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Bud and Linda Henderson Are A Publishing Team By Jack McNeel Marriage, retirement, and relocation came nearly simultaneously for Bud and Linda Henderson. It wasn’t long before a tax problem and mutual interests contributed to a new hobby and an additional source of income for the two of them. But let’s back up. They were living in Los Angeles back in the 1990s, where they met, started dating, became engaged... but they came to Idaho for their wedding. Linda commented they found Lewiston while on a vacation and Bud said to her, “I really love that place and I’d really love to retire there. Why don’t we start our new life up in Idaho?” So they did. The tax problem came around at tax time during that first year of marriage. “The government just cleaned our clock. We didn’t have any tax deductions,” Linda explained. “Bud was an insurance agent for 31 years and was used to having business deductions.” During those first months together Bud had found that Linda liked to write and was very expressive in her writing. She had started a journal and had written about trips, the scenery, the rocks, and volcanic canyons they had seen. This made a big impression on Bud who had a lifetime interest in photography. An idea was formed. As Linda describes it, “One morning Bud said, ‘We need to have a serious talk. I’ve been thinking.’ I always just cringe when Bud says, ‘I’ve been thinking.’ He said, ‘You like to write and I like to take pictures. That sounds to me like we ought to start writing for magazines and have a business of our own.’” And so they formed their new business/hobby to utilize their interests and provide some tax shelter. Linda did not know anyPhoto by Bud Henderson thing about writing but Bud was supportive and another local writer, Lenny Frasure, helped get her started and provided encouragement. “We started looking for stories. We got to take a real honest-to-goodness sleigh ride, the first in my life,” Linda relates. “I wrote about it and got it published in a camping magazine, and I was launched.” That was in 1997, her first published story, but many others would soon follow. Meanwhile Bud was brushing up on his photography to take the photos to illustrate Linda’s stories. He had been interested in photography since his kids were little. “That was roughly 50 years ago,” he says. In those early years it had been more of the snapshot variety. “I got pretty serious about photography just before digital popped its head up.” (Continued on page 15)

PAGE 2 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

APRIL/MAY 2010

Mother Goose Disappointed

America’s Best Nursing Homes

I have enclosed my answers for the contest quiz in the Feb/Mar issue of the Idaho Senior Independent. I have enjoyed answering the quiz “Who’s Who with Mother Goose.” However, I do believe the question number 18 as printed is incorrect. The question is printed as “Who lost her locket?” The question should have been printed as “Who lost her pocket?” The Mother Goose rhyme is “Lucy Locket lost her pocket.” Mother Goose would have been disappointed. Latha Wood Buhl

An article in the February issue of U.S. News and World Report ranks nursing centers across the United States - no small task since only 173 out of nearly 16,000 were ranked among America’s Best Nursing Homes. This ranking system was designed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services to help the customer shop for long-term care. The five star ranking is similar to a hotel, car dealership, etc. and offers an at-a-glance ranking of nursing homes in four areas - overall quality, survey outcomes, quality care, and RN staffing. A facility can receive as many as five stars in all areas – this information can be found at www.medicare. gov/NHCompare and the U.S. News article can be found at www.usnews.com/nursinghomes. I felt that it was important with all the focus on health care and caring for our aging population that this information was shared with our communities.

Idaho Senior Independent A Barrett-Whitman Publication P.O. Box 3341 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3341 208-318-0310 • Toll Free: 1-866-360-5683 Fax: 406-761-8358 www.idahoseniorindependent.com email: idahoseniorind@bresnan.net The Idaho Senior Independent is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October, and December by Barrett-Whitman, 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Idaho. The mail subscription rate is $10.00 per year (6 issues). The Idaho Senior Independent is written to serve Idaho’s mature population 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 Idaho Senior Independent 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 Julie Crittendon Angie Erskine Rhonda Lee Sherrie Smith

Office Manager Production Supervisor Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Graphic Artist Admin/Production Assistant

Remember how good television and the movies used to be in the 1960s? No matter the genre - westerns, doctor shows, children’s shows, or family comedy - what wholesome and engaging fare they produced. Our winning contest will take you back half a century to a time when television and the silver screen deserved our rapt attention. Congratulations to Nancy Sievers of Blackfoot who is the winner of the $25 prize for submitting the featured quiz for this issue, How Well Do You Know Your 1960s Entertainment? Congratulations also to Julia Longoria of Nyssa, Oregon for submitting the correct answers to the Who’s Who With Mother Goose? quiz that appeared in the February/March 2010 issue. Julia is the winner of a $25 cash prize. Two $25 cash prizes are awarded from the

We are proud to be the only Idaho nursing center to make this list – which was by no accident. Quality care and customer service are part of our DNA, part of the culture of our facility, and with only 9.4% turnover in our workforce for 2009, that positive trend will continue. I would recommend to anyone searching for short-term rehabilitation, post hospital stay, respite care, or long-term care placement for a loved one to research the Medicare website. In addition to nursing center ranking, there are many helpful tips to help you manage the process, as it can be overwhelming. I cannot emphasize enough that you do have choices about what kind of care you want and where you want to receive that care. Maryruth Butler, Executive Director Mountain Valley Care and Rehabilitation Center Kellogg ISI

“Contest Corner” in each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent. One prize goes to the person who submits the entry selected by our staff as the featured quiz or puzzle in the “Contest Corner” for that issue. Turn your creativity loose and send us some good, interesting puzzles! The second $25 prize goes to the person who submits the 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 Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403 by May 10, 2010 for our June/July 2010 edition. Remember to work the crossword puzzle in this issue and on our website www.idahoseniorindependent.com.

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APRIL/MAY 2010

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 3

How Well Do You Know Your 1960s Entertainment? Submitted by Nancy Seivers, Blackfoot Below are 15 questions related to movies and television shows from the 1960s. On a numbered sheet of paper write what you believe is the correct answer and email or drop them in the mail to us. The winner will receive a $25 prize. Have fun! 1. What was the name of the popular 1960s TV series in which Marshal Matt Dillon and his Deputy, Chester Goode, upheld the law and order in Dodge City? 2. In The Great Escape, allied prisoners of war plan a mass escape from a German POW camp. Who starred as the motorcycle-riding hero in this film? 3. What was the name of the popular 1960s TV

spy series that featured the characters Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin? 4. What was the name of the gang of robbers featured in the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? 5. What popular hospital-based TV series starred Richard Chamberlain as a young doctor? 6. In what TV series did Steve McGarrett use the phrase â&#x20AC;&#x153;Book â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;em Danno?â&#x20AC;? 7. From what Disney movie does the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;supercalifragilisticexpialidociousâ&#x20AC;? come? 8. In a memorable 1960s TV series Wilbur Postâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s horse spoke to him. What was the name of that horse? 9. What was the surname of the family in the

TV series The Beverly Hillbillies? 10. From what TV series does the quote â&#x20AC;&#x153;To boldly go where no man has gone beforeâ&#x20AC;? come? 11. Which 1961 movie based on an adaptation of William Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Romeo and Juliet featured rival street gangs the Sharks and Jets? 12. Which 1960s cartoon character said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yabba-Dabba-Do?â&#x20AC;? 13. What was the name of Samanthaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s husband in the 1960s comedy series Bewitched? 14. What 1968 movie starring Dick Van Dyke had the tagline, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was just an old neglected car. Who could have guessed...?â&#x20AC;? 15. What was the name of the ranching family featured in the TV series Bonanza? ISI

Answers to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Who With Mother Goose?â&#x20AC;? Submitted by Jean Carr, Twin Falls 10. Wee Willie Winkle 11. Little Miss Muffet 12. Peter Peter 13. Birds of a Feather 14. The Mouse 15. Three Little Kittens 16. Ladybug Ladybug 17. Little Tommy Tucker 18. Lucy Locket

At last! Spring is here, the snow is melting, the tulips and daffodils are coming up, and wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it be a fine time to add some spring warmth to your heart with a new relationship. It is time to find that special someone to enjoy all that is new this time of year. Submit your reply today and who knows...? To those who wish to respond to any of these personal ads, simply mail your message, address, phone number, and/or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403. Your response, including your address, phone number, and/or email address will be forwarded 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 ad for our June/July 2010 issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may bring a breath of fresh air to your heart as well. Responses to personal ads appearing in this column can be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad, the deadline for the June/July 2010 issue is May 10, 2010. SWM, 64-years-old would enjoy meeting a lady for friendship and companionship. Someone between 60 and 70 who likes country music, taking long rides, romantic evenings, giving and receiving massages, meeting people, long walks, rides in the country, and holding hands. I am retired, 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;5â&#x20AC;?, 180 lbs. I enjoy camping, fishing, cooking, and romantic evenings. Reply ISI, Dept. 6101, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

19. Old King Cole 20. Peter Piper 21. Polly 22. Tom Tom 23. Georgy Porgy 24. Simple Simon 25. Little Jack Horner 26. Queen of Hearts

and am an honest, caring, loving country girl. Non-smoker. Love to travel, camp, fish, and all that goes with it. I work and live in south central Idaho. I will support most things - but not a man. Finances did that. Looking for SWM 58-65 non-smoker, no drugs, and who likes the outdoors. Reply ISI, Dept. 6102, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

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Non-smoking, non-drinking, Christian white widow. White hair, green eyes, not fat, and not skinny. I love to sing, write poetry, cook, sew, and kayak. Enjoy quiet romantic nights at home, music, going for walks, happy, well adjusted, and easy going. Live in Buhl. Reply ISI, Dept. 6103,

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By Connie Daugherty The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Little Brown & Company, 2007 Nearly as much biography as novel, True Diary tells the story of a Spokane Indian boy learning to cope with the world in which he lives. Published in 2007, this young adult story won the National Book Award, as well as several other book-of-the-year awards. Although written for young adults, it definitely speaks to mature adults in a way that many age appropriate stories do not. Most well known as a poet and a short story writer, True Diary is Alexieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first young adult novel, and obviously one of his best efforts. The writing, as expected, is suburb and poetic. The story is simple and poignant with strong symbolism that, while perhaps not appreciated by younger readers, touches the more mature reader of any race. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wish I were magical, but I am just a poorass reservation kid living with his poor-ass family on the poor-ass Spokane Indian Reservation,â&#x20AC;? writes Arnold (Junior) Spirit in his â&#x20AC;&#x153;absolutely true diary.â&#x20AC;? The diary is absolutely true, because it is Arnoldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story told from his perspective. It is a litany of memories, realizations, and philosophy as much as it is a record of the events of Arnoldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourteenth year. He was born with water on the brain and underwent surgery when he was six months old to drain the extra fluid. Although he came through the surgery okay, he was left with several physical problems that make him the object of teasing and bullying by the other kids. At a very young age, Arnold discovers he can draw cartoons, and peppers his diary with drawings because, â&#x20AC;&#x153;words are too unpredictableâ&#x20AC;Ś too limited.â&#x20AC;? His life on the reservation, which is â&#x20AC;&#x153;approximately one million miles north of Important and two billion miles west of Happy,â&#x20AC;? is also unpredictable and limited, so he dreams of his drawings taking him into a predictable world of opportunity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats.â&#x20AC;?

Despite his physical problems and supposed brain damage, Arnold is intelligent and eager to learn. He especially likes math and excitedly opens the cover of his geometry book on that first day of his freshman year in high school, only to discover that the book had once been used by his mother. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[T]hat oldâ&#x20AC;Ś decrepit geometry book hit my heart with the force of a nuclear bomb.â&#x20AC;? The book may as well have been a bomb, because from that moment on Arnoldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life as he has known it is shattered. The old, worn textbook is the impetus that drives him to change high schools, that and a long conversation with the teacher he hit in the face when he hurled the book across the classroom. Suddenly it is as if he has no choice, no matter how scared he is, he has to take charge of his own destiny. He talks his parents into letting him attend high school in Reardan. Being different is nothing new to Arnold so seemingly deciding to attend the all-white high school in a town 20 miles away from the reservation it is not really a radical move. Except that most of the tribe consider him a traitor, his best friend is suddenly his enemy, and he does not even know how to communicate with the white kids in his new school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I felt like somebody had shoved me into a rocket ship and blasted me to a new planet. I was a freaky alien and there was absolutely no way to get home.â&#x20AC;? While he was different and bullied on the reservation, he still belonged - he was still an Indian. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Traveling between Reardan and Wellpinit, between the little white town and the reservation, I always felt like a stranger. I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other.â&#x20AC;? He lives on the reservation with his Indian family and deals with daily life in the Indian way, but he goes to school with white kids, and a part of him longs to join their world if only they will allow him in. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I woke up on the reservation as Indian and somewhere on the road to Reardan, I became something less than Indian. And once I arrived at Reardan, I became something less than less than less than Indian.â&#x20AC;? He becomes almost invisible, a nonentity, because he has nothing in common with these privileged kids. He learns that while he is accepted in both worlds he belongs to neither. Once again, Arnold learns that he cannot wait for life and friendship to happen; he has to make it happen. He forms one friendship, then another, he proves himself in class and on the basketball team. He discovers that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing.â&#x20AC;? He also discovers that life is still unfair, that bad things happen at the same time that good

APRIL/MAY 2010

things are happening and that loss hurts no matter what. When the Reardan Indians play the Wellpinit Redskins in basketball, he finds himself both winning and losing. “I realized that my team… was Goliath…. Okay… my white teammates had problems, serious problems, but none of their problems was life threatening.” He realizes that his white friends live in a world of opportunity and hope, while his Indian friends live in a world of threat and hopelessness. Even in their hopelessness, there is a sense of family, of being forever connected that Arnold cannot ignore. As summer approaches, he recalls another

summer on the reservation - a time when he and his best friend climbed a huge old pine tree. Climbed probably higher than was safe, but they were young, daring, and did not care. He remembers peeking out from the branches; he remembers the view. “We could see from one end of the reservation to the other. We could see our entire world. And our entire world, at that moment, was green and golden and perfect.” After his year at Reardan, Arnold has learned that the world is bigger than he had ever imagined and all parts of it are filled with scars and imperfections. Still he longs to be a part that bigger world - all of it. And he knows he can only do

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 11

that fully if he takes his “Indian-ness” with him. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is written in a teenager’s voice reflecting a teenager’s experiences, but the message and philosophy is that of an experienced adult - a philosophy that will be familiar, comfortable, yet challenging to all readers. Sherman Alexie grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, a few short miles across the Idaho border in Washington. Absolutely True Diary is in many ways his own story. He is an award winning author, poet, and filmmaker and has been declared by the Boston Globe as “an important voice in American literature.” ISI

PAGE 12 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

Although it has been almost seventy years since the beginning of World War II, it is still a vivid memory for those who served and lived during that time. With the Internet connecting us easily to people all over the world, it is noteworthy how much information is available from events that occurred so long ago. Our winning Remember When submission reminds us how important it is to think of those lost so long ago. Thanks go to John Hug of Meridian for his win-

APRIL/MAY 2010

ning contribution, Remembering A Friend. Thank you, John for keeping the memory alive of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. John wins this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $25 prize. Remember When contains our readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; personal reflections or contributions describing fictional or non-fictional events from some time in the past. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poems, essays, etc. Photos may be included. Each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent

Remembering A Friend

features the contribution(s) 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 June/July 2010 issue. Mail your correspondence to Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403, email to idahoseniorind@bresnan.net, or call 1-866-3605683 or 208-318-0310.

Sometimes we all need a little help...

