Complimentary
Cumberland County Edition | December 2017 • Vol. 18 No. 12
HONORED VOLUNTEERS KEEP MUSEUM ON TRACK page 6
special section: orthopedics & pain page 13
nutcracker collectibles page 20
Grandfathers: Uplifting the Western World’s Underestimated Role By David W. Shwalb and Ziarat Hossain To Grandmother’s house we go! What happens at Grandma’s house stays at Grandma’s house. Welcome to Grandma’s kitchen. When we published a book about grandparents, Grandparents in Cultural Context, last summer, we made it a point to include grandfathers in our coverage. In our opinion, grandfathers are far more underestimated than fathers (especially in the United States as a Western society), and today’s American grandfathers still face two important obstacles as a legacy of recent generations. Here are some of the trends we found in our cross-cultural research. First is the idea of “noninterference”: In Western society today, parents, as “gatekeepers,” can encourage or discourage grandparent
involvement with their grandchildren. Second is the stereotype that grandmothers are, by nature, more central to the family than Photo courtesy of Judith Gibbons and Routledge are “bystander” An 84-year-old Guatemalan grandfather visited by three generations grandfathers (as of loved ones. in “Grandma’s kitchen” or “… to Grandmother’s house we go!”). Our book showed that grandfathers played key family roles throughout most of human history, as leaders, authorities, teachers, and as sources of wisdom Photo courtesy of Nandita Babu and Routledge A middle-class grandfather in India. and information
about the past. But across the generations, grandfathers’ authority has become more symbolic and less real. And when men’s “place” shifted in the industrial West from the home, village, and farm to the outside “workplace,” many men (from their prime) became inescapably defined by their work rather than their family roles. Our second takeaway from our international team of experts on
grandparents was that in almost every culture studied, what scholars called “grandparent research” was limited to research on grandmothers. Why did this happen? We think it was because most research has been done in the affluent United States, a Western and highly individualistic culture where men’s roles inside the family have been downplayed by social scientists since the 1950s. Indeed, the only three chapters in our book that talked about “non-interference” were from the U.S., United Kingdom, and Germany. The experts also reported that “new grandfathers” in the current generation are becoming more active with their grandchildren in these same three countries, and that grandparents in the U.S. are among the most diverse in any country. Yet only 5 percent of the world’s population lives in the U.S., and 83 percent of the world’s population lives in non-Western, “developing”
Support the Troops This Holiday Season! Our troops deserve our help and to know they aren’t forgotten!
Keystone Military Families, a PA-based nonprofit, encourages you to brighten the holidays for our troops overseas by sending or sponsoring a care package! Below are just some of the items the troops have requested:
• Power Bars, cereal bars, trail mix, nuts, granola bars, and individual healthy snacks • Slim Jims and beef or turkey jerky • Small sewing kits and manicure kits • Sunscreen and Chapstick with sunscreen, Carmex, Blistex • Body wash and deodorant – men’s and ladies’ (small travel sizes) • Foot powder and foot cream for athlete’s foot • Hand sanitizer – small-size bottles to carry with them • Men’s and ladies’ calf-high socks or boot socks in black and white • Hand and foot warmers for cold nights
Monetary donations to help ship the packages are always needed, too! The cost for one box is $27-$77, depending on the destination.
Donations may be made to: Keystone Military Families 331 Main Street Shoemakersville, PA 19555
We need your help to make this happen!
For a full list and further information, visit KeystoneMilitaryFamilies.org, call (610) 698-2122, or email keystonemilitary@yahoo.com. 2
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countries. What about non-Western grandfathers? Here are three examples of grandfathers from nonWestern societies, representing grandfathers worldwide more broadly than our American images (although every grandfather everywhere is unique).
and importance of the family. The East Asian value of Confucian filial piety (reported for China, Japan, and Korea) similarly encourages grandchildren to revere grandfathers and to protect their welfare.
Zimbabwe The third Photo courtesy of Maidei Machina and Routledge photo is of a A three-generation family in rural three-generation Zimbabwe. Guatemala family in rural The first photo shows a bedridden Zimbabwe—this grandfather is Domingo, an 84-year-old grandfather now 90 and the grandmother is 86. in Guatemala, being visited by three Many African grandfathers (and generations of loved ones. Domingo grandmothers) believe it is one’s duty passed away a month after this scene and honor to raise their grandchildren, took place, and had six children, to whom they provide unconditional 24 grandchildren, and nine greatavailability and an intense emotional grandchildren. connection. According to his wife, he instilled Nowadays, many sub-Saharan in his grandchildren respeto (respect) grandfathers have become replacement for others and the value of hard work. parents due to a high prevalence of Almost all of his extended family lived poverty, migration, civil strife, and within walking distance of their oneloss of their children to HIV/AIDS. room house, and this closeness seems Here, cultural values and economics related to the idea of familismo (the have both led to a continuation of importance of immediate and extended grandfathers’ traditional involvement family ties) throughout Central with their grandchildren. America and Mexico. These examples from three As a result, grandfathers share continents (where 83 percent of the respect, love, and attention with the world’s population lives) show that family to the end. despite our Western notions of “noninterference” and “Grandma’s house,” India grandfathers can still be crucial figures This second photo is of a 50-yearold, middle-class grandfather in India. in family life. One could never downplay the This physical play looks exactly like importance of grandmothers, but we what we would expect from fathers and hope to uplift grandfathers as valuable grandfathers. contributors to child development. Because of the ancient legacy of the extended family and respect for elders in India and other South Asian societies, many grandfathers as family patriarchs become even closer to their grandchildren than they were with their children. Some scholars say that Indian fathers may feel pressured to treat all children (even children outside their immediate family) equally, but that they become freer to express their affection later as grandfathers. These men pass on the values of resilience, social harmony, education, positive personal growth,
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David W. Shwalb, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., is professor of psychology at Southern Utah University. He and Barbara J. Shwalb are the proud parents of five, grandparents of 17, and great-grandparents of two. Ziarat Hossain, a native of Dhaka (Bangladesh), is professor of family and child studies at the University of New Mexico. He and Rozy Akhter are the proud parents of three. Their book, Grandparents in Cultural Context (www. routledge.com/9781138188501), includes case studies, proverbs, research findings, and social policies relevant to grandparents across the world.
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Traveltizers
A Christmas Treat in Colonial America By Andrea Gross
So tangy with spices and sweet with molasses that they’ve become a traditional holiday treat, so fragile that they’re often called “glass cookies” because they’ll shatter if dropped, Moravian cookies hold a special place in the hearts and stomachs of millions of folks. But who are these Moravians, and how did their cookies become such an integral part of so many people’s holiday celebrations? To find out, my husband and I go to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, one of the two largest Moravian communities in the United States, the other being Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The town, located about 100 miles west of Raleigh, is both a thoroughly modern city of approximately a quarter million people and the
The Moravians appreciate gardens for their beauty but also because they provide food, medicines, and craft materials.
home of Old Salem, a living history site that is so well preserved it has been declared a National Historic Landmark. The modern city is known for its
Old Salem became known as a “merchant town” because so many of its residents were skilled craftsmen and women.
vibrant arts scene, culinary delights (many of which are Moravianinspired), and nearness to the more than 40 vineyards of Yadkin Valley. But for us, the draw is historic
Old Salem. It’s not as well known as Williamsburg or Sturbridge, and while today’s Moravians blend into the dominant population in a way that the Amish with their distinctive dress do not, Old Salem provides visitors with a close-up view of life in the mid-18th century. The Moravians are a religious group whose core beliefs are similar to those of other Protestant denominations, differing mainly in the details of specific rituals and practices. They left the old Central European countries of Bohemia and Moravia in the early 1700s and came to America seeking religious freedom and economic opportunity. After stints in Georgia and Pennsylvania, they arrived in North Carolina, where in 1766 they
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Happy Holidays! We at On-Line Publishers, Inc. are grateful to our dedicated staff, loyal readers, and supportive advertisers who have all enabled us to continue our mission to serve the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50+ community in 2017. We wish to thank each of you for helping to make 50plus LIFE a fun, interesting, and unique source of information and entertainment for our readers in Central Pennsylvania. At this special time of giving thanks and reminiscing, the staff of On-Line Publishers wishes you, our friends, warmest holiday wishes.
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founded the town of Salem. They soon became known for their hard work, fine craftsmanship, business ingenuity, and their absolutely delicious, supremely delicate, paperthin cookies. Meanwhile, as the Moravian community flourished, the nearby secular city of Winston also became a thriving industrial center. In 1913 the two towns merged into a hyphenated whole, now known as Winston-Salem. As we walk through the business district of Old Salem, an interpreter, clad in a traditional outfit that shows how people dressed during the heyday of the community, explains that the main ingredients for the traditional cookies — molasses, ginger, and cinnamon — were hard to come by in the Old Country, but an experienced baker could stretch the dough into incredibly thin sheets. This literally made it go further and feed more. Why, some folks could roll the dough so thin that an inch-high stack would contain upwards of 16 cookies — a Christmas gift indeed! Many of the stores on the main street have two doors, one that
Moravians were — and still are — known for their culinary talents.
traditionally led into a sales area and the other that opened into the owner’s home. Highly trained volunteers are hard at work inside some of the buildings, where they demonstrate historic trades, such as woodworking and gunsmithing. Nearby is the Moravian Log Church, which was built in 1823 to serve Salem’s African and AfricanAmerican residents, most of whom were enslaved. In 1861 it was replaced by St. Philips Church, now one of oldest existing African-American churches
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what all those outside folks might be up to!” Today the tavern is a museum, best known as a sleeping spot for George Washington, who stayed there for two nights while making good on his campaign promise to visit every state if elected. Finally, we go to Mrs. Hanes’ Hand-Made Moravian Cookie Shop. It isn’t physically part of Old Salem — it’s 10 miles away — but culturally it’s as authentic as it can be. Owner Evva Foltz Hanes learned to make Moravian cookies from her mother, who in turn traces cookie-making in her family back six generations. Today Mrs. Hanes’ shop, employing the famed Moravian penchant for resourcefulness, makes cookies in a variety of flavors, from traditional ginger to crispy chocolate, and ships them all over the world. This is why people can happily enjoy Moravian Christmas cookies even in mid-July!
