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Great Falls Quilter Lisa Maki’s Stitches Take Less Time By Bernice Karnop Lisa Maki of Great Falls made her first quilt in April 2005. Two months later, she published her first quilt pattern. Today, she and her quilts appear on PBS television and at quilt shows around the nation. In addition to a dozen patterns, she sells an instructional DVD about her quick and easy technique and pre-cut kits for quilts, table runners, placemats, wall hangings, and more. How did she accomplish this? She began with

a technique that takes the ancient craft of quiltmaking into the future by making it quick and easy. “That’s what the world is coming to,” she says, “because we’re all running out of time.” Lisa’s simpler technique makes quilting accessible to a generation of folks who do not have time to quilt the old-fashioned way. Brand new quilters are drawn into the fold, and grandparents can sit down with youngsters and turn out a colorful project before the kids lose interest. “Instant gratification is the word I use in my explanation of the technique,” says Lisa. The Quilt-N-Go™ technique bypasses much of the measuring, lining up, and pinning on that goes with traditional quilt piecing. The quilter simply takes cut fabric squares, lines them up on the printed grid of an interfacing product, and irons them down using a pressing sheet. The fabric adheres to the interfacing. Then she sets sashing strips between the squares and irons them to the interfacing. Just like that, they are ready to sew. She folds the interfacing between

the squares and strips and stitches between the blocks with a sewing machine to produce a quilt top with perfectly lined up blocks. Unlike many quilters, Lisa did not learn to sew from her mother. However, her mom taught her something that may be even more important - to finish what you start. She provided her daughters with a sewing machine and bought enough fabric for one project. Only when that project was completed would she purchase more fabric. The lesson carries over decades later. “When I start something, I finish it,” Lisa states. You can read the story of how she made her first quilt on her web site, www.crookednickle.com. Looking back, she realizes that she entered the fabric store seeking solace over the loss of a close friend. She bought two packets of five by five inch squares and found out she could iron them on to Pellon® backing to make a quilt. When she finished that project, she went back for two more packets of squares and made the second quilt. “The comfort and warmth of the fabric helped me through the grieving for my best friend,” Lisa says. The Crooked Nickel name for her designs came from the five inch squares, which some call nickels. They are crooked because they are turned to make diamonds, set “on point” instead of being set square. (Continued on page 66)

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Assisted Suicide Debate Continues The June/July issue included a full page ad on page 3 entitled “Physician-Assisted Suicide… Choice or False Promise.” Who sponsored and paid for that ad? What is your policy about advertisements that do not list a sponsor? Thank you very much, David Leuthold Molt ED: We accept advertising from those who do not identify themselves in their ads.

Montana Senior News A Barrett-Whitman Publication

P.O. Box 3363 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3363 406-761-0305 or 800-672-8477 FAX 406-761-8358 www.montanaseniornews.com email: montsrnews@bresnan.net The Montana Senior News is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October and December at 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Montana. The mail subscription rate is $8.00 per year (6 issues). The Montana Senior News is written to serve the reading interests of mature Montanans of all ages. Readers are encouraged to contribute interesting material. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. All copy appearing in the Montana Senior News is protected by copyright and may be reprinted only with the written permission of the publisher. Advertising copy should be received or space reserved by the 5th of the month preceding the month of publication.

Jack W. Love, Jr., Publisher/Editor Colleen Paduano Kathleen McGregor Rhonda Lee Peter Thornburg Sherrie Smith Shannon Stigall

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

As an oncologist, I strive to take care of my patients while I am treating them and as they approach the end of their life. This is why I support our Montana Supreme Court’s decision affirming privacy for our end-of-life medical choices. The decision reached in Baxter is enormous because it confirms that a suffering and terminally ill patient can legally request a life-ending medication from his or her physician. Patients who are terminally ill are understandably fearful of their future and the potential for pain and suffering. Palliation, or the treatment of pain, can be done very well and meets the needs of most patients. But there remains a small group of patients who cannot be palliated and who continue to suffer. In the past, fear of prosecution was great enough to stop physicians from providing aid

in dying even if they felt it was the right thing to do. Physicians often were caught in medical and ethical dilemmas because they felt that they were not fulfilling their obligation to the patient to help relieve their suffering. The end of life experience of each person is unique, very private, and very personal. To be there as a physician at this most intimate time is very special. When the proper criteria for helping a patient in that situation are met, it is neither right nor appropriate for any other group or party to disagree with what has happened there, in the privacy of that home. Montanans are not only independent but thoughtful, and we believe in privacy. The Baxter decision confirms a terminally ill patient’s right to choice, privacy, and dignity at the end of life. Our Legislature should respect the Supreme Court’s decision and preserve the patient’s choice, while providing safeguards to ensure that a free and informed decision can be made, and that physicians who honor those choices are protected. Stephen Speckart, M.D. Missoula When the Montana Supreme Court decided I have a choice on how I am allowed to die, I became hopeful. I have been living with brain cancer for eight years. I want to keep living. However, when my time is near, I want the peace of mind that comes from knowing I have options. Years ago, I was feeding the cows and calves on our ranch, carrying a hay bale in the fields, when I passed out. There was snow on the ground then, and I remember waking up wondering what had happened. My wife took me to the hospital, and

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tests revealed that I had a brain tumor. Surgery removed much, but not all, of the cancer. I have undergone a series of radiation treatments, and have even traveled to Stanford University for treatment using the newest technology. But the repeated radiation has taken a toll on my mind and body. I am now fairly disabled and I may go blind. I am concerned about how my life will end. Opponents in our legislature have already announced that they will try to pass a law to take away my end-of-life choice, and yours. We should reject these efforts. It is only compassionate to minimize unnecessary suffering at the end of life, and to let me make the choice about how much suffering to endure based on my own values and beliefs. I want my physician to be able to respect and honor my choice to die with dignity. Adults should have the option, if terminally ill, to request physician assistance in dying. Even though I do not know whether I would ultimately take medication to end my life peacefully, I would like to have the choice. Steve Johnson Helena I, too, agree with the pitfalls of assisted suicide listed in your Aug/Sept issue. I am 55 years old and a UK citizen. I use a wheelchair full-time. My spine is collapsing, trapping nerves and causing extreme pain as it does so. My doctor tells me that it will get worse. Twenty-five years ago, my doctors believed that I did not have long to live. I also wanted to die. Several times I took active steps to end my life. I was saved only because friends intervened and had me taken to the hospital, where I was treated against my will. I was saved because my friends refused to accept my view that my life had no value. What I needed, and what they gave, was the reassurance that my life did have value and worth, even when I did not think so. Assisted suicide is not good for Montana. Suffering people in Montana deserve the same kind of support that I had. What they desperately do NOT need is to be told they are right to want to die, and to be summarily dispatched. Alison Davis Blandford Forum, UK

Look Out For Canadian Scams A scam is rampant from Canada to the United States. A male caller states that he is your grandchild or friend. He has made an unexpected trip to Canada and is under arrest. Bail money or costs for auto repair need to be wired through Western Union, ASAP. Aware of people having been scammed out of thousands of dollars, I was hesitant to hang up when contacted recently by my “grandson.” His “Canadian lawyer” gave me his cell phone number to enable my return call when I had secured $2000 to wire to him. The local police detective was unconcerned and advised me to not file a complaint. The Canadian police never returned my call. Eventually, I located my grandson (after working until three in the morning, he disconnects his phone). Published August 11, 2010 in the Clark Fork Valley Press was the same Canadian scam, different story. July 15, 2010, Moab, Utah: a restaurant owner, concerned for a stranded employee, wired $800 to Canada. His employee was home in bed. Why are these crooks not arrested? Cathi Flynn Noxon

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 5

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Fall is here, and as the leaves turn and the air chills, why not find someone to cuddle up with and share a cup of hot chocolate? Respond to one of these ads or write your own and meet that special person with whom you can spend this beautiful fall season! To those who wish to respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message and address, phone number, or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. We will forward your response, including your address, phone number, and/or email address to the person placing the ad. If you answer an ad in this section, there is no guarantee that you will receive a response. That’s up to the person who placed the ad. Please make sure you submit your correct address plainly printed so you can promptly receive responses. Respond to the ads in this issue and also sit down now and prepare your own ad to run in our December 2010/January 2011 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 in the December 2010/January 2011 issue, the deadline is November 10, 2010. I am a social person, gentle, ethical with strong principles, and a very good dancer (the jitterbug is my favorite). I have a strong love for music, a good sense of humor, and I love to have fun. I am a graduate of the University of South Dakota with a degree in accounting. I would like to meet a woman from Helena or the surrounding area who is social, attractive, organized, slender, and a dancer with a love of music. I am in superb health (just ask my doctor), although I am a light smoker. But I can easily give that up to fulfill my dream of walking hand in hand with and talking to a wonderful woman. Reply MSN, Dept. 27101, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Single male seeks live-in female companion, 60 to 70. Looks are unimportant. I do not smoke or drink. All replies are welcome and I will answer them all. Reply MSN, Dept. 27102, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Single male, middle 70s, 6”, 195 lbs, boots and jeans type outdoor person. I like fishing, hunting, camping, traveling, or just staying at home watching T.V. No drinking, smoking, or drugs. I am looking for an active lady to share my life in a permanent relationship. I am retired and have a home. I am easy-going, loving, warm, and honest. Just give me a chance to keep you company, hold hands, and share time together. If you are interested in this northwestern MT gentleman, send a picture, address, and phone number. I’ll send the same as soon as I hear from you. Reply MSN, Dept. 27103, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

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This petite, brown-eyed, brunette, Chippewa Cree/Norwegian Montana gal (62) seeks her “cowboy at heart” gentleman (58-70). Perhaps together we could enjoy the beauty of God’s nature, travel some, fish, camp out, garden, (Continued on page 14)

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 7

Bob Vila ranks new 2011 EdenPURE portable heater #1 in North America U.S. designed and engineered GEN4 uses new Sylvania heat source and EdenFLOW™ direct air technology Accept no imitations - portable heaters and fireplaces “dry out” the air with inefficient ceramic heating elements Bob Vila, America’s Favorite Home Improvement Expert, Canton, Ohio I know why millions of Americans are saving on their heating bills with the EdenPURE® Infrared Portable Heater. And now you can save up to $102 on the new 2011 EdenPURE® GEN4, the finest portable heater in the world. The new GEN4 was designed and engineered in the USA and has several patented technological breakthroughs to save you money on your heating bill. U.S. engineers combined specially designed Sylvania Infrared Bulbs with the existing EdenPURE® copper heating chambers for more efficient heating. They even redesigned the air flow, resulting in amplified heating performance. The designers at EdenPURE ® call this their “EdenFLOW ™ Direct Air” technology. For over 30 years as your home improvement television host, I have reviewed and experienced thousands of products. I have an EdenPURE® in my Massachusetts home and found it to be a very safe and reliable source of portable heat. This is one of those few comfort investments I can recommend for your home that will truly pay dividends. We all know heating costs are expected to remain at record levels. The cost of heating our homes will continue to be a significant burden on the family budget. The EdenPURE ® GEN4 can cut your heating bills, pay for itself in a matter of weeks, and then start putting a great deal of extra money in your pocket after that. With over one million satisfied customers around the world, the new EdenPURE ® heats better, faster, saves more on heating bills, and runs almost silent. A major cause of residential fires in the United States is portable heaters. The choice of fire and safety professionals everywhere, the EdenPURE® has no exposed heating elements that can cause a fire. The outside of the EdenPURE® only gets warm to the touch so that it will not burn children or pets. And your pet may be just like my dog who has reserved a favorite spot near the EdenPURE®. The EdenPURE ® can also help you feel better. Unlike EdenPURE® imitators, it will not reduce humidity or oxygen in the room. These imitators use ceramic plates

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Vintage Maddog by Robert Scott McKinnon; Aardwolfe Books (Amazon Kindle), 2010 Reviewed by Connie Daugherty Like most bibliophiles, I like few things better than the feel and smell of a new book. It excites all my senses even before I begin the first page. However, our world is changing, and there is a new - and I expect growing - method of publishing. The electronic book is here to stay. In fact some books, especially those published by small presses, are being produced only electronically. That is the case for the most recent book by Great Falls author Robert Scott McKinnon. Vintage Maddog is available only as an Amazon Kindle book. Vintage Maddog is a collection of short satires about the life and times of Greyhound racing trainers. Each story features Maddog McDermutt, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatestâ&#x20AC;Ś Greyhound trainer,â&#x20AC;? as well as nine other aptly-nicknamed trainers who move from track to track, training and racing Greyhounds. The stories are amusing and informative beneath the satire and are fun to read, even if you do not know anything about Greyhound racing. The character names are descriptive and humorous in themselves. The insight into human and animal relationships that each story presents is universal. As much as I like the tactile sensations of a good, old-fashioned print book, I have to admit the Kindle does have its advantages. It is great for traveling - small and lightweight, with storage for about 1,000 books. You can adjust the size of the print from very tiny to extra large. And it has a built-in dictionary. For instance, did you know that, according to Greek mythology, Cerberus is â&#x20AC;&#x153;a monstrous watchdog with three (or more) heads that guarded the entrance to Hades?â&#x20AC;? Several of the stories in Vintage Maddog are

holiday-themed. In â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cerberus,â&#x20AC;? it is Halloween time, and the trainers decide to show up at the track in costume. Everyone except for Ratfink the Rodent, who is disliked because of his poor training practices. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A dog trainer, you know, has a responsibility to work with a dog, give a dog a second chance, a third chance, a forth chanceâ&#x20AC;Ś if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel that way you shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be around dogs.â&#x20AC;? Ratfink does not agree with this philosophy, and the gang figures out a way to get the point across to him. In â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Puritan Dilemma,â&#x20AC;? the gang celebrates Thanksgiving at the track by taking on the roles of Indians and Puritans, and by covering one of the dogs with turkey feathers. A clever idea, but unfortunately some Greyhounds in the race were trained as hunting dogs before they were trained as racing dogs. And hunting dogs point when they see game - such as a turkey. Other stories deal with the characters facing moral or ethical challenges. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It had been an OK day. Not Bad. Not real good. Just OK. The usual.â&#x20AC;? But it is all about to change in â&#x20AC;&#x153;John Dough.â&#x20AC;? As usual, the gang is discussing which dog is favored to win the upcoming race. Then Fleas Finnigan casually wonders if the â&#x20AC;&#x153;guy over by the concrete pillarâ&#x20AC;? appears to be dead and suggests that someone should check on him. But, â&#x20AC;&#x153;who wanted to see a dead guy in the first place, particularly at a dog track. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why they had morgues. Everything in its place. Dead guys go to morgues. Live guys go to the dog races.â&#x20AC;? But this dead guy has a winning ticket in his hand - a ticket that is no longer any good to him. The gang debates what to do. Many stories give readers a glimpse of life as a dog trainer. In â&#x20AC;&#x153;West Dog Man Go Westâ&#x20AC;?, we get an idea of what it is like to travel the dog racing

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circuit. Life is not always easy, but good dogs and good friends make it worthwhile. “I pushed open the Kennel Seven door. Naturally: it caught on the hinge. I would fix that. You always had to fix things. That was why I carried a hammer and nails in the trailer. Dog trainers had to be carpenters, too.” In “Legs Diamond,” management tries to bring more people out to the track by issuing a challenge. “The American Racing Greyhound is the fastest animal on this continent. And we will take all comers… this track management will pay $500 to anything that can beat a racing Greyhound.” The Greyhounds end up racing a variety of animals as the public takes up the challenge. Fame and recognition are also parts of the dog-racing lifestyle. Maddog is asked to speak at the Greyhound Hall of Fame; the gang reacts to the prestigious honor with mixed feelings in “The

Honorarium.” In “Get the Picture,” they help Maddog prepare a slide show to present at the Hall of Fame dinner. Maddog and the gang set out for Kansas and the Greyhound Hall of Fame in a rented motorhome in “Maddog Pulls a Bonner.” Although Vintage Maddog is currently only available as an Amazon Kindle book, it is a fun and light-hearted romp through the world of Greyhound racing. Perhaps it will eventually be available in print. Meanwhile, if you have a Kindle, or are thinking of asking for one as a Christmas gift, Vintage Maddog is a good book to start off with. Robert Scott McKinnon is the author of several children’s books, a children’s play, a movie about the Salmon River, and Down Under Jones, a book about an adopted Greyhound. He and his wife, Suzy, raised and raced Greyhounds for 15 years. He taught high school English for 32 years,

Support Our Treasure Of Information - The Great Falls Public Library Great Falls Public Library has been serving our community since 1889, just as Montana was gaining statehood. We have come a long way from providing books only for adults, developing into a community treasure that provides books, electronic resources, homebound services, programs for children and adults, delivery by bookmobile, and much more. Our citizens have always been generous in their support of the library. You can, too, while creating opportunities for tax exempt charitable giving and/or estate planning for yourself or family members. Your donations can help the library purchase materials, establish more programming, and expand service to our community. The library can use donations in areas where funds are most needed, or you may designate an area where you would like to see funds applied. You may also designate that funds be deposited, in whole or in part, with the Great Falls Public Library Foundation for future support of the library. “The library is a democratic cornerstone of our community, offering learning opportunities for

everyone. It truly is an investment in the future of all of our residents,” states Library Director Kathy Mora. For more information, call 406-453-0349, or visit the library web page at www.greatfallslibrary. org. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 9

and coached high school and junior high school swimming. The McKinnons continue to run a learn-to-swim program and compete in masters swim meets. MSN

PAGE 10 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

Financial Assistance for Medicare Part D Beneficiaries By Jim Miller One of the key benefits for seniors in the new healthcare reform law is improved coverage for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you should know. (QMR\ WKH %HQHÂżWV RI *LYLQJ Donut Hole Rebate - This year, seniors who have a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan are $UH \RX FRQFHUQHG DERXW WKH KLJK automatically eligible to receive a one-time $250 FRVW RI FDSLWDO JDLQV WD[ XSRQ WKH rebate check if they hit the â&#x20AC;&#x153;donut-holeâ&#x20AC;? coverage VDOH RI \RXU DVVHWV" gap and are not already receiving Medicare â&#x20AC;&#x153;Extra Help.â&#x20AC;? Medicare expects around 4 million Part D $ FKDULWDEOH UHPDLQGHU WUXVW SHUPLWV \RX WR beneficiaries will actually hit the donut hole in 2010. PDNH D JLIW RI \RXU SURSHUW\ WR FKDULW\ DQG The donut hole begins after you reach $2,830 WDNH DGYDQWDJH RI QXPHURXV WD[ EHQHÂżWV in total prescription-drug spending and extends )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ RQ FKDULWDEOH until your total drug costs for the year reach $6,440. UHPDLQGHU WUXVWV SOHDVH FRQWDFW XV DW Within that gap, you generally have to pay the bills out-of-pocket. After that, your Part D plan covers RU ORJ RQ WR RXU ZHE VLWH DW 95 percent of your remaining drug costs for the ZZZ PVXQ HGX IRXQGDWLRQ year. Again, you just need to reach the donut hole to qualify for the rebate. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to spend $250 within the coverage gap first. And you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to fill out any forms to get your check. Medicare will send it when you reach the donut hole â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you should receive it within 45 days. To make sure there are no delays, you may want to call your drug plan once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve hit the donut hole, to make sure theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve notified Medicare of your eligibility. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t F I N A N C I A L G R O U P get your rebate check, call Medicare at 800-633-4227. â&#x2013; LIFE INSURANCE Scam Alert - The â&#x2013; LONG TERM CARE government also wants to â&#x2013; SENIOR INCOME PLANNING Victoria & Marcus Thurston warn seniors about posThurston Financial Group sible con artists who may â&#x2013; SMALL BUSINESS RETIREMENT PLANS 100 N. 27th St., Suite #240 Billings, MT 59101 try to take advantage of the government rebate. If Call (406) 534-0133 today to schedule a someone calls you claimfree consultation or visit us online at ing to need your personal www.thurstonfinancialgroup.com! information, like your MediR e g i s t e r e d R e p r e s e n t a t i v e o f a n d s e c u r i t i e s o ff e r e d t h r o u g h Q u e s t a r C a p i t a l C o r p o r a t i o n ( Q C C ) care or Social Security M e m b e r F I N R A / S I P C . A d v i s o r y s e r v i c e s o ff e r e d t h r o u g h Q u e s t a r A s s e t M a n a g e m e n t ( Q A M ) . A R e g i s t e r e d I n v e s t m e n t A d v i s o r. T h u r s t o n F i n a n c i a l G r o u p i s i n d e p e n d e n t o f Q C C a n d Q A M .