By John Hug, Meridian who researched B-29 crashes. Jody inquired of Â&#x2021; Meal Preparation During World War II, I was flying B-29s from the researcher and the next day she forwarded an Â&#x2021; Laundry Tinian Island in the Marianas when I heard a fel- email from him that read: Â&#x2021; Errands low pilot, classmate, and close friend of mine, Ed Dear Jody, B-29 #44-69666 was shot down Â&#x2021; Personal Assistance Law, had been shot down over Tokyo. His crew of over Machida City, Tokyo, at about 0230 hours on Â&#x2021; Licensed, Bonded & 11 had parachuted from the plane, been captured, 2 April 1945. (Japanese time). Please see â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tobu Insured and were subsequently executed. Needless to say, Army Districtâ&#x20AC;? on my report. It crashed in a field and this story of execution left me apprehensive on my burned fiercely. The burned body of 1/Lt Edward G. FREE CONSULTATION bombing missions throughout the war. Law, A/C (Aircraft Commander), was found in the Dependable Caring Service Â&#x2021; Help Is Just a Phone Call Away This kind of news travels fast when you are wreckage of the B-29 and buried in Younji Temple in a combat zone. Ed was from Claire, Iowa, and in Machida City, and was recovered by the U.S. August Home Health after the war, another friend from our flight school Occupation Forces after the war. I have been to Coeur dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; AOHQH Â&#x2021; %RQQHUV )HUU\ class told me the same story. Younji Temple and met (Continued on page 17) info@augusthh.com In 1962, I was stationed at Yokota, Japan, and I was reading an article in the Stars and Stripes about a gold ring belonging to a U.S. service member that had been found. The ring was given to Japanese officials, who contacted our government with the intention that it be returned to the family in the United States. As I was reading, the article noted the serial number that was inscribed on the inside of the ring - 738190, Class 43-B, Ed Law. Even before I saw the name, I knew that it was someone from my cadet class of February 1943 since my serial number 738159 was close to this one. Imagine my surprise when I read Edâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name. Prior to going overseas, I had flown Ed back to his home in Claire, Iowa, on leave. I met his family and had lunch with them at their farm. Over the years, the story of that ring and of my friend were not forgotten, but were put aside until this past summer. Several months ago, I was discussing Ed Law with a fellow classmate who also knew him. Come see how Rockwood South Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future expansion will take senior living to I decided to find out more on the Internet about his mission the next level. Learn about our plans to build a new 10-story residential tower, The and crash. I did an inquiry for Summit, featuring stunning views and an abundance of amenities and services. information about Lt. Ed Law on the CBI (China, Burma, India) website. I gave his name, Join us for an serial number, air base in Saipan, that he was a B-29 Informational pilot, and had been shot down Presentation about April 1, 1945. The next evening I had sevand Lunch eral answers to my inquiry. One gave me the day of his mission, tail number of his B-29, bomb Call Toll Free load, target, and the particulars of the mission. Another person to attend. Seating is limited. Call today! who was in his 500th Bomb Group told of other people to The Ridge The Summit Forest Estates contact for additional information. A lady named Jody, the 2903 E. 25th Avenue Spokane, WA 99223 proud daughter of a deceased B-29 navigator, responded and told me that she was in touch with a Japanese schoolteacher

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Model maker – Bill Kleinert By Jack McNeel “I’ve always built models, models of anything,” Bill Kleinert says. He started as a child, continued while on an aircraft carrier, progressed further while living in Sitka, Alaska, and continues into retirement in Lewiston. And even though he is paid for some of his work, it remains largely a hobby. “I’m good at making models but I’m not good at making money,” he laughs. Bill was born in Montana, “almost on the Canadian border north of Shelby,” and graduated from high school in Great Falls before spending four years in the Navy. He served as a dental technician during his Navy time and laughs when he says, “I like to tell people I made false teeth on an aircraft carrier – which I did.” That ship, the USS Intrepid, is now a museum in New York. The making of false teeth was one step in his long history of creating small things, models of most anything. From the USS Intrepid he was transferred to a destroyer tender, the USS Yosemite, and continued with dental work. Bill returned to school after his Navy career and graduated from Washington State University in 1971 with a degree in horticulture. After a year in Minnesota as a landscaper he moved to Anchorage, working in landscaping and greenhouses. The job sent him to Sitka where he changed jobs and remained for 28 years until retirement. Sitka was where he produced one of his first serious models. The U.S. Park Service needed a model of Sitka as it had appeared in 1840. Bill built the model. “It was 9 x 17 feet with over 110 little buildings, gardens, shipyards, and all sorts of stuff.” The model is still in one of the Park Service buildings

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 13

PAGE 14 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

“in one of the few original Russian buildings left in Sitka,” he comments. Bill moved to Lewiston in 2000. “Sitka is awfully wet and cool all the time. I like the weather here and the ability to drive places.” Besides that, his son and daughter live much closer and he also has cousins in the area. He has since done several jobs for the Nez Perce County Museum. One is a model of a B-17 airplane. He explains, “Back in the 1940s the city of Lewiston raised a bond to build a B-17 and it was named The City of Lewiston.” Now they have Bill’s model of that plane with a 3-foot wingspan in the museum. “Then I did a 1/8” scale stagecoach model commemorating a local man who had a stagecoach operation here just before the railroad came in - about 1890-1910 or so. It served Lewiston to Grangeville,” Bill adds. Bill’s latest job for the museum “was about 2 or 3 years ago. I built a model of the sternwheeler, The Lewiston.” This was originally built in 1894 and then rebuilt in 1905, both times at Riparia, Washington. Bill reports that the ship served until 1922 when it burned. “I think it went nearly to

APRIL/MAY 2010

Orofino. It went down to the railhead at Riparia and up the Snake a ways too. It was mainly for the mining boom. It hauled miners in and grain out and could haul about 4,000 tons of grain.” That model is about 5 feet long and is also displayed at the museum. He spent about six months creating the sternwheeler. “I’m retired so I spent some long days on that. It’s all scratch built. There’s nothing on it that’s commercial – a few little windows and that’s it. I had to make most of the windows custom. I made masters and then cast the window frames in resin.” The rest is created from basswood, some plywood, and plastic, “and whatever comes to hand.” One of his latest creations was a model of the 1910 Curtis Pusher plane that was the first plane to fly in Idaho. “I built it mostly because the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) guys are building a real one. An article in Idaho Senior Independent last fall told of a full-sized reproduction of that plane being made by James Otey that is scheduled to fly later this year. The project interested me and I was able to find plans and use those and build the model of the Pusher.” That model is on display at the EAA hangar at the Lewiston airport. He receives payment for some of his projects and others are done without charge. “The Pusher was a labor of love and something to do. It’s got a lot of small parts and there’s nothing commercial except the wheels. There’s a lot of trial and error.” He laughs, saying, “I tell everyone I made two of them. One’s in the garbage can.” Asked how he got started, he replies it’s just something he’s always done. “It’s always been my hobby. The miniature world just in-

Bill Klienert with his model of the Curtis Pusher. [Photo by Bud Henderson]

terests me.” During junior high he got interested in model railroading and still retains that interest. “I have a model railroad in the basement,” he replies. His hobby interests extend beyond models. He has quite a bit of course work in drawing and portraiture and also does a lot of woodcarving. “In Alaska during my last ten years when work slowed down, I did a lot of carving in Tlingit style. I always thought the Tlingit culture was neat and really like their art style. A few years ago I carved an 8-foot (Tlingit) totem for my cousin.” Laughing he says, “He bought me dinner. That was about it.” Bill Kleinert has a passion for his hobbies and it comes through loud and clear as he describes his models and his other interests. He may not be good at making money from his hobbies, but he brings pleasure to others with his creations. Stop by the Nez Perce County Museum, or the EAA hangar, or even the Park building should you get to Sitka. Bill’s work is sure to please. ISI

Steelhead economics: guided fishing on the Salmon and Clearwater Rivers Article & Photo by Rich Howard The record runs of steelhead trout last fall and into 2010 have fueled a flurry of fishing activity on the Salmon and Clearwater Rivers. Whether it’s the lower Clearwater River near Orofino or around Challis on the upper Salmon River, guided fishing has a profound economic impact on individuals, businesses, and community traditions. Keeping these magnificent fish returning each year from their ocean odyssey is an obligation for all Idaho citizens. Why this record run has occurred is a matter of conjecture by biologists and managers of the Columbia and Snake River dams, and as the run has evolved fly fishers and gear guys have committed endless days sport fishing for steelhead trout, a northwest icon. The excitement began in September as anglers read about the counts of steelhead over Lower Granite dam, the last dam on the lower Snake River where migrating fish can be counted, 23 miles downriver from Lewiston. As of November 6, nearly 310,000 steelhead had been counted over the fish ladders, more than double the five year average of 145,000. My son Eric and I had the rare opportunity when our schedules were both

APRIL/MAY 2010

free and we could spend several days together on the Salmon River fishing for this noble species. I booked our fishing trip with outfitter Kerry Brennan of Rapid River Outfitters (www. rapidriveroutfittersllc.com) located in Riggins, where he has provided guide services for more than 20 years. We started from Boise, topped off the gas tank in McCall, and drove into Riggins that night. We stayed at the Salmon River Motel, which has a big board in its lobby full of “hero shots” of steelhead caught by guys and gals from all over Idaho and beyond. We dined at the River Rock Café, a short walk from our motel, where owner Pam Summerville serves up some great recipes to satisfy hungry anglers. The sliced and polished log tables give a rustic ambience and make this a comfortable place to visit, read the newspaper, and listen to the talk on fishing conditions. The next morning Eric and I joined Roy Atkins, our fishing guide, at the Lucile boat ramp. Roy’s office for about 80 days during the fall and spring steelhead season is a 16 foot drift boat outfitted with rods and gear needed to fish for steelhead. He also has a propane heater installed under the line deck on the boat to insure his guests stay warm on cold days. We enjoyed the extraordinary October scenery, caught four hatchery steelhead, and released three wild fish. On my next steelhead adventure, I left Boise, stopped in Grangeville for fuel and food, and reached Orofino by 4:30 in the afternoon. I had booked with Ryan Pitcher’s Clearwater River Company (www.clearwaterrivercompany.com), which uses a 16-foot Willie drift boat. I stayed at the comfortable Clearwater Crossing Resort RV Park on the bank overlooking the Clearwater River, which has two very desirable features for anglers

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 15

- hot showers and a fish cleaning room. I had an excellent Mexican dinner at Fiesta En Jalisco and enjoyed an early morning breakfast at Krystal’s Café, which is made for anglers with its displays of heritage fly and bait rods and old Outdoor Life pictures. At 7 am the next morning I joined Ryan and his dad Ed, and we went upriver from Orofino and spent a full eight hours drifting downriver and fishing for Clearwater steelhead. These are trophy fish that range upward from 30” in length. People from around the nation come to fly fish or throw gear for this species, spending days waiting for that rare moment when the line tightens, accelerates off the reel, and you feel the electric effect of “fish on!” Fish and Game regulations require the use of barbless hooks on the Clearwater River, and fish are lost in microseconds if you are not completely focused on the fish action, the water currents, the line and rod, and the boat’s position.

Bud & Linda Henderson - Cont’d from cover

This is where the expertise of a guide like Ryan is so valuable. My first fish bent my rod and was gone in 20 seconds. I replayed this over and over in my mind as a lesson for future hookups with these powerful fish. At the end of the day, I had learned my lesson well. With Ryan’s assistance, I boated two hatchery fish - one 33 inches and the other 35 inches in length. What an adventure! As Ryan’s dad said, “When you get one on, it’s like being in touch with the planet.” This was another memorable fall day, smelling fall’s yellow willow and cottonwood leaves, watching bald eagles hunt for fish, and wetting a line in water only Idaho Rivers can offer. The economic multiplier of these two trips is revealing. In preparing for the trip, I purchased a $38.50 resident Idaho fishing license and steelhead permit. Guided fishing on the Salmon River costs $195 and when you include tips, fuel, food, motel, and miscellaneous items, the total cost per angler is about $385/ rod/day. Guided fishing for the larger fish that return to the Clearwater River runs $325. Adding the miscellaneous expenses, the total cost is about $500/rod/day. Because these trophy fisheries attract anglers from all over the nation, the cost/rod increases significantly when airfare, car rental, and out-of-state licenses are included. When you multiply this by hundreds of guests per year for an outfitter and guides during the steelhead season it is easy to see steelhead economics at work in Idaho! For more information contact Rich Howard at 208-377-0976. ISI

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Bud had top-of-the-line Zeiss lenses but was not very happy with the camera itself and the results he was getting. He tells of talking with a photographer who shot for Sports Illustrated and let Bud borrow his camera for a day. “When I got home and looked at them I was just overwhelmed,” Bud says. He made a big decision to give up the Zeiss lenses and switch to Canon cameras and lenses. Another big switch came about five years later. “I looked at digital like all film guys and thought it would never replace film.” But he finally bought a Canon D10, and now he is enamored with the capabilities of digital photography and the software capabilities. Bud had been a graphic designer and commercial artist prior

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to his lengthy career as an insurance agent. He tells of missing the creativity of that early career and now finds that creativity in his digital photography. “I just fell absolutely head over heels in love with the possibilities of Photoshop, etc. Digital has just gone on from there. The more digital goes on and the more software develops, the more you can do. I’ve become absolutely on fire over photography as a hobby. You need to dig into it and study it, and that’s fascinating to me. It’s like going back to school and keeping the old gray matter exercised – which is good for you.” Linda and Bud tend to focus their work on “countryside type of stuff,” Linda says. “We love the old ways of country people and have done some articles on restoration of old farm equipment. We’ve done stories about cowboys and people who work with horses. We’ve done river people, fishing, jet boating, and the wonderful geology and history of Hells Canyon. We’ve just had a ball. We followed the Nez Perce Tribe on some of their ceremonial rides. We went to Riggins to the jet boat races and wrote about them for Hot Boat Magazine. In our third year we got to be published

really, really regularly.” They visit the Pomeroy country to photograph and write about the people who gather there to farm with mules and draft horses: planting, plowing, fertilizing, and harvesting. “I’ve taken pictures of those each year and submitted them to a guy who does draft horse and mule calendars. We’ve been published in that for perhaps four or five years straight,” Bud says. They bought a jet boat and learned how to run the river. They were taught how to fish, what to catch, and when to catch it. “Gradually we became part of this northwest culture. We were on a steep learning curve for awhile,” Linda laughs. Bud concludes, saying, “Linda and I do some stuff and we get paid for it but it’s not my main goal because I’m lucky enough to have a little income so I don’t have to rely on the photography. I just dearly love digital cameras. I love to take pictures, period. I don’t care what the subject is. I’m just tickled to death that I have a hobby of this nature.” Linda adds, “We’ve had a lot of fun with it and met a lot of wonderful people. It was a great tool for us to become part of the community.” ISI

Mike Crosby – Don’t Let This Man Operate on You Article & Photo by Craig & Liz Larcom Mike Crosby so much enjoys portraying a bygone era that you wonder if he would like a time machine. “I’d like to go back to 1803 and stay there,” he agrees. After a pause he adds, “At least until I got hurt or sick.” Spoken like a true student of the medicine in the days of Lewis & Clark – one who has a collection of medical tools from the era, has studied their use, and, as he speaks, holds a scalpel and a saw used for amputation. Medicine in the old days could be grim. Listeners get a sense of that when Crosby, a Lewis & Clark historian and a popular presenter at the Sacagawea Center in Salmon, explains what a tenaculum is. “After you’ve removed a limb and before you take the tourniquet off, the tenaculum is what you use to go up in the stump and hook the blood vessels so you can pull them out and either tie them off with surgical thread or cauterize them.” Medicines packed by the expedition were equally frightful. “I could kill several people with what I have in my medical kit. And I’m not talking about the tools, just the stuff you swallow,” he jokes. Engrossing? Crosby describes medical treatments of the day so vividly that on five occasions

students or adults have passed out. Fortunately for his audiences, he’s got that one figured out now. He just gets the class clown down front to help present the ideas, which lightens the mood. Whether he’s speaking about the expedition’s clothing or its characters, Crosby often wears period clothing. “The summers of ’01, ’02 and ’03, I spent most of my time on Lemhi Pass. That’s an area that’s jointly managed by Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service because it’s on what’s known as the Lewis & Clark Backcountry Byway. It’s kind of a big loop that goes up the pass and back. There was an agreement worked out that I could be up there representing the BLM and the Forest Service, and that’s really what got me interested and finding out what clothing they had worn and what equipment they had used,” says Crosby. “Because there was a discussion going on, should you wear the Forest Service green on certain days and the BLM brown on certain days? I kind of felt like it was, you know, make a wish. And so I said, ‘How about I just do the research and get some appropriate clothing for the period?’ It didn’t make everybody happy, but it seemed to smooth enough ruffled feathers that I could get away with it.”

