Senior Connection Suncoast March 2011 edition

Aging In Place VOLUME 22, NUMBER 3

SUNCOAST

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Presidential Libraries

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• Barry Peterson’s Life As A Caregiver • Tools Made for Walking • The American Voice of Nazi Germany • Art Therapy For Dementia Patients

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MARCH 2011

Rushing to Save Time… For What?

BY JANICE DOYLE Dear Readers, “Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.”

—Will Rogers

Janice Doyle, Editor

R

ush, rush, rush . . . I’m so busy.

I’m rushing to save time, and for what? What do I do with the time I saved by hurrying all through the yesterdays of past years?

In a recent airport baggage claim area, I was witness to a typical 2011 “slice of life” scene. The carousel had spit out the bags which had come in on our flight when … oh, no… a big-ego, 70ish man with a New Jersey accent began blustering.

He paced and tried to find someone among the departing passengers who cared. But, alas, we were all headed out the door, rushing to our own destinations—thankful that our bags were in hand.

Twisting, looking about for someone to blame, he bellowed, “They can’t even get a bag on the right plane!”

Wait a minute, Buddy! You flew from Newark to Tampa in just over three hours and your bag won’t come in until tomorrow morning—at which time it will be delivered to your door.

Well, you just show ‘em, I say!

Next time you drive that distance and keep your bag with you every single minute. See if you can do it without making any mistakes at all.

No wrong exits, no choice of a bad

restaurant, no tired body from long days in the car! Try it, Buddy!

See, in his hurry to rush about, he forgot to factor in being happy and thankful for the time and weariness he’d saved by flying.

I read this last week: “One of the great illusions of our day is that hurrying will buy us more time, without considering what we will do with that extra time.” Why does everything have to be fast? If I say “my computer is really slow today,” I usually mean it’s taking 30 seconds to open a website which will instantly gratify me with the information I have requested.

Hospitals are even trying to hurry up emergency room service to make the public happy. You see, we really are in a hurry, even when we’re sick.

It’s true, we don’t want to wait on what is often routine medical care which millions on the planet will never ever have available no matter how far they would walk and how long they would be willing to wait.

So now we see the billboards advertising “26 minutes wait time at XYZ Hospital Emergency Room.”

The numbers are digitally controlled and can change with the supposedly changing time required. So, at some point, one guesses, the time might actually be—could it be real?—10 minutes, or—two hours, etc.

A Detroit hospital guarantees treatment in their announced number of minutes or the treatment is free! The sales gimmick worked and business rose 30 percent in the ER (although someone commented that no statistics are available for the mortality rate).

Editor Waves From Air Force One!

L

ast month my husband David and I visited the Reagan Presidential Library in California which is also home to the Air Force One plane used by seven presidents from 1973 to 2001—Nixon, Carter, Ford, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton and George W. Bush. Be sure to read inside this issue about the 13 presidential libraries and how each is uniquely tied to the president it represents.

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 2

Fortunately I’ve not had occasion to challenge the digital numbers, but I wonder how accurate the signs are. And how fast do we really want some things to go, like if I’m the patient that day?

Unfortunately, we want even God to be an American and act in a hurry on our behalf, regardless of whether we’ve been hurrying about on His behalf lately or not. When trouble comes, we plead and implore and beg Him to take care of our situation instantly so that we won’t have any difficulties today. We’re in a hurry, don’t you see, God? It’s really not new to be busy.

Even Jesus’ disciples felt rushed when they were with Him. Mark writes in his Gospel: “For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”

As the world grows smaller with technological and transportation advances, we more and more want to have everything done yesterday.

It all comes at a price, doesn’t it? We say of our children and grandchildren, “Their lives are so busy.” Friends and neighbors get neglected because we are “so busy.”

I’m trying to make myself slow down both physically and mentally, to allow time for quiet pursuits of the soul and mind. Robert Louis Stevenson said it this way: “To sit still and contemplate . . . is this not to know both wisdom and virtue and to dwell with happiness?”

Be well and relax in the Florida sunshine.

Hillsborough, Pinellas/Pasco Published monthly by News Connection U.S.A., Inc.

Publisher, President: Kathy J. Beck kathy@srmagazine.com Editor: Janice Doyle Accounting: Vicki Willis Production Supervisor Graphic Design: Kim Burrell Production Assistant: Tracie Schmidt Customer Service: 1-888-670-0040 customerservice@srmagazine.com Advertising Sales: Hillsborough/Pinellas 1-888-670-0040 Tampa Bay Area Dena Bingham: (813) 653-1988 Pinellas/Pasco Judy Floyd: (727) 678-0315 Chuck Bingham: (813) 293-1550 Frank Zaccaro: (813) 388-3200 Sun City Center Judy Coleman: (813) 653-1988 Distribution 1-888-670-0040 Corporate Advertising Office: P.O. Box 638 Seffner, Florida 33583-0638

(813) 653-1988 888-670-0040 Fax: (813) 651-1989 www.srmagazine.com Send press releases to:

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ATTENTION READERS: The articles printed in Senior Connection and Mature Lifestyles do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Editor or the staff. The Senior Connection/ Mature Lifestyles endeavors to accept reliable advertising; however we cannot be held responsible by the public for advertising claims. Senior Connection/ Mature Lifestyles reserves the right to refuse or discontinue any advertisement. Our advertising deadline for the April 2011 issue is March 15, 2011.

Magazines are out by the 7th of each month.

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Around Town

OPERA TAMPA

W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G M A R C H 2 0 1 1

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ues., Thurs., Sat. Three Quarter Century Softball Club game.

10 a.m. – noon. North Shore Baseball Field, St. Pete, freewebs.com/kidsandkubs or (727) 893-7108.

Passion Betrayal Redemption FRIDAY

T

hrough 20 “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” by Neil Simon

by West Coast Players.

Also watercolor art show featuring Gerry Bourlon. Seniors $15.

(727) 437-2363 or wcplayers.org.

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For more dealers contact Biria USA: Tel: 201-461-1980 www.biria.com Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 4

very First and Third Monday, Toastmasters, Tampa Bay Women Speakers, meets at Spring Valley School, 2109 Nebraska Ave., Palm Harbor, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Info: TBWS1@yahoo.com. Free for guests.

S

aturdays Swing Dance Saturdays at Largo Community Center (400 Alt. Keene Rd., Largo) presented

by Savoy South. $7 includes East Coast swing dance lesson from 7 – 8 p.m. and DJ dance from 8 – 11 p.m.

Casual dress. (727) 518-3131.

6

13 and 20 Bye, Bye Birdie matinee at the Largo Cultural Center. 2 p.m.

Call (727) 587-6793 for tickets.

11

“Happening,” a local contemporary artists show. Opening event from 6 – 8 p.m. Art At The Plaza, 100 Indian Rocks Road N., Belleair Bluffs.

Call (727) 559-7767 for information.

12

– 20 I Do, I Do, presented

by Gilbert & Sullivan Players. Classic story of a marriage from newlyweds to growing old together. Weekends. Tarpon Springs Cultural Center. (727) 942-5605.

17

Pinellas Energy Efficiency Project at Oldsmar Library, 400 St. Petersburg Drive E., Oldsmar.

Tips and incentives to make homes more energy efficient. Energy-saving kits provided. 6:30 p.m. To register,

visit their website at pinellascounty extension.org or call (727) 582-2100.

18

43rd St. Senior Citizen’s Club, Christ Lutheran Church, 3451 30th Ave. N., St. Pete. Noon.

Bring covered dish and $1 donation. (727) 343-5454.

19

Orchid Friends Sale, 12350 Ridge Rd. Largo. 9 a.m. to noon. (727) 475-0750.

20

– April 3 “Love, Sex, and the IRS” by St. Petersburg Little Theatre, 4025 31st St. S., St. Pete.

Visit splt.org or call (727) 866-1973.

20

Romeo and Juliet at the Mahaffey Theater. 7 p.m. Call box office for tickets: (727) 892-5767.

26

Suncoast Genealogical Society meeting, Palm Harbor Library, 2330 Nebraska Ave., Palm Harbor. 2 – 4 p.m. Guest speaker. (727) 791-1983.

26

“Paws for Patriots” benefit ride and rally to purchase $5K training sessions for dogs and new masters. Rally at 1 p.m. at Quaker Steak and Lube, Pinellas Park. Kickstands up at 11:30 a.m. at American Legion, Madeira Beach, to ride to Pinellas Park. For information, email Paws4Patriots@RollingThunderFL11.com or call (813) 508-2078.

27

“Blue Suede Shoes – The Ultimate Elvis Bash.” 1 p.m. matinee at Ruth Eckerd Hall featuring Scot Bruce and Mike Albert (winners of international Elvis contests). $8 box lunch available at 11 a.m. (727) 791-7400.

Send Around Town news to Senior Connection Magazine, 1602 S. Parsons Ave., Seffner, FL 33584; fax (813) 651-1989. News must be received by the 10th of the month prior to event (i.e. March 10 for April event.)

T

Senior Fun Fest Comes to the Coliseum!

he Senior Fun Fest! is coming to the St. Petersburg Colisuem, located at 535 Fourth Avenue North, St Petersburg. That’s on March 23, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This event features “Senior Friendly” exhibitors with information on senior services, lifestyles, health and wellness, travel and more.

A Senior Friendly lunch of a hot dog, chips and soda will be available for $5 along with other menu items. Free coffee and goodies will be offered throughout the day.

Health Screenings The AARP/Walgreens Wellness Tour Bus will provide free health screenings including cholesterol, bone density, waist circumference, body mass index and more.

Other health screenings will include hearing, eye and spinal checks.

William “Duece” Hulett—the “Best in Country Entertaining” as well as Denise Looney, “The DJ with a Twist!” Don’t miss Bill Castner, “King of Dance,” plus dance exhibitions by the Fred Astaire Dance Studio. And of course, Fritzy the “One Man Circus” will be there, and much more!

JSA Medical Group will provide glucose and blood pressure checks along with important health information.

Entertainment Enjoy live performances on stage throughout the day. Celebrate the ‘60s with Richie Merritt of The Marcels,

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Try your sports skills to win prizes, sponsored by “Boost.”

Thousands of dollars in prizes will be given away throughout the day, including two round-trip tickets aboard the Key West Express—high speed full transportation service sailing non-stop from Ft. Myers Beach to Key West.

Plus, win tickets to Busch Gardens and the Florida Orchestra.

The Grand Prize drawing at the end of the day will be a two-night stay at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, including round trip airline tickets compliments of the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport.

“Grandkids are the Greatest” Again, this year we present the “Grandkids are the Greatest” Photo Contest. The photos will be on display during the “Fun Fest.” Winners will be announced at 2 p.m. that day.

More Fun Since Easter is late this year we decided to have our Easter Egg Hunt early. Official Senior Connection Easter Eggs will be hidden in the Colisuem throughout the day. Find one and win a prize!

Admission and parking are free.

For more info, call (813) 653-1988 or 1-888-670-0040 or go to www.

SrMagazine.com. See you there!

You may also qualify under certain other circumstances.

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TMP 3/11 Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 5

Richard Thomas: Time Bandit

R

But then things get a little haywire when Richard meets another newcomer to the paper—Dick, who seems to know a whole lot about Richard’s life, and how he became the person who ran away, rather than confront, his troubles. Dick reveals he’s actually Richard, 30 years older, and he’s here to help him become the man he should be. With Dick offering advice, Richard learns to face a number of challenges—including re-acquainting himself with his former high-school sweetheart Jackie, who is now engaged.

Richard is assigned a story that could change the course of Richard’s career … and the fate of his quaint, small town.

So wait—amidst the romance and metaphysics and rewriting of history, is “Time After Time” also hiding a warning message about big box stores?

“Of course!” laughs Thomas. “This film has a social message about valuing the smaller in our society.”

Thomas, son of ballet dancers, took to the stage as a child and, in spite of having partial hearing loss (he uses hearing aids now), earned accolades for his work on stage and screen, including live-on-TV appearances in several Hallmark Hall of Fame movies, beginning with 1958’s “The Christmas Tree.”

egrets? Everyone has a few, unless perhaps you’re Frank Sinatra.

For the rest of us, time marches on whether we make the right decisions or not—and it’s hard to not look back on the past and wish we’d been able to guide our younger selves. But in the March 19 Hallmark Channel Original Movie “Time After Time,” Richard Thomas gets to play a man with a rare opportunity—the ability to tweak his past by getting to know his brasher, if more fearful, 30-year-old self.

Thomas, onetime John-Boy on “The Waltons,” says it’s not about the sci-fi, but about people and relationships.

“It’s about how moments are precious and you shouldn’t squander them,” says Thomas, who turns 60 in June. “The present is all we have.

It’s an admonition about how you make your choices in the present.”

If the present is all we have, then it’s a good thing Thomas’s character Dick Kern shows up when he does in “Time After Time.” The 30-year old Richard is an ambitious journalist based in Tulsa who flees his job and the state when a story goes wrong. He ends up back on Long Island, Richard Thomas’ character meets a New York, working for younger version of himself in Hallmark the small town paper Channel’s new movie, “Time after Time.” where he got his start.