Moravians were — and still are — known for their culinary talents.
in the United States. It was from this new pulpit that a Union Army Cavalry chaplain read the Emancipation Proclamation to the congregants. Equally interesting is the Salem Tavern, a place to house “outsiders” as they passed through town on business. When it was built in 1784 to replace an older one that had been destroyed by fire, it was deliberately constructed without windows on the first floor. “After all,” says our guide, “the townspeople didn’t need to know
For more on North Carolina travel, see www.traveltizers.com. Photos © Irv Green unless otherwise noted; story by Andrea Gross (www.andreagross.com).
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Cover Story
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and a half years, and in By Jackie Chicalese 2017, received the same honor. History is an integral O’Brien volunteers facet of culture and three to four hours a day, identity, and two area four or five days a week, men are promoting at the museum. the preservation “I feel I just naturally and education of flowed from career to Pennsylvania history those volunteer activities,” through their O’Brien said. “It’s rather volunteer work at the like they are extensions Railroad Museum of of what I’ve been doing, Pennsylvania. except more fun.” Like many, Douglas Regarding O’Brien’s G. O’Brien and James 2016 Volunteer of the “Stu” Jack Jr. developed Year acknowledgement, an interest in railroads Patrick Morrison, as children. Despite museum director, noted both men pursuing O’Brien, left, and Jack on a GP-30, of which that O’Brien “has unrelated professions more than 900 were built in a year and a half always demonstrated — as a broadcaster and in the 1960s. GP stands for “general purpose”; a friendly and helpful air separation manager, the train was designed to handle virtually any attitude toward visitors respectively— their assignment, and its styling was an attempt to and his peers, as well as interest in trains did not move away from the boxy silhouette of earlier a real dedication to the wane as they matured. general-purpose diesels. museum’s collection and After 30 years of its mission.” broadcasting in New “I believe everyone has a duty to contribute some York City, O’Brien and his wife retired from city life in 2014, returning to his wife’s hometown in Central time in fields where they can bring their talents and skills to bear,” O’Brien said. Pennsylvania. For O’Brien, this encompasses his role as caretaker O’Brien was already familiar with the Railroad of a large HO-gauge model railroad layout. Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg. In the years “Until I arrived, there was apparently no one to prior to their retirement, he and his wife toured the look after it,” O’Brien said. museum often, making four or five visits per year. The railroad runs five trains per day, six and a half “I think I’ve known since the late 1980s that I wanted some association with the museum,” O’Brien days a week, 52 weeks a year, amounting to about 2,000 hours annually — roughly the amount of said. hours most model railroaders run in a lifetime. Similarly, Jack and his wife, both natives of New Due to the complexity of the mechanical parts, as York state, transferred to southeast Pennsylvania in well as physical demand, the trains at the museum 1976. require regular maintenance. Once Jack retired, he began researching different “We’re always hopping,” O’Brien said. “Tracks and museums and service organizations with which he wheels need to be kept clean for maximum electrical could become involved. After reflecting on his train commutes into New York City as a worker, his Lionel contact, gears need to be lubricated, solder joints break and need to be repaired — and we like to trains as a child, and his work building a model improve and enhance the layout with new and better railroad for his sons in his basement, Jack had an scenery, more working track, and so on.” answer. Along with railroad maintenance, O’Brien is also “The Railroad Museum was a natural choice since qualified to lead educational tours of the museum, I have had a lifelong fascination with trains,” Jack which displays over 100 locomotives and cars from said. the mid-19th and 20th centuries. As an organization, the RRMPA aims to preserve While O’Brien oversees the mechanics of the and exhibit railroad history, as well as educate the RRMPA, Jack manages museum information. public on the significance of railroads in the nation’s He spends roughly half of his volunteer time in history. O’Brien has been volunteering at the RRMPA for the museum library. There, he researches old railroad photos that have been given to the museum. four years, and in 2016 was named Volunteer of the Year. Jack has been volunteering for roughly three please see VOLUNTEERS page 8 www.50plusLifePA.com
Facts about the Bills in Your Wallet You don’t have to be a millionaire to know the value of a dollar. Here are some facts about paper money from the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing website: • The first $1 bill was issued by the government in 1862 with a picture of Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase. George Washington’s portrait first
• The lifespan of a $1 Reserve note is about 21 months. Other bills have different life expectancies.
appeared on the $1 note in 1869. • Dollar bills account for approximately 45 percent of all U.S. currency production.
• The first $2 bill was issued in 1862 and featured a picture of Alexander Hamilton, the first
secretary of the treasury. • The first $100 bills were issued in 1862, with a picture of the American bald eagle. Benjamin Franklin’s portrait first appeared on the Series 1914 Federal Reserve Note. • The lifespan of the average $100 note is 89 months.
At Your Fingertips Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away. Emergency Numbers American Red Cross (717) 845-2751 Central Pennsylvania Poison Center (800) 521-6110 Cumberland County Assistance (800) 269-0173 Energy Assistance Cumberland County Board of Assistance (800) 269-0173 Eye care services Kilmore Eye Associates 890 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 697-1414 Funeral & Cremation Services Cremation Society of Pennsylvania Serving Cumberland County (800) 720-8221 Funeral Directors Cocklin Funeral Home, Inc. 30 N. Chestnut St., Dillsburg (717) 432-5312 Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383 Arthritis Foundation (717) 763-0900 CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007 PACE (800) 225-7223 Social Security Administration (Medicare) (800) 302-1274 Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania (717) 238-2531 www.50plusLifePA.com
Healthcare Information Pa. HealthCare Cost Containment Council (717) 232-6787 Hearing Services Duncan Nulph Hearing Associates 5020 Ritter Road, Suite 10G Mechanicsburg (717) 766-1500 Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY Home Care Services Asbury Home Services (717) 591-8332 Hospice Services Homeland Hospice 2300 Vartan Way, Suite 115, Harrisburg (717) 221-7890 Housing Assistance Cumberland County Housing Authority 114 N. Hanover St., Carlisle (717) 249-1315 Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937 Salvation Army (717) 249-1411 Insurance Apprise Insurance Counseling (800) 783-7067 KeyNet BusinessNetwork (877) 753-9638 Nursing/Rehab Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902 Nutrition Meals on Wheels Carlisle (717) 245-0707 Mechanicsburg (717) 697-5011
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Health and Human Services Discrimination (800) 368-1019
Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com salons Earl Gibb for Hair 123 Third St., Lemoyne (717) 737-4347 Services Cumberland County Aging & Community Services (717) 240-6110 Toll-Free Numbers Bureau of Consumer Protection (800) 441-2555
Organ Donor Hotline (800) 243-6667
Internal Revenue Service (800) 829-1040 Liberty Program (866) 542-3788 Medicare Hotline (800) 638-6833 National Council on Aging (800) 424-9046
Passport Information (888) 362-8668 Smoking Information (800) 232-1331 Social Security Fraud (800) 269-0217 Social Security Office (800) 772-1213 Veterans Services American Legion (717) 730-9100 Governor’s Veterans Outreach (717) 234-1681
Cancer Information Service (800) 422-6237
Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771
Consumer Information (888) 878-3256
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Give someone you love the gift that entertains, informs, and inspires, month after month! Or renew an existing subscription! Get a 12-month subscription to 50plus LIFE for just $10. Mail form to: 50plus LIFE, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Please start a gift subscription for: Beginning (month) _ ___________________________ Name_ _____________________________________ Street_ _____________________________________ Apt._ ______________________________________ City/State_ __________________________________ Zip_ _______________________________________ Sign card from: Your name___________________________________ Street_ _____________________________________ Apt._ ______________________________________ City/State_ __________________________________ Zip_ _______________________________________ Your phone number____________________________ Paper (or papers/$10 per edition): Expires 12/31/17 qChester qCumberland qDauphin qLancaster qLebanon qYork
VOLUNTEERS from page 6 “Many of the photos have to be sorted and identified by railroad, equipment type, location, dates, etc., prior to being stored digitally and made available online,” Jack said. Morrison said Jack “is consistent, disciplined, and extremely hardworking” with “an uncanny ability to read people, provide a high level of attentiveness to their individual questions and interests, and really make a connection with them.” In addition to his research for the museum, Jack spends time in the cab of several locomotives, educating visitors on the technical workings of the trains, how the trains were crewed, and the advancement in equipment technology. “I do ‘pretend trips’ with [visitors], showing them how to operate the locomotive, how to make it go forward and back, how to stop it, how to blow the whistle, etc.,” Jack said. For both men, the museum provides an opportunity for them to pursue responsibilities they find interesting and engaging. “I’m doing precisely what I want to do, rather than what someone else wants me to,” O’Brien said. “I genuinely enjoy the tasks I’ve undertaken.” Not only are both volunteers able to assume duties of their own volitions, but they are also able to pass their passions on to visitors. “When it is all said and done, I get to share what I have learned about railroads with all of our guests,” Jack said. Along with the personal benefits they enjoy while volunteering, all the positive public interactions they
experience motivate O’Brien and Jack to continue their museum work. One memorable encounter occurred while O’Brien was sitting down to work on layout. “Out of nowhere, a 3-year-old boy climbed in my lap and asked what I was doing,” O’Brien said. “He very politely sat there while I worked, with grandparents and other visitors snapping away [on their cameras].” Jack recalled a “pretend trip” that mesmerized a young lady. A man observing told Jack he had made the woman’s day with his demonstration. “Of course, his remark made my day, too!” Jack said. The volunteers’ main goal is to provide a pleasant, educational experience for all visitors, and to encourage them to return. “When I see smiles leaving RRMPA, I know I’ve helped out,” O’Brien said. “It is a labor of love,” Jack added. “And I have 50 new grandchildren every day that I am out in our display hall. What can be better than that?” For more information on the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, call (717) 687-8628 or visit https:// rrmuseumpa.org. Cover photo: Doug O’Brien, left, and Stu Jack are the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania’s Volunteers of the Year for 2016 and 2017, respectively. They are pictured with the museum’s working replica of the “John Bull” locomotive, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad for display and operation at the 1939/1940 World’s Fair in New York. The original 1831 John Bull is in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
Thank You, Volunteers! On-Line Publishers, Inc., and 50plus LIFE would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to all of the volunteers who donated their time and efforts at our 2017 50plus EXPOs and the Veterans’ Expo & Job Fairs. Because of your assistance, we were able to bring the contents and the mission of 50plus LIFE to life for the residents of Central Pennsylvania!
