50plus Life Cumberland County – September 2023

We fight the unimaginable so we can witness the incredible. WellSpan is a proud to support the 2023 Women’s Expo.

Here, the most talented minds and most compassionate hearts unite for lifesaving results. In collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine Kimmel Cancer Center, our cancer patients have access to expanded clinical trials, world-class second opinions and advanced genomics. This who cares from the heart. Learn more at WellSpan.org/Cancer

What is Labor Day All About?

Labor Day is a yearly celebration of the American worker. Created by the labor movement, it’s a national tribute to workers’ contributions to the social and economic achievements of the United States.

There is some uncertainty about how Labor Day began.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder 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.”

Labor Day Monday, Sept. 4

Other sources suggest 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 l884, 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.

Do You Know These Words?

How many of these names for common things do you recognize?

Aglet: The plastic or metal coating at the end of your shoelaces.

Agraffe: The wire holding a cork over a wine bottle.

Armscye: The arm in clothes where the sleeve is sewn.

Columella nasi: The space between your nostrils.

Dysania: Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning.

Glabella: The space between your eyebrows.

Griffonage: Illegible handwriting.

Petrichor: The smell of the air after a rain.

Vocables: Words in songs that don’t have any meaning, like “la, la, la.”

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Maintaining Youth while Mentoring Youth

By Gabriele Amersbach

“It’s addictive and safe. There is no contact. All you need is gloves, eye guards, and a ball,” says Kevin Gibson, 67, an avid handball player, personal fitness trainer, ordained minister, and mentor in the HOPE in Handball program at Harrisburg’s East Shore YMCA.

“Anyone can play — you don’t have to be the youngest or the most physically active. Age and gender don’t matter. Girls can beat the boys. Slower can beat the faster.”

There are three versions of handball: played on a one-wall court, a threewall court, or an enclosed four-wall court. A small rubber ball is hit between opponents, challenging them to return the ball before it bounces on the ground twice or is hit out of bounds.

“And you can play handball for the longest duration of your life — kids from 7 to adults in their 80s and even 90 can play,” Gibson adds.

A Heart for Youth

Member of

good attitude,” says Botero. “The program introduces young people to a new sport as they learn to interact with people out of their comfort zone.”

While both adults and youth can play any time the Y is open, the HOPE in Handball program operates Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The older players teach the game to the kids and show them drills.

The program relies on a group of adults who commit to being there on a regular basis, says Gibson.

“We show up to be with the kids, play with them, coach them, encourage them — and distract them from other influences,” he explains. “The focus is on sportsmanship and character building. As they develop camaraderie, they develop respect — both for boys and girls.

“We want to be sensitive to their needs and try not to be pushy. We never want to override any instructions from their parents.”

Messaging Kids How to Conduct Themselves in This World

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Because of the universal appeal of the game, a group of handballers who met playing regularly at the Y are now committed to a handball and mentoring program started in 2009 by David Botero, 46, a marketing strategist at UPMC Health Plan, and his friend Sally Snyder, then the youth director at The Joshua Group.

“We believed there was a need to extend the sport to children in the community,” says Gibson. “David had a heart for the youth and wanted them to have an alternative place to meet. The first kids were from Sally’s latchkey program. She began bringing them to the Y.”

Botero quickly encouraged his longtime group of friends who played handball regularly at the Y to become mentors.

“We wanted to take down barriers for local youth who didn’t have access to the Y and spread the joy of handball,” he says.

Botero found grants and funding so the youths did not have to pay for their membership, equipment, or tournament fees, if they earn the opportunity to participate.

“All we ask is that they bring sneakers and a really

Sanford Krevsky, a 76-year old lawyer, brings another perspective to the program.

As a hearing officer, he works with families to make custody determinations through a conciliation process that historically has allowed 9 out of 10 families to avoid a court hearing.

To do so, learning to compromise is essential.

“I have been married a long time. To be a successful husband and father of five children, compromise is necessary.”

He has no plans to retire and feels “lucky” to work with families in custody mediation.

“I still have a fire in my belly for what I do,” says Krevsky.

As a young attorney, he defended a youth in a shooting incident related to the animosity between William Penn, located at the city’s northern end, and John Harris High schools, at the eastern end of the city. The schools were strong sports rivals.

After the school districts were merged in 1972 and all students were moved to the John Harris location, “the rivalry between youth from uptown and the hill went from competitive to violent, with no real reason except turf dominance,” he explains. “It devolved into

Sandy Krevsky, at right, coaching young handball player Nick.

a real problem for the city of Harrisburg.”

Programs like HOPE in Handball aim to diffuse similar hostilities.

“By crossing generation, color, and gender lines, we want to preach to kids that baseless animosity is unnecessary and unhealthy,” Krevsky continues.

As a mentor, he wants youths in the program to also learn how to compromise and get along peacefully.

“We’re messaging these kids how to conduct themselves in this world,” he says.

Krevsky gets great satisfaction being part of a community and seeing the youths in the program complete school and go on to careers, college, or the military.

“I was raised in a Jewish family,” he explains. “In my faith, you are directed — commanded — to doing a mitzvah, or good deed. Leaving the world a better place is a job requirement.”