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 6

He landed his most notable role in “The Waltons” in 1971, and then left in 1977, returning to the “John-Boy” part several times over the years for various movie specials. For years it was the way in which most people recognized him, though over the decades that’s tapered off—in part to his New York residency, which affords him a certain amount of anonymity. But it took a while before he could shake off being “John-Boy” to everyone.

“When you first leave a show you know you’ll have to do some heavy lifting to balance the scales,” he says.

“You can’t expect everyone to be on your schedule, just because you left the show and want to play other parts. But it’s astonishing—people still come up to me in England and France and recognize me. I’m glad that’s the TV series I’m known for.”

Over the decades, Thomas built a career of playing to the “John-Boy” expectations—and against them, with a career that includes everything from appearances on “Law & Order” (2009) to feature films like “Wonder Boys” (2000) and adaptations of Stephen King works like “It” (1990).

He says making “Time After Time” was a unique experience.

“I’ve made over 50 TV films over the years—but we shot this film in 15 days. That’s a new land speed record in my life,” he says.

“At first I wasn’t sure if they were sending it to me to play the younger guy or the older guy,” he chuckles.

Clearly, he was destined for the elder part of Dick, and specifically asked if he could let it all hang out to play the part—that is, just be himself. “I thought, I want to be a little heavy and look my age and not have anything airbrushed out and see how it is.”

As a father of seven—with ages ranging from 34 to 14—Thomas is grateful that films like the ones Hallmark makes still exist, which is why he likes returning to the fold.

“Hallmark is one of the few places left where I can do a film that appeals to the kind of family viewership that loved ‘The Waltons.’ A lot of those people have a hard time with what’s on television right now. It’s family entertainment, and family entertainment is not just children’s programming; it’s a show the whole family can watch together, and when it’s done they can have a discussion. That doesn’t mean it can’t have edges—it just has to be aware of its audience. This picture is that kind of picture,” he says.

“The Waltons,” 1971.

But would he want to time-travel back and give advice to his younger self? Thomas feels like he already does, every time he talks to his kids.

“I have a wife I adore, and a 14-year old kid I never thought I’d have, and if I’d done things slightly differently, maybe I wouldn’t have that now,” he says. “But people ask themselves this question all the time. One always does things that one isn’t so proud of, treating a person a certain way, or saying something wrong. But it’s a teaching device. If you can admit to yourself there are things you would change—what does that teach you?”

“Time After Time” premieres March 19 (9 p.m. ET/PT, 8C).

(Crown Features Syndicate™)

They See and Teach Their World in Wood

BY JANICE DOYLE

F

Underwater scenes started only recently when a man saw her work in a show and said, “Do you have anything under the sea.” She told him she didn’t but that she realized “… we live in Florida, we do shows in Florida, people visit Florida, so why not show Florida and have unique take-homes.” Now, her manatees, sea weed, fish and shells are in colors keyed to Florida’s sea life themes.

our boys and a girl—about middle school age—sit at a table with gouges, chisels and knives in their hands. No, they’re not plotting anything. In front of each of them is a wood carving made by Bob Marek, their teacher at the Safety Harbor Recreation Center. The homeschooled youngsters chat happily as their sharp tools carve a pelican, a gnome, a dog and other items.

At another table, two retired men work with similar tools.

It’s the first day for one but the other has been carving with Bob for three years now, and his project is more detailed.

Bob and his wife Carolyn teach classes five days a week at city parks in Dunedin, Oldsmar, Largo, Seminole, Palm Harbor, Clearwater and Safety Harbor.

Carolyn teaches wood burning Woodcarvers Bob and Carolyn Marek. which allows a great range of tones and shades to be created in Bob taught a boy from age 10 who wood with a tool having a heated has total photo recall and who stunned tip (600 degrees or higher). carvers at a national convention at age “I started wood carving at age nine 14. As an adult, he now holds his own with my grandfather,” says Bob of with 350 carvers on a national level. his master carver Czech grandparCarolyn taught a girl wood burning. ent. Bob, a retiree, began teaching She says, “Now she does dogs. She wood carving 35 years ago. “We got so good she makes boxes with have students ages 9 to 90s.” They a wood burning of a dog to hold the all start by learning the tools. “The dog’s ashes when it dies. It’s great kids want to go, go, go. You help to see someone get a gift from us them a little more getting started.” and be able to keep it going.”

Carolyn says of her wood burning: What does it take to do wood carving “Art was out there but I didn’t or wood burning? Carolyn says, “To do start until later in life.” Now, either craft you have to have an open after 22 years with her tools, she is mind and an interest in learning it. recognized by the tool companies Both woodcarving and wood burning as a national demonstrator. are learned activities. When I started I Her work is unique but it has been began seeing things differently. I just a process. She says, “I did wood did. You may look at something and not burning and then I started painting really see it until you draw or carve it.” the designs, but I was covering Classes are offered at various city up the wood burning. Now I do recreation centers with morning, what is called ‘soft shading.’” She afternoon and evening choices, uses watercolor crayons mixed depending on the site. with liquid acrylic thinner to So if you’re ready to learn a relaxing create soft colors which allow the hobby, contact the Mareks at bmarekburned effect to show through. cvr@gmail.com or call (727) 726-7725.

STEFAN SANDERLING, MUSIC DIRECTOR

COFFEE CONCERTS

A Musical Tour: Vienna, Austria

Principal Clarinet Brian Moorhead performs Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto on a program with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and J. Strauss, Jr’s Tales from the Vienna Woods. Concertgoers are invited to enjoy a pre-concert conversation and complimentary coffee and donuts one hour before the concert.

Wed, Apr 6, 10 am Ruth Eckerd Hall

Sponsored by:

Presented by: Herman Forbes Charitable Trust

Thu, Apr 7, 11 am

Progress Energy Center for the Arts, Mahaffey Theater

Hot! Hot Hot! A Night at the Copa

POPS

In a musical tribute to New York’s famed hot spot, The Copacabana, Grammy Award-winning arranger Victor Vanacore leads the orchestra in a night of sizzling Latin dance rhythms...cha cha, tango, salsa, samba, mambo, merengue and more.

Apr 8 - 10

Sponsored by:

MASTERWORKS

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3

Lilya Zilberstein performs Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with its cascading luscious melodies and thundering chords. The program includes the melancholic beauty of Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7 as well as his melody-rich tone poem En Saga. Stefan Sanderling conducts.

Apr 15 - 17

Sponsored by:

Dr. Robert Wharton

For more information: call 727.892.3337 or visit www.FloridaOrchestra.org For group savings (10 or more) : 727.362.5443 TFO-Senior Connection-Mar.indd 1

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 7 2/9/2011 12:11:09 PM

Aging in Place – My Place or Yours?

BY ALISA SINGER

W

e raised our kids with the help of baby monitors and nanny cams and now, in our role as the “meat” of the sandwich generation, we boomers are discovering that technology can also help us keep tabs on our aging parents. The developments in “aging-in-place technology” further the goal of allowing our parents to safely stay in their own homes and out of nursing homes.

The devices and sensors already available allow us to see who’s ringing their door bell or calling their phone, whether they’ve taken their medication, gotten out of bed in the night, their heart rate and even how much time they’ve spent in the bathroom.

Some systems include one or two way video cameras, allowing us to watch our parents going about their daily routine.

But beware—the tables will soon be turned. Before we know it our kids will become the salami of the sandwich generation, and it will be information about our most intimate habits and bodily functions that will be sent via e-mail alerts or text messages to their iPhones.

Then our kids may amuse themselves viewing videos of mom wandering aimlessly from room to room or dad trying to remember where he put his glasses.

This scenario raises many fears in my mind. If I’m too boring to watch for very long, will my caregivers start channel surfing?

Will my voyeuristic offspring sit glued to the screen watching some uninhibited octogenarian love making? The thought is too depressing.

(Not the voyeuristic part so much, but the thought that we might still have to deal with sex in our eighties.)

What do they expect to see from these recordings? Will they be waiting for the big event—the catastrophe that justifies the investment in the system: “Look Jenna! Mom’s fallen and can’t get up. Now aren’t you glad we spent all that money on video cameras?” I know our kids won’t wish us ill, but discoveries like that are really the point of the whole thing.

And lest anyone become too complacent, it’s worth remembering that the technology is only as good as the people monitoring it. How will my ADHD daughter be able to monitor the text messages regarding the regularity of my bowel movements if she keeps losing her cell phone?

Even more frightening is the “medcottage”—or “granny-pod”—to be in the backyards of adult children who don’t want their parents actually living

inside their houses but also don’t want to send them to nursing homes. Imagine a hybrid between a hotel room and a doghouse, wired with stateof-the-art surveillance equipment.

I have an image of each of us staring mournfully out of the windows of our Little Houses on the Prairie, our respective noses pressed against the glass as we watch our families in the “Big House” sitting around a table in a brightly lit room, enjoying a comfortable meal, laughing and, perhaps, singing. And then a tornado comes along and, like Dorothy’s house in Kansas, our lightweight trailer-park-for-one is swept up into the funnel cloud and carried off. Unaware, the family in the big house keeps on singing.

Well, here’s my thought: If that’s how I’m going to be “aging-in-place,” then I’d like to be allowed to age in some other place—preferably one where the backyard has a nice pool.

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5 Ways to Simplify the Technology in Your Life Y

our family’s pockets, purses and backpacks are probably packed with gadgets as technology expands into all aspects of your home and work life.

It seems like every device is turning into a mini-computer that texts, talks, syncs and computes. But do we really need every device to do everything?

Simplifying the technology in your life can make you more serene and even more productive.

Retirement Living Go Basic Most people use computers for Web surfing, word processing and e-mail. So why get one with the latest feature film-making software? A basic desktop should suffice, without expensive processing chips and the bells and whistles needed for cutting-edge video. Or be thrifty and trendy by buying a tiny netbook for less than $300.

Consider utility software that keeps computers running smoothly.

There are several programs from brands like Norton, McAfee and others that keep your hard drive clean and running fast.

Calling All Cell Phones!

Unless you’re a text-crazed teenager or senior executive, why choose a cell phone with more features than your laptop? Select a phone that does one thing really well—make phone calls!

Choose a phone with a simple display and only those buttons you really need, such as dedicated volume controls. For example, Jitterbug is a straightforward model that’s a phone first, with large keys and simple-to-read display.

And if you’ll be traveling, consider a simple global phone, such as the Verizon Escapade, that’s usable from over 220 worldwide locations.

Without excess features, it’s one of the lowest priced global phones, so you can check on the kids or grandkids while in tourist mode.

And it includes a simple camera to capture images of your travels.

Camera, Ph.D The average photographer doesn’t need to know f-stops to take beautiful shots. Instead of a camera suited for a National Geographic explorer, try one with a Ph.D button—“Push here, Dummy.”

While big family vacations may require big cameras, point-and-shoot models are all that are needed for that weekend barbecue.

Open Sesame From online banking to e-mail, multiple passwords guard against identity theft. It’s even better to remember them all. Consider selecting passwords thematically: Perhaps all your financial accounts should use variations of your favorite beer, or all e-mail accounts should use your pet’s name.

Coordinate Gadgets Do you really need an mp3 player, camera, netbook, e-reader, and home PC? Make sure your gadgets don’t overlap in function. You may even help the environment, since gadgets are often less eco-friendly than paper and pen.

Start now and you’ll be on your way to simple serenity.

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Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 9

Presidential Libraries:

✯ Getting to Know You, Mr. President ✯ Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, Missouri

BY JANICE DOYLE

“R

egardless of what I thought of President Johnson, now I feel like I know what he was all about,” my husband said as we left the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. Adding the presidential libraries to your travel plans adds history, nostalgia, culture and understanding to your life.

in Miniature” and “Baseball and the Presidency,” for example.

Besides the libraries, presidents have other buildings, such as family homes which are interesting to visit, but nothing gives as much insight into the presidential decisions as the libraries they created and opened to the public.

The Presidential Libraries include: Herbert Hoover Presidential Library (1929 – 1933) Location: West Branch, Iowa Notable: Includes his Birthplace Cottage, Friends Meetinghouse, burial site and other buildings recalling small Midwestern towns of the times.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum (1933 – April 1945) Location: Hyde Park, Our country’s Presidential Library New York System is a network of libraries administered by the Office of Presidential Notable: Tracks the creation of Libraries, which is part of the National the crown jewel of FDR’s New Archives and Records Administration. Deal—Social Security, his greatest These are not libraries in the modern legacy to the nation—as well as sense, but rather they are repositories his leadership during WWII. for preserving and making available Harry S. Truman the papers, records, collections and Library and Museum other historical materials of every (1945 – 1953) president since Herbert Hoover.

