50plus LIFE - September 2020

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Complimentary | September 2020

Tour of Deepest Duty page 4

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Financial Help for Retirees during COVID-19 page 9

Sixties Flashback: The Summer of Love page 14

Employers • Products • Services

Sept. 15–30

Sept. 17–20

NOrTHErN LANCASTEr COUNTy

Oct. 1–4

OLPevents.com Safe and fun from the comfort of your home!

Entertainment • Demos • Contests • Prizes

Please join us online virtually!

Fun feature of the virtual 50plus EXPOs!

Writing Challenge Showcase Everyone has a story tell, and we want to hear from you!

Send us up to 300 words of your original work. Your entry can be a poem, essay, or narrative format.

You may want to let us know about the biggest challenge you had to navigate through. How did you come through that time and did it change the course of your life?

Or do you like the rhythm of words? Then a poem would be your forte.

We are excited to be able to offer this special feature as part of the online virtual 50plus EXPOs this fall.

Prizes w All entries will be shown online for the general public to vote for their favorite.

be awar ill ded!

ELIGIBILITY: • A ll competitors must have reached their 50th birthday on or before Sept. 1, 2020.

• Competition is limited to nonprofessional writers.

• Writers must be a resident of Pennsylvania.

RULES AND REQUIREMENTS: • Entries cannot be longer than 300 words.

• Subject matter inappropriate to a family-style audience will disqualify the entry.

• Plagiarizing is not permitted and entries must be your original work.

• Photo of contestant/s is required with entry.

• Entries will be posted for viewing beginning in September.

• Entries to be posted for the competition must be received no later than Thursday, Oct. 15.

• Please go to www.50plusEXPOpa.com/writingshowcase to submit your writing.

If you would like to mail your submission, see page 32 for Entry Form.

Celebrating 25 years of serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50+ community

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50plusEXPOpa.com/writingshowcase

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Talent

Showcase

Do you dance, sing, play an instrument, perform magic, tell jokes?

OLP Events invites the community to share their talents! There are oodles of boomers and seniors with talent, and we want to see it!

This year during the virtual 50plus EXPO season, we will be showcasing your creative side!

This is a chance for your 3 minutes in the spotlight. Just get out those smartphones or tablets and ask someone to record your talent.

Join us for this fun, motivational experience for today’s active adults. Show the community how much life there is after 50!

ELIGIBILITY:

RULES AND REQUIREMENTS:

• All performers must have reached their 50th birthday on or before Sept. 1, 2020.

• Must be a resident of Pennsylvania.

We can’t wait to share your talent!

50plusEXPOpa.com/talentshowcase

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September 2020

• A 3-minute act limit will be strictly enforced. Record your talent in either a 3-minute clip or edit it down to 3 minutes.

• Lyrics or subject matter inappropriate to a family-style audience will disqualify the entry.

• Lip synching is prohibited.

• Videos must be filmed on a cell phone or tablet and emailed to talent@50plusEXPOPA.com. Please email the video directly from the device you used to record your talent or send us your YouTube link.

• Photo and brief bio of performer/s are required with entry.

• Entries must be received no later than Thursday, Oct. 15.

Celebrating 25 years of serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50+ community 50plus LIFE

www.50plusLifePA.com

Grief Relief

Victor M. Parachin

Dr. Phil’s 9 Tips for Overcoming Grief and Loss

You are your own most important resource for making your life work. Life rewards action. Until your knowledge, awareness, insights, and understandings are translated into action, they are of no value.

– Dr. Phil McGraw

have a family discussion about death, but it is a necessity. Be sure to have the talk with other family members when it is a calm time.

Prepare financially for your exit from this world, and prepare your children for life when you’re gone.

For example, you can make videos for your kids, sharing your advice about life and what your hopes and dreams are for them.

In his book, Real Life: Preparing for the 7 Most Challenging Days of Your Life, Dr. Phil offers these nine tips for getting through a difficult time, including a time of bereavement.

9. Celebrate life. It’s a tragic injustice if all you do is focus on the day you lost your loved one or their illness, accident, or death. Not only is it painful, but it also doesn’t help you heal or move on.

You can and need to mourn their passing, but don’t do that to the exclusion of celebrating their life.

1. Be patient with yourself. Give yourself time to accept what has happened. Regardless of the specific loss you are going through, expect that the day will come that you will begin to see hope again.

You can survive. You do have the strength to get through this.

2. Adjust your expectations. Experiencing death, divorce, or other loss that makes you feel rejected and alone isn’t a life sentence of grief. You will emerge. But don’t put generic expectations on yourself, and don’t let others do so either.

3. Accept what you cannot change. One of the most frequent struggles you may face when you lose someone is a sense of being out of control because you are not able to control when someone leaves you.

There is a point in this process where you can and must choose to take a stand for how you are going to react to this hard hit. You must actively, consciously choose to focus on what you can change, and accept what you can’t change.

4. Find strength in others. Although it may feel like you’re all alone in your experience, try talking to someone who has experienced a similar loss or someone whose presence is a source of comfort.

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

THE TONY® AWARD-WINNING BROADWAY MUSICAL

SEPTEMBER 17- NOVEMBER 7

5. Don’t get stuck. It’s easy to get stuck in this negative experience. Do what you need to do to help you get unstuck. This can be different for everyone. You may find help in taking up a new hobby, getting counseling, or talking to your doctor about treatment options.

6. Live wisely. There’s wisdom in that old saying about living every day as though it were your last. Nurture the relationships with the ones you love.

You have to see time as a currency that you need to spend now instead of waiting for a day that may never come. You are not here forever, and neither is anybody you love.

7. Create value from this experience. Take the time to ask yourself what you’ve learned from going through this experience. There is value in all experiences; it just may take a closer look or a little time to see what it is.

8. Think about how you will prepare for your own death. It is hard to www.50plusLifePA.com

50plus LIFE

Inspired by the true story of the recording session where the stars were together for one night only. You’ll hear Blue Suede Shoes, Great Balls of Fire, I Walk The Line, Hound Dog, and more.

Lancaster, PA 17601

ORDER TODAY 717-898-1900 or order online at DutchApple.com

Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

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Cover Story

Tour of Deepest Duty 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 Email address: info@onlinepub.com Website address: www.onlinepub.com

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Donna K. Anderson

EDITORIAL

Vice President and Managing Editor Christianne Rupp Editor, 50plus Publications Megan Joyce

ART DEPARTMENT Project Coordinator Connie Molitor Production Artists Renee McWilliams Lauren Phillips

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Senior Marketing Consultant Joshua Binkley Marketing Consultants Brittney Bonagura Cassidy Galeone Events Manager Kimberly Shaffer

ADMINISTRATION Business Manager Elizabeth Duvall

Member of

Awards

50plus LIFE is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc. and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirement communities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets serving the senior community.

On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature.

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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September 2020

50plus LIFE

By Megan Joyce Targets of all types Medal; the Combat Medic know Bill Kohler has good Badge; and various others. aim.

While serving stateside, After a notable career Kohler received the in the military — not Pennsylvania Meritorious to mention running his Service Medal after he own personal security and and a fellow soldier helped private investigation firm rescue a woman whose car — Kohler now directs had flipped over into a the formidable force of ditch during a snowstorm his intent toward his life’s on the Pennsylvania most imperative mission: Turnpike. advocating for increased But after leaving the funding for childhood military in 2006, the cancer research after the cumulative toll his intense loss of his youngest son military service had taken three years ago to a rare on his body became pediatric brain cancer. apparent, and Kohler Ayden, left, with Bill Kohler.

Kohler, a York native, began physical and speech joined the Army soon after therapy.

September is Childhood Cancer his high school graduation “I had a bleed on my in 1987, serving until 1991. right frontal lobe, 10 Awareness Month From 1991-2003, he ran fractured teeth, a fracture his private investigation in my spine, I had taken and personal security firm, drawing on his military shrapnel through my right calf — everything background and serving clients that included Larry happened on the right side,” he said. “And I was King, Dick Vitale, Bonnie Blair, Dennis Byrd, the getting frustrated because I couldn’t remember Estee Lauder family, and Whitney Houston. things.”

“I always say Whitney’s the one who got me back His injuries left him with a 70% disability to the war,” Kohler said. “She was doing an HBO rating, and the Veterans Administration offered special in D.C., and she was coming down offstage to pay Kohler to continue his education. Already and collapsed.” using his medical skills as a technician in a hospital After carrying Houston to her dressing room, emergency department, Kohler decided to pursue a Kohler realized the benefit of adding medical nursing degree. trauma training to his skill set.

But he sidelined those studies in 2010 to run for He reenlisted with the Army in 2000 as part of state representative; in 2011 he transferred schools st th the 1 Squadron, 167 Cavalry out of Nebraska, and changed his major to human development and where he took a Special Forces course in medical family studies. training and worked as part of the security detail at “I was always trying to challenge myself all my Fort Myer Army Base in Arlington, Virginia, for the life, trying to do things,” Kohler said. “I rock climb, chiefs of staff and their families.

I mountain bike, I’m a master scuba diver, I fenced, In 2005, Kohler was deployed to Ramadi, Iraq, I taught myself to play the piano. as part of the Global War on Terrorism. He was “I’ve got this thirst for knowledge. I was like a part of the Quick Response Force, which required sponge and wanted to learn different things and a 10-minute mission-response time that had Kohler experience different things.” always armed, sleeping in his boots, and nearIn addition to serving with multiple local constantly on the go and ready to head into highly veterans organizations, Kohler also became involved dangerous circumstances. with Casa Corazon, a medical mission project in During his tenure in the Army, Kohler was Honduras where he could put his extensive medical awarded the Purple Heart; Marine, Army, Navy, training to use. and Airforce Commendation medals; the Global In 2007, his youngest son, Ayden, had been War on Terrorism Medal; the Iraq War Campaign born, which had motivated Kohler to address the www.50plusLifePA.com

drinking problem he had developed while With a dual mission, the foundation spreads struggling to readjust to civilian life. awareness of DIPG and all pediatric cancers and “One day I put the bottle down, and it serves as a financial resource for Pennsylvania was like my world changed — it was like that families struggling to pay bills in the wake of a positive thought changed everything, and that’s pediatric cancer diagnosis. what made it so hard losing him,” Kohler said.

Along with personal donations, “I would always say to him, ‘Whose life did 4AydenStrong’s funding is generated by two you save?’ and he’d say, ‘Yours, Dad,’ and then annual fundraising events, a dance and a I’d say, ‘You’re right, buddy.’ And I couldn’t do sporting clay shoot, both of which were canceled anything to save his.” this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ayden’s mysterious symptoms first appeared After Ayden passed, Kohler began traveling at age 9 while Kohler was coaching his son and the country to speak at hospitals and other The memorial display for Ayden in Kohler’s his teammates at their football practice. forums to advocate for pediatric cancer research home includes photos, keepsakes, a collage, “He was very competitive, so he was always funding. Kohler also began collecting a jarful and a Father’s Day card from Ayden. running, trying to be in front of the pack,” of soil from the home of each child with DIPG Kohler recalled. that he visited.

On the first lap of a run, Ayden started falling He initially thought he would place the down. piles of dirt on Ayden’s grave, but instead he “The third time he fell down, I said, ‘Stay decorated the jars with stickers representing the down,’ and he’s like, ‘Dad, I’m dizzy.’” interests of each afflicted child — butterflies, Eventually, neurological imaging showed a baseballs, etc. — as well as their names and tumor in an area of the brainstem called the locations. pons, which regulates many of the body’s vital The jars, which now fill a backpack, travel functions. The diagnosis was diffuse intrinsic with Kohler to medical centers, board meetings, pontine glioma, or DIPG, an aggressive and congressional hearings. He has been an pediatric cancer with a 0% survival rate. active presence in all levels of government Kohler’s college studies — and his entire over the last few years, speaking directly with world — stopped to care for Ayden.

Symptoms of DIPG include trouble with From left, Bill Kohler, Ayden, and WWE wrestler please see Deepest Duty page 6 balance, walking, vision, chewing, swallowing, Sasha Banks. and drooling, as well as headache, nausea, vomiting, and facial drooping.

The median age of patients with DIPG is 6-7 years old, according to DIPG.org, with most kids diagnosed between ages 5 and 9. The median survival range is eight to 11 months from diagnosis.

“For me, being through some of the things I’ve been through, I’ve never had With 30 Years of the luxury to make my decisions based on emotions, so [after the diagnosis] I was reading, researching, talking to people, and I realized nothing could be Real Estate Experience done.

“Doctors tell you spend your time wisely and live, to make memories,” • 2016 Realtor of the Year Kohler continued. “A lot of people get angry when doctors tell you that, but I • 2014 President of Realtor’s realized, ‘Wow, they’re right’ — and then I just took off.”

Association of York and That meant jam-packing as many experiences into Ayden’s remaining Adams County months as possible: FaceTime calls with WWE pro wrestlers and WWE CEO Vince McMahon; a backstage meet-and-greet at a WWE show; phone calls • Licensed in PA and MD Paula Musselman from foodie-TV personalities Guy Fieri and Duff Goldman; two meetings in • Providing Reliable and Pittsburgh with the Steelers; and fishing and hunting trips.

Selling or buying a house?

Trustworthy Contracting Ayden passed in March 2017 at age 10, just seven months after his Please call me – I’ll guide and Moving Resources diagnosis. you every step of the way!

According to the CDC, more than 15,000 cases of pediatric cancer are • Specializing in Senior diagnosed in the United States each year, the most common types being Office: (717) 793-9678 Moves and Transitions leukemia, lymphoma, and brain cancer. After accidents, cancer is the second Cell: (717) 309-6921 leading cause of death in children ages 1–14.

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Taking the time to make And yet, according to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, only 4% York, PA 17402 your transaction smooth of government research funding goes toward pediatric cancer.

Paula1159@aol.com It’s not enough, say Kohler and the families of the nearly 1,200 children and stress free. expected to die from cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. “More than 4” has become the rallying cry of 4AydenStrong, the foundation Kohler founded in his son’s memory (www.4aydenstrong.com).

