersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rest Preservation camps were consistently laid out according to the Order of Encampment military manual, a fact that and Historical Association.

helped them know where to expect the different sites.

In the fire pit they found fire cracked rocks, charcoal, ash, and a blue bead like Lewis and Clark carried for trading. Because this was a popular area used by Native people, these things supported the evidence that the group camped here, but could not confirm it unquestionably.

One thing found in the fire pit did confirm it, a hardened pool of melted lead. Native people did not melt lead. The Corps melted lead to make bullets. At Travelers’ Rest the men prepared supplies since they planned to split the party in order to explore both the Marias and the Yellowstone River areas. Someone spilled a bit of lead in the fire and unknowingly left it for another “corps of discovery” to find much later.

Analysis showed that the lead found here came from Kentucky. The Captains recruited some of their men and gathered supplies in Kentucky.

For decades, Lewis and Clark’s camp was thought to be at the confluence of Lolo Creek and the Bitterroot River. A National Park Service National Historic Landmark marked this spot back in the 1960s. When the physical evidence was found in 2002, the National Park Service acknowledged the mistake and moved the Landmark 1.5 miles up Lolo Creek. This may be the only site that, once marked, was changed by the Park Service.

Today Travelers’ Rest State Park boasts an easy-to-walk half-mile loop trail around the camp.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 51

Numbered sites are explained in the colored brochure, which allows you to do the hike at your own speed. We were there in the spring close to the time of year the men returned to Travelers’ Rest.

The still snowy Bitterroot Mountains look just as daunting as they did in 1805 and 1806.

As we hiked the trail, we noticed an old Douglas fir standing vigil over the archeological site, even as it shaded the travelers 200 years ago.

Bring the grandchildren since there is plenty of room to run. They will also enjoy going into the Visitor Center with you. The Lewis and Clark portion of the museum, which opened in 2001, gives more details of the story. In 2009, the Holt Museum was expanded to include bright Native American beaded clothing and art, an 1880s Main Street display, and lots of artifacts from the logging industry. In the spring and summer, volunteers answer questions, talk to visitors, and will be glad to share hands-on artifacts with your grandchildren.

Winter hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. In the summer, they are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Admittance is by Montana license plates or for a $5

fee per vehicle for those from out of state. From January until March, they have weekly storytelling hours on Saturday, which costs $4 per person.

Memberships may be purchased for $35, which allows free access to the storytelling and other benefits.

For more information, call Travelers’ Rest State Park at 406 273-4253. MSN

It’s Time To Get In Shape For The 2012 Montana Senior Olympics The 27th Annual Montana Senior Olympic Summer Games are being held in Great Falls on June 7-9. There will be three fun filled days with friendly competition among participants 50 years and older. Thirteen sports will be available for competition. They include archery, basketball (shooting and 3-on-3), bowling, cycling, golf, horseshoes, road race, racquetball, race walk, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and track and field. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in each of the five-year age groups (50-54, 55-59, etc.). All ability levels are encouraged to participate. The objective of our organization is to keep people active, which enhances their health and offers a happier lifestyle.

Out-of-state residents are also invited to compete. Join the fun while improving your health. You will make new friends with your same interests.

Check out the web site at www.montanaseniorolympics.org.

Entry books will be available in late March. Call 406-586-5543 or email kayjn@imt.net to get your name on the mailing list, or to get more information. If you have participated in the last four years, you will automatically receive an entry book. If you have moved since you last entered, we will need your new address, as your entry book will not be forwarded by the post office.

Our other activities include a Hockey Tournament at the Haynes Pavilion on the Gallatin County Fair Grounds on March 30 - April 1. This is under the direction of Ken Younger and Jay Henderson.

The July date hasn’t been set for the Senior Olympic Softball Tournament in Kalispell, which is under the direction of Jim Valentino.

Start training now and be ready for the games.

You will be glad you did. MSN

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Improve Your Road Smarts with Montana DRI.V.E.

By Bernice Karnop If you have been driving in Montana for very long you have encountered some predictable risks: you have skidded on the ice, you have gone into a corner too fast, or you have dodged wildlife on the road. Perhaps you know the rules of how to avoid an accident under these conditions, but the only practice you get is when a situation pops up and you have an instant to react.

Now the Montana Office of Public Instruction has designed a driving class that will increase the chances that you will respond correctly. It is called Montana Driver-In-Vehicle Education, or Montana DRI.V.E. It is held every summer on a deserted airport runway in Lewistown.

Yep, you sit behind the wheel of several different types of vehicles and drive through challenges that are created in a controlled, safe place. Instructors coach clients how to get out of skid safely, how to recover after going into a corner too fast, what to do when a deer appears suddenly in your headlights, and much more. This hands-on practice is what sets this course apart from others. People who have brought their car under control in a controlled situation are more likely to use the skills when they encounter an emergency on the road.

