50plus LIFE Cumberland County December 2018

Complimentary | Cumberland County Edition

December 2018 • Vol. 19 No. 12

Astronomy on the Susquehanna page 4

grief doesn’t take a holiday

page 6

special focus: orthopedics & pain

page 12

On Life and Love after 50

Tom Blake

What Should Unwed, Age 50+ Couples Call Themselves?

Greta and I look at each other and one of us responds, In the 24 years of writing newspaper columns about age “We’ve been together for 20 years.”

50+ dating and relationships, there is a question for which I’ve never had a good answer. Until now. Perhaps.

Most couples accept that answer, thinking we’re married.

It’s easier to leave it that way than try to explain that we The question: What do unwed, age 50+ couples call are “significant others” or “life partners” or whatever we are themselves? calling ourselves at that moment.

I was reminded of that question by Mark, who emailed: “Donna and I have been together for eight and a half years.

When Greta and I would visit my mom in her retirement community a few years back and we were out socially with We were having lunch with Wally Horn and his partner of 30 years, Bobbi, and this question arose: ‘What do we Mom’s friends, Mom would introduce Greta by saying, “This is Tom’s Greta.” call ourselves? Partners? Companions? Significant others?

That was her way of saying we were living together and not Boyfriend/girlfriend?’” married, which she probably wasn’t entirely thrilled about.

I can relate to Mark’s question. My partner, Greta, and I In his email, Mark added, “Donna and I are a LAT (living have been together for 20 years. We aren’t married. I still find myself wondering how to introduce her. apart together) couple. She is 69, still working. I’m 71, retired, and live a few miles away. We go back and forth between the Often, “life partner” comes to mind. It’s an OK term, but I still get a puzzled look from people who seem to be wondering Photo credit to Tom Blake. two cities a lot.”

Our friend Wally is 84 and Bobbi is 75. They are both what the heck a life partner is, or they think it’s a lame Tom calls Greta his “significant other.” retired and have been together for almost 30 years. When we explanation for why we aren’t married. were talking about what to call ourselves, I floated an idea I’ve Greta and I enjoy taking cruises. We always opt for open had for some time: “semispouse.” seating in the dining room, which means we are usually seated with different people every night. Frequently, tablemates ask, “How long have you two been It received a favorable response from our foursome. It isn’t perfect, but it seems to have qualities the other labels lack. married?”

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2

December 2018

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At first, I thought the semispouse term a little bizarre, visualizing a semitruck driver with his wife riding with him in the cab.

I looked up the term on the Urban Dictionary website. Its definition: “A significant other that plays the role of a spouse without being legally married.”

And then I decided, when written, the term semispouse would look better with a hyphen inserted: semi-spouse.

While semi-spouse for unwed, age 50+ couples will work for now, still, I’m all ears to hear suggestions from readers for what to call mature, unwed couples.

Just don’t call us, “Two old fogies living together.”

For dating information, previous articles, or to sign up for Tom’s complimentary, weekly e-newsletter, go to www.FindingLoveAfter50.com.

​ Conference Focuses on Alcohol, Opioid Addiction in Older Adults Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Teresa Osborne recently attended and spoke at the Phoebe Institute on Aging’s Fall Conference, “Understanding Addiction and Older Adults,” at DeSales University.

The conference explored both the trend of addiction in older adults and insights into treatment modalities to offer hope in a time of crisis.

“Older Pennsylvanians may be a minority among those seeking treatment for substance abuse, yet alcohol and drug problems, in particular prescription drug abuse, among older adults is one of the fastest-growing health problems facing the country,” said Osborne.

Today, 2.5 million older adults have an alcohol or drug problem. Widowers over the age of 75 have the highest rate of alcoholism in the U.S., and older adults are hospitalized as often for alcohol-related problems as they are for heart attacks.

Nevertheless, addiction in older adults can be difficult to detect, as warning signs mimic insomnia, forgetfulness, and other common, age-related health issues.

Growing older brings on many changes in health, lifestyle, family

obligations, work roles, and sources of support. It can also bring physical pain, stress, loneliness, and loss of mobility.

The very real difficulties of aging can become overwhelming and drive seniors toward an unhealthy reliance on alcohol or drugs. In other cases, a preexisting addiction may worsen over the years.

The state’s opioid disaster declaration, initiated earlier this year by Gov. Wolf, expands access to evidence-based, medication-assisted treatment to help Pennsylvanians who suffer from the disease of addiction and ensure they have access to the care they need.

Pennsylvanians looking for information on treatment for themselves or a loved one can call (800) 662-HELP (4357) toll-free, 24/7, to be connected to resources in their community.

A live chat option is also available online or via text message at (717) 216-0905 for those seeking help who may not be comfortable speaking to a helpline operator.

To learn more about the opioid epidemic and addiction treatment, visit www.pa.gov/opioids.

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December 2018

3

Cover Story

Astronomy on the Susquehanna Corporate Office

3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360 Chester County: 610.675.6240 Cumberland County/Dauphin County: 717.770.0140 Berks County/Lancaster County/ Lebanon County/York County: 717.285.1350 E-mail address: info@onlinepub.com Website address: www.onlinepub.com

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EDITORIAL

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Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to revise or reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc. We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information not in compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Pennsylvania State laws or other local laws.

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December 2018

50plus LIFE ›

By Robert Naeye

Ryan went off to college at the University of Chicago, graduating in June 1972. In December 1976 he earned a law degree from the University of We live in a modern age awash in light. It’s inside Florida. For many years he practiced law in Chicago, our homes, on our streets, and on our computer eventually becoming screens. the chief environmental For amateur astronomers, attorney for the state of light is the bane of their Illinois. existence. It washes out the After changing jobs faint light of distant stars, several times, he ran his an environmental blight own law firm in Chicago known as “light pollution.” for eight years. His From a populated urban wife, Barbara, who is area, you can see a few originally from Harrisburg, dozen to a few hundred encouraged him to look stars at night. But venture for a job that would offer out into a remote area far steadier income. away from city lights, and Ryan ended up taking you can see thousands of Photo credit: Robert Naeye a position with the stars speckling the sky from Ryan, left, board member of the Philadelphia Electric Rittenhouse Astronomical Society, horizon to horizon. with Ted Williams, RAS president, Company in 1998, which With large cities such as outside the Muddy Run Observatory. later merged with a utility Philadelphia, Lancaster, and in Chicago to form Exelon.

Harrisburg, southeastern As he was moving Pennsylvania is not exactly around, Ryan was raising a haven for astronomical two daughters. The observatories. younger of the two, Layla, This posed a challenge developed a strong interest to the Exelon Corporation, in astronomy. She majored whose top executives in astrophysics at the decided several years ago University of Illinois. to construct an observatory Ryan credits her with as a vehicle for inspiring rekindling his childhood students to pursue careers in interest in astronomy. He science and engineering.

Photo credit: Robert Naeye built and bought telescopes, But with the help of Williams adjusts the Celestron telescope each scope larger than amateur astronomer Al inside one of the observatory’s two towers. the previous one. He later Ryan, also the company’s constructed an observatory assistant general counsel, in the backyard of his house Exelon found a good site on in Glenside, Pennsylvania. its own land: Muddy Run Al and Layla frequently Recreation Park, about 15 visited Exelon’s Muddy Run miles south of Lancaster Recreation Park. Layla once along the Susquehanna mentioned that a helicopter River. landing pad inside the park The Muddy Run would be a great place to Observatory is now hosting build an observatory. public events that draw “At the time, I didn’t hundreds of people. really think much of it,” Ryan, who spearheaded Photo credit: Robert Naeye On the observatory’s outdoor projection says Ryan. the effort to build the screen, speakers can show their photos and Tragically, Layla passed Muddy Run Observatory, telescope images to the public. away from a long-term grew up in Florida, not far illness in 2006 at age 24. To from Cape Canaveral. As a honor Layla, her parents established a scholarship for child, he built telescopes and watched NASA launch astronomy students at the University of Illinois. rockets into space, which inspired a lifelong interest As Exelon started toying around with the idea of in astronomy. www.50plusLifePA.com

building a public observatory, it turned to Ryan to advise the company on where to build it and what equipment to include.

Ryan recalled his daughter’s idea of building an observatory on the Muddy Run helipad. To test this idea, he partnered with local amateur astronomers to hold a stargazing event at the site in 2015.

“Even though there were thunderstorms, we had a huge turnout, which surprised company management. We had 100-125 people on a stormy, cloudy night. People didn’t realize that we have enough interest in the region, so we made it an annual event,” recalls Ryan.