Senior Real Estate

Senior Real Estate Specialist

Specialist ®

www.50plusLifePA.com

50plus LIFE

Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

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nurse practitioner, Kohler is working toward that end as well, compiling data on four DIPG families who have submitted hair, urine, and blood samples to be analyzed for any observable correlation.

Kohler is also in touch with a physician in Mexico who is working on an intra-arterial delivery system that carries a cocktail of medication directly to the brain tumor; so far, it has shown some success in prolonging the children’s lifespans, but the $300,000 cost is not covered by insurance.

“The kids still pass, but some are living 12 months or longer. One little girl from Maryland we were helping, she made it 21 months,” Kohler said.

Nationwide, the DIPG community is relatively small; only 300–400 kids are diagnosed per year, Kohler said, and those he’s come in contact with know they can reach out to Kohler at any time for support or counsel.

And though his advocacy mission has given this phase of his life meaning, he admits it takes a toll. Desperate parents sometimes call him at all hours of the night.

“The emotions that they give to me, it’s like going through them every day over and over, never having any resolution of my own,” he said.

Last fall Kohler decided to step back from the foundation for a while in the name of self-care. His sister agreed to take over its operation for a year, but Kohler hasn’t lost his drive.

“I’m the kind of person that’s trying to save the world, but you realize you can’t save the world [alone] ... it takes a team effort.”

On the cover: Bill Kohler next to a memorial display in his home for his son, Ayden, who passed away from diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in 2017 at age 10.

About Us – The Lancaster County Office of Aging (LCOA) was established 45 years ago as a

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lawmakers and health officials to push for increased funding for pediatric cancer research.

“I’d take all these jars out and set them on the table, and on the tops of them I have Dani from Connecticut, Maddie from New York … wherever they were from,” he said. “It was a pretty deep visual.”

Kohler served as a board member of the National Children’s Cancer Consortium and as its vice president of legislative advocacy. Together, Kohler and his fellow advocates have pushed lawmakers to pass legislation supporting childhood cancer research funding in Pennsylvania.

Through their persistence, there is now a checkbox at the bottom of online state income tax return forms that gives filers the option of donating $5 toward pediatric cancer research. That money goes into a pool from which any of the state’s four research hospitals can request funding for childhood cancer research.

Kohler hopes to have similar legislation passed in other states, as well as state and national recognition days for DIPG. “You can sit here and you can complain that there’s not enough funding for childhood cancer research or you can do something about it, and that’s kind of what our mentality was,” Kohler said.

And while the focus of the 4AydenStrong foundation is pediatric cancer, Kohler admits he has trouble turning away requests for help from any child in medical need. A mother once asked for help covering the cost of a new prosthetic for her growing 4-year-old daughter.

“I said, ‘OK … we’ll do it,” Kohler smiled. “It was hard for me to say no to the kids — I cannot. I’m a sucker for little kids. They get me emotional.”

Research suggests that, rather than any environmental factors, a genetic mutation may be at the root of DIPG. Together with a South Carolina-based

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Lancaster County Office of Aging Maintaining the independence and quality of life for seniors through information, services, and protection since 1974.

result of the passage of the Older Americans Act. This act directed states to develop a network of services and supports to help keep older adults healthy and independent.

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging was created to fulfill this mandate. In turn, a network of 52 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) was established throughout the commonwealth to carry out this mission at the local level.

Funding for aging-related services is a combination of state and federal monies, with the Pennsylvania Lottery providing the major source of funding.

In Lancaster County, the AAA is part of county government. We are dedicated to providing Lancaster County residents, 60 years of age and older, with a wide range of informational resources and services as well as advocacy efforts and elder abuse protection.

The LCOA offers the following services:

Our Philosophy:

• Information and referral services

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Support

the older person’s right to decide his/her own destiny. Encourage consumer self-determination and choice.

• Long-term living assessments • H ome and community-based support services

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Support

the older person’s right to risk.

• Protection from abuse and neglect

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Promote

independence and dignity.

• A PPRISE, Medicare, and related health insurance counseling

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Avoid

unnecessary/inappropriate institutionalization.

• Senior center services

• • • • • • • •

Adult daily living services Caregiver support Employment Ombudsman services Transportation Legal services Health and wellness programming Volunteer opportunities

For more information, please call us Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. at 717-299-7979/1-800-801-3070, visit our website at www.lancoaging.org, or email aging@co.lancaster.pa.us.

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September 2020

50plus LIFE

www.50plusLifePA.com

Pennsylvanians Advised of Possible Contact-Tracing Scams The Pennsylvania departments of Health and Aging are warning Pennsylvanians about contact-tracing scams and emphasizing the need to stay alert as COVID-19 remains a community threat.

Scams might include a caller asking for someone’s Social Security number or payment for tracing services — neither of which is ever a component of a contact-tracing inquiry.

“Contact tracing is vital in the state’s efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, and we want Pennsylvanians to be confident that if they receive a call from a contact tracer that the call is legitimate,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said.

“If someone is unsure and would like to verify if the caller does in fact work in contact tracing, they can call the PA Department of Health at (877) PA HEALTH (1-877-724-3258) to verify.”

Contact tracing is the process of identifying people who have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 so that they can quarantine and monitor for symptoms.

Across the state, the goal is that within 24 hours of receiving the positive result reported into the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System, a trained public health staff member will conduct an interview for a case investigation with the newly confirmed COVID-19 case, obtaining a list of close contacts they had while infectious.

Then contact tracers, both trained staff and volunteers, reach out to those close contacts to educate, inform, and offer support. Methods used, after the initial phone call, may include phone calls, texts, emails, and mailings.

Contact tracers will not say who exposed the individual in order to keep their information confidential.

Scammers are attempting to take advantage of how this process works by pretending to be contact tracers and trying to get personal information out of victims through phone calls or electronic messages.

A contact tracer may ask: • For verification of your date of birth, address, and any other phone numbers you may have • For the date and location of where you were tested if you have already tested positive for COVID-19 A contact tracer will never ask for: • Your Social Security number, financial or bank account information, or personal details unrelated to your potential exposure to someone with COVID-19 • Personal information through SMS/text message or send you to any website link asking for personal information

A contact tracer will never share your information with any local, state, or federal law enforcement agency.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging Robert Torres noted that older adults are at particular risk of being victims of this insidious type of scam.

“Scammers prefer to prey on individuals who may be more trusting, are alone, or may respond out of confusion or fear,” Torres said.

“COVID-19 has isolated many older adults from family and other supports. Therefore, it’s understandable that an older adult, hearing that they may have been exposed, would want to cooperate with any effort to protect themselves or a loved one.

“However,” Torres continued, “it’s important that they stay alert about any contact from anyone identifying themselves as a contact tracer and do not provide personal information until they are sure the individual and information are legitimate.”

Please visit the Department of Health website at www.health.pa.gov or call (877) PA HEALTH for more information on the contact-tracing process and contact-tracing frequently asked questions.

On-Line Publishers, Inc. has earned 3 awards in the 2020 Best of the Best Awards Competition by the Association of Free Community Papers.

• Best Original Writing, Column to Entertain • General Excellence, Monthly Magazine Layout • Best Original Editorial Photography, Newsprint, Feature Article

Thank you for supporting our award-winning publications!

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Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

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Walk to End Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth-leading cause of death for individuals age 65 and older. This devastating and debilitating disease is the ultimate thief — of memories, independence, control, time, and, ultimately, life.

And the disease is often dealt with in silence. Those facing the disease feel a stigma surrounding their diagnosis and often don’t seek the support they need.

At the Alzheimer’s Association, we hear from individuals daily that they “feel alone.” Family and friends stop visiting because of “abnormal” behavior

September 26, 2020 Overlook Park, Lancaster

Registration at 9 a.m. • Opening and Promise Garden Ceremony at 10 a.m.

Walk at 10:30 a.m.

October 10, 2020 City Island, Harrisburg

Registration at 10 a.m. • Opening and Promise Garden Ceremony at 10:30 a.m.

Walk at 11:00 a.m.

October 24, 2020 John C. Rudy Park, York

Registration at 8:30 a.m. • Opening and Promise Garden Ceremony at 10 a.m.

Walk at 10:30 a.m.

Easy online registration at www.alz.org/gpawalk.

• Volunteer opportunities available.

• Teams and individuals welcome.

Chapter Presenting Sponsors

Registration brochures, team packets, and sponsorship packets available. For more information, please contact: Harrisburg/York Walks Heather Watts, Walk Manager (717) 678-6463; hmwatts@alz.org

Lancaster Walk Fran Gibbons, Walk Director (717) 568-2595; fgibbons@alz.org

Alzheimer’s Association 2595 Interstate Drive, Suite 100 • Harrisburg, PA 17110

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50plus LIFE

— a symptom of the disease — and caregivers become more and more isolated.

We want patients and their families to know that there is hope, and there is help, through the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Pennsylvania.

There are more than 5 million Americans currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia and more than 15 million caregivers. In Pennsylvania alone, there are more than 400,000 individuals diagnosed.

We are here to provide education and support to the millions who face dementia every day, while advancing critical research toward methods of treatment and prevention, ultimately to end Alzheimer’s disease.

We have offices locally and support groups throughout the region for those facing this disease to meet with others in similar situations.

We also host the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This is the association’s largest annual awareness and fundraising event, which occurs during the fall. This year the Walk to End Alzheimer’s continues, but instead of hosting a large gathering, the Alzheimer’s Association is encouraging participants to walk as individuals or in small groups on sidewalks, tracks, and trails across the state.

Time-honored components of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s are being replicated. On walk day, an opening ceremony will feature local speakers and a presentation of Promise Flowers to honor the personal reasons participants join together to fight Alzheimer’s and all other dementias, all delivered to participants’ smartphones, tablets, and computers.

A small group of Alzheimer’s Association staff and volunteers will create the iconic Promise Garden in a “view only” format on walk day to honor all those impacted by Alzheimer’s.

To enhance the participant experience leading up to the event and on walk day, new features are being added to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s mobile app to create an opportunity for the community to connect.

Participants can use the app and new “Walk Mainstage” to track their steps and distance, follow a virtual walk path, manage their Facebook fundraisers, and access information and resources from the association and walk sponsors to help individuals and families affected by the disease.

A new audio track is available to encourage participants along the way and to congratulate them upon completion of their walk.

The money raised allows our chapter to contribute to research to find a cure. These funds also help support programs and services that advance accurate and timely diagnosis of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

In addition, money raised ensures significant increases to affordable, highquality care and support for people with the disease and their caretakers.

Help us break the silence and start the conversation. Join us, along with thousands of others in your community, at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Register today at www.alz.org/walk or call our Helpline, available 24 hours, seven days a week, at (800) 272-3900.

Local walks include: Saturday, Sept. 26 Lancaster Opening and Promise Garden ceremony 10 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 10 Harrisburg Opening and Promise Garden ceremony 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24 York Opening and Promise Garden ceremony 10 a.m. www.50plusLifePA.com

Savvy Senior

Jim Miller

Financial Help for Retirees Affected by COVID-19

Dear Savvy Senior, Are there any financial assistance programs you can refer me to? The coronavirus pandemic has cost me my part-time retirement job and has shrunk my measly IRA account.

– Needy Retiree

Medicaid waiver programs that provide in-home care and assistance too.

Dear Needy, Absolutely! In addition to the $1,200 federal coronavirus stimulus check that was distributed in April and May, there are many other financial-assistance programs (both public and private) that can help struggling retirees, as well as give relief to family members who help provide financial support for their loved ones.

To find out what types of assistance you may be eligible for, just go to BenefitsCheckUp (www.benefitscheckup.org), a free, confidential web tool designed for adults 55 and older and their families.

It will help you locate federal, state, and private benefits programs that can assist with paying for food, medications, utilities, healthcare, housing, and other needs. This site — created by the National Council on Aging — contains more than 2,500 programs across the country.

To identify benefits, you’ll first need to fill out an online questionnaire that asks a series of questions like your date of birth, ZIP code, expenses, income, assets, veteran status, the medications you take, and a few other factors. It takes about 15 minutes.

Once completed, you’ll get a report detailing all the programs and services you may qualify for, along with detailed information on how to apply.

Some programs can be applied for online; some have downloadable application forms that you can print and mail in; and some require that you contact the program’s administrative office directly (they provide the necessary contact information).

If you don’t have internet access, you can also get help in person at any of the 84 Benefit Enrollment Centers located throughout the U.S. Call (888) 268-6706 or visit www.ncoa.org/centerforbenefits/becs to locate a center in your area. Some centers also offer assistance over the phone.

Types of Benefits Depending on your income level and where you live, here are some benefits you may be eligible for: Food assistance: Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can help pay for groceries. The average SNAP benefit for 60and-older households is around $125 per month.

Other programs that may be available include the Emergency Food Assistance Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

Healthcare: Medicaid and Medicare Savings Programs can help or completely pay for out-of-pocket healthcare costs. And, there are special www.50plusLifePA.com

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Prescription drugs: There are hundreds of programs offered through pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, and charitable organizations that help lower or eliminate prescription drug costs, including the federal low-income subsidy, known as “Extra Help,” that pays premiums, deductibles, and prescription copayments for Medicare Part D beneficiaries.

Utility assistance: There’s the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), as well as local utility companies and charitable organizations that provide assistance in lowering home heating and cooling costs.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI): Administered by the Social Security please see Financial Help page 13

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9

Service Stories

Robert Naeye

Vet Overcomes Poverty, PTSD to Find Musical Success

Billy Terrell never had it easy. After growing up in But this hardscrabble childhood had its upside. It gave poverty, he experienced some of the worst horrors of the Terrell a deep determination to rise above his upbringing Vietnam War, which left an indelible mark deep in his and succeed in life. soul. Somehow, he found the inner strength to overcome Terrell realized in his early teens that he had a talent one hardship after another to carve out a successful for music. He taught himself how to play guitar and he career in the music and entertainment industries. later worked as an emcee, singing and telling jokes at Terrell was born on Nov. 14, 1944, in Newark, New nightclubs on the Asbury Park boardwalk.

Jersey. But when Terrell was 8, his father went broke One night in May 1963, a TV host named Clay when his construction company failed, forcing the family Cole heard Terrell doing his routine and immediately to move to Jersey Shore. That would be a recurring recognized his potential. He invited Terrell to New theme in a childhood mired in neglect, dysfunction, and York City, where on July 16 Terrell signed his first dislocation. management contract.