Krevsky illustrates how the program can change the life of a participant:

“Serenity was 12 when she joined the program. A few years later she was honored at our annual HOPE in Handball banquet. She wore a formal dress and spoke so eloquently. It was awesome. She went on to be a cum-laude student in college and completed a graduate degree.”

He adds that even Serenity’s mother started working out and became active in the program.

A Family-Friendly Community

Another longtime mentor in the program, Mike Petroskie just turned 78 and hopes to play handball into his 80s. After retiring in 2007 from an international manufacturing company, Petroskie changed gears.

He had always loved handball and played in local and national handball tournaments throughout the ’90s. When his friend David Botero started HOPE in Handball, Petroskie was there to record every match and encourage the youths to enter tournaments.

“It’s great to see a smile on their faces as we teach them how to play, and they just get better and better,” he says.

Although not a handball player herself, his wife, Margaret, is part of the handball community and adds, “I see the kids grow up and become responsible adults with good manners. The mentors are dedicated and always open to conversations and helping each student.

“Families come to tournaments and attend other events with these kids. It’s a very family-friendly and loving community.”

The mentors are quick to take young handball players under their wings and offer help with resumes, job searches, and even free haircuts. On occasion, they

attend community events together, from art exhibits to local games.

A favorite fun activity is HOPE in Halloween, where about 60 youths and siblings (and mentors) are locked into the Y or a similar location for the evening. The party is kept lively as participants play handball and board games and eat treats.

“When they get rides home by 2 o’clock, they are usually too tired to go out again and do something dumb,” says Botero.

The handball community has also expanded to include both the previous and current mayors of Harrisburg; both have visited the program.

During her visit, current Mayor Wanda Williams even played a few games with younger players. Recently, her office provided tickets for 29 youths, family members, and mentors to attend a Harrisburg Senators baseball game. According to the mentors, the evening was a resounding success.

Handball, the Fountain of Youth

While the benefits for the youthful members of the program are many, older players are equally enthusiastic about the advantages of playing handball as they age.

“Handball is what we call the great equalizer — the fountain of youth,” Botero summarizes. “It’s based on skill and experience — not athleticism.”

Petroskie, who plays four days a week, says his own health journey reflects the benefits of playing handball.

“I maintain a physical level so I can continue to play the game,” he says. “I can run, play, and do a lot of activities 70-year-old men can’t do anymore. Playing handball has helped me to come back from two knee replacements and a rotator cuff surgery.”

Gibson used handball to rehab from a hip replacement.

“It’s a low-impact sport — with more lateral movement,” he explains. “The most exciting aspect of the game is that you have to learn how to play strategically. You use your hands to control the speed, direction, and the trajectory of the ball.

“Since you don’t jump much, it’s easier on the knees for older people. Within six months of my hip replacement, I was playing light games to get my movement back so I can better service my clients. I’ve been playing the game over 50 years and can’t say enough about it.”

Krevsky concludes, “Playing handball keeps me young. I love that I can play a sport with a teenager and be competitive.”

The youths at HOPE in Handball are warming up.

on the cover – from left, handballers

Mike petroskie, Sanford Krevsky, and Kevin Gibson are ready for action. photo credit: Destiny Stewart and Andrew reiersen

Mike petroskie and the HopE in Handball squad participated in the Harrisburg Holiday parade with a mobile handball wall.

players from New Jersey, New York, California, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and 11 cities across pennsylvania at the pennsylvania State Handball Tournament at the East Shore YMCA in January.

Clockwise, from left, Mike petroskie, of Harrisburg; ray p., of Lebanon; Destiny S., of Harrisburg; David Botero, of Harrisburg; and Jay C., from Carlisle YMCA, take a break during some handball games.

It Was 50 Years Ago Today ‘Delta Dawn’

When we hear certain songs, we may wonder what the event was that inspired a songsmith to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Sometimes, though, what we learn about that inspiration is so painful that we may find ourselves reaching for the Kleenex.

Songwriter Alex Harvey explained that “Delta Dawn” was about his mother, a Mississippi Delta-born hairdresser in Harvey’s hometown of Brownsville, Tennessee.

At 41, she had given herself over to drink when a man who had promised her the world disappeared from her own, leaving her to stumble along Brownsville streets, suitcase in hand, looking for a “mansion in the sky.”

When Harvey was 15 years old, he played in a band.

“We had just won a contest, and we were going to be on a TV show in Jackson, Tennessee,” he recalled. “My mother said she wanted to go. I told her that I thought she would embarrass me. She

By Helen reddy September 1973

drank and sometimes would do things that would make me feel ashamed, so I asked her not to go that night.”

When Harvey returned home later from the TV taping, his world crumbled when he learned that his mother had died in a car wreck after running her vehicle into a tree.

Harvey suspected that her death wasn’t an accident but had been a suicide. Devastated, he turned deep inside his music as the only form of therapy that brought him any solace.

Several years later, Harvey was at a fellow songwriter’s house. It was late, and everyone there had fallen asleep except Harvey, who had stayed up to noodle on his guitar. That’s when he experienced a life-altering vision:

“I looked up, and I felt as if my mother was in the room. I saw her very clearly. She was in a rocking chair, and she was laughing.”