The next year’s stargaze drew an even larger crowd — and that’s when the whole idea blossomed to build the observatory at Muddy Run. Besides the helipad, the park had a visitor center, facilities for handicapped people, and parking spaces for hundreds of cars.

The night sky is dark enough so you can see around a thousand stars on a clear, moonless night. And yet it’s close enough to major population centers that public events draw large crowds.

Exelon based the observatory’s landscaping on a design created by Ryan’s wife Barbara, while Ryan decided on two large amateur telescopes, one built by Celestron and the other by PlaneWave.

Construction began in 2016, and the doors opened to the public in October 2017.

The Rittenhouse Astronomical Society of Philadelphia is the primary amateur organization that runs the observatory. Ryan is a member of its board of directors, making him the perfect liaison between company and club.

RAS president Ted Williams says his group was involved in the project from the very beginning, calling the observatory “the perfect merger for an astronomy club that was trapped in Philadelphia that wanted a darker site.”

But Williams is quick to add that running the observatory is a team effort. The Astronomy Enthusiasts of Lancaster County and the Harford County Astronomical Society in Maryland play important supporting roles, providing telescopes and educators. www.50plusLifePA.com

Muddy Run hosts a monthly open house for the public, where people can come to stargaze using the observatory’s two telescopes and additional portable scopes brought by amateurs. These events include talks by scientists and amateurs and workshops in astrophotography.

Exelon modified the visitor center to include an astronomy section, comprising a hallway of astronomical photos and models to help educate the public about space science. The visitor center also has several classrooms.

The observatory itself has a giant outdoor projection screen, where speakers can show their photos and where telescope images can be displayed to the public.

The observatory has already attracted significant interest from local companies, libraries, and schools.

Ryan says that Exelon hopes that Muddy Run will serve as an inspiring example for what corporations can do to reach out to their communities.

There’s even talk about adding more telescopes and a planetarium to bolster education programs.

Astronomy is one of the few remaining fields of science where amateurs can play important roles in cutting-edge research. Using the observatory’s two telescopes, club members will soon be studying stars that vary in brightness, asteroids that pass in front of stars, and planets in other systems that pass in front of their host stars.

“We’re really proud of the facility,” Ryan says. “But we’re even more ecstatic about all the possibilities available to us for extending our vision to the community, enlightening minds, and inspiring others.”

The observatory’s next free open house is Saturday, Dec. 15. Call (717) 284-5850 or visit www.facebook. com/muddyrunobservatory or www. muddyrunobservatory.com for more information.

On the cover: To further his and his daughter’s shared interest in astronomy, Al Ryan, here beside the Celestron telescope inside the Muddy Run Observatory, once built an observatory in their backyard.

Now, Ryan heads a combined team of amateur astronomers instrumental in the development and operation of the observatory.

March 26, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Wyndham Hotel York 2000 Loucks Road, York

This event is FREE to attend.

Veterans (of all ages) and the military community and their families are invited to join us!

The Expo brings federal, state, and local agencies together with area businesses to provide information and resources to veterans and their families.

The Job Fair brings veterans and spouses who need jobs together with employers who can benefit from this rich source of talent to aid their organizations.

At the Expo

Veterans Benefits & Services Medical/Nonmedical Resources Products and Services Available Support/Assistance Programs Education/Training Services

At the Job Fair

Employers Job Counseling Workshops Employment Seminars Resume Writing Assistance Hosted by:

Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available

www.veteransexpo.com (717) 285-1350 www.olpevents.com

50plus LIFE ›

December 2018

5

Grief Relief

Grief Doesn’t Take a Holiday Victor Parachin

When my wife, Linda, died earlier in the year, her loss left my family and me feeling confused about how to celebrate because she was the driving energy behind our holiday gatherings.

– Neal After a long and happy marriage, my husband, whom I’d known since high school, died in October. My grieving was intensified as I anticipated my first December without him.

– Paula The fact is that grief doesn’t take a holiday in December. While many of us are festive, those who grieve a loss often find their pain heightened during this time.

However, as many bereaved individuals can testify, it is possible to celebrate while grieving. Here are 10 tips for managing loss this month.

1. Avoid placing excessive expectations on yourself. Your energies are down as you grieve, so it may not be possible to do everything and be everywhere. Pace yourself carefully. Give yourself permission to reduce the festivities and decline some invitations.

2. Consider all the options for celebrating. Some grieving families maintain their tradition. Others find it helpful to change things up.

Have a conversation with family members about how to best gather for the holiday. If family members live a distance away, have the “conversation” via a group email.

3. Balance family time with alone time. Because grieving is physically and emotionally draining, try to balance your time with family with some time alone.

Rest when you need to. Retiring to a quiet place, even for a few minutes, can be renewing.

4. Take care of your physical self. This means getting proper rest; eating nutritious meals, always a challenge during the holidays; and avoiding too much sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. Work in time to exercise several days a week.

5. Forgive yourself. The holidays can dredge up regrets and guilt feelings about things said or not said, things done or not done. Do all you can to let it go and forgive yourself.

6. Give yourself a break from grieving. Set aside time to read a good book, watch some movies, attend a holiday concert, get a massage, or take a yoga

Tom & Randi LaNasa “MEMORY MUSIC”

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We are also booking our variety and specialty shows for 2019.

We have many variety shows featuring the music from the 1930s to the 60s.

Songs by legendary artists like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Kay Starr, Dean Martin, Patsy Cline, and the Mills Brothers.

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Songs from the WWII Years • The Post WWII Years: 1945 – 1955 AMERICA: From Sea to Shining Sea Salute to the Rat Pack (or if you prefer, just Sinatra) Elvis & Patsy • Classic Country • Christmas

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 2018.

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.

Please contact Memory Music to book your next event!

Phone: (717) 846-6126 6

December 2018

E-mail: memrymusic@aol.com 50plus LIFE ›

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class or two.

Of course you need to deal with your grief, but you don’t have to focus every minute on it. Give yourself some breaks from grieving.

7. Speak your loved one’s name. Some families try to ignore the fact of loss and grief by not talking about the deceased loved one. This is not productive.

A better approach is to speak about the person. Use his or her name. Some families report that it was helpful to take a few minutes before a meal to have members share favorite memories about the deceased.

8. Allow grief to move through you in a natural way. If you’re sad, be sad.

If you find reasons to be happy (even briefly), be happy. If you need to shed tears, then cry. Don’t resist what is happening. Go with the ebb and flow of grief.

9. Remember that some relatives can be great resources. Because the

holidays and family gatherings come together, remember that some of your extended family can be helpful.

Not every relative can handle a grieving person, while others can. Gravitate toward the ones who understand, are supportive, and are comforting to you.

Without being rude, gently distance yourself from those who just don’t get grief.

10. Buy a gift you would have given your loved one. Then, give it to a charity or someone who would truly appreciate the gift.

For example, one man had planned to buy his wife a new laptop computer.

After her death in the fall, he still made the purchase and gave the laptop to a student at a community college.

Victor M. Parachin, M.Div., is a grief counselor, bereavement educator, and author of several books, including Healing Grief.

At Your Fingertips Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away. adult day care Life Time Adult Day Care 3 Crossgate Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 975-9762 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 www.50plusLifePA.com

Social Security Administration (Medicare) (800) 302-1274 Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania (717) 238-2531 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 Homeland at Home Serving all of Cumberland County (717) 221-7892 Hospice Services Homeland at Home Serving all of Cumberland County (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 Capital Blue (888) 989-9015 (TTY: 711) Medicare (800) 633-4227

Nursing/Rehab Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7900 Nutrition Meals on Wheels Carlisle (717) 245-0707 Mechanicsburg (717) 697-5011 Newville (717) 776-5251 Shippensburg (717) 532-4904 West Shore (717) 737-3942 Orthopedics OSS Health 856 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 747-8315 Personal Care Homes Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7900 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com Services Cumberland County Aging & Community Services (717) 240-6110 Toll-Free Numbers Bureau of Consumer Protection (800) 441-2555 Cancer Information Service (800) 422-6237

Domestic Violence (800) 799-7233 Drug Information (800) 729-6686 Flu or Influenza (888) 232-3228 Health and Human Services Discrimination (800) 368-1019 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 (877) 487-2778 (V); (888) 874-7793 (TTY) 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 Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771 Veterans Affairs (717) 240-6178 or (717) 697-0371

Consumer Information (888) 878-3256

Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

Disease and Health Risk (888) 232-3228 50plus LIFE ›

December 2018

7

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: No Private: 100 Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes 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: 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: 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. Respite services available as space permits.