“From 1952 through the early 1960s, I lived way Terrell started writing songs. In 1965 the record below the poverty level. Kids were mean. I didn’t have company Kama Sutra Productions signed him as a writer clothes; we didn’t have a lot to eat,” he recalls. and artist for $50 a week. They assigned him to write When he was 14, his four front teeth rotted and had songs for the Duprees, a New Jersey-based male doo-wop to be extracted because he and his two brothers and two vocal group.

Terrell returned to Asbury Park sisters never had toothbrushes.

As Terrell was gaining a foothold in the music to do a photo shoot in 2012.

The family finances grew so desperate that Terrell industry, the war in Vietnam was heating up. dropped out of high school early in his sophomore year to take whatever work But, as Terrell says, “I really didn’t think much about it until just before I he could find to feed his parents and siblings. He never graduated. got my draft notice. My father was paying more attention than I was.”

Kama Sutra managers tried to convince Terrell to find a way to beat the draft. They even held a séance with a beatnik priest banging on a gong. Terrell thanked them but stated that his grandfather had come from Italy in 1902 and worked hard and learned English, and that there was no way he would try to get out of serving his country.

He told Kama Sutra, “If I’m one of the lucky ones, I’ll come back. And if I’m not, well, I can accept that.”

Terrell was drafted into the Army in 1965 and was sent to Fort Dix in New Jersey for eight weeks of basic training and then another eight weeks of advanced infantry training.

Ladies and gentlemen, For Terrell, his time at Fort Dix was actually “a very good experience.” He meet Benji! Benji is a got to eat three meals a day, sleep in a warm bed, get good exercise, and enjoy curvy, squishy, handsome the camaraderie of fellow trainees.

1-year-old neutered “We were like a family, all in the same boat,” he says. male who is available for Terrell managed to stay out of trouble, but adds, “It was frustrating to adoption. watch the drill instructors really pound on other guys.”

Benji is very friendly and simply loves the After coming home for a Christmas break, the Army sent Terrell to Fort company of humans.

Lee in Virginia for a four-week quartermasters course. He then received Did you take a peek further training in logistics and combat at Fort Riley in Kansas. at his pic? This guy is In May 1966 his battalion traveled to Oakland, California, and then to adorable!

Tacoma, Washington, where he boarded a ship for Vietnam. He arrived at For adoption-process Cam Ranh Bay in late May. details, please visit www.

Terrell was next sent to Phan Rang, on the coast north of Saigon. lebanonhumane.org or call “That became the real Vietnam,” he recalls.

(717) 628-1369.

His unit created a small base camp in the heavy jungle amidst mosquitoes and scorpions. Terrell worked mainly as a mail clerk but sometimes performed perimeter guard duty at night, a dangerous assignment.

After several weeks in Phan Rang, Terrell’s unit, the 226th Supply and Service Company, was shipped north to set up a permanent base camp at Tuy Hòa (pronounced TOO-ee wah).

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There, he learned that one of his hangout shacks Feeling like a criminal let out of jail rather than at Phan Rang had been hit by enemy fire, killing someone who had served his country, Terrell turned everyone inside. to the bottle for nearly a year. One morning in June “If we didn’t get orders for Tuy Hòa, we’d have 1968, after a bout of heavy drinking, he looked in the perished,” says Terrell. mirror and couldn’t even recognize himself.

Terrell served as a mail clerk at Tuy Hòa, but he That moment was an epiphany. was in constant danger. He continued to guard the “A bell went off and I said to myself, ‘My God, perimeter at night. He sometimes rode shotgun on your mother got her son back and he walked in on his convoys. He also flew on Huey helicopter supply own two legs. You owe it to all of those boys whose missions. mothers weren’t as fortunate,’” says Terrell in a voice After a Huey flight to Duc Pho, Terrell joined a choked with emotion. convoy that was hit very hard by enemy fire, with He stopped drinking and resolved to get back on Terrell took this 1966 photo of a sister heavy casualties. Terrell stayed low to the ground, his feet. He taught himself to play piano and started and brother brought to the orphanage realizing he couldn’t even lift his head without risking writing R&B songs with his friend Ray Dahrouge. after their hamlet was destroyed and their parents were killed by the Viet Cong. being shot.

Within a few months, he was in a New York studio “That was the most horrible time of the whole war listening to vocalist Debbie Taylor record his song for me,” he recalls.

“Never Gonna Let Him Know.” The song would Although war often brings out the worst in people, reach the Top 5 on the R&B charts. it brought out the best in Billy Terrell and the men That hit led to a highly successful career as an in his unit. They took in 110 children and several R&B songwriter and producer. Terrell later went on Catholic nuns after their nearby orphanage had been tour with Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Cream, and Janis attacked by the enemy.

Joplin. He helped revive Frankie Avalon’s career and The men collected money to buy a plot of land and worked with Helen Reddy. His musical styles run then built a sanctuary and orphanage for the children. the gamut from rock to R&B to jazz to pop. He also The local city council even chipped in with another enjoyed considerable success on the comedy circuit for big plot of land so the orphanage could continue to 33 years. grow.

Exposure to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange took Terrell spent time in hospitals due to various tropical a toll later in life when he developed multiple forms diseases. The nurses often brought in children who of cancer. He later joined a support group with other had been severely burned by napalm to sit on Terrell’s veterans, which helped him cope with his physical and lap, an experience he describes as “heartbreaking.” psychological ailments.

Like many Vietnam veterans, these experiences were In November 2013 Terrell made an emotional seared into Terrell’s soul, leaving deep psychological return to Vietnam, where he was treated as a hero for scars that linger to the present day. As Terrell is quick his service to the locals. He reunited with some of The men in Terrell’s unit often visited the to point out, post-traumatic stress disorder, better the orphans he knew as children and the nuns who children at the orphanage established near known as PTSD, is not all about combat. were still alive. He describes his trip as “a marvelous Tuy Hòa. Terrell “used to spoon-feed them “Most of my PTSD came from the hospital, the experience.” and taught the boys to play baseball.” screams and the medevac choppers coming in day and When he returned to the States, both West Point night with people chopped up, and civilian babies, and people who had been and the Library of Congress contacted him to do interviews for their oral napalmed. Those are lifelong images burned into your head. It doesn’t take history projects. Then Rutgers University’s Living History Society conducted much to trigger a very, very sad memory,” he says. a six-hour interview that Rich Podolsky, an authority on ’60s and ’70s music, Terrell describes a great deal of racial tension in the logistics companies, but helped turn into Terrell’s autobiography, The Other Side of Rock and War. he managed to get along with everyone, partially because he was “a character” Terrell currently lives with his wife in Delran, New Jersey, near and partly because he often played his guitar.

Philadelphia. He is semi-retired. He doesn’t perform comedy anymore but still Terrell describes his return to the U.S. in late May 1967 as “bittersweet.” works with his back catalog in music and screenwriting.

There was a sense of guilt knowing he wouldn’t be in Vietnam in case he was Terrell tries not to reflect too much on the war. But he sees it as part of his needed. Terrell explains that like many veterans, he returned individually, not mission to bring out the vast humanitarian side of the war. with his unit to parades.

“The media back then only focused on the horrible side,” he says. “Many of “We came back in the midst of a very, very unpopular situation. That really us went way beyond the call to help orphans and displaced civilians, and many played heavy on our heads on top of being affected by war experiences or times we risked our lives for the children. It’s never been reported. witnessing the awful results of war,” he says.

“People are starting to embrace the fact that we weren’t baby killers.

Terrell had difficulties readjusting to civilian life. His father suffered a Overall, we were honorable, and we were humanitarians.” heart attack that left him permanently disabled and for which Terrell blamed To listen to some of Billy Terrell’s songs, visit www.spiritmusicgroup.com/ himself. Moreover, the nation’s taste in music had shifted dramatically in the Clients/Library/Billy-Terrell. time he was away.

You can listen to the West Point interview with Terrell at https:// “I was two years behind the music; I turned the radio on and it was like westpointcoh.org/interviews/a-dream-interrupted-a-vietnam-veteran-succeedsbeing on another planet.” in-show-business.

And people who had been friends would walk away from him.

Robert Naeye is a freelance writer based in Derry Township. His website is “I couldn’t process it,” he says. “I needed to bring money in but didn’t know www.robertnaeye.com. what I was going to do.” www.50plusLifePA.com

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11

50 Plus Senior News 9/20 Crossword

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Financial Help from page 9 Administration, SSI provides monthly payments to very low-income seniors, age 65 and older, as well as to those who are blind and disabled.

In 2020, SSI pays up to $783 per month for a single person and up to $1,175 for couples.

Email inbox feeling a little . . . heavy?

In addition to these programs, there are numerous other benefits they can help you locate, such as HUD housing, home weatherization assistance, tax relief, veterans benefits, senior transportation, respite care, free legal assistance, job training, and employment and debt counseling.

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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For more information, call Kimberly Shaffer at 717-285-8123 or email kshaffer@onlinepub.com Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

13

Sixties Flashback

The Summer of Love Randal C. Hill

In the now-fabled summer of 1967, San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood temporarily morphed into a community of societal dropouts, college students, teenage runaways, vagrants, and hustlers.

Often clad in Army surplus and thrift-store outfits, many had come to share a collective spirit of togetherness and love.

Oh yes. And plenty of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll, as well.

The Haight (as it was nicknamed) became a social Eden. The epicenter of cool. A cultural utopia.

Those who took up residence there tended to be disillusioned teens and young adults who often railed against a corrupt government, rampant consumerism, and an overseas war that was claiming 100 lives each week.

Armed with compassion, idealism, and lots and lots of flowers, up to 100,000 folks staked a claim in the Bay Area that summer.

For a while, money seemed to no longer be much of a relevant issue. An overall attitude of sharing and community had blossomed among many young San

Franciscans by the mid-1960s.

This led to, among other things, the establishment of a Free Store (nobody paid for donated food and clothing) and a Free Clinic (staffed by kindhearted volunteer doctors and nurses).

In January 1967, the “Human Be-In” saw 30,000 people gather at Golden Gate Park to witness exHarvard professor Timothy Leary first offer his nowlegendary command of “Turn on, tune in, drop out” amid Hindu chants and throbbing rock music.

June brought the Monterey Pop Festival (dubbed the Monterey Pot Festival by some drug-oriented wags). John Phillips of the Mamas and Papas had created pal Scott McKenzie’s million-selling hit “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair).”

This, of course, only added to the allure of a mustvisit destination for those eager to answer the Bay Area’s clarion call.

Photograph by Su Spivack.

But the days of this Edenic world were numbered.

During the Summer of Love, nobody paid The tsunami of young people heading for San for medical care at Haight-Ashbury’s Free Francisco alarmed the police force there, many Clinic, which was staffed by volunteer of whom were upset and determined to keep doctors and nurses. the invading army of motley vagabonds from overwhelming their beautiful coastal city.

Irritated residents proclaimed that the area simply couldn’t adequately absorb such an influx of people, that the infrastructure and resources would become strained to the breaking point.

Finally, much of the “coolness” factor evaporated when bus tours of the Haight brought gawking tourists, each of whom was handed a printout that explained such hippie slang words as teenybopper, weed, and trip.

The original “peace and love” crowd eventually fled the Haight when the neighborhood began to show the effects of overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and crime. As much as anything else, though, it was an influx of hard drugs that hastened the area’s fall.

But the primary elements of the Summer of Love have never died. James Rado and Gerome Ragni, two young men who had witnessed the Human Be-In, felt so inspired by what they experienced that they created the Ask about our groundbreaking musical drama Hair. Its success guaranteed that at least the move-in special unique spirit of 1967 would endure far beyond that turbulent summer.

Although Randal C. Hill’s heart lives in the past, the rest of him resides in Bandon, Ore. He can be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

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Survey: Seniors Lonelier Now than Earlier in Pandemic As stay-home and quarantine orders spread across the U.S. this March, so too did fears that reduced contact with friends, loved ones, and even strangers would result in a mental health crisis brought about by social isolation.

At least one major study in June indicated that those concerns largely haven’t materialized with the broader public, with an American Psychological Association-backed analysis finding no significant increase in the percentage of Americans who say they feel lonely or isolated.

However, the report doesn’t focus exclusively on seniors and notes that older adults were the only group to show increased loneliness. It further states that people with chronic conditions or people who live alone are more prone to loneliness.

Beginning in mid-March, The Senior List (www.seniorlist.com) conducted multiple surveys of American adults 65 and older, totaling more than 2,000 responses, initially to discern whether they were prepared for lengthy quarantine periods and later to find out how their interactions with others have changed and if they are feeling a stronger sense of loneliness.

The latest survey has revealed that most seniors were feeling lonelier in late July than they were in mid-March. In addition, for a small-but-worrying percentage of older adults, extreme feelings of loneliness are on the rise.

Key findings included: • About 2 in 5 seniors in July said they were lonelier since COVID-19 began, compared to just approximately 10% in the first study.

• Women have consistently been more likely to report feeling lonely, and both men and women have become more likely since the first study to say they feel lonelier than they did before the pandemic. But the percentage of men saying they feel lonelier has risen more quickly than the share of women saying the same.

practices.

A Gallup poll in mid-July found that about 47% of Americans 55 and older always wear a mask when out in public, which is concerning given that seniors account for an outsized percentage of COVID-19 deaths and cases.

If there’s a silver lining in the COVID-19 crisis, it could be that seniors are becoming more techsavvy. During the first survey period, just over 1 in 4 seniors said they were using video calls, which could include FaceTime or Zoom.

This share rose during every survey period, and today more than half of seniors say they’re using video calling.

What Can You Do to Combat Loneliness?

So what can be done to ensure that extreme loneliness and social isolation don’t take hold while we reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting COVID-19?

Put it in writing: Send notes to friends and loved ones, in addition to regular contact over the phone or online. A UCLA study in 2007 found that the act of writing can heighten mindfulness and reduce stress and anxiety.