All of the libraries feature Location: Independence, books, papers, memorabilia, corMissouri respondence, news articles and Notable: Holds the White House gifts. Exhibits in each library give Decision Center where school students visitors a historical perspective of take on the roles of President Truman the president and his decisions. and his advisors facing real-life hisEach library also includes sectorical decisions (dropping the bomb tions about the presidential First on Japan) in a re-creation of the West Lady as well as areas displaying Wing of the White House. See his gifts from foreign dignitaries. famous sign: “The Buck Stops Here.”

Behind the scenes are store rooms holding gowns the first ladies wore, Dwight D. Eisenhower drawers of photos (every single photo Presidential Library taken by the official photographers is and Museum kept!) and every piece of mail received. (1953 – 1961) Rotating exhibits can be one of the Location: Abilene, Kansas greatest finds at the various libraries.

I’ve seen the “Traveling White House Notable: Tells the story of “Ike”

Travel

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 10

and his military achievements, his role in civil rights legislation, the decision to send Army troops into Little Rock and his responsibility for the Interstate Highway System.

John F. Kennedy Library and Museum (1961 – November 1963) Location: Boston, Massachusetts Notable: Covers his historic political campaign, the Cuban Missile Crisis decisions and the U.S. Space Program (Project Mercury); artifacts include the original coconut on which a rescue message was inscribed by Kennedy to rescue the crew of the PT-109.

Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library (1963 – 1969) Location: University of Texas, Austin.

Notable: Follows his failures in foreign policy as well as his victories in domestic policy. Details his lifelong fight against poverty.

Richard M. Nixon Library and Birthplace (1969 – 1974) Locations: Yorba Linda, California and College Park, Maryland Notable: Follows events including the end of the Vietnam War and involvement in The Cold War. Covers Watergate, including the tape recorder used in the incident.

Jimmy Carter Library (1977 – 1981) Location: Atlanta, Georgia Notable: Treats issues of his presidency fairly with no apologies—his real success in creating peace between Egypt and Israel is given no grander treatment than failures such as Iran hostage crisis, energy crisis, the SALT II treaty.

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs (1981 – 1989) Location: Simi Valley, California Notable: Conveys the private and public life of a popular president.

Displays touching letters written by Mrs. Reagan over the years. Includes Air Force One used during six presidencies, and it can be toured.

George H. W. Bush Presidential Library (1989 – 1993) Location: University of Texas, College Station Notable: Documents his most difficult decisions and actions while in office, as well as lighter moments.

Special focus is on the Gulf War and the fall of communism. Avenger aircraft and mockup of Oval office (the only one where you can have your picture made at the desk!).

William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Gerald R. Ford Center (1993 – 2001) Presidential Library Location: Little Rock, (1974 – 1977) Arkansas Location: University of Notable: Captures a little of the MoniMichigan, Ann Arbor ca Lewinsky and Whitewater scandals Notable: Denotes the changing times in and his impeachment in a section technology communication by the sheer called “politics of persecution.” numbers of audiovisual items, including photographs, videotapes of news Include a presidential library in broadcasts, audiotapes of speeches and your travel plans, and you will come press briefings, film of public events out saying, “It was good getting to and televised campaign commercials. know you better, Mr. President.”

Bright House Networks would like to thank everyone who participated in our Bright Stars Senior Talent Shows this year.

All proceeds from ticket sales from the Regional Shows went to benefit local senior non-profit organizations.

Bright House Networks was pleased to assist the following organizations that do so much for our seniors each and every day: Pinellas ticket proceeds went to benefit Good Life Games 2011 Tri-County ticket proceeds went to benefit CARES Adult Day Care Manatee ticket proceeds went to benefit Meals on Wheels PLUS Hillsborough ticket proceeds went to benefit Tampa Bay Senior Games The winners from each of our regional shows have been chosen to perform at the Bright House Networks Senior Idol Show:

April 6, 2011 - 7:00 pm • Ruth Eckerd Hall 1111 N. McMullen Booth Road • Clearwater, FL 33759 • 727-712-2759 Tickets - $6 each General Admission Twelve terrific acts will be performing, Jen Holloway and Virginia Johnson will host the show culminating with the selection of one performer who will be named Tampa Bay Senior Idol 2011.

Be sure to tune in to Tampa Bay On Demand Channel 340 in late April to see Bright House Networks Tampa Bay Senior Idol 2011 show again! The Tampa Bay Senior Idol will receive $500 from Bright House Networks and will choose the charity of their choice to receive $500. Then tune in to find out who the audience will select as the Tampa Bay’s Senior Idol.

Thanks to Humana for being our Senior Idol Sponsor!

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 11

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Canes, Walkers: These Tools Are Made for Walking W

Walkers: Walkers provide a wider base of support and stability for balance and walking than do canes. Walkers, which can support up to 50 percent of the body weight, are especially helpful for moderately severe balance and gait problems, or when there’s a risk of falling.

Walkers are available with two, four or no wheels. Two is best when the user places a moderate amount Canes: Canes provide balance and of weight on the walker. The legs support for walking, handling up without wheels help prevent the to 25 percent of their body weight. walker from rolling away. For those Many types of canes are available. who don’t have to lean on the walker, Aluminum ones are adjustable; four wheels may make it easier to wooden canes must be cut to fit. For move about. A standard walker—no everyday use, a hooked, or candy wheels—provides the most stability. cane-style, cane probably won’t be For fit, the top of the walker should the most comfortable. A swan neck come to the crease in the wrist when handle, which is flatter and puts standing straight up with arms at the the user’s weight directly over the sides. A poorly fitted walker can be cane’s shaft, likely will feel better.

For appropriate fit, the top of the cane difficult to use, causing back pain or, worse, increased risk of falling. should reach the crease of the wrist Canes and walkers are available at when the user is standing up straight with arms hanging comfortably. Using medical supply stores, drugstores and discount retailers. It’s a good idea to a cane that’s too long puts strain on the arms, shoulders and back muscles. try several styles before making a decision. In most cases, at least some of the Too short, a cane throws off balance. cost of assistive devices is reimbursed Normally, a cane is held in the through Medicare and other insurers. hand opposite of the weaker side.

Adapting to a cane or walker takes With weight on the stronger leg, the time and may require a shift in selfcane and the weak leg swing and concept. Attitude about the device—as strike the ground at the same time. a help not a hindrance—can be as imWhen a cane is needed primarily for portant as the device itself. (Newswise) stability, it can be held in either hand. hen walking is difficult because of arthritis, balance problems, pain or injury, don’t avoid a cane or walker because they are dreaded symbols of old age.

Instead, consider the devices as a way to help avoid injury and maintain independence.

The Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource offered tips for selecting and using canes and walkers:

Volunteer to Mentor a Child

G

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 12

ulf Coast Community Care needs volunteers age 30 and older for its mentoring program.

Many of the children live with a single parent who is going to school or working.

Volunteers are provided social activities and receive ongoing support

from agency staff. No experience is necessary.

Volunteers spend a few hours a month in simple activities such as reading, baking, gardening or visiting a park with a child.

To find out how you can make a lasting difference in the life of a child, please call Beverly at (727) 479-1841.

An Interview with Barry Petersen

Part 2 ast month, Caregiver.com Editorin-Chief Gary Barg sat down with CBS News reporter Barry Petersen for an open and frank discussion about Petersens’ life as a caregiver for his wife, Jan, who suffers from earlyonset Alzheimers. In Part 1, Petersen spoke about his wife’s gradual descent into illness, the social and mental isolation of caregiving, his realization that the burden he placed on himself was causing him to decline faster than his spouse, and his determination to seek help for himself so he could take better care of his wife.

Part 2 continues this discussion:

L

Gary Barg: What do you do about the guilt?

Barry Petersen: I talked to people who were good at this; obviously, a therapist is good at this. I asked for their help. They explained this in numerous ways; the most brilliant was the guy in Beijing. I went to him and said, “I am feeling horribly guilty.”

This is after Jan is in assisted living in the United States and I am still in Asia. I am having a terrible time getting the wherewithal to get back on a plane and see her. I said, “This is awful. I feel awful about this.” He said, “It is because every time you go back and every time you see her change, you start the process all over again of grieving for what you have lost. It is like going to the same funeral over and over again.” That still goes

on today. We were out there last weekend to see Jan and yes, when there are changes, when you see that she has slipped away a little more, it hurts.

That old friend, that old foe, guilt, comes back to haunt you.

So I do not think it ever goes away. You ask what do you do about it? I guess what you do is you cope with it. It is going to be there and you deal with it as best you can day-to-day.

“I feel awful about this. He said, ‘It is because every time you go back and every time you see her change, you start the process all over again of grieving for what you have lost.

It is like going to the same funeral over and over again.’”

Gary Barg: That is why I like the idea of an appropriately led support group. Even though millions of people go through caregiving, each and every one of us thinks we are absolutely alone.

Barry Petersen: I think that is on my list of cruelties of the disease. It is so

hard on the caregiver, and the caregiver does not know because you just do not realize it.

So I think that to be a caregiver in this disease is dangerous, difficult, and lonely; and, if you do not watch out, suicidal.

People do not like to hear that, but I think that is true.

Gary Barg: One other challenging aspect we have as the primary caregiver is, so many times, you make a decision and all of a sudden you start getting terrible flack from people you thought were on your side.

What can you recommend for caregivers who are going through this issue?

Barry Petersen: In fact, people who were my co-workers did not understand what was going on. Afterward, they read the book and said, “My God, I had no idea!” These are people I work with every day, which gives you a pretty good indication of how clever you can be when you try to hide what is going on. I mean, instinctively, you do this.

I do not mean it as a purposeful thing.

You just say, “I am doing fine,” but the mistake I made was more than that. I protected other people from how Jan really was. I did not want Jan to be embarrassed. I did not want people

to think that somehow this vibrant person had changed so dramatically that they should alter their view of her, even though she had changed.

Even though I thought I was being honest when I sent out e-mails and told people about this, the fact is, I did not communicate it. We are now in our third year of assisted living and there are still people who are really angry with me for how I put Jan into a facility. I think my mistake was not being as open as I could have been about how Jan was doing.

Gary Barg: What would be the one most important piece of advice you would like to share with family caregivers?

Barry Petersen: Do not do it alone.

Do not get sucked into this vortex, into this black hole; because if you do, it will kill you. If it kills you, what good is that going to be for the person you are taking care of? For some reason, we get a martyr complex when we are caring for someone with this disease. I do not know what it is. I have seen other people. I have had the same thing. I can do it alone.

I can take care of it. The more the demands are, the more you deny that you are suffering anything from this.

It will take you down; and if you do not realize it, then you are going to hurt the very person you are trying to help—the person with the disease.

Barry Petersen’s book, “Jan’s Story,” is available at Amazon.com.

Marci’s Medicare Answers

D

ear Marci, I am a former military service member and have good drug coverage through TRICARE. Should I still enroll in Medicare Part D? —Tony

Dear Tony, It depends. TRICARE coverage is more comprehensive than Medicare’s drug coverage. You may be better

off keeping your TRICARE and not enrolling in the Medicare drug benefit.

If you decide you want to enroll in the Medicare drug benefit later, you will not have to pay a penalty as long as you enroll within 63 days of dropping or losing this coverage. Contact TRICARE for more information.

Note that if you qualify for full Extra Help, your copays for covered drugs may be less than if you just

kept TRICARE. However, TRICARE’s list of covered drugs could be broader than those of Medicare private drug plans in your area and TRICARE will cover drugs not on its list for a higher copay.

If you have TRICARE and you decide to join a Medicare private drug plan, Medicare will pay first and TRICARE will pay second.

—Marci Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 13

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lutter affects us all—albeit in different ways. While some people live with it, others shudder at the mere thought of it—but the bottom line is that an organized person is way more productive than an unorganized one. When we clear up clutter, we also seem to empty our minds of “stuff.”

Author Barbara Tako Barbara Tako understands this and has made it her life’s work to help people use their energy for fun things by helping them de-clutter, and she shares her ideas in a most hilarious fashion in her latest book, Clutter Clearing Choices.

I’ve missed

the sound of her laughter.

In our 25 years of hearing care, we’ve heard a lot of reasons why our patients’ lives were changed by wearing hearing aids. And now we’re sharing them with you, because we think that just like our past patients, once you find a hearing solution that is right for you, your life will only get better. To hear all of our stories, visit us at our stores, online, or on one of the many social outlets we take part in. See you soon!

When Trying to Reclaim Your Life— Don’t Come Out of the Closet too Soon Not nearly so organized in her earlier years, Tako kept everything forever, believing that “you never know when you might need it!” She credits her “so clean you could eat off the floor” mother-in-law with her metamorphosis. Witnessing time and time again the boundless energy this amazing woman always had for family and friends was an inspiration for Tako to get organized in order to have time left over for what she really wanted to do.

Clutter Clearing Choices is a humorous, authentic, entertaining and informative book on clutter clearing, home organizing and simple living.

To order the book or learn more, visit clutter clearingchoices.com.

Read “Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!”

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Join us on: Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 14

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Call today to inquire.

T

he highly publicized estate battles of several deceased celebrities in the past few years have cast a bright spotlight on the importance of having the proper estate planning.