number, or bank account so they can process your Medicare rebate check, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give it to them. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a scam! Call 1-800-MEDICARE to report it. Coming Next Year - You also need to know that starting in 2011, Medicare Part D beneficiaries that hit the donut hole will receive a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs and a seven percent discount on generic prescriptions. After that, beneficiaries will pay a smaller portion of their drug costs in the donut hole each year until 2020, when they have to pay just 25 percent of those costs. Also starting next year, individuals who earn more than $85,000 (or $170,000 if married filing jointly) will have to pay a high-income surcharge for Part D Premiums, as they do for Part B. Extra Help Changes - Another change to be aware of is Medicareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expanded prescription drug benefit to low income seniors (this is not part of healthcare reform). Changes in the law have now made it easier for about 1 million more seniors to qualify for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Extra Helpâ&#x20AC;? in paying their Medicare drug coverage. To be eligible, your annual income must be less than $16,245 for an individual and $21,855 for a married couple living together. And your assets such as stocks, bonds and bank accounts must be limited to $12,510 for singles and $25,010 for married couples. The value of your home and automobiles are excluded. Under the old law, applicants had to include the value of life insurance policies in calculating their assets. They also had to include as part of their income money received on a regular basis from relatives and friends to help pay household expenses. Under the new law, life insurance policies are no longer counted as assets and money received to help pay household expenses is not counted as income. To find out if you qualify, call Social Security at 800-772-1213 or see ssa.gov/ prescriptionhelp. MSN

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

By Simone Luttrell, EA Junkermeir, Clark, Campanella, Stevens, PC Now that Congress has passed a landmark health care reform package, it is important for all of us to be aware of the changes and how they may affect our financial and health care decisions. While the result of the legislative process is necessarily health care-related, the tax law plays a major role in its implementation. From the tax credits and subsidies used to expand health coverage to the many penalties, fees, and surtaxes designed to pay for it, the Tax Code is front and center. The following review of the changes to the Tax Code will help us understand how this new health care reform will affect our lives. Two new laws - Health care reform is actually made up of two new laws: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. The Patient Protection Act was crafted largely in the Senate and sets out the general framework of health care reform. The Reconciliation Act was prepared in the House to modify the Patient Protection Act, especially in the areas of tax credits and cost sharing for individuals to help make coverage more affordable. Common features to both laws are delayed effective dates for many of the provisions, which make strategic

Health Care Reform Means Many Changes In Tax Law

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 11

planning more important. New taxes and penalties - Viewing the historic health care reform package from the context of the Tax Code, many new taxes and penalties stand out immediately above the rest. Initially, we would advise taking particular note of the fol-

lowing: • Individuals who earn more than $200,000 for the year ($250,000 for married couples) will pay an additional 0.9% in Hospital Insurance (Medicare) tax, starting in 2013. • Individuals whose adjusted gross income for the year exceeds $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers), whether from wages or otherwise, will also pay an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on net investment income, starting in 2013. • Employers with 50 or more employees who do not offer coverage or who offer coverage that does not meet new minimum essential coverage requirements will pay a penalty per employee, starting in 2014. • Small for-profit employers with no more than 25 employees are entitled to up to a 35%

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New West Medicare Advantage Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans are offered by New West Health Services, a health plan with a Medicare Contract. Anyone entitled to Medicare Part A and enrolled in Medicare Part B can apply. Enrollees must continue to pay their Medicare Part B monthly premium. Cost sharing and the monthly plan premium apply. You must live in the service area to enroll. The beneﬁt information provided here is a brief summary, not a comprehensive description. H2701_NW#312A-09-10 File & use 09/15/2010

PAGE 12 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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tax credit on the cost of providing health insurance for employees, starting immediately in 2010 (small tax-exempt employers may qualify for a reduced credit). • Young adults may remain on their parents’ health insurance plans through age 26. The health care reform package extends the income tax exclusion to any employee’s child who has not reached age 27 as of the end of the tax year. • Most individuals will be required to obtain health insurance or be subject to a penalty tax starting in 2014. • Tax credits to subsidize the cost of health insurance premiums will be available to individuals earning up to 400% of the poverty level, starting in 2014. • Health flexible savings arrangement (FSA) dollars will be limited to prescription medications with some exceptions after 2010, along with a $2,500 annual cap on expenses covered under

health FSAs, after 2012. • A 40% excise tax will be imposed on highcost, “Cadillac” employer-sponsored health coverage, starting in 2018. • Fees will be imposed on the pharmaceutical industry and health insurance providers, starting in 2011 and 2014, respectively. • An excise tax will be imposed on medical device manufacturers after 2012. • Limits on tax-subsidized medical expenses will be imposed by raising the itemized medical expense deduction floor for regular tax purposes from 7.5% to 10%, generally starting in 2013. Over the course of the coming months and years, the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies will issue regulations to implement the provisions of the health care reform statutes. It is important that we remain informed as health care reform unfolds so we can make the best decisions for ourselves and our families. MSN

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The University of Montana Foundation’s mission is to ensure UM’s excellence, access, and affordability through a public/private funding partnership. We rely on the generous and committed alumni and friends who invest in The University of Montana. Everything you witness on campus today has been touched by our visionary philanthropists. We are grateful to those who are helping higher education improve our world. Because of private support, UM students, professors, and staff can stay focused in an environment of excellence. And gift planning plays an important role in the continuation of their vital work. The Office of Gift Planning has the ability to provide you with a full array of gift planning options. We are licensed to provide annuities, will act as trustee of charitable remainder trusts, and can assist you in lifetime gifts such as real estate, personal property, and securities. We can accept gifts through your estate as a beneficiary of your will or living trust and as a beneficiary of your retirement plan or life insurance policy. To learn more about supporting The University of Montana through a planned gift, please contact Theresa Boyer, Director of Gift Planning, via phone at 800-443-2593 or email GiftPlanningUMF@mso.umt.edu. Visit our website at www.supportum.org/plannedgiving. MSN

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 13

Support Fort Belknap Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s White Clay Immersion Language School By Rebecca Bishop In 2003, Lynette Chandler started an after-school program to teach the Gros Ventre (Aaniinen) language to children because she believed that the language would be lost forever. These small classes evolved into the present-day White Clay Immersion School, which offers 3rd through 8th grade students a dynamic, culturally-centered education. The school focuses on traditional ways that American Indians used math, science, language, social studies, business, and history. Immersing and blending standard education with traditional dynamics allows the students to view their world as one. The students get a well-rounded education as the instructors and staff

teach the students a state-required curriculum centering on language, cultural relevance, and history. Lynette says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is assimilation turned right side out; where what was once the norm is the way once more. This unique curriculum includes the cultural aspect in all subjects. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The language is the key to our life ways - when a language dies, a culture dies with it. Our students know the language and will carry that on to the next generation. The Aaniinen ways and language will not be forgotten,â&#x20AC;? Lynette adds. For information or to donate please contact Dr. Lynette Chandler at 406353-2607. MSN

Quality Programming On PBS Is Worth Your Support MontanaPBS is more than television; it is ideas, learning, arts and culture, and citizenship. We tell Montanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story and ensure that Montanans of all walks of life are learning about things that are important to them. MontanaPBS offers quality programming to over 150 communities statewide. It is a partnership among KUSM TV at MSU in Bozeman, KUFM TV at The University of Montana in Missoula, and the more than 10,000 households that contribute to the Friends of MontanaPBS - a separate non-profit organization that supports the MontanaPBS service. The professionals and volunteers who work on your behalf at MontanaPBS are people who live alongside you. The same neighborhoods in which you attend churches, parks, schools, and events are also the places where we live, study, worship, and play. Live debates, election results, in-depth local news, historical documentaries, local arts coverage, educational services, and favorite programs like Backroads of Montana, Class C, and 11th and Grant with Eric Funk are but a sampling of why Montanans are proud to support MontanaPBS. MontanaPBS is the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s television. For more information, call us at 1-866-832-0829. MSN

Fifty Bucks Is Fifty Bucks Ken and his wife Edna went to the state fair every year. Each time they went, Ken would say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Edna, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to ride in that helicopter.â&#x20AC;? Edna always replied, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know Ken, but that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks.â&#x20AC;? One year, Ken and Edna went to the fair, and Ken said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Edna, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m 75 years old. If I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ride that helicopter now, I might never get another chance.â&#x20AC;? To this Edna replied, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ken, that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucksâ&#x20AC;? The pilot overheard the couple and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Folks, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make you a deal. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say a word, I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t charge you a penny! But if you say one word Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll charge you fifty dollars.â&#x20AC;? Ken and Edna agreed, and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word... When they landed, the pilot turned to Ken and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m impressed!â&#x20AC;? Ken replied, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Edna fell out. But you know, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fifty bucks is fifty bucks!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? MSN

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

Personals - continued from page 6 do crafts, watch TV, and have quiet times. I do love to cook healthy meals, make herbal remedies, praise the Lord and his wondrous ways (though not at all religious), and more. You could find this adventurous, retired, country singer/songwriter and floral designer somewhere up here below the Mission Mountains, if you will send a note and photo. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hopeful... are you? Reply MSN, Dept. 27104, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Are you lonesome? Would you like to have someone to talk to or go places with? If yes, then maybe we can get together and see what happens! I am a DWF in my early 70s with blue eyes, gray hair, 4â&#x20AC;&#x2122;8â&#x20AC;? tall, 127 lbs. I do not smoke, drink, or do drugs. I would like to have a live-in companion who can relocate. If you want to know more, then drop me a line and picture. I will answer all. Reply MSN, Dept. 27105, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Male in his early 80s. No smoking, drinking, or drugs of any kind. I enjoy traveling, dining out, fishing, and just staying at home watching TV. I am looking for a lady companion in her late 70s or mid 80s to share my life with. Will answer all letters. Reply MSN, Dept. 27106, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWM in central Montana - not a couch sitter! I enjoy card games and dancing. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m an outdoor person with a green thumb. I winter in Arizona after hunting season is over and I return to Montana in the spring around May. I enjoy people as they are unless they abuse drugs or alcohol. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to share my life with someone who is honest and enjoys a closeness to the Lord. I have all the toys I could want and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m willing to relocate for the right lady. I love to travel by motorhome in the US and Canada and go on walks. At 76, going slow and enjoying the moment is my style. If your outlook on life is similar to mine, we could be friends - who knows? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll answer any inquiry. Reply MSN, Dept. 27107, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWM, 66, 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;11,â&#x20AC;? smoker, no alcohol or drugs. I would like to meet a lady in her 60s for companionship - maybe more. Noxon - Thompson Falls - Plains area. Photo and phone number appreciated; I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do e-mail. Reply MSN, Dept. 27108, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. White male widower, 66 years young, 6â&#x20AC;&#x2122;5â&#x20AC;? tall, 260 lbs. I do not smoke, drink, or do drugs. I love hunting, fishing, long walks, eating out, holding hands, having garage sales, and long rides. I am looking for a lady to share my life with - I have lots of love for the right person. I live in Columbus, but I will travel

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to meet you. Will answer all who write and send picture. Reply MSN, Dept. 27109, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I am a female, 55 years old, non-drinker, light smoker, 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;9â&#x20AC;? tall with shoulder length medium blonde hair, and average weight. I am looking for a gentleman that is honestly a good person, a believer in Jesus Christ, and age 54-60. I want someone to be friends with first, with the chance of a possible relationship later. I am independent and strong willed. I work at least 50 hours a week so I enjoy relaxing, taking it easy, and enjoying life. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a good listener, and like to talk over a cup of coffee, lunch, or dinner. I also enjoy movies and reading. Possibly later we could take a weekend getaway, go sight seeing, shopping, or just take a walk. I will be attending â&#x20AC;&#x153;Culinary Artsâ&#x20AC;? this fall. I love to cook and bake - possibly for you if you play your cards right! If you are interested, please give me a call or jot down a note. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Reply MSN, Dept. 27110, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

figure, am mainly healthy, independent, self-sufficient, and a published poet. Seeking non-smokers, non-drug-users, and those who do not listen to rap or hard rock. Reply MSN, Dept. 27113, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 15

weakness, then I would like to talk to you! Reply MSN, Dept. 27114, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve kissed my last toad! I am ready to meet a nice man who wants a (Continued on page 48)

If you are reasonably attractive and would rather have your picture on a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desk than at some dating bureauâ&#x20AC;Ś If you can appreciate an attractive, 69-year old man who is financially secure, kind, sensitive, and caringâ&#x20AC;Ś If you believe that being a nice guy is a source of character and strength, rather than a sign of

Single, white male in late 60s is looking for a life mate in her late 50s or 60s. I enjoy the simple things of life: traveling, fishing, hunting, dining out, and nature. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Christian, a non-smoker, and a non-drinker. I have my own home and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m willing to share and give to establish a strong, loving relationship that will last a lifetime. Reply MSN, Dept. 27111, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a single, white female looking for a mature man in his late 40s to early 60s. I enjoy fishing, hunting, travel, garage sales, and movies. I love to cook and bake, but I need someone to cook for. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drink or smoke. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Christian, but not a religious fanatic. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hoping to find someone special to share my life with. Life is too short to be alone. Reply MSN, Dept. 27112, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. New in Great Falls, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a 78-year-old lady whose husband has been in a nursing home for three years with Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. I would like conversation and companionship â&#x20AC;&#x201C; male or female. I love the outdoors, fishing, gardening, walking, travel, drives, Western music, cards, cooking, and the occasional meal out and glass of wine. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;2â&#x20AC;?, from a farm background, have mature

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PAGE 16 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

In this election year you must protect your Social Security benefits By Bob Campbell We are inundated with information and misinformation about the financial world around us, which makes this November 2 election so important. We must get straight answers from those who seek our vote! If you are a former state employee receiving retirement benefits, the Montana Constitution forbids the legislature from decreasing them. Unfortunately, the United States Constitution does not have this protection, and the only federal race on the ballot is for our one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The size of our federal deficit cannot be ignored, and many suggestions are being made for how to bring our spending back in line with our revenues. At the extreme, some have proposed cutting Social Security benefits but with little thought as to the consequences of such an action. Since the 1930s when the Great Depression left a scar of poverty on much of our population, the Social Security system has been one of our governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best investments. The collections have been so successful that Congress has â&#x20AC;&#x153;borrowedâ&#x20AC;? money, leaving IOUs that are virtually worthless. The impact of Social Security on Montanans is impressive. Nearly 20% of us are receiving Social Security benefits. If we did not have these monthly benefits, half of us would not be able to rent an apartment or pay the mortgage on our home. Without these benefits, women would be especially hard hit because they traditionally have worked less and are therefore more dependent on their spouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s benefits. Without Social Security benefits, women over 65 would be four times more likely to live in poverty. Social Security also provides disability benefits that help 24,000 Montana families avoid a bleak financial future. We have worked hard during our lifetime for the promise of Social Security benefits and we must be sure that the person we elect to Congress promises to preserve our present and future benefits. Mr. Rehberg has been our representative since 1991. His office informed me that he would not introduce or support any change in Social Security benefits for current beneficiaries. Regarding future beneficiaries, Rehberg would not commit to preserving the status quo depending on the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial situation. In my interview with challenger Dennis McDonald, he declared he was absolutely opposed to any reduction of current benefits and would support legislation to return the funds that have been looted from Social Security. He agreed that future beneficiaries would have to compete for benefits because of our current financial situation. McDonald feels Social Security benefits should have the Â? /(9=,:; 4(5(.,4,5; :<) 33* highest priority in future budgets. Financial situation? The most absurd part is that we have â&#x20AC;&#x153;no-more-taxesâ&#x20AC;? taxed ourselves right into this situation. Since the economic policies of the 1980s, instead of paying our way we have borrowed from the then-solvent Social Security system

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DON RYAN Career Politician Big-Government Liberal * Voted to continue deregulation, a policy which cost ratepayers and retirees millions (HB 25, 2007) * Voted to force your power company to spend more than 200% market price to buy high-priced energy or â&#x20AC;&#x153;renewable creditsâ&#x20AC;? (SB 415, 2005) * Introduced laws to tax soda and impose regulations on private businessesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bathrooms! (SB332, 2005; SB2, 2007) * Listed on Barack Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign website as leading Montana supporter of Obama

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and not paid for our other commitments (read Iraq and Afghanistan wars as the most egregious examples). For years, we have falsely projected a rosy fiscal picture when in fact we have grossly underfunded our obligations. Shame on us! When will we understand that just as we need income to run our households, we need taxes to run our government? The home mortgage debacle illustrates our personal fiscal

irresponsibility, and that same mindset is reflected in the fiscal irresponsibility with which we have run our government. So now, it is time to wake up and pay up! And not on the backs of millions of older Americans who receive or are about to receive Social Security benefits so important to their health and well-being. MSN

Selective Vision Were it not for mistakes and failures, there would have been nothing in her life. Errors, bungles, and gaffes filled her days. Her mistakes had become the defining element of her life. Even though some of her errors were funny, it was clear that her behavior was becoming destructive. Funny incidents had given way to a pathetic pattern. As a good friend, he wanted to help her. He wanted to intervene to protect her dignity and at the same time make her aware of the problem. Even though he was not a psychologist or a behavior therapist, the cause was clear. She was impulsive. She would flit from one thing to another, giving nothing the time it deserved. She had a range of interests that was endless and the energy to match it. But she seldom got anything done without some problem or error along the way. Fortunately, her mistakes were generally small and usually fixable, but she definitely had established a pattern of unproductive behavior. Friends and family were growing reluctant to trust her. Her self-esteem had suffered one blow after another, and her self-confidence had hit an all time low. As he saw it, if she would just slow down a bit and think before she acted, she could dramatically reduce her error rate. He knew that she, like everyone else, would always make some mistakes, but he also knew that her pattern of behavior could be changed for the better. After he got up his nerve, he invited her to dinner. As they walked into the restaurant, she looked at the plate of every person they passed. She spotted an Italian dish and decided immediately to order it. She placed her order quickly, without consulting the menu. When her meal came, she found that it was prepared with garlic - to which

she was allergic. The waiter retrieved the meal and asked what she would like in its place. She went with the meatloaf platter. After dinner, they went to see a movie. While waiting in line, they were talking about the actress in the movie she had selected. She made an insensitive comment about how much weight the actress had recently gained and how that had damaged her appearance. Unfortunately, the young man behind them in line had an obvious weight issue. He had heard her comment, so he was embarrassed and she felt bad that she had unintentionally hurt his feelings. In the context of these two recent examples, he tried to talk to her about her impulsive behavior. She would hear nothing of it. She saw her mistakes as nothing more than everyday problems that happen to everyone. Even when he was able to provide specific examples, she could not see it. He tried to help her see that she was sabotaging her life with her behavior. Each time he met with less success than the time before. Frustrated, he gave up. Recounting the experience for a mutual friend, he expressed concern and frustration. It bothered him that he could not get her to see what she was doing and

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 17

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how she could easily change. It weighed on him that he could not help her. Sensing his frustration, the mutual friend shared a simple reality that put it all in perspective. The mutual friend told him how thoughtful and powerful it is to be concerned for others and to be prepared to help them see the realities of life that may be hidden to them. As their conversation was wrapping up, he

shared a bit of wisdom that applied to this situation nicely. He said, “You have no reason to feel bad. You can tell someone almost anything, but they are going to hear it only if they are ready to. That is something over which you have little or no control. As the old proverb says, ‘You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink!’” MSN