Get out (safely): Stepping outside, whether for a dog walk or stroll around the block, if it can be done safely (wear a mask if you can’t maintain social distance), can allow a worried mind to focus on nature. Seniors should be sure to wear proper sun protection when outdoors.

Make time for virtual hangouts: Spontaneous communication can lift the spirits, but the best way to ensure you’re regularly communicating with others is to put virtual hangouts on a calendar. Set days and times that work, and try to stick with the schedule as much as possible.

• Daily in-person contact with non-household members plummeted between the first and second studies but bounced back in July.

Give back: Science shows that helping others helps us, too. That’s because contributing to causes and helping others can stimulate the brain’s pleasure centers.

• Seniors’ use of video chat platforms has climbed during each survey period.

More than half of seniors now report that they use video chat.

To view the complete study, visit www.theseniorlist.com/home-care/ loneliness-covid.

Staying Connected Most predictions of the impact of the pandemic on Americans’ feelings of loneliness and isolation stemmed from the need to limit contact with people outside of our households to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus from person to person.

The survey found that in-person contact plummeted during the spring but has bounced back over the summer. About 37% of seniors said they had inperson interaction with people outside their household several times per day in the beginning.

This figure fell to just under 12% in the second study, but the latest survey found that more than 22% of seniors said they were interacting in-person with non-household members many times every day. That’s an increase of 92% between the latest surveys.

Other contact-frequency rates indicate that most seniors were aggressive with their social distancing practices in the spring but have relaxed those www.50plusLifePA.com

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15

The Beauty in Nature

Summer Birds on the Mississippi Clyde McMillan-Gamber

During summer, the many large, broad shallows and mudflats of Lake Onalaska, a large backwater of the Mississippi River in Wisconsin, are resting and feeding habitats for a variety of water-living birds.

This summer, I’ve been A pair of North American white pelicans watching those birds on the fishing together.

Upper Mississippi River through a live camera sponsored by the Raptor Resource Project, Explore.Org, and our home computer screen. Readers can type in “live camera Mississippi Flyway” to find it via an internet search.

I always saw at least a few species of birds at once every time I watched that Mississippi backwater. And most of the species I saw are the same ones I see in person on the Susquehanna River in summer.

Many of the birds summering on the Mississippi are there because of an abundance of fish and roosting places on the flats. Hundreds of ring-billed gulls scavenge dead fish from the shallows and flats.

Smaller flocks of American white pelicans and double-crested cormorants

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catch and consume live fish, but in different ways.

Pelicans float together on the water’s surface and dip their oversized beaks at the same time in the shallows to scoop up fish.

Cormorants dive under water from the surface to Canada geese on the grasp small fish in their Mississippi River shallows. bills.

Bald eagles, great blue herons, and great egrets have other ways of catching fish. The majestic eagles swoop down from the sky and snatch fish from the surface with their strong, sharp talons.

And the stately, long-legged herons and egrets wade slowly in the shallows and lunge out their lengthy necks and bills to seize fish.

Other kinds of water birds, living in harmony among the shallows and flats of Lake Onalaska because of different needs, include groups of handsome mallard ducks, magnificent Canada geese, statuesque sandhill cranes, striking red-winged blackbirds, and entertaining tree swallows.

All these species nest among sheltering grasses, shrubbery, and trees on the flats. The ducks, geese, and cranes hatch youngsters on the ground, while redwings raise young in grassy cradles on stalks of cattails, and tree swallows rear babies in tree cavities.

Goslings and their parents feed on aquatic vegetation in the shallows and grasses on the flats. The other species mostly ingest invertebrates of various kinds. Tree swallows are particularly interesting to watch sweeping low among each other over the flats and shallows to grab flying insects from the air.

By mid-July and through August and into September, individuals of a variety of sandpiper species, which raised young on the treeless Arctic tundra, sweep south by the thousands to escape the tundra winter, many of them landing on the flats and shallows of Lake Onalaska to feed on invertebrates before continuing farther south.

Flocks of sparrow-sized and brown least and semipalmated sandpipers, vigorously feeding on invertebrates in the flats and shallows, are inspiring and entertaining, as are swarms of summering tree swallows cruising swiftly over those same flats and shallows to snap up flying insects at the same time. But the sandpipers are difficult to see until they move or fly into the air.

Occasionally, a streamlined, fast-flying peregrine falcon dashes over the flats and shallows to startle the sandpipers into flight. When sandpiper flocks are airborne, and all individuals twist this way and that as one body to confuse hawks, the peregrine singles out a sandpiper to dive on and kill with its sharp, powerful talons.

Then the peregrine sweeps swiftly over the water, clutching its prey in its claws, to find a safe place to consume its catch.

Readers can bring up the Mississippi Flyway on their computer screens through the year. Summer is not over yet, and many birds will be resting on Lake Onalaska this autumn. Those birds, and other creatures, can be viewed as though readers are right there in person.

Clyde McMillan-Gamber is a retired Lancaster County Parks naturalist.

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Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

17

The Bookworm Sez

The Lost Diary of M Terri Schlichenmeyer

You know what you did two summers ago.

That’s because you took notes: where you were, your thoughts and hopes, observations and desires. Someday, those words could set someone on a new path in life because journals have meaning.

In The Lost Diary of M by Paul Wolfe, in fact, one woman’s diary could have worldwide impacts.

Mary Pinchot Meyer met Jack at a college dance in 1936, and she never forgot him.

But, of course, she was just Mary Pinchot then. She wasn’t yet married, wasn’t divorced, wasn’t the mother of three sons, or a painter, or a Washington socialite.

And he wasn’t the president of the United States.

She wasn’t in his bed then, either, but that changed in 1961 when they reconnected at a White House function.

There he was, that big grin, trying to seduce her, his wife just across the room. Mary always wondered if Jackie knew when she joined Jackie’s husband in the Lincoln Bedroom.

She wondered if anyone knew but mostly, she didn’t care.

She painted in her studio, went to lunch with her small circle of friends, and took up the Pinchot mantle by working

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toward a peaceful world.

When she had a chance to meet Timothy Leary and try some LSD, she did that, too, and it meshed nicely with her quiet activism. She began to think that perhaps LSD was the way to peace.

She’d need to talk to Jack about that, maybe some time when he wasn’t dealing with pain, illness, the Bay of Pigs, nuclear war, Khrushchev, public speaking events, and a hundred other things he discussed with her after their trysts.

One day, she’d make him see how important a peaceful world was, because too many people had already lost loved ones. Mary herself lost her sister and a son already in her short life.

And though she didn’t know it, she was about to lose much more …

Don’t be surprised if several different emotions go through your mind as you’re reading The Lost Diary of M. The Lost Diary of M: A Novel Surely, there’s a certain voyeuristic feeling to this novel,

By Paul Wolfe and it starts in the first sentence, in which we’re warned that c. 2020, Harper a death has occurred. That’s compelling enough, until we’re 304 pages plunged into a romance that we see is somewhat one-sided, but author Paul Wolfe’s Mary can’t.

She can’t confide in anyone, either, and her emotions run from schoolgirlish to introspective as she dreams of a life with JFK beyond politics and ponders the current events that consumed Washington in 1963. Even the mundane is noted, which may or may not affect the story itself, but which belong to balance out this novel about a life.

Indeed, Mary Pinchot Meyer existed and was murdered some months after the Kennedy assassination. The Lost Diary of M is loosely based on her secret life and other historical events, and its blithely upper-crust mien, its elegance, 0 ,0 0 ps 0 1 its gossipy flair, and its shocking end perfectly match those truths. o g din s t o t r o l d . n e r S ing o If you might remember Camelot and its aftermath (or wish you did), k ew stoc ver th take note … al l o

Thousands of essential items have been received for veterans, but monetary donations to defray shipping costs are desperately needed.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old, and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 14,000 books.

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The History of Labor Day Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement, a yearly celebration of the American worker, and a national tribute to the laborer’s contribution to the social and economic achievements of the United States.

There is some uncertainty about the origins of Labor Day. Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first to suggest a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”

Other research suggests that machinist Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the

International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey, proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union.

In 1884, the first Monday in September was selected as the official holiday.

The first governmental recognition of Labor Day came through municipal ordinances passed in 1885 and 1886.

The state of Oregon passed the first law recognizing the Labor Day holiday on Feb. 21, 1887. Four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — followed suit that same year.

On June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in all the states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories.

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Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

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Join us in celebrating our silver anniversary by taking a look back at life over the last 25 years … as well as a blast from one of our covers past!

1999 Top Headlines

Entertainment

• On Jan. 7, the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton began in the U.S. Senate after the House of Representatives had approved two articles of impeachment — lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice — back in December 1998. The Senate acquitted Clinton on Feb. 12.

• After five seasons as ER’s pediatrician Dr. Doug Ross, George Clooney left the popular TV series in February to focus on his film career. Clooney would return at the end of a season-six episode where nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) leaves to join Ross in Seattle.

• NATO air strikes began March 24 against Yugoslavia in response to Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic’s massacre and deportation of ethnic Albanians.

The air strikes would last until June 10, when Milosevic relented.

• In March, a month after the Senate acquitted President Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice charges in his affair with former intern Monica Lewinsky, about 48.5 million people tuned in to 20/20 to see Lewinsky sit down with Barbara Walters for Lewinsky’s first televised interview.

• Colorado high school students Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, stormed Columbine High School armed with guns and bombs on April 20, killing 12 other students and a teacher before killing themselves. They wounded 23 others.

• During hazy nighttime conditions, John F. Kennedy Jr., wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren G. Bessette died when the single-engine plane Kennedy was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the Massachusetts coast on July 16.

25 th

• T he first of the long-awaited prequels to the original Star Wars movies, Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace premiered May 19. Despite garnering mediocre reviews from fans and critics, the film broke several box-office records and grossed $102.7 million in its five-day debut weekend.

Sept. 1999

• Despite costing only $35,000 to make and using improvised dialogue and no special effects, The Blair Witch Project became an instant horrormovie classic upon its July release and would gross more than $250 million worldwide.

Sports • On Jan. 13, Michael Jordan announced his retirement from the NBA for the second time. (He would return again in 2001.) Several other legendary athletes would follow him into retirement that year, including John Elway, Boris Becker, Wayne Gretzky, Barry Sanders, and Steffi Graf.

• Baseball great Joe DiMaggio died March 8 from lung cancer at 84. Other sports losses that year included Wilt Chamberlain, who died of congestive heart failure Oct. 12 at age 63; golfer Payne Stewart, who died in a plane crash on Oct. 25 at age 42; and football player Walter Payton, who died Nov. 2 of bile duct cancer at age 45.

• In September, tennis player Serena Williams, 17, won her first U.S. Open and first Grand Slam title when she defeated No. 1 ranked Martina Hingis. Williams became the first African American woman to win a Grand Slam tournament since Althea Gibson in 1956.

• On Oct. 27, the New York Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 in the World Series, becoming the first team since the late 1930s to sweep back-to-back World Series. It was the Yankees’ 12th straight World Series game win and the franchise’s 25th World Series championship.

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50plus LIFE

Science & Technology • During a 15-hour operation at Louisville Medical Center on Jan. 24, doctors in Kentucky performed the first human hand transplant in the U.S., attaching the left hand of a recently deceased donor to a 37-year-old New Jersey man who had lost his hand 13 years before in a fireworks accident.

• By February, the number of worldwide internet users reached 150 million.

The United States’ internet access accounted for almost 52% of the world’s use, numbering 76.5 million users. The Scandinavian countries had the highest internet use per capita, however.

• In March, English balloonist Brian Jones and Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist Bertrand Piccard made the first nonstop, non-refueled, around-theworld balloon flight in the Breitling Orbiter 3. The 20-day journey began in Switzerland and finished in Egypt.

• Tech experts worked to conclude a multi-year effort to stave off the predicted consequences of the “Y2K bug,” rectifying the earlier use of a two-digit year format that would cause computers worldwide to interpret “00” as 1900 instead of 2000. U.S. preparations alone cost an estimated $100 billion.

Join us next month to see what was happening in 1998! www.50plusLifePA.com

Since 2000, 50plus LIFE (previously Senior News and 50plus Senior News) has won more than 130 awards for its editorial content and design. Here’s a look at an award-winning article from our archives.

Tales from the Heart: Precious Moments

First Place

July 2008 issue NAMPA Award: First Place, Personal Essay

By Meena “Wak wak.” His tiny hands tugged at my shirt.

“Wak wak, Gamma, walk.”

I was sitting on the front steps of my daughter’s house, enjoying the cool breeze and trying to entertain my grandson by pointing to the activities on the street.

“Wak wak.” He kept up the tugging so that I had to find out what it was he was trying to get my attention to.

“What does Saleem want?” I called out to my daughter, busy inside the house.

“Oh! That’s his latest obsession,” she said, coming out to the porch. “He wants to show off his mint. Everyone who comes to this house has to go with him to see his mint. I think you better go with him, otherwise he will keep at it until you oblige.”

“Mint, what mint?” I knew there was no mint in my daughter’s garden.

“He knows where it is. Just let him take you.”

My daughter seemed to be pretty confident of her child’s abilities. “Only don’t let him leave your hand and run off, which he is very good at doing.”

The last instruction, of course, was a mother’s concern, not that she had any doubts about my ability to care for him.

“Wak, wak.” The tugging resumed, now with more urgency.

“OK, Saleem, if you will hold on to Grandma’s hand and promise not to leave, I will go with you.” He was all smiles, springing up and down on his chubby baby legs, which was his way of saying, “Yes, Grandma.”

Saleem was my first grandson and the only one at that time. He was at that stage in life where he talked in a language that required interpretation by his mother, walked as if his legs were fitted with springs, and was curious about everything around him.

The living room and the dining room in the house were both stripped of all the movable objects, leaving some heavy furniture and the bare essentials only. My daughter, his mother, felt that it was a wiser move than dotting the child’s day with “dos” and “don’ts.” He had just turned 2.

Saleem took my hand, dragged me off my seat on the step, and we started to walk. The distance from the steps to the sidewalk was only half a dozen steps. When we closed the wicket gate behind us, he made the first stop of the walk, which was more like a guided tour.

The rock lying by the gate was not very large or exceptionally pretty.