Although mega-rich celebrities seem to be affected overwhelmingly by these brutal family squabbles, the book Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! is designed to help every family, regardless of income level, avoid the financial pitfalls that drained bank accounts and created huge family rifts for the dozens of superstars profiled in the book.

The book tells the stories of famous fortunes which created battles including: Michael Jackson, Ted Kennedy, Anna Nicole Smith, Brooke Astor, Heath Ledger, Ray Charles, Princess Di, Jimi Hendrix, Frank

Sinatra, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks … as well as many others that most people aren’t even aware of. You’ll have a front row seat in the courtroom while authors Andrew and Danielle Mayoras replay the “tabloid drama” and point out what went wrong in these riveting cases. You can learn how to avoid similar errors.

The husband and wife co-authors are legacy expert attorneys with extensive experience in estate planning, probate, elder law and litigation. “As an estate planner and educator, the most frequent question I’m asked is: ‘How do I get my parents to talk about these issues?’ This book is the answer,” says co-author Danielle Mayoras, a professional speaker, attorney, and credentialed professional gerontologist.

For more information visit their website at TrialAndHeirs.com.

Veterans Corner

The Voice of Nazi Germany to GIs Was American

Our People Make the Difference

SM

BY JANICE DOYLE

F

or GIs in Europe during WWII, the voice of Nazi Germany was really the voice of an American citizen. Trapped in Germany when war broke out, Mildred Gillars became the reviled disseminator of Nazi propaganda.

Axis Sally: The American Voice of Nazi Germany by Richard Lucas is the true story of Mildred Gillars, the Maine-born, Ohio-bred woman who went to Hitler’s Germany in 1934 to study music and fell in love with a German citizen.

At the outbreak of war in 1939, while the last Americans returned home, Gillars elected to stay in Germany hoping for marriage. Although her fiancée died during the war, a charming former Hunter College professor stepped into the breach. However, Max Otto Koischwicz already had a wife and much bigger plans for Gillars.

Gillars, a failed Broadway actress, learned fast and used her sexy, soothing voice to taunt troops...

He enlisted her in the German overseas radio in Berlin where, under his leadership, her position as a simple announcer escalated into master propagandist—becoming the messenger of Nazi propaganda and doom to the American GI. Gillars, a failed Broadway actress, learned fast and used her sexy, soothing voice to taunt troops about the supposed infidelities of their wives and girlfriends back home, as well as describing the horrible deaths they were about to meet on the battlefield.

Backed by German military intelligence, “Axis Sally” was able to convey personal greetings to individual U.S. units that naturally caused anxiety among the troops

HOMETOWN REUNIONS IN YOUR NEW who felt the Germans knew exactly who and where they were.

At the end of the war, Gillars was captured by the Americans after a failed attempt to pose as a refugee.

She was returned to the U.S. to stand trial for the crime of treason.

Her 1949 trial captured the attention of a nation whose memory of the horrors of war was still fresh. After a three-month trial, she was found guilty and sentenced to 10–30 years.

Paroled in 1961 after serving just 12 years, she quietly spent the remainder of her life as a music instructor in a Catholic Girl’s school in Columbus, Ohio until her death in 1988.

Richard Lucas leaves no stone unturned in telling the story of Axis Sally—a woman who attempted to rebuild her life in the country she betrayed, after she had become one of the most notorious Americans of the 20th century!

The book contains 16 pages of photos covering Axis Sally’s life from her childhood through her days as a showgirl, to Germany and finally her prison in the U.S. Also included are actual transcripts of Axis Sally’s broadcasts.

HOMETOWN.

Whether you are an established resident or have recently moved to the Tampa Bay area, chances are you still have a soft spot in your heart for your old neighborhood. And this year, Lake Seminole Square and Freedom Square are making it easier to reconnect with people from your neck of the woods. Enjoy an afternoon of appetizers, cocktails and entertainment as you get caught up on the old times back home. Make plans now to be here when we host former residents from your home state.

MICHIGAN & INDIANA Tuesday, March 22 at Lake Seminole Square

ILLINOIS & WISCONSIN Tuesday, May 24 at Lake Seminole Square

OHIO & WEST VIRGINIA Tuesday, April 19 at Freedom Square

NEW JERSEY & NEW YORK Tuesday, June 21 at Freedom Square

ALL EVENTS ARE FROM 2 TO 4 P.M. • CASUAL ATTIRE

Complimentary cocktails and appetizers.

Reservations are required.

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www.brookdaleliving.com Our People Make the Difference and Daily Moments of Success are Service Marks of Brookdale Senior Living Inc., Nashville, TN, USA. SEM-FKY01-0211

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 15

Singles Group New Location T

here’s a new location for the Tuesday Upper Pinellas Singles, a 50+ singles group which meets every Tuesday evening for dinner in Dunedin. The group now meets at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 750 San Salvadore Dr. in Dunedin at

Visit our website at: www.srmagazine.com HEALTH • FINANCE TRAVEL • EVENTS CALL 1-888-670-0040 for more information

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 16

6 p.m. for a catered meal followed by entertainment or a speaker. Cost of $7 includes dinner. Join them Friday nights for restaurant night and other times for social events.

For more information, call (727) 725-5453 or Gayle at (727) 474-3386.

Save Your Sight!

ASK ABOUT OUR NEW DNA TESTING FOR MACULAR DEGENERATION Come Get Your FREE Vision Screening

Visit our booth at the Senior Fun Fest

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Visit our Designer Optical Boutique for all budgets at the New Port Richey location

Save Your Sight: New DNA Testing For Macular Degeneration!

I

magine waking up one tion in the Tampa Bay area. morning without the abilTwenty percent of individuals ity to see. Who would you with early or intermediate call? How would you deAMD will lose vision as they scribe what has happened to age. The Macula Risk DNA you? Will you ever be able test helps identify the ones who to live a normal life again? will progress. The accuracy You’ve likely had a macular of the clinical prognosis for episode, an end stage sympvision loss has been studied tom of Age Related Macular James P. Powers, D.O. extensively, and the predictive Medical Director, Degeneration (AMD). AMD power of progression to Founder of Healthy Vision advanced AMD is 83 percent. is the leading cause of legal Institute, Board Certified blindness for adults over AMD is a progressive disease the age of 50. According to associated with aging which Ophthalmologist, reports from AMD Alliance causes damage to the macula, Vitreoretinal Surgeon.

International and the Founthe light sensitive cells in the dation to Fight Blindness, more people center of the retina at the back of your have AMD than breast cancer, prostate eye. The macula is responsible for your cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s ability to see with enough detail to combined. Over 15 million people in read, drive and watch television. Once North America are affected by AMD significant vision is lost it cannot be and experts predict by the year 2020 that restored; and if untreated, AMD will the number will double to 30 million. lead to blindness. However, instead of Healthy Vision Institute (HVI), led worrying about when you’ll lose sight

by Dr. James Powers, a board certified there are advanced technologies that Vitreoretinal Ophthalmologist, has can help save and restore your vision. partnered with Arctic DX to provide the Healthy Vision Institute offers comfirst DNA testing for Macular Degenera- plete and comprehensive eye care, from

a simple vision screening to fully detailed documentation of your eye, including high definition images of your retina to detect the slightest signs of aging.

HVI has invested in the latest technology available—high definition cameras, Spectral Domain OCTs—and is the first to offer the Macula Risk DNA test.

HVI services and the new DNA testing are covered by Medicare and a majority of other insurances. HVI can accommodate same day emergency appointments. They can also provide transportation for qualified patients that require extra assistance; have grants and foundation support for patients that have fixed incomes; and provide free samples of eye drops. Best of all, whenever you call, you will speak to a trained ophthalmic technician or your physician, not an answering service.

The staff is highly specialized to treat patients with AMD, diabetic retinopathy, retinal tears and detachments, floaters, among many other eye concerns. HVI offers several patient programs as part of your comprehensive services that include: educational seminars,

free eye screenings, prescription assistance programs and many more.

Their on-site optical boutique can help put your fashion first by custom fitting a pair of designer frames for you at a reasonable price.

I invite you to call Healthy Vision Institute today to learn more about the services they provide and to schedule an appointment. For more information call: (727) 738-5900.

• Complete Senior and Diabetic Eye Care • DNA Genetic Testing Healthy • Advanced Technology Vision • Grants and Foundations Institute • Financial Aid Programs Offers: • Free Transportation • Personalized Service and 24 Hour Doctor Availability • Prescription Assistance Program • Educational Seminars and Screenings • Optical Boutique for all Budgets and Ages Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 17

Art Therapy Q & A for Adults with Dementia

BY DIANE ALVY, M.A., ATR-BC

Q

. During the week, I drop my husband off at an adult day care center and they offer regular art classes and art therapy groups. What are the differences between regular art classes and art therapy groups for people with cognitive impairments?

A. Regular art classes focus on the

individual’s interaction with the art media and the finished art product. Art therapy groups are aimed to activate the language center of the brain. The implementation of using art therapeutically includes several goals which include facilitating language expression, memory retrieval and socialization.

Q. My father is unable to initiate

conversations anymore, and his ability to verbalize has declined dramatically during the past year. I can tell this really bothers him a lot. Is there a way I can use art therapeutically to facilitate communicate between us?

A. Yes, definitely!

What I do to help facilitate language expression is to first see there are no other distractions in the room. I provide a quiet environment and begin by having several pre-cut images from magazines that depict several things such as food, animals, sports, facial expressions, objects, etc. for the person to view.

I tell the individual I’m going to show them pictures and I ask them to choose images that they like. I usually have the person choose no more than four. I have a large piece of paper and ask them where on the paper they would like the pictures glued.

I proceed by asking them what it is about the images they like, or what is happening in the picture. Through this activity, conversations surface.

At this point, I usually try to guess the words they may be trying to convey.

I worked with a man that chose an image of a basketball player trying to get a basketball into a hoop. When I asked the man about the picture, he said the picture was about the basketball player’s ‘worries’ of not being able to get the ball into the hoop.

At this point, I began to ask him about his ‘worries’ about not doing things. Apparently this hit home because he shared his concerns about not being able to do the things he used to do, such as being able to express himself verbally and being independent. The man felt relieved being able to share what was enormously difficult to express.

Q. How does art therapy work for individuals with dementia?

A. Art therapy works by actively engaging both sides of the brain. The brain has two hemispheres which work in conjunction: left and right. The right side receives information while the left side finds the words to describe the sensory information. Because there are vascular changes in persons with dementia, language areas become less functional.

The therapeutic use of art accesses the language areas (the left side) by prompting the other side (right side) of the brain. Older individuals that have lost the ability to communicate feel isolated and self-conscious. Using art therapeutically provides a non-threatening activity which makes it easier for individuals to access and express language.

Diane Alvy is a board certified registered art therapist with a Master’s in Psychology. Article compliments of Caregiver.com.

Eat at Applebees and Stay Healthy

Mission Statement To offer quality medical care that patients need and deserve, and practice the “Art of Healing” with conscience and dignity, devoting care to those who suffer.

A family practice featuring these specialized services Bio Identical Hormone Therapy Counter the effects of aging by replicating the hormones naturally produced by your body.

Dr. Jeffery Prosser Board Certified Family Physician

Louann Prosser

Holistic Physician Nutritional Specialist

IV Vitamin Therapy A combination of vitamins and minerals treating a range of ailments and increasing energy • Antibiotic IV Therapy • IV Vitamin Therapy • Vitamin C Infusion • Chelation

Vitamin C Therapy An intravenous immune system Dr. William M. Charles D.O. booster with anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-histamine properties.

Board Certified Anesthesiologist, D.O.

Prescription Weight Loss A Physician Supervised weight loss program for all ages featuring Nutritional Counseling, Prescription Weight Loss Medication to curb appetite, Vitamin B-12 and Amino Acid Injections as needed to increase energy and help burn fat.

Stop Smoking

The small investment in your stop smoking treatment will be paid back to you many times over by the money saved on cigarettes and medical expenses in the years to come. The treatment includes all necessary detox needed to help remove nicotine. Tax deductible.

Certified Diabetic Educator • Meal Planning • Drug Therapy • Counseling

COVERED BY INSURANCE

TARPON & CLEARWATER (727) 939-4191 Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 18

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here are ways to eat at Applebee’s Beware of thinking that vegetable and not challenge your calorie means low-cal when you eat out. counts, carbs or fat grams. But it’s Applebee’s Spinach & Artichoke not easy. The Chicken Dip will take up three Fajita Rollup weighs fourths of your in at 1,450 caloday’s calories ries. So, what can if you let it. you eat at AppleThe spinach bee’s and keep and artichoke’s your health intact? only purpose is One way is to stick to provide texture with the 9-ounce Sirloin to what’s otherwise a and Seasonal Veggies meal Applebees’ Steak and massive puddle of fat and top it with either grilled from cheese and cream.