APRIL/MAY 2010

So Crosby studied up on what the men of the expedition would probably be wearing by the time they got to Idaho. “I had to teach myself to sew. There were some pieces that I wanted to get right away so I could put them to work, but I also began working on sewing my own stuff. I still have no idea how to use a sewing machine. They look kind of scary. I might stitch my pinkie to whatever I was sewing!” he says. Generally, whatever he wears that is made of wool or skin; he has sewn himself by hand. But clothing wasn’t the only subject he got interested in at Lemhi Pass. “Families would arrive and we were averaging about one Lewis & Clark visitor every 10 minutes up there the summers I was there. Not everybody was as enthusiastic about Lewis & Clark. Maybe the dad, sometimes the mom, maybe the kids, but usually somebody, was less interested. “I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got to figure out something that would be of interest to just about anyone,’ and then ‘Well, everybody’s been sick and everybody’s been hurt. What was medicine like on that expedition?’ And then I met a guy who was a

retired teacher in Northern Idaho, who had begun to do the research and put together medical kits with the drugs that Captain Lewis purchased. So I got one of those from him and it turned out to be really, really interesting and a lot of fun.” The expedition’s story in the vicinity of Salmon is another popular subject for Crosby’s audiences. In this area the explorers were becoming ever more desperate to get horses, so that they could cross the Rockies. Meeting a tribe and arranging the trade were sticking points. Three years ago Crosby was telling about the expedition’s encounter with the Shoshones, first a man on horseback who turns back, then three women to whom they give gifts. Then the scene shifts to 60 Shoshones, alerted by the horseman, who set out to find these intruders. “They got on their horses, 60 of them, they’re galloping up the valley and they come in sight of Lewis’s party,” says Crosby, narrating in play-byplay style the scene he is helping the audience to visualize. Which is just the moment someone’s cell phone rings the William Tell Overture, better known

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 17

as the theme song for the Lone Ranger. “It was the best cell-phone moment of my life!” says Crosby. This summer lightning struck twice and he had a similar cell-phone moment. Crosby says, “As I said, ‘marching down the valley’ another cell phone rang ‘When the Saints Go Marching In.’” Crosby could hardly tell about the Corps of Discovery without picking up a few old-time skills along the way. “I cooked some stuff,” he says. “And I can light a pipe with my burning glass. Took me, I’d say 30, 40 seconds to get that down.” He can also light a pipe using flint and steel. How long does it take? “It depends on how many people are present. If I’m by myself it will probably be one or two minutes. One person, it goes up to ten to fifteen minutes. Two people, we’re looking at half an hour to an hour,” he laughs. Crosby continues to research, write articles and books, and don his buckskins to tell people about the Lewis & Clark story. With his knack for presentations, few people will notice if his pipe goes unlit on a cloudy day. ISI

Time Gets Better With Age Submitted by Jim Meade I have learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing “Silent Night.” Age 5. I have learned that our dog does not want to eat my broccoli either. Age 7. I have learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back. Age 9. I’ve learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up again. Age 12. I have learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up. Age 14. I’ve learned that although it is hard to admit it, I am secretly glad my parents are strict with me. Age 15. I’ve learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice. Age 24. I’ve learned that brushing my child’s hair is one of life’s great pleasures. Age 26. I’ve learned that wherever I go, the world’s worst drivers have followed me there. Age 29.

I have learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it. Age 30. I have learned that there are people who love you dearly but just do not know how to show it. Age 42. I have learned that you can make someone’s day by simply sending them a little note. Age 44. I’ve learned that the greater a person’s sense of guilt, the greater his or her need to cast blame on others. Age 46. I have learned that children and grandparents are natural allies. Age 47. I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. Age 48. I have learned that singing “Amazing Grace” can lift my spirits for hours. Age 49. I’ve learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone. Age

Remembering A Friend - cont’d from page 12 the wife of the Chief Priest of the Temple. She was a young lady at that time when the B-29 crash incident occurred. She had witnessed the accident and told me about her memories. The other ten crewmembers of the B-29 had parachuted from the aircraft and were taken prisoners. They were sent to Tokyo Kempei Tai Headquarters and interned in Tokyo military prison and all perished in a fire raid on 25-26 May 1945. Best Regards, Toru Fukubayashi. I was surprised and greatly relieved, after all these years, that my friend was not executed and that he had a Christian burial after the crash. John Hug received his pilot’s wings in February 1943. He completed eighteen B-29 missions over Japanese territory. He was assigned to Air Weather Service in 1953 and remained for 16 years. After completing a tour in Viet Nam flying C-130s, John retired as a Lt/Col with 30 years of service. He resides with his wife in Meridian, Idaho. ISI

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50. I have learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. Age 51. I’ve learned that keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine cabinet full of pills. Age 52. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die. Age 53. I have learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. Age 58. I have learned that if you want to do something positive for your children, work to improve your marriage. Age 61. I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. Age 62.

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Digital Music Technology Is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Earâ&#x20AC;? To Stay (NAPSI) - Digital technology has changed many Americansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tunes when it comes to how they buy, store and listen to music. Instead of a record or CD player or tape deck, today many use a computer or an iPod to listen to the music they love. In fact, 72 percent of online adults in America used their home computers to listen to audio content, according to a study by the Consumer Electronics Association. The following tips could help you get more out of your digital music collection: â&#x20AC;˘ Sharing the Music - Computer and iPod Dock Speakers - A number of companies such as Logitech and Altec Lansing offer a full range of speaker systems designed specifically for iPods, computers, or other digital music players. These speakers offer different features designed to address the various needs of the digital music consumer. So think about what room you want to use the speakers in and pick a system that will look and sound good in that space.

â&#x20AC;˘ Private Listening - Earphones and Headphones - For a private music-listening experience, there are countless headphones and earphones to choose from to improve your listening experience and meet your individual needs. For the best fit, you might want to check out a company called Ultimate Ears (www.ultimateears.com). It started out as a maker of in-ear monitors for rock bands such as the Killers and now has a consumer line of earphones designed for listening with iPods and smart phones. These earphones offer a customizable fit thanks to different ear-tip options and can help block out annoying background noise.

Where Are They Now â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Alan Young? By Marshall J. Kaplan The other day, I was in a bookstore where I noticed a book Mr. Ed and Me. On the cover was Alan Young as Wilbur Post and of course Mr. Ed. I thought to myself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where is he now?â&#x20AC;? Alan Young was born in Northern England on November 19, 1919 and moved to Vancouver, B.C. when he was 13 years old. He started to write comedy and at 17 had his own radio show, The Alan Young Show broadcasting from Toronto. Shortly thereafter, he moved his radio show to New York and signed a contract with 20th Century Fox, which

brought him west to Hollywood. Alan made his film debut in Margie (1946), opposite Jeanne Craine. Although he had the comedic skills and personality, Alan lacked that certain star quality. His time at the studio lasted 4 years. Then television came along.

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â&#x20AC;˘ Discovering New Music - Wi-Fi Music Players - By using an Internet connection, a Wi-Fi music player can put the world of Internet music at your fingertips. While most of these systems require a stereo system or powered speakers for listening, the Logitech Squeezebox Radio is a compact, allin-one music system you can easily move around the house and access all of your tunes. Wi-Fi music players can make discovering music exciting since there is always something new to listen to. To learn more about ways to enjoy music, visit www.logitech.com/audio. ISI

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It was in this new medium where everything clicked for Alan. In 1950, he wrote and performed in a CBS pilot. By 1951, The Alan Young Show had won two Emmy awards. TV Guide did a cover story on Alan and hailed him as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the new Chaplin.â&#x20AC;? The show ran for three seasons because Alan did not want to renew for a fourth â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he wanted another shot at film stardom. Alan signed movie contracts with both Paramount and Howard Hughes. He made one picture for each studio â&#x20AC;&#x201D; both financial disasters. As Alan relates, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You only got two chances in those days. If they thought you had something, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d try twice, but two strikes and you were out!â&#x20AC;? In the late 1950s, he packed his bags and moved back to England where he wrote and performed on various television programs. Again, nothing seemed to be clicking. Returning to the U.S. in 1960, he went to MGM and co-starred in the classic The Time Machine. Due to the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success, he was offered the series Mr. Ed, a concept that captivated him. The showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premise was simple enough; a bachelor architect has a talking horse who will only talk to his owner. The show lasted from 1961 to 1965. Today, it runs in 27 countries. Alan decided to retire from show business at a young age. He took an eight-year hiatus, eventually returning to Broadway in 1973. In 1974, Alan started a long-term relationship with Disney studios where he still does cartoon voices. Each year for the past twenty years, Alan makes sure that he is in a stage production and that he makes a television appearance. When he is not working, you might find him scuba diving off the coast of California near his home. You might also see him promoting his book. And what are Alan Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s words of advice on life? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stay in Canada!â&#x20AC;? ISI

APRIL/MAY 2010

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 19

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(NAPSI) - Long gone are the days of heading off to the movie theater just to catch the latest flick. Once upon a time, the movie theater was only a venue to view films and munch on popcorn. Today, as movie theater chains experiment with special programs, a whole host of new alternative content can be seen on the big screen. The movie theater has become the premier entertainment destination where Americans can immerse themselves in the worlds of art, politics, sports and more. Screenvision, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foremost cinema advertising company, is leading the pack in transforming the theatergoing experience. The company provides theaters with a wide array of intriguing programming ranging from operas and live baseball games to documentaries and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s films. Moviegoers could witness President Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inaugural Address on the big screen in January 2009 and celebrate the New York Yankeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 27th World Series win with the Official World Series Film in November 2009. Screenvision also prides itself on bringing the arts to the public, including screening operas from the famous Italian opera house La Scala. Special programming has been expanded by Screenvision to incorporate in-theater gaming in which audience members physically participate in entertaining motion- or audio-based games during the preshow. We might not all have the opportunity to listen to the inaugural address live or root for a team at a World Series game, but the size of a movie theater screen, the digital surround sound and the excitement of the crowd around you makes it feel like you are actually there, capturing the thrilling essence of the live event. And start your engines, NASCAR fans! Starting in early 2010, Screenvision will present original NASCAR content including racing highlights, top moments, driver profiles, behind-the-scenes vignettes, and fan tributes to over 15,000 screens nationwide. Advances in digital cinema have made these types of alternative programs easy to present and enable the content to be broadcast in the highest definition and crispest sound that only a theater experience can provide. Screenvision will continue to expand its offerings through 2010 and beyond. By acquiring the rights to such diverse programming, Screenvision has transformed the movie theater into a gathering place to enjoy more than just movies.

Screenvisionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programs are available at various times and locations throughout the Screenvision cinema advertising network of over 15,500 screens in over 2,400 theaters across all 50 states. Participating theaters include Carmike Cinemas, National Amusements, Rave Motion Pictures, Harkins Theatres, Mann Theatres, Clearview Cinemas, Pacific Theatres, and many more. You can check out your local theater schedule-for more than just movies. For more information on Screenvision, please visit www.screenvision. com. ISI

ď &#x2018;ď ľď Šď Łď Ťď&#x20AC; ď ď Žď ¤ď&#x20AC; ď &#x201A;ď ľď ¤ď §ď Ľď ´ ď &#x2020;ď ˛ď Šď Ľď Žď ¤ď Źď šď&#x20AC; ď ?ď Ąď ˛ď ´ď šď&#x20AC; ď &#x201D;ď Šď °ď ł (NAPSI) - For your next gathering, here are great tips: Use Electronic Invitations. Online invitations come with stylish designs, easily tracked R.S.V.P.s and no postage expenses. Have a Potluck. Asking your guests to bring their favorite dishes to the party adds variety and intrigue. If you are planning a sit-down dinner, invite your guests to each contribute a course - such as a salad, appetizer or dessert - and you prepare the main course. You can even request the recipes ahead of time and prepare copies to give out as favors at the end of the night. Have a 3 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dâ&#x20AC;?s Party: Dips, Drinks, Desserts. Many guests would prefer to party over dips, drinks and desserts. Making a few different dips takes less time than preparing other recipes and adds a lot of variety to your party. Have fun taste-testing and comparing different dip accompaniments such as crackers, veggies, breads, fruits and more! Round out your 3 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dâ&#x20AC;?s menu with a signature cocktail. Serving one classic drink will save money and time - no need to prepare individual drinks all evening long; just mix up one large batch. End it all with delicious dessert. Keep the dip theme through dessert, like chocolate fondue. One of the yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular dips is Buffalo Chicken Dip. Save time and effort by making this dip with SwansonÂŽ Premium Chicken. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t waste time cooking and shredding chicken when you can use SwansonÂŽ, which is made with only white chicken breast, precut into chunks. Frankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sÂŽ RedhotÂŽ Buffalo Chicken Dip 1 pkg. (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 2 cans (9.75 oz. each) SwansonÂŽ Premium Chunk Chicken Breast, drained Â˝ cup Frankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sÂŽ RedHotÂŽ Sauce Â˝ cup blue cheese salad dressing Â˝ cup crumbled blue cheese Make sure you stop by the Buffalo Club to enroll in the Super Senior program, Assorted fresh vegetables and/or crackers 1. Stir cream cheese in 9â&#x20AC;?-deep pie dish until then simply use your Buffalo Club card while playing your favorite gaming smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. machines and earn 2x Points every Thursday from 8am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6pm! 2. Bake at 350Âş for 20 min. until hot and bubbling. Stir. Serve with vegetables and crackers. Double Points means Double Bonus Bucksâ&#x20AC;Ś Tips: Substitute ranch dressing for blue cheese dressing and shredded cheddar or mozzarella now thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a beneďŹ t worth talking about! cheese for blue cheese crumbles. -VY )\MMHSV *S\I TLTILYZ HUK VSKLY Make this in the microwave by heating on high for 5 minutes instead of baking. *UST .ORTH OF 0OCATELLO s ) %XIT Keep it warm in a slow cooker. ISI Please gamble responsibly. Gambling Hotline Number 800-522-4700 or visit www.ncpgambling.org

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 By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire You’ve undoubtedly seen the TV real estate commercials. “Live the lifestyle of a millionaire on your retirement budget,” promises the voice-over. Then the arrays of visuals that accompany the ad depict a lifestyle that’s been described as “gated geritopia.” There are retirement communities everywhere with similar advertising. The particular ad is about The Villages, the largest gated retirement community in the world. It covers more than 20,000 acres, has two zip codes, and takes up parts of three counties in a section of once relatively unpopulated central Florida. We all want to live an independent, active,

engaged life, and the Villages certainly offers that. Divided into dozens of separate communities, it provides its more than 75,000 residents, a financial district, several shopping centers, with all of the retirement communities connected by 100 miles of golf cart trails. When I lived in Florida several years ago not far from The Villages, I appeared at several of the communities to give speeches about my then-new book, which was a collection of amusing stories for kids, each with a moral. It seemed like a natural buy for the thousands of grandparents living at The Villages. Not that the residents could read the book immediately or frequently to their grandchildren because The Villages is a world without children. Kids may visit but are limited to 30 days a year. The developer even has the right to request any of the residents to verify their age. As one writer described The Villages, “The neighborhood is so immaculate that it resembles a set from Leave It to Beaver. But Wally and the Beaver are no where to be seen. There are no bicycles or baseball mitts littering the yards, no swing sets, no children playing street hockey.” No children and not even young couples holding hands and exchanging tender looks are seen either. The Villages began as a small trailer park, called Orange Blossom Gardens. Now most of the homes are valued at a couple hundred thousand dollars and up. New homes today are being sold at the rate of a home every hour or two. Gross revenues for the developer, Gary Morse, exceed a billion dollars.