But in the child’s eyes it was more precious than a diamond. He bent down, picked the small rock, held it tight in his palm and then, as an afterthought, opened his tiny fist to show it to me.

“Gamma, ock, petty ock.” The “R” sound was yet to come.

The next few steps found him stopping by a crack in the sidewalk.

An army of ants went in and out, marching in a very orderly fashion. www.50plusLifePA.com

50plus LIFE

They were transporting an unexpected supply of food found on the sidewalk.

Saleem turned to me and announced very firmly, “ans ouse.” Thinking that he didn’t make an impression on me he bent down, touched the crack in the pavement and repeated, “Ans ouse, yum yum.”

I watched the ants for a couple of minutes — the orderly way in which they went about their business in two columns: one column, carrying food into their home in the crack, while the other moved in the opposite direction toward the source of the food. They were probably hurrying to stock their food supply before the famous Oregon rain came pouring down. It is amazing how they don’t need a weatherman to predict the changes, or do they?

My daughter told me later that the ants did have a permanent colony underground, and watching them go about their work was one of Saleem’s favorite pastimes. She had already given a lesson on ants — habits and habitats —

to her son.

We watched the ants for a few seconds and then Saleem must have remembered that, as the guide, he had to perform certain duties. He stood up, took my hand, and started to pull me, which I figured was easier for him than words, and I followed meekly to continue the tour.

When we came to the corner where we had to take a left turn, he stopped to admire a small flowering plant with tiny violet flowers. He bent down, looked at it, touched it, and then his hand was back in mine.

It amazed me to see that the child did not pick even a single flower. I guessed his mother must have taught him to leave the flowers as they were, so other people too could enjoy their beauty. I gave a plus mark to my daughter for teaching her son not to destroy God’s bounty.

The next stop was a few yards farther down in front of a small house with a wrought-iron gate. An older lady came out of the house. She must have been standing inside the screen door, watching the street too.

“Hi, baby,” she greeted the child. “Are you taking Grandma to look at the mint again?” Then, to me, “I thought you weren’t coming back until next Tuesday.” I was puzzled since I had never met the woman before.

Seeing my puzzled expression, she continued. “Didn’t he take you yesterday to look at that mint?”

I recalled what my daughter had said earlier, that Saleem was taking everyone to look at his mint. I recalled also that his other grandmother visited every Tuesday. I put two and two together and said, “Oh! That was his father’s mother; I am the other grandma.”

The child was getting impatient to move on. The tugging was getting please see Tales page 24

Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

21

By Dr. Rand McClain

The Importance of Gut Bacteria for Longevity and Heart Health

Most of us know that the bacteria in our gut help with our body’s digestion. But did you know that gut bacteria seemingly influence the health of everything from your brain and joints to your skin and heart health, too?

In recent years, researchers have been looking closely to find out just how many ways gut bacteria influence other areas of your health.

Two recently published studies are adding to this body of knowledge. These studies show a strong link between gut bacteria and the effects they may have on the aging process and heart health.

Read on to discover a quick review of what the gut microbiome actually is and what these two new studies have uncovered.

What is the Gut Microbiome, and How Does it Affect Health?

Trillions of microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other tiny organisms) exist inside your body. These microbes mainly live on your skin and in a pocket of your large intestine. Together, the microbes that live in your large intestine are known as the gut microbiome.

If the thought of “gut bacteria” is disturbing, know this: The bacteria in your gut help many of your body’s systems run smoothly. Sure, some “bad” species of bacteria can cause negative health conditions. But many “good” species support essential systems, like your immune health, brain health, and intestinal health.

Two characteristics of a healthy microbiome are: • It is diverse, meaning that it contains a vast variety of bacteria species.

• It is stable, meaning the “good” and “bad” bacteria are balanced.

The bacteria in your gut play a huge role in your health. Scientists are continuously discovering new ways that your gut bacteria affect other systems in your body: • Your immune system’s response to illness • How your brain functions • How your intestines function • Your blood sugar • Your body weight And now, two new 2020 studies have uncovered two possible additional places where your gut bacteria affect your overall health. While these are both epidemiological studies, have some weaknesses in their design, and do not show clear cause and effect, the evidence appears to show that gut bacteria affect:

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September 2020

50plus LIFE

• H ow fast your body ages. Gut microbiome diversity (or lack thereof) has been linked to rapid signs of frailty and aging.

• Y our risk of heart conditions. An unbalanced gut microbiome may contribute to heart health problems by producing a chemical called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO).

Your gut microbiome, like the rest of your body, progressively changes as you age. These changes may be caused by weakened immunity, medications, environment, lifestyle, or diet.

After age 60, the microbiome may decrease in diversity; lose beneficial microbes, like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium; and increase in “bad” populations, like enterobacteria.

In older people, these changes have been linked to rapid signs of frailty, weight loss, cognitive decline, and aging.

Can Diet Reconfigure Gut Bacteria and Help Slow Aging?

If changes in the microbiome can cause markers of aging, is there anything you can do to reverse it? One recent study says “yes.” This study, published in the journal Gut, found that diet may reconfigure gut bacteria in a way that promotes healthy aging.

The study specifically looked at the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet). The MedDiet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and nuts.

It includes less red meat and dairy than a typical American diet.

Researchers found that subjects who adhered to this diet for 12 months were able to alter the makeup of their microbiome for the better. These microbiome changes led to markers of lower frailty, supported cognitive health, and other benefits.

While the study specifically looked at the MedDiet, it has broader implications: Changing your diet may change your gut microbiome. And changing your gut microbiome may help promote healthier aging.

How Might Gut Bacteria Affect Heart Health?

The second study, published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, looked at a specific gut substance called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO is produced in the gut when certain bacteria digest red meat.

Previous research has pointed to a strong short-term association between high levels of TMAO and heart health problems.

This new research was able to use data from a large longitudinal study to show how TMAO and cardiovascular health are linked in the long term.

The data they looked at was collected over 10 years. The study found an apparent link between increased TMAO levels and heart health issues.

It also found the inverse: decreasing levels of TMAO may contribute to a reduced risk of heart conditions. And it is possible to decrease your body’s TMAO by altering your diet. www.50plusLifePA.com

Both of these studies found that altering your diet can affect your gut’s microbiome, which in turn may positively affect aging and heart health.

Interested in using this new research to your advantage? There are plenty of changes you can make on your own to support your gut health.

Eat fermented foods. Naturally fermented foods contain live microorganisms that may help strengthen your gut’s microbiome. A few good choices of fermented foods to add to your diet are: plain yogurt, kombucha, kefir, miso, tempeh, sauerkraut, and kimchi.

Eat a diverse range of healthy foods. Again, one major takeaway from both of these recent studies is the connection between your diet and your gut bacteria. That is, your diet directly affects the strains of bacteria in your gut, and eating a diverse diet may lead to a diverse microbiome.

So, go ahead and change up the types of foods you eat. Your gut will thank you. But this doesn’t mean eat whatever you want. Make sure you’re getting plenty of whole, natural foods like fruits and vegetables. Unhealthy, processed foods can really take a toll on your gut microbiome and have the reverse effect.

Limit artificial sweeteners. Some artificial sweeteners may stimulate the growth of unhealthy bacteria. This may change the composition or balance of your microbiome. If you intend to use an artificial sweetener, limited use of erythritol and stevia appear to have no negative impact on your gut microbiome or overall health.

Go heavy on high-fiber foods. Your body can’t actually digest fiber. But it can be digested by the millions of strains of bacteria in your gut that feed your microbiome.

So, one way to help keep your gut happy and healthy is to load up on highfiber foods, such as: • Fruits, like strawberries and raspberries • Vegetables, like beets, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts • Beans and legumes, like kidney beans, lentils, and chickpeas • Grains, like oats and quinoa

Take a probiotic supplement. Probiotics are live microorganisms that can change the composition of your microbiome. You can get probiotics from your diet, such as fermented foods. But many people opt for supplements if they find they aren’t getting the probiotics they need from diet alone.

Supplements can introduce important species of healthy bacteria, like Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium.

Be sure to consult your doctor if you plan to change your diet or add supplements to your routine. Certain bacteria can affect your gut microbiome differently from others. Your healthcare provider can help give you specific recommendations.

Dr. Rand McClain, an expert in restorative and regenerative health, is the co-founder of LCR Health, a regenerative and sports-medicine clinic in Santa Monica, Calif.

• Nuts and seeds, like almonds and chia seeds

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Eat prebiotic foods. Prebiotic foods feed the healthy bacteria in your gut. A few ideas for prebiotic foods to add to your diet are: dandelion greens, chicory root, garlic, onions, asparagus, cocoa, and flaxseeds.

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Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

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Budgeting for Falls, Other Age-Related Healthcare Costs

By Chris Holbert For most Americans, healthcare is the largest expense they have to deal with in retirement, after housing and transportation.

But predicting what turns your health could take as you age is impossible. Who can predict a slip and fall in the shower or another health emergency that has lasting repercussions? Almost a quarter of U.S. adults have no retirement savings, but after age 80, half of seniors suffer falls annually.

Even people who have been saving diligently can run into problems once they retire if they haven’t planned for the expenses of healthcare, adapting their homes for mobility challenges, and other needs that are part of aging.

These are two things that aging adults should keep top of mind when budgeting for retirement that many people might not think about until it’s too late.

Fall Prevention Awareness Week Sept. 23–29

Home Adaptations: As you age, your mobility tends to be reduced. Joints become stiff with arthritis, and doing simple things like climbing stairs, holding heavy objects over your head, bending, and reaching for items can become very difficult.

Balance can also diminish with aging. And, injuries or health conditions could lead to needing mobility aids like canes, walkers, and wheelchairs.

Aging adults should do an audit of their homes to identify changes that might need to be made as mobility is reduced over the years.

Doorways may need to be widened for wheelchair access, steps in showers might need to be eliminated, and grab bars may need to be installed in showers and around toilets. Flooring may also need to be changed if old, loose rugs pose tripping hazards.

Having a contractor or handyman with experience in renovating homes for seniors provide recommendations and an estimate years before the work really needs to be done can help seniors to budget and set aside savings if future changes are required.

Safety Technology: Smart home devices are no longer just about the

convenience of turning the lights on and off without getting up or adjusting the thermostat from a phone app. There are a variety of connected healthcare devices that can make life easier for aging adults while also ensuring their safety.

One example is connected prescription dispensers.

A month of prescription pills can be loaded into the machine, and it will dispense them as scheduled and in the right dosage, so seniors, caregivers, and family members know medication is being taken as directed.

There are also smart home senior-monitoring systems that will alert family or caregivers if a health emergency is detected or if environmental factors within the home could be unsafe.

For mobile seniors, there are also mPERS devices.

Mobile Personal Emergency Response Systems are like the buttons seniors can wear and press if they fall and need medical assistance but are unable to reach a phone. mPERS devices work inside and away from the home, even when traveling.

All of these examples of safety technology have benefits and can help ensure the safety and securing of aging adults, but only if monthly service fees have been planned for ahead of time.

While it is impossible to know how healthcare needs will change over time, it is better to prepare early and make changes that will accommodate limited mobility.

Being ready for the unknown and planning and preparing for it over time will make any health complications that may occur in the future easier to deal with and less of a stress financially, emotionally, and physically.

Chris Holbert is the CEO of SecuraTrac (www.securatrac.com), leading the company’s vision of developing, marketing, and selling a suite of mobile health and safety solutions that brings families closer together and improves employee safety through state-of-the-art, location-based services and mobile health technology.

Tales from page 21 urgent. We continued the tour with Saleem inspecting a few sticks and stones and some blades of grass here and there. He seemed to be very aware of his goal, for he did not tarry long.

We must have walked another 4 or 5 yards when he stopped suddenly.

“Come, let us hurry,” I said, anxious that his mother would start worrying if we stayed away too long. But instead of moving, the child bent down and picked a small leaf. He sniffed at it a couple of times and then pulled me down and held it to my nose.

It was “his mint,” of course. His eyes shone bright with the pleasure of experiencing the smell and the satisfaction he derived from sharing his find. Watching the small face beaming with pleasure, a lump rose in my throat ever so slowly.

The small cluster of mint just happened to be there on the sidewalk outside the fence of a neighbor. No one had planted it. And I said to

24

September 2020

50plus LIFE

myself, God had arranged for it to grow there to give a little child the pleasure of discovering it, experiencing its fragrance, and the joy of sharing it with others.

And then the realization came to me that God had arranged for that mint to grow in that particular place, not only for the child, but also for me to see it through the child’s eyes — to feel the pure pleasure of experiencing something with no thought of gain or loss, nor the greed for possession or the need for comments.

“I walked with him and I talked with him …” The lines from the Christian hymn kept playing in my head over and over again.

If this wasn’t “walking with God,” then what was?

Meena is the author of a series of stories for children called Tumbledown Tales.

Her work can be found on Amazon.com.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Harness Your Housing Wealth No time like the present to take a fresh look at finances for 2020 and beyond.

Many seniors are finding that costs in retirement are greater than they anticipated. The mortgage with an affordable payment when you were working and in your 60s is not as affordable now, 15–20 years later.

What would life be like without a mortgage payment? Would eliminating your payment soften the stress and financial demands of the golden years?

According to Don Graves, president of the Institute for Housing Wealth Studies, there are more than $6 trillion in senior home equity.

Harnessing your housing wealth and putting it to work for you is a way to improve your lifestyle, provide for longevity, and have more reverse mortgage options.

A reverse mortgage is a financial tool that can extinguish your mortgage, if you have one, or provide access to a portion of your housing

wealth if you don’t have a mortgage.

The loan proceeds are not taxable and may be used for any purpose.

For homeowners Rob Miller, President who are 62 and over, have substantial equity, and would like to access a portion of that housing wealth without a mortgage payment, a reverse mortgage may be the right choice.

Of course, property taxes and homeowners insurance must continue to be paid, but in certain cases, the lender will pay them for you.

Explore your options! Give me a call so we can discuss the details of your particular situation.

Call Rob Miller, nmls No. 142151, President of Glendale Mortgage, nmls No. 127720, and Reverse Mortgage Specialist, to learn more.

(610) 853-6500 or (888) 456-0988 RMiller@GlendaleMortgage.com, www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

Relax.