Grilled Shrimp onions or sautéed garlic If it’s salt you’re for a 400 to 600-calorie range meal. watching, avoid Applebee’s Sizzling Another good choice is the Steak & Steak Fajitas. They arrive sizzling Grilled Shrimp (NOT the fried shrimp all right and they taste good, but option). It’s just 390 calories, 6 g of they give you 5,700 mg of sodium saturated fat and 1,680 mg of sodium. (way more than a day’s worth) and Other good choices include their 27 g saturated fat. Don’t do it!

Bruschetta Chicken Sandwich (at Flavor, atmosphere and good presen530 calories, 3.5 g saturated fat and tation are all fine at this neighborhood 1,500 mg sodium) or the Margherita restaurant, but it’s a restaurant Chicken which packs 700 calories of that warrants careful ordering if good taste on a plate full of flavor. you’re sticking to a healthy diet.

10,000 Steps A Day I

s 10,000 steps a day a good target for an older person?

“I had my leaky bladder treated in a doctor’s office ...without surgery.”

Q. My daughter gave me

a pedometer and told me to walk 10,000 steps a day.

When I wore it for a while, I realized I was taking only about 3,000 steps a day. Is 10,000 a realistic number for someone my age (70 years)?

A. If you are reasonably

healthy, 10,000 steps a day is a good goal for you. It is the equivalent of walking two to three miles per day.

You can cover this distance with a walk of 45 minutes or so and get in your 10,000 steps even if you do nothing else for the rest of the day. Ten thousand steps a day may not be feasible if you have arthritis, heart failure or other health issues.

No one is saying you must hit this target every single day. But if you have a day or two in a row with much lower numbers, consider pushing yourself harder during the next few days.

— Thomas Lee, M.D. Editor, Harvard Heart Letter

Cervical Cancer— Screening Works

C

We Listen. We Respond.

We Care.

Contact: Dawn Gretter

Business Development Coordinator

dgretter@arborcompany.com 333 16th Avenue, SE Largo, Florida 33771 Cell: 727.242.0757 Telephone: 727.588.0020 Fax: 727.581.9837 www.bt-largo.com Assisted Living Facility License #7933

ervical cancer is one of the most common reproductive cancers in females, but women can take steps to greatly reduce their risk of developing it.

“Many cervical cancer cases could be prevented, or at least caught early, if all women received proper screening for this disease,” says Robert Miller, M.D., oncologist at Wellspring Oncology in Pinellas Park, Florida. “Simply visiting your gynecologist once a year can greatly reduce a woman’s risk.”

Once the leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States, development of better cervical cancer medical screening for women has reduced the number of cases to 12,000 in the U.S. Nearly one-third of these women will not survive this disease.

Treatment in the doctor’s office in about an hour.

Back to normal daily activities the same day or next day.

Covered by Medicare.

Call Today to Learn More:

David Jacob, M.D., FACS

Urology Specialists of West Florida 35095 US 19 N, Suite 202 Palm Harbor, FL 34684

(727) 248-0671

Risks: Adverse events (complications) are typically mild and temporary and most resolve shortly after treatment. Reported complications include dysuria (discomfort during urination), hematuria (blood-tinged urine), urinary tract infection, and urine retention (inability to empty the bladder). Infrequently, worsening incontinence symptoms have been reported.

Am I At Risk?

The most common cause of cervical cancer is the human papilloma virus (HPV), a virus passed from one person to another through sexual contact which can infect the cervix.

In most women, HPV will go away on its own without causing cervical cancer. Only a very small number of women infected with HPV will develop cancer of the cervix.

While HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer, other known risk factors for cervical cancer include:

• Smoking • Extended use of birth control pills • Giving birth to three or more children • Multiple sexual partners or sexual activity at a young age • HIV or other immune system disorders • Irregular screening history The best ways to reduce your risk of developing cervical cancer is through regular pap tests to screen for precancerous cervical cells and by following-up with your doctor, should the test come back abnormal.

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 19

Don’t Keep Yourself in the Dark About Glaucoma

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arch is Eye Health Month and a good time to learn about glaucoma. With age come changes, including those to our eyes.

Glaucoma begins gradually with a narrowing field of vision and maybe not seeing objects in the periphery.

It’s as if you’re been staring down a dark tunnel that is slowly closing.

Glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness worldwide. Interestingly, the disease robs you of your sight but generally produces no early warning signs.

“Early on, there’s no pain and no noticeable loss of vision, and then you start losing vision,” says Edward Rockwood, M.D. with Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute. “But because it’s off to the side, many people, at least early on, are completely unaware that they’re losing vision.

You lose it permanently, and once it’s gone, it can’t be brought back.”

The key to preventing glaucoma from stealing your sight is to know

your risks, schedule regular eye exams and, if necessary, seek treatment.

Glaucoma encompasses a family of disorders marked by increased pressure in the eye. A clear fluid (aqueous humor) flowing through the anterior chamber in the front of the eye continually nourishes the surrounding tissues and drains at the V-shaped space where the iris and cornea meet. There, it is filtered through spongy tissue known as the trabecular meshwork before exiting into the rear chamber of the eyeball.

In open-angle glaucoma this drainage occurs too slowly or the meshwork is clogged, resulting in a buildup of fluid and increased pressure in the eye. This elevated pressure can damage the optic nerve, affecting the transformation of visual information to the brain and

leading to vision loss.

The less common form occurs when the drainage channel is completely blocked, preventing the fluid from flowing into the trabecular meshwork.

Are you at risk?

The chances of developing glaucoma increase with age, so that everyone over age 60 and AfricanAmericans over age 40 are considered to be at risk. Your genes contribute to your risk, as people with a family history of glaucoma are more likely to develop the condition themselves.

Glaucoma is not affected by healthy living or, interestingly, unhealthy living.

Through regular eye exams, you can halt the progression of glaucoma or

catch it early enough before it causes permanent damage. The American Optometric Association recommends a comprehensive eye exam every two years for adults up to age 60 and annually thereafter. Many experts suggest initiating screening by age 50.

Treatment options Treatment can’t cure glaucoma, but it can slow or halt further loss of vision. Medicated eye drops usually can bring eye pressure under control. If eye drops cannot reduce the pressure, the next step is usually a procedure in which targeted laser pulses open the trabecular meshwork. When all else fails, conventional surgery to create a new drainage channel becomes an option.

Despite effective treatment, some people with glaucoma still go blind, so follow your doctor’s recommendation for screening and treatment.

Information from Men’s Health Advisor.

Easy on the Salt!

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here can be far more salt in meals than people realize, and the proof can be found at hospital emergency rooms. Heart problems aggravated or unmasked after ingestion of a significant amount of salt tend to make big meals, like a family reunion or holiday dinner, a problem.

For persons who have heart failure, salt can be a very dangerous component of the foods that they ingest. Salt promotes additional water retention, a dangerous thing for people who have weak hearts if they ingest significant amounts of salt. They often experience shortness of breath, chest pains and sweating, which, in a very severe state, almost feels like they’re drowning.

There are over a million hospital admissions in the U.S. every year of patients with acute decompensated heart failure, costing the country more than $20 billion annually on hospitalization. To prevent a trip Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 20

to the ER, take precautions when preparing and ingesting big meals.

Reduce salt intake: use herbs, spices or other natural flavorings when cooking instead of table salt or condiments like relish, mustard and ketchup, which can be loaded with sodium. Preparing meals from scratch allows better control over the amount of salt that’s eaten.

Another tip: spread food intake out over the day rather than having one large meal, which can increase workload on the heart as increased circulation is required to metabolize and digest all that food.

To enjoy dessert without gaining the weight or feeling bad after eating it, share dessert with a fellow family member or friend, or take little sample bites of each dessert offered. Also cut back on starches such as potatoes, bread, and biscuits at dinner.

Moderation and balance are key. Enjoy the meal, but enjoy people more.

Caregiver Stress: Signs, Symptoms and Relief Discover The Springs

BY SANCHEZ & BAIETTO, LLC

Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services

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aregiving can be stressful. Caregiver burnout is a real and dangerously growing phenomenon among the “sandwich” generation. There are many adults, mostly adult daughters, caring for their family and meeting the needs of their own children while juggling the needs and (at times) demands of their aging parent/s.

Signs and Symptoms of Caregiver Stress

(from Alzheimer’s Association – alz.org)

• Sense of failure, anger, resentment, guilt or blame; self preoccupation • Discouragement, indifference or negativism; blaming attitude • Excessive anxiety • Rigidity in thinking/resistance to change; feeling immobilized/ “stuck” or “in a rut” • Marital/family conflict • Extreme fatigue, isolation or withdrawal • Sleep disorders and inability to concentrate • Frequent headaches/gastrointestinal disturbances; frequent colds/flu • More approving of behaviorcontrol measures (tranquilizers) The following are some ways to combat caregiver stress: • Educate yourself in problemsolving strategies.

• Do not take other’s reactions personally. When under stress we have a higher tendency to personalize other’s actions or to overreact when an offense was directed at us. Take a time-out to gather your thoughts and calm down when offended.

Also, be kind to yourself. So often we are our own worst critics.

• LOL (laugh out loud): laughter is the best medicine.

• Give yourself permission to have fun.

Do something you really enjoy at least

once a day, i.e. take 30 minutes to read a good book, get a massage, put some fun music on and dance or sing, etc.

• Take care of your physical health.

Exercise, even 10 minutes a day, can make a difference. Make good food and drink choices and rest when you need it. Much research has been done in this area concerning the detriments lack of sleep causes the body.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Find the resources available to you and use them. Some may include: other family members, church organizations, private for-hire individuals, organizations and/or associations who provide respite care.

• Join a support group. Support groups are a good way to share your feelings and learn from others who have gone through what you are experiencing.

There are all types of support groups and you can find one to fit your needs.

• Talk to those around you; be honest about how you are feeling. Isolating is one of the worst things you can do.

The more you isolate, the more your feelings of caregiver burnout will increase. When you are ready to open up to others, it is important to seek out people you can trust and who can provide you an unhurried, listening ear.

• Journal: this is a great way to understand our own feelings without the pressure of others’ opinions and unsolicited advice.

• Therapy is a great tool to help individuals who are struggling—those who need to gain better insight into their situation and how to make positive changes in their lives.

• Most of all, call out to God. There are many studies linking individuals’ increased ability to cope with the uncertainties of life when they expressed a strong belief in a Higher Power.

For more information about us, visit our website at tampamediations.com.

South Pasadena’s Hidden Treasure

Welcome to The Springs at Boca Ciega Bay, located in beautiful South Pasadena on the campus of The Fountains at Boca Ciega Bay. We’re not your typical skilled nursing facility.

We are a 109 bed Medicare certified Rehab Center offering a variety of health care services: • Skilled Nursing • Wound Care • Social Services • Full scale beauty salon • Individualized activities • State-of-the-art Rehab.

We offer Customized Rehab programs 7 days a week both in-patient and out-patient including Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy.

We specialize in: • Orthopedic • Stroke/Neuro • Cardiac programs by utilizing state-of-the-art equipment including Anodyne therapy and Natilus equipment, just to name a few.

We make admissions easy! We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our experienced and licensed Nurse Liaison, Catresa Bowie, will meet you at hospital bedside or in your home.

If you have a surgery planned, why not come in for a tour and take the mystery out of the admission process. Call Catresa Bowie at (727) 599-1390.

The Springs At Boca Ciega Bay 1255 Pasadena Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33707

(727) 828-3500

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 21

Consider the Lowly Peanut

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Preparation: Spray skillet with cooking spray.

Spread peanut butter evenly over two of the tortillas. Place thinly sliced bananas over the peanut butter.

Cover each peanut butter-covered tortilla with another tortilla; turn and heat until warm on both sides.

Cut into quarters and serve hot.

arch is National Peanut Butter Month. If you raised sons, you might have already guessed that the average American boy eats 1500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by age 18; but did you know that it takes 820 peanuts to make an 18 oz. jar of peanut butter?

Recipe

Nutty Mustard Chicken

It was Mr. Kellogg of cereal fame who actually patented the first peanut butter process. And aren’t we grateful?

As for health benefits, the unsaturated fat content in peanut butter helps reduce the risk of heart disease by 25 percent (if you eat 1 oz. per day). Its rich folate and niacin (vitamin B3) content helps increase the HDL (good cholesterol) level by as much as 30 percent, all while being a very good source of proteins (up to 25 percent of peanuts consists of proteins) and dietary fiber.

The most unique property of peanut butter, though, is its high

Peanut Butter Quesadilla

Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts 4 cups of Good Earth Peanuts 2 eggs 4 tbsp. dijon mustard 3 tbsp. butter Chop peanuts in food processor into crumb-like pieces.

Ingredients: 4 – 6” whole wheat tortillas 4 tbsp. peanut butter 1 thinly sliced banana

In a small bowl, beat eggs. Add mustard and beat well. Place nut mixture into a large plastic bag.

In a large frying pan, melt butter

content in Resveratrol, a substance that’s been shown to have very strong anti-cancer properties.

Fix this next time the grandkids come around:

of Clearwater, Inc.