Instantly, two song-lyric lines wafted into Harvey’s consciousness:

She’s 41 and her daddy still calls her “Baby”

All the folks around Brownsville say she’s crazy

He woke his friend and fellow songwriter Larry Collins and breathlessly poured out his story. Together, the two composed “Delta Dawn” in 20 minutes.

Harvey recorded the song first, followed by Tanya Tucker, Bette Midler, and Australian-born Helen Reddy, with Reddy’s version catching the rocket ride to the peak of the Billboard chart and becoming her second No. 1 single after “I Am Woman.”

Much of the success of “Delta Dawn” resulted from a combination of Reddy’s muscular vocals and that of the uplifting gospel background, dynamic and thunderous and sounding straight out of a Southern tent-revival meeting.

“Delta Dawn” brought Alex Harvey blessed relief from the guilt that had shrouded him concerning his mother’s demise.

“I really believe that my mother came into the room that night, not to scare me, but to tell me that it’s OK, that she made her choices in life, and it had nothing to do with me. I always felt like that song was a gift to my mother — and an apology to her.”

Randal C. Hill is a rock ’n’ roll historian who lives at the Oregon coast. He may be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

randal Hill

publicity photo of singer Helen reddy.

“Delta Dawn”

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Savvy Senior retirement- planning Tips for Single Women

Dear Savvy Senior,

What retirement-planning tips can you recommend to single women? I’m a divorced 58year-old woman with a teenaged son and have very little saved for retirement.

– Financially Vulnerable

Dear Vulnerable,

It’s an unfortunate reality, but many single women — whether they’re divorced, widowed, or never married — face much greater financial challenges in retirement than men.

The reasons behind this are because women tend to earn less money — about 82 cents for every dollar that men make, on average, and they have shorter working careers than men due to raising children and/or caring for aging parents.

And less money earned usually translates into less money saved and a lower Social Security benefit when you retire.

In addition, women live an average of five years longer than men, which requires their retirement income to stretch further for living expenses and healthcare costs.

And, according to some studies, women tend to have less confidence about financial issues than men, which means they don’t always manage their money as well as they should.

Because of these issues, it’s very important that women educate themselves on financial matters and learn how to save more effectively. Here are some tips and resources that may help.

Start Saving Aggressively

If your employer offers a retirement plan, such as a 401(k), you should contribute enough to at least capitalize on a company match, if available.

And if you can swing it, contribute even more. In 2023, you can save as much as $22,500 in a 401(k), or $30,000 to those 50 and older, due to the catchup rule.

If you don’t have a workplace plan, consider opening a traditional or Roth IRA. Both are powerful tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts that let you contribute up to $6,500 annually or $7,500 when you’re over 50.

And if you’re self-employed, consider a SEP-IRA, SIMPLE-IRA, and/or a solo

please see pLANNiNG on facing page

Jim Miller

‘it Wasn’t fun Anymore’

On the chilly, foggy Tuesday of Dec. 27, 1960, several hundred British teenagers sardined into the spacious Litherland Town Hall in north Liverpool.

Promotional posters had promised a grand night of rock ’n’ roll and dancing to three local outfits and included the “debut” of the Beatles (billed as being “direct from Hamburg”).

Concertgoers that night, who assumed the quartet came from Germany, would remark later how good the band’s English skills were when the musicians chatted with the audience between songs.

Actually, all four Beatles had grown up in Liverpool. For the previous several months, though, they had been honing their musical chops by playing long sets of American Top 40 hits in smoke-filled dives in Hamburg’s gritty Reeperbahn district.

In doing so, they had morphed from a ragtag bunch of minimally talented music cats into a respectable “cover” band that drew increasingly larger crowds each week.

That night at Litherland, as the Beatles waited behind a curtain drawn across the dance-hall stage, the emcee snapped the crowd to attention with, “And now, everybody, the band you’ve been waiting for! Direct from Hamburg—”

But before he could utter the word “Beatles,” an adrenaline-fueled Paul McCartney burst through the curtain to begin shrieking his favorite Little Richard hit:

I’m gonna tell Aunt Mary ’bout Uncle John

He said he had the mis’ry but he got a lot of fun

“Long Tall Sally” instantly stopped the dancing as the crowd rushed to the

pLANNiNG from facing page

401(k), all of which can help reduce your taxable income while putting money away for retirement.

Also, if you have a high-deductible health insurance policy (at least $1,500 for self-only coverage or $3,000 for family coverage), you should consider opening a health savings account (HSA).

This is a triple-tax-advantage tool that can be used to sock away funds pretax, which will lower your taxable income; the money in the account grows tax-free; and if you use the money for eligible medical expenses, the withdrawals are taxfree too.

Pay Off Debts

If you have debt, you need to get it under control. If you need help with this, consider a nonprofit credit-counseling agency that provides free or low-cost advice and solutions and can help you set up a debt-management plan.