The one-day workshop is for every kind of driver including professionals, teens, and seniors - ordinary citizens who want to improve their skills.

This is not a new program. It started in 1979 and last summer they trained their 10,000th stu-

dent. According to Patricia Borneman, Program Specialist, Traffic Education Programs, Montana Office of Public Instruction, about 500 people take the course each summer. The workshop is limited to 12 students per session. There are four instructors so that translates to a lot of driving for each person.

What difference does it make? The Missoula County Director of Public Works is quoted on the Montana DRI.V.E web site as saying, “I am convinced your program has single handedly reduced the number of accidents we have experienced. We have not had a serious accident since we started in your program and it has also yielded the largest work comp rebate, $15,000, ever experienced by my department.”

Instructor Mick Davis from Great Falls enjoys the variety of drivers taking each course: men, women, teens, professional drivers, and mature individuals. Sometimes the rewards for teaching come quickly. He got a call from two students who drove home in the dark after taking the class. They successfully missed a black cow on the road, but later on, they hit a deer. Because they did what they were taught to do, they kept the car on the road and neither was hurt.

Davis says, “Everything we teach is a real life situation, geared for common situations Montana drivers face.” The number one killer in Montana is a single vehicle accident where the car drifts off the road. The driver over-corrects, causing the car to skid or roll. The Montana DRI.V.E. class recreates this situation and shows the students how to regain control.

“Sometimes things happen that we have no control over,” Davis says. “If you know what to do and have the confidence to do it, it may prevent a terrible accident.”

Do not confuse the course with a senor driving program. This class does not help you deal with age-related challenges in vision, mobility, or hearing. If you are thinking about buying a large RV, driving the busses will give you a chance to see what it is like to drive a large vehicle. The course also brings you up to date on the new technologies which car dealers talk about but seldom demonstrate how to use in real-life.

Most insurance companies give discounts for people who take a driver education class.

The course costs $299 per driver, with a small discount for those who register before March 15.

For more information or to register, visit www. montanadrive.mt.gov. MSN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 53

PAGE 54 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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I Wish You Enough Submitted by Jim Meade Recently I overheard a Father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport.

They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the Father said, “I love you, and I wish you enough.”

The daughter replied, “Dad, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Dad.” They kissed and the daughter left. The Father walked over to the window where I was seated.

Standing there, I could see he wanted and needed to cry... I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, “Did you ever say goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?”

“Yes, I have,” I replied. “Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?”

“I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is... the next trip back will be for my funeral,” he said.

“When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, ‘I wish you enough.’ May I ask what that means?” I asked.

He smiled. “That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations in my family. My

parents used to say it to everyone.” He paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and he smiled even more.

“When we said, ‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.”

Then turning toward me, he shared the following thoughts as if he were reciting from memory.

• I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

• I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

• I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

• I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

• I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

• I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

• I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

He then began to cry and walked away.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them; but then an entire life to forget them. MSN

Is Proofreading a dying art? What do you think?

Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley • Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter • Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says • Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers • Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over • Miners Refuse to Work after Death • Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant • War Dims Hope for Peace • If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile • Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures • Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide • Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges • Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge MSN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 55

PAGE 56 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 57

Days of Wine and Flowers

www.montanaseniornews.com

Story by Andrea Gross I find a patch of green and begin to unpack our picnic basket. “Wine?” asks my husband. I nod happily. I’m surrounded by wildflowers, fixed with food and wine, and within shouting distance of places waiting to be explored.

I’m hard put to think of a nicer way to spend the day.

Now we’ve found a way to have not one, but two spring breaks. First we go to the Hill Country of central Texas, where spring begins early. Later we explore the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia, where flowers don’t reach their peak ‘til May or June.

Texas Hill Country - It’s mid-April in Fredericksburg, and the bluebonnets are in full bloom.

Friends point us to Willow City Loop, 15 miles to the northeast, and soon we’re on a winding road that takes us over cliffs, through meadows and across bridges. We drive slowly, admiring the scenic glory, in no hurry to get back to town.

But we need to prepare for our picnic, which is scheduled for the following Bluebonnets cover the hills near Fred- day. Fredericksburg is at the center of ericksburg, peaking in mid-April. [Photo the Texas Hill Country Viticultural Area,

by Al Rendon] a 15,000 square mile area that is the second most visited wine region in the United States, topped only by Napa.

Therefore we head out along Highway 290, locally known as “Wine Road 290,” which bisects the town.