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Safety Tips Snowbirds Should Know When Traveling Soon, thousands of people will head to warm locations like Florida, Arizona, and Texas for a few months to escape the winter weather where they are from. It’s important for snowbirds to be aware of their surroundings while traveling to and from their destination, especially if they are taking a road trip—driving through various cities carries the risk of a car issue, which can leave them stranded in an unfamiliar city. If you’re a snowbird, Krav Maga Worldwide has put together this list of personal safety tips to keep in mind. Inform family and friends of travel details – It is important to inform your family and friends of your travel details so that someone knows where you are and can easily call for help if something seems suspicious. Let them know where you will be staying and how they can reach you. If you are driving to your destination, make sure to also inform
them of any place you spend the night along your route. Double-check your travel necessities – Make sure you have passports, boarding passes, IDs, and any other travel necessities you may need, and make sure you have an emergency kit handy, especially if you are driving. A portable phone charger, first aid items, blankets, food, water, and flashlight are all good items to stash in your kit. It also is a good idea to take your car to a mechanic to make sure there are no issues before you hit the road. Always keep an arm and a hand free – Many people travel with multiple bags, purses, laptop
cases, and other paraphernalia. But, if your arms and hands are loaded up with bags, you have no means of defending yourself from an attacker. Luggage that can stack together securely and be pulled by one handle is a safer choice than wearing and carrying numerous bags on your person. Follow this rule not only while traveling, but also once you get to your destination and are exploring the area. The fewer items you have on you, the better. Stay together – Even though it can be frustrating to travel everywhere with someone else, stick to the buddy system. Even for a quick trip to the grocery store, have a travel companion come with you. You can never be too
cautious, especially in areas you aren’t familiar with. Park in well-lit areas and only visit populated places – Avoid parking in spots next to vans, trucks with camper shells, or cars with tinted windows. You want to keep your car and yourself as visible to as many people as possible. Also avoid parking next to tall shrubs or plants that could block views of your vehicle. If you are stopping for gas, a bathroom break, food, or just to stretch your legs, make sure to only do so in populated areas. If you can, try to schedule your pit stops beforehand so you know you are in a safe area instead of just having to get to the nearest gas station. Krav Maga Worldwide develops, promotes, and implements self-defense and fitness programs, trains and certifies instructors, and licenses more than 150 authorized training centers across the globe, as well as more than 800 law enforcement agencies and military units. www.kravmaga.com
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Assisted Living Residences/Personal Care Homes The listings with a shaded background have additional information about their center in a display advertisement in this edition.
Bethany Village — MapleWood
325 Wesley Drive • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717-766-0279 • www.BethanyVillage.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 100 Assisted Living Residence: Yes Personal Care Home: Yes Private: 100 Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes
Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: One-bedroom suites; secured memory support neighborhood; skilled nursing – The Oaks.
Colonial Lodge Community
2015 North Reading Road • Denver, PA 17519 717-336-5501 • www.coloniallodgepa.com Total AL and/or PC Beds: 70 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes
Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: No Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: A veteran-approved “home for heroes” facility, all in a beautiful, rural setting.
Homewood at Plum Creek
425 Westminster Avenue • Hanover, PA 17331 717-637-4166 • www.homewood.com Total AL and/or PC Beds: 92 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes
Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: Excellent care in a lovely environment. Call to schedule a visit.
Mennonite Home Communities
1520 Harrisburg Pike • Lancaster, PA 17601 717-393-1301 • www.mennonitehome.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 150 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: Yes Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes
Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: Supportive, encouraging environment. Various room types and suites available. Secure memory care offered.
The Hickman Friends Senior Community
Pleasant View Retirement Community
Assisted Living Residence: Yes Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes SSI Accepted: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes (in early 2018) Respite Care: Yes
Total AL and/or PC Beds: 96 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: Yes* Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes
400 North Walnut Street • West Chester, PA 19380 484-760-6300 • www.TheHickman.org Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Nonprofit personal care community with new building opening in early 2018. Includes secure dementia care. Call to schedule a personal tour.
Homeland Center
1901 North Fifth Street • Harrisburg, PA 17102 717-221-7727 • www.homelandcenter.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 56 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes
Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Providing exemplary care in a beautiful environment for more than 150 years. Our continuum includes a hospice program, therapy services, home care and home health services, and 24-hour medical staffing. All-private rooms with full baths and kitchenettes.
544 North Penryn Road • Manheim, PA 17545 717-665-2445 • www.pleasantviewrc.org Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: *Three-year private pay spending. Maintain independence in an enriching and supportive environment; now offering respite stays.
Sacred Heart Villa
51 Seminary Avenue • Reading, PA 19605 610-929-5751 • www.sacredheartvillapa.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 100 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Part/Totally Refundable: Yes Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes
Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: No Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: Located on 20 pristine acres. Offering amenities including homecooked meals; professional, licensed staff; and personalized care.
This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.
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The Beauty in Nature
Hawks in Winter Fields Clyde McMillan-Gamber
Wintering flocks of horned larks, house sparrows, starlings, rock pigeons, mourning doves, and other species of birds are adapted to eating grass, weed seeds, and bits of corn in extensive fields in southeastern Pennsylvania during winter. These same birds also pick chewed, but undigested, bits of corn from livestock manure spread on top of snow when other foods are buried by snow. Field mice aren’t abundant in those fields because of annual plowing, discing, and harvesting. But mice are common along roadside shoulders and banks in cropland. There they feed, make nests, and raise young among roots of tall grasses and weeds. At least six kinds of hawks wintering in southeastern Pennsylvania—including American kestrels, merlins, peregrines, Cooper’s hawks, red-tailed hawks, and northern harriers—prey on mice and birds in open farmland. Kestrels, peregrines, Cooper’s, and red-tails nest locally, and all these diurnal raptors make croplands more interesting in winter. Kestrels, merlins, and peregrines are all fast-flying falcons that perch on roadside poles to watch for prey. They all have tapered, swept-back wings for swift flight. Smallest of the falcons, kestrels are about the size of blue jays. They hover into the wind as they watch for mice along grassy roadsides.
Photo by Greg Hume
Photo by Greg Hume
American kestrel
Red-tailed hawk
Merlins are darker and a bit bigger than kestrels. They catch small birds, such as horned larks and various sparrow species, by ambush and their speedy flight low to the ground in open country, including agricultural areas. The crow-sized peregrines mostly snare rock pigeons, mourning doves, and starlings in midair over open country. Peregrines dive through the air at 180 miles per hour and hit their victims with their chests. The birds are stunned or killed and drop to the ground. Peregrines swing around in the air, grab their victims in their claws in midair, and fly to a perch to consume their catch. Peregrines and merlins
reduce competition for food between them by catching different-sized prey. Cooper’s hawks traditionally
are forest dwellers that prey on birds. But some Cooper’s have adapted to catching birds in farm country, perhaps giving peregrines competition. Cooper’s are swift flyers, able to chase down their feathered victims. Red-tailed hawks soar over farmland to watch for mice and other rodents. When prey is spotted, they dive swiftly to snare it. Northern harriers flap and soar slowly into the wind close to the ground in farmland to watch and listen for mice and small birds. When victims are spotted, they abruptly drop to the ground to snare them in their claws. Hawks wintering in farmland prey mostly on mice and birds, doing so in different ways. And they make local fields more interesting in winter.
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I Saw Grandma Kissing Santa Claus I saw Grandma kissing Santa Claus My Grandpa was nowhere to be found. As I watched the two misbehaving, Outside, deer were lurking ’bout the ground.
Ms. Senior Pa. Takes 4th in National Pageant is nothing I could Peggy Kurtz have changed at Keller, of Ephrata, the moment of came in fourth competition. I place at the 2017 met 36 wonderful Ms. Senior America women who are pageant, held at talented and Resorts Casino in beautiful, inside Atlantic City Oct. 15-19. and out.� Carolyn Slade Keller, 2011 PA Harden, of New State Senior Idol Jersey, took home winner and 2017 Ms. the top honor. Pennsylvania Senior Donna Vincler, of America, performed Photo credit: Rene Green “Summertime� from Peggy Kurtz Keller performed Tennessee, earned Porgy & Bess during “Summertime� for the talent first runner-up; Lee the pageant’s talent portion of the national Ms. Se- Ann Brill, of New nior America pageant in Atlan- York, was second portion. tic City in October. runner-up; and The annual Sharon Parry, of competition included Wyoming, took third runner-up. 37 state-level winners vying for the “I feel that my mission for the next national title. “I had the best time! I truly lived year is to promote this wonderful opportunity to other women who my philosophy of life last week!� have reached the age of elegance,� Keller said soon after the pageant. Keller said. “I did the best I could do—there
While the two were lovingly hugging Underneath the hanging mistletoe, They acted like they knew each other. As if they’ve been friends from long ago. While remaining hidden from his view, Santa lay our presents on the floor. Then, he kissed my Grandma one more time ’Fore disappearing out the front door. Even after I crept into bed, I never told Grandpa what I saw. Somehow Santa knew all I witnessed. For he left me this note I, now, recall. “From the corner of my twinkling eye, Instead of you being fast asleep, I noticed you on the stairway hiding. But, now, can this secret will you keep? “Since your Grandma is the best I know, And whose love for you is not amiss, I always make sure when I am here, Your Grandma gets a Christmas Eve kiss.� Written and submitted by Michael J. Smajda
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Orthopedics & Pain Special feature
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December 2017
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Ask a Foot & Ankle Surgeon: Why Does My Heel Hurt? Dr. Michael T. Ambroziak, DPM, FACFAS One of the most common questions I am asked by my patients is, “Why does my heel hurt?” While there can be many reasons for heel pain, we as foot and ankle surgeons categorize heel pain into four major causes: plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, bursitis, and nerve pain. Diagnosing the specific issue depends on the exact location of the pain and how the pain affects the mechanical movement of the leg. The most common cause of the heel pain is plantar fasciitis, which is an inflammation of the band of tissue (the plantar fascia) that extends from the heel to the toes. When patients suffer from this ailment, the fascia becomes irritated and then inflamed, resulting in heel pain or pain in the arch of the foot. Plantar fascia pain is a telltale sign there are mechanical issues going on in how the foot works. We typically treat plantar fasciitis first with nonsurgical strategies, such as stretching exercises; rest; shoe pads and footwear modifications; orthotic devices; night splints; and injection therapy. While most patients respond well to conservative treatments, some require surgery to correct the problem. Achilles tendonitis, or the inflammation of the Achilles tendon, can also be a cause of heel pain. We often see this “overuse” condition in our athletic patients who play highimpact sports, such as basketball or tennis. They often have a sudden increase of repetitive activity involving the Achilles tendon, which puts too much stress on the tendon too quickly, leading to micro-injuries. To treat Achilles tendonitis, we often immobilize the foot with a walking boot or cast and also use physical therapy, orthotics, and ice to help repair the tendon. If the tendon is severely damaged or if nonsurgical treatments don’t work, surgery may be necessary. Another cause of heel pain commonly seen is bursitis, where the “fat pad”
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of the heel exhibits redness and swelling from inflammation of the small, fluidfilled sac inside the heel, called the bursa. The bursa, which protects the heel from friction, can become inflamed from repetitive motion or irritation from shoes. In the case of bursitis, the heel and the toes are most often affected. Treatment may include resting the foot, applying ice, and anti-inflammatory drug therapy, padding, and corticosteroid injections to reduce the inflammation and relieve pain. Surgery may be necessary if conservative methods do not provide relief. Finally, a somewhat less common cause of heel pain is nerve pain. When the nerves are involved, it feels more like a burning or electrical pain shooting or radiating down the foot from the heel, typically toward the toes. A patient will often tell me their heel “burns.” There are medications that may help with nerve pain, but in this instance, the patient tends to need nerve decompression surgery, a procedure to help “un-trap” the nerve causing the pain. These patients often have several misdiagnoses before they visit with a foot and ankle surgeon to correctly remedy their pain. Whatever your heel pain, I always encourage people to see a foot and ankle surgeon for a proper diagnosis. We specialize in only the foot and ankle, and our training helps us effectively get to the bottom of what is ailing our patients. To find a foot and ankle surgeon near you, visit FootHealthFacts.org, the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons’ patient-education website, or talk with one of the specialists included in this special section. Dr. Michael Ambroziak, DPM, FACFAS, a foot and ankle surgeon with offices in Bay City and West Branch, Mich., is board certified in foot surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. Ambroziak is a fellow member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeon and a diplomat, American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery.