To locate a credible agency in your area, use the National Foundation for Credit Counseling website at nfcc.org and (800) 388-2227 or the Financial Counseling Association of America at fcaa.org and (800) 450-1794.

stage to revel in the Beatles’ half-hour set as the black-leather-jacket-clad young artists staked their claim to music history.

“Beatlemania” was ushered in that night.

Within two years, the Fab Four became U.K. stars. Their fame spread throughout Europe in 1963, and by 1964 they ruled the international world of pop music.

Flash to Aug. 29, 1966. The Beatles are scheduled to play a concert at San Francisco’s vast Candlestick Park stadium, the home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team.

Fans at that performance don’t realize this will be the final live show of the quartet’s stellar career; the announcement will be kept secret until the band members return home to England.

Who could blame the Beatles for their decision? Worldwide fame had robbed them of everything enjoyable about performing before an audience. The quartet’s powerful Vox amplifiers had become all but ineffective against the screamfest that rolled over the band like a tsunamic tide during each show.

So pronounced was John Lennon’s malaise that he began calling the Beatles’ live act a “freak show.” Ringo Starr was equally negative. (“Nobody was listening at the shows.”) Even normally positive Paul McCartney confessed, “It wasn’t fun anymore.”

That night at Candlestick Park, the Beatles played on an elevated platform erected over second base and were surrounded by a chain-link fence. Essentially, the world’s leading rockers, amid chilly swirls of fog, performed their final concert in a cage.

Their show ran 32 minutes and included 11 tunes, the last featuring Paul McCartney doing “Long Tall Sally.”

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.

Find Help

To help you educate yourself on financial matters like retirement planning, saving and investing, healthcare, annuities, and more, a top resource is the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement at wiserwomen.org.

And to help you get up to speed on Social Security, visit ssa.gov/people/ women.

This webpage, dedicated to women, provides helpful publications like What Every Woman Should Know, along with links to benefit calculators and your personal Social Security account to help you figure out your future earnings at different retirement ages.

You should also consider getting a financial assessment with a fee-only financial adviser.

Costs for these services will vary from around $150 to $300 per hour, but this can be very beneficial to help you set up a retirement plan you can follow. See napfa.org or garrettplanningnetwork.com to locate an adviser in your area.

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

randal C. Hill

The Beatles in 1965.

Walk to End Alzheimer’s

September 23, 2023

Overlook Park, Lancaster

Registration at 9:00 a.m. • Walk at 10:00 a.m.

October 7, 2023

City Island, Harrisburg

Registration at 9:00 a.m. • Walk at 10:00 a.m.

October 28, 2023

John C. Rudy Park, York

Registration at 9:00 a.m. • Walk at 10:00 a.m.

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

• Volunteer opportunities available.

•

Teams and individuals welcome.

Registration brochures, team packets, and sponsorship packets available. For more information, please contact:

Harrisburg/York Walks

Brianne Grieb, Walk Manager (717) 678-6463; bcgrieb@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

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixthleading cause of death in the United States and the fifthleading 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 — a symptom of the disease — and caregivers become more and more isolated.

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

There are more than 6 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 with Alzheimer’s or related dementia.

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 also host the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This is the association’s largest annual awareness and fundraising event, which occurs every fall.

At the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s, we’re fighting for a different future. For families facing the disease today. For more time. For treatments. We’re closer than ever to stopping Alzheimer’s.

But to get there, we need you. Join us for the world’s largest fundraiser to fight the disease.

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

Local walks include:

Saturday, Sept. 23

Overlook Park, Lancaster

Registration at 9 a.m., walk at 10 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 7

City Island, Harrisburg

Registration at 9 a.m., walk at 10 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 28

John C. Rudy Park, York

Registration at 9 a.m., walk at 10 a.m.

The Beauty in Nature 2 Sphinx Moths

About the size of a carpenter bee, a mysterious, 1.5-inch creature hovers like a hummingbird before flowers during the day and pokes its long proboscis into each bloom to sip nectar.

It is a hummingbird clear-wing sphinx moth, so named because it looks and hovers like hummingbirds and has clear wings in a 2-inch wingspan.

The attractive clear-wing moths are intriguing to watch whirring from blossom to blossom. I have watched them many times over the years.

There are several kinds of sphinx moths worldwide. And all of them are shaped and fly differently from “typical” moths. I commonly see two kinds of sphinx moths here in southeastern Pennsylvania: clear-wings and white-lined sphinx moths.

Sphinx moths, including the handsome clear-wings and white-lined, have characteristics in common that make them a subfamily of moths. Like all sphinx moths, clear-wings and whitelined are plump and furry all over. Each moth has four short, stiff wings it whirs rapidly to stay aloft.

These moths have large eyes with noticeable pupils; short antennae that resemble long, thin ears; and a long proboscis to draw up flower nectar, pollinating blooms in the process. When not in use, each proboscis is coiled under the head.

Clear-wings and white-lined inhabit meadows and flower gardens across much of the United States. There are two generations of each species a year, and the latter generation of larvae overwinter as pupae in the protective soil.

White-lined sphinx moths are nocturnal and attractive in their chocolate-and-white-striped coloring. And each one has pink-and-black-striped back wings. Each has a 3-inch wingspan, and their wings are swept back when at rest.