Residents, who have to be 55 or older, seem to love it by and large. And no wonder. If you’re a golfer, you can play on a different championship course every day of the month. There are scores of community pools, tennis courts, and espresso bars. The community has its own newspaper, The Daily Sun. It keeps the widespread communities informed about the unlimited functions and entertainment. The Villages deed restrictions prohibit doorto-door solicitations. The financial structure gives the developer such advantages as the right to obtain tax-free bonds. So, he doesn’t have to seek construction money from a bank. The developer doesn’t have to repay these bonds himself. He can pass them along to the homeowners. The Villagers supposedly pay a reduced rate when they buy. But at closing they must assume a portion of the bonds’ debt. Some of life’s annoyances don’t exist at The Villages. No irritating boom-boxes, no soaring property taxes, no screaming babies. But as one critic said: No clever euphemism about senior enjoyment can hide the fact that “these communities are based on a selfish and fraudulent premise - the exclusion of children and families. And no amount of volunteerism and continuing education courses (which The Villages offer) can compensate for the high societal price of this exclusionary lifestyle.” For many at The Villages, it’s like taking a roughly 30-year vacation, depending on your lifespan. But is life only a matter of lifestyle? For many, retirement life is. But do leisure and fun and games bring us complete happiness or diminishing returns? Today’s retirees, in the main, have something more to pass along to those coming behind them than the uninspiring life, something more than the love of golf and the entitlement to lock themselves away in leisureville. Seniors are the nation’s repository of experience and perspective gained over the years. This needs to be shared, or some retirees leave little meaningful legacy. ISI

Brain Transplant Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley The relatives gathered in the waiting room, where their family member lay gravely ill. Finally, the doctor came in looking tired and somber. “I’m afraid I’m the bearer of bad news,” he said as he surveyed the worried faces. “The only hope left for your loved one at this time is a brain transplant. It is an experimental procedure and very risky but it is the only hope. Insurance will cover the procedure, but you will have to pay for the brain yourselves.” The family members sat silent as they absorbed the news. After a great length of time, someone asked, “Well, how much does a brain cost?” The doctor quickly responded, “$5,000 for a male brain, and $200 for a female brain.” The moment turned awkward. Men in the room tried not to smile, avoiding eye contact with the women, but some actually smirked. A man unable to control his curiosity, blurted out the question everyone wanted to ask, “Why is the male brain so much more?” The doctor smiled at the childish innocence and explained to the entire group, “It is just standard pricing procedure. We have to mark down the price of the female brains, because they’ve actually been used.” ISI

APRIL/MAY 2010

  Article by Dianna Troyer Photo by Tom Gibson Lynn Gibson considered retiring as a brand inspector, but a cattle-rustling case has confounded him, and the 58-year-old is as single-minded about solving it as a bird dog on point so he does not foresee retirement on his horizon any time soon. His horizon is vast and encompasses 2,800 squares miles in Washington and Adams counties west of Boise, where he has patrolled diligently for 27 years, ensuring brands are legally registered and cattle are with their rightful owners. “It’s a tough nut to crack,” he says of the rustling case, after coming home one evening from patrolling dusty back roads, “but it will be coming to a head eventually.” Lynn does not intend to quit until he has caught the culprits responsible for the disappearance of about 300 cows valued at $250,000 in the past two years. He suspects a rustling ring of scoundrels who are familiar with the cattle industry and know how to get the stolen cattle through the system. Lynn attributes the increase in thefts to the recession and people becoming financially desperate or plain greedy. Catching the thieves is a daunting task, but Lynn knows how crucial cows are to local ranchers’ livelihoods and vows to keep patrolling the vast terrain he has been intimately acquainted with since childhood. Growing up on a cattle ranch at Crane Creek Reservoir, Lynn went on his first cattle drive at age 11, started working for other ranchers, and has counted himself fortunate to be doing what he loves in a land he treasures. When Lynn is not inspecting cattle brands and ear tags, he and his wife, Bonnie, raise elk at their ranch five miles northwest of Weiser, or they build furniture in their woodshop. “We make a little from the brand inspecting, a little from the elk, and a little from the woodshop,” Lynn says. “Who knows what we’ll do next.” About 11 years ago, frustrated with low beef prices, Lynn and Bonnie, who both grew up on ranches, said goodbye to their cows and hello to

elk. “You can feed three elk for what it costs to feed one beef cow,” Bonnie says. “We bought a few elk from a friend who was in the business, and now we maintain a small herd of 60 to 85 head. We had been talking about raising elk for years, and I finally told Lynn, ‘We either have to do this or quit talking about it.’” They sell about 20 elk every fall to people seeking a healthy low cholesterol meat. “We have friends who sell elk to restaurants, but we found our niche selling privately to people from all over,” Bonnie says. “Some drive from as far as California to come and pick up their meat. We have a local butcher who cuts and wraps it.” Elk is comparable in price to beef, Bonnie figures. “We generally sell a carcass for about $2.30 a pound. The customer pays for the butchering, so by the time you’re done with that, you’ll pay less than $3 a pound for a good steak.” Lynn and Bonnie have an elk or two butchered for themselves every year. They have shared the meat with neighbors or donated it to community fund-raisers. “We like to help out and give back to the community when we can,” Lynn says. “We’ve had people from all over the world come out here and look at the elk. We had some Japanese kids who were so excited to see and pet them. I showed them some antlers, and they started running around holding them on their heads, pretending to be elk. Our four grandchildren like the elk, too.” With the antlers, Lynn and Bonnie have built furniture, fireplace holders, salt and pepper holders or jewelry. Lynn even made grips for the .45 pistol that hangs from his belt. When Lynn is not working at his branding job or tending to elk, he is usually in his son Tom’s woodshop. Tom, 33, is a self-employed contractor who lives adjacent to his

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PAGE 22 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

folks. Their daughter Tammy, 38, lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where her husband teaches music at Baldwin-Wallace College. She writes grants for the United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland. “They were in Austin, Texas, and he got a job offer. We were hoping they’d come back here, but they went the wrong way,” Lynn says, laughing.

APRIL/MAY 2010

To Lynn, anywhere outside of western Idaho would be the wrong way. One of the right ways he heads is to the woodworking shop. “Tom and I work together a lot in here. If we can visualize and draw a picture of anything, we can build it. Most of the time, I’m not sure if he’s helping me, or I’m helping him. It just depends on

the project. Right now, I’m finishing up an entertainment center and some kitchen cabinets people ordered. Tom and I cover each other’s bases. If I’m busy with the elk or inspecting, he’ll take care of the haying, or if he’s busy with a carpentry project, I’ll take care of the hay and elk. It all works out.” ISI

Boise synagogue members, refugees find common ground in Global Garden program By Dianna Troyer / Photo courtesy of Idaho Office for Refugees As the warmth of spring approaches, Sherrill Livingston looks forward to witnessing once again a tangible, lush, green example of Tikkun Olam, a Hebrew phrase that means “repairing the world” - a tenet of her Jewish faith. Since 2004, Sherrill and other members of the Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel synagogue on Latah Street in Boise have provided land adjacent to their building, so refugees living in a nearby apartment complex can grow vegetables. “The land provides 25 plots for multi-generational families from several countries including Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, and Kenya,” says Sherrill, synagogue president. “Several years ago, when the Idaho Office for Refugees

approached us and asked if we’d like to participate in their Global Gardens program, we said, ‘Sure.’ The garden was a great match to help fulfill one of our synagogue’s missions. It’s been rewarding on so many levels.” The Global Gardens program, originated by the Idaho Office for Refugees, sponsors eight gardens for 100 refugee families in Boise and Eagle and provides training in horticultural production and marketing. The program receives funding from the federal Office for Refugee Resettlement, cash, and in-kind donations. The gardens are on donated land, and participants use organic farming methods. Six years ago, establishing a garden next to the synagogue was a daunting task, yet a mission that members were willing to undertake, because the project would fulfill a principle of their faith, repairing the world. The land designated for the garden needed plenty of repairs. The clayish soil was compacted, dry, and lacked nutrients. “We had to bring in soil to amend what was there,” Sherrill says. On top of that, there was no water source, so synagogue leaders worked with Boise city officials, sharing the cost of a well on city land that the congregation could also use. Finally, an underground drip irrigation system was installed. With the soil improved and a water system in place, the first crops were sown in the spring of 2005. Every spring, a group meeting is held to discuss the goals of the upcoming growing season. “Our goal has been to help them become self-sufficient and independent,” Sherrill says. Before the gardening project began, Sherrill admits she never considered growing fresh food for herself, but through her experience with the refugees, she was inspired to start her own garden for the first time at age 60. “Now, I grow some beans and zucchini,” says Sherrill, who has realized that tending a garden helps her relax after a day of working as the finance director for the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Synagogue members introduced refugees to some vegetables they had not previously grown, such as tomatoes, says Sherrill, who has helped hoe, weed, and mulch at the Global Garden. Speaking through her son Mustafa as a translator, Maka Mberwa, who

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fled war in Somalia and moved to Boise in 2004 with her five children and mother, says she was grateful for the garden. “I grew green beans, corn, potatoes, chilies, cabbage, and lettuce,” says Maka, who has since moved to another location and no longer participates in the garden project. “I was grateful to be able to go to the garden instead of a store to get fresh food to feed my family.” Refugees grew a variety of vegetables, says Aimee Moran, volunteer liaison with the synagogue. “Shaperai from Afghanistan grew eggplant, mint, and chilies. Ludmilla, who was from the Ukraine, raised cucumbers, dill, beans, turnips, beets, potatoes, and several varieties of tomatoes. We

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 23

tried to grow okra but didn’t have much success, so we’d welcome advice.” As they worked together in the garden, refugees and synagogue members have learned of each other’s traditions and religion. “It’s interesting to watch a Somali headman resolve disagreements that might arise among families concerning their garden plots,” Sherrill says. In addition to providing land, synagogue members have made their building available to refugees for English language classes and weddings. “We have enjoyed hearing their songs, watching their dances, and seeing the men and women participate in ceremonies in colorful traditional clothing,” Sherrill says. The Somali refugees are primarily Muslim and were unfamiliar with Judaism before relocating in Boise. “We’ve both learned about each others’ faith,” Sherrill says. “It has been lovely to share our facility with them and a rewarding process for the synagogue.” ISI

Tennis, legislative work a lifesaver for vivacious Vivian Klein By Dianna Troyer Nearly three decades ago, Vivian Klein discovered an unexpected balm - the thunk and thwack of hitting a tennis ball - to help ease the grief she felt after her husband, Herbert, died suddenly. Tennis not only helped the Boise resident re-establish her footing in life, the sport has blessed her with decades-old friendships forged on and off the courts, a fitness level that has kept her in the same size clothes for years and a balance to her work in the Idaho Legislature and state government. “After Herbert died in 1981, I immersed myself in the tennis community,” says Vivian, who plays doubles four times a week. “Tennis has been a lifesaver for me.” Vivian is not only an avid player, she has served as a line judge at the U.S. Open in New York, has competed in national tournaments, served as a team captain, has organized tournaments, and served on the board of directors for various tennis associations. “Herbert and I played tennis for about 10 years,” says Vivian, who did not start taking lessons until she was 40. She and Herbert learned to play at the Boise Racquet and Swim Club, which they joined so their five children could compete on a swim team. “After Herbert died, I kept playing to be around the friends we had made together.” Herbert was only 49, when he was diagnosed with endocarditis, Vivian recalls. He was hospitalized for a staph infection, and doctors discovered he had a congenital defect of his aortic valve. “The infection damaged his heart, and as a result, his liver and kidneys began to malfunction, and he was gone in a few weeks. Until then, he had been healthy and active.” Vivian advises anyone thinking of playing tennis to start at any age. “Tennis is truly a lifetime sport. I’m 77, and I’ve competed in tournaments where my role models are players in their 80s and 90s. It’s never too late to start playing tennis. It might be a little frustrating at first, but COMMI T ME NT | PE A CE O F MI ND | CHOICES | AC TI V I TI E S | F RE E D O M once you get past the chasingthe-ball stage, it’s so much fun. At Valley View, giving you choices is just one of our goals! From Don’t get discouraged or give up.” shopping excursions to cultural events, you can plan your schedule Vivian admits she is not the around your individual interests, allowing you to maintain an sort of person who likes to exeractive, vibrant lifestyle. cise for the sake of exercise to stay healthy. “I might be feeling Come see for yourself! Call to schedule lunch and a personal tour lousy, but after I’ve played tenand discover the many services and amenities included in your monthly nis, I feel energized. It’s a natural lease – with no buy-in! high.” Tennis not only helps people stay aerobically fit, it helps people develop a healthy social network, she says. The Idaho Tennis Association organizes competitive and recreational leagues for players statewide. Because tennis helped Vivian 1130 N. Allumbaugh St. • Boise, ID 83704 so much, she wanted to promote www.centurypa.com the sport and has helped orga9.09 nize tournaments and has served INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | SKILLED NURSING | REHABILITATION on boards. “It’s been especially

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warding to help organize tournaments that raise money to pay for maintaining four grass courts in Baker City, Oregon. They’re so beautiful and are the only grass courts in the Pacific Northwest.” Vivian is currently serving on the Idaho Tennis Association board of directors and the Boise Racquet and Swim Club’s board. She also served two separate terms on the Intermountain Tennis Association board until 2005. One of Vivian’s most memorable tennis experiences was working as a line judge at the U.S. Tennis Open in New York for three years, 1985-1987. “I was also certified to umpire collegiate competitions and worked at local Boise State University matches.” Other gratifying memories are winning gold, silver, and bronze medals in senior games in Idaho and Utah and qualifying to compete in national senior game tournaments. This summer, Vivian, who is rated a 3.5, will play on U.S. Tennis Association league teams and at other senior events and hopes to advance to nationals again. On the court, Vivian admits she has a slight advantage compared to other players. “My nickname is ‘The Mutant Left-Hander.’ Sometimes, it’s difficult for players to return a serve because the spin is slightly different from what they expect. I can get a few points before my opponent figures out how to play against a lefty.” For Vivian, tennis has provided a way to balance her work with recreation. During the decades she played in and helped organize tournaments, she also was working various jobs dealing with state government and politics in Boise. “I started out as a legal secretary and one thing led to another,”

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she says. During the 1970s, the registered Democrat worked with the minority leader’s caucus in the Idaho Senate. “It was a great part-time job,” she says. “I love the legislative process and the people. As cumbersome and acrimonious as the system can be, it does work. I’d like to see Idaho be more balanced politically and become once again a two-party state.” Vivian’s years in the legislature prepared her well for her work as a lobbyist for the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association from 1981 to 1989. Vivian moved on to politics, campaigning for and going to work as a special assistant, dealing with legislative and public affairs, to Idaho Attorney General Larry EchoHawk from 1990 to 1994. She then worked as the public information officer for Idaho State Controller J.D. Williams, retiring in 1998. “Actually, I’ve retired three different times, finally getting it right in 2005,” says Vivian, who finally retired again after working in the legislature, first in the House of Representatives and ending her career as the chief of staff of the Senate Minority Leader’s caucus. Since retiring, Vivian has enjoyed her family and traveling to her grandkids’ graduations. “Until they went off to college, I had all my kids and grandkids right here in Boise,” she says. “How great is that?” Vivian now travels and plays tennis more often. This summer, she will visit Italy and will compete in the Idaho Senior Games. From her yard, she can see the Boise Racquet and Swim Club’s tennis courts. “I can walk out the back door and be ready to play in a few minutes,” she says. “I’m very fortunate.” ISI

Boise museum exhibit showcases refugees’ artwork, traditions By Dianna Troyer / Photo courtesy of the Idaho Commission on the Arts Maka Mberwa tells stories of trying to survive in war-torn Somalia, where her hopes for a safe future for her family were as elusive as trying to recall a dream at dawn. In 2004, when she and her family resettled in Boise with help from the Idaho Office for Refugees, her hopes for a healthy future began to materialize. Maka will tell stories of her life in Somalia as part of a new exhibit at the Idaho State Historical Museum. The exhibit, The Comforts of Home: Crafting a New Life in the Treasure Valley ends on May 2. Besides Maka’s storytelling, other exhibit highlights include folk arts such as Somali Bantu embroidery, Bosnian crocheted lace, Bhutanese knitted garments, Burundi basketry, Burmese woven apparel, and Afghani fabric. The master traditional artists who have created these objects have moved

APRIL/MAY 2010

t o Boise during the past several years, where they have been assisted in resettlement through the Idaho Office for Refugees. According to the refugee office’s website, in 2008, 1,193 refugees and special immigrants arrived in Idaho from 23 different countries and speaking 27 different languages. “Their artistic traditions enrich our community,” says Maria Carmen Gambliel, director of the folk and traditional arts program for the Idaho Commission on the Arts. The commission collaborated with the historical society and the refugee office to prepare the exhibit. In addition to displaying artistic objects, other activities scheduled while the exhibit is being displayed include artists’ presentations, youth activities, and international cooking. Maka, who speaks Kizigua, tells her stories with the help of an interpreter and has spoken at schools and libraries in the Boise area. “She is glad we are here, because now we can live a normal, safe life,” says her son, Mustafa, an eighth-grader, who translates for his mother.