Ketchum’s Sawtooth Botanical Garden: Blooms and a Bit of Tibet to Boot Article & Photo by Craig & Liz Larcom Flowers at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden south of Ketchum attract everything from hummingbirds to tour buses. On a 5-acre parcel gardeners and environmentalists have created a mix of gardens to showcase plants that thrive at high altitude. With sections for wildflowers, alpine flowers, perennials, sagebrush, and streamside plant communities as well as a xeriscape (droughttolerant) garden, visitors find plenty of flowers to stop and smell as they learn about native and cultivated plants and explore the greenhouse. But the highlight of the place is undoubtedly the Garden of Infinite Compassion, a departure from the master plan that has stolen the show since it was created in 2005. This contemplative garden features immense rocks, a splashing watercourse, a reflective pond, and a gift of the Dalai Lama – a colorful, hand-carved Tibetan prayer wheel. Executive Director Keith Pangborn says, “When I get stressed out or anything, I take a walk around it, go back to my office, and it seems like everything’s okay.” But when the Garden of Infinite Compassion was evolving, the

situation was anything but serene. Pangborn tells the story this way. “When the Dalai Lama came here I think that he had decided pretty simultaneously that he was going to bring a gift to the valley to commemorate his visit. The timing of it was the (fourth) anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. So it was all about peace. He had a contingent of his monks that built a prayer wheel in Dharmasala, India. “They designed it. It’s pretty good size. It probably weighs 400 or 500 pounds. Then they spent months writing out mantras and prayers, rolling them up and they’re all stuffed inside of the wheel. The theory is as you spin the wheel you send out the prayers to the world. So that’s kind of how a prayer wheel works, really.” The problem for Ketchum was where to put this remarkable gift. “They were going to put it in front of the high school, which seemed kind of really strange. I mean, they actually were pretty serious about doing it, which I thought would have been a mistake. Graffiti and all,” Pangborn says. “One of my real estate agents, I have a real estate company, called me when I was up over the pass there in Stanley one night and says ‘We have this proposition for the Botanical Garden.’” So she suggested to Pangborn, then the president of the Garden’s board, about putting the prayer wheel at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden. Pangborn was intrigued. The catch was that the

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Dalai Lama’s visit was just weeks away, and they would have little time to raise money or build a proper garden setting before he came. But with persuasion, the board of the Sawtooth Botanical Garden, jumped in. Shortly thereafter, Martin Mosko, the founder of Marpa Design Studio, stopped by. An ideal landscape designer for the project, the award-winning Mosko, of Boulder, Colorado, is an ordained Buddhist monk. But that was August 9 and the clock was ticking. The Dalai Lama would visit to dedicate the prayer wheel September 13. Mosko came to Ketchum right away. Pangborn relates that he looked around the flat acreage for some time, finally announcing, “This is the best place for it.” “For two or three days he would go into a room,” Pangborn says. “Then he would bring out a piece of plywood with a garden model made of something like clay and say, ‘We’ll build this.’ No construction drawings, no elevation drawings – ever. Next day he went to the Flathead in Montana for the big rocks.” Looking much like the ones on the model, the 16 humongous rocks that dominate the Garden of Infinite Compassion represent 16 of Buddha’s disciples. In addition to their fine looks, they do double-duty to hold the soil in place on the anything but flat garden. The downward slope and the sound of the garden’s waterfall drown the noise of Highway 75. The big rocks prove to be the most expensive part of the project, together with the 3,000-gallon vault for the re-circulating water. “We got some grief for not buying the rock in Idaho,” Pangborn recalls. “I guarantee that buy local thing. But Martin basically wanted that stone, and the reason he picked this from the quarry over in Flathead is the way they cleave. They’re flat. We do many weddings here and they are perfect places for people to sit. People come down and meditate the hottest times of day, too. We’ve had Buddhist monks come down here and do meditations.” Pangborn adds, “I call the garden non-denominational because we have had all denominations of weddings down here for the beauty of it.” The largest rock, 26 feet high, weighs about 30 tons. “We had the largest crane in Idaho because of the weight. Once you get so far away from the crane, you know about fulcrums and stuff? We had some issues, wedges because some of the

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 19

rocks weren’t flat on the bottom.” Mosko personally directed the placement, and as he worked with Big Wood Landscape, the project moved ahead. “It was hard to get donations in-kind because everything happened so quickly. I’ve got a friend who runs Alpine Masonry in town. He donated all the river rock, trucking it in by the ton,” Pangborn says. But in spite of the rush, in-kind donations amounted to about half of the project’s expense. “We still owe a little money on it, but nothing like it was. A couple months later the ball got rolling and we got a lot of funding. So it’s kind of a testament to what people’s wills can do, when they get inspired and everybody works together,” Pangborn adds. By the time the Dalai Lama arrived September 13, 2005 to bless the prayer wheel, everything but the smaller alpine plants that would come in succeeding years was in place. Today visitors who wander the gravel path through the Garden of Infinite Compassion experience tranquility. In this beautiful and well-ordered garden, few if any would guess its hurried past. The Sawtooth Botanical Garden, on Highway 75 and Gimlet Road in Ketchum, is open daily from dawn to dusk. It’s free, though donations are welcome. Visit www.sbgarden.org or call 208-726-9358 for more information. MSN

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Angels In Afghanistan By W.E. Reinka I learned the other day that I am a syncretic. Syncretics, whom social scientists say are far more common than in generations past, are open to spiritual concepts beyond their upbringings and may merge several traditions in their personal beliefs. When I search the mysteries of life, I take wisdom where I find it, whether from the East or West, the old or the new. Sometimes wisdom remains close to home. Take the Book of Psalms. I first learned the 23rd Psalm in Sunday school. Do not think “the valley of the shadow of death” did not terrify me. I figured God must indeed be remarkable to guide anyone through such a spooky place. As an adult, I admire the countless striking images in the beautiful language of the Psalms even more than I did as a child. Despite, or maybe because of, their imagery, the Psalms seem unvarnished. David, who wrote most of them, lets God know exactly what he is thinking as he cries out in gratitude, “For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.” (Psalm 116:8, King James Version). Or sadness. “Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea my soul and my belly.” (Psalm 31:9). Psalm 91 is a flatout plea for protection. Five years ago when

I underwent a bone marrow transplant to fight lymphoma , my wife whispered Psalm 91 in my ear as an anonymous donor’s stem cells poured through an I.V. into my arm: “Give his angels charge over thee to protect thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 91:11). Unrelated donors and recipients must remain anonymous for at least a year after transplant. What joy when I could finally meet my donor over the phone - a young Army officer named Paul. But I have never had the privilege of meeting him in person. He is in Afghanistan now, and I pray that God gives his Psalm 91 angels charge over him. “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.” (Psalm 91:7). I also pray for Stephen, another young Army officer whom I have never met. He is my cousin’s son. My cousin and I grew up across the street from each other and saw each other almost every day until my family moved away in high school. After going to different colleges, we headed to opposite coasts, and I have never met either of his sons. Still, as Stephen prepares to ship out to Afghanistan, I pray that God shelters and protects him. “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler” (Psalm 91:4). Finally, when my niece Erin completes her current European assignment for the State Department’s Foreign Service, she is heading for Kabul. I will be praying that the Psalm 91 angels enfold her every minute she is there. “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day: Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday” (Psalm 91:5-6). In my spiritual explorations around the world, I have found worthy concepts that are difficult to grasp. However, complexity is not necessarily a requirement of wisdom. To me at least, asking God to protect the angels in our lives seems a simple truth. MSN

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

  By Bernice Karnop If you were trying to win the Pillsbury Bake-Off Competition, you probably would not go about it the way state winner Aimee Hachigian-Gould, M.D., did. She realized the deadline for the everyother-year contest was at hand just before leaving home for Lewistown with her 17-year-old twins, who were participating in a 4-H event. “If I am going to get this thing in, it has to be tonight,” she realized. She grabbed some recipes she thought would create a dish pretty enough to grace the front of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Cookbook. That night when things settled down, she found the public computer in the Yogo Inn. “It’s such a process, and I was afraid I’d enter this complicated recipe and then lose my data,” she says. So she started with a simple family favorite she had in her head, one that she would not feel bad about if the computer did swallow it. Everything went well and she entered a couple of other recipes. A few months later, Pillsbury let her know that she was a potential winner but they did not say which recipe they had chosen. After completing the vetting process, she learned that it was the simple, old family favorite she had been making in some form for at least 20 years, Featherlight Cheddar-Ranch Puffs. “I was floored because it was just something a mom would cook - quick and easy. It’s hearty instead of a showpiece.” The recipe started with an old ranch cook who fed lots of unexpected company for dinner. Nothing dresses up a meal like hot bread, but he did not have time to make rolls for people who showed up at 6 o’clock. He solved the problem by making biscuits and adding yeast. Hachigian used his recipe and then started adding things the family liked. At first, it was just cheese and garlic. Then she switched the garlic for Ranch Dressing. Her husband likes green onions, so she put them in and so on. Hachigian noticed that her recipe on the Pillsbury Bake-Off’s web site www.pillsbury.com is one of the few made from scratch. She believes it is always more nutritious if you cook it yourself. She is also an advocate of eating seasonal and local foods. And please do not tell her that you do not have time to cook. She practices orthopedics two days a week and has two related consulting businesses. She is a hands-on rancher who can run and repair the equipment, cut hay, help birth calves, and fill in the necessary paper work. “If I can make sure we have at least one hot meal on the table every single day, anybody can do it,” she insists. “Don’t be afraid to go out and try something new,” she advises. “What’s the worst that can happen? If it’s a total disaster, the dogs will eat it.” Aimee grew up in Detroit, Michigan, but she always knew she would end up in Montana. Her grandfather was a cowboy in Montana in the 1920s, and although he ended up back in Detroit, the only stories he told were about Montana. After medical school, she accepted a job at the Great Falls Clinic. “I thought, if I like it, I’ll stay. If not, I’ll have punched a hole in the dream and I can leave,” she says. She stayed at the Great Falls Clinic for five years and opened

her private practice in 1990. By that time, she had met her rancher on a blind date and sealed her destiny. She credits her love of cooking and her attitude toward life to being Armenian. The country of Armenia, north of Turkey, is best known for the mountains of Ararat, the resting place of Noah’s Ark. In the early part of the last century, Armenians were Turkish citizens, but as Christians residing in the middle of the Islamic world, they were second-class citizens with restricted freedoms. In 1915, while World War I grabbed the headlines, the Armenians became the victims of the first genocide of the 20th century. The Hachigian family was part of a group of rescued Armenians that settled in Detroit. The Armenians

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 23

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could have developed a victim mentality, Aimee says, but instead, because they lost so many other things, they were determined not to lose any opportunities. Aimee’s father made sure his children went to school, but also taught every skill at home. The girls learned to fix cars, and the boys to cook and do dishes. The attitude takes a little different form in Hachigian. “I don’t want God to call me home and as I’m going out, be thinking, I should have gone here, I want to do that,” she admits. “I want to take advantage of the opportunities I have.” Among the things Aimee wants to do is to go into space. In 1983, she applied to go on a NASA space shuttle but failed an eye exam. Whether or not blasting into space is in her future, she is content for now to have competed against the other 100 contestants in the Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando last April. Featherlight Cheddar-Ranch Puffs By Aimee Hachigian-Gould, M.D. Light tender biscuits flavored with Cheddar cheese and ranch dressing mix make a foolproof accompaniment to eggs, soups, or salads. Prep Time: 25 Min; Total Time: 1 Hr; Makes: 20 puffs Ingredients: 1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons) ¼-cup warm water (105F to 115F) 3 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Unbleached or All Purpose Flour

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

1-tablespoon baking powder 1-teaspoon baking soda 1-teaspoon salt 1 package (1 oz) ranch dressing mix ½ cup cold LAND O LAKES® Butter 1 cup thinly sliced green onions (8 medium) 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz) 1 lb bacon, cooked, crumbled 1 and ¼ cup buttermilk Directions: 1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper; spray paper with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. In small bowl, mix yeast and warm water; set aside. 2. In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and dressing mix. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. 3. In small microwavable bowl, place onions. Cover with microwavable plastic wrap, folding back one side to vent; microwave on High for 30 seconds. Cool slightly, about 2 minutes. 4. Add cheese and bacon to flour mixture; toss until well coated. Stir in yeast mixture, onions, and buttermilk all at once until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 1/3 cupfuls 2 to 3 inches apart onto cookie sheets. 5. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until puffed and light golden brown. Serve warm with additional butter, if desired. MSN

Blogging: A great pastime for the Web savvy By Jim Miller Starting a blog is a fun and stimulating pastime, not to mention a great way to share wisdoms and make new friends. Here is what you should know. A Growing Trend - Blogging has never been so popular among boomers and seniors! Today there are literally thousands of bloggers over age 55. In fact, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 5 percent of online U.S. seniors have created a blog, and 20 percent have read someone else’s blog. But before I go any further, a blog (short for Web log) is a personal online journal where you can write about anything or everything that interests you, and you can post pictures, too. (The newest blog entry is always at the top of the page.) Readers can comment on each post, often creating a rich and enlightening conversation. How to Start - Fortunately, you do not need to know much about technology to get started. If you have a home computer and Internet access, you can start your own blog in a matter of minutes and in many cases, it’s free. Here are some tips to help you get started. • Pick a theme: If you already know you want to blog about cooking, you are ahead of the game. Topic driven blogs (writing on something specific) attract more readers than a personal blog – which

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

are online diaries for people who want to write about whatever interests them at the time. Personal blogs are fun outlets for people who want to keep family and friends informed of what is going on in their lives. • Choose a name: Pick a short name for your blog that encompasses your theme or identifies with you. • Select a blog hosting service: While there are lots of options to choose from, two good ones are Blogger.com (which is free) and Typepad.com (which charges a minimal fee). Both of these sites are incredibly easy to use, and offer a variety of pre-made templates, color schemes and more that allow you to personalize your blog. If you want more hosting options check out Livejournal.com, JournalHome.com, 360.yahoo.com, WordPress. com, TheDiary.org, Mindsay.com, Blog.com, Blogagotchi.com, Blogdrive.com, Blogidentity.com, Weebly.com, and Xanga.com. • Test it: After you have set up your blog, write a few posts to test it out, and adjust the layout or style as you see fit. • Promote your blog: After you get up and run-

ning send your friends and family your blogging address so they can visit. And when you visit other blogs of similar interest, build a blogging circle by leaving comments along with your blog address so they can visit you too. Savvy Tips: When you blog, avoid giving out too much personal information such as your last name, address, phone number, etc. While the Internet can be a wonderful window to the world, it can also be a dangerous place. Also, do not feel bad or rejected if no one visits your blog for the first few months. As with anything new on the Internet, it will take some time for your blog to get noticed. But keep in mind that frequent blogging (several times a week) helps attract visitors. And to find other blogs you may be interested in, go to blog search sites like www.blogsearch.google. com or www.technorati.com and click on Blogs. 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. MSN

Retirement Relocation: Tips and tools to help you make a smart move By Jim Miller For many, retiring to a new location is an exciting adventure and a great way to start a new chapter in life. Here are some tips to help you find and research a new community that meets your budget, and satisfies your wants and needs. What to Consider - While nine out of 10 U.S. retirees stay where they are when they retire, the other 10 percent choose to relocate. Whatever your dream retirement location may be, you need to do your homework and learn everything you can about the area you’re interested in. Here are some things to consider in helping you get started: • The three Cs: Also known as crime, climate

and cost of living. For most retirees these are high priorities in choosing a retirement location. To research these areas go to bestplaces.net, a fantastic Web resource that offers climate profiles, crime statistics, a cost of living calculator and more, and lets you compare cities side-by-side. You can also click on the “Cost of Living” tab, plug

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 25

Get the Real Estate Service You Can Trust. Let me help you buy orr sell your next home. Rhonda Grimm 406-238-7186 • 406-661-7186 rsgrimm@aol.com • Billings, MT

PAGE 26 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

in your annual income, and find out how much you’ll need to maintain your current standard of living. Also see homefair.com. • Taxes: Some states are more tax friendly than others. If you’re planning to move to another state when you retire, you’ll want to research your prospective state’s personal income taxes, sales taxes, taxes on retirement income, property taxes and inheritance and estate taxes, which you can do at retirementliving.com – click on “Taxes by State.” • Healthcare: Does the community you’re considering have good medical facilities nearby? Hospitalcompare.hhs.gov and qualitycheck.org are two good websites to help you research this. Also, to search for doctors in your new location who accept Medicare, visit medicare.gov and click on “Facilities & Doctors” or call 800-633-4227. Vitals.com is another good resource for researching new doctors. It’s also important to keep in mind healthcare costs as they, too, can vary by market. Contact your insurer to research this. • Transportation: If you plan to travel much, or expect frequent visits from your kids or grandkids, convenient access to an airport or train station is a nice advantage. Another consideration is public transportation. Since most retirees give up driving in their 80s, what services will be available? . • Recreation and work: Depending on your hobbies and interests – golf, fishing, art, music, continuing education and more – your retirement destination should meet your needs. Or, if you’re interested in occupying your time with full time or part time work or by volunteering, what kinds of opportunities are available? Test the Water - Once you find a location you’re interested in, it’s wise to make multiple visits at different times of the year so you can get a feel for the seasonal weather changes. It’s also prudent to rent for a year before buying a home or making a commitment to a retirement community. You may find that you like the area more as a vacation spot than as a year-round residence. More Tools - For more help researching a location, contact the prospective city’s chamber of commerce. If you aren’t sure where you want to retire, visit findyourspot.com and take their interactive quiz that poses dozens of questions on your preferences such as climate, recreation, community size and more. It then suggests possible destinations that match your preferences, and offers detailed reports on the suggested communities. MSN

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ramps, stairs, and Wii fit on flat screen TVs to enhance balance. But it is really our people By Karen Powers who make the difference. Our therapists are always inventing A fall, break, accident, stroke, heart attack or decline of strength new and interesting ways to get you back to your best self. are all reasons for rehabilitation therapy to be prescribed. Our mission is a holistic At Innovative Rehabilitation, approach toward wellness: led by physical therapist and Physical Therapists work on geriatric specialist Amy Paris, our strength, mobility, coordination cadre of physical, occupational and dexterity so you can walk and speech therapists, latest farther, stand up straighter and equipment, technologies and keep your balance. facilities are designed to get you Occupational Therapists help you back on your feet. develop coordination and create techniques such as how to get in and out of the shower or how to cook or do laundry when you have just been given a walker. Speech Therapists work to strengthen the muscles used in speech, improving speech clarity, articulation, redeveloping speech and language skills, swallowing techniques, and eating and communication techniques. How do we do it? Therapists work Therapy at Innovative with clients by using interesting Rehabilitation is one of the best exercise equipment, model ways to return to a quality of life kitchens to help with coordination, we all deserve.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

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Collection Of Collections In Judith Basin By Bernice Karnop The things stored in museums are often called collections. The Judith Basin County Museum in Stanford is a collection of collections. The most noticeable collection is the salt and peppershakers that Vivian Ridgeway of Windham gathered over a lifetime. She bought, sold, traded, and received from friends and relatives 2,030 of these sets. That makes 4,060 individual pieces. According to Museum curator Geoff Casey, no visitor left her home without a personal tour of her beloved collection. Kids love to search the salt and pepper collection looking for the four-eyed woman. A local woman is reported to have given Vivian a set inlaid with Yogo sapphires. Minnie Mechling collected some 5,000 buttons. Some are beautiful, some are old, and some are odd. In the last category is one made of pink ivory wood, a sacred wood of Zulu chiefs in Southern Africa. This rare, treasured wood is hard and heavy, and the fine grain takes a high polish. A Montana license plate collection includes early ones from 1915, 1916, and 1917. The gap in the collection over the World War II years might be due to the fact that the plates were made of soybean fiberboard since metal was reserved for the war effort. Readers might remember that sheep, goats, and other Curator Geoff Casey stands in front of some livestock ate them off the cars. Farmer Jake Holzer left some of the collections at the Judith Basin County of his woodworking collection to the Museum in Stanford. [Photo by Bernice Karnop] museum. The museum has miniature structures he built, including a log cabin. But he is most remembered for making beautiful diamond willow canes. Montana Senator Mike Mansfield presented one of Jakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s canes to President Lyndon Johnson. Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thank-you note is part of the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection today. The collection of Judith Basin county stories features open range cattle ranching and the colorful cowboys from the Judith Basin Pool. Charlie Russell, who became Montanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beloved cowboy painter, was one of them. Other stories tell about eccentric sheep-