Sphinx moths are called that because their caterpillars, when at rest, hold their front ends up with their heads curved a bit under their bodies, which reminded somebody of the Great Sphinx of Giza. That position makes the larvae look larger than they are, and menacing, which intimidates birds who would eat sphinx larvae.

Sphinx moth caterpillars have a projecting growth on the upper rear of their abdomens that resembles a thorn. Those “thorns” also intimidate birds.

I enjoy seeing diurnal clear-wings and nocturnal white-lined sphinx moths with a flashlight, zipping among flowers and hovering in front of each one to sip sugary nectar.

They add more life and beauty to flowering meadows and gardens that we all can enjoy, if we know what to look for and are willing to watch for them.

Nature’s Wonders

Clyde McMillan-Gamber

Hummingbird clear-wing sphinx moth.

White-lined sphinx moth.

A nature blog by Clyde McMillan-Gamber, retired Lancaster County Parks naturalist and longtime 50 plus LIFE columnist

Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori

2 Types of Jade: Jadeite and Nephrite

Jade has been a longtime symbol of status in China since ancient times. An important material often used in carvings, jewelry, screens, and decorations, jade is held in high regard as valuable and culturally and artistically significant.

Jade comes in two distinct forms: jadeite and nephrite. Both stones are formed by a grouping of interlocking microcrystals. Each piece of jade is one of a kind and has a definite character.

Jade is the stone used in special jewelry pieces, such as the bi-disc pendants that represent the Chinese symbol for eternity. Butterflies

symbolize long life, and they are often carved into jade pendants, pins, earrings, etc.

Other symbols important to Chinese culture that are often represented using jade include: the bat, a symbol of happiness; the dragon, which shows power and prosperity; and the peach, which references immortality.

Jade carvers believe the elements of jade make it something beautiful and valuable to wear and enjoy. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, each Olympic medal was embedded with a piece of pure, natural-carved white nephrite jade.

Lori Verderame

Thumb ring made of green and white jade, China, 19th -20th century.

Jade bi-disc on display at the Anhui provincial Museum, Hefei, China.

Both jadeite and nephrite are hard stones and both are called jade; however, there are differences in the chemical composition. Jadeite is a silicate compound of sodium and aluminum. Nephrite is a silicate compound of calcium and magnesium.

Most jade traded today is jadeite jade. It is harder and denser than nephrite jade and is more expensive, too. Jadeite comes in many colors of green and does not have visible layers.

By the 14th century, nephrite jade was traded widely. Nephrite is a soft and less dense stone when compared to jadeite. Nephrite has a recognizable glassy luster and does not appear to have any layers.

If you want to be sure you have a piece of authentic jade, look for a dense composition and veins. There should be no layering of the stone if it is really jade, and it will scratch metal and glass.

Jade is dense, and if you toss it into the air and catch it, it should be heavier than other similar stones of the same size. Weight is what you are looking for when it comes to recognizing real jade.

Jade comes in many colors — green, lavender, white, and yellow — and also has many imitators. For instance, aventurine, a type of quartz, is a green stone that is also known as Indian jade or Australian jade. Greenstone is a jade imitator too.

Serpentine is a waxy, green stone that is not as smooth as jade but sometimes is mistaken for it. Chrysoprase imitates jade’s two forms also. Green quartz or prehnite can be mistaken for jade. These various jade lookalike stones are good-looking stones but are not as beautiful or valuable.

Fake jades can be susceptible to chemical bleaching, color dying, and doubling, also known as layering. Some fake jade items are treated to look more translucent and to accept a plastic coating to enhance the object’s look.

Natural, authentic, and untreated jade is usually only treated with a plum juice wash or beeswax polish, as it then will retain its true and natural color.

Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality, Dr. Lori appears on The Curse of Oak Island and Pawn Stars on History channel. Dr. Lori gives appraisal values at drloriv.com. Her widely popular channel, youtube.com/ drloriv, teaches people how to spot and sell vintage objects for top dollar.

photo credit: Staff of www.DrLoriV.com

Jade mirror, late 19 th century.

Jade lion and cubs, China, Qing dynasty, 18th century.

The History of Ordinary Things opening Cans over Time

The can opener has its own unique history, but first: the can, which arrived in the late 1700s without a means of opening it.

The first cans were designed for use during military campaigns. The Dutch navy carried salmon in 1772 that had been cleaned, boiled in brine, smoked, and placed in tin-plated iron boxes.

In 1795, a French confectioner, Nicolas Appert, showed that food could be preserved if sealed in an airtight container. The food had to be sufficiently heated to kill bacteria and the air inside expelled. It met the needs of Napoleon’s armies.

In 1810, Peter Durand created a wrought-iron tin-plated canister for the British navy.

Bryan Donkin set up the first canning factory in the U.K. in 1812. The instructions on his iron cans read, “Cut round the top near the outer edge with a chisel and hammer.” Not until metal cans became thinner could a handheld device be used.

Over time, two models of can openers were developed.