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Treating breaks, aches, sprains and joint pains BลฏSbX^V _bdW_`NSRXQ QNbS T_b NRe[dc N^R QWX[RbS^
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December 2017
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Savvy Senior
Jim Miller
Exercises that Help Ease Arthritis Pain and Stiffness Dear Savvy Senior, What exercises are best suited for seniors with arthritis? I have osteoarthritis in my neck, back, hip, and knee and have read that exercises can help ease the pain and stiffness, but I don’t know where to start, and I certainly don’t want to aggravate it. – Stiff and Achy Dear Stiff, Many people who have arthritis believe that exercise will worsen their condition, but that’s not true. Exercise is actually one of the best treatments for osteoarthritis. Proper and careful exercises can help reduce joint pain and stiffness, strengthen muscles around the joints, and increase flexibility. Exercise also helps manage other chronic conditions that are common among seniors with arthritis, such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Here are some tips to help you get started. Recommended Exercises Determining exactly which types of exercises are best for you depends on the form and severity of your arthritis and which joints are involved. It’s best please see EXERCISES page 18
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Move Better. Feel Better. Live Better. Life sure is interesting … you go from being young, active, and seemingly invincible to adulthood, where you spend your days trying to fit in work and other commitments while chasing kids around. Then you get into your 50s and beyond and think, “OK, now my life is a little less hectic; maybe I can be more active and spend more time with my family and friends.” This sounds great—until all of a sudden, you have knee, shoulder, back, foot, or some other pain, stiffness, or weakness that keeps you from enjoying life. Not only does the pain rob you of the chance to do what you want to do, but if left unaddressed, it can also lead to difficulty climbing stairs, falls, and a general inability to complete everyday tasks. Physical therapy can help you avoid these pitfalls and enjoy your life by resolving your pain, stiffness, and/or weakness. Many people are not aware of what physical therapy is or how it can help you reach your goals. The expert physical therapists at Cardin and Miller Physical Therapy spend an hour with you at your first visit, listening intently to your history of symptoms, checking your flexibility and strength, and watching your movement patterns. This information allows us to determine the actual cause of your pain so that we can resolve it, rather than simply treat the symptoms. Research shows that if you seek and receive treatment for your pain within its first 16-21 days, you will fully recover and be pain-free much sooner than if
you ignore the pain and allow it to become a chronic issue. Unfortunately, in today’s healthcare model, it may take weeks or months just to get an appointment with your doctor or specialist. Then, when you finally get the appointment, you only spend five or 10 minutes with your doctor. Often, the initial treatment involves more medication and rest, and then more doctor followups in a few months with little change in your pain. So, what’s the answer? Cardin and Miller Physical Therapy has direct access, which means that by law—and without seeing a doctor first—one of our expert physical therapists can evaluate and treat you for 30 days before you need to visit your doctor. How does this work? If you have pain for a week or so and it is not improving, call our office directly and we can get you scheduled within a day or two. Our therapists will determine the cause of your pain, begin providing hands-on treatment, and instruct you in the proper flexibility and strengthening exercises custom-fit to your problem—avoiding long wait times, medication, surgery, and wasted time and money, in most cases. During our evaluation, if we detect reasons you should see your doctor or specialist first, we will refer you to the appropriate health professional. Call our office today for a free screening if you would like to discuss your pain one-on-one with one of our experts. Carlisle – (717) 245-0400 / Mechanicsburg – (717) 697-6600 / Harrisburg – (717) 695-6436
Don’t let pain keep you from the activities you love!
Call today to schedule your free screening!
We have three convenient locations to serve you:
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EXCERCISES from page 16 which helps support and protect your joints.
to work with your doctor or a physical therapist to help you develop a personalized exercise program. The different types of exercises that are most often recommended to seniors with arthritis include:
Aerobic exercises: Low-impact activities, such as walking, cycling, swimming, or water aerobics, are all recommended three to five times per week to help improve cardiovascular health, control weight, and improve your overall function.
Range-of-motion exercises: These are gentle stretching exercises that can relieve stiffness as well as improve your ability to move your joints through their normal range of motion. These exercises should be done daily. Strengthening exercise: Calisthenics, weight training, and working with resistance bands are recommended (two or more days a week) to maintain and improve your muscle strength,
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Shady Maple Conference Center Smorgasbord Building 129 Toddy Drive, East Earl
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Church Farm School 1001 East Lincoln Highway Exton
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It’s also important to keep in mind that when you first start exercising, you need to go slow to give your body time to adjust. If you push yourself too hard, you can aggravate your joint pain. However, some muscle soreness or joint achiness in the beginning is normal. To help you manage your pain, start by warming up with some simple stretches or range-of-motion exercises for five to 10 minutes before you move on to strengthening or aerobic exercises. Another tip is to apply heat to the joints you’ll be working before you exercise, and use cold packs after exercising to reduce inflammation. If you’re experiencing a lot of pain while you exercise, you may need to modify the frequency, duration, or intensity of your exercises until the pain improves. Or you may need to try a different activity—for example, switching from walking to water aerobics. But it you’re having severe, sharp, or constant pain or large increases in swelling, or if your joints feel hot or red, you need to stop and see your doctor. Exercising Aids To help you exercise at home, the Arthritis Foundation offers a variety of free online videos (see www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/exercise/videos) to guide you through a range of exercises. Or there are arthritis exercise DVDs you can purchase through the Arthritis Foundation Store (www.afstore.org). Also see Go4Life (www.go4life.nia.nih.gov or call (800) 222-2225), a National Institute on Aging resource that offers a free exercise guide that provides illustrated examples of different exercises. If you need some motivation or don’t like exercising alone, ask your doctor about exercise programs in your area for people with arthritis. Hospitals and clinics sometimes offer special programs, as do local health clubs and senior centers. The Arthritis Foundation also conducts exercise and aquatic programs for people with arthritis in many communities throughout the U.S. Contact your local branch (see www.arthritis.org/local-offices, or call (800) 283-7800 for contact information) to find out what may be available near you. Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www.savvysenior.org
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6 Ways to Keep Your Knees Feeling ‘Younger’ By James Dowd, M.D. Osteoarthritis is the most common chronic joint condition that causes stiffness and swelling in joints such as the knees. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that 1 in 2 people will be affected by some form of osteoarthritis in their lifetime. However, people who suffer from osteoarthritis aren’t as old as some may think. In fact, recent data shows more than half of all people with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis are younger than 65 years of age. As life expectancies continue to increase and people lead more active lives, there is greater potential that they may experience knee pain in their lifetime, making it even more important for people to care for their joints. A recent online survey commissioned by DePuy Synthes of 500 U.S. women aged 45-65 who had hip or knee replacement surgery or plan to have surgery soon found that knee or hip pain can negatively impact the ability to take part in basic activities, such as climbing stairs or getting in and out of a car, thus taking an emotional toll due to a lack of independence. I always encourage my patients to maintain a healthy lifestyle—mentally, emotionally, and physically. And, taking care of your knees, especially prior to feeling any severe pain, is extremely important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. So, what can you do to take care of your knees to keep them healthy and feeling “younger”? Stay moving: It is easy for joints to stiffen when you’re sedentary. Make it a point to stay active with simple activities, such as taking a quick walk at the top of every hour. It can even be around your kitchen or office space. Maintain a healthy weight: Weight gain and joint pain are closely connected, and small weight gains can make a big difference for weight-bearing joints like knees and hips. In fact, data indicates that for every 11-pound weight gain, there is a 36 percent increased risk for developing osteoarthritis. Managing and maintaining a healthy weight can help ease the pressure on your knees. Strengthen your quads, hamstrings, and glutes: The quadriceps and hamstrings are the two main muscle groups that support the knee. Quadriceps are vital for the stability and healthy movement of the knee joint, while hamstrings bend the knee and move the leg behind your body. While the connection isn’t as obvious, strong glutes can decrease your risk for knee injury. Strengthening these muscle groups can have an impact on your overall knee health. Consider doing straight-leg raises to strengthen the quads and walking backward to strengthen the hamstrings. Don’t ignore the pain: When it comes to the knees, minor discomfort can sometimes turn into a major issue. Pain shouldn’t interfere with everyday tasks, such as walking from a parking spot in the back of the lot, getting the mail at the end of the driveway, or sleeping. No matter the severity of your pain, it is important to talk to a doctor about ways to treat and manage your symptoms before it becomes debilitating. Don’t overexert yourself: Before you begin any exercise regimen, talk with your doctor. Listen to what your body is telling you, and respect your body’s limits. Pushing your body too hard can lead to injuries, so take regular breaks from repetitive activities and don’t overdo any exercise or physical activity. Overexertion is preventable. Talk to your doctor: Whether you are experiencing pain and discomfort sporadically or it is affecting your everyday activities, it is important to discuss your symptoms with your doctor. You can set up a separate appointment to talk through what you’re experiencing, or it can be done during your annual checkup. Ask for tips on preventing your joints from daily wear and tear and treatment options that are right for you. For additional information and resources on knee pain, visit www.timetohitplay.com. James Dowd, M.D., is an orthopaedic surgeon at Jordan-Young Institute in Virginia Beach, Va. www. jordan-younginstitute.com
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December 2017
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Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori
Nutcracker Collectibles Lori Verderame