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

herders, tough homesteaders, and persistent miners. Geoff, who has been museum curator for the past five years, was born in England and raised in Ontario. His wife Gailene grew up in Roundup. Geoff can relate to another English couple prominent in Judith Basin county history. Mr. Charles Gadsden ably managed the “English Mine,” the Yogo sapphire mine near Utica owned by an English company in the early part of the last century. Mr. and Mrs. Gadsden fascinated their neighbors with their English ways. During the school year Geoff teaches science in Froid, which has given him a special passion for bringing children into the museum. One thing that draws them to it is a hands-on dinosaur table. Kids chip away at the plaster blocks to get out the

embedded plastic bones. When they get them out, they can assemble them or paint them. Geoff’s dream list for the future includes an updated collection of Russell prints since they give an accurate picture of life in Montana a century ago. Russell’s First Furrow portrays early Stanford settler and one-time sheriff William Skelton. In Without Knocking memorializes an actual shootout in Old Stanford, where the cowboy and his horse are bucking right into a bar. The Judith Basin County Museum is easy to find. It is located next to the County Court House in downtown Stanford and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., June through August. For more information, call 406-566-2277, extension 130. MSN

The History Museum In Great Falls: More Than Exhibits By Bernice Karnop Is your coffee group weary of discussing politics and the weather? Hustle them over to The History Museum in Great Falls and jump-start your memories about growing up half a century ago. Jim Meinert, executive director of the museum, says, “It’s really a treasure to have this memorabilia here for people to see.” What are your first memories of a family visit to Glacier National Park? The History Museum celebrates the centennial of the nation’s most pristine park with an authentic taste of the challenges visitors faced 100 years ago. The Bovey collection of scrapbooks and photographs includes pictures of a trip to Glacier Park from 1914. Roads of any kind were scarce. The Boveys got around by driving through the creek instead of across a bridge. They loaded the car onto the train at one point to get from one place to another. Then they drove the car onto a boat to cross St. Mary’s Lake. These things and more are recorded in their photos. The collection also includes some hand-cranked film taken in the 1920s. Vehicles in the museum include a splendid horse drawn carriage, also from the Bovey collection, and a shiny 1913 Roadster donated by Scotty and Claire Zion. This enormous building was originally the home of the International Harvester dealership, and, appropriately, you can see an old tractor sitting beside the heavy-duty elevators. The History Museum is full of stories about North Central Montana. One of these is the inspir-

ing story about the world champion Fort Shaw women’s basketball team. The museum also houses photos of the granddaughters of team members who also play basketball. Other fascinating women include early black settler Mary Fields, who worked at St. Peters Mission, and Dr. Rosahana Russell, who drove her horse and buggy all over the Sun River Valley to visit the sick. The History Museum is the official repository for the 7th Ferrying Group at Gore Hill. This first military installation in Great Falls during World War II set up the Alaskan-Siberian flight line in 1942, which delivered lend-lease airplanes to the Soviet Union. “People without a multi-generational family

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 29

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history in Great Falls haven’t heard of the 7th Ferrying Group and what it did to help win that war,” says Meinert. The History Museum is packed with archives and excellent displays, but that is only a start. Each year the museum hosts an Ozark Club jazz night, re-creating a piece of Great Falls culture that burned down in the 1960s. This fall, the museum launched a free lecture series; the first was about President John F. Kennedy’s visit in 1963. One of the museum’s most exciting projects is the creation of educational documentary films. The first project was The Great Falls Story: A Tribute to 125 Years. It was created by Emmy winning The History Museum Executive Di Difilmmaker Craig Wirth, with pioneer televi- rector, Jim Meinert, stands behind a sion personality Norma Ashby. The docu- podium that was built for John F. Kenmentary has already aired three times nedy’s visit to Great Falls in 1963. A special shelf on which Kennedy could on KRTV and will be watched by tens of rest his knee is a unique feature of the thousands on public television. podium. [Photo by Bernice Karnop] “I am really proud of The Great Falls Story and what we did. It brings history alive to so many people who won’t see it any other way,” Meinert says. He plans to use the collection to put together more documentaries in the future. The museum is also soliciting people to visit the museum and record their oral history. This material can be preserved in the archives for future research. “I would like seniors to know that their lives are important and the history of their lives is important. As a society, we need to understand what they went through so we can successfully and accurately portray it to future generations,” Meinert explains. “You may not have anything to give in terms of donations or time, but you may have some history you could share with us. I would like this to be a place where people feel free to come and offer that,” says Meinert. The Museum is free and open Tues-Fri from 10 to 5. Visit www.thehistorymuseum.org, or call 406 452-3462. MSN

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 31

PAGE 32 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

Back in the height of the Cold War nuclear arms race, schoolchildren across the United States watched videos on how to “Duck and Cover” in the event of a nuclear attack. Families stocked basements and bomb shelters with food to see them through the fallout and subsequent nuclear winter. Our winning Remember When contributor is W.E. Reinka, whose recollection Gimme Shelter relates his memories of Cold War bomb shelters to high-tech shelters available today. Thank you and congratulations to W.E., the winner of our $25 Remember When prize. Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections, contributions describing fictional or non-fictional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days,”

or reflections on life in general. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poetry, etc. Photos may be included. Each issue of the Montana Senior News features the contributions deemed best by our staff. The contributor of the winning entry receives a $25 cash prize. We look forward to receiving your contributions for our December 2010/January 2011 issue. Mail your correspondence to Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to montsrnews@bresnan.net; or call 1-800-6728477 or 406-761-0305. Visit us online at www. MontanaSeniorNews.com.

Gimme Shelter

By W. E. Reinka Here we were, on the brink of nuclear destruction, and my parents could not grasp the necessity of a fallout shelter. We were a typical 1950s, middle class family. Dad brought home the bacon, and Mother fried it. They were glad when one payday stretched to the next. Forget money for a fallout shelter. Still I persisted, having witnessed the scenario a dozen times on TV: after the Russians launched their rockets, no one else in the neighborhood would let us into their shelters. Come nuclear winter, prudent ants with cocked shotguns would show no mercy to us grasshoppers as we begged to get into their shelters.

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But come to think of it, everyone on Cedar Street foolishly presumed - as did my in-denial parents - that huddling in the basement would have to do when the warheads came raining down. I envisioned how those bottles of fresh water (glass bottles no less) that I ran along the basement wall might prove to be the difference in our survival through those first few grim days following the attack. Later, when the wisdom of my planning paid off and our family emerged into a brave new world, everyone would be sorry for how they had made fun of my far-sighted preparation! While many of us may think that fallout shelters are nothing more than Cold War relics, shelter manufacturers and installers report that business is better than ever. Given today’s threats, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev’s rants almost qualify as “the good old days.” Shelter manufacturers and installers such as Radius Engineering in Terrell, Texas and the Vivos Group of Del Mar, California cite civil anarchy from total economic collapse, earthquakes, tsunamis, and biological and chemical attacks. As Radius reminds us on its website, “the future belongs to those who plan.” When the streets are given over to total anarchy, their clients will be safe and snug underground. When the sort of asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs clobbers earth again, thousands of prudent planners will be safe in shelters while the rest of us grope for flashlight batteries. You can still build a backyard shelter in 1950s style with bunk bed cots and supplies of fresh water and dried foods. But today’s big shelters are communities, like underground cruise ships. You buy the right to admittance, a membership, not the shelter itself. In addition to private living quarters, huge shelters contain entertainment halls, restaurants, libraries, and workout rooms in a safe, air-filtered environment. Thousands

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

of people can remain underground for a year or more in fully-stocked safe havens. Of course, the underground cruise ship may be two hours away from your house, in which case you may have to do some broken field running to get there after a disaster. Once there, show your I.D. and the guy with the shotgun waves you in. Everything is stocked and waiting. Name a â&#x20AC;&#x153;last person on earthâ&#x20AC;? novel or â&#x20AC;&#x153;final colonyâ&#x20AC;? book and I have probably read it. Until the last year or two, I always identified with the survivors, seeing myself marching down a crumbling and deserted Wall Street, or throwing out my bedroll under the splintered steel of what

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 33

had once been the Golden Gate Bridge. Give me a jackknife and a water bottle and I could face anything. Maybe it is a sign of aging, but now I would just as soon fall in the first wave of victims after someone reconstitutes the dinosaurs. I much prefer to live in a world where I pour breakfast from a cereal box than one where I must hunt it down. That said, I do have several gallons worth of plastic water jugs out in the garden shed - glass breaks too easily. W. E. Reinka may be reached at wereinka@ ix.netcom.com. MSN

Now Is The Time To Get Yourself A MOLLI Education An exciting program at The University of Montana is bringing an entirely new group of students to campus. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, affectionately known as MOLLI, provides an environment that fosters lifelong learning for individuals 50 and older who have the desire to keep their minds active and healthy. MOLLI course offerings are diverse and include subjects from art to politics to theatre, etc. Taught by UM professors and community members, there are no grades or tests for these courses. Rather, they enable individuals to explore spheres of learning of their own choosing within a supportive environment. MOLLI is one of 120 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes in the US, but because of its unique location in the community of Missoula, it is among the leaders across the nation. The program is led by dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers and staff, and, thanks to word of mouth advertising, there are now over 1,100 members. This is a reflection of the vibrancy of Missoulaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aging community. With tuition waivers available, an ever-expanding set of course offerings, and special MOLLI member events, the program will only continue to grow. We invite you to learn more and to join MOLLI today! Just contact us by phone at 406-243-2905; online at www.umt.edu/molli; or in person by coming to the Todd Building at the University of Montana. MSN

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 35

PAGE 36 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

What Is The Best Way To Find A Job By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire More than 2.1 million people aged 55 or older were unable to find jobs, according to May unemployment figures. The average length of unemployment for job seekers in this age group was more than 35 weeks. This compares with the jobless duration of 28 weeks for those under 55 seeking work. But a new brochure, Employment Options: Tips for Older Job Seekers, provides some advice for older people seeking employment. The brochure was developed by the Elder Locator (www.eldercare.gov) and Senior Service America, Inc. (www.seniorserviceamerica.org). It is aimed at helping the older worker - someone who may not have searched for a job in some time and is looking for advice on job leads, using new technologies, identifying employment resources, and even writing resumes. It is well known that finding a job when you are getting gray is usually harder than if you are younger, even though you probably have valuable experience and mature values. The job market currently appears gloomier than any time since the Great Depression. “As daunting as the job search process seems, many people over the age of 55 have something younger workers do not have: experience,” said Sandy Markwood, CEO of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. “The tools the brochure provides were developed to help older adults take advantage of that experience during the job-seeking process.” The brochure advises: “Start by taking an inventory of the skills and experience you have acquired through jobs and activities in your life.” Previous work, parenting, hobbies, part-time and seasonal work, volunteering - all require skills that can be readily applied to the employment you seek. “Some experts say 80 percent of openings are never advertised... Unadvertised openings make up the hidden job market,” it adds. Your best leads could come from friends, neighbors, relatives, and church or organization members, all who might know of possible jobs. Much of the advice in the brochure is obvious but provides a reminder of what and what not to do. An interview, if you are able to get one, lets you and your potential employer learn about each other. Prepare by finding out as much as possible about the company and the job you are seeking. Practice what you expect to say in the interview so you are ready to make a positive impression. Let the potential employer know that you are adaptable and willing to learn any new techniques. Ask questions about the job to show your interest. But avoid asking about salary or benefits unless and until you are offered the job. The Eldercare Locator is administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Senior Service America, Inc. is a non-profit organization providing civic engagement and employment opportunities for people over age 55 who want to get back in the work force. MSN

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 37

Just What Does Hospice Mean And What Resources Are Available Provided by the National Cancer Institute Hospice is a concept of care that involves health professionals and volunteers who provide medical, psychological, and spiritual support to terminally ill patients and their loved ones. Hospice stresses quality of life - peace, comfort, and dignity. A principal aim of hospice is to control pain and other symptoms so the patient can remain as alert and comfortable as possible. Hospice services are available to persons who can no longer benefit from curative treatment; the typical hospice patient has a life expectancy of 6 months or less. Hospice programs provide services in various settings: the home, hospice centers, hospitals, or skilled nursing facilities. Patients’ families are also an important focus of hospice care, and services are designed to provide them with assistance. The following resources may offer assistance for people seeking hospice care and information: • The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization offers publications, information about how to find a hospice, and information about the financial aspects of hospice. Call 800–658–8898 (helpline) or visit www.nhpco.org/ templates/1/homepage.cfm. • The Hospice Association of America (HAA) is an advocate for hospice organizations. Publications can be viewed by accessing the organization’s Web site and include information about the history of hospice, the benefits of choosing a hospice program, hospice-related statistics, and locations of hospice organizations. Call 202–546– 4759 or visit www.nahc.org/HAA/home.html. • The Hospice Education Institute maintains a computerized database of all hospice and palliative care programs in the United States. HOSPICELINK helps patients and their families find hospice and palliative care programs, and provides general information about the principles and practices of good hospice and palliative care. Call 800–331– 1620 or visit www. hospiceworld.org. • Hospice Net provides hospice-related information for patients, children, and caregivers. It contains articles regarding end-of-life issues and is dedicated to providing information and support to patients facing life-threatening illnesses and to their families and friends.

Visit www.hospicenet.org. • The American Cancer Society (ACS) provides free fact sheets and publications about hospice. Call 800–227–2345 or visit www.cancer.org. Medicare provides payment for hospice care. When a patient receives services from a Medicare-certified hospice, Medicare insurance provides substantial coverage, even for some services that would not be covered outside of a hospice program. To find a Medicarecertified hospice program, people can ask their doctor, a state hospice organization, or the state health department. The Medicare hotline can answer questions about Medicare benefits and coverage, and can refer people to their regional home health intermediary for information about Medicare-certified hospice programs. The toll-free telephone number is 800–633–4227; deaf and hard of hearing callers with TTY equipment can call 877–486–2048. The booklet Medicare Hospice Benefits is the official publication for Medicare hospice benefits. This booklet, outlines the type of hospice care that is covered under Medicare and has information about coverage, is available at www.medicare.gov/ Publications/Pubs/pdf/02154.pdf on the Internet. Medicaid, a Federal program that

is part of CMS and is administered by each state, is designed for patients who need financial assistance for medical expenses. Information about state locations and coverage may also be found at http://cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp. In addition, local civic, charitable, or religious organizations may be able to help patients and their families with hospice expenses. MSN

PAGE 38 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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Finding Support For Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer (NAPSI) - Facing a diagnosis of breast cancer can be terrifying for any woman. And that fear is compounded when the diagnosis is metastatic breast cancer - cancer that has spread beyond the breast. While there is no cure for metastatic breast cancer, it is treatable and today, more and more women are living longer, fuller lives with the disease.

Still many women with metastatic breast cancer can feel isolated and neglected by a lack of information geared toward the unique issues they face. They are not alone: In 2007, approximately 155,000 women in the United States were living with metastatic breast cancer and by 2011, that number is expected to increase to nearly 162,000. “Women living with metastatic disease have different psychosocial and medical concerns than women with other types of breast cancer,” said Jean Sachs, CEO of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a breast cancer organization that assists women at all stages of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. “She may not relate to the term ‘survivor.’ For women with metastatic breast cancer, the goal of treatment is to keep the disease under control for as long as possible while trying to enjoy the best possible quality of life.” Thankfully, the medical community and support organizations are turning their attention toward women living with metastatic breast cancer and offering their support. “What a woman needs to know once she’s been diagnosed with metastatic disease is that there are other people like her,” said Ms. Sachs. “New programs and resources are cropping up to fill the information gap and provide critical support to patients and their loved ones. Programs like the Many Faces of Breast Cancer allow women

to meet others who are facing the same issues they are, while learning more about living with this disease.” The Many Faces of Breast Cancer is an educational initiative that addresses the critical concerns of both the survivor community and those with metastatic breast cancer disease. Sponsored by AstraZeneca, in partnership with cancer centers and breast cancer organizations nationwide, the Many Faces of Breast Cancer is connecting women with leading medical experts to address their unique needs. Through educational programs and events, these women and their loved ones are empowered with new information about breast cancer, treatment options, nutrition and diet, methods to help them cope with the disease, and more. Equally as important, the program connects these women with other local women living with metastatic disease. The Many Faces of Breast Cancer is expanding its reach online, offering information, links, downloadable video and audio talks with leading breast cancer specialists and organizations, and announcements about upcoming educational events. To learn more about the Many Faces of Breast Cancer, visit www.Facebook.com/ManyFacesofBreastCancer. For information and support services for women with metastatic breast cancer, visit Living Beyond Breast Cancer at www.lbbc.org. MSN

How to Choose a Cancer Center If you are diagnosed with cancer, or you are caring for a loved one with cancer, you need to know how to choose an oncologist or cancer treatment center. Billings Clinic

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for Cancer Care Our Cancer Center offers the region’s most comprehensive and patient-centered care. All cancer services are located at our downtown campus, including physician care, surgery, infusion (chemo) therapy, radiation therapy and hospital care.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 39

A Simple Way To Save Lives By Matt Kuntz National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Montana supports, educates, and advocates for Montanans who live with serious mental illnesses and for their families. The most basic part of our mission is teaching that these illnesses are medical conditions of the brain that require treatment by both a psychiatrist and a therapist. I would like to share the words of one young mother who learned this lesson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Matt, I have been on medication since January, and my life has changed entirely! I am experiencing only happiness and genuine excitement about waking up each day! No more panic attacks, no more anxiety, just a whole lot of me being honest about my condition and really trying to do something about it! Had I taken your advice sooner, I would have probably healed much more quickly. Cognitive therapy works so much better (I speak only for myself here) with medication. Thank God we live in this day and age where it is easily accessible.â&#x20AC;? I passed this hopeful message on to an e-mail list. Someone used it to convince another young mother, who was nearly suicidal due to depression, that she needed to see a therapist. The message worked again. It is what NAMI is all about! For more information contact NAMI Montana at 406-443-7871 or visit www.namimt.org. MSN

Fogleman Discovers Roll Play - exercise is key By Craig & Liz Larcom Rick Fogleman of Great Falls did not get around to rollerblading until he was 80 years old. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That looks nice. I bet I could do that!â&#x20AC;? the retired electronics engineer thought to himself one day. So he bought a pair of inline skates and a full array of safety gear. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then I went to Gibson Park and darn near broke my neck. I learned about rough paving!â&#x20AC;? he laughs. The helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards worked effectively, but did nothing to protect his rear end in a tumble. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I fell down very hard and turned colors on parts of my body!â&#x20AC;? he recalls wryly. He picked himself up, daunted. Then he told himself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to do this.â&#x20AC;? He paused, and added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;But Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to try it again another day when I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt so much!â&#x20AC;? He piled his gear into his truck and went home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been at the park 15 minutes,â&#x20AC;? he says. True to his determined nature, Fogleman returned to give rollerblading another shot. And another. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have always liked to skate, so I decided that I would get the skill back,â&#x20AC;? he says. He had first learned to skate as a kid of about six, strapping the then-standard metal roller skates to his shoes. Now he donned narrow roller blades with their polyurethane wheels in a line. These were less