Let Your Home Work for You.

n NO MONTHLY MORTGAGE PAYMENTS REQUIRED. LOAN IS DUE WHEN YOU MOVE OUT PERMANENTLY, SELL THE HOME, OR PASS AWAY.

If you are at least 62 years old and own your own home, a reverse mortgage may be a useful financial tool. There’s no limitations to how you use the money, so you can cover medical expenses, fund education for your grandchildren, or any other reason.

n NON-RECOURSE: NEVER OWE MORE THAN WHAT THE HOME IS WORTH*

With a reverse mortgage, you can access the equity in your home without having to make monthly mortgage payments. The loan would come due when you sell the home, move out permanently, or pass away.

n PAYMENT DISBURSEMENT OPTIONS BASED ON YOUR NEEDS

Call us today to see if you qualify!

* If the heirs choose not to repay the loan and the home is foreclosed, they will not be liable for any deficiency.

Glendale Mortgage nmls 127720 is an Equal Housing Lender.

Some products and services may not be available in all states.

Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. If you qualify we will reimburse you for the cost of the appraisal at closing. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.

Licensed by the |Pennsylvania Department of Banking, State of Delaware Bank Commissioner, and the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

ROB MILLER, nmls #142151

President, HECM Mortgage Specialist

Direct: 610.853.6500 Toll Free: 888.456.0988 RMiller@GlendaleMortgage.com

Why Newspapers?

84%

of Baby Boomers have taken action as a result of seeing an ad in a print newspaper in the past 30 days.2

Your Choice. Our Privilege.

We believe the care people receive makes a difference in their lives. It is our privilege to care for you and your loved ones.

Because in print or online, newspapers are

the most trusted source of news and information among all age groups.1

A CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

1901 N 5th St., Harrisburg

717-221-7900 www.HomelandCenter.org To advertise your products and services, call 717-285-1350 or email info@onlinepub.com Sources: 1Coda Ventures; 2NAA

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2300 Vartan Way, Harrisburg

717-857-7400 www.HomelandatHome.org

Homeland Hospice … A Toast to the 10th … An Encore for More!

Join us on NOV. 10th | HomelandHospice.org/10years

Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

25

Melinda’s Garden

Melinda Myers

Preserve Your Garden Produce for Delicious Winter Meals

All your hard work is paying off with a bountiful harvest. Fresh produce is filling your garden, countertops, and refrigerator while the garden keeps producing more.

Preserve some of your harvest to enjoy throughout the winter with some tried-and-true or updated variations of food-preservation techniques.

Herbs Hanging bundles of herbs to dry is a longtime practice that works. Harvest herbs in the morning just after the dew has dried off the leaves. Rinse, allow them to dry, and remove any damaged or dried leaves.

Gather the dry herbs into small bundles and secure with a rubber band. Use a spring-type clothespin to hang the bundles from a clothesline or hanger in a warm, dry, airy place out of direct sunlight.

A modern twist on this tradition is the spacesaving Stack!t Herb Drying Rack (gardeners.com) hung from the ceiling. You will be able to dry large quantities of herbs in any narrow, out-of-the-way space.

Photo courtesy of Gardener’s Supply Company

Orchard Rack

Veggie Harvesting Extend the life, flavor, and nutritional value of squash with proper harvesting and storage. Only store blemish- and damage-free fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of mold and decay developing during storage.

Harvest zucchini when the fruit is 6–8 inches long and scalloped squash when 3–6 inches in diameter. Store these in a plastic bag inside the vegetable crisper drawer in your refrigerator for several days.

Wait to harvest winter squash when the fruit is full sized and the rinds are firm and glossy. The portion touching the ground turns from cream to orange

Did you know?

when the fruit is ripe. Use a pruner to harvest the fruit, leaving a 1-inch stem on each fruit.

Cure all winter squash, except for acorn, in a warm, humid location. Then move to a cool, dry, well-ventilated area to store for several months.

In the past, gardeners stored these, potatoes, onions, and fruit in wooden racks that maximized storage space and allowed air to reach each layer of produce. An updated version, Gardener’s Supply Orchard Rack, adds convenient drawers to this traditional storage system.

Boost your cabbage harvest with this trick.

Remove firm, full-sized heads but leave the lower ring of leaves and roots intact. The plant will form several smaller heads.

Harvest cucumbers based on how you plan to use them. Pick the fruit when it is 1.5–2.5 inches long if you plan on making sweet pickles.

Allow the cucumbers to grow a bit bigger, 3–4 inches, if dill pickles are on the menu. Harvest those for slicing when the skin is firm and bright green and the fruit is 6–9 inches long.

is available online for anytime/anywhere reading!

Storage and Preservation Turn a portion of your harvest into something delicious. Fermentation is a relatively easy preservation technique used for thousands of years. Preserve some of your cucumbers as pickles, cabbage as sauerkraut, and berries as preserves with fermentation.

Store fermented fruits and vegetables in a cool, dark place or extend their shelf life by canning the finished product. For most projects, you just need the fruit or vegetables, water, salt, and spices.

The desired ingredients are placed in a covered vessel, like Gardener’s Supply Fermentation Crock. Weights are used to keep the fruit and vegetables submerged in water throughout the fermentation process.

If your garden is still producing when frost is in the forecast, extend the harvest season. Cold frames and cloches are tried-and-true techniques used for extending the growing season.

A modern method employs floating row covers. These spun fabrics allow air, light, and water through while protecting plants from frosty conditions.

Cover the plantings and anchor the fabric in place. Lift to harvest and enjoy several more weeks and even months of garden-fresh produce.

Select the storage and preservation methods that work best for your garden produce, growing location, and lifestyle. Once you enjoy homegrown produce in winter meals, you will start growing more produce to eat fresh, share, and preserve.

www.50plusLIFEPA.com 26

September 2020

50plus LIFE

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses’ How to Grow Anything DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV and radio program. www. melindamyers.com, www.longfield-gardens.com

www.50plusLifePA.com

Social Security News

Reaching Social Security during the Pandemic

By John Johnston

During the current coronavirus pandemic, we continue to provide help to you and other people in your communities.

While our offices are not providing service to walkin visitors due to COVID-19, we remain ready and able to help you by phone with most Social Security business. You can speak with a representative by calling your local Social Security office or our national 800 number: (800) 772-1213.

You can find local office phone numbers online by using our Social Security Office Locator at www.ssa. gov/locator.

We offer many secure and convenient online services at www.ssa.gov/onlineservices, where you can:

• R equest a replacement Social Security card (in most areas) • Print a benefit verification letter Although you can do most of your business with us online, we know that service channel isn’t right for everyone. You can still count on us by phone.

If you have a critical situation and we cannot help you by phone or online, we may be able to schedule an appointment for you.

If you need help, please don’t wait until we can see you in person. Call us now and get the help you need.

We also understand that getting medical and other documentation can be difficult due to the pandemic, so we are continuing to extend certain deadlines wherever possible.

• A pply for retirement, disability, and Medicare benefits • Check the status of an application or appeal

John Johnston is a Social Security public affairs specialist.

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www.50plusLifePA.com

info.251@GoArmstrong.com

50plus LIFE

• Mackinac Island & Michigan Highlights........ Oct. 3-9 • Autumn in the Smoky Mountains. ................ Oct. 5-8 • Foxwoods Casino............................................Oct. 7-9 • Christmas at the Biltmore.................. Nov. 30-Dec. 3 • Christmas in VA & Williamsburg Grand Illumination........................................Dec. 4-7 • Nantucket Noel & Newport...........................Dec. 4-7 • Norman Rockwell Christmas.........................Dec. 5-7 • Niagara Falls Festival of Lights....................Dec. 7-9 • Key West & Florida Circle................Feb. 14-24, 2021 • Atlantic City Casino/Show package...........................................Mar. 17-18, 2021 • Nashville, Memphis & New Orleans................................... Mar. 19-28, 2021 • Southern Spring Fling. .................. Mar. 19-28, 2021 • International Tattoo........................ Apr. 18-21, 2021 • Creation Museum & Ark Encounter.................................. Apr. 21-24, 2021 • The Great Steamboat Race.............Apr. 25-29, 2021 • Biltmore Festival of Flowers. ..........Apr. 26-30, 2021 • Boston Spring Getaway. ...........Apr. 30-May 2, 2021

ONE-DAY TOURS • Bronx Zoo......................................................Sept. 26 • Flight 93 & Quecreek Mine...........................Sept. 30 • Holocaust Museum & Arlington........................Oct. 3 • Horseshoe Curve Train..................................Oct. 3, 7 • Pocono Fall Foliage & Train. ............................Oct. 9 • Potomac Eagle Train.......................................Oct. 10 • Riverboats & Railways. ...................................Oct. 10 • Fallingwater & Flight 93.................................Oct. 15 • Peddler’s Village Apple Fest............................Nov. 7 • New York...................Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28, Dec. 2, 9, 16 • King of Prussia...............................................Nov. 18 • Mt. Vernon Candlelight..................................Nov. 28 • Cape May Victorian Christmas. ........................Dec. 3 • Longwood Gardens at Christmas..................... Dec. 4 • Dickens of a Christmas.....................................Dec. 5 • Christmas Carol at Ford’s Theatre. ................ Dec. 10 • Christmas Mansions & Moshulu..................... Dec. 11 • Winterthur, Brandywine & Longwood........... Dec. 11

For information or reservations: 717-569-1111 2020 catalog available, or visit our website: www.conestogatours.com

Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

27

The Reel Deal

The Glorias Randal Hill

“The truth will set you free. But first it will piss you off.”

– Gloria Steinem

us Gloria Steinem as a mature activist and celebrity spokeswoman of the 1970s and beyond.

On each leg of the story’s journey, Taymor offers vivid details of Steinem’s life. Timothy Hutton portrays Steinem’s happy-go-lucky father, Leo, who helps to At last: a worthy biopic on the life of one of the hold the family together — Steinem has an older sister primary movers and shakers of the women’s liberation — while homemaker mother Ruth is trapped in a movement. spiral of depression and anxiety.

Premiering in January 2020 at the Sundance Film Steinem learns that her mother once wrote a Festival, Julie Taymor’s The Glorias received three newspaper column but had to hide the fact that she standing ovations at the prestigious gathering. was a woman by writing under a pseudonym.

Later, Ms. magazine co-founder Gloria Steinem Steinem becomes a writer herself and lands a plum enthused, “Telling my story in Julie Taymor’s genius job with the New York Times. But her editor insists movie carries my hope that we all have a right to tell that she compose only fluffy fashion pieces when not our stories.” busy brewing the office coffee. (Steinem quits after her The film showcases four stages in the icon’s life. boss invites her to a hotel room.)

Young Ryan Kiera Armstrong portrays Steinem as Her next stop is at Show magazine, where in 1963 Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore a child growing up in provincial 1940s Ohio. Lula Gloria Steinem speaking with supporters at the she goes undercover as a Playboy bunny and later Wilson is Steinem as a teenager, and Alicia Vikander Women Together Arizona Summit in 2016 at writes “A Bunny’s Tale” about the wretched conditions plays Steinem as a young woman.

Carpenters Local Union in Phoenix, Ariz. that women who work there must endure.

Finally, the incomparable Julianne Moore brings In an attempt to draw attention away from her good looks, the strikingly attractive Steinem adopts a parted-in-the-middle hairstyle and tinted aviator glasses. However, this isn’t always successful: On one TV talk show, the leering host comments on Steinem’s “sex object” looks, then asks her why she’s not married.

She becomes a “name” after she covers an important abortion speak-out in 1969 for New York Magazine.

Steinem then graduates to speaking engagements and connects with other Making her way into the women — of all races and classes — involved in the feminist movement. In spotlight this week is Peep! This the story, we are also privy to the down-and-dirty backroom politics of the special lady has been here since nascent movement.

May, and we just can’t figure out Based upon Steinem’s 2015 book My Life on the Road and scripted by why.

Taymor and playwright Sarah Ruhl, The Glorias releases in September.

Peep is only 3 years old, and

Pet of the Month

Peep

she has the most gorgeous tabby markings. This sweetheart loves nothing more than being with her people and chatting about her day.

Nothing is better than a good lap to lie in, in her opinion, and she could lounge there forever getting pets or being brushed — she loves looking her best!

Peep does have allergies that will need to be monitored with your personal veterinarian. She isn’t worried, though: Peep knows her next family will keep her looking fabulous and keep her supply of food fully stocked.

If you’ve been looking for a sweet, chatty lady to make your life complete, come to the Humane League to meet Peep today!

Peep’s ID number is 226543. Please send your application to adoptlancaster@humanepa.org, or give the shelter a call at (717) 393-6551 to learn more about this cutie pie!

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September 2020

50plus LIFE

Randal C. Hill enjoys getting sneak peeks of forthcoming movies from his home on the Oregon coast. He can be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

“Like” us on Facebook to receive a free 6-month subscription!

Plus, you’ll receive event updates, story links, and more!

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Same great events, but they’re online . . .

UPDATE – Events Now Going Virtual!

Virtually!

Entertainment • Live Videos Seminars • Demonstrations

Capital Area • Lebanon • York

21st Annual

Sept. 15-30

Lancaster Nov. 7-22

—— Jobs717.com ——

Safe a Effect nd ive

Oct. 1–4, 2020 NOrTHErN LANCASTEr COUNTy

18th Annual

Veterans (of all ages), the military community, and their families are invited to this free event!

Oct. 15–18, 2020 yOrK COUNTy

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

21st Annual

Oct. 22–25, 2020

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

CUMBErLAND COUNTy 17th Annual

Nov. 5–8, 2020 CHESTEr COUNTy 24th Annual

At the Expo

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

Nov. 19–22, 2020

At the Job Fair

LANCASTEr COUNTy

Jobseekers can check out various opportunities available and connect with employers about those potential positions.