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

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

Harrison House of Chester County

Landis Homes

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 80 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: Yes Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 97 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

300 Strode Avenue • Coatesville, PA 19320 610-384-6310 • www.harrisonseniorliving.com Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: No Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Located in western Chester County, Harrison House provides an array of amenities with nursing care.

Mennonite Home Communities

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 114 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: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

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: Yes Comments: Nonprofit personal care community in downtown West Chester. Includes secure dementia care neighborhood. Call to schedule a personal tour.

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.

1001 East Oregon Road • Lititz, PA 17543 717-569-3271 • www.LandisHomes.org

The Hickman Friends Senior Community

400 North Walnut Street • West Chester, PA 19380 484-760-6300 • www.TheHickman.org

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.

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: Yes Comments: Attached to wellness center and pool without going outside.

1520 Harrisburg Pike • Lancaster, PA 17601 717-393-1301 • www.mennonitehome.org 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.

This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.

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.

Normandie Ridge

1700 Normandie Drive • York, PA 17408 717-764-6262 • https://normandieridge.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 35 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: 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: Our dementia care residence features the Kaleidoscope therapeutic engagement program designed for our residents.

Pleasant View Retirement Community

544 North Penryn Road • Manheim, PA 17545 717-665-2445 • www.pleasantviewrc.org 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

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.

This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.

If you would like to be featured on this important page, please contact your account representative or call (717) 770-0140.

Social Security News

By John Johnston

Beware of Scammers Pretending to Be from Social Security

In the digital age, frauds and scams are an unfortunate part of doing business online.

During the holiday season, Social Security has traditionally seen a spike in phishing scams, and we want to protect you as best we can.

We urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information, such as your Social Security Number or bank account information, to unknown individuals over the phone or internet.

If you receive a call and aren’t expecting one, you must be extra careful. You can always get the caller’s information, hang up, and — if you do need more clarification — contact the official phone number of the business or agency that the caller claims to represent.

Never reveal personal data to a stranger who called you.

Please take note: There’s a scam going around right now. You might receive a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security or another agency. Calls can even display (800) 772-1213, Social Security’s national customer service number, as the incoming number on your caller ID. In some cases, the caller states that Social Security does not have all of your personal information, such as your Social Security number, on file. Other callers claim Social Security needs additional information so the agency can increase your benefit payment, or that Social Security will terminate your benefits if they do not confirm your information.

This appears to be a widespread issue, as reports have come from people www.50plusLifePA.com

across the country. These calls are not from Social Security.

Callers sometimes state that your Social Security number is at risk of being deactivated or deleted. The caller then asks you to provide a phone number to resolve the issue.

People should be aware the scheme’s details may vary; however, you should avoid engaging with the caller or calling the number provided, as the caller might attempt to acquire personal information.

Social Security employees occasionally contact people by telephone for customer-service purposes. In only a few special situations, such as when you have business pending with us, a Social Security employee may request the person confirm personal information over the phone.

Social Security employees will never threaten you or promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up.

If you receive these calls, please report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at (800) 269-0271 or online at www.oig.ssa.gov/report.

Remember, only call official phone numbers and use secured websites of the agencies and businesses you know are correct. Protecting your information is an important part of Social Security’s mission to secure today and tomorrow.

John Johnston is a Social Security public affairs specialist.

50plus LIFE ›

December 2018

9

It Was 50 Years Ago Today

‘Those Were the Days’ Randal Hill

suggested that they meet for lunch in London. They did (along with Mary’s mother), and on the same day visited a neighborhood recording studio where Hopkin taped several songs.

Years earlier, at a London club called the Blue Angel, McCartney had heard “Those Were the Days,” at the time sung by touring American performers Gene and Francesca Riskin. The tune featured a haunting Russian melody but, courtesy of Gene Riskin, employed English lyrics and arrangement.

The song had originated as a 1925 Russian romance piece called “Dorogoi Dinnoyu” — literally “By the Long Road” — and dealt with reminiscences upon youth and romantic idealism. The Riskins always closed their shows with “Those Were the Days.”

McCartney loved the song and suggested it to friends Donovan and the Moody Blues, but neither showed interest. Later, McCartney decided to produce the tune himself with Hopkin.

“Those Were the Days” “I thought it was very catchy, it had something, it Mary Hopkin was a good treatment of nostalgia,” McCartney said.

December 1968 “[Hopkin] picked it up very easily, as if she’d known it for years.”

The future 8-million seller became Apple’s second released single, Stories of ordinary men and women immediately following the Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” called to perform extraordinary military service.

McCartney had been prescient in picking “Those Were the Days” for his new artist. The song reached No. 2 on Billboard, and eventually numerous From 1999–2016, writer and World War II other artists, including Bing Crosby and Dolly Parton, recorded the rousing veteran Col. Robert D. Wilcox preserved the tune. firsthand wartime experiences of more than McCartney also felt the work had international appeal and asked Hopkin 200 veterans through Salute to a Veteran, his to record versions in Italian, Farsi, Spanish, French, and German — sung monthly column featured in 50plus LIFE. phonetically, just as the Beatles had done when they cut German versions of “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in 1964.

Now, for the first time, 50 of those stories— Alas, Hopkin’s star soon faded, but not before leaving behind two more Top selected by Wilcox himself—are available to 40 winners with the McCartney-produced singles “Goodbye” and “Temma own in this soft-cover book.

Harbor.”

Simply complete and mail this form with your payment A downbeat footnote: On Christmas Eve 1975, Francisco Macias Nguema, to the address below to order Salute to Our Veterans. the president of Equitorial Guinea, ordered the execution of 150 coup plotters in a football stadium while powerful amplifiers blasted — yes — Hopkin’s On-Line Publishers • 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 “Those Were the Days.”

Beatle Paul McCartney first heard of Mary Hopkin when he was eating dinner at his father’s Liverpool home one night.

Included at the table that evening were friends Twiggy (the British supermodel) and her manager. The conversation turned to TV talent-discovery shows, and the younger McCartney wondered aloud whether anyone was ever really discovered on such programs?

Twiggy responded that she had recently seen a cute 17-year-old Welsh girl named Mary Hopkin on a show called Opportunity Knocks. Twiggy, impressed with the young lady’s high, clear voice, predicted — correctly — that Hopkin would win on the next week’s broadcast.

McCartney became intrigued enough to tune in. He too quickly fell under the spell of Hopkin’s voice and her striking and wholesome looks. The Beatles had recently started their own label — Apple Records — and were on the lookout for talent other than themselves to promote.

McCartney: “So I thought, OK. Quite right. We should sign her up for Apple, maybe make an interesting record with her.”

To Hopkin’s amazement, McCartney phoned her and

Name_ _______________________________________________________ Address_ ______________________________________________________

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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Or send a check made payable to On-Line Publishers, Inc. You can also order online at www.50plusLIFEpa.com!

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December 2018

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is available online for anytime/anywhere reading!

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Dessert on the Ceiling (and Other Kooky Christmas Traditions)

By Randal C. Hill

Canada: There’s an actual postal code used in Canada to send letters to the North Pole: HOHOHO. All the letters received, even those in Braille, are answered by thousands of volunteers who donate their time every year.

More than 160 countries around the world celebrate Christmas.

Overseas and elsewhere, some holiday traditions may seem wonderfully weird — and maybe even a bit bizarre.

For some chuckles, let’s check out the yearly happenings in:

Czech Republic: Some folks fast on Christmas Eve in the hope that they will visualize a golden pig — a sign of good luck — appearing on a wall before dinner.

Slovakia: During Christmas Eve dinner, the oldest male resident tosses a spoonful of loksa pudding (a mixture of sweetened poppy seeds, bread, and water) onto the ceiling — the more that sticks, the better his crops or business will do during the next year.

Guatemala: Each neighborhood sweeps dirt into one large pile and then plants an effigy of the devil on top before setting it on fire.

England: The idea of kissing under the mistletoe began here. Refusing a smooch was said to bring bad luck, and one tradition required that, with each kiss, the participants pluck a berry from the mistletoe bunch.

New Zealand: Summertime Santa often appears in “jandals” (New Zealand sandals) and an All Blacks (their national rugby team) shirt. Kids leave beer and pineapple chunks for Mr. Claus and carrots for his reindeer.

Venezuela: Caracas streets close to all traffic when Christmas Eve arrives.

This is a safety measure as many city dwellers roller-skate — nobody seems to know why — to late-night Mass.

Norway: All brooms are hidden in order to keep witches from finding them and riding off into the Christmas Eve night. Men also fire their guns into the evening sky.