Affordable Senior Living 801 Chestnut Street Clearwater, FL 33756

727-447-5701 Efficiency $396 -$470 One Bedroom $506 -$602 Non-Profit housing for the elderly.

Prospect Towers is a 17 story apartment community for 208 residences with utilities We offer housing on the equal opportunity basis. included in the rental amount except telephone and cable.

Must be capable of caring for your apartment.

Building Features

• Close to beaches • Grocery store within walking distance • On the busline • Close to medical facilities Visit: http://prospect.presidioproperty.com

• Fire sprinklers throughout • Limited entrances to building • Smoke detectors in every apartment • Emergency call buttons in every apartment • 24-hour desk clerks • Library • Coin operated laundry • All electric kitchen • Central heat & air conditioning • Ample closets & kitchen cabinets

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 22

70%

of world’s peanut crop is produced in India and China together

2,680

of peanuts produced in one acre of land makes 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches

700

Amount of peanuts Americans eat each year (would theoretically cover the entire floor of the Grand Canyon)

pounds

million pounds

Are you 62 years old or disabled on a limited income?

Check the quality at...MLF Towers Rent based on income

Intersection of Chestnut St. and S. Myrtle Ave.

Admission Qualifications

Peanuts By The Numbers

MLF u TOWERS

PROSPECT TOWERS

• At least one person 62 or older • Or disabled under 62

over medium heat. Dip one breast at a time in egg/mustard mixture until covered and then place in plastic bag with peanuts and shake until coated.

Place each coated piece in pan and cook for 10 – 15 minutes on each side.

• On Site Wellness Center • Tiled bathrooms with heat lamps, ceramic tile recess, grab bars • All maintenance is paid by the property and completed promptly • Lighted parking on site • Exterior windows open for fresh air • Small pets welcome • Subsidized TV cable.

• Fully equipped 1BR apt.

• Carpeted & spacious • Library & community room.

• Wellness center w/doctor & nurse • Weekly bus to shopping • Optional noon meal service 7 days/wk.

• Free basic cable • Water, sewer, & trash service provided • Individual climate control • Active resident council • Reserved Parking Other features offered at Minimal fee: • Tray service • Guest dining • Laundry room • Housekeeping

Call (727) 823-1575 • 1-800-955-8771

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540 Second Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701

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When Blueberries Aren’t Really Blueberries

t’s true. U.S. food companies have been caught faking blueberries with artificial colors. An investigative video revealed “blueberry deception” in name-brand cereals, bagels, breads and bars. In the video, big-name food companies that offer blueberry cereals, muffins, pastries and bars have been caught “faking” the blueberries by creating them out of artificial colors, partially-hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup.

This investigation was done by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as part of the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center. The named companies include Kellogg’s, Target, Betty Crocker, General Mills and other food companies that use artificial colors to create the illusion of real blueberries in their products. One General Mills cereal singled out in the mini-documentary is called Total Blueberry Pomegranate Cereal. But a Consumer Wellness Center investiga-

tion reveals that this cereal contains neither blueberries nor pomegranates.

Follow these steps just to make sure you aren’t getting fake blueberries: 1. Read the ingredients labels and look for artificial colors such as Red #40, Blue #1 and Blue #2.

They are usually found near the end of the ingredients list.

2. Don’t buy foods made with artificial colors. If you do, you’re being tricked into something you don’t need.

3. Don’t let kids eat foods with artificial colors.

Real blueberries are very good for human health, offering a powerhouse of health-enhancing nutrition. They protect arteries, lower blood pressure and provide an assortment of natural antioxidants to protect the eyes, brain and nervous system.

The non-profit “blueberry deception” video can be viewed in its entirety at foodinvestigations.com.

✦ Free 24 Hour Front Desk Coverage ✦ Free Scheduled Shuttle Bus Service ✦ Non Evacuation Zone

Studios from $474 One Bedroom from $584 Utilities included!

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First Month’s Rent Philip Quality Apartment Benjamin Home Rentals Tower Expires: 3/31/2011 SC

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICANTS 55+ Stop by Mon - Fri from 8 am - 2:30 pm for a FREE cup of coffe and a danish, enter for your chance to win a $50.00 gift card and take a tour of our Beautiful Property.

(Deadline to enter for drawing is 3/31/11)

☎ 727-347-5191 250 58th Street N. St. Petersburg, Florida 33710 www.philipbenjamintower.org

EQUAL HOUSING

OPPORTUNITY

The Tampa Bay

request the pleasure of your company at the

Second Annual Senior Prom for Senior Citizens Wednesday, April 6 Two-Thousand and Eleven at 1:10p.m.

Los Angeles Angels vs. Tampa Bay Rays Press Level Ticket $19 ($35 Value) Enjoy live entertainment throughout the ballpark, an opportunity for a Senior Prom photograph, and your chance to dance across centerfield at the conclusion of the game.

For Groups of 10 or more or for additional information contact Group Sales at 727-825-3406 or by email at groupsales@raysbaseball.com

SeniorPromSmall.indd 1

2/15/11 4:31 PM

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 23

Things You May Not Know About Your Car Insurance

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mericans have gone to sleep dreaming of cars ever since the first Model T was rolled off the assembly line in 1908. Some dreamt of the cool bullet nose on the 1950 Studebaker Commander Convertible.

Some dreamt of classic muscle cars like the 1969 Ford Mustang “Boss 429.” When dreamers become drivers, however, they’d better be sure they comply with state laws mandating that they carry auto insurance. If it’s been too long since you checked your auto insurance policy, you may be surprised by what you may or may not be covered against. Read on:

Luxury Living at an Affordable Price!

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Call today to schedule a tour!

(727) 489-6440

www.MagnoliaGardensAssistedLiving.com

3800 62nd Avenue North • Pinellas Park, FL 33781

LIC#AL10314

Insurance Discounts

For Mature Drivers Have a Florida’s Driver’s License and are 55 years of age or older?

Take Your Class Online!

• Study at your leisure, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Simply read the course materials online and then answer a few quiz questions.

• There is no need to attend boring classes or listen to long lectures.

• After completion, of course we will issue a state-certified certificate for you to turn into your insurance company to receive your discount for a three year period.

Take Your Mature Driver Course On The Internet!

If you have a Florida Driver’s License and are 55 years of age or older, you are now eligible to complete motor vehicle accident prevention course that will allow you to receive a mandatory reduction on your insurance rate for three years.

Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicle Approved Course

To Register go to:

www.seniordriverclass.com

or call 1-800-771-2255 Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 24

Finance Remember This Word: Depreciation Picture this scenario: Only a few short weeks after you drive your brand-new car off the lot—wham!— it’s totaled in an accident. If you’re like 52 percent of those questioned for an “Insurance Literacy” survey conducted recently for MetLife Auto & Home, you’ve been under the assumption that you’re automatically covered for the car’s full replacement cost.

Uh, not necessarily. Most insurers subtract for depreciation—and you’d be surprised how much “value” disappears once you drive off the lot. Only a select few policies (like MetLife Auto & Home) will make you whole during a policy’s first year and/or 15,000 miles.

It’s Possible To Be “Upside Down” on a Totaled Vehicle The past few years have made us all more familiar with this term, as applied to home mortgages, than we

ever wanted to be. However, the same principle applies to auto loans. Say you still owe $15,000 on your loan.

If you’re in an accident and your car ends up being declared a total loss but is still valued below the loan payment, guess what: Unless you had the foresight to purchase “gap” insurance, you’re still responsible for repaying the difference on your loan.

Leasing Isn’t a Free Pass Ah, but you say you don’t actually own your car. Nice try; if the vehicle you demolish was leased, you’d also need to have purchased gap insurance to have your insurer cover replacing it and paying off your lease obligation.

The Rental Car Conundrum Talk about probably wasting an average of $9 to $19 a day. Even though most auto insurance policies and credit cards extend (varying) rental insurance benefits to customers, 28 percent of those surveyed said they nevertheless signed up for the insurance offered by rental car companies when not driving their own cars.

Check Your Homeowners Policy If someone steals your cell phone or MP3 player from your car, don’t expect most standard auto policies to cover its replacement cost. That’s handled by homeowners, condo and renters insurance.

Money-Savers Not To Be Overlooked Why leave money on the table when you don’t have to? Discounts exist for things like carpooling or limiting travel below a certain number of miles per year. Similarly, you might save by buying auto insurance through programs offered by employers. So what’s the takeaway from all this?

Fully 77 percent of those surveyed said they were willing to pay more for the “peace of mind” that comes with better coverage. Just check to make sure what your coverage includes. To test your knowledge of auto insurance and see how you stack up against those surveyed, visit metlife.com/insurancequiz. (NAPSA)

Fourth Annual Spring Swing Affordable Housing For Senior Citizens offitt’s Sun Safety Tour® will Call Moffitt Cancer Center for more

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offer free skin cancer screenings at specified baseball spring training venues this month as part of their annual Spring Swing. Screeners will be looking for early signs of skin cancer while promoting sun safety, skin cancer awareness and education. Each screening stop will include free Spring Swing t-shirts and Blue Lizard® Australian Sunscreen. Screenings begin about two hours before the game start.

information: 1-888-663-3488.

13 Charlotte Sports Park, Dunedin.

Rays vs. Blue Jays. Screenings: 11 a.m – 1 p.m. Game start: 1:05 p.m.

17 Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, Tampa. Rays vs. Yankees. Screenings: 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Game start: 7:05 p.m.

19 Steinbrenner Field, Fort Myers.

Rays vs. Twins. Screenings: 11 a.m.

– 1 p.m. Game start: 1:05 p.m.

Shepherd’s Center Success Stories Featured D

enis Philips, ABC News Meteorologist, will MC the Tarpon Springs Shepherd Center’s annual fund raiser Saturday, March 12 at the St. Nicholas Spanos Pappas Community Center, 348 N. Pinellas Ave, in Tarpon Springs. This year’s theme is “A Night at the Mardi Gras.”

All New

Creekside Manor I & II

are federally subsidized apartments for persons 62 and above.

Special access apartments are also available.

Studio & 1 Bdrm. Apartments.

Rent is based on income.

Located in a quiet Clearwater neighborhood For appointment

Besides dinner and dancing, a special presentation, “The Shining Stars,” will highlight heartwarming success stories from two of The Shepherd Center clients. Tickets are $50.

The Shepherd Center provides compassion, support and hope to those in our community who need it most. Info at TSshepherdcenter.org or (727) 939-1400, X403.

Call (727) 441-8400

TDD: 727-447-3018 TOTAL INCOME LIMIT One person $20,800 u Two persons $23,800 YOUR MONTHLY RENT IS NO MORE THAN 30% OF YOUR ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME. 1318 Franklin Street u Clearwater, Fla. Office Hrs. Mon.–Fri. 8–12 & 1–4 Closed Saturday & Sunday

Mark Your Calendars for Fun & Entertainment!

Free Health Screenings!

Celebrate Older Americans Month!

Seminole Recreation Center May 12, 2011•9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

9100 113th Street N., Seminole, FL 33772

Dance Exhibitions by Fred Astaire

William “Duece” Hulett

Photograph By: Debra Kays of Nex Nu Star Photography, www.nexnustar.com

Denise Looney

Free Bingo!

Free Coffee & Goodies!

Fritzy

Call 1-888-670-0040 • www.srmgazine.com Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 25

Opera Goes Pops, Beethoven and Bach

Summer in the Berkshires?

How refreshing.

Welcome to Jiminy Peak, the 4-season resort in the Northern Berkshires of Massachusetts.

Each summer, we host lots of people who are looking for a great New England summer vacation. We offer short or long-term lodging – including 2-4 bedroom condos. The Berkshires is home to world class arts & culture, history, outdoor adventures and more. It’s more than a breath of fresh air. It’s a whole summer of it.

Call us at 1-800-882-8859 or go to jiminypeak.com

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he next Raymond James Pops concert is sure to have attendees exclaiming over and over, “Oh, I know that one,” in a night of some of the best-loved overtures and arias from operas that everybody knows from commercials, cartoons and favorite films, including Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Bizet’s Carmen, Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, Puccini’s La Boheme and Verdi’s Force of Destiny, among others. Stuart Chafetz conducts this program featuring soprano Elizabeth de Trejo on March 4, 5 and 6 in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

A frequent soloist on the Masterworks series, acclaimed German pianist Peter Rösel returns to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 on a program with Luciano Berio’s orchestration of Contrapunctus XIX from Bach’s gloriously uplifting The Art of Fugue. The evening concludes with Shostakovich’s powerful and hauntingly dark Symphony No. 15. Stefan Sanderling conducts these concerts on March 12 and 13 in St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

Lauded by The Los Angeles Times for his “first-rate technique,” Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Music Director Alexander Mickelthwate conducts this Masterworks program featuring TFO Principal Second Violinist Sarah Shellman performing Thomas Adès’ acclaimed Violin Concerto with its devilishly difficult high melodic lines.

The program also includes Haydn’s Symphony No. 59 in A major (Fire Symphony) and Elgar’s Enigma Variations. These concerts are March 25 in Tampa and March 27 in Clearwater.