Some early nutcrackers display metal hinges Nutcrackers span the globe among various or levers. For instance, a lever-forced nutcracker cultures. According to reports, an Italian bronze works with a nut placed in the mouth of a castnutcracker dating back to the 4th century B.C. is metal figure, such as a dog, alligator, or wolf. among the earliest one known. England’s King A nut positioned in the belly of a carved Henry VIII gave Anne Boleyn a nutcracker as a nutcracker figure helps prevent damage to the gift. decorated face, with a lever at the back or an Sparked by famous examples amassed by elongated nose creating a lever for cracking. collectors, an interest in the history of cracking Dating to the 1700s, Italy’s Gröden Valley the nut uncovers three basic methods to free a nut was the famous site for the creation of figural from its shell: percussion, lever, or screw. Materials nutcrackers made of pine and paint. In northern used to make nutcrackers run the gamut, including Italy, carvers produced lever nutcrackers. Wellstone, wood, and metal. known artisan Anton Riffeser established the For instance, nutting stones were found in North Anri woodcarving firm in the 1920s. America and parts of northern Europe 5,000-8,000 Germany’s Erzgebirge percussion nutcrackers years ago. A nut placed in the depression of a stone Steinbach and Ulbricht nutcrackers, from the Ore Mountain region are popular with was smashed by another stone, called a hammer circa 1960s-1980s. collectors for their tall hats and brightly colored stone, to reveal a nut inside the shell. costumes. Carvers from Norway, Denmark, and Nutcrackers may be carved from pine, cedar, Sweden produce highly recognizable nutcracker figures of fishermen, street spruce, or other conifer trees. Linden, beech, ash, oak, or boxwood often vendors, and seafarers. are chosen among deciduous trees. With a wooden screw-type nutcracker, German makers Otto Ulbricht and the Steinbach firm became known for introduced in the 17th century, a nut sits in an open cavity of the cracker and a nutcrackers with fanciful accessories. Holiday forms often include reindeer, screw comes down hard enough to crack it. Santa Claus, or characters from, of course, The Nutcracker Suite. Ivory was tried but could not withstand the force of repeated use. HighA EDWK \RX·OO ORYH style china table settings included porcelain nutcrackers. The top of a famous for the home you love. porcelain screw nutcracker by Meissen, with a brass wheel for crushing the nut, matched a china pattern. Once nuts were cracked, metal picks became necessary to dislodge them. Other accessories include nut bowls, serving spoons, and nut openers used to pry open cracked nuts. Fruit knives, essentially small-scale pocket knives, were used to eat fruits and nuts at the end of a meal. Ever-popular nut bowls often came in pairs—one for nuts and the other to hold loose shells. Sets of a nutcracker and assorted pick have been popular. They were the brainchild of a 19th-century dentist, Henry Quackenbush, whose initial start in making dental tools made him famous as a nut-cracking technician.
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Celebrity appraiser Dr. Lori Verderame is an internationally syndicated columnist, author, and award-winning TV personality who stars on History channel’s The Curse of Oak Island and Discovery’s Auction Kings. With a Ph.D. from Penn State University, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events to worldwide audiences. Visit www.DrLoriV.com/events or call (888) 431-1010.
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More Americans Taking Advantage of Technology The digital revolution continues gaining ground, according to the Pew Research Center. Seventy-seven percent of Americans own a smartphone, a figure that’s almost doubled since Pew began tracking smartphone ownership in 2011. Similarly, broadband access is on an upswing, with home broadband
service rising 6 percent in 2016 (after a slight decline from 2013 to 2015). In November 2016, nearly threequarters (73 percent) of Americans reported having broadband service. Finally, 69 percent of U.S. adults are using social media, especially young people—86 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds are on at least one social media platform.
Surprise Celebration Honors ‘Archways to Opportunity’ Graduate McDonald’s Local for over 29 McDonald’s® owner/ years, recently received her operators high school Christina diploma via the and Stephen Lesher recently McDonald’s Archways to shared a Opportunity special surprise program. celebration Her with longtime customers, crew member From left, Stephen Lesher, McDonald’s fellow crew Jodi Runk owner/operator; Jodi Runk, crew member; members, and at the Scott Gartner, general manager at the her mother, McDonald’s Mechanicsburg McDonald’s; and Christina who has also located at 2112 Lesher, McDonald’s owner/operator. worked at the Bumble Bee location for Hollow Road over 29 years, were on-hand to share in Mechanicsburg. in the surprise. Runk, 51, who has worked for
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SilverSneakers Class Helms Donation Drive The more than 40 members of the SilverSneakers exercise class at Susquehanna View Apartments in Camp Hill recently hosted a community donation drive, collecting more than 2,500 items for the Susan Dowhower Personal Care Home in Lebanon.
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December 2017
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Dear Pharmacist
7 Common but Strange Reasons for Insomnia
Suzy Cohen
I’m cranky if I don’t sleep, are you? There’s more violence associated with people who have insomnia, which doesn’t come as any surprise to me. The start of daylight saving time in March is always associated with a small spike in heart attacks, according to two different studies from the American Journal of Cardiology (2013) and the New England Journal of Medicine (2008). Research published in New England Journal of Medicine shows an increase in car accidents in those first few days after the time change. Interestingly, a 2015 study published in The Review of Economics and Statistics estimates a 7 percent decrease in robberies after DST goes into effect, saving $59 million in social costs. Fascinating that the burglars are too tired to rob people if they lose sleep. This research is just so cool, and it got me thinking about the reasons people don’t sleep. Here are some other reasons you don’t get normal shut-eye. These
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are seven common or unexpected causes for insomnia: 1. Taking thyroid medication at night. It should be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach because that’s when you usually produce it. When you pump out thyroid hormones (or take a pill), you naturally feel more energized and refreshed, so take the medicine first thing in the morning to mimic your own body’s rhythm. 2. Methylation. This is a chemical pathway in your body that produces and breaks down neurotransmitters such as epinephrine (which is stimulating) and melatonin (which causes sleep). If your methylation pathway is cramped, it could trigger insomnia as well as seizures, agitation, combativeness, panic attacks, and other “stimulating” issues. 3. Quinolinic acid. This is a neurotoxin that is made in our brains, and we can produce too much of it for a variety of reasons. Ironically, you can do it to yourself by taking certain sleep supplements, such as tryptophan. Too much quinolinic acid contributes to insomnia, depression, and suicidal thoughts and attempts. 4. Fluoride. Drinking tap water or taking certain fluoride-containing antidepressants, medications, or vitamins can harm your pineal gland. That’s bad because your pineal gland makes melatonin, your main sleep hormone. If you think fluoride is impacting your melatonin levels, which wane as you age, think about a supplement. 5. Prescription medications. Stimulating pharmaceuticals could keep you tossing all night. Among the worst offenders are albuterol, steroids, modafinil, metoclopramide, antidepressants, pseudoephedrine, ciprofloxacin, and others. 6. Chronic pain. Only 36 percent of chronic pain sufferers get regular good sleep, compared to 65 percent of people without pain, according to a 2015 Sleep in America poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation. 7. Allergies. Your environment matters. Itchy eyes, sinus congestion, and frequent sneezing from dust or pollen allergies can keep you awake. To improve sleep, keep your bedding and pillows as allergen-free as possible. Get a clean new bed and buy a zippered bedbug mattress cover immediately. Consider changing from a down comforter to an organic cotton blanket. Close the windows if the pollen count is high. Shower before bed. Remember to change daytime clothes before hopping into bed, and regularly change sheets and pillowcases. Clean your fan blades of accumulated dust. This information is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease. For more information about the author, visit SuzyCohen.com
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My 22 Cents’ Worth
Inspiration from the Afflicted Walt Sonneville
In her book, Destiny of the Republic, historian Candice Millard offers a remarkably profound observation attributed to President James Garfield: “I have sometimes thought that we cannot know any man thoroughly well while he is in perfect health. As the ebb-tide discloses the real lines of the shore and the bed of the sea, so feebleness, sickness, and pain bring out the real character of a man.” That statement invites reflection about all among us who experience any number of adversities. Consider some who have never known normal health, such as being born sightless or losing vision in early childhood. Several went on to become well-known pianists. They include Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, George Shearing, and Alex Templeton. The songs in their hearts inspire us no less than their musical talent. We have seen movie actors showing how, in their real lives, they have responded to physical disabilities. Harold Russell, who lost both hands, played an Oscar-winning role in the memorable movie The Best Years of Our Lives. Later he went on to become the national commander of AMVETS. Christopher Reeve, who played the movie role of Superman, became paraplegic as a result of an accident but maintained an irrepressible spiritual strength. He authored two books, the titles of which attest to this strength: Nothing is Impossible and Still Me. Actor Michael J. Fox started a foundation bearing his name after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The titles of three books he authored subsequent to his diagnosis reveal much about his attitude: Lucky Man: A Memoir; Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist; and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned. Historical figures who rose above their physical or mental demons have demonstrated that will often triumphs over won’t. Napoleon, Julius Caesar, Isaac Newton, and Harriet Tubman all displayed symptoms of epilepsy. Despite suffering from a depression, which he called his “black dog,” Winston Churchill led his country through World War II. After the war, he “tamed” his black dog by returning to the writing of books and painting a few hundred artworks—mostly tranquil landscapes. There are many celebrities of our time that lived with depression but successfully tamed their black dogs. They include astronaut Buzz Aldrin; J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series; television personality Mike Wallace; and football quarterback Terry Bradshaw. Whole classes of people deserve recognition for being points of light within a community. African-American women who raised their children, despite the material impoverishment and denial of education thrust upon them, provide one example. Other examples are spouses who remain committed to a severely disabled family member. Children with cancer demonstrate a courage that, in the www.50plusLifePA.com
words of the American Cancer Society, “humble their parents and caregivers.” What is it that compels some of those seriously afflicted to become beacons for others? Helen Keller, born deaf and blind, provides her explanation: “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” On the battlefield, combat reveals our base character under extreme stress and fear. The contest of life is fought, metaphorically, on a broader battlefield. Most of us will not avoid assaults on our health, disruption in family relationships, unemployment, or victimization by criminals. To survive intact, we need faith in ourselves and the leadership of those who can show us the way.