Here the land resembles the grape-growing regions of Italy and southern France, leading Brian Heath, owner of Grape Creek Vineyards, to refer to the area as “Tuscany in Texas.” We go into a tasting room that is styled like an Italian villa with heavy timbers and a tile roof and sample their awardwinning wines, finally settling on a bottle of Pinot Grigio for $16.95.

Afterwards, because we’re in splurge mode and can’t resist, we pick up a pie from Tootie Pie Company Gourmet Café, recognized by Yahoo Travel as one of the top ten pie shops in America. Exercising zero self-control, we eat the pie on the spot, then buy another for our picnic basket. After all, this is a vacation, right?

The next morning we wander through the downtown area, which is quietly becoming one of the country’s leading art centers. Collectors often arrive in private planes to visit galleries like Whistle Pik, where they can acquire paintings and sculptures by nationally acclaimed artists. Nearby, Artisans at Rocky Hill showcases outstanding work by top regional craftsmen and women, while The Grasshopper and Wild Honey features an eclectic collection of local handicrafts and European imports.

Finally we stop in Rustlin’ Rob’s Texas Gourmet Foods, where we indulge in a sampling of sauces and dips. We end up with a packet of Rattlesnake

Happy St. Patricks’ Day

PAGE 58 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Don’t look for more honor than you merit.

- Jewish Proverb

FOUNDATION

Dust (a mix of herbs, garlic and exotic peppers) the region in the 1600s, and Wine Enthusiast and a jar of Texas Hot Wild Fire Pickles. We put Magazine has named Virginia one of 2012’s ten the Dust in our suitcase but as for the pickles… best travel destinations in the world. (The two they go into the picnic basket. other U.S wine regions that made the list are in Visit www.VisitFredericksburgTX.com for California.) more.

We visit Virginia Mountain Vineyards and Virginia’s Blue Ridge - A month later we’re Fincastle Vineyard & Winery, where we taste-test in Roanoke. Here, near their Cabernet Franc the northern end of the and Chardonnay. DeliBlue Ridge Parkway and cious. just south of ShenandoThen, on a whim, ah Valley, flowers begin we drive through orblooming in April and chards and down a color the hills through country road to Peaks October. First come the of Otter Winery & Ordelicate wildflowers; latchard in nearby Beder, the flame azaleas and ford. rhododendrons.

There the atmoThe city, which is sphere is more homealready the cultural and spun, and we’re ofbusiness hub of southfered samples of wines western Virginia, is celabeled Blackberry menting its reputation Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, as the northern terminus and Blueberry Muffin, of the Parkway, offering which, we’re told, was visitors an experience Flame azaleas bloom south of Roanoke beginning Mark Twain’s favorite. similar to that of Ashe- in mid-May. [Photo by William A. Blake] These make me feel ville, 250 miles to the virtuous. I’m not really south. To that end, the revitalized downtown has drinking; I’m just imbibing my grandmother’s become a regional art center, filled with markets home cooking. and galleries.

We buy a bottle of each and set off to We poke in the shops and then, to prepare for find the perfect picnic spot. Visit www.visitroaour picnic, we hit the wine trail. Wine has been nokeva.com and www.blueridgeparkway.org for produced in Virginia since the Europeans settled more. MSN

Right on Target: The Stray Bullet in Ovando and established her footing as a fifth generation resident of the Blackfoot Valley. She swapped the stressful medical field to enjoy visiting with old friends and interesting strangers.

The Stray Bullet is a restaurant with an attitude. The logo includes a loaded holster draped over the name.

Friendly waitress, Sue Matthews will take your picture with it if you ask, for a sassy way to remember your visit.

The building has been in the valley longer than Colleen’s family. It was a grocery store or mercantile for most of its 130 years.

Colleen remembers buying nails, jeans, and groceries there. At one time there were gas pumps outside. The exposed hand-hewn logs explain how architecture and construction were done a century ago. While it retains its century-old character, it is as clean and inviting as if it were new.

“I like to let the building speak for itself,” Colleen says.

Coffee (listed as Black Powder on the menu) comes in a Stray 'HVLJQ VHUYLFHV WR UHPRGHO \RXU KRPH VR \RX FDQ VWD\ LQ \RXU KRPH Bullet mug made by &UHDWH ´DVVLVWHG OLYLQJµ LQ \RXU KRPH WR \RXU SHUVRQDO VW\OH local potters, Lavonne Jorgenson and Jan ,QVWDOO WKH ODWHVW LQ (QHUJ\ 6DYLQJ 7HFKQRORJ\ Farrar. You can buy /RFDO UHIHUHQFHV DQG ORFDO ZRUNHUV 1R MRE WRR ELJ RU WRR VPDOO the mug for your coffee at home as well. Local people call the Stray Bullet a place with family friendly food, and a —Ed Adamson— place to gather after 585-7526 they drop the kids off at school. www.customgreenbozemanhomes.com

By Bernice Karnop To some it might seem like a shot in the dark, but for Colleen Zoe Stone, leaving her job at the Rocky Mountain Eye Clinic in Missoula to run the Stray Bullet Café in Ovando last May was right on target. She dodged the long commute

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Waitress Sue Matthews shows off a tempting apple pie at the Stray Bullet Café. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 59

Breakfast is served all day with all the usual choices and a few you might not expect. For example, if you are in a hurry, you can get The Posse, a breakfast sandwich to go. It includes two scrambled eggs, your choice of cheese and meat on bread, in a wrap or on a bagel.