The Florida Orchestra regularly performs at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Progress Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. For tickets or concert information on the current season as well as on the upcoming 2011/2012 season, visit www.floridaorchestra.org or call (727) 892-3337 or 1-800-662-7286, Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Sat. and Sun., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

12/21/10 5:30 PM

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Punta Gorda, Just 3 miles west of I-75. Exit 164 on Marion Ave. Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 26

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Last Month’s Answers Last Month’s Answers

Enter

This Month’s to Win! Winner Is Carolyn Allen Congratulations!

February Sudoku

Fran Gosenheimer is our winner for last month’s Sudoku. Congratulations!

Win Great Prizes!

New winner selected each month

This month’s winner is

Good Luck!

Mar. Sudoku

Enter To Win!

Sudoku requires no arithmetic skills.The object of the game is to fill all the blank squares with the correct numbers. Each row and each column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Each 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9 as well. Good luck! The first correct answers selected from the drawing on March 21 will win.

Send your answers along with your name, address and telephone number to: SENIOR CONNECTION OR MATURE LIFESTYLES 1602 S. PARSONS AVE., SEFFNER, FL 33584

Myron L. Guisewite Congratulations !!!

Last Month’s Answers

WIN! WIN! WIN! GREAT PRIZES!

SUDOKU MUST BE RECEIVED BY MAR. 21, 2011

The New Senior Alphabet

A

FILL IN ANSWERS & WIN MONEY!

Send your answers for a drawing. First correct answers selected from the drawing on March 19 will receive $20 cash!

Send to: News Connection USA, Inc., 1602 S. Parsons Ave, Seffner, FL 33584

I am interested in: Travel / Cruises Recreation / Leisure Entertainment / Events

Insurance Elder Law / Financial Housing Options Reverse Mortgages

Personal Health & Fitness Home Improvements Automobiles

Name Address City

Age

Phone

E-mail

State Zip

SC/Hills and Sun

FILL IN ANSWERS & WIN MONEY!

Send your answers for a drawing. First correct answers selected from the drawing on June 19th will receive $20 cash! Send to: Mature Lifestyles, 220 W. Brandon Blvd., Suite 203, Brandon, FL 33511

is for apple, and B is for boat; that used to be right, but now it won’t float!

Age before beauty is what we once said, but let’s be more realistic instead.

Now The Alphabet: A’s for arthritis; B’s the bad back, C’s the chest pains, perhaps car-di-ac? D is for dental, decay and decline, E is for eyesight—can’t read that top line!

F is for fissures and fluid retention, G is for gas which I’d rather not mention. H for high blood pressure— I’d rather it were low; I for incisions with scars you can show.

J is for joints, out of socket, won’t mend; K is for knees that crack when they bend. L’s for libido, what happened to sex? M is for memory, I forget what comes next.

N is neuralgia, in nerves way down low; O is for osteo, bones that don’t grow! P for prescriptions, I have quite a few; just give me a pill and I’ll be good as new!

Q is for queasy; is it fatal or flu? R is for reflux—one meal turns to two. S is for sleepless nights, counting my fears.

T is for Tinnitus; bells in my ears!

U is for urinary, troubles with flow; V for vertigo—that’s “dizzy,” you know. W for worry; now what’s going ‘round? X is for X ray and what might be found.

Y for another year for my strength to decline, but Z is for the zest I still have—in my mind!

I’ve survived all the symptoms, my body’s deployed, and I’m keeping twenty-six doctors fully employed!

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 27

Matinee Moments

perform March 14 at 1 p.m. You’ll marvel at the resemblance of the t’s that time of two and the same year when there’s music you love. really exciting theatre Mitzi Gaynor available. Because starred in South I’m a senior driver, Pacific, Mame and I eliminate night more. She’ll bring driving and choose her talent and her matinee performances comic side to the in this area. theatre on March At Ruth Eckerd Hall 20 at 1 p.m. in Clearwater the Elvis fans will “Rat Pack” is back. want to mark the You either loved them calendar for March or hated them, but The original Rat Pack—Dean Martin, 27 at 1 p.m. to rethey were among Sammy Davis, Jr. and Frank Sinatra. connect with their the biggest names idol. Two imperin entertainment in the ‘60s: Dean sonators will take you back to the ‘50s Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank with their show “Blue Suede Shoes.”

Sinatra and Peter Lawford. Here, Tickets are available by calling you’ll see a tribute performance with (727) 791-7400. When you get the Rat Pack’s temperaments, comedy your tickets, be sure to mark your and music on March 13 at 2 p.m. calendar. I didn’t last month and Barbra Streisand won’t be in town, missed one of my chosen shows. but her sister Roslyn Kind will It’s a real tragedy to waste tickets!

BY JUNE HURLEY YOUNG

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THE 5TH DIMENSION March 9 -12

THE OSMOND BROTHERS March 16 -19

TONY ORLANDO March 23 -26

C H A RO

ELVIS ese R u s s e l C o rt

TRIBUTE Artist SCHEDULE A SHOW! • Singing Telegrams • Birthday Parties • Anniversaries • Weddings • Corporate Events You name it!

• Reasonable prices • Professional sound equipment and background music.

• Shows include top quality costumes.

• Half hour – 2 hour shows.

Purchase your 2011 Fun Card at BuschGardensTampaBay.com or at participating AAA offices.

Dates and talent subject to change. Seating is limited. Price based on an adult or child (ages 3-9) single-day admission. Price is per person, plus tax per park and subject to change without notice. Fun Cards expire 12/31/11 and are non-transferable and non-refundable. Offer not valid with other discounts or special offers.

Fun Cards do not include admission to select special events, parking or discounts on food or merchandise. Other restrictions may apply. © 2011 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 28

Call: 727-785-7947 or 727- 455-1237 e-mail: Russell.Elvis@yahoo.com website: www.russellelvis.com

There’s No One There

BY ANN G. THOMAS

I

don’t pretend to understand the logic of the business world, but I’ve always counted on the fact that the people who worked for any company I did business with would be helpful if I needed help. Although that’s been my experience in the past, it seems it’s no longer true. One company after another appears to have replaced their Customer Service Department staff with disembodied voices.

My most recent interaction with a disembodied voice occurred when an unordered nationally known newspaper appeared at my door—well, actually it was thrown into my driveway. I assumed it must be a mistake, even though it came with an address sticker with my name.

I told myself this must be a trial offer and after a ten-day-introduction the paper would go away. I was wrong.

It was clear I had to do something.

I found a phone number for their subscription desk. Their 800 number led to a disembodied voice offering a series of seven choices, one of which was for starting and/or stopping a subscription. I pushed that number, only to have eight new choices, which led me to another smorgasbord which finally led to instructions to enter my zip code followed by a number on the address label. Next I was instructed to push 2 if I wanted to cancel or suspend the subscription. I pushed the 2 although I’ve always understood the word ‘suspended’ to have a temporary flavor. I wanted the ‘cancel’ choice but there was no way to let them know, so I had to hope for the best.

It took me 42 minutes to conduct this two-minute transaction, but I guess they felt they had handled the situation in an efficient and frugal manner.

After all, the forty-two minutes were my time. My subscription did stop

but resumed after a week, letting me know that the voice had by-passed cancel in favor of suspend.

I’m not really picking on this newspaper or their distributor, however, because the no-customerservice-employees rule appears to be widespread. It seems that everywhere, a message blocks access to a real person. Most of these messages also give multiple options.

The ones I like best are the ones that instruct me to “listen carefully to the following choices because they have been recently changed.” I always wonder how many callers memorized the previous list of nine options and would push a wrong button if they weren’t listening carefully. Since their options are all new to me, I pay close attention, push the button that sounds closest to what I had in mind.

I am frequently told, “Please hold. We are experiencing a high volume of calls but will be with you shortly.” I hold, and hold and hold until a different recorded voice comes on to say, “If you would like to make a call, please hang up and try again.”

I explore my other options and decide writing a letter may be a better idea. As I’m writing, the phone rings. A real person I’ve never met is on the line, calling me by my first name or asking to speak to my long deceased husband in order to sell us something I neither want nor need.

I keep answering the phone, however, hopeful that someone from that newspaper will give me a call. “No thank you,” I say to the caller, “but do you by any chance know who delivers The Wall Street Journal in my neighborhood?” No luck so far, but at least it’s good to know that some of those real people are employed somewhere.

Ann Thomas can be contacted through her website online at: www.dr-annthomas.com.

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Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 29

Word Search

A

Answers From

February 2011

William Tursellino and Louise Ficarra are last month’s winners! Congratulations!

&

# 202

Word Search Mar. 2011 WORD SEARCH

In the grid below, twenty answers can be found that fit the category for today. Circle each answer that you find and list it in the space provided at right of answers the grid.

Answers found in allCircle directions -- that forwards, In the gridthe below, twenty can be found that can fit the be category for today. each answer you find and list it backwards, horizontally, and diagonally.

An example is given horizontally, to in the space provided at the right of the grid.vertically Answers can be found in all directions – forwards, backwards, getand you started.

Can you find tothe answers in this puzzle? vertically diagonally.

An example is given gettwenty you started.

Can you find the twenty answers in this puzzle?

Today's Category: Poets B R O W N

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Poe ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

The first correct answers selected from the drawing on March 21 will win.

MYSTERY WIN! WIN! WIN! MYSTERY SENIOR CONNECTION or PRIZE! PRIZE! MATURE LIFESTYLES GREAT PRIZES! 1602 S. PARSONS AVE. SEFFNER, FL 33584 (Puzzles must be received by Mar. 21, 2011.)

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 30

Separating M Myths from Facts

merica’s favorite casino game is one of the most widely recognized symbols of casino gaming.

There are currently 833,000 slot machines in the U.S., yet most people know very little about how they work.

So, how do they work? Inside the machine, a tiny computer called the Random Number Generator (RNG) determines where the reels stop on each play. “Learning how slot machines and other casino games work is an important part of responsible gaming,” said Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. “Once players understand the role of the RNG, many of the most commonly held slots myths don’t hold water.” When casino visitors know more about the odds of the games, they can make informed decisions about their gambling. A closer look at these machines may help dispel some of the myths associated with them:

Myth or Fact?

Myth: If a slot machine hasn’t paid out in a while, it’s due for a win.

Fact: Slot machines operate randomly at all times due to the RNG—no matter how many wins or losses have occurred in the past.

Myth: A slot machine can tell the difference between maximum and minimum bets.

Fact: The RNG, not the number of coins played or the amount of a wager, affects the outcome of a game.

Myth: Players can determine a machine’s odds by counting symbols on each reel.

Fact: Because multiple numbers generated can correspond to the same symbol on a reel, there are many more number combinations possible than are visible to the eye.

Myth: Using a player’s club card will increase the chances of winning a jackpot.

Fact: The outcome of the game is determined by the RNG and is not linked to the player’s club card reader.

Myth: After hitting a jackpot, a player should move to a new slot machine.

The machine currently in play is not likely to hit again.

Fact: Because the outcome of each play is determined by the RNG, the odds of winning a jackpot on the next play are the same as they were before hitting the jackpot. There is no such thing as a “hot” or “cold” slot machine.

Myth: Slot machines are highly addictive.

Fact: Research has found no evidence that slot machines lead to greater rates of gambling addiction.

For more information, you can read “Taking the Mystery Out of the Machine: A Guide to Understanding Slot Machines” on the American Gaming Association site at americangaming.org. (NAPSA)

AAA Helps Senior Drivers Keep the Keys

BY EVELYN MACKEY

“I

had no idea I could do something about it,” say many seniors when they find they can get so many kinds of driving help from AAA, help that may literally help them “keep the keys” to their cars and the independence it brings.

Retirement Living AAA, long known for rescuing drivers with flat tires and empty gas tanks, offers senior drivers several benefits for safe driving.

These include the Senior Defensive Driving Program, Drive Sharp, Smart Features for Mature Drivers and Car Fit. AAA’s goal is to keep older people driving, but to do it safely.

Michelle Harris is the AAA Auto Club South Director of Traffic Safety Culture in Tampa. She said, “It’s

receive guidance about the features a big transition when you face the Drive Sharp is a software program threat of losing your freedom by that is clinically proven to help drivers in the car and how to adapt it to their present physical situation. not being able to drive anymore.” see more, react faster and cut crash Harris said, “We talk with them As people age, she said, choosing risk by up to 50 percent. From a beabout things like rear view mirrors a vehicle with the right features ginning assessment the program helps and make recommendations for side can help improve their safety and develop the skills needed for driving view mirrors. If it’s difficult to get comfort behind the wheel. Smart which tend to diminish as you age. out of the car seat because of knees Features for Mature Drivers includes or hips, we have special seats to help a guide identifying vehicle features you swivel out of your car door. that can assist drivers with the CarFit is tailored to each specific visual and physical changes that are person and their needs to see how frequently encountered as they age. well their personal vehicles fit them.”