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December 2017
23
Cumberland County
Calendar of Events
Support Groups Free and open to the public
Senior Center Activities
Dec. 4, 4-5 p.m. Caregivers Support Group Messiah Lifeways Meetinghouse 1155 Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle (717) 243-0447
Big Spring Senior Center – (717) 776-4478 91 Doubling Gap Road, Suite 1, Newville Tuesdays, 9 a.m. – Tai Chi for Arthritis Wednesdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. – Yoga Dec. 19, 11:30 a.m. – Annual Christmas Dinner
Dec. 5, 6 p.m. CanSurmount Cancer Support Group HealthSouth Acute Rehab Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 691-6786 Dec. 5, 6-7 p.m. Alzheimer’s Support Group Senior Helpers 3806 Market St., Suite 3, Camp Hill (717) 920-0707 Dec. 6, 1:30 p.m. The Bridges Support Group for the Alzheimer’s Association The Bridges at Bent Creek 2100 Bent Creek Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 795-1100 Dec. 6, 7 p.m. Caregivers Support Group Claremont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center 1000 Claremont Road, Carlisle (717) 386-0047 Dec. 7, 6:30 p.m. Too Sweet: Diabetes Support Group Chapel Hill United Church of Christ 701 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill (717) 557-9041
Dec. 11, 1:30-3 p.m. Caregivers Support Group St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church 310 Hertzler Road, Upper Allen Township (717) 766-8806 Dec. 12, 6:30-8 p.m. Carlisle Area Men’s Cancer Support Group The Live Well Center 3 Alexandria Court, Carlisle (717) 877-7561 sirbrady12@gmail.com
Branch Creek Place – (717) 300-3563 115 N. Fayette St., Shippensburg Carlisle Senior Action Center – (717) 249-5007 20 E. Pomfret St., Carlisle Mary Schaner Senior Citizens Center (717) 732-3915 98 S. Enola Drive, Enola
Dec. 13, 1:30 p.m. Parkinson’s Support Group Bethany Village West – Springfield Room 325 Asbury Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 877-0624
Mechanicsburg Place – (717) 697-5947 97 W. Portland St., Mechanicsburg
Dec. 19, 1 p.m. Caregiver Support Group Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren 501 Gale St., Mechanicsburg (717) 766-8880
Please call or visit their website for more information.
Dec. 26, 6 p.m. Multiple Sclerosis Support Group HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 486-3596 apcoulson@comcast.net
Library Programs Amelia Givin Library, 114 N. Baltimore Ave., Mt. Holly Springs, (717) 486-3688 Bosler Memorial Library, 158 W. High St., Carlisle, (717) 243-4642 Dec. 1, 7 p.m. – Music at Bosler Dec. 4, 7:30-8:45 p.m. – Monday Bosler Book Discussion Group Dec. 22, 1-2 p.m. – Just Mysteries! Book Club Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, (717) 761-3900 Thursdays, 9:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Blood Pressure Screenings Dec. 11, 7 p.m. – Harp and Handbells Concert Dec. 15, 2 and 7 p.m. – Foreign Film Friday: Rams New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland, (717) 774-7820 Dec. 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Santa’s Secret Workshop for Kids and Grandkids Dec. 12, 10:30-11:30 a.m. – Annual Holly Luncheon with “Musical Holiday Musings” Program Dec. 27, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Wednesday Great Books Discussion Group: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
West Shore Senior Citizens Center (717) 774-0409 122 Geary St., New Cumberland
Community Programs
Free and open to the public
Wednesdays, noon SilverSneakers Exercise Class Susquehanna View Apartments Community Room 208 Senate Ave., Camp Hill (717) 439-4070 jesseswoyer.com@gmail.com Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m. New Cumberland Town Band Performance Trinity United Methodist Church 415 Bridge St., New Cumberland www.nctownband.org Dec. 13, 11:30 a.m. NARFE West Shore Chapter 1465 VFW Post 7530 4545 Westport Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 774-4031 www.narfe1465.org Visitors welcome; meeting is free but fee for food.
If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.
Shippensburg Public Library, 73 W. King St., Shippensburg, (717) 532-4508
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Puzzle Page
CROSSWORD
Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 27
SUDOKU
Across 1. Yucatan native 5. Jaunts 10. Stagnate 14. Ajar 15. Readjust 16. Yuletide 17. Author’s goal 19. Bird feature 20. Annex 21. Muse of poetry 23. Locomotive type 26. Formal wear 30. Paddle 31. Lynx
35. Current 36. Midge 38. Oracle 39. A great deal 41. Mark of Cain 43. Actress Gardner 44. Half-baked 45. Cruelty 47. Before Las Vegas or voce 49. Coin 52. Spoil 53. Eternal 56. Gesture of assent
57. Scabbard 59. Words of resignation 61. Bellow 64. A Gershwin 65. Light seeker 68. Fascinated with fame 73. Great Lakes lake 74. Implied 75. Pocketbook 76. Some bills 77. Sales outlets 78. Obligation
23. Pet 24. Author Fleming 25. Expunction 27. Interlace 28. Scot. river 29. Possess 32. Exit 33. The Tempter 34. Thirst for 37. Poet. contraction 40. Rage 42. Below (poet.) 45. Day times (abbr.) 46. Humbug’s pal 48. Abets
50. I (Fr.) 51. Time zone 54. Poltergeists 55. Class 58. Fire aftermath 60. Exposed 62. W. state 63. Mexican snack 65. Assembled 66. Pay dirt 67. Metallic element 69. Rend 70. Shoshonean 71. Young carnivore 72. Ditty bag
Down 1. Throng 2. Emulator 3. Okay 4. Wagers 5. Vine support 6. Elec. unit 7. ____ of Wight 8. Equal 9. Rock layers 10. Memo holder 11. Deer 12. Cow pasture 13. Cervid 18. Murdered 22. Coach
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December 2017
25
It Was 50 Years Ago Today
‘Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)’ Randal Hill
He Records also loved label, “Shirley” Southern began R&B — receiving rhythm and blues airplay throughout — music the South, and, at age and the 15, formed teenage a blue-eyed Playboys soul group toured with several “Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)” classmates. whenever John Fred and His Playboy Band their school They called December 1967 schedule themselves permitted. John Fred But when Dick Clark invited the and the Playboys, named after Hugh Hefner’s popular magazine. lads onto American Bandstand, leader Fred declined the offer. Why turn Late in 1958, they cut a bouncy single called “Shirley” with Fats down such a golden opportunity? Fred had a basketball game Domino’s band in New Orleans. scheduled at school that day. Issued on Baton Rouge’s Montel After “Shirley” failed to break nationally, the Playboys disbanded Stories of ordinary men and women to concentrate on their schoolwork. called to perform extraordinary military service. Fred eventually earned an education degree from Louisiana State College From 1999–2016, writer and World War II but soon found that the music world veteran Col. Robert D. Wilcox preserved the held more interest for him than did firsthand wartime experiences of more than the classroom. 200 veterans through Salute to a Veteran, his He re-formed John Fred and the monthly column featured in 50plus LIFE. Playboys and signed onto the Paula Records label in Shreveport. However, Now, for the first time, 50 of those stories— when California’s Gary Lewis and the selected by Wilcox himself—are available to Playboys burst onto the music scene, own in this soft-cover book. the Louisiana fellows became John Simply complete and mail this form with your payment Fred and His Playboy Band.
When John Fred misheard the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper album track of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” — he thought Paul McCartney was singing “Lucy in disguise with diamonds” — he decided to create a send-up of the Fab Four’s work. Before long, he and fellow musician pal Andrew Bernard were filling notebooks with such pseudopsychedelic lyrics as “Cantaloupe eyes come to me tonight” and “Lemonade pies with a brand new car” and “Cross your heart with your living bra.” (Thank you, Playtex, for that last inspiration.) John Fred Gourrier was born in 1941 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The son of one-time Detroit Tigers third baseman Fred Gourrier, young Fred was a standout athlete at Catholic High School.
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Eventually Fred brought “Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)” to his band, only to find that most of the members hated it. After all, they groused, theirs was a respectable R&B outfit and above such nonsense. But Fred prevailed, assuring his skeptical pals that they were sitting on a potential smash and that “Judy” offered a ticket to the big time. Despite the Playboys’ objections, “Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)” was recorded. It featured a cacophony of brass, strings, piano, sitar, bass, drums, and guitar. And gasps and moans. And ascending strings that matched the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life.” Coincidentally, it was John Fred and His Playboy Band’s goofy novelty that knocked the Fab Four’s “Hello Goodbye” out of first place on the Billboard chart. When “Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)” hit worldwide, John Fred and His Playboy Band toured both America and the U.K. In England, they met Paul McCartney and John Lennon, who both loved the parody. Wordplay-loving Lennon even joked that, when he went home that day, he was going to sit down and write a similar fun song. He said he would call it “Froggy in a Pond with Spectacles.” Randal C. Hill is a rock ’n’ roll historian who lives at the Oregon coast. He may be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.
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Discover support and services available to meet challenges you may encounter as a senior, as someone who is caring for an older loved one, or a person with a disability.