In 1870, the first rotating wheel (knife) can opener was patented by William

Lyman. The can was pierced in its center with a sharp metal tip. An adjustable cutting knife was set at the edge of the can and fixed in place with a wingnut. (There was no standardized can size.)

The cutting knife was pressed into the can and the user rotated the handle around the top of the metal lid. This required near-brute force to pull the blade through the thick metal.

In 1858 Ezra Warner patented a lever-type opener consisting of a sharp sickle with a guard. The sickle was pushed into the can and sawed around its outer edge.

This opener was used by the U.S. Army during the American Civil War, but its unprotected, knifelike sickle was considered too dangerous for domestic use. Grocers opened cans before patrons left the store.

In 1865, a home-use opener was made of cast iron with a blade. A guard was added to prevent the blade from going too deep into the can. The bull-head design, used for bully beef cans, was produced until the 1930s.

In 1925, the Star Can Company introduced an opener with a second serrated rotation wheel. It provided better grip of the can edge and was so

Doris Montag

Dale Bros. Coffee can with a key-wind style opener, circa 1940s.

efficient that the design is still used.

In 1931, an electric can opener was made using the cuttingwheel design. It cut fast, but they did not sell well.

In 1950, Walter Bodle created a freestanding electric can opener with a knife sharpener. Magnets were added to prevent the lid from falling back into the can. It came in flamingo pink, avocado green, and aqua blue.

The electric openers were successfully marketed for Christmas sales by 1956, and the electric opener was the predominant model of can opener into the 1980s.

In the 1990s, a new battery-operated and hands-free model entered the market. It cut the can below the lid seal rather than on top of the lid. The driving teeth are very fine, which eliminates the sharp edges along the lid, making it safer for the user.

Other types of can openers include a metal “key” that came with the container. The key was hooked on a 1/8-inch metal strip along the top and rotated around the can to remove the lid. This was popular for sardines, canned ham, coffee, and tobacco.

A variety of twist mechanisms were used to open shoe polish paste cans. The church key openers are still used for bottle caps.

In the 1960s, aluminum removable-ring pull-tabs were introduced for beer cans but were quickly adopted by the beverage industry. The ring peeled back a small teardrop tab to open.

While innovative, the tab was environmentally hazardous because it was extremely sharp and could be swallowed. They were phased out beginning in 1975, when the Sta-Tab was launched.

In the 2000s, ring-pull lids were introduced for food cans. This was touted as the top packaging innovation of the last 100 years.

Millions of cans are still opened every day with the old-fashioned Star Company can opener with two serrated wheels. What’s in your drawer?

Doris Montag is a homespun historian and an exhibit curator who researches and displays historical collections of ordinary things, such as can openers, crochet, toy sewing machines, hand corn planters, powder compacts, egg cartons, and more. Contact or follow her on Facebook, HistoryofOrdinaryThings.

These openers used a center tip for stabilization with a rotating knife at the can edge.

Early can openers with a metal blade on a cast iron handle.

A variety of openers from the late 1800s.

Nurse Nancy freshen Up on food Safety

Recently, my brother, who lives in Florida, phoned me to ask if eating the defrosted ground beef that he mistakenly left in the sink overnight was safe. I told my brother it is not safe to eat and to throw it out.

The federal government estimates there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness each year, affecting approximately 1 in 6 Americans and resulting in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

September is National Food Safety Education Month, with a purpose of educating the population about food safety and preventing food poisoning.

The food supply in the United States is among the safest in the world. But when disease-causing bacteria or pathogens contaminate food, they can cause foodborne illness.

The CDC estimates that salmonella is responsible for more foodborne diseases in the United States than any other bacteria. Salmonella is found in various foods, but chicken is a significant source. Ground beef has also been linked to large salmonella outbreaks in recent years.

Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria generally causes illness within one to three days after eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur as soon as 20 minutes or as long as six weeks after consumption.

Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain and may include fever, headache, and body aches.

Antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, are essential to treating infections caused by bacteria, including foodborne pathogens. Most healthy people recover from a foodborne illness within a short period.

Some people are at a higher risk for developing more serious symptoms, though, including pregnant women, young children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.

When preparing meals for our family and our friends, it is important to follow simple food-safety tips to help prevent foodborne illnesses known as “food poisoning.” Some easy steps to help keep our food safe are purchasing it at the grocery store and eating it at the kitchen table.

According to the CDC, follow these four simple steps: clean, separate, cook, and chill. Clean

• Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. Wash the front and back, between fingers, and under fingernails.

• After preparing each food item, wash cutting boards, utensils, dishes, and countertops with hot, soapy water.

• Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces, but if using cloth towels or sponges, launder them often in the hot cycle.

• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water.

• Clean the lids before opening canned goods.

• Separate raw meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood from other foods in the grocery shopping cart, grocery bags, and refrigerator.

Nancy J. Schaaf

September is National food Safety Education Month

• Use separate cutting boards for fresh produce and for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.

• Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood unless the plate has been washed in hot, soapy water.

Cook

• Food color and texture are inaccurate safety gauges. Using a food thermometer is the only way to ensure the safety of all cooking methods for meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products. Foods are properly cooked when heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

• Cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm. Do not consume uncooked eggs.