Japan: Since 1974 the power of persuasive American advertising has established a newer tradition: enjoying a Christmas Day feast at the nearest Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

Greenland: Folks relish holiday treats of mattak (whale skin with a strip of blubber inside) and kiviak, the raw flesh of auks (a type of Arctic bird) that has been buried whole in sealskin for seven months until it has reached a certain level of decomposition. (Seconds, anyone?)

Wales: Some villages in South Wales celebrate Mari Lwyd, a wassailing folk custom in which a local man parades through the streets, his identity hidden under a sackcloth while bearing a horse’s skull on the end of a stick.

Germany: Each Dec. 5, German children leave a shoe outside the house.

Well-behaved kiddies awake to find the shoe stuffed with sweets. Those behaving otherwise are likely to find a tree branch instead. www.50plusLifePA.com

South Africa: After residents enjoy a traditional Christmas Day meal, they eagerly tuck into after-dinner treats of plump, fuzzy caterpillars that have been fried in oil.

others, as well?

Final thought: Doesn’t it make you wonder how some of our own Christmas traditions might seem strange to

Randal C. Hill can be reached at wryterhill@msn.com. advertisement

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December 2018

11

Orthopedics & Pain Dear Pharmacist

The 6 Best Foods to Eat if You Have Arthritis Suzy Cohen

If you have arthritis, you know what to expect every day when you get up in the morning: trying to find a comfortable way to sit; grocery shopping, where it’s one painful step in front of the other; or difficulty buttoning your shirt.

But wouldn’t it be nice to be flexible around the holidays? I don’t mean in terms of parties, events, and trips — I mean with your joints.

Eating certain foods reduces inflammation and pain. But first, here are three food groups you should avoid, since these harm your brain, joints, and cartilage: • Anything with artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners • GMO foods, which are so “hardy” they pierce the gut, leaching toxins into your body and poisoning your bloodstream • Pesticides (organic is better, especially if you have a PON1 gene SNP) Now, let’s look at six of the best foods to include in your diet if you have arthritis pain:

3. Garlic Garlic is good for so many healthpromoting effects in the body. It’s cancer preventative and a potent antiinflammatory food.

In one study of 1,082 twins, researchers found that those who ate the most garlic experienced the fewest symptoms from osteoarthritis.

4. Fennel Fennel has long been used as medicine, dating back to ancient Rome and Greece.

Fennel is a delicious way to spice up a salad, making it virtually cancerpreventative and helping to drastically reduce inflammation in the joints and tissues.

5. Beet Greens Dark, leafy greens, such as beet greens, are full of phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals that reduce inflammation all over the body.

Beet greens (not beets) are extremely high in vitamin K, another potent antiinflammatory. Two cups of these will deliver about 4,700 mg of potassium, which can help regulate blood pressure.

Sauté beet greens with garlic in some grass-fed butter. They wilt within a minute.

1. Organic ginger Ginger is highly anti-inflammatory.

Researchers found that ginger relieves pain in patients with osteoarthritis, helping 63 percent of participants.

Another study found that ginger can block the manufacture of inflammatory cytokines in the body. Make ginger tea or grate it into meals.

6. Spinach A 2017 study showed how kaempferol (which is found in spinach) reduces inflammation and prevents the progression of osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear type of arthritis.

Kaempferol also decreases the effects of inflammatory cytokines associated with rheumatoid arthritis, the autoimmune form that affects bone marrow.

2. Tart cherries Like blueberries, cherries are rich in a compound called anthocyanin, which gives cherries their deep, blue-red hue.

A 2013 study found that patients who drink tart cherry juice found they improved levels of pain and stiffness from arthritis. It’s known to help with gouty arthritis too.

If you want to be more flexible, now and into the new year, think clean, green, organic, non-nitrate, natural foods as best you can. It may sound difficult, if not stifling, but if you set your mind to it, you’ll notice changes within a month.

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December 2018

50plus LIFE ›

This information is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease. For more information about the author, visit SuzyCohen.com

www.50plusLifePA.com

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Patricia Geisinger Patient World-class orthopaedic care, right here in south-central Pennsylvania.

Call for an appointment at (717) 901-8000 or visit geisinger.org/ghs-ortho.

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December 2018

13

Orthopedics & Pain Advances in Treatment for Big Toe Arthritis Provide Pain Relief, Faster Recovery The big toe plays a crucial role in standing, walking, and many other daily activities. It makes it possible for humans to walk and run upright, and it absorbs forces equal to nearly twice a person’s body weight when walking.

With all that the big toe endures, it comes as no surprise that overuse can erode the joint cartilage and cause serious pain and even physical deformities.

Despite the obvious signs, big toe arthritis — which occurs when cartilage in the joints wears down and exposed bones rub against each other — is often overlooked.

Foot and ankle surgeons urge people

to pay attention to these signs early. With more treatment options and recent advancements, foot and ankle surgeons can help patients get back to doing the activities they love sooner.

According to Brett Sachs, D.P.M., a Colorado foot and ankle surgeon and fellow member of American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, big toe arthritis usually develops in adults between the ages of 40 and 60 years and is a progressive deformity that can be caused by regular wear-and-tear and sometimes even mechanical changes due to injury.

Symptoms include stiffness, loss of range of motion, swelling, and sometimes even noticeable cracking.

Individuals with mid- to end-stage arthritis

Cannabidiol and Other Treatments for Pain

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Don’t let your foot pain interrupt your daily activities.

Let us help you get back to your life.

We treat: • Bunions • Heel Pain • Hammertoes • Ankle Pain

• Achilles Tendinitis • Ingrown Nails • Flatfoot • Arthritis

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December 2018

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In the everyday treatment of foot and ankle pain, traditional modalities are used with good success. There is no doubt that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories or steroids—oral, injectable, and topical— can improve a majority of ailments, including tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and osteoarthritis.

The “cortisone injection” is popular because it is effective in reducing inflammation and pain.

These medications are often successfully used in combination with some change in function and with recommendations of physical therapy, shoe styles, and prefabricated or custom orthotics.

However, there is an increasing population looking for other treatments.

In some cases, the patient cannot use any type of anti-inflammatory or steroid because of an allergy, side effect, or interaction with other medications. Others simply have a personal preference for other solutions.

Cumberland Valley Foot and Ankle Specialists offers alternatives for this group of patients too.

Homeopathic medications have been used for many years as injectables, pills, and topical creams to relieve inflammation. There are no known interactions with other medications, making this a very safe alternative. I have found great success with use of Traumeel and Zeel injectables, especially in cases of Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is emerging as a popular treatment alternative. CBD does not contain THC, the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, but reduces pain and inflammation through positively impacting the body’s endocannabinoid receptor activity.

CBD can be used in several forms, including pills, sublingual oil, and topical creams. We are using topical creams and sublingual oils for chronic arthritis and acute tendon injuries.

We look forward to providing treatment options that fit your comfort level. Call us at (717) 761-3161. www.50plusLifePA.com

Orthopedics & Pain tend to experience more severe pain because the cartilage has almost completely eroded, and the bones are actually rubbing together. For these cases, foot and ankle surgeons look to next-step treatments, including advancements in the area of implants.

down cartilage and uses plates and screws to hold the joint in the right position to alleviate pain.

Patients tend to fully recover in approximately six to eight weeks and usually return to all their regular activities, from walking to running marathons.

Joint implant (implant arthroplasty): This method of treatment tends to be utilized by individuals who are active and want to retain as much motion as possible.

Foot and ankle surgeons use a silicone implant that creates space between the bones, allowing for more movement than other alternatives. Patients who undergo implant surgery are usually able to walk and move the joint as early as the next day.

Newer, up-and-coming methods, including the use of synthetics and other types of implant materials, are also low risk and help patients with big toe arthritis return to their normal routine and activities.

For early-stage big toe arthritis, foot and ankle surgeons look first to conservative treatments to decrease pain in the joint, such as prescribing anti-inflammatory medication and increasing arch support with custom shoe inserts.

“The sooner patients see a foot and ankle surgeon, the better options there are to treat them,” said Sachs. “In a majority of the time, we can alleviate the symptoms and possibly slow down the progression of the disease with less invasive procedures.”

According to Suneel Basra, D.P.M., a New Jersey foot and ankle surgeon and fellow member of ACFAS, ultimately, patients should decide on the best treatment for their situation with their foot and ankle surgeon.

“There are standards and many different clinical studies that support each method,” said Basra. “But, there’s more than meets the eye, and depending on lifestyle, age, and other habits, some methods will be better than others.”