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

stable than a “quad skate,” and at first, Fogleman wobbled like crazy. But he took it slowly, relaxed as he fell, and in little time at all he was enjoying a new kind of recreation. “I thought I was better than I was. Then I recognized that I am not better than I am!” he jokes. Three years later, 83-year-old Fogleman has worn out three pairs of inline skates. He rollerblades daily for about a half hour - mostly skating in the basement at the retirement community where he lives, but sometimes heading out for paving nearby or in the vicinity of Gibson Park. He does not w wear protective gear u unless he is trying s something new. If there is a h hard part for this k kind of skating, it is f finding pavement s smooth enough to e enjoy. Fogleman u uses large-wheeled s skates, which he s says are harder to c control but roll better o relatively rough on s surfaces. “It’s just fun to be a able to do it. I don’t h lf it’ th way I’m wired. I’ve have tto fforce myself; it’s jjustt the always been physically active,” notes Fogleman, who also walks and power walks at the park, going distances from oneand-a-half to five miles at a session. The active lifestyle pays off. “I weigh the same thing now I weighed when I was 18 and went into the service,” Fogleman says. Then the former member of the Army Air Corps (he served at the end of World War II) adds with a grin, “But I have less hair now. And it’s changed color.” “The new skates are much more fun than the old skates. And they’re really good exercise,” he says. Besides giving his heart a good workout, Fogleman strengthens leg muscles and improves his balance as he has fun. Sometimes he stops to watch teens at the city’s skate park. “I’m not tempted by the skate boards. I used to be that young,” he comments. He watches the young people fall often, roll, and get up again. “When you get to the brittle age, you wonder what a fall is going to do…” he comments. “Of course I may be pushing it. But if you don’t take little chances you’ll never get to do a lot of things in this world,” the former hang glider adds philosophically. He finds that rollerblading is much like ice skating, another activity he began in his youth. Fogleman ice skated in adulthood, too, taking his six children out on the ice for recreation. Now his rollerblading has inspired a couple of his grown grandchildren to take it up. Plenty of others have noticed the white-haired skater, too. Their reactions seem to fall into three categories. “You shouldn’t be doing that here!” is what Fogleman hears “from the grandmothers.” Others say, “Look out for him!” Still others say with longing, “I wish I could do that.” Fogleman still falls about once a month. He recalls one time when he was skating backwards in the basement and was busy talking to someone, too. “I think I ran into a fan they had on the floor. The fan and I didn’t get on well,” he says with a chuckle. Still, he is quite pleased with his skating, and plans to continue skating

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

indefinitely. “You sleep well at night, for someone this age. Most of the time I feel good. The Lord’s been kind to me,” he says. His doctor would probably approve of his wheeled recreation. But as he has not seen a

doctor in about ten years, he cannot be sure what the doc would say. Maybe he would agree with Fogleman’s grandson, who said, “Gee, Pop-Pop. That looks good!” MSN

Fall Prevention Tips From the Brain Injury Association Fall is here, and what better time to remember that falling is not an inevitable part of growing older but can be prevented by making a few simple changes to everyday life. Unfortunately, falls are a leading cause of injury and death for Montanans age 65 and older. Brain injuries are all too common and frequently cause loss of independence following a fall. The good news is that most falls can be prevented. Engaging in regular strength and balance exercises helps build stronger muscles and plays a major role in fall prevention. Reviewing medications with a physician or pharmacist to identify medications that might increase the risk for a fall is another helpful tip for reducing falls. Having a

vision and hearing exam at least once every two years is beneficial in identifying any subtle changes to vision and hearing that might impair mobility and balance. And keeping the home environment free of items that can be tripped over or slipped on is another good prevention strategy. The Brain Injury Association of Montana actively supports efforts to keep older Montanans independent and living a quality life. Please consider supporting the Brain Injury Association of Montana with a tax donation to help extend our prevention activities. For additional information, call 800-241-6442 or visit www.biamt.org. MSN

Recommended Vaccinations This Flu Season By Jim Miller The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or CDC) is actually recommending several vaccinations - one for seasonal flu, one for pneumonia, and depending on your age and living circumstances, a Tdap booster shot for whooping cough. Here is what you should know. Seasonal Flu - Just like every other year, the CDC strongly urges a seasonal flu shot, especially for people age 65 and older, because they have the highest risks of developing dangerous complications from the flu. The flu puts more than 200,000 people in the hospital each year and kills around 24,000 - 90 percent of whom are older. You also need to know that this year’s seasonal flu vaccine will protect you against the H1N1 swine flu, all in one shot. People also will have the option this year of getting the new high-potency flu vaccine instead of a regular flu shot. This new FDA -approved vaccine (known as the Fluzone High-Dose) will help boost your immune response, which will give you extra protection from influenza. To locate vaccination sites near you, call your county health department or the CDC information

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line at 800-232-4636 or visit flu.gov. If you are a Medicare beneficiary, Part B will cover your flu vaccination, but if you are not covered, you can purchase one at many retail pharmacy chains for around $25 to $30. (Note: if you are allergic to chicken eggs, have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome, or have had a severe reaction to a flu shot in the past, you should not be vaccinated without consulting your doctor first. Or, if you are ill with a fever, you should wait until your symptoms pass.) Pneumonia - The second vaccination the CDC is recommending is for pneumococcal pneumonia (the vaccine is called Pneumovax). Pneumonia causes around 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, many of which could be prevented by this vaccine. If you are over age 65 and have not already gotten this shot you should get it now before flu season hits. Also covered under Medicare Part B, a shot of Pneumovax will provide you protection that will last for up to 10 years, and you can get it on the same day that you get your flu shot. Whooping Cough - Whooping cough, formally known as pertussis, is on the rise this year with wide outbreaks in California and various

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 41

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other U.S. locations. That is why the CDC is also recommending all adults, ages 19 through 64 get a one-time dose of the Tdap vaccine (it contains three vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) in place of the Td (tetanus, diphtheria) booster shot. Even if you have had a Td booster within the recommended 10-year mark, you should still get a Tdap shot now for protection against whooping cough. The Tdap vaccine, however, is not recommended for people 65 and older unless you are

around infant children, or are living in a community where a whooping cough outbreak occurs. The best move is to talk to your doctor about what is best for your specific situation. Medicare Part B does not cover the Tdap vaccine, but some private health plans and many Medicare Part D prescription drug plans do. Be sure you check yours. If it is not covered, a Tdap booster shot will cost you around $50 to $75. Savvy Tips - In addition to being vaccinated, the CDC reminds everyone that the three best

ways to stay healthy during flu season are to wash your hands frequently with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and stay home if you are sick. For more information on the recommended vaccines for older adults, see www.cdc.gov/vaccines. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. MSN

Compassion & Choices Montana Releases Video: Montanans Discuss Aid In Dying After Supreme Court’s Baxter Decision Compassion & Choices Montana is a nonprofit organization serving patients and their families, advocating for expanding legal end-of-life choices, and educating the public. Recently the organization announced the release of a video featuring Montanans discussing the Montana Supreme Court’s Baxter decision. The video features Montana doctors, patients, clergy, and family members discussing why they support the right of terminally ill patients to request aid in dying from their doctors. The video is available free of charge to individuals, community organizations, news media, or public access television programs. “My father was Bob Baxter, the plaintiff in Baxter v. State of Montana, the case that brought Montanans the choice to end a drawn-out death from terminal illness with a prescription from a physician,” said Roberta King, of Missoula. “My father was a person who wanted to be in control, and the thought of him losing control scared him to death. I’m proud that my father’s name will be forever linked to this additional end-of-life choice.” “My dad, Percy Johnson, wanted the option to shorten and relieve his suffering. He wanted to control his own destiny and die with his dignity intact,” said Todd Johnson, a Kalispell resident. “Rather than it having to be a cloak and dagger in asking your son to help you, why not be upfront about it and converse with your doctor to get the information that you need to make the choices that you want to make?” “What I hear over and over again from patients is, ‘Just don’t let me die in pain, don’t let me die out of control, don’t let me lose my mind as I am dying.’ I think with this ruling now those concerns that are expressed by patients, I am going to be able to, with much greater confidence, say that you will have control over your own passing, that it won’t be in my control or the control of the state.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

When you are ready you will be able to go,â&#x20AC;? said Dr. George Risi, M.D., an AIDS/HIV specialist in Missoula. Reverend John Board of Helena said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it is a very personal decision and that the government should stay out of it. Period. They have no room coming into my life saying how I am going to die.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;My partner, Richard Gotshalk, died from ALS - Lou Gehrigâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease. He suffered from the disease, and often felt like he was suffocating. Richard believed adults have the responsibility to make our own decisions. He faced his terminal illness and wanted to make decisions about his death,â&#x20AC;? said Doris Fischer of Sheridan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Richard wanted to die with dignity, as he had lived his life. He wanted the peace of mind and comfort of knowing he had the choice of a peaceful and dignified death. Richard didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get that choice, but now Montanans do have that choice.â&#x20AC;? For more information, please visit www.compassionandchoices.org/ montana. Compassion & Choices is a nonprofit organization working to improve care and expand choice at the end of life. We support, educate, and advocate. MSN

Good Nutrition Means Good Health Support Your Food Bank One of the many wonderful things about Montanans is our sense of community. We are always happy to lend a hand to a neighbor in need. Daily, we hear stories of benefits held to raise funds for a friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medical expenses, neighbors coming together to bring in a harvest for people unable to do it themselves, and businesses providing gifts to children in need during the holidays. Our generosity is a blessing for many. If you have a desire to reach out and help someone in your community, think about joining the fight against hunger. More than 30% of Montanans are struggling to find a consistent means of providing food for themselves and their families. Thankfully, many communities have pantries and kitchens there to help. But in this rural state, gaining access to emergency food assistance can be challenging. What can you do? Look around your community for a pantry or soup kitchen and give it your support. Any help, regardless of the amount, will be greatly appreciated. Volunteer, hold a food drive, donate fresh food from your gardens at harvest, or make a financial contribution. Your gifts will be multiplied tenfold, and the rewards will be immeasurable. Gayle Gifford is the Executive Director of the Great Falls Community Food Bank. To support the Food Bank, call 406-452-9029 or visit www. greatfallsfoodbank.org. MSN

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Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer’s: One Daughter’s Hopeful Story By Lauren Kessler, Penguin Books, C. 2007 Reviewed by Jeanette Prodgers, MSW Alzheimer’s! No one wants to hear the word that is too daunting for most people to consider. Yet investigative journalist Lauren Kessler explores an interesting perspective on this fearsome disease. In her 260-page book, Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer’s: One Daughter’s Hopeful Story, Kessler subtly but persuasively leads readers down a hopeful path. According to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, an estimated 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s. Kessler’s mother was one. At the time, Kessler reports that she did not deal well with her mother’s disease. Living 3,000 miles away from her parents, she felt guilty and offered to take care of her mother to relieve her elderly father. Despite her best intentions, the task proved to be too monumental and emotionally exhausting. “I cared for my mother on my own for exactly eighteen hours,” she writes, before signing her into a care facility. Eventually her mother returned home to New York, where she died nine months later. Eight years after her mother died, Kessler still wrestled with coming to terms with the disease. To aid in this process, she decided to write a magazine article based on working in an Alzheimer’s facility. For this project, she became a temporary resident assistant working for minimum wage. It was not an undercover assignment. She was upfront with the administrator. Kessler thought she “could stand the job for maybe two weeks” - just enough to write an article - but her experience led her to continue working there for many more months and culminated in this wonderful book. The Library Journal named it the “Best Book of the Year” in 2007, and the following year it won

the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award. Through her work as a resident aide, Kessler had a transformative experience and has penned a poignant account about the people she served in the facility and about her co-workers. Her book provides a touching, unique understanding of Alzheimer’s. It is an easy read and utterly engaging. I guarantee you will think differently about dementia after reading this narrative non-fiction, originally titled Dancing with Rose. Kessler’s writing is so good that you quickly become immersed in the world of “Maplewood,” the fictional name she gives to the actual facility, and you will come to love the residents just as she does. She learns that these are vibrant people who are living in the moment. Their lives are not over simply because they have a mind-robbing disease. Kessler describes her new awareness as a paradigm shift. “It is a shift away from disease, disability, and dementia, and toward personhood,” a key concept that people with disabilities have been promoting for years. Put the people first, not the disease. This is expressed though such statements as “she is a person with dementia,” not a “demented person.” This paradigm shift allows us to appreciate the humanness of each individual and encourages richer lives for all involved. As a social worker who has spent the last 20 years working with seniors and their families, I highly recommend this award-winning book to family members as well as to paid caregivers as a helpful, healing resource. Early this year in Dillon, I led a group book discussion on it at our local library. The book generated great dialogue around the topic of Alzheimer’s and ways to cope with the disease. It proved to be a therapeutic exercise for all. MSN

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

Hey, Guys, Doing Kegels Can Dramatically Reduce An Overactive Bladder By Edward A. Joseph, Senior Wire An enlargement of the prostate gland, medically known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), is the most common cause of an overactive bladder. By age 60, fifty percent of all men will have some signs of BPH, and by age 85, ninety percent. The prostate gland in a young man is normally about the size of a walnut and is located between the pubic bone and rectum, below the bladder. The gland surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. As men age the prostate gland gets larger, squeezing the urethra and affecting the flow of urine. The most common symptoms are slowness or dribbling of urine, difficulties in starting to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urgency to urinate, and the need to get up at night to urinate. Based on research to date, BPH does not increase the likelihood of prostate cancer, but the two do have similar symptoms, which is why the American Cancer society recommends that men 50 and over who have at least a ten-year life expectancy have annual screenings by a doctor. This screening generally consists of a discussion of the patient’s medical and family history and a physical examination, which includes a rectal exam (i.e. inserting a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to estimate the size and condition of the prostate). In addition, the screening will sometimes include a blood test called a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). There is currently no consensus among professionals about the efficacy of giving a PSA test for men who show no overt symptoms of prostate cancer. The American Cancer Society also recommends that in high-risk groups, such as African American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer, annual screenings begin at age 45 or even earlier for those at a higher risk (e.g. those whose family history includes several relatives who had prostate cancer at an early age). Fortunately, in about two-thirds of men with enlarged prostates the symptoms are mild and do not require immediate treatment. In these cases doctors often recommend a “watchful waiting” approach, sometimes called surveillance. However, mild or not, having to go often can be highly inconvenient, as demonstrated in numerous “gotta go” TV ads for products that lessen BPH symptoms. But there may be another way. In 1948, Dr. Arnold Kegel discovered exercises that helped women with gynecologic problems avoid major surgery. The good news for men is that, according to Consumer Reports, one of the safest and most effective treatments for some urinary problems is doing the same pelvic-muscle exercises. How do you “kegel”? Fellows, it is easier than dancing. When you urinate, stop the flow for a few seconds by tightening your pelvic muscles. Here are some tips for kegels: tighten and hold the pelvic muscles for 2 to 3 seconds and then relax the muscles, repeat this ten times; try working up to holding the contractions from 5 to 10 seconds, rest between them for the same amount of time. It is also recommended to alternate lying down, sitting, and standing while doing the exercises. Try to do 30 to 50 kegels a day. Try to do kegels whenever you think about them - during morning stretching exercises, at red lights, while doing the dishes. The important thing is not having a rigid schedule, but doing kegels at times that work for you. Contact the author at edwardajoseph@optonline.net/. MSN

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Nutrition, Weight Loss, and Exercise Compliment Drug Therapy for Diabetes By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire About 20 percent of the 24 million Americans with diabetes are age 60 or older. The number affected has increased by three million in the past two years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Diabetes, however, “can be prevented with a lifestyle that includes optimal nutrition, physical activity, and weight management,” said James Hill, PhD, president of the American Society for Nutrition. “We recommend higher intakes of fruits and vegetables, healthy dietary fats, and plant foods to improve blood chemistry and reduce body weight.” The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has made an important discovery: An “intensive lifestyle intervention” that includes medical nutrition therapy, weight loss of 5-7 percent, and exercise is more effective in preventing the progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes than drug therapy alone. Here are some questions and answers regarding the Diabetes Prevention Program: Q: What is Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT)?

A: People with IGT have blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet diabetic. The condition is diagnosed using the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) consisting of fasting and drinking a special solution. Q: For a person with IGT, what is the risk of developing type 2 diabetes? This is the most common kind. It occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin. A: As many as ten of every 100 persons with IGT will develop diabetes each year. Q: How many people have IGT? A: About 16 million people in the U.S. have IGT, according to a national health survey. Q: How do diet and physical exercise work to prevent diabetes? A: Obesity and a “couch potato” lifestyle increase the risk of both insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is a disorder that targets tissues - muscle, fat, and liver cells - so they fail to use insulin effectively. The pancreas tries to produce more insulin. But gradually it fails. Q: What are the goals of the Diabetes Prevention Program’s intervention? A: To achieve and maintain a weight loss of seven percent with healthy eating and to maintain physical activity at least 150 minutes a week with moderate exercise, such as walking or bicycling. Q: What dietary advice did participants get in the studies of the effects of diet and exercise? A: They were asked to lower fat to less than 25 percent of their intake of calories. Lifestyle changes more effectively reduced diabetes risk than did metformin (a drug used to treat high blood sugar). Lifestyle changes worked particularly well in people aged 60 and over. Q: Do the DPP interventions affect the risk of cardiovascular disease, an important cause of death in people with type 2 diabetes? A: DPP researchers are still analyzing data and conducting more studies to determine whether the interventions affected the atherosclerosis, which causes heart disease. Q: What plans are there to get the information about the DPP to the public and health care professionals? A: The American Diabetes Association is developing clinical recommendations for health care professionals and will provide guidance on how the results of the DPP can be applied to individual patients. The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), a jointly sponsored initiative of the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and (Cont’d on page 48)

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 47

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Nutrition, Weight Loss, and Exercise - continued from page 46 Prevention and more than 200 private and public organizations, has begun a program to disseminate material and intervention strategies derived from the DPP. This work focuses on developing tools that healthcare providers and people at risk for the disease can use to make the “modest lifestyle changes that have proven successful in preventing the onset of the disease,” the report said. Q: Were there any deaths or serious injuries in the study resulting from the metformin treatment or the lifestyle changes? A: A total of 14 DPP participants died during the study. The rate of deaths was lower than expected

based on the overall U.S. population, the researchers said. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the number of deaths in the placebo group. Q: Are diet and exercise beneficial even after diabetes develops? A: Research has clearly shown that diet and exercise help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipids in the short term. They should also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. A recently launched clinical trial will assess how they affect heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular-related death in people with type 2 diabetes. MSN

Personals - Continued from page 15 long, loving relationship! I’m very physically fit: 5’4” tall, 108 lbs, 55 years old. I live in the Helena area and love to laugh and enjoy life! Let’s exchange letters, phone calls, and photos. Can’t wait to share a laugh with you as we get to know each other! Reply MSN, Dept. 27115, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Shepherd in seventies seeking spirit mate. Pen or phone pal is okay. 5’11”, 175 lbs, blue eyes, brown hair. Handle “Yakman Joe.” Reply MSN, Dept. 27116, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

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I am a white, widowed male in my mid60s. I would like to have a live-in companion. I am somewhat retired. I live in northwestern MT, west of Kalispell. I own my own home and do not smoke or do drugs. I am financially stable and physically healthy. I like the outdoors, walks, nature, wildlife, sports, or just going out to eat and visiting people. I am looking for someone who has taken good care of herself. I like romance and have a good sense of humor. All responses will be

answered. A picture would be nice! Reply MSN, Dept. 27117, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWM, 135 lbs, 5’6”, in Bozeman/Butte area. I like the outdoors, country music, movies, eating out, and dancing. I have a boat and car and I will travel for lunch, etc. So please write so we can meet! I will answer all letters. Reply MSN, Dept. 27118, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Single, retired R.N. is hoping to meet a nice guy for friendship and possible long-term relationship. I am active, in excellent health, and open to new adventures. Interests include reading, cooking, travel, music, dancing, volunteering, and Montana history. Good conversation is essential and quiet times at home are a special treat. If you are honest, compassionate, open to new things, and have a sense of humor, I hope you will contact me. Remember, life is truly best shared with a special friend. Reply MSN, Dept 27119, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I am a widowed 72-year-young snowbird looking for a gentle man who likes the simple things in life. I am honest and fun loving. I don’t smoke, but do enjoy a few drinks occasionally. I like sunsets, sunrises, drives in the country, yard/garage sales, country music, small towns, and family get-togethers. Although it is nearly time to fly away to Southern California for the winter, I would enjoy letters, phone calls or e-mails in order to get acquainted. My health is good and I am of average height and weight. I am a blue jeans sort, but like to dress up, as well. Reply MSN, Dept 27120, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 49

Important Health Screenings By Jim Miller The types of health screenings a person should get will depend on their age, gender, underlying health conditions, and family history. Here is what you should know. Recommended Tests - One of the problems with our health care system is that many Americans - and their doctors - seem to think that better health means more medical care, including as many screenings and tests as possible. But that is not necessarily true. According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) - an independent panel of medical experts that reviews the effectiveness of screenings - many screening tests are unproven and can not only waste your time and money but also cause more harm than good. Here is what the task force recommends (see www.ahrq.gov/ppip/50plus) as essential tests for you and your husband and when you should start getting them. Everyone Over 50 • Blood pressure: Have it checked at least every two years - more frequently if you find your pressure is above 130/85. • Cholesterol: At least every five years, get a blood cholesterol test that measures your LDL “bad” cholesterol, HDL “good” cholesterol, and triglycerides. It should be done more frequently if you smoke, have diabetes, or a family history of high cholesterol. • Colorectal cancer: Begin regular screening starting at age 50. Your doctor can help you decide which test is right for you. • Diabetes: While the USPSTF recommends being tested only if you have high blood pressure, the American Diabetes Association recommends a blood glucose test every three years starting at age 45. If you are obese, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a family history of diabetes, or are over age 65, check it yearly.