• Cover the food, stir, and rotate for even cooking when using a microwave oven.

• When reheating sauces, soups, and gravy, bring to a boil.

Chill

• Use an appliance thermometer to ensure the refrigerator temperature is 40° F or below and the freezer temperature is 0° F or below.

• Properly storing foods preserves food quality and prevents both spoilage and food poisoning. Refrigerate or freeze perishables within two hours of cooking or purchasing.

• Never thaw food at room temperature, such as on the countertop. (Or the sink! I gave this info to my brother!) Three safe ways to defrost food are in the refrigerator, in the microwave, or using cold water.

We are what we eat, and poorly prepared foods are prime hosts for bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Everyone is susceptible to foodborne illness, and anyone who eats contaminated food can become sick. We must be vigilant about food safety and be educated on handling food safely. For more information, see foodsafety.gov.

Nancy J. Schaaf, a retired RN, worked as a school nurse, a nurse supervisor at a men’s prison, and a health educator. She earned her BSN at Edinboro University. She is a freelance writer whose health articles appear in magazines throughout the U.S. and Canada. She can be reached at nancyjschaaf@gmail.com.

On Life and Love after 50 relationship Characteristics Wanted by Senior Singles

Senior singles — widows, widowers, divorcees, and never-marrieds — frequently ask what characteristics they should seek in a new partner. Know yourself first. Make your own written list based on the personality traits a new partner must have for you.

Keep your list short, limited to five or six must-have items. I don’t like long lists because the longer your list, the more potential partners you eliminate from consideration. And, at age 50-plus, it’s already hard enough to find someone compatible.

Here’s my list of six must-have items.

Tom’s Six Must-Have Characteristics List

1. Impeccable character. Find someone who is friendly, respectful, honest, pleasant, thoughtful, and kind. He or she doesn’t criticize others.

Observe how the person speaks about their mother and father, children, and even an ex-spouse. How does he or she treat a waitress? Then visualize how the person will treat you.

2. A mutual connection. The person must be a good listener and hear what you say. You must like each other. Friends first. You must want to be together and plan future dates.

A shared sense of humor could be important. Or, each having a love of animals could be a tie that binds.

3. Personal hygiene. Does he or she take good care of themselves? Is the person healthy and fit? Do they dress nicely and wear clean clothes?

If you are a health nut, and they are a couch potato, it isn’t going to work. I’ve observed that older women strive to take care of their health and fitness more seriously than men.

4. Affection/romance. If you relish being hugged and kissed and having your hand held, your potential companion needs to want the same things and be romantic toward you.

If there’s not that two-way chemistry/physical connection, there likely won’t be a relationship. It’s either there right off the bat, or it’s not. Of course, you can

Tom Blake

always be “just friends.”

5. Availability. The person must be available to spend time with you — not every day, but three or four times a week. Are you a high priority in that person’s life?

You may be retired, with lots of free time. However, if the person you meet is still working or their calendar is always full, often at night, you might end up being alone more than you want.

And what about weekends? Does he or she spend time babysitting the grandkids or going away with friends? If personal interests mean too much time away from each other, a relationship probably won’t work.

Many single seniors strive to keep busy, especially women. Social interaction is important to them. However, to be available for a relationship, a person might need to tweak his or her social calendar. You wouldn’t want to miss out on a great relationship because you’re unavailable.

6. A reasonable age difference. What’s an OK age difference? It could be five or 10 years, or even more. Some people seem old at 50, others seem young at 80.

It’s best to discuss the age difference with your potential partner right away, so it doesn’t cause a problem later. Remember, a younger person can get sick also.

These are my top six must-have characteristics. Other issues such as kids, religious and political differences, and finances need to be discussed. That’s where compromise comes in.

Good luck meeting a new love.

For dating information, previous articles, or to sign up for Tom’s complimentary, weekly e-newsletter, go to findingloveafter50.com.

What to Know about September

Summer is over, school has started, and the leaves are starting to turn.

As we’re getting ready for fall and winter, remember these factoids about the ninth month of the year:

• September was originally the seventh month, according to the ancient Roman calendar, and that’s where it gets its name. It became the ninth month after the calendar changed in 451 B.C.

• The Romans associated September with Vulcan, the god of fire, possibly because as the seventh month it was in the middle of the hot summer.

• The Anglo-Saxons called September Gerst Monath, which meant “Barley Month,” because barley was harvested at that time of year. The barley was also brewed as a popular beverage in celebration of the harvest.

• In another calendar change, the British eliminated Sept. 2–14 in 1752 to bring the month in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, which replaced the Julian calendar.

• Fall begins in the northern hemisphere on the equinox, which falls between Sept. 21 and 23. In the southern hemisphere, the equinox signifies the beginning of spring.

The Healthy Geezer Treatment options for Leaky Bladders

Q. I’m having a devil of time controlling my bladder. Any suggestions?

About 10% of men and women over the age of 65 have trouble with bladder control, also known officially as urinary incontinence. Women suffer from this more than men.

During urination, muscles in the bladder contract, forcing urine into the urethra, a tube that carries urine out of the body. At the same time, muscles surrounding the urethra relax and let the urine pass. If the bladder muscles contract or the muscles surrounding the urethra relax without warning, the result is incontinence.