For more information on big toe arthritis and the latest treatments, or to find a local foot and ankle surgeon in your area, visit Foot Health Facts (www. foothealthfacts.org), the patient-education website of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Surgical removal (cheilectomy): To help give the toe better movement and relieve pain, foot and ankle surgeons surgically remove damaged cartilage around the joint, along with spurs or overgrowths, which may develop on top of the bone during mid-stage toe arthritis.

Patients are able to fully weight bear immediately after the procedure.

Joint fusion: Also called “arthrodesis,” this procedure removes the worn-

www.50plusLifePA.com

50plus LIFE ›

December 2018

15

Orthopedics & Pain Best Home Remedies for Back-Pain Relief

By Dr. Kaliq Chang With low back pain affecting 8 in 10 Americans at some point in their lives, many people wonder what their options are for treating the occasional back pain flare-up safely and effectively at home.

Fortunately, a wide variety of home-based treatments can ease the ache when your back acts up, according to Kaliq Chang, M.D., interventional pain management specialist with Atlantic Spine Center.

“Whether your back pain is caused by lifting something heavy, from bending the wrong way, or because of an ongoing issue like osteoarthritis, most back pain is mild and occasional,” Chang explains.

“For routine back pain, certain tried-and-true approaches can be done at home when you’re able, offering relief at a time that’s convenient for you.”

Home Treatments for Back Pain What remedies for back pain are accessible at home?

Pain relievers: Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), target not only back pain itself, but also the inflammation often fueling the hurt.

Check with your doctor of pharmacist about any potential drug interactions between these medications and others you may be taking.

Exercise: It may seem counterintuitive, but moving your body — within limits — actually helps ease back pain, Chang says.

“You may not feel like moving if your back aches, but your body will thank you for making the effort,” he says. “Spines are meant to move.”

Even everyday movement, such as taking a walk or making the bed, helps ease sore back muscles, and a light workout is certainly fine as long as you don’t overdo it, he says.

Stretching: Every 20 minutes or so, get up and bend lightly in various directions, carefully stretching out back muscles.

“This gentle stretching helps strains and sprains to recover gradually, keeping muscles limber,” Chang says. “Some people find back-pain relief by maintaining a regular stretching routine.”

Apply cold: Cold compresses or ice is optimal in the first 24-48 hours after a minor injury that results in back pain, Chang says.

“The cold will help dampen inflammation from developing as well as feel good,” he says. Apply cold packs in 20-minute segments.

Apply heat: Warmth (hot water bottle, heating pad) not only feels good on a sore back, but it helps relax muscles.

Heat therapy should only be used on older injuries, not right after a fresh injury, Chang notes. Again, apply in 20-minute periods.

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Physical therapy: While not strictly a home-based treatment, physical therapy often ends up continuing at home.

With a physical therapist’s advice and guidance, back-pain patients become aware of the best exercises to do at home to improve back pain and keep it away, Chang says.

If your back pain doesn’t subside after a week or so of home treatments — or becomes more severe, hurting even when you’re at rest — it’s time to call a doctor, Chang advises.

“Immediate medical attention is necessary if you have weakness or numbness in your legs or ‘saddle area’ of your crotch, or if you have trouble standing or walking,” he adds. “Forget home-based treatments at that point and seek an expert opinion.”

Prevention Starts at Home, Too Since prevention is always the best treatment, avoiding back pain can start at home as well, Chang notes. These measures can stop back pain from developing in the first place: • Watch your weight: Being overweight puts excess strain on the spine and back muscles.

• Quit smoking: Smoking ups the odds of bone problems in the spine and of suffering low back pain.

• Wear low heels: Heels higher than 1 inch can create unstable posture, increasing pressure on the lower spine.

• Pay attention to posture: Many of us slump without noticing, but this can make it harder for your back to support your weight, Chang says. Keep your back erect when walking or sitting, and don’t bend from the waist while lifting heavy objects.

• Ergonomics count: Design your desk and workspace to avoid needing to hunch forward while using your computer or reach for your mouse, Chang advises.

Use a desk chair that’s supportive of the lower back and allows you to keep your feet planted on the floor,” he adds.

• Exercise your core: Our core muscles support the lower back and abdomen, Chang says, and keeping them strong helps combat lower back pain.

“Proper posture and spine alignment is enabled by a strong core,” he says.

“Exercises, such as those in Pilates classes, help firm and tone these key muscles.”

Kaliq Chang, M.D., is an interventional pain management specialist board certified in anesthesiology at Atlantic Spine Center. www.atlanticspinecenter.com

www.50plusLifePA.com

Fresh Fare

Simplify Holiday Entertaining Preparing side dishes can be time consuming.

Save those precious minutes to enjoy the holidays by using refrigerated, never-frozen options like mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, baked apples, and even macaroni and cheese that can be heated in the microwave and ready to serve in minutes.

Fancy Mac Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Serves: 4 • Nonstick cooking spray • 1 package Bob Evans Macaroni and Cheese • 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained • 1 1/4 cups shredded Gouda cheese, divided

Let mixture stand 10-15 minutes to cool. Add eggs. Spoon evenly into ramekins. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake 20 minutes or until centers are set.

Sweet Potato Cookies Prep time: 28-33 minutes Cook time: 10-12 minutes Serves: 36

• 1 package Bob Evans Thick Sliced Hardwood Smoked Bacon, cooked and broken into pieces

• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup Bob Evans Mashed Sweet Potatoes

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 3/4 cup brown sugar • 1 large egg

• 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Heat oven to 400 F. Spray four ramekins with cooking spray.

Heat macaroni and cheese according to package directions. Once cooked, stir in spinach, 1 cup cheese, bacon, salt, and pepper.

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice • 1 cup butter, unsalted • 3 cups powdered sugar • 1/2 teaspoon maple extract

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• Chopped honey roasted pecans (optional) • Mini marshmallows (optional) Heat oven to 350 F. In large bowl, using hand mixer or paddle attachment, cream shortening and brown sugar. Add egg and sweet potatoes; mix until combined.

In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin

pie spice. With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour mixture to egg mixture until well mixed. Using small cookie scoop, drop rounds onto greased baking sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before frosting.

In separate bowl, beat together butter, powdered sugar, and maple extract until frosting is light and fluffy.

Frost each cooled cookie with maple butter cream frosting.

Sprinkle with pecans and mini marshmallows, if desired. Carefully toast marshmallows with culinary torch, if desired, while avoiding melting frosting.

Find more ideas at www. bobevansgrocery.com.

Family Features

Give someone you love the gift that entertains, informs, and inspires, month after month!

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December 2018

17

Soldier Stories

Robert Naeye

Vietnam Veteran Tried to Win Hearts and Minds

Pennsylvania when Burton was about 10, and he graduated from high school in 1964.

Burton joined the ROTC while attending Furman University in South Carolina, graduating in 1968. He decided early on that he wanted to be an Army infantry officer. At that young age, Burton believed the government propaganda that it was urgent for the United States to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia.

Burton trained to become an officer at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, where he earned his airborne jump wings and became a Special Forces officer. He flew to Vietnam in November 1969 to serve as a replacement. But when he arrived, an enlisted clerk told him that Photo credit: Robert Naeye Rich Burton with a display he uses when giving talks about his Vietnam the Army didn’t need any more Special experiences to various groups.

Forces lieutenants.

Looking at Burton’s military records, the clerk noticed that Burton had taken courses in psychology. He said the Marines were looking for psychological operations officers in the Da Nang area and asked Burton if he wanted to go there.

“I said to myself that I’d be dead in two months as an infantry lieutenant, so 50plus LIFE continues to bring important information as well as entertaining if I go with the Marines, maybe I’ll survive,” recalls Burton. articles to the 50+ community. We at On-Line Publishers After being shipped to Da Nang, Burton joined the Army’s 7th Psychological would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Operations Battalion, which was attached to the 1st Marine Division. editorial contributors of 50plus LIFE: During his one-year deployment, this unit went into villages and hamlets during the daytime. With help from a Vietnamese interpreter, they made Tom Blake (On Life and Love after 50) Melinda Myers (Melinda’s Garden) broadcasts, dropped leaflets, and assisted Marines in treating locals for various ailments. At night they showed movies.

Robert Naeye (Soldier Stories) Suzy Cohen (Dear Pharmacist) “I was out with the locals because my job was to win their hearts and Victor Parachin (Fragments of History, Grief Relief) Andrea Gross (Traveltizers) minds,” says Burton.

Saralee Perel (Such is Life) Randal C. Hill (Fifties Flashback, Winning hearts and minds also meant playing soccer. Burton recalls four

Like many Vietnam War veterans, Rich Burton feels he was victimized by government lies.