Women Only • Mammograms: The controversial new guideline by the USPSTF now recommends screenings every other year beginning at age 50. However, the American Cancer Society still recommends annual screenings starting at age 40. • Pap smear: To detect cervical cancer, this test is recommended every three years. However, women who have had a total hysterectomy or who are age 65 or older and have had three negative pap smears in a row usually do not need to be tested. • Bone density scan: Osteoporosis screening is recommended starting at age 65 and earlier in post-menopausal women with risk factors. Men Only • Abdominal ultrasound: Men between the ages of 65 and 75 that have ever smoked should be screened for an aortic aneurysm, which can develop over many years before bursting. • PSA screening: The jury is still out on whether men should get the PSA (prostatespecific antigen) blood test or digital rectal exam to detect prostate cancer. Men age 40 and older should talk to their doctor about their risk factors and what they should do. Other Screenings - Some additional screenings to consider are skin examinations by a dermatologist to check for skin cancers;

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depression screening if you have been feeling down; dental checkups at least once a year; HIV screening if you have had unprotected sex with multiple partners; annual eye exams starting at age 60 to check for age-related eye diseases; hearing tests by an audiologist every five years starting at 65; and, for women 50 and older, a thyroid-simulating hormone test every five years to check for thyroid disease. Vaccinations - In addition to health screen-

ings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people 65 and older get a one-time pneumonia (pneumococcal) shot and that those over 60 should be vaccinated for shingles. It is also recommended that everyone over 50 get a yearly flu shot, along with a tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) booster every 10 years (if you are over 65, you only need a tetanus-diphtheria booster). Send your questions to Savvy Senior, P.O.

Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book. MSN

Acupuncture can be an effective way to treat arthritis pain and more By Jim Miller According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, acupuncture is a viable way to fight arthritis pain, and can help with a variety of other health conditions too. Here is what you should know. First used in China more than 2,000 years ago, acupuncture was introduced in the United States in the early 1970s and has grown increasingly popular as more patients, dissatisfied with traditional medicine, have discovered its benefits. Whom It Helps - While acupuncture is not a cure-all treatment, it is a safe, drug-free option for relieving many different types of pain including osteoarthritis, low back pain, neck pain, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, postoperative pain, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, dental pain, menstrual cramps, and more. Studies also show that it can be helpful in treating asthma, depression, digestive disorders, addictions, and can even alleviate nausea caused by chemotherapy or anesthesia. How It Works - Exactly how or why acupuncture works is still not fully understood, but it is based on the traditional Eastern theory that vital energy flows through pathways in the body, and when any of these pathways get blocked, pain and illness result. Acupuncture unblocks the pathways to restore health. However, today most U.S. medical doctors tend to believe that acupuncture works because it stimulates the nerves causing the release of endorphins, which are the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural painkiller hormones. It is also shown to increase blood circulation, decrease inflammation, and stimulate the immune system. What to Know - If the thought of getting needles stuck into your body makes you a little queasy, you will be happy to know that an acupuncture treatment is nothing like getting a shot. In fact, it is quite relaxing. Here are some important points:

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• The needles are solid, sterile, and disposable (used only once), and as thin as a cat’s whisker. • Does it hurt? You may feel a brief, sharp sensation when the needle is inserted, but generally, it is not painful. Once the needle is in place, however, you may feel a tingling sensation, numbness, mild pressure, or warmth. • Sticking points: The number of needles used for each treatment can vary anywhere from a few, up to a dozen or more. And where the needles are actually stuck depends on the condition being treated, but they are typically inserted about onequarter to 1-inch deep, and are left in place for about 20 minutes. After placement, the needles are sometimes twirled or manipulated, or stimulated with electricity or heat. • Treatments: How many treatments you will need will depend on the severity of your condition – 12 treatments (done weekly or biweekly) is very common. It is also important to know that acupuncture can be used in conjunction with other conventional medical treatments, or by itself. • Cost and coverage: The cost per treatment can run anywhere from $50 to $125. Many private health plans cover acupuncture (be sure you check your plan), unfortunately Medicare does not. Finding a Practitioner - To find an acupuncturist in your area you can ask your doctor for a referral, or you can do a search online at credible sites like the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (www. nccaom.org), and www.acufinder.com (or call 760-630-3600), which is associated with the American Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine. Both sites provide a national database of certified and/or licensed practitioners. Or visit the American Academy of Medical Acupuncturists (www.medicalacupuncture.org), which offers a directory of MDs who are certified to practice acupuncture. 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. MSN

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By Jim Miller There are many different tools and technologies available today that can help adult children keep tabs on their aging parent when they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be there. Here are some popular options and new products to check into. Senior Help Line - One of the biggest concerns among families that have an elderly parent or relative living alone is them falling and needing help. For this, a â&#x20AC;&#x153;personal emergency response systemâ&#x20AC;? or PERS is the most affordable solution. For about $1 a day (available through companies like lifelinesys.com, lifealert.com and lifefone. com) you can rent the equipment which includes a small transmitter (SOS button) that your mom would wear, giving her the ability to call for help any time she needs to. The drawbacks, however, are that many seniors forget to wear their SOS button regularly, and if they do have it on and fall, they still have to be alert enough to actually push the button. Fall Detection - If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re willing to spend a little more (around $50 a month), there are several more sophisticated PERS on the market. One of them is Wellcore (wellcore.com), a new device that has fall detection sensors in the SOS button that can automatically summon help without the user having to press a button. Plus, it will beep to remind your mom to put it on, and if she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, it will notify you. And, when paired with a compatible cell phone, it can even be used outside the home. Halo Monitoring (halomonitoring.com) also offers fall detection products, as does Philips (lifelinesys.com), maker of the popular Lifeline Medical Alert Service who just introduced an AutoAlert option. Home Monitoring - Another more expensive option for keeping tabs on your mom is with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;home monitoring system.â&#x20AC;? These systems come with sensors, placed in key areas of your momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home that learn her daily patterns and notify you if something out of the ordinary is happening. For example, if your mom doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get out of bed at her usual time, or if she went to the bathroom and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave it could indicate a fall or other emer-

gency. The great thing about this type of system is it requires no input from your mom, and you can check in on her anytime through a passwordprotected website. You can find these systems at companies like GrandCare (grandcare.com), Healthsense (healthsense.com), and CloseBy (closebynetwork.com), with prices ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the options you choose. Medication Management - If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re worried your mom is not keeping up with her medications, there are a wide variety of pill organizers, medication dispensing and alarm systems (see epill.com) that can help. One of the best new systems on the market is TabSafe (tabsafe.com). A home-based device that dispenses medicine on schedule, providing reminders to ensure she takes it on time, and will notify you or other caregivers if her pills arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t taken. Medication reminding services like OnTimeRx (ontimerx.com) or Check-in Friends (checkinfriends.com) can also be helpful. For a small fee, these services will call your mom to remind her to take her medication. Pillphone.com offers a similar service for wireless phones only. Communication - Videophones have become an increasingly popular tool for keeping in touch with older loved ones from afar. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not familiar with them, videophones are like a telephone with a built-in camera and video screen that gives you the ability to see the person youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking to in real time. Two of the best on the market today are the â&#x20AC;&#x153;ASUS Videophone Touchâ&#x20AC;? that works with Skype (skype.com), and the â&#x20AC;&#x153;ACN IRIS 3000â&#x20AC;? (myacn.com). Both require a high speed Internet connection and are simple to use. Or, if your mom and you both have a home computer and a Webcam you can video chat online. Send your questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of The Savvy Senior. MSN

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Checklist Helps Caregivers Simplify Road Trips By Lisa M. Petsche If you are planning to take an older relative on a road trip of several hours or more, thorough preparation is the key to success, especially if the person has special healthcare needs. Follow these tips for a safe and enjoyable stay. Planning â&#x20AC;˘ Set realistic expectations. Consider your loved oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and limitations. â&#x20AC;˘ Make plans and start necessary preparations well in advance. Lists are indispensable. â&#x20AC;˘ Include your loved one in the preparations to the best of his or her ability. â&#x20AC;˘ Research the accessibility of accommodations and attractions you wish to visit. If you are planning to stay at a motel or hotel, make reservations, especially if you will need specific features such as a room with handicapped facilities or a ground-floor room. â&#x20AC;˘ Learn the location of the nearest hospital in any areas you plan to visit. Avoid destinations where a hospital is far away. â&#x20AC;˘ Arrange a pre-trip doctor visit for your loved one. Share your travel plans and any healthrelated concerns, such as motion sickness or circulation problems. â&#x20AC;˘ If your loved one has trouble walking long distances, rent a wheelchair or ensure that the places you plan to visit have some available. â&#x20AC;˘ Have your car checked and serviced before departure. â&#x20AC;˘ If you are going to an unfamiliar area, obtain a road map and study it. If you belong to an automobile club, take advantage of its route-planning service. â&#x20AC;˘ Plan to do as much driving as possible during off-peak traffic times. Or choose the scenic route if time and your loved oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sitting tolerance permit. Packing - Include the following items when drawing up a packing list: â&#x20AC;˘ Loose-fitting, breathable clothing, comfortable walking shoes, a wide-brimmed hat, and a cardigan for air-conditioned environments and cool evenings â&#x20AC;˘ Sufficient prescription and over-the-counter medications to cover the time you plan to be away, plus a few extra daysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worth in case your return is delayed â&#x20AC;˘ Sunscreen, insect repellent, antihistamine, and motion sickness tablets â&#x20AC;˘ A list of all health conditions and medications in case of a medical emergency â&#x20AC;˘ Any necessary medical equipment and sup-

plies, such as a walking aid, food supplements, and incontinence or diabetic supplies â&#x20AC;˘ A cushion or two for comfortable positioning in the car â&#x20AC;˘ An extra pair of eyeglasses and spare hearing aid batteries â&#x20AC;˘ Sunglasses and umbrellas (the latter primarily for instant shade) â&#x20AC;˘ A pillow and a nightlight â&#x20AC;˘ A cooler containing sandwiches, snacks, and beverages â&#x20AC;˘ Favorite music or books on tape for the car ride â&#x20AC;˘ Emergency roadside and first aid kits â&#x20AC;˘ Cell phone (Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to charge it and bring a recharging unit along) â&#x20AC;˘ Disabled parking permit Driving â&#x20AC;˘ Top off the gas tank at frequent intervals. â&#x20AC;˘ Stop approximately once per hour for stretch breaks or short walks. â&#x20AC;˘ Choose stops that have clean, well-lit restrooms. â&#x20AC;˘ Wear seat belts and, if your loved one is in the front seat, ensure that the headrest is centered at the back of his/her head. â&#x20AC;˘ Encourage your loved one to shift his/ her weight often and to do neck and shoulder stretches and foot flexes. Lodging â&#x20AC;˘ When checking in, ask for a room close to the lobby or elevator. A ground-floor room is ideal in case of an emergency in which elevators become inoperable. â&#x20AC;˘ If your loved one has a back problem, request a room with a recently replaced mattress. Recreation â&#x20AC;˘ Space out activities and allow ample time for each. â&#x20AC;˘ Schedule outings for the time of day when your loved oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy level is highest. Stick to regular meal, medication, and sleep times. â&#x20AC;˘ Have a flexible itinerary. Take things one day - and one activity - at a time. â&#x20AC;˘ Ensure plenty of time for rest and relaxation! With a little planning you can be sure that your loved one has a safe, enjoyable road trip and that you, the caregiver, are prepared easily to provide assistance when needed. Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and freelance writer specializing in eldercare issues. MSN

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How to Find a Good Home-Care Aide By Jim Miller According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 1.4 million Americans require the help of a paid caregiver each year. But finding good home-care can be a real challenge. Here are some tips that can help. Know Your Needs - The first step to take before hiring someone is to determine the level of help your mother will need. If she is ill or needs health care services, there are registered nurses who can manage medical conditions and administer medications. At the next level are nursing aides who have training in first aid and in helping patients bathe, go to the bathroom, and transfer from bed to a wheelchair. And for those who don’t need skilled assistance, there are companions and homemakers who can handle household chores. Once you settle on a level of care, decide how many hours of assistance she’ll need. Does your mom need someone to come in just a few morn-

ings a week to help her cook, clean, run errands, or perhaps bathe? If mom needs constant care, you can hire aides to work 8- or 12-hour shifts or hire a live-in aide. Finding Home Care - Once you figure out your mother’s needs, there are three ways in which you can go about hiring a home-care aide. • Home health agency. This is the easiest but most expensive option. Certified home health agencies provide and manage all levels of home care with their trained employees. You pay the agency, and they handle everything including an assessment of your mom’s needs, assigning appropriate staff, finding a fill-in on days your aide cannot come, and more. In many cities, the going rate is around $20 an hour for a certified aide. A registered nurse will likely cost twice as much. Medicare may cover services provided by an approved agency, but guidelines are strict and the coverage is limited. To locate and compare agencies, visit www.medicare. gov/hhcompare or call 800-633-4227. Nursing registry. These are private employment agencies that also provide various levels of care. Registries are usually more affordable than home health agencies because you are taking on the responsibility of supervising and managing the aide. You pay the worker directly. The registry will provide backup in the event that the assigned worker is unavailable. Optimally, the agency and its employees should be

bonded. To find a registry check your yellow pages under “nurse registries.” Gray market. The least expensive way to find home care is to hire an aide on your own. You may find one through a friend, newspaper ad, or an online service such as www.craigslist.org. The problem with this method is that you become the employer so there’s no agency support to fall back on if a problem occurs or if the aide doesn’t show up. You are also responsible for negotiating their fee - expect to pay about $10 to $12 an hour - paying payroll taxes and any work-related injuries that may happen. If you choose this option, make sure you check the aide’s references thoroughly, and do a criminal background check. What to Ask - If you opt for a home health agency or registry, it’s wise to call several providers and ask many questions, How long have you been in business? Are you insured? How do you handle complaints? How do you screen your employees and what kind of training do they have? Most important, you’ll want to learn all you can about the individual aide you are getting. Before choosing an aide (whether it’s through an agency, registry, or on your own), conduct an in-home interview. Ask the aide about their experience. If your mom has dementia or other special needs, see if the aide has cared for such patients before. Find out if the agency or aide has malpractice insurance. Who will cover if the aide is out sick or takes a few days off? And after you hire someone, it’s a good idea to prepare a daily schedule of duties so your expectations are clear. Be sure to visit frequently and at irregular times to keep an eye on things. 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. MSN

Share And Share Alike Submitted by Minnie Aken, Yuma, Arizona The old man placed an order for one hamburger, French fries, and a drink. He unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half, placing one half in front of his wife. He then carefully counted out the French fries, divided them into two piles, and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife. He took a sip of the drink; then his wife took a sip and set the cup down between them. As he began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the people around them were looking over and whispering. Obviously, they were thinking, “That poor old couple - all they can afford is one meal for the two of them.” As the man began to eat his fries, a young man came over to the table and politely offered to buy another meal for the couple. The old man said they were fine - they were used to sharing everything. People closer to the table noticed that the little old lady had not eaten a bite. She sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink. Again, the young man came over and begged them to let him buy another meal for them. This time the old woman said, “No, thank you, we are used to sharing everything.” Finally, as the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with the napkin, the young man came over to the little old lady - who had yet to eat a single bite of food - and asked her why she had not eaten and what she was waiting for. She answered, “The teeth.” MSN

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BWAGS: Women so tough they sport iron underwear! Article & Photo by Kim Thielman-Ibes When Margaret Emerson brought the concept of a small, loose-knit women’s activity group back to Bozeman, Montana in 1969, she probably did not realize how the group would evolve over the years as the members and their children grew with the community. Emerson is still active in the group, and today the women are known for their adventurous spirit, their hearty bushwhacking skills, and their willingness to take the road less traveled. “Margaret first got acquainted with the idea when she and her husband spent a year in Christchurch, New Zealand,” says seventy-seven-yearold Anne Banks, an active member. “Margaret belonged to the Bishopdale women’s activity group (known as BWAGs). It was sort of a babysitting co-op where one woman would baby-sit and the others went off and did whatever activity interested them.” Margaret’s experience with the BWAGS in Bishopdale during 1968 so inspired her that, upon her return to Bozeman, she wasted no time in setting up a Montana version of the BWAGS Bozeman Women’s Activity Groups. The Bozeman BWAGS started by playing ping-pong in the upper floor of the Museum of the Rockies. “Margaret has always been a great organizer,” says Banks. In these early years of BWAGS, the group’s activities varied from belly dancing to needlework, cross-country skiing to quilting, and everything in-between, while providing babysitting for those in need. Today,

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ti iti if a group off six i iinterested t t d women can activities: decide on an activity, time, and place, the activity becomes part of the BWAG family. “Early on,” says Patti Steinmuller (a BWAG member since 1992), “Women from their 20s through their 40s participated. Nowadays the group is older, maybe starting in their 30s ranging through their 70s and even 80s. It becomes very addictive. You just don’t want to miss the camaraderie and the chance to be with a group of women and enjoy the day.” Though there is a steering committee and official web site for the group, it has a loose organizational structure. “We started out collecting dues of ten cents a time,” says Banks. “Today it’s five dollars a year, but that really depends on the individual groups and how they want to do it.” The collected dues are mostly donated to the places

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the groups meet, like the Museum of the Rockies or to such causes as the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, a nonprofit committed to developing the trails that these women know intimately and love passionately. Now about that iron underwear. “This is kind of an apocryphal story,” says Banks. “Years ago, a husband of one of our members was said to have stated, ‘These women are so tough they wear burlap underwear.’ That was fifteen years ago.” The members got such a giggle out of the story they created a pair of burlap underwear and emblazoned them with “Iron BWAG” across the back.