The High Noon menu consists of sandwiches on a hoagie roll or wrap. You can order soup, salad, and chips. And home made desserts. Colleen says they do different desserts all the time.

She claims to have inherited the Stray Bullet fame for pies but she would not want someone to drive there looking for a specific kind. They mix it up with different desserts, but you will not be disappointed with what you get.

The lunch menu includes the handy Sportsman’s Lunch to go, a choice of sandwich, chips, or salad, dessert, and bottled drink that you can pick up and carry to the scenic spot of your choice. Another Giddy Up ‘N Go item lets you buy a casserole to take home and pop into your own oven.

Ovando is a busy little town in the summertime, Colleen says. It can be a day trip for folks from Helena, Missoula, and Great Falls. After lunch they stroll around the town and take in the museum. A drive along the Blackfoot River is gorgeous any season. Travelers on Highway 200

on their way to Glacier National Park find their way to the Stray Bullet. During the Great Divide Ride, which goes from Banff in Alberta, Canada, to the Mexican border, they see as many as 300 cyclists.

For the first time this year, the Stray Bullet will stay open through the winter. From January through May they will be open from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. After May 2 they are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Dinners are available by reservation and are arranged ahead of time.

You can contact the Stray Bullet at 406-7934030. MSN

[Photo by Bernice Karnop]

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Headlines of History: Washington DCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Newseum student shot at Kent State, the napalm-burned child running down a street Story by Andrea Gross (andreagross.com) One minute I am standing in front of eight 4â&#x20AC;&#x2122; wide, 12â&#x20AC;&#x2122; tall sections of the in Vietnam, the flag being raised on Iwo Jima. Video interviews with the Berlin Wall. A few minutes later, I am watching videos of the moon landing, photographers give the story behind the story.

In addition, there are a number of Princess Dianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wedding, JFKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assassinatemporary exhibits that will only run until the tion, 9/11.... As I walk through the Newseum, end of this year. One of the most popular and Washington DCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 250,000-square-foot paean poignant, Inside Tim Russertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office, shows to journalism, I am reminded of the old adage: the famous newsmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desk arranged exactly Yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s news is todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. as it was on the day of his death.

The museum, which is located on PennAnother, titled First Dogs, features sylvania Avenue just blocks from the National nearly two dozen pets that have provided Mall, contains more than 35,000 newspapers, our presidents with apolitical companionship. including one from 1718 that heralds the death These include Coolidgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s white collie, which of Blackbeard, the notorious British pirate, and was photographed wearing an Easter bonnet; one started by the brother of Benjamin Franklin.

George H. W. Bushâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s English springer spaniel, Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s filled with journalistically relevant artifacts, which was credited with writing a bestselling like the microphone used by Edward R. Murrow book; and Warren Hardingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Airedale, which for his radio broadcasts during the Blitz and the notebook used by the Newsweek reporter who A replica of Tim Russertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office as it looked on the day of his attended Cabinet meetings with his master. death is on display through 2012. [Photo by Maria Bryk/Newseum] (One can only wonder what scandals would broke the Monica Lewinsky story.

In addition, the Newseum houses hundreds of videos. In fact, a person have been adverted if the dog had barked a few words of caution into the could spend hours just watching videos - from an eight-minute overview Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ear.)

On a more serious note, the G-Men and Journalists exhibit provides of major events narrated by Charles Osgood to a 25-minute look at the insight into the tension between law enforcement and the press, showhistory of sports reporting.

I hesitate before walking into the Comcast 9/11 Gallery. Do I really want ing how the press prevents abuses of power but also makes the work of to relive that horrible the special agents more difficult. More than 200 artifacts complement the day? But of course I go photos and newspapers, including the cabin used by the Unibomber and in and sit spellbound as the electric chair that ended the life of Bruno Hauptmann, who steadfastly journalists who were denied that he was the person who kidnapped the Lindbergh baby.