Those lies started with the war itself and continue to this day, Burton says, where every effort is made to deny our nation’s wounded warriors desperately needed healthcare.

Burton has responded by helping local veterans get the benefits they earned and by helping to form the Central Pennsylvania Vietnam Round Table.

Burton was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia, in 1946. His father served in the Navy during World War II, but he never talked about his experiences as Burton was growing up.

The family moved to Central

Thank You, Columnists!

It Was 50 Years Ago Today)

Mark Pilarski (Deal Me In)

John Johnston (Social Security News)

Sy Rosen (Older But Not Wiser)

Bill Levine (Booming Voice)

Terri Schlichenmeyer (The Bookworm Sez)

Clyde McMillan-Gamber (The Beauty in Nature) Nick Thomas (Tinseltown Talks) Jim Miller (The Savvy Senior)

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.

18

December 2018

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compensate Vietnam vets for their physical and mental wounds. In particular, it continues to deny payments to veterans exposed to Agent Orange, a defoliant widely used by the U.S. military during the war that causes many forms of cancer and other diseases.

“It’s all about the money. If the VA would pay every Vietnam veteran, the VA wouldn’t have any money left in its budget,” says Burton, who is active with the Vietnam Veterans of America.

Burton says the VA hopes that veterans who are denied claims will give up.

Instead, he encourages veterans to consult an attorney or a veteran’s service officer. Vets who appeal over and over sometimes receive compensation.

Burton worked 27 years for Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare, Labor and Industry, retiring in 2005. He and his wife, Evelyn, have two sons and three grandchildren.

Burton wrote many letters to his parents from Vietnam, but he didn’t read them until long after the war, when Evelyn encouraged him.

“I blocked out 90 percent of whatever I did in Vietnam. I didn’t remember because I didn’t want to remember,” he says.

Burton and several veterans founded the Central Pennsylvania Vietnam Round Table in January 2013.

This nonprofit is the only known Vietnam-specific oral history group in the country. Vietnam veterans share their stories every month at free meetings.

It also serves as a safe haven for Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The round table has also donated $7,000 to local veterans’ organizations.

The meetings are held every second Thursday of the month at 8000 Derry St., Harrisburg.

For more information about the Central Pennsylvania Vietnam Round Table, visit http://centralpavietnamroundtable.com.

Robert Naeye is a freelance journalist living in Derry Township. He is the former editor-in-chief of Sky & Telescope magazine.

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games between Americans and barefooted Vietnamese, with each side winning twice. But before the games could begin, Marines would have to clear the field of possible landmines.

Burton never had to fire his weapon. Marines protected his unit, and the enemy didn’t think it was prudent to attack while movies were being shown.

But Burton had the uneasy feeling that North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers were sitting in the audience.

Even if the locals felt sympathy for the Americans, enemy guerillas would return at night to terrorize or murder any civilians who cooperated too closely with the foreigners. But on occasion, the locals would surrender weapons and ammunition to Burton’s unit that would have otherwise been used to kill Marines.

Burton points to a vast gulf between what the U.S. government was saying about the war and what he was seeing on the ground.

It was obvious to Burton that the U.S. was not winning. No matter how many enemy combatants were killed, they could always replenish their numbers while the American public was growing war weary.

“When I went over to Vietnam, I believed all the lies the government said that we’re winning the war, and we just need a few more troops to come in to pacify the country. But when I was there on the ground, it didn’t take very long to figure out that it was all a lie,” he says, with a tone of bitterness.

He came to believe many years later that the U.S. never should have been in Vietnam. According to Burton, it was a civil war between the Vietnamese, and that “58,000 American men and women died for no reason, and hundreds of thousands were screwed up mentally and physically.”

Burton is still angry at Johnson, Nixon, and Kissinger for prolonging the war for political purposes, even though they knew it was unwinnable.

“None of it happened the way the government said it did,” he says. “I know it’s shocking to some people that the government lies, but Vietnam was never a place we had to go.”

According to Burton, the Veterans Administration (VA) still doesn’t want to

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December 2018

19

Savvy Senior

What You’ll Pay for Medicare in 2019 Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior, I know there will be a small 2.8 percent cost-of-living increase in Social Security benefits next year, but what about Medicare? What will our Medicare Part B monthly premiums and other Medicare costs be in 2019?

– Curious Jim Dear Jim, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced their cost adjustments for 2019, and you’ll be happy to know that the standard Medicare Part B monthly premium for most beneficiaries starting in January will be $135.50, a modest increase of just $1.50 per month over 2018’s standard premium.

There are, however, a small group of Medicare beneficiaries (about 2 million people) who will actually pay less than $135.50 because the 2.8 percent cost-ofliving increase in their Social Security checks will not be large enough to cover the full premium increase.

Thanks to the Social Security Act’s “hold harmless” provision, Medicare cannot pass along premium increases greater than the dollar increase in their Social Security checks.

In addition, there is also a small group of high-income beneficiaries (about 3 million people) who will pay higher Part B premiums because their income is above $85,000 as a single person or $170,000 as a married couple filing jointly.

Medicare uses modified adjusted gross income from your tax return from two years ago to determine your premiums, which means that 2019 Part B premiums are determined by 2017 income.

So, if your income was $85,001 to $107,000 (or $170,001 to $214,000 if filing jointly), your monthly premium will increase from $187.50 to $189.60.

Monthly premiums for singles with an income of $107,001 to $133,500

(joint filers with income of $214,001 to $267,000) will rise from $267.90 to $270.90.

And premiums for singles earning $133,501 to $160,000 ($267,001 to $320,000 for joint filers) will increase from $348.30 to $352.20.

If you had higher income than that, your monthly premium for 2018 was $428.60. In 2019, there will be an extra surcharge tier for people with the highest income.

If your income is between $160,001 and $499,999 ($320,001 to $749,999 for joint filers), you’ll pay $433.40 per month. Single filers with income of $500,000 or more ($750,000 or more for joint filers) will pay $460.50 per month.

If you fall into any of these high-income categories and you’ve experienced certain life-changing events that have reduced your income since 2017 — such as retirement, divorce, or the death of a spouse — you can contest the surcharge.

For more information about contesting or reducing the high-income surcharge, see Medicare Premiums: Rules for HigherIncome Beneficiaries at www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10536.pdf.

In addition to the Part B premium increases, the annual deductible for Medicare Part B, which covers physician services and other outpatient services, will see a mild bump from $183 to $185 in 2019.

The deductible for Medicare Part A, which covers hospital services, will increase from $1,340 in 2018 to $1,364 in 2019.

For more information on all the Medicare costs for 2019, visit www. medicare.gov and click on “Find out how much Medicare costs in 2019,” or call (800) 633-4227.

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

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Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori

The Market for Christmas Collectibles Lori Verderame

Many of us will be displaying our collection of Christmas collectibles — both old and new — this holiday season.

Personally, I am going to display a new holiday collectible, this Byers Choice Ltd. caroler in my likeness, which I expect will become a cherished holiday collectible for my family as time goes by.

I have many of these popular, handmade caroler figures made near my home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Annually, they make their way onto windowsills, shelves, and holiday tables as seasonal decorations.

While this is the time to revisit Christmas collectibles, it is also the best time to sell off these items.

The values for your Christmas collectibles are high right now, and if you are a seller, you can help drive up the market prices by offering objects for sale that are seasonally themed for Christmas and in good shape.

Here are some of the popular holiday antiques and collectibles.

featuring a pharmacy, opera house, bank, and post office, which sold for $16,500 recently.

That’s big money for some little cardboard houses.

Toys & Games Major board game companies, such as Milton Bradley, introduced games featuring Santa, including the seasonal favorite, The Santa Claus Game. Today, this holiday game in excellent condition is worth more at Christmastime.

When you decorate or display antique treasures during the holiday season, remember to consider pets, direct sunlight, warm fireplace hearths, and new traffic patterns made by hosting guests in your home so you retain those cherished objects in good condition for years to come.

Happy holidays.

Dr. Lori Byers Choice Caroler

by Byers Choice Ltd.

Ornaments Antique ornaments, produced from circa 1880 to 1940, are highly collectible.

Since some of the most beautiful and handmade ornaments were made in that period of hand-blown glass, these ornaments are very difficult to find.

So, if you discover one entangled in the garland, hold onto it. One antique ornament may be valued at $100 or more at Christmastime.

Starting your own holiday ornament collection will cost you a pretty penny.

Some of the most popular ornaments are those made after World War II and represent everything from astronauts to zebras.

While seasoned collectors are looking for kugels and other glass-blown figural ornaments from Germany, new collectors are especially interested in vintage pieces made in America in the 1940s to the 1970s.