Today it has become a tradition that whenever a member turns 70, she receives the iron underwear - though it has been reported that members do not have to actually wear them. The inside of these burlap beauties is embroidered with the names of all the recipients. “It’s something for people to look forward too,” says Steinmuller. Soon the group may have to invest in a second pair! What has united this group for more than forty years has been love of the outdoors, friendships, and shared new experiences. For more information about the BWAGS visit www.bwags.home. bresnan.net/. MSN

Grounded Great Falls Pilot Builds Exquisite Flight Simulator Article & Photo by Craig & Liz Larcom Climb the stairs to the second deck of Joe Scott’s hangar at Great Falls International Airport and you will come face-to-face with a strange contraption. When Scott slides the metal door aside, you realize that you are about to walk into an airplane cockpit. W i t h o u t ever leaving the ground, Scott can take you on an airplane “ride.” Pick your aircraft, and Scott throws a switch that starts the simulator with a whoosh. If you are familiar with the selected aircraft, you will hear the familiar whine or chug of that aircraft when Pilot Joe Scott of Great Falls, Scott sits in the checklist on his knee, prepare to pilot’s seat and “fly” the flight simulator he built. cranks the engine. The realistic practice it provides Look outside the helps to keep his flying skills window and, alcurrent. [Photo by Craig & Liz though you are Larcom] inside Scott’s hangar with the door closed, you see a digitized Great Falls Airport. Helena, Singapore, or London - Scott can “fly” you there, and you will see the appropriate scenery as you go. If he banks the airplane for a turn, the scenery will turn, too. The moving scene outside the windows makes the sense of flight so realistic that some passengers have even become airsick. As a former fighter pilot and currently rated commercial pilot, I can appreciated the tricks that can be played by the simulator. Scott can tell the equipment to check on the weather forecast and add the appropriate weather to the scenery. The simulator also allows a second party - say an instructor - to order an aircraft emergency. This trains the pilot to respond to the kinds of situations that should never be deliberately caused during actual flight. Scott has even added a smoke machine to put a realistic smell in the air when “trouble”

develops. But the simulator is more than a toy to Scott, an air ambulance pilot for 15 years who is currently grounded because he is not medically certified to fly. An injured back and numb feet are getting in the way. “I hope that will change down the road,” he says, although he doubts he will ever be able to fly again commercially. In the meantime, the simulator helps to fill the gap he feels in a life without aviation. “Also, when you fly for the hospital or a job like I did, sometimes you can go months without shooting an instrument approach,” says Scott, referring to the kind of flying pilots do when it is dark or bad weather limits visibility. “We have visual flight rules 90 percent of the time in the state of Montana, so between days off and waiting for a flight and the weather being good, sometimes you just don’t get into the weather to shoot the instrument approaches. “We were always legal, even though we didn’t fly very much. You can actually go six months. But for me, that wasn’t enough. Pilots are generally perfectionists, you know. A little type A. I just like to be more on top of things,” he says. “But the biggest reason to have a simulator is because I had several back fusions and I really missed flying while I (Continued on page 62)

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Pilot builds flight simulator - continued from page 59 was recuperating for three months. Actually, the first time was three months; the second time was a year. So I used that time off to build a simulator with some help. My wife Cindy helped me quite a bit. When I went back to flying the first time, I basically didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to train. I took my check ride and went back to work because I was so current.â&#x20AC;? The heart of the simulator is the three computers that run it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One computer runs the visuals outside, the second computer runs all the controls, knobs, and switches, and the third computer is used for the guidance for the GPS system for the simulator,â&#x20AC;? Scott explains. Walking along the outside of the simulatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shell, he points to a projector on the floor in front. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a close throw projector. The reason it has to be close throw â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and it uses all kinds of mirrors in there to do it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have much room here. A projector would have to be 30 feet away. So all I had to do was come up with this idea,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bulbs are just about as expensive as the projector, sad to say. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to buy bulb insurance, can you believe that? You have to buy insurance for the bulbs. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no joke!â&#x20AC;? he adds. Building the simulator was no easy feat. Scott identifies the expense as the biggest hurdle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was at Samâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club one afternoon, looking at the different monitors, dreaming about what I could do, and of course the dream went away just as soon as I looked at the price tag,â&#x20AC;? Scott recalls. N e x t d a y, a g u y called with news of a simulator shell. A man had perished tragically and his mother was trying to dispose of this possession. Would Scott be interested? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nobody wanted it. A lot of pilots from the local area looked at it, but for one, it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work, and for two, it was outdated. .PTU PG PVS DMJFOU T TBZ And the shell had been i5IBOL ZPV u *G ZPVS POMZ taken apart so many JODPNF JT GSPN TPDJBM times it just looked like TFDVSJUZ EJTBCJMJUZ QBZNFOUT a piece of junk. Some QFOTJPOT PS WFUFSBO T CFO of the wires were frayed FĂ UT GFEFSBM MBX TUBUFT UIBU and that kind of thing,â&#x20AC;? ZPVS JODPNF DBO U CF UBLFO Scott relates. But Scott saw the shellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential BXBZ UP SFQBZ EFCU :PV and sprang for it, â&#x20AC;&#x153;beEPO U IBWF UP QBZ BOE ZPV cause it had the outer EPO U IBWF UP FOEVSF shell and a few of the controls, and these two GSVTUSBUJOH DBMMT BOE MFUUFST monitors.â&#x20AC;? GSPN DPMMFDUJPO BHFOUT When they negoti:PV DBO MJWF XPSSZ GSFF ated a price, he insisted that the mother take a little more for it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think she would have paid me TIFMUFST ZPV to take it, to be honest GSPN IBSBTTNFOU with you. It was big. It QSPUFDUT ZPVS JODPNF was hard to move. She just wanted it gone,â&#x20AC;? he JT OPU B CBOLSVQUDZ says. Scott gutted it down 4UPQ DSFEJUPST GSPN to the outer shell. He reCSFBLJOH UIF MBX BOE built the cockpit, painted USZJOH UP DPMMFDU EFCU it, and built a base for it. Then he put in all new UIBU ZPV DBO U QBZ controls, new springs, and new monitors exCall DCSD at $BMM %$4% BU cept for the two that 1-800-992-3275 he kept, and added a Ext. 1304 for a FREE &YU GPS B '3&& screen and the closeConsultation or visit us at $POTVMUBUJPO PS throw projector. www.debtcounsel.net WJTJU VT BU or Scott has an impressive set of skills and a XXX EFCUDPVOTFM OFU email info@lawyers-united.com fierce case of the do-ityourself bug. The work so far included carpentry, welding, fiberglass work, and electrical work, to name a few. 'PVOEFE JO â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was an electrician in +FSPNF 4 -BNFU 4VQFSWJTJOH "UUPSOFZ BOE 'PSNFS the Navy, and my dad #BOLSVQUDZ 5SVTUFF (Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 67)

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Kathy Mora Believes Life Long Learning Begins At The Library By Bernice Karnop Once a week, starting when she was four, Kathy Mora’s mother took her to the library. They attended story hour and her mom helped her choose books to check out. “It was something extra-ordinary, not to be

was torn down in 1965 to make way for the present library at the same location, 301 Second Avenue North. Kathy’s mom still comes to the library once a week, but now Kathy helps her choose books. Instead of being eye level with the tables, Kathy keeps her eye on every aspect, every program, and every employee in the library. Chosen this spring from a nationwide search, Kathy Mora is now the Director of the Great Falls Public Library. On the one hand, she says it is daunting to realize that she is responsible for the library’s entire operation. On the other hand, she knows the library as a user, as a 24-year employee, and because she has a master’s degree in library science. She knows the people she works with and says, “We have a great staff. They make it easy.” She even knows her library card number by heart. Her journey from toddler library patron to top floor director was neither quick nor conventional. In high school, Kathy worked at the CMR High School library and at the same time took a part-time position at the public library as a page, shelving books. Kathy Mora, director of the Great Falls Public Library, After high school, family and other interests loves the library, but she also takes time to enjoy her seven took priority, but then, in her 20s, she accepted grandchildren and relax at the family cabin on Seeley Lake. a temporary job doing library inventory. This was [Photo by Bernice Karnop] before the advent of computers, so the library missed; something we did every week,” Kathy hired 30 people to inventory every item. The job says. was to last three months. Nearly three years later, She still vividly remembers climbing the steps she and one other person were still sifting through of the old Carnegie Library in Great Falls - walking materials. in the door and being exactly eye-level with the When they finished, she took a part-time adult-sized tables inside. permanent position, processing new books and The Carnegie Library, which was built in 1903, donations. She worked in interlibrary loan and at

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and experience are reasons why she is a good fit for the top position in the Great Falls Library. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kathy knows that libraries have a potential to really change and help shape lives. She is a great library user as well as a library supporter and director. She loves the library.â&#x20AC;? The library does a lot more these days than check out books or collect magazines. You can check out CDs and DVDs or use one of the 24 public computers. If you cannot get in to the library, you can sign up for Talking Books for the visually impaired and receive them in the mail. Through the home-bound service, a volunteer will choose books and bring them to your home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We really do have something for everyone,â&#x20AC;? Kathy says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find something here, ask us because we have other methods we can use to find it.â&#x20AC;? The library also teaches a popular course in basic computer skills. Other programs include travelogues, movies, art, music, and talks on a variety of subjects. Online services are popular and continue to expand. Two years ago, the library started a program through which patrons can download audio books to iPods, MP3 players, or to their home computer from the library web site. Kathy says perks of the job include getting to see new books and read book reviews on recently published books. One new book she enjoyed is 600 Hours of Edward, by Craig Lancaster. It has been nominated for a Montana Book Award. Right now, she is reading another new book, The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall. However, she does not just read new books or those she has not read before. She has read A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving at least three times, and she reads anything by Joyce Carole Oates. Kathy Mora loves her job as the Great Falls Public Library Director. She can step into pretty much any of the libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s positions, but admits that one task still gives her butterflies. Surprisingly enough, it is the program where she got her start - leading story hour. MSN

the reference desk. When the library got its first computer, she began doing data entry and taught herself so much about the technology that the library used her as its trouble-shooter. In 1992, she applied for the Systems Administrator job. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was audacious to apply for the job with no formal training,â&#x20AC;? she admits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But Jim Heckel, the previous director, had a lot of faith in me and he hired me.â&#x20AC;? In 1998, after she had been working with computers in the library for six years, she began computer classes at the University of Great Falls and earned a networking certificate. Then in 2000, she began a computer information course at MSU Northern, completing her 4-year degree while continuing to work at the library full-time. In 2007, she completed her masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in library science. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did it backwards,â&#x20AC;? she admits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did the self-education and then got the formal training.â&#x20AC;? While the advantages of going to college first would be nice, Kathy says people view things differently if they get the hands-on experience first and then do the class work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One advantage for me was that I was certain of what I wanted to do,â&#x20AC;? she says. Another advantage was the full scholarship she received for the masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree. Kathy is glad to be finished with her formal training, but learning does not stop there. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always a learning process,â&#x20AC;? she says of her new position. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like learning; I need and want to continue to learn.â&#x20AC;? Library spokesperson Jude Smith says that Kathyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attitude

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Thanks to generous contributions, the C.M. Russell Museum has been able to expand exhibitions, acquire new art, and enhance educational programs and events. Donor gifts may qualify for valuable tax credits and savings. Options for contributions that leave a lasting impression for future generations include: t &TUBUF (JGUT t $IBSJUBCMF 5SVTU "SSBOHFNFOUT t $IBSJUBCMF "OOVJUJFT t -JGF *OTVSBODF BOE 3FUJSFNFOU 1MBOT For more information, contact Jen Whitman, Membership/Development "TTPDJBUF BU FYU PS FNBJM KXIJUNBO!DNSVTTFMM PSH

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

Conrad’s Dale Sheldon Has Never Looked Back By Susan Carlbom Dale Sheldon had his own mechanic shop for thirty years. One day his friend, Ron Denney, walked in the shop to see how Dale was coming on the Ford pickup he was overhauling. The place was quite dark and as Ron tripped over a tire rim he yelled, “Hey, Dale, why don’t you have any lights on in this place?” Dale scooted out from under the truck and yelled back, “Can’t see a darn thing - what do I need lights for?” “Life begins at birth; however, I feel mine really started in a vacant lot in Conrad one month before my fourth birthday.” Dale lost his eyesight while playing a makeshift game of baseball and using an old table leg for a bat. The table leg still had a large screw protruding from one end. As Dale picked up the ball, one of the older boys swung the leg to hit the ball out of his hand. “Unfortunately, he missed the ball and hit me in the eye.” After several doctors and hospitals, it was determined that nothing could be done to save his sight. His parents did not believe it would benefit him to be coddled and protected, so they let him play and roughhouse like any other normal little boy. He started first grade at the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind in Great Falls. Although he had to board at the school from Monday to Friday, he was one of the lucky ones who went home each weekend. It was hard for his loving mother and father to send him back to school every Monday. “I would be so homesick; I would hate to unfold the clothes that my mother had so tenderly packed

each week.” During the middle of his junior year, there was a dispute with the headmaster over graduation requirements. “With my common sense in the bottom drawer of my tool box, I dropped out of school.” From 1952-54 Dale attended Rocky Mountain College in Billings, learning auto mechanics. Aft running his own shop ter f a few years, he took for t timeout to work in Washi ington, D.C. as a Russ sian interpreter. Through a s special language program t that was the brainchild of J John F. Kennedy, Dale a attended Georgetown Univ versity for two years. Kenn nedy thought there was untapped potential in using b blind people as translators, s since they would not be d distracted by things going o around them. While on w working for the governm ment, Dale collaborated o a fifty thousand-word on Russian/English dictionary i Braille. in In 1965, Dale came b back to Conrad and worked again in his mechanic shop until 1989 when he was elected as county commissioner of Pondera County, a position he held for twelve years. He was probably the first blind person to become a county commissioner in the United States. One other unsighted person was elected the same year, but it is unclear who

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was sworn in first. “I am proud of the work done during my time as a commissioner including major improvements in the road department, especially in upgrading the equipment and shops... We (the commissioners) also were instrumental in collecting many back taxes fairly and efficiently.” A man of many interests and talents, Dale has helped with neighbors’ brandings; shearing sheep, stomping wool into the sacks, and having the ticks crawl down the neck of his shirt; and cleaning out wells. Once when he and Ron were working in the shop and decided they needed to make a run for juice, Ron suggested they take Dale’s truck this time. “That’ll work, said Dale, “If I hit anything, I’ll just say I didn’t see it!” Dale and his wife (Aggie) of fifty-four years were great art lovers, and in 1999, Dale started sculpting. His first bronze, Lord Crooked Horn, a rocky Mountain ram was cast by Big Sky Bronze in Choteau. Since that time, Dale has created several

other bronzes and entered in shows and auctions. Aggie, who died in an accident on Christmas Eve, 2004, was his toughest critic and strongest supporter. After Aggie’s death, Dale increased production of the beautiful wooden urns he makes for several mortuaries throughout Montana. When Dale’s mother died, his brother, Earl, had created her urn with his own hands. “It entered my mind,” recalls Dale, “that handmade urns, not the kind made in a factory in a foreign country, would mean more to an already grieving family. I think the urns made from beautiful hard woods (walnut, cherry, and oak) give a kind of warmth and personalized feeling.” Dale Sheldon, a man of many talents and great vision, has continually moved forward from that fateful day long ago and truly exemplifies actor Michael J. Fox’s statement, “Optimists find alternatives in the face of adversity.” MSN

Lisa Maki - continued from page 1

Please remember to vote for JEAN PRICE on Nov 2nd House DistricU t Democrat Paid for by Jean Price for HD 21, Sheila Rice, Treasurer, 422 15th St. S., Great Falls, MT 59405

Discovery of an easier way to make quilts sparked a passion and a vision that she could not ignore. “This needs to be out there for other people to enjoy,” she thought. From the very beginning, Lisa was confident that the business would take off. She admits that it was “probably a little bit stupid” to call a major company like Pellon® and tell them that she could change the industry by bringing in so many other users. But her self-confidence and perseverance have paid off. Today all Pellon® 821 (the product number) bolts have her name, Crooked Nickel Quilt Designs, and her web site on the end. Pellon® recently asked her to design a simple pattern that they can include on the inter-leaf wrapper on the bolts. It was not easy to make the pieces of her business come together. She had been using her creativity as a hairdresser for nearly three decades. With two daughters in college, it was not a

good time to close a successful business and start something she knew so little about. Even husband Brian, her strongest supporter, thought they could not leave the hairdressing business. She started out doing both, but in 2007 (the year she turned 50), Lisa realized she had to quit doing hair and instead style quilts fulltime. “If I don’t give this a try I will wake up every morning for the rest of my life and say I should have,” she told Brian. They gutted the hair styling salon, sold every roller and comb, and remodeled it into a design studio for her quilts. Today she travels much of the year. The business requires a lot of time, money, and hauling of materials in and out of venues. “But the whole experience is just so fun,” she says. “And what really makes it worth the effort is when someone says, ‘This is fabulous. I never thought I could do this, and I can.’”

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

One woman (Lisa calls her the Motorcycle Mom because she works in a motorcycle shop) saw her demonstration on PBS and ordered a kit. The woman emailed saying, “Thank you for opening up a whole world to me…” One of Lisa’s most popular patterns is the T-shirt quilt, Memories to a T. Using the ten-inch see-through template included in the pattern, the quilter cuts the logo out of each shirt. The fabric is stabilized by ironing it to the Pellon®, and the quilter finishes quickly by using Lisa’s Quilt-N-Go™ method. Grandchildren love school or sports t-shirt quilts. Travelers who have “been there, done that, bought the t-shirt” cannot find a better way to enjoy their memories than to make the shirts into a quilt.

Lisa keeps coming up with creative patterns. This fall she will publish a pattern for a reversible apron with a quilted top. You can wear one side out when cooking, she explains, and then turn it around for serving. Lisa Maki’s enthusiasm for her quilts is infectious and she looks forward to watching her business expand. “I just think everybody should be in love with this,” she says. You can learn more about Crooked Nickel Quilt Designs and Lisa Maki by visiting www.crookednickel.com. You can email her at lisa@crookednickel.com or call her at 406-727-5833. MSN

Pilot builds flight simulator - continued from page 62 was an electrician. So I grew was up working in the basement building radios. I was probably building radios when I was ten years old,” Scott explains. He used all automotive paints on the simulator, working in his own paint booth, an offshoot of his hobby restoring classic cars. “I won’t claim that I can do everything. There are always things I need help with here and there, but for the most part I try to do everything myself,” says Scott. “I just love to learn.” “I’ve had help, as far as getting the computers networked. I had to get some help downtown for that so I hired a guy from Entech Computers. He helped me get them networked together so that they would talk to one another,” he says. In spite of his wide-ranging skill set, Scott still had the problem of money. By now he had invested thousands in the simulator. At this point an attorney working on an aviation case entered the picture. He could see that the simulator could help in one of his cases, but the fact that the simulator’s software lacked Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) certification was a hurdle. “What would it take to get certified?” he asked Scott. “Well, it would take probably two more computers, and some more equipment,” Scott replied, knowing that the FAA-certified software would require an upgraded computer set-up. “You get what you need and we’ll write the checks,” the attorney told Scott. “They ended up helping me out quite a bit,”

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Scott says. But that does not mean the builder got off Scott free. “I got around the big expense by… well, maybe I didn’t get around it, if you ask my wife,” he chuckles. “It’s like a pygmy eating an elephant. One bite at time. The court case helped me. I got the shell for a bargain, and I used a lot of my own money,” he says. Spreading out the work and doing a lot of the labor himself also helped. “I’d say,

let’s see, I probably have in the neighborhood of $28,000 tied up in this.” That makes some pretty expensive smoke and mirrors, but to Scott it is all worthwhile. “When you shut off the lights you can really immerse yourself,” he says. The satisfaction of helping his pilot friends stay safer counts for even more. MSN

Growing Ancient Crops In Modern Montana: Timeless Seeds Article & Photo by Gail Jokerst If you had to guess which eastern Montana city was home to a small company that sells its products globally and has drawn the attention of Newsweek and PBS, your first choice would probably be Billings. And while some Billings’ firms may regularly ship goods to China, England, and Germany and receive nationwide publicity for their efforts, they are not alone. Their northern neighbor, Timeless Seeds in Conrad, has earned its own unexpected place in Montana’s economy. In a region famous for growing wheat and barley, it took vision and courage during the early 1990s for four organic farmers from central Montana to buck tradition and plant something as radical as lentils. These nutritious legumes may claim a venerable history internationally and have long been a mealtime staple for various peoples hailing from parts of southern Europe, Asia, and Africa. But to Montana’s predominantly Scandinavian and German populations living in the Golden Triangle, lentils were largely unknown in the Havre-Lewistown-Shelby region when Timeless Seeds began. “The business started on my family’s farm near Conrad. But we eventually outgrew that space and needed a bank loan to lease a grain elevator in Conrad,” says one of the company’s founders, David Oien. In researching crops to grow using organic farming methods, David had suspected early on that lentils would thrive here. And they did. The semi-arid Golden Triangle is similar enough to the cool dry environments of southern Asia and the Middle East, where lentils originated, to provide ideal growing conditions for this ancient food. This explains why the fledgling company soon needed more storage space. When the banker