“She wants us to get a good education, so we can have a good future.” With Mustafa translating, Maka says she suffered burns on her back, and her dad, granddad and sisters were killed in Somalia. “I tell people about what happened to my family,” she says. “I also tell how it feels to be able to take a walk in the sun and feel safe.” Mustafa says he plans to enroll in college one day to study English and become a writer, so “I can be a storyteller like my mom.” Maka babysits and sells handmade African blankets to support her mother Amina, and her children Mustafa, Riziki, Hamadi, Abdul, and Mia. Objects in the exhibit will be categorized in four areas: the bedroom, the living room, the kitchen, and outside the home, which is where Maka will tell her stories. The Comforts of Home exhibit is funded in part by the Idaho Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Idaho State Legislature. The museum at 610 N. Julia Davis Drive is open Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturdays through April 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. From May through September, it is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 208-334-2120. ISI

Vibrant Basque music energizes and restores souls at International Basque festival coming to Boise By Dianna Troyer The first Thursday of every month at the Basque Museum in downtown Boise, joy floats through the doors and sounds like musicians playing accordions, tambourines, guitars, or spoons at an informal jam session. “Basque music is so distinctive and rhythmical,” says Mary Lou Murelaga Guerricabeitia, while taking a break from playing her accordion. The First Thursday group is called Beti Gaste, a Basque phrase meaning “always young.” Generally, four to six musicians gather to play jotas and porrusaldas (traditional dances), folk songs, waltzes, and “whatevers.” “Some songs are joyful, others are soothing. Music, no matter the culture, has such a powerful capacity to bring out the best in all of us.” Mary Lou, along with Ray Mansisdor on his red three-row Hohner accordion, Patty Miller on guitar, and Coro Goitiandia on tambourine began the sessions in 2006. Music is as natural to them as taking a breath, and musical rhythms pulse through their bodies as steady as their heartbeats. “Ray is 85, and I’m 65 and we’ve been playing accordions together since the ’60s, when we traveled as dancers and musicians with the Oinkari (pronounced oyn-coddy, which means “fast feet”) Basque dance group,” adds Mary Lou. “My mom, Angeles, used to play with us on First Thursdays, too. She passed away in January of 2009 at the age of 95. A week before she died, we played for

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her, and she was tapping a rhythm on her leg. We gave her a set of wooden spoons, and she sat up and played two songs with us.” Mary Lou, Coro, Patty, and other musicians visit Basque residents in care centers throughout Boise to play for them every month. “We have about 30 people we see. When Mom was alive, she went with us and would tell me, ‘I love playing From left are Coro Goitiandia, Mary Lou Murelaga Geuerricabeitia and Ray Mansidor. [Photo by Elisa for those old people at the Barney Smith] care centers.’ I didn’t point out that most of them were much younger than she was. Mary Lou’s mom was so vivacious that Alzheimer’s disease could not catch up with her until she was 93. “When she was 87, Mom traveled to Spain and bought herself a new accordion. That’s the kind of person she was.” Mary Lou still plays the accordion her mom used to play, a red two-row button Hohner. In addition to that special one, she also has five other accordions and an assortment of other musical instruments at home. To Ray, his accordion is as much a part of his attire as his wallet. Through the years, it accompanied him to the sheep camp when he was young and to Texas during World War II, where he trained pilots. It returned home with him to Idaho, where he has played for gatherings of all types, at home with his kids, and for the pure joy of playing. Ray, Mary Lou, and others are never sure what they will play when they arrive at the jam sessions. “Often we don’t know the names of songs, so we just start, and others join in.” Like most Basque families, Mary Lou grew up with music and learned to play piano accordion, ukulele, guitar, and spoons. In 1966, after graduating with a teaching degree from Marylhurst College in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Mary taught on the Big Island of Hawaii for a year. “There wasn’t room on the plane for me to bring my musical instruments, which I really missed. One day in a Hilo music store, I saw a small Hohner button accordion and bought it. The insides had rusted slightly from the humidity, but I learned to play it and still have it.” After returning to Idaho, Mary Lou taught first grade in Boise schools for 33 years. She shares her love of music with her children Joe, Angela, and Lisa who dabble at playing a variety of instruments for the fun of it. Mary Lou’s husband, Jose Mari (Joe) plays harmonica, but only at home. This summer in Boise, Mary Lou expects Beti Gaste will play at some venue during Jaialdi 2010, an international Basque cultural festival from July 28 to August 1. “Jaialdi” (pronounced high-al-dee and meaning “big party or festival”) is held every five years and presents Basque athletes, musicians, dancers, singers, and food vendors from around the world. During the intervening years, the gatherings are focused locally. Until Jaialdi and afterward as well, Mary Lou, Ray, and other musicians will gather faithfully at the museum and jam. “We’re usually here from 6:30 to 8:30 on First Thursday. We have a great time.” As they play, their music is as powerful as the scent of fresh baked cookies, conjuring up images and reminiscences of childhood and home. ISI

Widdle Wabbit

Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley A precious little girl walked into a Petco store and in the sweetest little lisp, between two missing teeth asked the owner, “Excuthe me, mithter, do you have widdle wabbits?” As the shopkeeper’s heart melted, he got down on his knees so that he was on her level and asked, “Do you want a widdle white wabbit, a thoft and fuwwy bwack wabbit, or maybe one like that cute widdle bwown wabbit over there?” She, in turn, blushed, rocked on her heels, put her hands on her knees, leaned forward, and said in a tiny quiet voice, “I don’t think my python weally carths.” ISI

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 27

Discovering the Athlete Within By Carole Carson, Senior Wire and 30 minutes. When I undertook the task of re-inventing I am not aiming this high, but I do want to myself as a fit person, I had no idea what was in- become the best tennis player, gym-rat, and yoga volved. No high-minded principles guided me, nor student I can be, independent of external recognidid I adopt any particular program. Nor were my tion. Seeing the improvement in my athleticism, motives practical, for example, after 40 years of being out of Lest you think you don’t have to improve my health. shape, is its own reward. Quite the opposite, my mo- time to exercise, as I once did, listen Drs. Simon and Levisohn to Edward Stanley, Earl of Derby, tives were shallow – I looked confirm, “If you exercise regu1873, who observed, “Those who in the mirror and was too vain larly and develop your potenthink they have not time for bodily to accept the pudgy reflection. tials to their fullest, you will exercise will sooner or later have Only retrospectively can I figure be a true athlete, even if you to find time for illness.” out what happened. never win a race or compete First, I made an uncondion center court.” tional decision to change my Lest you think you do not have time to exerlifestyle permanently. Second, I got help – from cise, as I once did, listen to Edward Stanley, Earl professionals (a personal trainer and lifestyle of Derby, who observed in 1873, “Those who think counselor) as well as from family and friends. they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner Next, I managed my thinking, especially about or later have to find time for illness.” food. Instead of being grim, I explored new ways His perspective is confirmed by medical reof cooking, challenging myself to eat well within search coming at us from all directions. The way caloric limitations. we live accounts in large part for how long we will The last step was discovering my latent ath- live and how well we will live. The good news is that leticism. Somewhere along the exercise path, I we are free to make choices about the way we live. stopped exercising to achieve its by-products – Even better, if we have made poor lifestyle choices improved health, more energy, lower weight, and a in the past, we are free to make adjustments toshapely figure. Instead, I just wanted to get better. day. If it is not too late, Practicing yoga, I wanted to improve my form. our bodies will respond Working with weights, I wanted increased strength. magnificently. Best of Playing tennis, I wanted more consistency and an all, there is an athlete effective serve. Before I knew it, I was “in training.” residing in each of us Drs. Harvey Simon and Steven Levisohn, in just waiting to come out their book “The Athlete Within,” say, “All of you and play. can become athletes. Each of you has surprising Carole Carson is potentials; most of you will never be sports stars, a fitness consultant but all of you can greatly extend your horizons and the author of From through careful planning and diligent training.” Fat to Fit: Turn YourInitially, I was self-conscious in tennis clinics self into a Weapon of where many students were half my age. But, the Mass Reduction, which lure of becoming an athlete was irresistible – I sur- c h r o n i c l e s h e r o w n rendered. Today, instead of having to exercise, I 62-pound weight loss have to limit activity so my body can rest, especially and the inspirational when I have a sports injury, like the back pain that Nevada County Comis currently plaguing me. Taking a longer perspec- munity Meltdown. Visit tive, I reassure myself that I will be back on the www.houndpress.com courts in a few weeks and more ambitious than for more information. ISI ever. Imagine my delight when I read that Clarence Chaffee, the tennis coach at Williams College, did not begin competing nationally until age 70. Since then, he has collected 48 national Super Senior tennis titles. Or Albert Gordon, a well-known businessman and philanthropist, who entered his first marathon at 80, at which time he completed the difficult London Marathon in an excellent 6 hours

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Award-winning author wants your love story for her new book, Sex After Social Security. “We still have this stereotype of older people with their bath chairs and canes, staggering around, who couldn’t possibly be having sex - but that isn’t the case,” said Dr Petra Boynton, University College London in a recent BBC News interview. “More than one in four seniors in 2000 reported having sex once or more a week, compared to only about 10 percent in the 1970s,” reported Tara Parker-Pop in the New York Times. More couples over 70 are having sex - and finding it satisfying - than in previous generations, a British Medical Journal survey suggests as reported on BBC News. “From a societal perspective, I would say that older people are young people later in life,” said Dr. Stacy Tesler Lindau, lead author of the federally funded study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Study after study has reached the same conclusion and now, in an interesting twist, Eileen Barish, award-winning author is seeking submissions for her new book, Sex After Social Security. Ms. Barish is the author of two novels, a dozen travel essays, and a contributing writer to Newsweek, National Geographic Traveler, Time, and other publications. The concept of the book is to provide a glimpse into the love and sexual lives of people over the age of sixty who might be considered too old for that kind of thing. The emphasis will be true stories that touch the heart, lift the spirit, and confirm the sexual identity of people old enough to collect social security but young enough to enjoy the pleasures of a sex life. The vignettes can cover a range of personal experiences: love and sexuality found late in life; a reawakening of love and sexuality; sex and love after the loss of a spouse; a tale of enduring love; or any story along those lines. Like other aspects of life, the stories can be happy, sad, or unique in one way or another. The names of those included in Sex After Social Security will be changed to assure anonymity. To submit your story, visit www.sexaftersocialsecurity.net or email Ms. Barish at sexyseniorwriter@gmail.com. If your story is selected, the author will contact you. ISI

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Two recent studies emphasize the importance of inflammation in the increased cardiovascular health risks observed in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One study found that people with RA suffer a greater risk of heart attack than people without the disease due to the chronic inflammation that can affect blood vessels feeding the heart. Researchers also found that people with RA who took a TNF inhibitor alone or in combination with methotrexate decreased their likelihood of having a heart attack by 80 percent – compared with people with RA who took methotrexate alone. Another study focused on obesity, a well-known contributor to cardiovascular disease, as a contributor to the cardiovascular health risks seen in people with RA. Fat tissue is known to produce proinflammatory chemicals. The chemicals released by fat tissues could worsen systemic inflammation and increase the cardiovascular risks of people with RA. “These studies reinforce the Arthritis Foundation’s commitment to encouraging people with arthritis to work closely with their rheumatologist to develop treatment plans that control arthritis pain and reduce the risks of serious complications seen in the disease, including cardiovascular disease,” says John H. Klippel, M.D., president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. “It is imperative people understand the impact of medications, diet, and exercise on their total health.” The new studies showed that those who were obese and had RA were less likely to achieve remission than those with RA who were at a healthy weight. Overweight and obese people with RA who took an aggressive combination of DMARDs also achieved remission at a lower rate than those at a healthy weight who took the same drug combination.

APRIL/MAY 2010

For anyone living with RA, the Arthritis Foundation offers tips for preventing and managing arthritis, including: • Understanding types of therapies

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 29

• How to stay active • Ways to control weight For a complimentary copy of the Arthritis Foundation’s “Rheumatoid Arthritis” brochure, which

includes the latest information on treatments and self-management techniques, contact the Arthritis Foundation at 800-444-4993 or visit www.arthritis. org. ISI

What can you do to prevent breast cancer? Provided by the National Cancer Institute To prevent new cancers from starting, scientists look at risk factors and protective factors. Anything that increases your chance of developing cancer is a cancer risk factor; anything that decreases your chance of developing cancer is called a cancer protective factor. Some risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, both smoking and inheriting certain genes are risk factors for some types of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Regular exercise and a healthy diet may be protective factors for some types of cancer. Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may lower your risk but it does not mean that you will not get cancer. Scientists are studying different ways to prevent cancer, including: • Changing lifestyle or eating habits. • Avoiding things known to cause cancer. • Taking medicines to treat a precancerous condition or to keep cancer from starting. Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast and is the second only to skin cancer as the most common type of cancer in American women. The number of new cases has increased every year over the last 30 years. Breast cancer is second to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in American women. However, deaths from breast cancer have decreased a little bit every year for the past several years. Breast cancer also occurs in men, but the number of new cases is small. Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may help prevent cancer. Avoiding cancer risk factors such as smoking, being overweight, and lack of exercise may help prevent certain cancers. Increasing protective factors such as quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, and exercising may also help prevent some cancers. Talk to your doctor or other healthcare professional about how you might lower your risk of cancer. NCI’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool uses a woman’s risk factors to estimate her risk for breast cancer during the next five years and up to age 90. This online tool is meant to be used by a healthcare provider. For more information on breast cancer risk, see Estimating Breast Cancer Risk: Questions and Answers or call 1-800-4-CANCER. The following risk factors may increase the risk of breast cancer: • Estrogen (endogenous) - Endogenous estrogen is a hormone made by the body to help develop and maintain female sex characteristics. Being exposed to estrogen over a long time may increase the risk of breast cancer. Estrogen levels are highest during the years a woman is menstruating. A woman’s exposure to estrogen is increased in the following ways: 1. Early menstruation: Beginning to have menstrual periods at age 11 or younger increases the number of years the breast tissue is exposed to estrogen. 2. Late menopause: The more years a woman menstruates, the longer her breast tissue is exposed to estrogen. 3. Late pregnancy or never being pregnant: Because estrogen levels are lower during pregnancy, breast tissue is exposed to more estrogen in women who become pregnant for the first time after age 35 or who never become pregnant.

• Hormone replacement therapy/Hormone therapy - Hormones that are made outside the body, in a laboratory, are called exogenous hormones. Estrogen, progestin, or both may be given to replace the estrogen no longer produced by the ovaries in postmenopausal women or women who have had their ovaries removed. This is called hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or hormone therapy (HT) and may be given in one of the following ways: 1. Combination HRT/HT is estrogen combined with progesterone or progestin. This type of HRT/HT increases the risk of developing breast cancer. 2. Estrogen-only therapy may be given to women who have had a hysterectomy. It is not known if this type of HRT/HT increases the risk of breast cancer.

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• Exposure to Radiation - Radiation therapy to the chest for the treatment of cancers increases the risk of breast cancer, starting 10 years after treatment and lasting for a lifetime. The risk of developing breast cancer depends on the dose of radiation and the age at which it is given. The risk is highest if radiation treatment was used during puberty. For example, radiation therapy used to treat Hodgkin disease by age 16, especially radiation to the chest and neck, increases the risk of breast cancer. Radiation therapy to treat cancer in one breast does not appear to increase the risk of developing cancer in the other breast. For women who are at risk of breast cancer due to inherited changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, exposure to radiation, such as that from chest x-rays, may further increase the risk of breast cancer, especially in women who were x-rayed before 20 years of age.