Dr. Lori Verderame is an author, internationally syndicated columnist, Ph.D. antiques appraiser, and award-winning artifacts expert on the History channel’s The Curse of Oak Island. Dr. Lori appraises objects at her nationwide events (www.drloriv.com/events) and on her YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/drloriv).

Holiday Villages Famous miniature holiday village “architectural firms,” such as the McLoughlin Brothers and Built-Rite Toys firms, sold miniature holiday town-and-village displays in the early 1900s. A Sears & Roebuck miniature Christmas village would have cost only 69 cents in the mid-1930s.

After World War II, Bachmann Brothers introduced the Plasticville line of miniature buildings to accompany model train setups.

These miniature Christmas villages command high prices today at auction and online, such as the Bliss Company village of lithographed cardboard

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December 2018

21

Cumberland County

Calendar of Events

Support Groups Free and open to the public

Senior Center Activities

Sundays, 7:15 p.m.

Outreach Al-Anon Family Group Meeting Chapel Hill United Church of Christ 701 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill (717) 448-7881 Other meeting times/locations at www.pa-al-anon.org

Big Spring Senior Center – (717) 776-4478 91 Doubling Gap Road, Suite 1, Newville Wednesdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. – Yoga Dec. 12, noon – Hypertension and Nutrition with Barbara Goll Dec. 26, 9:30 a.m. – MindMatters: Flying the Big Jets

Mondays, 7 p.m.

Hope on Simpson Al-Anon Family Group Meeting First United Methodist Church 135 W. Simpson St., Mechanicsburg (717) 448-7881 Other meeting times/locations at www.pa-al-anon.org Tuesdays, noon Anchor Al-Anon Family Group Meeting The Harbor 55 W. King St., Shippensburg (717) 448-7881 Other meeting times/locations at www.pa-al-anon.org Dec. 3, 4-5 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group Messiah Lifeways Meetinghouse 1155 Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle (717) 243-0447 Dec. 4, 6 p.m.

CanSurmount Cancer Support Group HealthSouth Acute Rehab Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 691-6786 Dec. 4, 6-7 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Support Group Senior Helpers 3806 Market St., Suite 3, Camp Hill (717) 920-0707 Dec. 5, 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. 5, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group Cumberland County Office of Aging 1100 Claremont Road, Carlisle (717) 240-6110

Dec. 6, 5:30-7 p.m.

Better Breathers Chronic Lung Disease Support Group Ortenzio Heart Clinic at Geisinger Holy Spirit 503 N. 21st St., Camp Hill (717) 763-2775 Dec. 6, 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. 10, 1:30-3 p.m.

Caregivers Support Group St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church 310 Hertzler Road, Upper Allen Township (717) 766-8806 Dec. 10, 6 p.m.

A Touch of Sugar: Diabetes Support Group Wegmans 6416 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg (717) 763-2466 https://events.geisinger.org Dec. 11, 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 Dec. 12, 1:30 p.m.

Parkinson’s Support Group Bethany Village West – Springfield Room 325 Asbury Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 877-0624 Dec. 20, 1 p.m.

Caregiver Support Group Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren 501 Gale St., Mechanicsburg (717) 766-8880 Dec. 18, 6:30 p.m.

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregivers Support Group Cumberland Crossings 1 Longsdorf Way, Carlisle (717) 243-0113

Free and open to the public

Dec. 12, 11:30 a.m.

NARFE West Shore Chapter 1465 VFW Post 7530

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December 2018

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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 Mechanicsburg Place – (717) 697-5947 97 W. Portland St., Mechanicsburg West Shore Senior Citizens Center (717) 774-0409 122 Geary St., New Cumberland Submit senior center events to mjoyce@onlinepub.com.

Library Programs Bosler Memorial Library, 158 W. High St., Carlisle, (717) 243-4642 Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. – U pstairs Stitchers, Downstairs Dec. 19, 6 p.m. – Author Talk: Long Walk Home by Don Helin Dec. 21, 7-8 p.m. – Music at Bosler: Vintage Brass – Holiday Favorites Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, (717) 761-3900 Dec. 10, 7 p.m. – Harp and Handbells Holiday Concert Dec. 14, 2 and 7 p.m. – Foreign Film Friday: Bye Bye Germany Dec. 20, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Blood Pressure Screenings East Pennsboro Branch Library, 98 S. Enola Drive, Enola, (717) 732-4274 John Graham Public Library, 9 Parsonage St., Newville, (717) 776-5900

Community Programs

Mondays and Wednesdays, noon SilverSneakers Exercise Class Susquehanna View Apartments Community Room 208 Senate Ave., Camp Hill (717) 439-4070 jesseswoyer.com@gmail.com

Branch Creek Place – (717) 300-3563 115 N. Fayette St., Shippensburg

4545 Westport Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 774-4031 www.narfe1465.org Visitors welcome; meeting is free but fee for food.

Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m.

New Cumberland Town Band Performance Trinity United Methodist Church 415 Bridge St., New Cumberland www.nctownband.org

Joseph T. Simpson Public Library, 16 N. Walnut St., Mechanicsburg, (717) 766-0171 New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland, (717) 774-7820 Dec. 6, 10:15 a .m. to noon – Ruth’s Mystery Discussion Group: Christmas Mysteries Dec. 8, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Write-On Writers Workshop Dec. 11, 10: 30-11:30 a.m. – Holiday Luncheon with Songs from the Great American Songbook

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Puzzle Page

CROSSWORD

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 24 SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

What Kind of Soup is That?

Across 1. Rich cake 6. Paroxysm 11. Criminal charge 14. Little green man 15. Small part 16. Hot temper 17. Euripides drama 18. Wonderland girl 19. Celestial altar 20. Dupin’s creator 21. Instant 23. Top banana 24. Part of HRH 25. Threshold

27. Lay eyes on 30. Future fish 31. Allege as fact 32. Gouda alternative 36. Cadences 40. Knights’ titles 41. Functions 43. Links pitfall 44. Church officer 46. Canvas cover 47. Snowman prop 48. Floor cleaner 50. Staggered 52. Summer camp activity

56. Detergent brand 57. Owl’s hangout 58. Jalousie part 60. Bunk 63. Needle 64. Conclude 65. French romance 67. Israeli weapon 68. Tobacco kilns 69. Like Eric the Red 70. Hanoi holiday 71. French seaport 72. La vita nuova poet

Down 1. Pack down 2. Toast topper 3. Hitchhiker’s quest 4. Golf ball prop or shirt type 5. Nail polish 6. Con game 7. Went white 8. Kind of acid 9. Pie chart part 10. Former Olympic skiing gold medalist 11. Cowboy’s rope 12. Impressive display 13. Nectar flavor

22. Words to a waitress 23. Flowering vine 24. Equestrian 26. Swindle 27. Pedestal 28. Bad to the bone 29. Rancher’s concern 33. Morse E 34. Menu words 35. Boulogne-sur-___ 37. Husk 38. Measurer 39. Hightailed it 42. Bender 45. Decay

49. Means of support 51. Gofer’s job 52. Gaming table cover 53. Comet’s path 54. Hangman’s rope 55. Blasts of air 57. Champagne designation 59. Sleeveless garment 60. Succotash ingredient 61. Dethrone 62. Arborist’s concern 64. Male swan 66. Bygone bird

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December 2018

23

Tech Talk

Emails: Fake or the Real Deal?

Mark Rinaudo

Question: I receive lots of emails on a daily basis, and some emails look like they are from legitimate companies but seem too good to be true. How do I know they’re really from that company?

Most browsers and email clients will display the real web address of that link toward the bottom of the page. The link in the email hides the actual address until you hover your mouse over it, and then it will display the address at the bottom.

The email pictured here is from FedEx, and the link’s address shows that it’s from www. fedex.com. This is a good sign that the email is legitimate.

Some links in the email could be valid, however, while others are not. It’s always a good idea to investigate links this way before clicking on them to make sure they are taking you somewhere you want to go.

The other image is an example of an email claiming to be from Target. If you hover your mouse over the link that they are eager for you to click for your $50 reward card, you’ll see you’re not going to target.com but to vhjzwv.tk, which is in Tokyo.

This should send a red flag up in your mind, and you would be better off deleting this email.

Another telling sign is the email address of the sender of the email. If the address of the sender doesn’t end with @target.com or something containing target.com, then it’s probably not from Target. This email is from someone in .tk — not from Target.

Use the clues to determine if the email is real or a fake.

Puzzles shown on page 23

Puzzle Solutions

All companies today utilize email as part of their marketing campaign. Sometimes companies send emails out providing notices about policy changes regarding your account with them. Most companies will not send emails requesting information.