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On Life and Love after 50
Tom Blake
Recent Widower, Widow Refuse to Give Up Dating Hope
In October, this paper featured an article about Chuck, 78, a Lancaster widower, who had lost his wife of 55 years. Chuck refused to quit; he refused to give up hope. He wanted a companion, not for marriage, but to pal around with and possibly spend winters together in Florida. He decided to enter the dating world. One step he took in seeking a mate was to contact me. I wrote the article about him. Chuck recently sent an update on his dating efforts:
And now, Melinda, a widow from Sonoma County, California, and her story. I met Melinda 11 years ago. She and her boyfriend, Dale, at the time lived two houses away from my mom, who was in her 90s. They were so good to her, watching out for her, offering to help often and driving her places. I so appreciated their thoughtfulness. I lived 500 miles away, and it was a great relief to me that friendly, caring neighbors were keeping an eye on her. At the time, I was writing a book
titled, How 50 Couples Found Love After 50. Melinda and Dale met after age 50, while walking on a beach in Sonoma County. They later married. I loved their story so much I included them in the 50 Couples book. When the book was published, I sent them an autographed copy. After my mom passed away, I lost track of Dale and Melinda. Last month, I received this heartwrenching email from Melinda: “I don’t know if you heard that Dale passed away this January. He developed a brain disease, CJD, that moved very quickly, so that by the time we had a diagnosis, he only lived 18 more days. Hospice was absolutely amazing. “Then, this past month, our house (we bought it March 2016) burned in the fires here in Sonoma. I got out with my car, in my pajamas, slippers, phone, and wallet. Dale’s ashes scattered among the household items, the books he loved reading, our art collection. “I was hoping you might still have copies of your How 50 Couples Found Love After 50 book, in which Dale
and I were included as one of the couples. The autographed copy you sent us burned along with everything else. Perhaps you could sign one again for me. “And, if you get a good lead, I’m not too old to fall in love again. Dale would want me to.” Melinda’s email shook me to my core. I did not know that Dale had died. And then, to top things off, in October, her home burned in the California fires. And her very modest, humble request was for me to autograph another copy of the 50 Couples book. You can imagine how quickly I sent her an autographed copy. But what Melinda wrote in her last sentence is the takeaway here. Within nine months, she experienced double adversity—losing her husband and her home—and yet, she is picking herself up and moving forward with her life. I will do my best to send her some dating leads. Both Chuck the widower and Melinda the widow are inspirations to all seniors: No matter what life throws at us, there is always hope. For dating information, previous articles, or to sign up for Tom’s complimentary, weekly e-newsletter, go to www. FindingLoveAfter50.com. To receive an autographed copy of his book at a 50plus LIFE reduced rate, email Tom at tompblake@gmail.com for details.
Puzzle Solutions
“Your article has attracted about 40 responses and kept me busy meeting very interesting people. “Twenty percent of the responses were promising. A wonderful woman just spent a day with me; I was her first date in over 10 years since her husband died. “She reread your 50plus LIFE article over 25 times before she shared her thoughts with another couple. They emailed me that I should expect a telephone call from a very wonderful woman who they thought was made for me. They spent $25 to check my criminal record and what they could find about me on the internet. “It is going to be difficult settling in with just one woman because a solid relationship takes time to build. “There are some very expensive dating services out there that have
had mixed success. The inexpensive dating websites have worked for many people. I just don’t feel comfortable with them and most seniors don’t either. “I am impressed by so many wonderful women I have met (including three this week). Fifty-five years ago, I was dating three women and by a process of circumstances, I happened to marry a wonderful woman who turned out to be my best friend. I hope I am as lucky this time as well. “Hope and time come before love in a relationship!”
Puzzles shown on page 25
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50plus LIFE ›
December 2017
27
The Green Mountain Gardener
Make Your Own Holiday Decorations Dr. Leonard Perry
Natural holiday decorations such as roping, swags, wreaths, and table arrangements are not hard to make. You will catch on to the simple principles quickly, and in a short time your results may surprise everyone, including yourself. Most of the materials you need are inexpensive or free for the asking, in many locales. But remember to get permission before cutting branches or fruits on someone else’s land! Your local florist also should have natural materials, both local and from warmer climates. Tree farms are a good source of greenery or even undecorated products you can then decorate yourself. For plant materials, evergreen twigs and boughs are the most important. You may be surprised at how much material goes into even small
decorations. For longest life, keep greens away from heat, wind, and sun. The most common evergreens include balsam fir, spruce (needles don’t last as long as fir and are prickly), white pine, and hemlock (needles will drop in dry air). Other less commonly used evergreens are white cedar or arborvitae (foliage fades to yellow in a few weeks), red cedar and other wild junipers
or one of the gold arborvitae. Other plant parts you can use for interest, and to give arrangements a “country” appearance, include cones, grasses, pods, and berries. Florist shops may carry more exotic plant parts such as lotus pods, holly, mistletoe, and various greens. Some people like to add artificial decorations like bells, balls, and fake berries to their natural arrangements. In addition to plants and other decorative materials, you will need something for a base for most decorations if starting from scratch. Wreaths require a wire, foam, or straw wreath form or a coat hanger bent into a circle. Rope or thick, coarse twine makes a good base for garlands or roping. Florist foam, which comes in “bricks” that can be cut to fit any container,
(sharp needles, so use sparingly to add variety, color, texture, and form), and broad-leaved evergreens like rhododendrons. One caution about using yew (or taxus) is that all plant parts are poisonous, especially the attractive seeds. Look for a few branches of yellow-leaved evergreens for some color, such as certain variegated yews, goldthread false cypress, old-gold juniper,
Pet of the Month
Annie Hi, everyone! My name is Annie and I am a young pup that is looking for a forever home because I was just one of another unwanted litter. My mother is a petite purebred beagle and my father is a hound mix. So, I have lots of hound in me! I am probably going to grow up to be a medium-size dog (40-50 pounds). Don’t you think I have pretty markings on my face? I can be a little shy when I first meet someone, but I warm up quickly. My foster mom thinks I’m rather sweet and silly! I’m playful, but what do you expect? I am just a puppy! If you are looking for a furry friend that will help keep you active, then consider me. Annie is current on vaccines and flea-and-tick preventative. She is in a private foster home with Worthy Tails Animal Rescue. For more information, call (717) 2159452 or check out http://worthytails.rescuegroups.org.
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may be purchased at florist or craft shops. Other essentials include a pair of clippers or utility scissors, florist picks (to hold greens to straw bases), and florist wire. The latter is a thin, green wire, available in several widths, that is used to hold everything together, such as cones to wreaths, greens to frames or rope, and decorations to walls. To make wreaths or ropings, you will need individual branchlets or bundles of them. Simply cut small branch pieces 4â&#x20AC;&#x201C;6 inches in length from the main branches, and wire or pin them directly to the frames. Or you can wire several together into a bundle and then wire the bundle to the base. Overlap one branchlet or bundle over the cut ends of the last to hide them and the wire or rope base. Proceed down the rope or around the frame in this manner. Finally, once the greens are secured, add a bow and a few ornaments of interest, such as cones, berries, or artificial decorations. To make a table arrangement, start with a wet block of florist foam, either freestanding or cut to fit a basket or other decorative container. Use a saucer under the wet foam, unless the container is water tight. Place sprigs of green in the foam, followed by natural ornaments such
as berries and artificial ornaments. Berries can be wired to a florist pick and then stuck in the foam. Follow the same design principles as you would if arranging flowers. A door swag is simple. Take several branches of a desired length, usually 2 feet or so, and tie together to hang upside down. Then tie a shorter branch or two on top, upright. Where these all tie together, place a bow, group of cones, or other ornamentation. If you want to use candles, use decorative lanterns to keep candles away from the greens (which, when dry, can be quite flammable) and then decorate around these with greenery and color. Get a mold for making a luminary of ice, and place greens and berries in the water before freezing. These, with a candle inside, make an elegant table decoration for a special dinner. If you have a stairway and banister, hang a grouping or two of greens and berries from the upright supports. Many other decorations are possible using wire or Styrofoam bases in the shapes of candy canes, cones, or balls, among others. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find these online or at local craft stores. Simply follow the above procedures and your own creativity! Dr. Leonard P. Perry is an extension professor at the University of Vermont.
Is that Still Safe to Eat? Is that fruitcake thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been in your pantry since last year safe to eat? Maybe not, but the CNN website offers this list of foods you can safely store for years: Honey. Because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s low in water and sugars, bacteria canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easily grow in it. Small amounts of hydrogen peroxide in honey also inhibit the growth of microbes. Dried legumes. Beans, lentils, and other legumes stored in airtight, waterproof containers can last for years without losing their nutritional value. Soy sauce. Unopened, soy sauce can last for three years on the shelf, thanks to its combination of www.50plusLifePA.com
fermentation and salt. Vinegar. Its acidic nature makes it difficult for bacteria to thrive. White vinegar will stay unchanged almost indefinitely, but other vinegars may change color or produce sediment in the bottle over time. White rice. The key is temperature. White rice stored in an airtight container at about 27 degrees Fahrenheit can last up to 30 years, although brown rice has a shorter shelf life. Dark chocolate. Chocolate fans rejoice! As long as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stored at a constant temperature, dark chocolate is safe to eat for two years or longer.