• Obesity - Obesity increases the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have not used hormone replacement therapy. • Alcohol - Drinking alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. The level of risk rises as the amount of alcohol consumed rises. • Inherited Risk - Women who have inherited certain changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have a higher risk of breast cancer, and the breast cancer may develop at a younger age. Get More Information From National Cancer Institute. For more information, U.S. residents may call the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Deaf and hard-of-hearing callers with TTY equipment may call 1-800-332-8615. The call is free and a trained Cancer Information Specialist is available to answer your questions. ISI

How to Choose Hearing Aids Finally Some Good Advice Kelley Olenick, Au.D. Pocatello and Blackfoot Hearing Zone With so many types and hundreds of brands of hearing aids from which to choose, it is no wonder people are confused. Should you wait for a good sale and hope the sale is from a reputable professional? First, do not go it alone. Too often, people are wooed by a catchy ad or a pushy salesperson and wind up with a poor quality hearing aid that they shove in a drawer and never use. Instead, work with a qualified hearing professional who can con-

duct a thorough hearing evaluation, determine the type and degree of hearing loss, and recommend appropriate hearing instruments. Some hearing aid establishments focus on hearing aid sales and are basically hearing aid dealers. Idaho law allows anyone who has a high school diploma and passes a state sponsored test, to sell hearing aids. When you choose a professional Audiologist, you will receive care from someone who has a masters or doctorate degree in the study of hearing. The first thing the audiologist will do is to perform some basic hearing tests conducted in a sound treated test suite. Do not settle for anything less. If the dealer is only interested in sales, he may not invest the money in a proper sound treated test booth. After conducting the tests and isolating your hearing problem, if a hearing aid is the right solution, an Audiologist should perform a lifestyle needs analysis to determine the type of hearing aids that will work best for you. Some questions the Audiologist will ask are: • How active are you? • Do you have trouble communicating in noisy places? • Do you live alone? In an apartment? In a large home? • Do you talk on the telephone a lot? Watch TV often? • Do you regularly go out to eat at restaurants? • Do you have trouble hearing certain family members such as women or children? • Do you have trouble hearing at religious services, at lectures and at movies? Hearing aid technology is constantly improving, and new products are introduced all the time. Here are some of the newest advances in hearing aid technology that you can discuss with your hearing professional: • Open fit aids. A common complaint among people with hearing aids that fit into their ear is hearing distractions - an echo when they speak, or hearing themselves chewing. “Open fit” hearing aids sit behind the ear, with only a wire and tiny loudspeaker going into the ear.

APRIL/MAY 2010

• Digital feedback reduction. New hearing aids have good feedback reduction, to reduce or eliminate another common hearing aid complaint: whistling noises. • Digital noise reduction. Using complex algorithms, this feature is making hearing aids “smarter” and able to tell the difference between speech and background noise. • Directional microphones. The directional microphone allows the user to focus on whoever is directly in front with reduced interference from conversations behind and to the sides. • Automatically adaptive. With this technology, the hearing aid changes the way it works when the user walks from one place to another. The hearing aid detects sounds exceeding a certain loudness level, and then self-adjusts to reduce

the amplification. For example, in a quiet place, volume level will increase. In a noisy environment, directional microphones will kick in as well as noise reduction features. • Bluetooth compatible. The user does not have to hold the cell phone up to their ear, which alleviates the feedback some people hear when they answer the phone. When a call comes in, it rings through the hearing aid itself, instead of ringing from the phone. To answer, the wearer simply presses a button. Even after selecting the right hearing aids, do not expect to adapt immediately. It often takes a month or more for patients to get used to their new devices. Often, people who are using hearing aids for the first time will be startled at how loud the world

Keeping A Positive Attitude In Trying Situations Submitted by Julie Fink-Hollar-Brantley One day I hopped in a taxi for a ride to the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and just missed the other car by inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And, I mean he was friendly. So, I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.” He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage - frustration, anger, and disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they dump it on you. But the taxi driver said not to take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Do not take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so... love the people who treat you right and pray for the ones who don’t. Because life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it! Have a blessed, garbage-free day! ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 31

is. Suddenly, the refrigerator makes a roar, the newspaper rattles, and even the turn signal in the car can sound disruptive. It is important to wear the hearing instruments all day, every day. If you wear them only sporadically, you will never get used to the volume of new sounds, and the brain will be confused. It takes at least several weeks for the brain to put those new sounds into perspective. So be patient. It requires time to adjust to hearing aids. Your listening skills should improve gradually as you become accustomed to amplification. If it is a loved one who is new to hearing aids, it is a good idea to accompany them to their audiology appointment, always look at them when you speak, and slow down the rate of your speech. Remember, hearing instruments are clear sounding, simple to use, and they restore lives. ISI

PAGE 32 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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Live Your Tra By Dusty Reed the decisions. Where to go? By what means? How long? What to see? First, Fishing was one of my dad’s favorite hobbies. He set aside two weeks pick up some brochures or check on the internet, decide on a date, and take each summer while farming was light and took his family to Minnesota and the necessary steps to make the wishful thinking a reality. later, to Canada. We stayed at a resort in Minnesota and with friends who The book, Blue Highways: A Journey into America, by William Least owned a log cabin in Canada. I became a hooked angler and had my line Heat Moon, gives a delightful account of a man who traveled the perimeter in the water every possible chance, whether from the of the United States, following what he called blue dock or while out in the boat. Dad’s hobby helped crehighways, as secondary roads on the atlas. He When I asked some friends about ate beautiful memories for our family. their lifestyle of full-time recreational invested the three months of his summer vacaAfter I married and my folks retired, they bought tion from teaching to travel and visit with people in vehicle camping, they shared that a cabin in Minnesota where they invested their sumsmall communities. He commented that the more mers. Our place of employment in California allowed their goal is a different lifestyle, not a calendars there were in a café, implying a homeus to have several weeks of vacation so we traveled harder one. cooked meal, the better the food. over two thousand miles through beautiful country to Maybe there is something a bit unusual to exmy folks’ cabin each summer. Our son gained a love of fishing and enjoying perience, inclusive of travel. Maybe it is a desire to study the borealis from the fascination of hearing the call of the loon, too. Alaska. Maybe you want to learn French cooking from a chef in France. It Many think they must wait until they retire to enjoy travel. There are many would be fun to learn to yodel from someone in the Swiss Alps. Maybe you means and occasions to travel to desired places worldwide anytime. First yearn to feel the tranquility of living on a houseboat. Some enjoy just travel-

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By Bernice Karnop Drive less than 20 miles north of Bonner’s Ferry and you are in British Columbia. You can imagine the trouble early explores had with rugged mountains like the Selkirk, the Purcell, and the Rockies while searching for a northwest passage or for precious metals. They presented a challenging barrier for builders of railroads and highways. In winter, the steep-walled valleys fill up with snow, and while creating a challenge for travelers, they create the perfect winter playground for skiers and snowboarders. In the summer, these mountains draw outdoor adventurers as well. The snowy playground melts into rivers and lakes perfect for whitewater rafting, kayaking, boating, and fishing. The snow banks make way for an array of exquisite wildflowers to charm hikers, mountain bikers, and photographers. You do not have to be an extreme athlete to enjoy the magic of this big country. Driving the highways and stopping in the cities that serve the area will give you a vacation to remember. One of the most popular tours is the International Selkirk Loop that goes from Idaho through southeastern British Columbia and into Washington. The British Columbia section takes you through incredible mountain vistas, evergreen forests, and past large lakes. Some of the most storied rivers on the continent flow from these mountains. The Columbia flows north from Columbia Lake in the Rocky Mountain Trench before making a horseshoe bend around the Selkirk Mountains to head south on its 1,210 mile journey to the Pacific Ocean through Washington state. The Kootenay River (spelled Kootenai in the States) passes less than a mile from Columbia Lake, but instead of joining the river there, it wanders south through Montana and Idaho and loops back into B.C, to join the Columbia River at

Castlegar. Its journey is 485 miles instead of one. Castlegar - You can watch the Columbia and the Kootenay rivers tumble together by stopping at Zukerberg Island Heritage Park in Castlegar. A suspension bridge takes visitors onto the island. On the island you can explore Native American heritage at the Indian Kekuli, or pit house. Later residents are memorialized by a log house, a Russian Orthodox Church with the traditional onion dome roof, and a cemetery. The Castlegar Station Museum on the island is in a 19th century Canadian Pacific Railway station. The Doukhobor Discovery Centre on the banks of the Columbia River will introduce you to a group of people you do not hear about every day. This pacifist group of Russian immigrants - about 7,500 of them - came to Canada in 1908-1913. They escaped persecution in their native land with the help of writer, Leo Tolstoy, and a statue of him stands on the grounds. The ten-building replica of the communal settlement will introduce you to their lifestyle, beliefs, and history. As you stroll through the centre watch for heritage plants used by this vegetarian sect. From July through September descendants of the group give demonstrations of spinning and weaving. While they no longer live communally, the Doukhobor continue to treasure and preserve their culture, language, and history. The Village Art Gallery/Craft Center sells crafts, books, music, and films. Nearby Doukhobor sites include a suspension bridge built by hand in 1913 and the tomb of leader, Peter V. Verigin. The Centre is across from the airport at Castlegar and is open from 10 to 5 daily from May 1 to September 30. Trail - The city of Trail reminds you that these mountains, like so many in the west, are rich in precious ores. Gold and copper discoveries in the 1890s drew people here. In downtown Trail stop at the Teck Trail Operations Interpretive Centre where you will see hands-on science exhibits that explain the processes of smelting and refining and how metals affect our every day life. Teck Cominco is one of the largest lead-zinc smelters in the world. Free tours of the operation depart from the interpretive center. You should be able to walk well, and grandchildren under 12 are not allowed. Come prepared to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and closed shoes. Trail’s early influx of Italian immigrants left its mark on the city. Be sure to visit an Italian restaurant for authentic and delicious Italian food. Silver City Days in Trail honors the Italians with grape stomping, parades, and pasta dinners. Kimberley - This Bavarian themed winter sports center with a giant outdoor cuckoo clock is one of Canada’s highest cities, elevation 3,651. It is built on the slopes of Sullivan and North Star hills, and it was built for mining, not skiing.

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ravel Dreams ing to see geographical areas where they have not been before. Many enjoy visiting museums. Whether it is for just weekends or for an entire month of travel at one time, the journey can be accomplished when it becomes a steady heartthrob. For local enjoyment, it is fun to be on a familiar route and pretend it is the first time seeing it. With four definitive seasons, the landscape changes and draws attention to ever-new scenic beauty. I read a story by an amateur photographer who bought a 30-day boarding pass on Amtrak, boarded a train in Winnipeg, Canada, with no destination in mind, and ended up in Reno, Nevada. He captured an array of nature photographs and sold some to dealers, which more than paid for his trip. When I asked some friends about their lifestyle of full-time recreational vehicle camping, they shared that their goal is a different lifestyle, not a harder one. They find this lifestyle as very comfortable with the availability of thousands of public, private, and membership campgrounds all over North America. There are also many scenic spots, not necessarily official campgrounds available that full-timers can call home for as long as they desire.

Full-time campers can live in a country club park setting, artistically landscaped, complete with heated pools, hot tubs, sports courts, billiard rooms, ballrooms, and restaurants. Most have a nice lounge where folks can gather for visiting, playing cards, and other games. These special parks charge a fee, with a range as wide as the features offered. The isolation of a state or national park campground has its own appeal. Entertainment consists of watching the wildlife, beautiful scenery, and sunsets. Music is provided by the birds and the wind rustling through the trees. Exercise comes from walking or hiking nearby trails. Prices for staying in these areas are very reasonable. If you do not own a motor home or camping trailer, rentals are an alternative. There are so many reasons people enjoy travel. Observing and being a part of the landscape. The lifestyle changes from one area to another. Solitude or visiting family and friends. Whatever the reason, travel can offer relaxation as well as exploration of new vistas. It is a worthwhile venture. Set a date. Plan a destination. Plan a means of travel. Enjoy the preparation. Share the plans and excitement with others. Do it! ISI

entures in British Columbia The Sullivan Mine is one of the world’s largest underground silver, lead, and zinc mines. It closed in 2001 after 92 years of production, yielding more than $20 billion in ore. Kimberley’s Underground Mining Railway offers narrated one-hour train rides through Mark Creek Valley on a narrow-gauge mine track. The Kimberley Heritage Museum features local history and mining. Admission is by donation. Bavarian culture comes alive during the weeklong Kimberley Old Time Accordion Championships each year in July. Nelson - Nelson is in the heart of the Selkirk Mountains on the west arm of Kootenay Lake. The legacy of what was once an offbeat Victorian town settled by prospectors in the late 1880s comes to life in Nelson’s historic buildings. More than 350 structures are heritage sites and you are welcome to explore the ones that are open to the public. Walking and driving tour maps give information about private homes, and are available from the chamber of commerce. Baker Street, the heart of downtown, will awaken anyone’s sense of nostalgia. People make a point of supporting the local economy in Nelson, which ensures the blooming of unique enterprises here. You will not get bored shopping in the many one-of-a-kind businesses. Nelson takes the sophisticated approach of integrating art into the community. Nearly every restaurant and public center doubles as a gallery. Nelson’s live entertainment venues host first-rate performances year round which, combined with the selection of fine restaurants, brings the advantages of big city cultural nightlife with the added benefit of accessibility. Well-attended events and festivals punctuate the year in Nelson, so make sure to check the calendar of events. Nelson also features street musicians and performing sidewalk artists. Kokanee Creek and Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park are about ten miles from Nelson. Extensive sandy beaches, hiking trails, and wildlife watching draw people here. Nelson is on the International Selkirk Loop, a 280-mile scenic byway through southeastern British Columbia and adjoining parts o f Wa s h i n g t o n a n d Idaho. For more information contact the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce, 225 Hall Street, Nelson BC V1L 5X4, phone 250-3523433, or visit www.discovernelson.com.

Cranbrook - Cranbrook, is tucked into a wide valley between the Canadian Rockies and the Purcell’s. You can drive across highway 95 from here to the junction of Highway 16 in Jasper National Park. Carve out a couple of hours to take in Trains Deluxe: Canadian Museum of Rail Travel in Cranbrook. Only in this museum will you see the Trans Canada Limited luxury trains known as a “deluxe hotel on wheels.” The cars were only used a short time before the Great Depression hit luxury travel and most were remodeled into plainer fare. These have been carefully restored to their former glory and visitors are amazed at their opulence. About ten miles northeast of Cranbrook, visitors can step back into the 1860s at the Heritage Town of Fort Steele. A day at Fort Steele will be a vacation highlight for both you and the grandchildren. The rollicking gold rush and frontier days come alive with the more than 60 original and restored wooden buildings, gardens, and homes. Let the kids ride on a farm wagon pulled by awesome Clydesdale horses or on the antique steam powered train. Characters from the past do crazy street skits while others demonstrate quilting, ice cream making, and horse farming. You can peek in at businesses like the barbershop and livery stable, or try on fancy hats at millinery. ISI