If you do receive an email requesting information or stating that you need to click a link in the email to take you to their website, then you’re probably dealing with a phishing scam email.

Phishing emails are generated by robots the same way spam is generated and spread throughout the internet. These emails are fishing for information.

Move the mouse so that the cursor hovers over Most of the time they lead you to a website the link and look at the bottom left of your screen. that looks legitimate, but when you enter your This link goes to vhjzwv.tk, not target.com login and password, it doesn’t seem to know who you are.

This malicious activity is a way for your account information to be gathered and sold for money, or worse: to use your information to log in to your real account and progress the phishing game to a whole new level. The end goal is always money.

If you receive an email and you’re not sure it’s really from the legitimate company, there are things to check to determine its legitimacy.

Mark Rinaudo has been working in IT in Shreveport, La., for more than 20 If you receive an email with a link requesting that you log in to your account years. He is the owner and operator of Preferred Data Solutions. Email mark@ to review some activity, then move your mouse so that the cursor hovers over preferreddatasolutions.com to submit a question for this column. the link in the email without clicking on it.

24

December 2018

50plus LIFE ›

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Older But Not Wiser

Do You Want to Live Forever?

Sy Rosen

OK, I admit it: I read the obit section every morning. I want to see who I’m doing better than.

And, more important, I want to make sure I’m not in it.

The obits also do a good job describing and recounting the lives of the recently departed. I know this is going to sound strange, but it gives me a chance to know these people, who I never met in life, and say goodbye. Yeah, I’m getting a little weird, but don’t worry: It gets worse.

A week ago I turned to the obits and there was nobody listed. Nobody in the city had died. This was amazing. I had never seen this before. Oh my gosh, I hoped this was a trend.

It reminded me of that old movie, On Borrowed Time. Gramps, played by Lionel Barrymore, traps Death (Mr. Brink) in an apple tree, and nobody will die unless they touch the tree or Mr. Brink. However, Gramps eventually sets Death free.

The whole thing got me thinking. First off, what was the matter Gramps? Of course don’t let Death go — keep him in that tree. The fresh air will do him good.

My second thought was that maybe Gramps knew what he was doing.

Maybe there are both pros and cons to living forever. Anyway, here’s what I came up with: • If everyone lived forever, the world would become overpopulated. People would be squeezed together, living on top of each other. OK, I know that’s bad, but with all that close contact, my cousin Sarah will finally meet a man good enough for her.

• As I get older and older, my turkey neck will have a turkey neck, my brown spots will have brown spots, my hair will disappear, and my body will sag and stoop. On a positive note, my eyesight will also be going, so I won’t notice these things.

• You will have to be 65,000 years old to get Social Security — which I think would make some politicians very happy.

• On the positive side, I will finally be able to get tickets for Hamilton.

• My bellbottoms, tinted glasses, and Nehru jacket will finally be back in style. On the negative side, my bellbottoms, tinted glasses, and Nehru jacket will be back in style.

• I will have to listen to 12,000 more Meryl Streep Oscar acceptance speeches.

• On the negative side, I will have to go to thousands of family gatherings and will have to come up with thousands of excuses as to why I can’t lend my cousin Murray any more money.

• I may finally finish Moby Dick and Ulysses. I’m not sure if that’s a pro or a con.

• By the time I’m a thousand years old, I will probably be going to the bathroom 400 times a night.

• I will have great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren and great-greatgreat-grandchildren, which, of course, is fantastic but will also mean that I will be reading a lot of My Little Pony books.

After considering all the pros and cons of living forever, the thought occurs to me that maybe there’s a point in your life when it’s time to leave this earth.

You’ve seen enough. You’ve done enough.

Maybe there’s something else beyond this life, something joyful and peaceful, and it’s better to move on.

Nah, I’d still choose to live forever.

Sy Rosen has written for many TV shows, including The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, M.A.S.H., Maude, The Jeffersons, Rhoda, Frasier, Northern Exposure, and The Wonder Years. He now spends much of his time telling jokes to his grandkids and trying to convince his wife that he’s funny.

Are You Reading?

Join the 2019 One Book, One Community campaign by reading Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann.

40 libraries in Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, York, and surrounding counties and their community partners present the regional reading campaign.

Read the book in January and attend free library programs and discussions throughout February and early spring!

Credit: Readers.com

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Photo credit: Michael Lionstar

Visit www.oboc.org or your library to learn more

December 2018

25

Helping You Generate Leads! $100 OFF

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From left, Diana Deeley, Michelle Dailey, Mike Donmoyer, Brenda Light, and Mark Sheely with food donations headed to Bethesda Mission.

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December 2018

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The Inclusive FLEX Exercise Class, located at Susquehanna View Apartments in Camp Hill, recently completed its third and final outreach drive for 2018.

Bethesda Mission was the recipient of the more than 30 boxes of Thanksgiving food items that were collected from September through October.

Drug Coverage Expansion Would Cover 17,000 More Seniors In late October, legislation to expand eligibility for the state’s PACENET prescription drug coverage program passed the House and Senate and is now awaiting the governor’s consideration.

House Bill 270 would increase the income eligibility guidelines for the PACENET program, extending prescription drug coverage to more than 17,000 older Pennsylvanians.

The PACE and PACENET programs provide low-cost prescription drugs to Pennsylvania seniors age 65 and older. Both programs are funded from proceeds of the Pennsylvania Lottery.

House Bill 270 would increase

the annual maximum income limits in the PACENET program to $27,500 for a single person and to $35,500 for a married couple.

Current maximum income requirements for the PACENET program, which covers those individuals with incomes exceeding PACE maximums, are $23,500 for a single individual and $31,500 for a married couple annually.

This would be the first increase in the program since 2004.

Additionally, the bill would allow two new pharmacy-based programs to be developed under the PACE program to assist seniors in monitoring their prescription drug usage. www.50plusLifePA.com

The Beauty in Nature

Beavers and Porcupines Clyde McMillan-Gamber

Beavers and porcupines have and certain maples — with their strong much in common. These interesting teeth. They eat the twigs, buds, and species are large rodents that live in bark from those trees and use the logs Pennsylvania’s forests, as well as in and branches to make dams and lodges. woods across much of North America.

Dams back up streams and form Both have large, orange teeth they ponds. Beavers build secure homes use to consume tree bark, twigs, and of logs and limbs in the ponds, with other tough vegetation. Both are underwater entrances to their homes. fairly common in There, each pair woodlands these lives and raises days. young.

And, as with Porcupines all rodents, grow to be 3 feet their teeth grow long and up to throughout their 20 pounds. They lives, which is are solitary, except essential because when mating or of the wear those raising a single Beaver teeth sustain while young each year. gnawing bark and Each porky dens twigs. in a tree cavity But beavers or a hole in the and porcupines ground. have differences, Porcupines are too, which make famous for their them distinct white-tipped, species. Beavers black quills that live at ponds are modified hairs they create on used to protect Porcupine woodland streams these creatures. by damming those The tip of each waterways. quill is barbed, which allows it to be Porkies mostly dwell in tall trees better imbedded in an attacker. in the woods. These different niches When threatened, each porcupine reduce competition for living space and turns its back to the aggressor, lowers food between these woodland rodents. its head, raises the quills on its body Beavers have luxurious, dark-brown and tail, and swings its tail from side fur and weigh up to 50 pounds. Each to side. Few critters try to get through beaver has a 10-inch-long, 6-inch-wide, that defense! flattened, hairless tail that is covered Porcupines are also famous for their with scales. craving of salt and other minerals. They It uses its tail for steering while consume shed deer antlers for calcium swimming with its back legs, storing and other minerals. And they chew on fat, patting down mud on log-and-twig axe handles and other wooden tools left dams and lodges, and slapping water in the woods because of the salt on the surfaces to warn of danger. wood from sweaty human hands.

And its nostrils, eyes, and ears are Beavers and porcupines are big, set near the top of its head so it can interesting rodents that are part of breathe while smelling, watching, and many woods in Pennsylvania. Though listening for danger while the rest of its related, they follow different lifestyles; body is out of sight under water. this allows them to live in the same Beavers chew down young, soft trees forests with little competition for — including aspens, birches, willows, shelter and food. www.50plusLifePA.com

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50plus LIFE ›

December 2018

27

This is care for generations.

Our goal is keeping the people of our communities healthy so they can live the way they want. This is why we’re continuing to innovate, and to expand and invest in the areas we serve, the conditions we treat, and the people we care for.

This is Penn State Health.

HEA-14040-19-102322-1018