Later, after a quick lunch in the Wolfgang Puck cafe on the lower level, there tell what they did to bring the story I explore some of the interactive galleries, which are among the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to the rest of us. The most popular. In one, reporter wannabes try reading a news report from audience is transfixed; a Teleprompter and writing a story on deadline. In another, they confront the room is completely ethical problems. When is it okay to quote anonymous sources? Is it more silent. I feel as if I am in important to photograph a dying child who is about to be eaten by a vulture, and thus alert the world to the plight of the Sudanese, or is it better to drop a church.

All told, the Newse- the camera and try to save the child?* I wander out on the terrace, where a guide tells me that the Newseum um houses 15 theaters was built on the site of the old National Hotel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the hotel where John and 14 main exhibits.

My personal favorite is Wilkes Booth stayed when he plotted the murder of Abraham Lincoln,â&#x20AC;?

The Pulitzer Prize Gal- he says. Inside I see the newspaper announcing the assassination of the lery, a collection of pho- president as well as ones telling of the hunt for Booth.

For contemporary events, there is the broadcast studio where ABC tographs that deliver a gut punch to the soul. News films its Sunday morning program, This Week. Behind the desk There is the horrified where George Stephanopoulos has interviewed the weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newsmakers girl who saw her fellow is the famous view of the capitol.

A Royal Weekend. . .with Princess Diana!

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A weekend in the Twin Cities featuring the award-winning exhibit, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Diana: A Celebration,â&#x20AC;? including Princess Dianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wedding gown & family heirlooms! Plus â&#x20AC;&#x153;Roman Holidayâ&#x20AC;? at the Guthrie, a red carpet reception at our hotel and more!

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Sept 17-Oct 3

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Oct 25-Nov 3

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Passport to Branson

Nov 5-13

Get a taste of 5 countries without a passport, then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on to Branson for the Presleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Country Jubilee, Brett Family Singers, Yakov Smirnoff & more!

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Nov 27-Dec 2

Fly to Nashville, stay at the Opryland Resort, tour Music Row & Great Smokies National Park, and enjoy a Grand Ole Opry performance!

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But even more interesting is the daily display of the front pages of 80 newspapers from across the United States and around the world, posted every morning at 6 a.m. Washington time. They are a stark reminder that while we in the United States may be absorbed with the presidential primaries, the people in New Zealand are focused on something else entirely.

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 61

For more information, visit www.newseum.org. * Faced with this dilemma, Kevin Carter opted to snap the award-winning photo. Afterwards he chased the vulture away, but haunted by the scene and by his own priorities, he committed suicide a few months later. MSN

Gambling Wisdom For That Gambling Junket

By Mark Pilarski Dear Mark: Anytime you play a machine that rewards quads, like for instance, four Aces, is the machine programmed to deal fewer four-ace hands? Larry F. Many video poker machines, Larry, like Double Bonus Poker and Super Aces, have larger payouts for specific big hands, such as four Aces. To compensate for giving you this bonus, the casino needs to take a little something away, and that means fewer payouts for some smaller hands. There is no need for the casino wizards to rig a machine so you will see fewer Aces, since they can adjust the pay table with lower paybacks on hands such as full houses, flushes, and two pairs.

Truth be told, all cards are dealt randomly, but you should actually be getting more concluding hands containing four Aces than you would otherwise get on games without four-Ace jackpots.

Why? Because you should be adjusting your strategy and playing for those Aces.

For example, suppose you have two pair, Aces and eights. In a game like Super Aces, you

would keep the Aces and toss the eights aside.

If you had a full house with three Aces and two eights, again, you would break up the full house and hold just the three Aces. Had you been playing Jacks or Better, you would play each of these hands differently.

When playing a game that rewards Aces, and playing each hand correctly, you should see those quad Aces more often.

Dear Mark: Just for the record: When I win my $300 million Powerball lottery jackpot, I plan on buying a casino and bringing back the deals we used to get in the good old days.

Butch B. I’m with you. I say yes to single deck blackjack, 9/6 video poker machines, craps with 100X odds, single zero roulette, and those mouthwatering $3.49 prime rib buffets. The hitch, Butch, is that the odds of Yours Truly showing up at Butch’s Gambling Emporium are 1 in 195,249,054.

Dear Mark: You state that taking Free Odds on a crap game is one of the best bets the casino offers. By doing so, how much will it improve my chances of winning? Gabe L.

As for immediately improving your “chances of winning,” actually, Gabe, none. As for Free Odds lowering the house edge and winning more moolah, well, that is a different story.

Suppose, you made a $10 Pass Line bet and the point has been made. By making a Free Odds wager, it won’t instantly increase your chances of winning that singular event, because the odds of winning your Pass Line bet would remain the same whether you made a Free Odds bet or not.

The way you make the Free Odds bet an excellent wager is by putting money on them that you were going to bet anyway. For example, instead of betting the $10 on the Pass Line and taking no odds, you can lower the overall house edge considerably by betting $2 on the Pass Line and $10 on the Odds (5x table). By taking odds, Gabe, your expected loss is reduced, which improves your chances of winning some scratch.