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Ways to Save Money on Travel Lodging Costs By Al Krause and Ruth Higgins, Senior Wire While most nest eggs dwindled in the past year, the desire to travel – particularly to Europe and Asia – has not diminished. But does that mean your dream holiday will be on the Alabama Coast? We have some suggestions for those who still want to travel abroad. First, use any accumulated points for airline travel and creatively accumulate as many more – credit card purchases, for example – as you are able. Second, consider our moneysaving approaches to lodging – hostels, vacation clubs, budget rooms through Internet searches, and hospitality exchange clubs. These moneysaving alternatives add more enjoyable dimensions to travel than “popular” hotels and resorts. Hostels are our first choice. They are usually described as “youth” or “backpacker.” But at an average age of 75, we rarely increase the median age significantly. We wheel our luggage. During nine weeks in New Zealand and Australia in 2006, we stayed in hostels 38 nights. We always reserve single rooms. Toilets and washrooms are often down the hall, but rarely crowded. We cook most breakfasts and some evening meals in the communal kitchens. Along with saving money for tours and upscale restaurants, we meet enjoyable people – stoves are great gathering places. Membership in Hostelling International is $18 per year for seniors (55+), opening the door to over 4,000 hostels in 60 countries (see www.hiusa.org). Our second economy lodging choice, perhaps surprising, is a time-share vacation club. We were lured to a WorldMark by Wyndham sales meeting near our home in Birch Bay, Washington, by bonus offer. We went to the meeting with our defenses up, never expecting to buy. But, a chart of motel room

price increases over 20 years sold us on a $6,000 purchase of 6,000 credits. That initial investment, which lasts for years and can be bequeathed, plus quarterly dues of about $113 and a small housekeeping fee make a resort stay affordable. For example, in planning for our trip Down Under, we combined points for two years to make reservations at three WorldMark resorts. Unlike hostels that are often in city centers, club resorts are usually located in a suburb and require renting a car. However, the opportunities to recharge in relative luxury were welcome breaks on our long trip. In Sydney, our last stop, we stayed two nights in a downtown WorldMark studio, costing us outof-pocket only the $45 housekeeping fee. A third lodging money saver is the Internet. It can provide some pleasant surprises. Two years ago, Al needed to go back to San Francisco, where he had lived for 37 years, to meet an editor from Boston. Online at Travelocity.com, Ruth found the Hotel des Arts that we had not known about. Located in the center of the city, a queen bed with shared bath, now $79 a night, is a genuine bargain. Our fourth frugal suggestion is the Affordable Travel Club. This hospitality exchange club, started by a Gig Harbor, Washington, couple, has members throughout the world. The deal is you pay $60-70 a year (depending on the directory format you choose) and make available a bedroom in your home plus breakfast and an hour of orientation to your area. Visitors offer a gratuity of $20 US for a couple, $15 single. Members, who must be age 40 and over, are expected to host at least three times a year, if asked. Living in a small cottage with only a double bed in the guest room, we were hesitant about hosting. However, twice we have stayed in homes where the hostess gave up her bedroom for us. From both women, we learned a lot about themselves and their cities, going far beyond ATC requirements. We have hosted guests from Tacoma, Washington, to Perth, Australia. See www. affordabletravelclub.net or phone 253-858-2172. We believe travel is broadening, and sharing bathrooms and kitchens is like being part of a big family. If that does not appeal to you, Gulf Shores, Alabama, we hear, is nice. ISI

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Ask Mr. Modem - Windows 7 Tips By Richard Sherman, Senior Wire Q. Now that Windows 7 has been released, what is your impression of it and do you have any new-user tips? A. I have been using Windows 7 since its initial beta version and I remain impressed. I would characterize it as Vista, but without the quirks. I am being diplomatic. Bottom line, Windows 7 is a good, solid operating system and at least at this stage, Microsoft appears to have redeemed itself from its V-word debacle. If you are using Windows 7, or if it is in your future, I added a new Windows 7 section to my weekly Ask Mr. Modem! newsletter at www.MrModem.com. Heading into its tenth year of publication, each week I deliver helpful, easy-to-understand tips for all versions of Windows, as well as prompt, personal responses to subscribers’ questions by email. As far as Windows 7 tips, here are four little teaser tips from my newsletter: 1. The Show Desktop feature that was used to minimize all open windows in XP and Vista has been replaced by Aero Peek. Peek is enabled by mousing over a “glass” rectangular area in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, to the right of the time display. When you mouse over this little panel, all open windows are hidden and replaced by window outlines. If you prefer the older style Show Desktop effect, click the little panel instead of mousing over it and all open windows will minimize. 2. Gone, too, is the Quick Launch bar in Windows 7, but the new Taskbar effectively serves the same function. If your Windows 7 Taskbar is taking up too much room because of its large icons, right-click on Start, click Properties > Taskbar > Use small icons > OK. 3. If you drag one window to the left side of the screen and another to the right, the windows will instantly resize, each filling half the screen, so you can easily use them side by side. Love it! 4. Windows 7 includes a number of new keyboard shortcuts. A few of my favorites include The Windows (Logo) Key + G displays gadgets in front of other windows. The Windows Key + Up maximizes the current window, while the WinKey + Down minimizes the current window. The WinKey + Spacebar causes all windows to become trans-

parent so you can see through to the Desktop, and the WinKey + (+ or -) will zoom in or out. Q. I downloaded a font that I like, but I cannot figure out how to install it in my word processor. I followed instructions, but the font does not appear in the list of available fonts. Can you help, Mr. M? A. In this instance, do not install your new font into the word processor itself; install it in Windows where other programs can then access it. To do this, using Windows Explorer, for example, copy the font file into your C:\Windows\Fonts folder, or whatever folder is appropriate for your system if it’s configured other than in this manner, which is typical. Then go to Control Panel > Fonts > File > Install New Fonts. In the Add Fonts dialog box, navigate to the C:\Windows\Fonts folder, or whatever folder is appropriate on your system. Double-click to open the folder. Under “List of Fonts,” click to select your new font, then click OK. Restart your computer and the font will then be available for use in all Windows programs, including your word processor. Q. I understand there are methods and devices that can transfer 35mm slides to a hard drive or CD. What can you tell me about them and where can they be purchased? A. There are a number of methods for converting slides to digital images that are described in detail in the following articles: Converting Your 35mm Slides to Digital Format at http://tinyurl.com/ tze8j, and How to Convert 35mm Slides to Digital at http://tinyurl.com/yjofg6j. There are also devices that can perform the conversion (http://tinyurl.com/yl6oedl), or you can

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use any number of professional services, such as Larsen Digital Slide Scanning at www.slidescanning.com/slides.htm. Mr. Modem’s DME (Don’t Miss ‘Em) Sites of the Month Roadside Peek - Get comfy and enjoy an open-road journey back through time. Travel old routes (including the legendary Route 66) across

PAGE 36 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

America. See the old motels, bowling alleys, drivein theaters (remember drive-ins?), neon signs, petrol pumps, tacky tiki villages, and other roadside treasures. The site’s default font is a bit small for my trifocals, so if you want to enlarge the font, click View > Text or Zoom in your browser or press CTRL and the + sign. www.roadsidepeek.com Shakespeare Insult Kit - Shakespeare was, of

APRIL/MAY 2010

course, a brilliant writer, but he also had a cutting wit that could skewer an adversary faster than you can retort, “Says who, thou fobbing, earth-vexing dewberry?” Use this site to create your own Shakespearean insults. Choose an entry from each of three columns, string them together, precede the phrase with “thou,” and you have an insult worthy of a 17th century poet, thou calumnious, muddy-

mettled mumblemews. http://tinyurl.com/yez5m9v For plain-English answers to your questions by email, plus great computing tips, subscribe to Mr. Modem’s award-winning weekly newsletter. Subscribe using Promo Code 1640 and receive two-free months with your 12-month subscription! To view a sample issue or subscribe, visit www. MrModem.com. ISI

Gardening Tips for the Season By Jim Miller There’s no doubt that gardening is one of America’s favorite outdoor activities, but for older gardeners who suffer from arthritis, back problems, or other physical limitations, gardening can become painful, difficult, and downright frustrating. Hard Work - While many people think of gardening as a leisurely activity, the truth is, it can be extremely physical and taxing on an aging body, leading to multiple aches and pains as well as injuries. In fact, it is estimated that anywhere from one-third to half of all summer recreational injuries are related to gardening. Back pain and knee injuries are common, along with carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, and other repetitive stress injuries caused by overuse. What to Do - With gardening, good form is very important as well as not overdoing any one activity. A common problem is gardeners often kneel or squat, putting extra pressure on their knees. To spare their knees, they might stand and bend over for long stretches to weed, dig, and plant, straining their back and spine. And, bending over to pick up plants and bags of soil takes an added toll on the back. To help protect your body, gardening gurus recommend warming up before beginning. Start by stretching, focusing on the legs and lower back. And, keep changing positions and activities. Do not spend hours weeding a flowerbed. After 15 minutes of weeding, stand up, stretch and switch to another activity like pruning the bushes. It is also important to recognize physical limitations and adjust to them. For example, if mowing the lawn wears you out and you have no energy left to tend to the flowers or vegetable garden, hire someone to mow.

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Helpful Equipment - The right gardening equipment can help, as well. Kneeling pads can protect knees and gardening stools are both back and knee savers. Long-handled tools (see www. hound-dog.com and www.yardbutlerstore.com) can also ease the strain on the back. Although you still may need to get down in the dirt eventually, using a hoe, shovel, or bulb planter with a longer handle allows you to do a lot of the work from a standing position so you will spend less time bent over. The goal, whether planting or hauling bags of mulch, is to keep the spine, as straight as possible. Ergonomic tools with fatter handles and other design features are also readily available and can make lawn and garden activities a little easier. See www.radiusgarden.com and www.fiskars.com to find these types of unique tools. Remember the watering too. The chore of carrying water or handling a heavy, awkward hose can also be difficult for gardeners. Some helpful options include soaker or drip hoses that can be snaked throughout the garden, a coil hose to use on patio or small areas, a hose caddy and reel for easier transport, or a self-winding hose chest, that puts itself away automatically. There is also a variety of ergonomic watering wands that are lightweight, easy to grip, and reach those hard to-get-to plants. Many of these watering items can be found in local stores that sell lawn and garden supplies. Adaptive Gardening - If your garden is causing too many aches and pains, there are other ways to keep those thumbs green. One solution is container gardening using big pots, window boxes, hanging baskets, barrels, and tub planters that can eliminate much of the bend and strain of gardening but still give the pleasure of making things grow. Trellises are another nice option allowing for vertical gardening, and raised garden beds eliminate kneeling, stooping, and bending. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www. savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. ISI

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 By Lisa M. Petsche If you or a person you are caring for becomes hospitalized due to a health crisis - such as stroke, a hip fracture, or prolonged acute illness - an inpatient rehabilitation program may be recommended. Rehab may occur onsite or at an acute rehabilitation facility or skilled nursing home. The goal of rehab is to help people who have experienced health setbacks regain their strength and endurance. The focus is on reducing disability, and where permanent disability remains, managing it in the best possible way. Rehab programs may be general or specific to a certain type of injury or diagnosis, such as stroke. They vary in intensity and duration, some being time-limited while others allow the patient to continue as long as progress is being made. Typical criteria for acceptance into a program include medical stability; physical potential for improvement; mental ability (including sufficient attention span and memory) to participate in therapy; and willingness to participate in the program and try new ways of doing things, including using adaptive aids (such as walkers or wheelchairs) if necessary. Upon admission, staff assess a patient’s abilities and limitations in order to develop an individualized care plan involving measurable goals and mileposts. Treatment usually includes individual and group therapies. Challenges patients may face during rehab include having to conform to a tight schedule; fatigue, especially if they are unaccustomed to physical activity; embarrassment at having to relearn basic activities such as washing and dressing; and frustration from unrealistic expectations. Moreover, progress may be impeded by medical conditions such as clinical depression, impaired cognitive function, pain, medication side effects (drowsiness, for instance), or concomitant illnesses or chronic conditions. Patient progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. Evaluation also occurs formally through frequent team meetings and periodic review con-

ferences that include the patient and family. Staff adjust goals and plans as needed and monitor patient readiness for discharge. Service is delivered by a team of health care professionals who consult and collaborate on a continual basis, ensuring a coordinated, holistic approach to assessment and treatment. Following is an overview of each member’s role. The Case Manager is the team leader responsible for overall planning, coordinating care, and evaluating outcomes. The physician diagnoses and treats medical problems, orders investigations and treatments, and consults with specialists as needed. The nursing staff assess health status, administer medication and other physician-ordered treatments, and assist with personal care as needed. The physical therapist (PT) evaluates patients’ functional ability and works with them to improve or maintain walking, balance, endurance, strength, and flexibility. The occupational therapist (OT) teaches alternative ways of carrying out daily activities, including self-care skills and homemaking tasks. The OT performs home evaluations, recommends adaptations, and special equipment to maximize safety. The dietitian evaluates nutritional status and recommends necessary dietary changes to help treat diet-related health problems, such as constipation. The speech-language pathologist (SLP) assesses and treats difficulties related to hearing, speech, language, and swallowing. The social worker helps patients and their families learn how to cope more effectively with losses, emotional issues, family problems and financial concerns, and links them with community resources. The recreation therapist fosters quality of life by providing opportunities for fun, creativity, socialization, and learning.

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Together these various disciplines work with each patient to help him or her achieve the highest possible level of health, independence, and quality of life. Caregivers also play an important role, including: • Supporting and motivating their loved one through empathy and encouragement • Ensuring staff know his needs, habits, and interests, to help them customize the plan of care • Becoming familiar with his medical condition and treatment plan • Learning what he is and isn’t capable of, so they can help with things he’s unable to do and avoid helping with things he can do himself • Attending therapy and learning exercises to

perform together between sessions or following discharge • Ensuring delivery of necessary equipment and completion of home adaptations prior to discharge. Once a patient reaches his highest potential, the focus shifts to discharge planning. The team assesses patient and family needs and community resources available to meet those needs, and makes referrals as appropriate. For those returning home, a graduated discharge is encouraged, beginning with daytime visits and progressing to overnight stays of increasing length. These temporary leaves of absence help the patient, family, and team to determine if special

services or further home alterations are required, or if returning home to live is even feasible. Referral may be made to an outpatient rehab program as a transitional measure or to home care, or physical or occupational therapy if some therapeutic goals remain. If discharge to home is not possible, the patient and family are provided with information on appropriate residential care facilities and given an opportunity to tour them. One or more selections are then made, depending on whether or not there is a waiting list. Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior issues. ISI

Home Safety Monitors for People Who Live Alone By Jim Miller Q: I’m interested in getting my mother one of those emergency call systems with a wearable push-button for her home in case she falls or needs help, but could use some help. What can you tell me? A: The product and service you’re inquiring about is known as a personal emergency response system or PERS. But with so many on the market, it can be a bit confusing figuring out which system is best for your parent. Here’s what you should know. Senior Life Line - Each year, one-third of seniors in the U.S. suffer a fall, often with serious consequences. Add in the fact that 11 million Americans age 65 and older live alone and we have a serious problem on our hands. The solution is a PERS – which is essentially a wireless hotline to help. This home-based emergency alert service will connect your mother to a 24-hour call center with the push of a button. The transmitter (SOS button) is typically worn as a neck pendent, wristband, or belt clip. When pushed, it sends a signal to a receiver console that’s connected to the home telephone line (they don’t work with cell phones). When your mom pushes the button, the dispatcher at the call center evaluates her situation, and will notify you, another relative, a caregiver, or 911, as needed. With most PERS set-ups, your mom can talk with the dispatcher from anywhere in the house through the system’s receiver, which works like a powerful speakerphone. While a PERS can be a wonderful home device, it does have its drawbacks. Many people don’t wear their SOS button regularly, and if they do have it on and fall, they still have to be alert enough actually to hit the button. Where to Look - With all the different PERSs available today, the Internet is the best place to

start your search. PERSs are available through national companies (such as www.lifelinesys.com, www.rescuealert.com, www. lifefone.com, and www.lifestation.com) as well as local or regional providers. Local providers are usually run by hospitals or social service agencies. Adding a town, county, or state to your search will help you find local or regional options. Also, check with your Area Aging Agency (call 800-677-1116 to get your local number). It’s worth checking out both local and national providers because features, pricing, and quality will vary. Options and Costs - In most cases, PERS equipment (receiver console and SOS button) is rented, but some companies offer the option to buy. Costs, too, will vary, but you can expect to pay a small set-up or activation fee along with a monthly service/ monitoring fee, usually around $1 per day. Most companies give discounts for longer-term agreements, but be careful of contracts that lock you in. Some services may even offer discounted pricing options for lower-income seniors. You’ll need to ask. And some companies may provide extra services (in addition to the basic PERS) such as check-in calls, wake-up calls, and medication reminders for an additional cost. When choosing a service, pay attention to the small print and always ask for a detailed price quote. Most health insurance plans, including Medicare, don’t cover PERSs. Home Monitoring - If you’re looking for a more thorough service, check out home monitoring systems. These services combine the PERS with motion detectors (not cameras), placed in key areas of your mom’s home, that will let you know (via phone or email) if something out of the ordinary is happening. For example, if she didn’t get out of bed at her usual time, or went to the bathroom and didn’t leave, this could indicate a fall or other emergency. The great thing about this type of system is it requires no input from your mother, and you can check in on her anytime through their password-protected website. These monitoring systems, however, are more expensive than a PERS and are not covered by insurance. To find and compare systems visit QuietCare (www. quietcare.com; 877-822-2468), Healthsense (www.healthsense. com; 800-576-1779), and GrandCare (www.grandcare.com; 262338-6147). Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www. savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. ISI