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skeptically asked, “What’s a lentil?” and “What’s organic farming?” David realized the necessary funds would not be forthcoming from this source. Although the organic farming principle of using nitrogen-rich cover crops instead of synthetic fertilizers to restore farmed land was far from new, it was not widely practiced in eastern Montana. Neither was growing a range of pulse crops the norm instead of the prevailing monocropping of cereal grains. So rather than borrowing the needed money, Timeless Seeds formed a corporation

and sold shares to other farmers and consumers intrigued by the possibilities of this unusual business venture. “We wanted to create markets for our farms and for our fellow organic farmers within the state,” recalls David. “Only two of the four farmers who started the business are still in agriculture but other farmers in the area have converted to organic based on the opportunities we’ve created. And Timeless isn’t their only market.” Today, the company owns a seed-processing facility in Ulm and has expanded to include a branded retail line as well as a bulk wholesale line. Timeless Seeds employs six employees and hires as many as 20 local developmentally dis-

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

abled individuals to do the weighing, packaging, and labeling. These days, Timeless Seeds offers not just one kind of lentil but six with a seventh on the horizon. Ranging in color from gold, green, and crimson to black and brown, these specialty lentils cook in anywhere from 5-35 minutes - no pre-soaking required. The company’s Pardino lentil with its slightly nutty aroma is the preferred lentil of Spain, while its Du Puy lentil with its mild peppery undertones and excellent shape retention is France’s equivalent. For cooks in those two countries, only their national lentil will do because of their unique flavors and applications. “Since many people in the U.S. were unfamiliar with these two lentils, we wanted to introduce Americans to them. People who care about food and how it’s presented value the opportunity to experiment. They like the variety, color, and different uses of our lentils in things like dips, soups, and salads,” notes David, who is pleased that Timeless Seeds has gained, in addition to an international reputation, a following among regional chefs appreciative of locally grown products. Besides lentils, Timeless Seeds grows and sells several other specialty organic crops including golden flax, yellow split peas, Black Kabuli Chick Peas©, and Purple Prairie Barley©. Not surprisingly, each product has found its own niche market. “Some people like to grind the flax and sprinkle it on things like salads and oatmeal to add roughage and fiber to their diet,” says David, who does most of the cooking in his family and loves nothing more than creating new recipes in his home kitchen. He’s hard pressed to choose a favorite among the company’s different selections but willingly volunteers that he is partial to the hull-less purple barley and its smoky-sweet flavor. According to David, this heirloom barley can be traced back 10,000 years to the Nile River Valley and has never been hybridized. It has considerably more protein and fiber than pearl barley and maintains its shape and texture whether immersed in stews or served as a side dish. Other products, such as the yellow split peas and Black Kabuli Chick Peas©, are esteemed not just for their taste but also for their ability to retain their distinctive color after they have been cooked. Black Kabuli Chick Peas©, which David believes originated in Afghanistan, make a unique and appealing presentation wherever they appear in a menu. To understand why a native Montanan farm boy

would want to venture into such atypical agricultural territory, it probably helps to know something of David Oien’s background. “My spiritual side appreciated the charge to honor God’s creation. We are all part of nature not set apart from it,” explains David, who studied religion and philosophy in college. “I came back to the family farm to understand the connection between nature and human beings. In the process, I learned about how the world eats. Timeless has allowed me to know and love people in Europe and Asia as well as America and to connect with them.” In looking back at the company’s trajectory, David says, “We’re proud to have survived 20 years and created a business that is a little bit unusual in the sense that we’re not a cooperative but supported and owned by farmers and consumers. Along the way, we learned that even though we’re a small company, we can still be in charge of our own destiny.” For more information, visit www.timelessfoods.com or call 406278-5722. MSN

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Remembering the Pacific War Story by Andrea Gross & Photos by Irv Green Death March or the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which The room is dark. In front of me, a 78-foot some say is the largest naval battle in history. Japanese submarine is silhouetted against a Visiting the museum is healing for veterans screen the color of pre-dawn sky. Suddenly and their families. Esther Glassman Wilson, the sound of airplanes whose husband “fought pierces the silence, and on every godforsaken a siren blares. My heart island” in the Pacific, starts pounding, even tells me that people though my head knows need to know how very I’m safe and sound in brutal this war was. “AfYour Full Service Travel Agency Fredericksburg, Texas, ter my husband came Locally Owned & Operated! home of the newly enhome, he didn’t smile Planning a Vacation to Disney, Mexico, larged National Museum for eight years,” she Europe, Hawaii or wherever your of the Pacific War. says. adventuring spirit wants - We can help! This museum, which It takes time to abreopened last December sorb these stories, and For Details call: after receiving a $15.5 the folks who planned A Japanese Aichi “Val” dive bomber used during Pearl Fall Foliage Tours! million, 43,000-square- Harbor the museum wisely Group Cruises! River Cruises! foot expansion, was made the admission New York Broadway Shows! originally established to honor Fredericksburg’s tickets good for 48 hours so that folks can take Australia New Zealand Tours! local son, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, com- a break midway through. I spend the rest of the Alaska! Discover Montana! mander of the Allied Forces in the Pacific during day exploring the shops and galleries of FrederMain Connection Travel of Helena World War II. In accord with Admiral Nimitz’s icksburg’s downtown and returned to the museum 805 N. Last Chance Gulch Ste. #1 wishes, it honors all of the men and women who early the next morning. Helena, Montana served in the Pacific Theater. To put it mildly, it is I walk into Gallery 33 to see a rather unim406-443-4199 or 1-800-429-2944 quite a place. posing yellow canister - 10.6 feet long, 5 feet in Angled walls lead visitors through a series of diameter - that looks like a metal blimp. It should, small cubbies, each devoted to a different seg- I think, be carrying a banner advertising a county ment of the war. Several galleries, like the one fair. Instead, it’s a nuclear container like that used devoted to the attack on Pearl Harbor, feature for Fat Man, the bomb that devastated Nagasaki large-screen multi-media presentations complete on August 9, 1945. Had Japan not surrendered with theatrical sound effects. Others have smaller six days later, this canister would have been used screens that feature old newsreels, tables with to deliver another bomb. animated maps and computer kiosks with interA final multi-media show depicts the ceremony active exhibits. aboard the USS Missouri when General Douglas Then there are the artifacts: some small, like MacArthur accepted the Japanese surrender weapons, uniforms and equipment; others large, on behalf of the Allies and Fleet Admiral Nimitz like the Japanese sub- signed on behalf of the United States. marine. Outside a three“I’m not here as an individual, but only as a acre Pacific Combat representative of the brave men who fought under Zone shows still more my command in the Pacific,” he said, forecasting equipment, including a the focus of the museum that would later be built restored PT boat. in his hometown. I wander through the For more information, visit www.pacificwarexhibits slowly, reading museum.org. the story of an Iowa Hint: The museum lacks only one thing mother, who lost five places to sit down. Even the lobby is devoid of sons off the Solomon chairs. If you can’t be on your feet for long periods Islands, and listening to of time, bring your own chair. recordings where veterTo see more about World War II in the Pacific, ans speak of their expe- visit the USS Midway, commissioned eight days riences on the Bataan after the Japanese surrender, remains a fine example of the type of aircraft carrier that plied the Pacific during the War. Now docked at Navy Pier in San Diego Bay, it is filled with more than Great Travel with Satrom Travel & Tour! 60 exhibits and restored aircraft (www.midway. Queen Mary 2 TransAtlantic Crossing/ Oktoberfest-Minnesota Style org). MSN England Tour May 16-29 October 7-11, 2010

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hosted by Clay Jenkinson Cross the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2 and enjoy 5 days in England!

Escorted by Harvey Schilling Branson Country Christmas November 8-14, 2010 Featuring Daniel O’ Donnell

Shades of Ireland June 26-July 6 Branson Holidaze hosted by Debi Rogers See the sights of the Emerald Isle, includ- November 15-21, 2010 ing Killarney, Dublin, Limerick and more! Featuring Daniel O’ Donnell Enhanced Alaska Cruise-Tour July 18-31 hosted by Joe Satrom Explore Alaska and Denali National Park before setting sail on the ms Statendam Mozart’s Musical Cities August 15-25 hosted by Beverly Everett Enjoy this musical journey to Vienna, Salzburg and Prague

New York City Theater Tour December 2-5, 2010 Air tour featuring Billy Elliott and the Nutcracker Ballet Christmas in the Cities December 2-5, 2010 See the Moscow Ballet and ‘All Shook Up’! Sports Packages Vikings • NFR • NBR • NASCAR Bismarck NASCAR Charter March 3-7

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 71

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Know Strange Laws In Foreign Countries Provided by Skyscanner Earlier this month, Italy introduced more than 150 â&#x20AC;&#x153;public securityâ&#x20AC;? laws, many of which were met with surprise by both the Italian press and tourists alike. One such law, implemented in Vigevano (near Milan), bans people from sitting in the shade at the foot of a local monument - much to the surprise of a local couple, who were promptly fined US $270 each for taking a moment out of the hot afternoon sun. And last week, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) recently reported that Americans spend twenty minutes longer cleaning their house before they go abroad than they do researching the local laws and customs of the place to which they are traveling. The last thing travelers want to feel on vacation is the long arm of the law. But as many destinations across the globe are beginning to clamp down more strictly on tourists who do not obey local regulations, it pays to be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;in the knowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; before arriving abroad. Skyscannerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top Ten this week takes a closer look at some of the most bizarre and unusual laws around the world to help tourists stay out of hot water while on vacation. London, England - If you are writing postcards to send back home, be careful how you place the stamp. If the stamp shows an image of the Queen, it could be considered an act of treason if you stick it on upside down. Paris, France - While riding the Metro might be the easiest way to get

around, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get carried away with the romance of the city and give your partner a kiss. It is illegal on railways in France. Hong Kong - Be sure to steer clear of any loverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quarrels while visiting this cosmopolitan city. It is completely legal for a betrayed wife to kill her husband, but only by using her bare hands. However, if she decides to go after her husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mistress, she may kill her in any manner she chooses. Yikes! Dubai, UAE - Dubaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s luxurious resorts and stunning beaches may seem like the ideal place to spend a romantic holiday, but make sure not to get too affectionate. Kissing in public here is illegal, and many tourists have run afoul of this law in recent years. Rome, Italy - Even though the act of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;adjustingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; oneself may seem to be a common practice for men, in Italy it is illegal for males to touch their genitals through their clothing in public. Formerly thought to be a way of warding off bad luck, grabbing the crotch has been illegal since 2008.

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Mexico - If you are riding a bicycle in Mexico, it is illegal to lift your feet from the pedals since it could cause you to crash. But if you do crash, do not start shouting profanities in public because this is illegal as well. Southeast Asia - The durian, a fruit native to Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, has a smell so incredibly strong that it is banned from many public places. While not strictly banned by law, it is probably best to avoid bringing a durian back to the hotel - for everyone’s sake. Amsterdam, Netherlands - A curious legal loophole means that while smoking tobacco in a public place such as a coffee shop is banned, puffing away on pure cannabis (in designated “coffee shops”) is entirely legal. Switzerland - The Swiss must have excellent post-dinner bladder control; flushing the toilet in an apartment here after 10 pm is actually illegal. It is also against the law for a man to relieve himself while standing up after 10 pm (although we are not sure how this particular charge would stand up in court). Singapore - In a bid to keep the streets of this super-efficient city clean, the authorities in Singapore decided in 1992 to ban chewing gum completely. Stick to mints if you want to freshen up after dinner. Skyscanner is a leading travel search site, comparing flight prices for over 670,000 routes on over 600 airlines as well as car hire, hotel, and holiday price comparison. MSN

Your Life. Your Death. Your Choice. My father fought to win the right to die with dignity; now, I’m ﬁghting to keep it. My father, Bob Baxter, ﬁled the case that brought Montanans the choice to end a drawn-out death from terminal illness with medication prescribed by a physician.

Bob Baxter and daughter Roberta

My father was a typical Montanan: a proud, independent, patriotic ex-Marine. He liked to hunt and ﬁsh. He was a freedom-loving truck driver. His whole life he wanted to do things the right way.

When he found out he had terminal cancer, he wanted his doctor to help make sure he had a peaceful and dignified death. He wanted his doctor to aid in his dying. But that choice wasn’t available. That’s why he brought the lawsuit that made death with dignity legal in Montana. Dad’s suffering and death were much more painful and difficult than they had to be. My dad never got the right to decide for himself how much suffering to endure before he died. He died the same day the court ruled in his favor. Now, Montanans do have the right to legal aid in dying. But some people believe politicians and government should prevent patients like my father from being allowed to die. They vow to get the legislature to reverse the Supreme Court’s ruling next January. I’m fighting to keep this choice in place, the one my Dad should have had. I believe, like my Dad did, that people suffering the pain and anguish of a prolonged terminal illness should be allowed to decide how their life ends, with the support of family and loved ones and the aid of their physician. Won’t you join me? Please stand with Roberta and Compassion & Choices in protecting the Montana Supreme Court ruling that respects your personal end-of-life decisions. Protect your right to die with dignity. Join the Compassion & Choices Action Network.

Call Compassion & Choices at 1(800) 247-7421 Visit www.CompassionAndChoices.org/Baxter Or clip out and mail this coupon:

Yes, I support my right to end-of-life choice! Name: ______________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________ Phone: ______________________________________________________ Email: ______________________________________________________ F You may use my name in letting elected lawmakers know of my support. Mail to Compassion & Choices of Montana, P.O. Box 1348, Helena, Montana 59624 061 RFW QRY

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

As the election season gets in full swing, what better time to test your knowledge of elections and politicians past? This month’s quiz, created by our staff, tests your knowledge of America’s presidents by looking at their humorous and quirky side. How much presidential trivia do you know? Congratulations to Pierre Petrau, Columbia Falls, who submitted the winning answers to the How Well Do You Remember These Old Advertising Slogans

quiz that appeared in our August/September 2010 issue. Thank you, Pierre. Two $25 cash prizes are awarded from the “Contest Corner” in each issue of the Montana Senior News. One prize goes to the person who submits the entry that our staff selects as the featured quiz or puzzle in the “Contest Corner” for that issue. Be creative and send us some good, fun, and interesting puzzles! The second $25 prize goes to the person who

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 73

submits the most correct answers to the featured quiz or puzzle from the previous issue. When there is a tie, the winner is determined by a drawing. Please mail your entries to the Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to montsrnews@bresnan.net by November 10, 2010 for our December 2010/January 2011 edition. Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website www.montanaseniornews.com.

Another Side Of America’s Presidents By Sylvia Bull Below are 20 interesting and humorous facts about American Presidents. On a numbered sheet of paper, write the letter of the president that you think goes with each numbered fact and e-mail or drop them in the mail to us. The winner will receive a $25 prize. Good luck! 1. This hefty president once got stuck in the White House bathtub. 2. This president wore dentures made from hippopotamus teeth. 3. This president and his wife held séances in the White House. 4. This president regularly swam naked in the Potomac River. 5. This president was arrested while in office for running over an elderly lady with his horse. 6. A popular children’s toy was inspired by a cartoon of this president. 7. After his 1948 election, this winning candidate’s picture did NOT appear in the newspapers. 8. This president also had a successful career in acting. 9. This president held the inaugural White House Easter Egg Roll in 1878. 10. Ending the presidential fashion in knee breeches, this 4th president wore long trousers. 11. This 20th president could write Greek with one hand and Latin with the other. 12. This president campaigned for Congress on his wedding day. 13. This president was assisted by the “Poker Cabinet.” 14. This 12th president kept his old army horse Whitey on the White House lawn. 15. This feisty president fought in many duels. 16. The president kept bears from the Lewis and Clark expedition in cages on the White House lawn. 17. This president was formerly a peanut farmer. 18. This president had 15 children. 19. This president turned down an honorary doctorate from Oxford University. 20. This president was an owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team. A. Abraham Lincoln B. Zachary Taylor

C. James Tyler D. Harry Truman E. James A. Garfield F. Warren G. Harding G. Thomas Jefferson H. Franklin Pierce

I. George W. Bush J. George Washington K. Rutherford B. Hayes L. Jimmy Carter M. Ronald Reagan N. Andrew Jackson

O. John Quincy Adams P. James Madison Q. Millard Fillmore R. William Howard Taft S. Theodore Roosevelt T. Gerald Ford

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Answers to â&#x20AC;&#x153;How Well Do You Remember These Old Advertising Slogans?â&#x20AC;? 10. H, Victor and RCA Victor products 11. S, Brylcreem 12. L, Coca-Cola, Coke 13. C, Life Saver 14. Q, Kleenex tissues 15. B, Westinghouse dryers 16. F, Greyhound 17. R, Pontiac 18. K, Folgers 19. P, Camel (cigarettes) 20. E, Evening in Paris MSN

Submitted by Pauline Haggerty, Miles City 1. I, Pepsodent 2. O, Bon Ami 3. J, Texaco 4. D, Palmolive 5. N, Ipana, Sal Hepatica 6. T, Dr. Pepper 7. G, C&O Railway 8. A, Lucky Strike cigarettes 9. M, Old Gold cigarettes

Explore Physics by Myles Mellor 1

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Happy Thanksgiving!

1. Widely used theory in physics 7. Thermodynamics term 11. Telekinetic individual, first name 12. Guinness suffix 13. Diffuse through a membrane 14. Refracts 17. Dear 18. Kind of radiation 21. Cause to form a coherent mass by heating without melting 22. Astronaut Dr. __ Lu 24. Temperature pronouncement 26. Any of two or more nuclei with the same mass number and atomic number that have different radioactive properties 29. Aka bosons 31. Discoverer of fluorescence 34. Sodium symbol 35. Stumbling expression 36. Sound system, briefly 38. All nations org. 39. Port 41. Supporting shafts 43. Kind of bar 44. Chicago locale 45. Skywards 46. C 15 H 24 O 48. Velocity 50. Law man 51. He made the first terrestrial measurement of the speed of light 53. Inside shot? 54. Light, for short 55. Ship initials 57. Einstein, e.g. 58. Recently discovered silicon device for speeding up optical data

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

Down

37. Most fitting 40. Mass in physics 42. Unit of luminous flux 44. Internet package exchange, abbr. 46. Fundamental units of computer information 47. Unit of frequency 49. Accumulate 51. Bug 52. “Just ___ thought!” 56. Iron symbol

1. Division result 2. Ancient Sumerian city 3. Look through a scope 4. Creator of alternating current 5. Practice 6. Olympus Mons, for example 7. Traveling backwards in time concepts, abbr. 8. The lightest of elements, after hydrogen and helium 9. Come back into the atmosphere, e.g. 10. Guarantee 15. Large weight 16. Kind of dwarf? 19. Influence on a body or system 20. Concentration level used in environmental evaluation 23. Philosophies 25. Free radicals 27. Paranormal perception 28. Curve shape 29. Pioneer in the theory of crystals, Bohr 30. Permeate 32. Where Archimedes was when he observed buoyancy and displacement 33. Made fundamental contributions to fluid dynamics 34. Prefix with second and technology 1

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Paint that burger red and keep off the grass Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley Do you remember when waitresses were called “hashers” and had their own special language? 1. Adam & Eve on a raft - Poached eggs on toast 2. Burn the British - English muffin toasted 3. Sinkers and suds - Doughnuts and coffee 4. First Lady - Spare ribs (another Adam & Eve reference) 5. Burn one, clean up the kitchen - Hamburger 6. Two cows, make em’ cry - Two burgers with onions 7. Radio - Tuna (tuner) 8. Blonde & sweet - Coffee with milk and sugar 9. Squeeze one - Orange juice 10. Fish eyes - Tapioca pudding 11. Houseboat - Banana split 12. Nervous pudding - Jello 13. Eve with a lid on - Apple pie 14. Put a hat on it - Add ice cream 15. Sand - Sugar 16. Twins - Salt & pepper 17. Sea dust - Salt 18. Keep off the grass - No lettuce 19. Paint it red - With ketchup 20. Warts - Olives 21. In the alleys - On the side 22. High & dry - Served plain 23. On wheels - To go 24. Bubble dancer - Dishwasher 25. Soup jockey - Waitress MSN

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