Whatever amount you want to bet per round, your goal should be to get as much money on Free Odds as possible, and as little as possible on the Pass Line. MSN

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PAGE 62 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 63

PAGE 64 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Art Experiences Stimulate Mentally And Physically As we age, arts and crafts can be overlooked as a tool for learning and recovery. Just as it is important for a young child to gain hand and eye coordination, dexterity, and autonomy, it is equally important to maintain those same skills as the body and mind age. Social interactions, self-expression, decision-making, active participation, and increased self-esteem are also achieved through involvement in art.

At Stumptown Art Studio in Whitefish, their outreach program “Art from the Heart” is seeing to it that the creative needs of local seniors are being met. Founded in 1995, Stumptown Art Studio is a non-profit community art center where people of every age can come and enrich their lives through the world of art. Seven days a week they offer ceramics, mosaics, glass fusing, and an artists’ co-op. Classes for both children and adults offer participation in various other art forms.

Stumptown Art Studio also offers art residencies at local schools and various organizations. The residents of Flathead Valley have come to know of Stumptown Art Studio for its interesting and quality art opportunities.

In 2009, a volunteer and part-time em-

ployee, Sue Lawrence, saw room for growth.

While children and their parents were aware of Stumptown Art Studio, there was a demographic that lacked attention seniors. Being aware of t h i s Ivan Jones and Sue Lawrence working population on a mosaic stepping stone. [Photo by Sue Lawrence] and getting them involved with art were two different things.

Transportation, personal capabilities, and scheduling classes became the most challenging issues. Out of these issues grew “Art from the Heart.” This program, funded primarily through donations and grants, was developed with the purpose of bringing art to the valleys’ underserved.

Aging brings any number of health challenges.

Stumptown Art Studio instructors have developed programs designed to gently push people’s limitations while enabling creative expression. If sight is an issue, textile projects work best (weaving, mosaic, clay). If tremors are a problem, abstract art is great (painting, paper mache, paper collage).

Many adults have not participated in creating art since they were in school. Because of this, it is not uncommon to hear, “I can’t do that” or “I’m not artistic.” The key to participation is simply to get them started. Providing samples of artwork created by others can promote interest. Keeping the ideas fresh and interesting definitely play a role, but encouraging participants to believe that they are capable and creative is just as important.

With the recent purchase of “The Van Gogh” it became possible to bring art experiences to seniors throughout the valley. In 2009, Art from the Heart began teaching classes at the Montana Veteran’s Home in Columbia Falls. Many residents like Gail Luepkes look forward to lessons taught

by Lawrence.

“Art gives me a sense of accomplishment,” says Luepkes. “I miss having goals to achieve.

The praise I receive is like a child trying to please their parents except I am trying to please myself.”

She adds, “Art really makes me happy.”

In the summer of 2011, 22 pieces of artwork created by residents of the Montana Veteran’s

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Home were entered into the Flathead County Fair.

The artwork included drawings, three-dimensional pieces, and stained glass mosaic stepping-stones.

Ken Johnson, a Montana Veterans Home resident with Alzheimer’s, created a stepping stone with an American flag design. His piece was awarded Best in Show along with a People’s Choice Award.

“Even though he can’t respond with words, you can see how excited he is just to be involved in art,“ says Tracy Park, an activities assistant to the Special Care Unit. “He loves detail oriented projects best. His involvement in the creative process of self-expression proves how much he enjoys it.”

As news about the success at the Veterans Home spread, other organizations began to ex-

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 65

press their interest in art lessons. Art from the Heart has now expanded to include other senior centers and facilities along with group homes for the developmentally challenged.

The benefits of arts education and creative self-expression do not end with childhood. Stumptown Art Studio’s arts programming provides a vital link between the mental and physical benefits of arts participation for older people who rarely get the opportunity to experience such endeavors. With a little creativity and commitment, art can greatly benefit people in unexpected ways.

For more information about Art from the Heart, please contact Stumptown Art Studio at 406-862-5929. MSN

Take Your Next “Shot” at a Healthier Life Infectious disease expert encourages adults to get vaccinated Turning 65 is a reason to celebrate. You have reached a point when you are hopefully able to enjoy some free time, take up a new hobby, travel, and perhaps, play with your grandchildren. Your 65th birthday is also a health milestone - it is the age when you should receive an important vaccine for an infection you may not know about. Even if you are perfectly healthy at 65, your age puts you at high risk for this infection, which is called pneumococcal disease. According to Dr. Thomas M. File, Jr. an infectious disease specialist, every adult age 65 and older should receive this vaccine.

Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by common bacteria that can strike quickly and lead to death within just a few days. It kills thousands of US adults each year, yet four out of five Americans do not know about it, according to a recent survey by NFID. Even when the infection is not deadly, treatment can require hospitalization.

Although anyone can get the disease, it’s most dangerous for those age 65 and older and adults of any age who smoke or have common health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma - even if the condition is well controlled with medication or other treatment.

If you are one of these adults at risk, health officials recommend the vaccine to prevent the most serious forms of the infection. It is available at most primary care doctor’s offices and at many pharmacies.

“Pneumococcal disease is a very dangerous infection. Too many US adults are unprotected because they haven’t been vaccinated,” said Dr. File. “Whether you are age 65 or older or a younger adult with one of many common health conditions, you should lower your chances of getting sick by getting vaccinated. Ask your healthcare professional about vaccination today.”

You need the pneumococcal vaccine if you are: age 65 and older; age 19-64 with any of the following: asthma,

diabetes, heart, liver, lung, or kidney disease, immune problems, including HIV/AIDS, cancer, damaged/absent spleen, sickle cell disease, alcoholism, cochlear implants or cerebrospinal fluid leaks; an adult who smokes; living in a chronic-care or long-term care facility.

Dr. File shares his top five reasons for at-risk adults to get the pneumococcal vaccine: • Vaccination is the best and safest way to protect against pneumococcal disease.

• If you are a healthy adult age 65 or older, it is a simple step that can help you stay healthy.

• If you have a chronic illness vaccination can help protect you from serious complications.

• Even if the vaccine does not stop you from getting the infection, it can reduce the severity, helping to keep you out of the hospital.

• Medicare covers the cost of the vaccine and most private insurers will pay for at-risk adults. MSN

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PAGE 66 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Search on for Montana’s outstanding senior volunteers The Home Instead Senior Care® office serving Gallatin County has announced the Salute to Senior Service program to honor senior volunteers for the tireless contributions they make to their local communities throughout Montana.

The program will include a search for the most outstanding senior volunteer in each state and culminate with the selection of a national Salute to Senior Service winner during Older Americans Month in May. Nominees must be 65 years of age or older and volunteer at least 15 hours a month. Nominations will be accepted at www.SalutetoSeniorService. com through March 15, 2012. Nomination forms also can be requested at ckoehler@homeinsteadinc.com.

State Senior Hero winners will receive plaques, and their stories will be posted on the SalutetoSeniorService.com website. In addition, $5,000 will be donated to the national winner’s nonprofit charity of choice.

According to research conducted by the Home Instead Senior Care® network, 52 percent of seniors volunteer their time through unpaid community service. Nearly 20 percent (one in five) of seniors surveyed started volunteering when they

reached the traditional age of retirement – 65 or older. Furthermore, 20 percent of seniors who volunteer say that their community service is the most important thing they do.

“Helping others defines life for many retired people,” said Ruth Ann Marchi, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Bozeman. “And what a difference we have observed in people’s health, attitude, and outlook among those who choose to stay active as they age.”

Dr. Erwin Tan, director of the Senior Corps, a national organization that links more than 400,000 Americans 55 and older to service opportunities, agrees. “The one thing that I hear constantly from the people in our programs is that volunteering gives them additional purpose in life – they say that it’s another reason they get up in the morning.

“In addition, it’s a great way for them to learn new things – whether a skill or just something about an issue in which they have an interest,” Tan said.

“Volunteering is just a great way to expand their horizons and feel like they’re still a valuable part of their community.”

For more information about the Salute to Senior Service program or Home Instead Senior Care®, please call 406-922-5060. MSN

Learn About Aging at the Montana Gerontology Society Conference Montana Gerontology Society will be holding its 30th annual conference titled, Project Baby Boomers - Trends, Expectations, & Alternatives April 25-26 at the Holiday Inn, Bozeman.

Keynote speakers will include Elaine Sanchez and John McCrea. Elaine is the author of Letters to Madelyn – Chronicles of a Caregiver (Beautiful America Publishing, 2007) and she is best described as part Erma Bombeck and part Garrison Kellor. John will present on a variety of tools:

Uniform Power of Attorney for Financial; Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare; Declaration of Homestead; Beneficiary Deed; Simple Will; Living Will; and a Legal Documents Clinic.

Educational sessions will be conducted for professionals and the general public and anyone with an interest in aging is welcome to attend. For further information, contact Kim Seaton at Rocky Mountain Hospice 406-556-0640 or kimseaton@ rockymountianhospice.com. MSN

First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win.

- Mahatma Gandhi

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

How to Help Drivers Limit or Stop Driving When they Should

By Jim Miller For many families, telling a parent, especially your dad, it’s time to give up the car keys is a very sensitive and difficult topic. While there’s no one simple way to handle this issue, here are a number of tips and resources you can try to help ease your dad away from driving.