Stop a Cold Before it Starts New research shows you can stop a cold in its tracks if you take one simple step with a new GHYLFH ZKHQ \RX ÂżUVW feel a cold coming on. Colds start when cold viruses get in your nose. Viruses multiply fast. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop them early, they spread and cause misery. Research: Copper stops colds if used early. But scientists have Pat McAllister, age 70, received found a quick way to kill a virus. Touch it with copper. Researchers at one for Christmas and called it â&#x20AC;&#x153;one labs and universities agree, copper of the best presents ever. This little is â&#x20AC;&#x153;antimicrobial.â&#x20AC;? It kills microbes, jewel really works.â&#x20AC;? People often use CopperZap for such as viruses and bacteria, just by SUHYHQWLRQ .DUHQ *DXFL ZKR Ă&#x20AC;LHV touch. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why ancient Greeks and often, used to get colds after crowded Egyptians used copper to purify wa- Ă&#x20AC;LJKWV 7KRXJK VNHSWLFDO VKH WULHG LW ter and heal wounds. They didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t several times a day on travel days for know about viruses and bacteria, but PRQWKV Âł6L[WHHQ Ă&#x20AC;LJKWV DQG QRW D VQLIĂ&#x20AC;H ´ VKH H[FODLPHG now we do. Businesswoman Rosaleen says Researchers say a tiny electric when people are sick around her she charge in microbe cells gets short-circuited by the high conductance of uses CopperZap morning and night. copper, destroying the cell in seconds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It saved me last holidays,â&#x20AC;? she said. Tests by the Environmental Pro- â&#x20AC;&#x153;The kids had colds going round and tection Agency (EPA) show germs round, but not me.â&#x20AC;? Some users say it also helps with die fast on copper. So some hospitals switched to copper touch surfaces, sinuses. Attorney Donna Blight had like faucets and doorknobs. This cut D GD\ VLQXV KHDGDFKH 6KH WULHG the spread of MRSA and other ill- CopperZap. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am shocked! My head nesses by over half, and saved lives. cleared, no more headache, no more The strong evidence gave inven- congestion.â&#x20AC;? Some users say copper stops tor Doug Cornell an idea. When he felt a cold coming on he fashioned a QLJKWWLPH VWXIÂżQHVV WRR LI WKH\ XVH LW smooth copper probe and rubbed it just before bed. One man said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best sleep Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had in years.â&#x20AC;? gently in his nose for 60 seconds. Users also report success in stopâ&#x20AC;&#x153;It worked!â&#x20AC;? he exclaimed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ping cold sores and warts. It can also cold went away completely.â&#x20AC;? It worked again every time he felt a prevent infection in wounds, cuts and cold coming on. He reports he has abrasions. 7KH KDQGOH LV VFXOSWXUHG WR ÂżW WKH never had a cold since. He asked relatives and friends to KDQG DQG ÂżQHO\ WH[WXUHG WR LPSURYH try it. They said it worked for them, contact. Tests show it kills germs on too, every time. So he patented Cop- ÂżQJHUV VR \RX GRQÂśW VSUHDG LOOQHVV WR your family. perZapâ&#x201E;˘ and put it on the market. &RSSHU PD\ HYHQ VWRS Ă&#x20AC;X LI XVHG Soon hundreds of people had tried it and given feedback. Nearly 100 early and for several days. In a lab percent said the copper stops their WHVW VFLHQWLVWV SODFHG PLOOLRQ OLYH colds if used within 3 hours after the Ă&#x20AC;X YLUXVHV RQ D &RSSHU=DS 1R YLÂżUVW VLJQ (YHQ XS WR GD\V LI WKH\ ruses were found alive soon after. The EPA says the natural color still get the cold it is milder than usuchange of copper does not reduce its al and they feel better. Users wrote things like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It ability to kill germs. CopperZap is made in the U.S. stopped my cold right away,â&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is of pure copper. It has a 90-day full it supposed to work that fast?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;What a wonderful thing,â&#x20AC;? wrote PRQH\ EDFN JXDUDQWHH DQG LV Physicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Assistant Julie. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No more at CopperZap.com or toll-free colds for me!â&#x20AC;? 1-888-411-6114. (paid advertisement)
50plus LIFE â&#x20AC;ş
December 2017
29
Soldier Stories
Robert Naeye
Army Nurse Found Voice, Strength to Care for Vietnam’s Wounded 5,000 near the Minnesota border. She signed up for the Army Nursing Corps in 1962, before she had even heard of Vietnam. She committed to three years of military service in return for college tuition Ann Thompson, right, with support. Linda Goodhart, who also served After as a nurse in Vietnam. Thompson, graduating from Goodhart, and three other nurses St. Olaf College co-authored a book on their wartime experiences, Another Kind of War Story. in Northfield, Minnesota, in
Books about war are generally filled with tales of sacrifice and courage in mortal combat. But sometimes they neglect the heroism of those who served in support roles. And that is particularly true of nurses. I recently had the great honor to meet two Central Pennsylvania nurses who served in evacuation hospitals during the Vietnam War: Ann Thompson and Linda Goodhart. Although neither one fired a shot in anger, they experienced firsthand the horrors of war, while healing and comforting wounded and sick civilians and combatants. I will tell Thompson’s story this month and Goodhart’s story in 50plus LIFE’s February issue. Thompson grew up in Madison, South Dakota, a town of about
Thank You, Columnists! 50plus LIFE continues to bring important information as well as entertaining articles to the 50+ community. We at On-Line Publishers would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the editorial contributors of 50plus LIFE: Tom Blake (On Life and Love after 50) Suzy Cohen (Dear Pharmacist) Andrea Gross (Traveltizers) Randal C. Hill (It Was 50 Years Ago Today) John Johnston (Social Security News) Bill Levine (Booming Voice) Clyde McMillan-Gamber (The Beauty in Nature) Jim Miller (The Savvy Senior) Robert Naeye (Soldier Stories) Victor Parachin (Fragments of History)
Saralee Perel (Such is Life) Dr. Leonard Perry (The Green Mountain Gardener) Mark Pilarski (Deal Me In) Sy Rosen (Older But Not Wiser) Terri Schlichenmeyer (The Bookworm Sez) Walt Sonneville (My 22 Cents’ Worth) Abby Stokes (Is This Thing On?) Nick Thomas (Tinseltown Talks) Dr. Lori Verderame (Art and Antiques)
It is through the varied interests and considerable talents of our contributors and freelance writers that such a range of informative and entertaining content is available to read each month. The pages of 50plus LIFE are enriched by your contributions.
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December 2017
50plus LIFE ›
1964, Thompson was sent to Fort Sam Houston in Texas to learn how to become an Army nurse. As she recalls, “Texas in summer is unlivable.” She specialized in neurology and psychiatry but also learned to march, salute, “and be afraid of other officers.” She performed tracheotomies on goats to learn the lethal effects of different ammunition. She also had to go through a gas chamber with a mask, and came out with a severe cough and burning eyes. She entered the Army as a second lieutenant. Two days before her wedding, she received orders to go to Vietnam. After sailing across the Pacific on a troop transport ship, she arrived in Saigon in October 1965. When she reached her field hospital in a defoliated area, there was just one general-purpose tent and no bathrooms, food, or running water. The only thing in abundance was dust. “I thought, ‘This is not going to be fun,’” she recalls. Thompson later helped set up a tent for 500 people. It was time to go to bed at 10:30 p.m. when a sergeant asked her and several other nurses to dig a trench around the tent. The nurses were utterly exhausted, so they refused. But two hours later it rained heavily and water flowed into the tent. Welcome to Vietnam. After helping to build the 93rd Evacuation Hospital at Long Bien, she was driven about 10 miles to another
hospital in an unescorted vehicle, while being shot at. The Army even stationed ammo dumps right next to her hospital, making it a legitimate target for enemy fire. Thompson quickly realized that her training in Texas was woefully inadequate for the rigors of wartime medicine. There were no rules on how to run an Army hospital, and the most competent people weren’t necessarily the ones making decisions. With no well-established frontlines in Vietnam, Thompson often treated severely wounded soldiers right off the battlefield. Making matters worse, enemy Viet Cong guerillas were all around. “You didn’t know if the little old lady over there will kill you in the morning or at night,” says Thompson. Thompson vividly recalls one tragic story involving a soldier named George Rodriguez. He came to the hospital with a large, ugly wound running down his back. He didn’t want to return to combat, but Thompson and her colleagues patched him up, and he was sent back to the meat grinder. “His pleading eyes haunted me,” recalls Thompson. Rodriguez returned to the hospital three weeks later. But this time he was missing both arms, and his eyes were like those of a dead man. He asked if his wounds would keep him from fighting again. “I had to go outside and throw up in the mud because I was emotionally exhausted,” says Thompson. Besides tending to the wounded for 12-hour shifts, six days a week, the nurses had to treat patients suffering from fungal infections, snakebites, and malaria. To prevent this dreaded disease, they gave soldiers orange pills to take once a week. But the pills sometimes made the soldiers sick, so they’d stop taking the medicine and come down with various forms of malaria. And like all those who served in www.50plusLifePA.com
Vietnam, studies out the Thompson yazoo.” had to Despite all endure the tragedy she extreme saw firsthand heat and during her year humidity. in Vietnam, When she Thompson says returned to this experience Washington, made her D.C., stronger. on leave And it during a hot prepared her September, for a 30-year she had to postwar career wear wool in psychiatric Ann Thompson, right, backstage at the sweaters and nursing at the Bob Hope Christmas Special in 1965. socks to stay area Veterans warm. Administration “I think in war you get tired of hospital. Although she has officially being afraid, so you give that up,” she retired, she still does volunteer work says. “We learned a lot about patience there. and rules, and we learned a lot about “I was a shy little girl from South breaking those rules. Dakota, and I didn’t say bad words. “The mission was to always smile But I found my voice in Vietnam,” she and say to our patients, ‘You’ll feel says. “When I came home, nobody better tomorrow, and here, have some was interested in my voice, but years morphine.’ We never ever said, ‘I’m later people are finally interested in too tired or too hungry or I’m too what I have to say. People are listening angry’ to a wounded soldier because to nurses, corpsmen, and soldiers.” they were the most important part of Thompson shares many of her our mission.” Vietnam experiences in a 1993 book Thompson takes pride in the she co-authored with Goodhart and medical advances that resulted three other nurses. This book, Another from the war. These include the Kind of War Story, is available through development of a triage system that Amazon. is currently used in hospitals all over the country. And Penn State Hershey’s Robert Naeye is a freelance journalist living in Derry Township. He is the Life Lion is a direct descendant of former editor-in-chief of Sky & Telescope medevac helicopters in Vietnam. magazine. And, as she says, “We did malaria
Watch Out for ‘Masked’ Hypertension Being diagnosed with high blood pressure may be scary, but thinking your blood pressure is normal when it’s not? Scarier still. The Live Science website reports that almost 1 in 8 Americans who believe their blood pressure is just fine may really have a masked form of hypertension that doesn’t show up when they visit their doctors. Instead, their blood pressure is elevated during their daily activities, so they may be at increased risk of heart disease without realizing it. www.50plusLifePA.com
To diagnose masked hypertension, researchers suggest wearing 12-hour blood pressure monitors that take readings through the day. The flip side of this phenomenon is so-called “white-coat hypertension,” in which patients’ blood pressure increases at the doctor’s office (possibly from nervousness?) but is normal the rest of the time. Unlike masked hypertension, these people don’t appear to be at a higher risk of heart disease.
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December 2017
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