——— Sponsored By ——— Health & Wellness Sponsor:

Principal Sponsors:

Expo Guide Sponsors:

Principal Sponsors:

Marketing Sponsors:

Media Sponsor:

Seminar Sponsors: Bellomo and Associates Capital BlueCross Highmark Blue Shield VIBRA

Co-Host: Lancaster County Office of Aging Visitor Bag Sponsors: Independence Blue Cross OSS Health Media Sponsors:

Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available

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

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(717) 285-1350 or email info@50plusEXPOPA.com

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th

Brought to you by:

50plus LIFE

Supporting Sponsors: Bath Fitter Highmark Blue Shield Menno Haven Retirement Communities Orthopedic Institute of PA UPMC Pinnacle

25 th

Brought to you by:

Hosted by: and

Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

29

Pennsylvania Ranks 33rd in Study Identifying Safest States

By The Center Square Pennsylvania came in 33rd highest in a new study by WalletHub that examines safety risks facing residents of each of the 50 states, based on five key dimensions.

Pennsylvania earned a total score of 46.45 in the study by the personal finances website, with the maximum score set at 100.

Examples of safety risks in the analysis included health concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and fears about natural disasters, terrorism, and road safety.

In the “Personal & Residential Safety” category, the state received a rank of 23 , and in the “Financial Safety” grouping, the state earned the rank of 31st.

On the issue of traffic safety, the state ranked 29th.

The WalletHub analysis also ranked states in the categories of workplace safety and emergency preparedness.

The study examined safety issues in each state by looking at 53 indicators within the five broad categories. Indicators included coronavirus aid, assaults per capita, and the state’s overall jobless rate. rd

State Rankings Based on Personal Safety Issues Overall Rank (1 = Safest) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

30

State

Total Score

Maine Vermont Minnesota Utah Wyoming Iowa Massachusetts New Hampshire Connecticut Rhode Island Washington Oregon Hawaii New Jersey Virginia Maryland Indiana North Dakota Wisconsin Idaho Delaware Michigan New York Kentucky Arizona North Carolina Nevada New Mexico Alaska Nebraska California West Virginia Pennsylvania Illinois Ohio Colorado Kansas Montana Tennessee South Dakota South Carolina Georgia Alabama Missouri Oklahoma Texas Arkansas Florida Louisiana Mississippi

66.02 65.48 62.42 61.71 59.21 59.21 58.84 58.82 58.81 58.15 57.53 56.99 55.89 53.71 53.29 52.32 52.20 51.83 51.71 51.20 50.83 50.83 50.40 50.37 50.33 49.88 49.78 49.64 48.52 47.60 47.37 46.88 46.45 45.92 45.29 44.45 44.41 44.07 43.70 43.33 41.46 40.91 40.22 40.12 37.45 36.61 36.14 34.63 32.53 32.00

September 2020

50plus LIFE

‘Personal & Residential Safety’ Rank 1 2 11 21 6 3 10 7 4 8 34 26 22 9 29 30 19 5 20 24 13 45 12 15 42 16 48 38 50 14 46 18 23 33 36 39 28 31 47 27 44 25 32 37 35 40 49 41 43 17

Source: WalletHub.com

‘Financial Safety’ Rank

‘Road Safety’ Rank

‘Workplace Safety’ Rank

20 7 4 13 15 3 1 10 17 26 9 21 8 23 14 22 33 2 19 16 37 28 24 43 32 25 40 45 30 6 27 34 31 41 46 5 18 12 38 11 39 50 35 29 47 36 42 44 49 48

1 10 3 7 16 4 2 22 23 6 20 18 43 28 21 19 24 5 15 11 17 26 8 35 48 39 45 49 37 13 42 31 29 9 14 40 12 27 33 25 46 44 36 38 32 30 41 47 34 50

22 14 1 4 20 10 30 43 24 39 12 9 21 23 2 15 11 50 34 47 40 13 32 16 7 6 3 5 18 38 17 45 31 25 26 42 27 41 8 49 19 28 33 29 46 37 35 44 36 48

‘Emergency Preparedness’ Rank 1 9 21 6 22 44 10 4 16 11 8 13 5 24 31 23 29 37 18 17 14 15 28 30 7 43 3 12 2 40 19 20 27 34 26 25 47 33 36 39 38 35 46 41 45 48 32 42 49 50

www.50plusLifePA.com

What Seniors Can Expect as ‘New Normal’ in Post-Vaccine World

By Bruce Horovitz, Kaiser Health News Imagine this scenario, perhaps a year or two in the future: An effective COVID-19 vaccine is routinely available and the world is moving forward. Life, however, will likely never be the same — particularly for people over 60.

That is the conclusion of geriatric medical doctors, aging experts, futurists, and industry specialists.

Experts say that in the aftermath of the pandemic, everything will change, from the way older folks receive healthcare to how they travel and shop.

Also overturned: their work life and relationships with one another.

“In the past few months, the entire world has had a near-death experience,” said Ken Dychtwald, CEO of Age Wave, a think tank on aging around the world.

“We’ve been forced to stop and think: ‘I could die or someone I love could die.’ When those events happen, people think about what matters and what they will do differently.”

Older adults are uniquely vulnerable because their immune systems tend to deteriorate with age, making it so much harder for them to battle not just COVID-19, but all infectious diseases.

They are also more likely to suffer other health conditions, such as heart and respiratory diseases, that make it tougher to fight or recover from illness.

So it’s no surprise that even in the future, when a COVID-19 vaccine is widely available — and widely used — most seniors will be taking additional precautions.

“Before COVID-19, baby boomers” — those born after 1945 but before 1965 — “felt reassured that with all the benefits of modern medicine, they could live for years and years,” said Dr. Mehrdad Ayati, who teaches geriatric medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and advises the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.

“What we never calculated was that a pandemic could totally change the dialogue.”

It has. Here’s a preview of post-vaccine life for older Americans: Medical Care Time to learn telemed. Only 62% of people over 75 use the internet — and fewer than 28% are comfortable with social media, according to data from the Pew Research Center.

“That’s lethal in the modern age of healthcare,” Dychtwald said, so there will be a drumbeat to make them fluent users of online healthcare.

Dr. Ronan Factora, a geriatrician at Cleveland Clinic, said he saw no patients age 60 and up via telemedicine before the pandemic. He predicted that by the time a COVID-19 vaccine is available, at least a third of those visits will be virtual.

Older patients likely will see their doctors more often than once a year for a checkup and benefit from improved overall healthcare, he said.

Many doctors instead of just one. More regular remote care will be www.50plusLifePA.com

50plus LIFE

bolstered by a team of doctors, said Greg Poland, professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Mayo Clinic.

The team model “allows me to see more patients more efficiently,” he said. “If everyone has to come to the office and wait for the nurse to bring them in from the waiting room, well, that’s an inherent drag on my productivity.”

Drugstores will do more vaccinations. To avoid the germs in doctors’ offices, older patients will prefer to go to drugstores for regular vaccinations, such as flu shots, Factora said.

Your plumbing will be your doctor. In the not-too-distant future — perhaps just a few years from now — older Americans will have special devices at home to regularly analyze urine and fecal samples, Dychtwald said, letting them avoid the doctor’s office.

Travel Punch up Google Maps. Many trips of 800 miles or less will likely become road trips instead of flights, said Ed Perkins, a syndicated travel columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

Perkins, who is 90, said that’s certainly what he plans to do — even after there’s a vaccine.

Regional and local travel will replace foreign travel. Dychtwald, who is 70, said he will be much less inclined to travel abroad. For example, he said, onetime plans with his wife to visit India are now unlikely, even if a good vaccine is available, because they want to avoid large concentrations of people.

That said, each year only 25% of people 65 and up travel outside the U.S. annually, vs. 45% of the general population, according to a survey by Visa.

The most popular trip for seniors: visiting grandchildren.

Demand for business class will grow. When older travelers (who are financially able) choose to fly, they will more frequently book roomy businessclass seats because they won’t want to sit too close to other passengers, Factora said.

And older couples who fly together — and have the money — will pay for all three seats so no one is between them, Perkins said.

Hotels will market medical care. Medical capability will be built into more travel options, Dychtwald said. For example, some hotels will advertise a doctor on-site — or one close by.

“The era is over of being removed from healthcare and feeling comfortable,” he said.

Disinfecting will be a sales pitch. Expect a rich combination of health please see New Normal page 36

Serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community for 25 years. September 2020

31

Tinseltown Talks

Nick Thomas

Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020) – The End of an Era

post-Hollywood life, and was handIt’s a sobering thought for fans of signed in her glorious flowing script. classic film. The passing of Olivia de In it, she shared some memories of Havilland in late July, just three weeks th the Aussie co-star with whom she was after her 104 birthday July 1, represents the loss of the last surviving big-screen frequently cast. legend from Hollywood’s Golden Age of De Havilland and Flynn (1909-59) were one of the most popular on-screen the 1930s. couples during the early classic film While other actors are still with us who were indeed active in film during era. The pair worked together in eight the ’30s, de Havilland was truly the last movies from 1935 to 1941 and appeared A-list star from that era whose name in separate scenes in a ninth film, Thank Your Lucky Stars, in 1943. could be bundled with the likes of Flynn, of course, continued to Bogart, Gable, Hepburn, and so many be sensationalized by the press and others. They are simply now all gone. authors long after his death. Was he While I never had the chance to interview de Havilland directly, she mischaracterized, I asked her?

“His roguish reputation was very did answer some questions by mail in Photo credit: Warner Bros.

2009 for a story I was preparing for the well deserved, as he more than candidly Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn in revealed in his remarkable autobiography, Washington Post on the centenary of The Adventures of Robin Hood My Wicked, Wicked Ways,” she wrote.

Errol Flynn’s birth.

“However, through this very same book, we also know that he was a The letter arrived by FedEx from France, where she lived for most of her reflective person — sensitive, idealistic, vulnerable, and questing. But I think he has been incompletely represented by the press: It vulgarized his adventures with the opposite sex and seldom, if ever, touched upon or emphasized the other facets of his life.”

Despite his popularity, Flynn was never recognized for his acting with even an Oscar nomination (de Havilland was nominated five times and won twice).

Was that an oversight, I asked her?

Entry Form “Unfortunately, at the time when Errol enjoyed his greatest success, the adventure film, as a genre, was not sufficiently appreciated and therefore his appearances therein were not as highly regarded as they might,” she explained.

Name “However, I do feel he played his roles with unmatchable verve, conviction, and style. In doing so, he inherited the mantle of Douglas Fairbanks Sr., who Date of Birth Title of Entry was my favorite film star. No one since Errol has worn that mantle; it is buried with him.”

Address I was also curious if she ran into Flynn after their time together on screen.

She said that happened only on three occasions, the last one at the Beverly Address Line 2 Hilton’s Costumers Ball two years before his death.

“Quite unexpectedly, while I was talking to friends during the cocktail City State Zip hour, Errol left his own group and asked if he could take me to dinner,” she recalled. “He seated me on his immediate right and, soon joined by others, Email took on the role of gracious host with everyone on his left — all the ladies — while I did my best to entertain the gentleman on my right.”

Is Your Entry: Checklist: De Havilland’s letter concluded with a delightful postscript indicating a  Counted Words (no more than 300)  Essay longtime private ritual that she adhered to every year.  Is entry typed?  Poem “On June 20 (Flynn’s birthday), I raised a glass of champagne to Errol, as I  Narrative always do.”

Come next July, many classic film fans will likely repeat that ritual to honor Please include your writing with this form.

To read the Terms and Conditions, go to: Olivia, too.

Writing Challenge Showcase

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Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 800 magazines and newspapers.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Older but Not Wiser: Things that Annoy

By Sy Rosen As I’m getting older, I’ve become annoyed by more and more things. And yes, one of the main things annoying me is that I’m getting older.

Anyway, here are a few things that really bother me.

Maybe they bother you too. Or maybe you’re a better person than I am and don’t let these small, petty things get to you. If so, that really bothers me.

12. I hate that I sometimes count the number of people who would come to my funeral (and I pad the number).

13. I’m annoyed by the automatic flush in bathrooms. It’s like they don’t trust us to flush. And sometimes it flushes when we are not ready to flush.

I also hate that I am spending this much time talking about bathrooms.

1. I really hate dressing room mirrors in department stores. Aren’t they supposed to make you look better? Instead, the three-way mirror forces me to simultaneously see my turkey neck (which is growing), my bald spot (which is also growing), and my stomach (which has already grown).

14. Every time my cousin Mort visits, I give him a cup of coffee. Just before I pour, he looks in the cup to makes sure it’s clean. It’s always clean, but he always checks. It bothers me that I notice this.

It bothers me more that he does it.

2. It’s really annoying getting telemarketer calls for walk-in bathtubs, hearing aids, and dentures. When they call to sell me a hearing aid, I pretend I can’t hear them. It drives them crazy and gives me great joy.

3. I hate that as I’m getting older, I often repeat myself. I hate that as I’m getting older, I often repeat myself.

4. It’s very frustrating trying to separate coffee filters. It takes me forever.

At least I know what to tell people when they ask, “What did you do today?”

15. When I go on vacation, I keep thinking that the guy next to me got a better deal on the hotel.

I know I am being paranoid, but I also know that even paranoids are right sometimes.

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.

5. It’s really annoying that the first two levels of the parking structures for many medical buildings are now reserved for doctors. We’re the ones who are sick, so we should be closer to the entrance, not the doctors. If my doctor is reading this, I want to say that I’m not talking about you, I love you, and please keep saying that I don’t have to go on a diet.

The ultimate resource for boomer and senior living and care options.

6. The expiration dates on vitamin pill bottles are often so tiny that you can’t see them. This is particularly frustrating when they are vitamins to help bad eyesight.

7. It bothers me when I’m given an unasked-for senior discount. Yes, I know, I’m about 10 years older than what is needed for a senior discount, but it would still be nice to be “carded.”

8. I get annoyed at places that don’t give senior discounts. Yes, I know, this is inconsistent with the above.

9. I hate reading a novel that I really loved and then discovering that it’s a young adult novel. I also hate that this bothers me. After all, emotionally and psychologically, I’m still a young adult. It’s just my body that doesn’t agree with this assessment.

10. I really don’t like it when a waitress calls me “honey” or “hon.” It is condescending. I am not a “hon.” I am a mysterious, hot-blooded, fierce beast who only orders a low-cholesterol, nonfat, low-salt, high-fiber meal because I like it.