Take a Ride - To get a clear picture of your dad’s driving abilities, the first thing you need to do is take a ride with him and watch for problem areas.

• Does he drive too slowly or too fast?

• Does he tailgate or drift between lanes?

• Does he have difficulty seeing, backing up, or changing lanes?

• Does he react slowly?

• Does he get distracted or confused easily?

Also, has your dad had any fender benders or tickets lately, or have you noticed any dents or scrapes on his vehicle? These, too, are red flags.

Start Talking - After your assessment, you need to have a talk with your dad about your concerns, but don’t sound alarmed. If you begin with a dramatic outburst like “Dad, you’re going to kill someone!” you’re likely to trigger resistance. Start by gently expressing that you’re worried about his safety.

For tips on how to talk to your dad about this touchy topic, the Hartford Financial Services Group and MIT AgeLab offer some guides titled Family Conversations with Older Drivers and Family Conversations about Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia & Driving that can help, along with an online seminar called We Need to Talk that was produced by AARP. To access these free resources, visit www. safedrivingforalifetime.com.

Like many people, your dad may not even realize his driving skills have slipped. If this is the case, consider signing him up for an older driver refresher course through AARP (aarp.org/drive, 888-227-7669), your local AAA, or a driving school.

By becoming aware of his driving limitations,

your dad may be able to make some simple adjustments – like driving only in daylight or on familiar routes – that can help keep him safe and driving longer. Or, he may decide to hang up the keys on his own.

Refuses To Quit - If, however, you believe your dad has reached the point that he can no longer drive safely, but he refuses to quit, you have several options. One possible solution is to suggest a visit to his doctor who can give him a medical evaluation, and if warranted, “prescribe” that he stops driving. Older people will often listen to their doctor before they will listen to their own family.

If that doesn’t do it, ask him to get a comprehensive driving evaluation done by a driver rehabilitation specialist – this can cost several hundred dollars. A driving evaluation will test your dad’s cognition, vision, and motor skills, as well as his on-road driving abilities. To locate a specialist in your area, contact the Association of Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (driver-ed.org, 866-672-9466) or the American Occupational Therapy Association (aota.org/older-driver).

If he still refuses to move to the passenger seat, call your local Department of Motor Vehicles to see if they can help. Or, call in an attorney to discuss with your dad the potential financial and legal consequences of a crash or injury. If all else fails, you may just have to take away his keys.

Arrange Transportation - Once your dad stops driving he’s going to need other ways to get around, so help him create a list of names and phone numbers of family, friends, and local transportation services that he can call on. To locate community transportation services call the Area Agency on Aging. Call 800-677-1116 for contact information.

Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. MSN

Memory Care Now Open In Billings

Signs of Caregiver Stress Stress and burnout are Private Tours Available common for those who care for a loved one with memory loss.

Are you experiencing any of the following symptoms? If so, join one of our support groups or ask how we can help.

DENIAL “I know Mom is going to get better eventually.”

SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL “I don’t care about socializing anymore.”

ANXIETY “When will she need more care than I can provide?”

EXHAUSTION “I’m too tired to do this anymore.”

SLEEPLESSNESS “What if she wanders out of the house?”

POOR HEALTH “I can’t remember the last time I felt good.”

Call today to schedule a private tour.

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1785 Majestic Lane • Billings (406) 281-8455 www.canyoncreekmontana.com

SPRING CREEK INN Memory Care Community A Koelsch Senior Community

1641 Hunters Way • Bozeman (406) 586-0074 (open since June 2010) www.springcreekinnmontana.com

24-Hour On-Site License ed Licensed Nurses • Respite Stays • Hourly Care • Support Groups

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 67

PAGE 68 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

New West Making Medicare Simple For Montanans.

New West makes Medicare simple to use and easy to understand, so it’s no surprise more Montanans turn to New West for their Medicare needs than any other Medicare Advantage plan.* New West can provide you with straightforward information and exceptional customer service, making it easier to choose a plan that is right for you. With premiums as low as $16, great benefits, worldwide coverage, low co-pays, prescription benefits – including coverage “in the gap” – our plan eliminates the need for Medicare supplement coverage. Best of all, there is virtually no paperwork!

Ask about our out-of-network coverage – call 888.873.8044 or TTY 888.290.3658, or visit us on the web at www.newwesthealth.com

*CMS MA enrollment by State/County/Contract 9/2011 at CMS.gov New West Health Services is a health plan with a Medicare contract. Phone hours of operation 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week from Oct 1 – Feb 14, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday from Feb 15 – Sept 30. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. Limitations, co-payments and restrictions may apply. Members may enroll in the plan only during specific times of year.

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