Recommendations include things like pedal extenders to help drivers AAA Senior Defensive Driving get a safe distance from the steering Program offers a six-hour Driver Imwheel/airbag and adjustable seat belts provement Program in many areas which assist drivers in reaching AAA Carfit experts help senior drivers of the county and is designed to for or buckling/unbuckling. maximize comfort and safety behind the wheel. help senior drivers be safer while staying behind the wheel longer.

Smart Features for Mature DrivCarFit: This program shows older To find an available Defensive ers also includes a list of cars that drivers how to maintain optimum Driving class near you, please are senior friendly which take into comfort and control in their own call (813) 289-5831. consideration factors such as safety vehicle. Select AAA offices offer To learn more about any of the other features, comfort in exit and entry one-on-one appointments where programs, call (813) 289-5831. legroom and size of control buttons. seniors sit in their own cars and Please enclose this form with your entry. (make sure to sign the bottom) Mail to: News Connection USA, P.O. Box 638, Seffner, FL 33583-0638

Presents...

Grandparent Name

Enter Now! Nothing Captures the love of a grandparent for a grandchild more than a great photo!

Could Your Grandchild’s Photo be a Winner?

Selected photos will be published in upcoming issues of Senior Connection magazine. Photos will be on display at the Senior Fun Fest, March 23, 2011 at the St. Petersburg Coliseum, 535 Fourth Ave. North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 Call 1-888-670-0040 for more information. ✸1st Place Winner $75 ✸ 2nd Place Winner $50 ✸ 3rd Place $25 ✸ Grand Prize Winner $100

Address City

State

Zip

Phone Photo Title

RULES:

Photos should be: Maximum size 8 1/2” x 11”, printed on photo paper only. Maximum 5 entries per person.

NO professional photos. Please no photos by e-mail.

Sender’s Age(s)

Subject’s Age(s)

Subject’s Name Photo release signature Entries must be received by Mar. 16, 2011 to be entered in the Photo Contest. (Send your photos in early so we can share them with our readers). Photos will be returned within 45 days after contest ends, if you include a self-addressed stamped envelope (large enough to fit your photo) and name and address on the back of the photo.

SPC

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 31

2 and 1/2 hour shows!

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Ad space only allows just a few to be shown on this page.

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 32

TICKETS $18 $25 $33 $37 $45 Call for tickets or at door.

Seniors Getting Together WOMEN SEEKING MEN 1038 SEEKING CHRISTIAN GENTLEMAN Former airline stewardess & model, 5’4”, 104 lbs., widow, slender, white with Ph.D. in healthcare. Fulbright scholar, eats healthy and exercises. Likes sports and animals. Loves the Lord. Fort Myers.

3954 DESIRING A RELATIONSHIP with a Christian/Messianic Jewish Carpenter.

50 – 60yo. Enjoys nature, pets and quiet times. I’m petite, with long hair and SOH and I live a healthy lifestyle. I also enjoy carpentry and would love to start a garden in the spring and with your help I know it will be a success. Hillsborough.

3978 ASIAN WOMAN seeking SWM, clean cut, not overweight, gentle and easy. She likes painting, writing, decorating, gardening and cooking.

She is a faithful partner for life.

3981 CHRISTIAN W F Attractive, petite, ISO honest gentleman, NS, LTR, SOH, likes dancing a little, movies, 68 to 70s. Maybe live together in your home or mine. Only God will know!

3983 SEEKING COMPATIBLE GENTLEMAN 63 – 75 I am 69yo, 5’3”. 140 lbs. H, W, C, NS, SD, FF. Attractive, honest and loving, looking for someone to share life, travel, exercises, music, etc. Recent photo would be nice.

3987 SENIOR LADY W F SEEKING loving WM for companion. 75+. Walks, movies, travel, dining out. Must be neat, NS, SD, enjoy nature. Zephyrhills.

MEN SEEKING WOMEN

3953 SEEKING SLIM ROMANTIC FEMALE for LTR or cohabitation with retired SWM, 5’7”. I50 lbs. Non smoker, easy going, new home, new life. Send photo, description with letter. All answered – Gulf Coast, Venice area.

3969 SEEKING VERY NATURAL WOMAN 58-68, HWP, calm, true.

I’m 55, 6’2”, 175, Bld, hazel, kind, true.

Nature parks, animals, SOH. St. Pete.

3982 INTELLIGENT CHRISTIAN COMPANION PARTNER Former police officer, 64yy, WM, 6’, 180, grey, blue, D, C, NS, SD. Active, no couch potato, not mattress minded. Tennis, golf, nature but mostly female companionship. ISO close friend, LTR, HWP, C, with pixie-like quality for mutual TLC. Clearwater.

3984 SEEKING VERY NATURAL WOMAN Very youthful senior guy, 6’, 190, blonde, blue, seeking 1960s style woman. I’m a real gentleman; thoughtful and considerate. I enjoy dining in and out and most activities. Phone number please. Thank you! Tampa.

3986 SEEKING ASIAN OR HISPANIC LADY for LTR. I am SWM, 56 years old.

Like daytrips, walks, movies and dining out. Please send photo if you can; include phone number.

3988 I AM MALE, 64 YEARS, spiritual counselor. 6’1” tall, seeking a white blonde petite for LTR. Please write.

Commonly Used Abbreviations: F-Female, M-Male, S-Single, D-Divorced, WW-Widow, A-Asian, B-Black, H-Hispanic, I-Indian, W-White, C-Christian, J-Jewish, YO-Years Old, YY-Years Young, ISO-In Search Of, SOH-Sense Of Humor, SMSmokes, S-Light Smoker, NS-Non Smoker, ND-Non Drinker, SD-Social (Light) Drinker, DR-Drinks, NDrg- No Drugs, LTR-Long Term Relationship, HWP-Height & Weight Proportional, R-Retired, P-Professional, FFFriendship First, TLC-Tender Loving Care.

Tea Dance in a Tea Dance, held the first SENIORS GETTING TOGETHER Join and third Wednesday of every Personal Ad Placement Only $6 to month. Rates are $7 for the dance

RUN YOUR AD FOR ONLY $6 A MONTH Deadline for ads is the 15th of the month prior to placement.

place an ad!

Mark The Edition(s) You Would Like To Run Your Ad In: Hillsborough & Suncoast (Pinellas/Pasco) Lake/Marion Counties Southwest/Charlotte (Fort Myers/Port Charlotte)

Ad Copy • Please Print Neatly • 30 Word Limit Title (First 4 Words):

City (No Charge):

If more room is needed, please use separate sheet. Mail this form along with $6 for each ad per month (add $4 for each additional edition/market in the same month).

We cannot accept your ad without it. This information is confidential.

TO PLACE AN AD

Send your ad, stating what category you would like it placed in, your edition(s), along with a $6 fee for 30 words (25¢ for each additional word, abbreviations not charged) to the News Connection USA, Inc. address listed above. Ads received by the 15th of the month will appear in the following issue. No more than three ads will be accepted each month per person. The editor reserves the right to edit any ads for space or content. In order to protect our readers’ privacy, we will not include phone numbers, e-mail or home addresses in the ad copy. City or area included at no charge.

Worried about High Gas Prices?

Would you like to receive FREE Gas? Did you know that

16 major oil companies are giving away FREE $200 Gas Gift Cards to thousands of Americans EVERY MONTH? Go to http:// www.cnicards.com to discover how you can receive your FREE $200 Gas Gift Cards!

Join Us Each Month For Puzzles, Information, Contests and Events!

Only $9 a year

Send yOur name, addreSS and $9 tO be cOnnected

Name: Address: City: Phone:

and $10 for dance and instruction.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.—dance instructions by Roy Stone, professional instructor (please call to confirm). 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.— taped music. 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., live music by various bands. Held at The Coliseum, 535 Fourth Avenue North, St. Petersburg. (727) 892-5202.

TO RESPOND TO AN AD

Write a letter to the person you want to contact. Place that letter in a stamped envelope and write the ad number on the bottom left hand side of the envelope. Place your stamped, numbered envelope(s), along with $2 for each letter enclosed, into another envelope and address it to: News Connection USA, Inc. Seniors Getting Together 1602 S. Parsons Ave.,Seffner, FL. 33584

State:

Zip:

E-mail:

MAIL TO: SENIORS GETTING TOGETHER, C/O NEWS CONNECTION, USA, INC. 1602 S. PARSONS AVE., SEFFNER, FL 33584

MaIl to: newS cOnnectiOn uSa, inc.

P.O. bOx 638 Seffner, fl 33583-0638

Call 1-888-670-0040 or visit www.srmagazine.com Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 33

Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 34

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OLDSMAR Murray Motive ..............................813- 854-5115

Advance Auto Parts ...................727-520-9310 Advance Auto Parts ...................727-327-4532 Rick Stroud Auto ........................727-549-1911 Modded Motorsports ..................727-432-0270

PINELLAS PARK George’s Performance ................727- 521-2206

SEFFNER Schembries Auto Serv ................813-685-5654

PORT RICHEY Parts Depot

SUN CITY Killingsworth Automotive .............813-634-4758 Sun City Automotive ....................813-634-4758

727-844-5588

RIVERVIEW Thomp. Auto Parts.......................813-677-4201 RUSKIN Thompson’s Auto Parts ...............813-645-3204 Walker’s Tire & Auto ....................813-645-0736 ST. PETE Park Auto Service ......................727-521-2910 Royal Edger ................................727-573-1700 Bob Lee’s Tires ..........................727-822-3981 Complete Auto Parts ..................727-895-3821 Miles Automotive ........................727-323-0180 J.C. Automotive ..........................727-866-0044 St. Pete Power Sports ................727-456-6088 Suncoast Auto & Tire .................727-520-1148 Yacht Power Products ................727-822-2628 Advance Auto Parts ...................727-526-2401

TAMPA John Erb’s ....................................813-908-3333 Speedy Transmission ..................813-971-3766 Atlantic Automotive ......................813-936-1510 Tony’s RamTech ..........................813-877-6642 Insty Tune & Lube ........................813-960-3908 Xtreme Powersports ....................813-626-6060 Mad Hatter ...................................813-933-4179 Mad Hatter ...................................813-374-9230 Mobile Auto Serv. ........................813-892-3603 ZEPHYRHILLS “A” Team Cycles...........................813-763-3013

If you or your business would like to get AMSOIL products at Wholesale CALL 800-411-6160

Firearms Safety Classes

ALL-NATURAL PRODUCT KILLS BED BUGS as Florida Braces for tourists

New York, NY- A new, safe and effective all-natural spray product for killing bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) and their larvae is now available for retail use by consumers. Once thought to be a problem of the past, bed bugs are back in near epidemic proportions with a global resurgence. Bed bug infestations have increased 70% over the past decade. Bed bugs are parasitic blood-sucking insects that leave unsuspecting human victims with itchy red bites that can become infected. The preferred habitat of bed bugs is places near where people sleep, such as homes, hotels, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. They usually hide and nest in any small spaces or crevices close to a host meal supply, such as in mattresses, bedding, sofas, curtains, or carpets and can live up to one year without feeding. Senior travelers who stay over at hotels & motels while traveling south to their winter homes and warm weather destinations may unknowingly pick up bed bugs along the way. They are also susceptible to traveling visitors unknowingly picking up bed bugs along their travels and bringing the bed bugs into their homes. These pests know no socio or economic boundaries; cleanliness does not prevent a bed bug infestation. Bed bugs can easily and quickly spread by attaching themselves to luggage, clothing or furniture and hitchhiking across the country.

Professional extermination can be costly and may involve pesticides or carcinogens. All-

natural Avenger Bed-Bug Killer spray inexpensively kills bed bugs on contact without poisons and is safe to use around humans and pets. All beds should be treated at least once a year.

&

.com

Or call 727-581-1500 for more info

Mar. 17

Check Us Out Online!

Mature Lifestyles Is Now On and

is now available at:

ACE Hammerheads, 1015 West Bay Dr. Largo, FL, 727-581-5077

A

firearms safety class is being offered on March 26, 2011 at the Hernando Sportsman’s Club to meet the need for a firearms orientation program for new gun shooters. Completion of this class also provides required documentation to apply for a Florida concealed carry permit. The class starts at 9 a.m. and is approximately five hours long. Preregistration is required. The cost for the class $50. It will be held at Hernando Sportsman’s Club, 16121 Commercial Way, Brooksville. For more information, or to register, please call (352) 597-9931 or visit www.hernandosportsmansclub.com

AVENGER BED BUG KILLER

!

Visit www.twitter.com/MaturLifeStyles or Like “Senior Connection and Mature Lifestyles” on www.facebook. com for the latest news and fun events in your area. Get your “Smile for the Day!” or share comments with us!

TWO

locations to join us and have fun!

Gulfview Square Mall US Hwy 19, Port Richey 3rd Tuesday of each month January - November 10a-2p

Tyrone Square Mall 22nd Ave N, St Petersburg 1st Tuesday of each month January - November 10a-2p

For sponsorship information, contact Joseph Naylor at 727.579.2250 or email joseph.naylor@coxmg.com Senior Connection • March 2011 • page 35

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