11. I hate that my latest hobby is reading the morning obits. It’s morbidly addictive as I look to see who I am doing better than. www.50plusLifePA.com

50plus LIFE

25th Annual Edition

25 th

Closing date: Nov. 1, 2020.

Street date: Jan. 2021 To be included in the 2021 edition of 50plus LIVING, call your marketing consultant, call (717) 285-1350, or email info@onlinepub.com

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Study: Combining Healthy Lifestyle Traits May Substantially Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

1

Combining healthier lifestyle behaviors was associated with substantially lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease in a study that included data from nearly 3,000 research participants.

Those who adhered to four or all of the five specified healthy behaviors were found to have a 60% lower risk of Alzheimer’s.

The behaviors were physical activity, not smoking, light-to-moderate alcohol consumption, a high-quality diet, and cognitive activities.

Funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, this research was published in the June 17 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

“This observational study provides more evidence on how a combination of modifiable behaviors may mitigate Alzheimer’s disease risk,” said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. “The findings strengthen the association between healthy behaviors and lower risk and add to the basis for controlled clinical trials to directly test the ability of interventions to slow or prevent development of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Copyright ©2020 PuzzleJunction.com The research team reviewed data from two NIA-funded longitudinal study populations: The Chicago Health and Aging Project and the Memory and Aging Project.

They selected participants from those studies who had data available on their diet, lifestyle factors, genetics, and clinical assessments for Alzheimer’s disease. The resulting data pool included 1,845 participants from CHAP and 920 from MAP. The researchers scored each participant based on five healthy lifestyle factors, all of which have important health benefits:

6 5 1 1 6

• D iet – Eating a high-quality, Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, which combines the Mediterranean diet and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, is beneficial.

The MIND diet focuses on plant-based foods linked to dementia prevention.

8 2

3 4 6

5 2 8 3

• L ight-to-moderate alcohol consumption – Limiting use of alcohol may help cognitive health.

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• E xercise – At least 150 minutes per week of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity is recommended.

• N ot smoking – Established research has confirmed that even in people 60 or older who have been smoking for decades, quitting will improve health.

• E ngagement in late-life cognitive activities – Being intellectually engaged by keeping the mind active may benefit the brain.

The research team then compared the scores with outcomes of clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in the CHAP and MAP participants.

Klodian Dhana, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center and lead author of the paper, emphasized that the combination of healthy lifestyle factors is key.

He wrote that compared to participants with no healthy lifestyle factors or just one, the risk of Alzheimer’s was 37% lower in those with two to three and 60% lower in those with four to five healthy lifestyle factors.

“This population-based study helps paint the picture of how multiple factors are likely playing parts in Alzheimer’s disease risk,” said Dallas Anderson, Ph.D., program director in the Division of Neuroscience at NIA. “It’s not a clear cause-and-effect result but a strong finding because of the dual data sets and combination of modifiable lifestyle factors that appear to lead to risk reduction.”

NIA is currently funding more than 230 active clinical trials on Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Of those, more than 100 are nondrug interventions, such as exercise, diet, cognitive training, sleep, orSolution combination therapies.

People interested in participating in clinical trials can find more Solution information on the NIA website (www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers).

Puzzles shown on page 12

Puzzle Solutions

Solution

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2 8 9 1 5 7 3 4 6

3 6 1 4 2 8 5 9 7

September 2020

7 5 4 6 9 3 1 2 8

8 1 6 7 4 9 2 3 5

9 2 7 3 6 5 8 1 4

5 4 3 8 1 2 7 6 9

4 7 8 2 3 6 9 5 1

50plus LIFE

1 9 2 5 7 4 6 8 3

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S A M O C A U M S E T D S A P R A T O R S P O E L P N E E E A T P R O S A W

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D N X I K U S T R A E L V J L

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R J D V Y N S J Y G W V E N S

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Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori

Preservation Tips for Paintings and Prints Lori Verderame

People love their collections. No matter the type of object — cookie jars, military memorabilia, fine art posters — collectors want to add to an existing collection, display their assembled objects, and learn more about their cherished treasures.

One of the most important and interesting aspects of collecting is preserving art, antiques, and collectibles for the long term. Many collections include family heirlooms or assembled collectibles that will be handed down to younger generations, so preserving a collection is very important.

Here are some key points about how to protect, preserve, and enjoy your collections.

Photo credit: Staff photographer, www.DrLoriV.com

Proper storage will protect your art collection.

Paintings Light is the real problem when it comes to the preservation of paintings and works on paper. UV protection using UV-filtered or opaque materials helps prevent fading and light damage.

One of the best ways to preserve fine art is investing in quality framing.

For an oil-on-canvas painting, a frame will protect both the stretcher and the canvas as well as give a finished look to the painting once it is on the wall.

Paintings exist best when kept out of direct sunlight and hung away from elements that may spark temperature and humidity changes, such as heaters, radiators, and air conditioners.

and size of collectible. Physical support is necessary for fragile objects, and storage containers, such as archival boxes, need to be constructed to stand the test of time.

What you put into a storage box along with an antique, such as acid-free tissue paper, is as important as the storage container.

One size does not fit all when it comes to archival storage.

Large paintings should be stored off the floor, preferably hanging up, even in storage locations. If there is no room for a hanging storage solution, then store large paintings standing upright in a closet or storage area.

While it may seem like a convenient place to store paintings, never lay please see Preservation page 37

Prints Prints require a different type of protection when it comes to framing and display. Prints and other works on paper — such as antique maps, historic documents, and the like — should be matted and framed under glass using materials that are free of acid.

Acid-free materials, such as mats and storage boxes, should have a pH level of 7.0 or greater, and the adhesives used in the framing of a fine art print should be pH neutral to protect fragile works on paper.

Some acid-free materials are made free of lignin, which can produce acid and darken paper; this process is known as acid burning or tanning. Avoid acid burning or tanning whenever possible.

Storage Some of the most critical damage that happens to art and antiques happens when objects are stored. Although it is little known, significant damage can occur during storage.

When you first put an antique object away in storage, everything is fine, but over time, changes in temperature and humidity can occur. When no one is looking, other effects may take place that will impact the condition and value of an antique or collection.

It is important to store objects in archival boxes intended for a certain type www.50plusLifePA.com

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New Normal from page 31 and safety “theater” — particularly on cruises that host many older travelers, Perkins said: “Employees will be wandering around with disinfecting fogs and wiping everything 10 times.”

for older Americans, and in-person shopping will become much less common, Factora said.

Cruises will require proof of vaccination. Passengers — as well as cruise employees — will likely have to prove they’ve been vaccinated before traveling, Factora said.

Older workers will stay home. The 60-and-up workforce increasingly will be reluctant to work anywhere but from home and will be very slow to reembrace grocery shopping.

“Instacart delivery will become the new normal for them,” Dychtwald said.

Eating/Shopping Local eateries will gain trust. Neighborhood and small-market restaurants will draw loyal customers — mainly because they know and trust the owners, said Christopher Muller, a hospitality professor at Boston University.

Gatherings Forced social distancing. Whenever or wherever large families gather, people exhibiting COVID-like symptoms may not be welcomed under any circumstances, Ayati said.

Safety will be a bragging point. To appeal to older diners in particular, restaurants will prominently display safety-inspection signage and visibly signal their cleanliness standards, Muller said.

They will even hire employees exclusively to wipe down tables, chairs, and all high-touch points — and these employees will be easy to identify and very visible.

Older folks will disengage, at a cost. Depression will skyrocket among older people who isolate from family get-togethers and large gatherings, Ayati said.

“As the older population pulls back from engaging in society, this is a very bad thing.”

Home Life The homecoming. Because of so many COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, more seniors will leave assisted living facilities and nursing homes to move in with their families, Factora said.

“Families will generally move closer together,” he said.

The fortress. Home delivery of almost everything will become the norm

Public restrooms will be revamped. For germ avoidance, they’ll increasingly get no-touch toilets, urinals, sinks, and entrances/exits.

“One of the most disastrous places you can go into is a public restroom,” Poland said. “That’s about the riskiest place.”

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation), which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD GET SCREENED. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women, and 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. But UPMC Pinnacle is working to beat breast cancer. Our experts offer personalized therapies, access to breast cancer trials, and advanced imaging technology, like 3D mammograms. Early detection saves lives, so every woman should schedule her screening today. To learn more, visit UPMCPinnacle.com/3D

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September 2020

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Preservation from page 35 paintings flat, face up under a bed.

This will put stress on the stretchers and the canvas itself.

Smaller paintings may be stored upright, back-to-back and face-toface, on separated shelves. Use acidfree foam-core dividers to prevent the wire from the back of one painting from scratching the frame or canvas on the front of another painting positioned next to it.

There are specific techniques to

protecting art. A good rule of thumb is to handle with care, display works of art away from direct sunlight, and store works in areas where temperature and humidity fluctuations are minimal.

Dr. Lori Verderame is the awardwinning Ph.D. antiques appraiser on History channel’s No. 1 hit show about the world’s oldest treasure hunt, The Curse of Oak Island. For more information, visit www.DrLoriV.com and www.YouTube.com/DrLoriV.

No Need for Disguises.

We’re Pet Friendly!

SilverSneakers Exercise Classes Now Virtual

At Harrison Senior Living, we believe that your four-legged friend can improve your overall health and happiness; that’s why we pride ourselves on being a pet-friendly community.

After all, your pets are family too.

The SilverSneakers exercise classes normally held at noon Mondays and Wednesdays at Susquehanna View Apartments in Camp Hill have been moved online due to COVID-19.

Instructor Jesse Swoyer now offers the free, virtually guided classes via Facebook Live.

At 30 minutes each, the four classes currently being offered are: • Motivational Monday, noon – Motivational Quote and Chair-Boxing Exercises • Tuesday, 11 a.m. – The Basics of Enerchi: Tai Chi and Qigong www.50plusLifePA.com

• W acky Wednesday, noon – Techno Ted, Funky Fred, or Homie lead upper- and lowerbody exercises that energize and invigorate • F reeze Friday, noon – Introductory Exercises for Beginners Classes are held online via Facebook Live through Swoyer’s personal profile (Jesse Swoyer) and are also posted on YouTube.

Classes can also be accessed through Swoyer’s website, www. jesseswoyer.com.

For more information, call Swoyer at (717) 439-4070.

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H

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Independent Living Personal Care Respite Care 300 Strode Avenue East Fallowfield, PA 19320 610.384.6310

See our website for more locations and information.

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KEIy eLAM O R E ssociates Medical • Diagnostic testing • Disease evaluation • Routine eye care • Emergency care and treatment

Surgical • Cataract removal and intraocular lens implants • Retinal injections (macular degeneration) • Glaucoma surgery

Optical • Complete optical department • Contact lens dispensing and instructions • Authorized Sports Eye Injury Prevention Center

Eye Care for Life!

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890 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

(717) 697-1414 • www.kilmoreeye.com

YOU Can Learn How to Help Others Navigate Their Medicare Options!

You are invited to join the Lancaster County Office of Aging team of volunteer APPRISE counselors who assist Medicare-eligible beneficiaries navigate the often-confusing Medicare system.

APPRISE counselors receive intensive training in Medicare Parts A, B and D, Supplemental Insurances, Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicaid, PACE Plus, and other health insurance-related topics. This training allows volunteers to provide unbiased assistance to consumers so they can make an informed decision and choose the plan that best meets their specific needs.

APPRISE counselors assist older and disabled individuals with: • Understanding Medicare A, B, and D • Making informed choices about Medicare Advantage Plans • Deciding what Medicare D Plan (prescription coverage) is best • Selecting a Medigap Policy • Applying for PACE Plus • Determining what financial assistance an individual may be eligible to receive

Become an APPRISE Volunteer Today!

APPRISE counselors must be available during weekdays for the shadowing, training, and counseling parts of this volunteer opportunity.

For more information, please contact Bev Via at 717-299-7979 or 1-800-801-3070, or by e-mail at viab@co.lancaster.pa.us.

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Poor Sleep in Middle Age Linked to Alzheimer’s-Related Brain Changes Cognitively healthy adults whose sleep quality declined in middle age were more likely in late life to accumulate Alzheimer’s disease-related proteins in the brain than those whose sleep quality improved or did not change, an NIA-supported study found.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, suggest that sleep assessment could one day be used as a noninvasive, inexpensive predictor of Alzheimer’s risk.

It’s also possible that treating sleep problems during “windows of sensitivity” in middle age might help delay the progression of the disease, according to the study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

The researchers analyzed 101 older adults, enrolled in the Berkeley Aging Cohort Study, for betaamyloid and tau levels, as shown by positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Accumulation of betaamyloid and tau proteins are common predictors of Alzheimer’s dementia.

The researchers also assessed sleep quality: 31 participants completed an electroencephalogram (EEG) sleep assessment, and 95 completed a questionnaire about previous changes in sleep duration and quality.

In participants who had undergone an EEG, fewer slow brain waves during deep sleep were significantly associated with increased beta-amyloid levels in

Now Engaging Women of All Ages Online . . .

the cortex, the brain’s information processor.

Another sleep activity — the interaction of slow brain waves and brief bursts of activity, called spindle oscillations — was strongly associated with increased tau in the medial temporal lobe, a brain region important for long-term memory, the researchers found.

In addition, shorter sleep duration was associated with Alzheimer’s-related brain changes later in life, the researchers found. Specifically, participants who reported shorter sleep in their 50s or their 70s had significantly more beta-amyloid in later life than those whose sleep did not decline.

Similarly, participants who reported shorter sleep in their 60s had significantly more tau in later life compared with those whose sleep increased or stayed the same.

These findings help establish that changes in sleep quality and quantity in middle age are associated with, and sometimes predict, Alzheimer’s-related brain changes.

However, it is unclear if sleep impairment causes these brain changes, or vice versa. Further studies in larger groups of people could clarify the timing of changes in sleep quality and accumulation of beta-amyloid and tau in the brain.

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Plan to join us online — comfy, cozy, and from home!

Same great events, but …

• They’re online virtually • They take place over multiple days • You can visit at your convenience and return often • There is no need to wear a mask

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Oct. 29–Nov. 1, 2020

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for all the facets of your life!

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