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Make Your Home Safe For Visitors - Simple Steps To Reduce The Risk Of Falls By Lisa M. Petsche Did you know that falls are the primary cause of injury and hospitalization for older adults, and that half of those injured do not regain their former level of independence? Health- and age-related changes that contribute to falls include arthritis, decreased sensation in the feet (known as peripheral neuropathy), loss of strength, visual impairment, balance problems, and the use of certain medications. Hazardous conditions in home environments are the other major cause of potentially serious spills. If guests to your home this holiday season will include frail relatives, extra planning and preparations are advisable, to help ensure their safety. Planning - Before extending an invitation, determine if relatives have special needs or limitations. Then go through your home and the surrounding property to check for potential problem areas. Consider the following: • Is parking available close to the entrance? Are the driveway and walkways level and in good condition? • Are entrances and interior doorways wide enough to accommodate a walker or wheelchair? If a prospective guest uses one, find out the width of it and measure to be sure. • Are all areas of your home that guests will need to access - entrance, living room or family room, bathroom, dining area if there is going to be a meal, and sleeping area if they’re staying overnight - on one level? If not, are prospective guests able to navigate stairs? If entrance steps are the only barrier, look into renting a portable ramp from a medical supply store. • Are porch steps and interior stairways in good repair, and do they have a non-skid surface? Are

steps evenly spaced and moderate in height? Are there handrails – preferably on both sides – and are they secure? (Ideally, rails should project past the top and bottom steps.) • Is there adequate lighting throughout your home, including closets, hallways, and stairwells? (If necessary, get battery-powered dome lights that easily attach to the wall.) What about at entrances and along outdoor paths? If your home cannot accommodate your relative’s needs, take him or her out to a restaurant that is accessible. If you are organizing a family gathering that includes him or her, consider another member’s home, a restaurant with a private dining room, or a community hall, depending on the size of the guest list. Preparing your home • Ensure outdoor walkways are clear of clutter and debris. Be prepared with the necessary supplies for clearing snow and ice. • Replace burnt-out light bulbs - indoors and out. Consider using higher wattage bulbs in place of low-watt ones. • Remove clutter in rooms, hallways, and stairwells. If necessary, rearrange furnishings so guests can move within rooms freely and easily. Relocate excess pieces to a spare room. • Put away furnishings on casters. Also remove items that might pose a tripping hazard, such as footstools and floor plants. • Ensure walkways are clear of electrical and telephone cords. • Don’t allow decorations to block doorways or pathways through rooms. Be prepared to scale down decorating if necessary – for example, by using a tabletop tree instead of a full-size one. • Collect pet toys and stash them away. Do the

The Bathtub Test

Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley During a visit to my doctor, I asked him, “How do you determine whether or not a person is ready to move into a nursing home?” “Well,” he said, “we fill up a bathtub and then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup, and a bucket to the person and ask him or her to empty the bathtub.” “Oh, I understand,” I said. “A normal person would use the bucket because it is bigger than the spoon or the teacup, correct?” “No,” he said. “A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a private or a semiprivate room?” ISI

Sunday School Kids You never know what kids are going to say! Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley Lot’s Wife - The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, “My Mommy looked back once while she was driving,” he announced triumphantly, “and she turned into a telephone pole!” Good Samaritan - A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan when she asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?” A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence saying, “I think I’d throw up.” Did Noah Fish? - A Sunday school teacher asked, “Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark?” “No,” replied Johnny. “How could he, with just two worms.” ISI

same with grandchildren’s toys, unless your guests will include youngsters, in which case keep all toys in the corner of one room. • Ensure throw rugs and scatter mats have a non-skid backing. Better yet, remove them, since they are one of the most common causes of falls. • Have non-skid slipper socks available if you wish guests to remove footwear at the door. Be aware, though, that some older folks may need to keep their shoes on to ensure proper support. During the visit • Keep lights on in all areas guests might need to access, both inside and outside. • Keep pets - especially high-energy kittens or puppies - in an area separate from the entertaining zone, so they do not startle guests. Bear in mind that sleeping cats and dogs are also a tripping hazard. • Reserve some chairs that have arms - the higher and firmer the seat, the better. • Be cautious about serving alcohol, which can impair balance. • If a guest experiences a dizzy spell, have him or her immediately sit down until it passes, and rise slowly when they are ready to stand. Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and a freelance writer specializing in health and elder care issues. ISI

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By Bernice Karnop They should come with a warning label: Idaho Senior Games are so much fun participants cannot help coming back every year. This gateway experience leads to harder stuff by qualifying state winners for the National Senior Games. Boise golfer, Chuck Young, 95, not only qualified for the National Senior Games in 2009, he came home with gold in the 95-99 age group. After his win, he was heard to remark, “I can’t wait for the 2011 games in Houston so I can beat up on all the 97-year-olds.” Lest you think 97 year-olds are easy to beat on this level, consider this. The biggest crowd at the 2009 National Senior Games tennis tournament in

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was the match between a 102-year-old and his 99-year-old opponent. The 102-year-old won. Jack Ward, director of the Idaho Senior Games in Boise, expects around 600 participants in a series of events that take a giant-sized bite out of the summer. “It can be a nerve-wracking job getting everything set up, but at the end of the day, it’s worth it. The stories and the enthusiasm are just inspiring.” That inspiration filters through the community. Ward runs a track program for kids and this year he encouraged seniors to train with them. One 79-year-old runner who has also been to National Senior Games, hesitated because she thought they would see her as a hindrance. She came back to tell him that a group of high school girls came up to her the other night and told her she was an inspiration. They hoped they were still doing track at her age. She was tickled pink. “I can’t believe that I would ever be an inspiration to anybody,” she told Ward. The Senior Games in Pocatello and Lewiston inspire their communities as well. Pat Crites, secretary of the Southeast Idaho Senior Games in Pocatello, relates that some events are open to anyone in the community, not just those over 50. One local man does a triathlon with his daughters who are in grade school. Tim Barker, director of the North Idaho Senior Games in Lewiston tells about a new partnership this year with Lewis and Clark State College. The college gives its students an opportunity to do a personal trainer practicum with senior athletes. They gain experience as personal trainers by helping individual seniors develop a workout schedule and by checking on them regularly. Idaho’s Senior Games are for people of all sizes, forms, and abilities. According to Barker, age is no reason to stop playing competitive sports. He promotes physical activity and good health for people

of all ages as assistant director of Lewiston Park and Recreation department. “Seniors are a great group to target,” he says. “I like seeing them out here being active, whether they finish first or sixth.” You do not have to be super athletic. Pat Crites has had two knee replacements. “I do the easy things,” she says. Easy things include shuffleboard, table tennis, croquet, billiards, and a variety of card games including pinochle and bridge. Individuals from the assisted living facilities in Pocatello participate. This group believes the games celebrate the vitality of life through example and promote a joyful, active lifestyle. The different Idaho Game cities do not offer the same events, but in addition to those listed above, possibilities include triathlon, road race, race walk, cycling, track and field, tennis, golf, softball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, archery, bowling, swimming, horseshoes, and more. We hope this tempts you to step into the heady excitement of Senior Games in Idaho - and we hope you are hooked. North Idaho Senior Games, Lewiston The first senior games of the summer are in sunny Lewiston, June 7-12. This six-day promotion of healthy lifestyles includes a picnic and health fair at the Lewiston Community Center, 1424 Main. Detailed information, on-line registration, contact information, and a promotional video are available at www.northidahoseniorgames.org, or call them at 208-746-2313. Southeast Idaho Senior Games, Pocatello The Southeast Idaho Senior games in Pocatello run from August 7-14, 2010. Be sure to make motel or campground reservations early, as close to a thousand people could attend this event. Do not miss the opening ceremony Monday at O.K. Ward Park at 6 pm. After an impressive torch lighting ceremony local sponsors provide a free picnic dinner. Phone them at 208-233-2034 and request a handbook or visit their web site at www.seidahoseniorgames.org. Also call if you are willing to help as a volunteer. Idaho Senior Games, Boise Most events in the 2010 Senior Games in Boise are scheduled for August 13-15 and August 19-22. However, the archery competition is July 27-28, the triathlon events are August 7 in Emmett, and metal bat softball is Sept 18-19. This is the only Senior Games in Idaho that qualify winners to compete in the 2011 National Senior Games in Houston, Texas. Registration forms,

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times, and dates of specific events may be seen at www.idahoseniorgames.org or contact them by phone at 208-344-5502, extension 270. National Senior Games The National Senior Games web site is www.

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 41

nsga.com. The National Senior Games are held in their ticket to Nationals. various places around the U.S. during odd numAnd remember, “You don’t stop training bebered years for those who qualify at their state cause you get old. You get old because you stop games. Idaho is an Open State, meaning that training.” ISI anyone from any state can participate and earn

Cyclists Keep On Pedaling More and more people are riding bicycles for exercise and recreation. Heightened interest in the sport brings along an increased possibility of lower body injuries. A recent study published in the December 2007 Journal of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons found these injuries may be avoided with some preventive steps, if the cyclist will take the time to: • Find the proper bicycle equipment by seeking out professional advice before making a purchase • Always position the seat, handlebars, and other bike parts properly • Wear a properly fitted helmet • Stretch prior to cycling especially the gluteal, hamstring, quadricep, and calf muscles • Take proper care at first sign of injury including rest, ice, compress, elevate, and seeing a

doctor if pain persists According to statistics from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than a million people are treated in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and clinics each year because of bicycle injuries. “We are seeing an increased interest in cycling as a sport. With the baby boomers getting older, it is a popular alternative to running, which is more of a strain on an aging frame,” says Dr. Tony Wanich, the study’s lead author and an orthopaedic resident at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. “Part of the problem is that the majority of people do not go to a bike shop to test ride a bike, they just buy off the rack, not paying very much attention to the proper fit.” While cycling is good for joint movement and flexibility, overuse of joints and muscles can happen very easily resulting in injury

such as knee pain, hip tendonitis, stress fractures, and foot numbness. However, the knee is the most common location for overuse, with 40-60 percent of riders experiencing knee pain. Most of the time these injuries do not require surgery, instead treatment usually includes rest, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroid injection, ice, reducing intensity of cycling, and physical therapy. “Overall cycling is a relatively safe activity and is a terrific option for many individuals, especially those with musculoskeletal ailments. Riders can prevent most injuries by taking the proper safety precautions,” Dr. Wanich says. “Lance Armstrong did a lot to educate and excite people about cycling; now we need to take care and properly fit our bicycles to prevent possible injuries.” ISI

Monster Energy Supercross Motorcycle Competition Growing In Popularity As A Family-Friendly Event (NAPSI) - It’s been billed as the world’s toughest sport, and nearly 1 million Americans packed stadiums to watch its athletes compete during the 2009 season. Competitors race on a man-made course using 1.5 million pounds of dirt at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. They soar up to three stories high for distances as far as 70 feet as they careen the hairpin turns and jockey for position. And with its fast-growing fan base, a chance to see the Monster Energy Supercross - a stadium version of motocross - has become one of the hottest tickets in town. If you’re not yet familiar with Monster Energy Supercross, the following primer can help bring you up to speed. It looks at the ins and outs of the sport, its stars, its season and how you can see a race. What Is Supercross? The sport is a 17-race FIM World Championship indoor, off-road motorcycle racing tour produced inside the world’s premier stadiums. Riders speed across manmade tracks and hit multiple jumps

known as “triples.” The speed and challenging nature of the competitions attract the world’s top riders, and the intensity of the races has earned Monster Energy Supercross the moniker “the NASCAR of motocross.” Star Power - Reigning AMA Supercross class champion James Stewart, former AMA Supercross class champion Chad Reed, Ryan Villopoto, and Ryan Dungey are among the most recognizable names in the sport. Stewart became the first African-American to win a major motorsports championship. Most of the riders are between the ages of 18 and 28, but professional eligibility starts at 17. Scheduling Excitement - The sport’s 17-race 2010 competition runs through May 8 at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium, when the champion will be decided. Monster Energy Supercross visits the top stadiums across America. The events, which sometimes have more than 150 riders competing for a spot in the finals, are family friendly with tickets available for as low as $10. You can learn more about the sport at www.supercrossonline.com, and events can be viewed on CBS Sports television. ISI

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Golf Tips from a No-Longer-a-Low-Handicapper By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire If you are a golfer, you will read this. There is no such thing as a golfer who is not looking for some new secret that can lower his or her score. Even though I am too old to play low-handicap golf any more, I do know what works. Golf is an important part of life for millions of men and women. No longer does anyone exclaim “wow” when I whack the ball off the tee. As age accumulates, strength dissipates as well as focus to follow all the correct techniques. I am now satisfied if I can see my drive safely in the fairway, even if it is only 160 or so yards out. If it takes three or even four shots to get to the green on a par-four hole, I know I can still putt. No Herculean effort needed there. Like most other golfers, I still watch the tournaments on TV, read the golf magazines, and I used to buy the latest equipment. I have taken lessons along the way from five different teaching pros. I even spent the day with the famed British teaching guru David Leadbetter. But, let’s get to the tips. First, a couple of things about the grip. As one scratch golfer once told me, “You should hold the club in a manner that you would grasp a small bird. In other words, not too tightly. Squeezing can create tension that transfers to your whole body. Next, to assure a relaxed grip, try lifting your thumbs from the shaft on short iron shots — just hold the club with your other fingers.

Kenny Perry is the only golf pro I know who lifts the club with his arms on his backswing. Somehow, he gets away with it. Practically every other successful golfer - as you know - accomplishes a smooth backswing by turning his shoulders to carry the club behind his head. That tends to put the club on the correct path. Of course, the downswing is most important. Just before the downswing is when many golfers find the 250 things they have been taught rushing through their brain: Keep the head still, eye on the back of the ball, right elbow close to your side, etc., etc., etc. All that is important, but if you have developed your swing, it is no time to think of what is right and what is wrong. Think instead about NOT hitting the ball. If just hitting it is the goal in your mind, you are giving up much of your power. As you must know, if you have had any instruction, that you must swing through the ball, ending up facing toward your target. Everyone knows that club head speed is what is important for long shots. That is what makes many golfers begin building speed at the top of their backswing. This often leads to flailing, rather than fluidity. Follow-through completes the swing arc. Most importantly, it builds the continuing power for long shots. But you knew that, didn’t you? One pro, years ago, told me, “You have to go through a little hell to get to heaven.” What he was

saying was that you have to wind your shoulders to get that club back as far as possible to unleash the power to send the ball soaring toward heaven. You know you have wound up tightly if your left shoulder touches your chin. Some fine golfers have built a pause into their swing at the top of the backswing. A friend, who once invited me to play at the exclusive Burning Tree club where President Eisenhower and other notables played, always had a momentary pause at the top of his backswing. His handicap was in single digits. I trust you know the downswing does not begin with your hands. It starts with your feet, legs, and hips. That pivot commences the downswing. “Oh, no, not in the bunker” You have missed the green. Your ball is in the sand. But no real problem getting out. Set up with your feet farther apart than usual. Weight on the left foot. Open the face of your sand wedge. Then, hitting an inch or two behind the ball, drive through the sand with your arms while keeping your legs still. Out pops the ball. I’ve found on almost any putt, if I stare at the hole long enough to implant a mental picture of its location, I can then stroke the ball in or quite near the hole. Finally, do not wear yourself out with all those practice swings; save your strength for swinging at the ball. ISI

Sunday School Kids You never know what kids are going to say!

Submitted by Julie Hollar Brantley Higher Power - A Sunday school teacher said to her children, “We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a higher power. Can anybody tell me what it is?” One child blurted out, “Aces!” Moses And The Red Sea - Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School. “Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved.” “Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?” his Mother

asked. “Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you’d never believe it!” The Lord Is My Shepherd - A Sunday school teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible including the 23rd Psalm. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the chapter. Little Ricky was excited about the task - but he just could not remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line. On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, “The Lord is my Shepherd, and that’s all I need to know.” Unanswered Prayer - The preacher’s 5-yearold daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. One day, she asked him why. “Well, Honey,” he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages. “I’m asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.” “How come He doesn’t answer it?” she asked. ISI

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