Short-term incontinence is caused by infections, constipation, and some

medicines. If the problem persists, it might be caused by weak bladder muscles, overactive bladder muscles, blockage from an enlarged prostate, or damage to nerves that control the bladder from diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s.

In most cases, urinary incontinence can be treated and controlled, if not cured. If you are having bladder-control problems, go to your doctor. Doctors see this problem all the time, so there is no need to be embarrassed.

Your doctor may do a number of tests on your urine, blood, and bladder. You may be asked to keep a daily chart about your urination. There are several different types of urinary incontinence.

• If urine leaks when you sneeze, cough, laugh, or put pressure on the bladder in other ways, you have “stress incontinence.”

• When you can’t hold urine, you have “urge incontinence.”

• When small amounts of urine leak from a bladder that is always full, you have “overflow incontinence.”

• Many older people who have normal bladder control but have difficulty getting to the bathroom in time have “functional incontinence.”

There are many ways to treat urinary incontinence. The method depends upon the type of problem.

You can train your bladder with exercises and biofeedback. You can also chart your urination and then empty your bladder before you might leak.

Your doctor has other tools he or she can use. There are urethral plugs and vaginal inserts for women with stress incontinence. There are medicines that relax muscles, helping the bladder to empty more fully during urination. Others tighten muscles in the bladder and urethra to cut down leakage.

Surgery can improve or cure incontinence if it is caused by a problem such as a change in the position of the bladder or blockage due to an enlarged prostate. Common surgery for stress incontinence involves pulling the bladder up and securing it. When stress incontinence is serious, the surgeon may use a wide sling. This holds up the bladder and narrows the urethra to prevent leakage.

Even if treatment is not fully successful, management of incontinence can help you feel more relaxed and comfortable about the problem.

Fred Cicetti is a senior and health writer with more than three decades of experience. The Healthy Geezer is devoted to the health questions of seniors who are wondering what is going on with these bodies of ours.

fred Cicetti

The Bookworm Sez Dinner with the President

The invitation said “black tie only,” and you know what that means.

It means this isn’t some put-on-theold-feedbag kind of event. You’ll need your best manners, and you should brush up on where the glass goes and what to do with your fork.

You don’t want any faux pas attached to your name, no emotionally charged statements, and let’s hope you’re not self-conscious.

As in Dinner with the President by Alex Prud’homme, the world will be watching you eat.

For as long as there’s been a president of the United States, someone’s had to make sure the guy had nourishment because it’s not like he’s got time to run to the kitchen whenever he’s hungry, right?

Dinner with the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House

So somebody plans the menu, the first lady weighs in, the table is set, and in the end, meals with the president have historically been loaded with interesting dishes, culinary quirks, divine desserts, and sour grapes.

By Alex prud’homme c. 2023, Alfred A. Knopf 480 pages

To feed the Continental Army, says Prud’homme, George Washington resorted to theft. Thomas Jefferson knew that great food was a way to put political foes more at ease with one another, while Dolley Madison thought the same with snuff as dessert.

Abraham Lincoln helped cement one of our most beloved national holidays into our lives. Later, Ulysses Grant was known for big dinners of up to 35 courses, and Theodore Roosevelt held one dinner that caused big controversy.

Our heaviest president to date, William Taft, loved a mussel-and-heavycream soup called Billy Bi, which probably didn’t help his diet. On the other side was Woodrow Wilson, who was “utterly disinterested in food.”

Herbert Hoover was a speed-eater. FDR loved terrapin soup and considered

it a “lucky” dish to serve. Roosevelt’s cook, a Mrs. Nesbitt, was inherited by the Trumans, who intensely disliked her.

Mamie Eisenhower called herself a “cooking school dropout.”

LBJ used BBQ as a political asset, Bill Clinton’s diet was a closely watched thing, George W. Bush loved his baseball-stadium-themed meals, and Barack Obama ushered in a “foodie” White House that tried to change the way America ate.

So what do you do with the extra spoons, the finger bowl, the sticky butter knife, and do you need four drinking glasses? You won’t need to know any of that to read Dinner with the President. You can just sit down and take a bite.

That’s not to say this book is completely informal: The opulence of a state dinner shines through in the tales author Alex Prud’homme tells, complete with country leaders, ladies in gowns, and tuxes with tails. You can almost see the glitter.

On the other hand, the casualness of, for example, an intimate severalhundred-guest barbecue seems charmingly homespun until you remember that, in politics, food isn’t always just food.

There are battles between chefs and chiefs in this book, tasty historical anecdotes, favorite White House dishes that will make you glad you aren’t at that state dinner, and recipes to make you feel positively presidential.

For you, that makes a Dinner with the President a book you’ll eat up.

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.

Terri Schlichenmeyer

photo credit: Michael Lionstar

The Cautious Consumer Guy pharmaceutically flummoxed? A MoneySaving Question

There is one question every consumer should ask the pharmacy when making the initial purchase of a new prescription. But we tend not to ask questions. We just slap down our cards and wait for a computer to tell the pharmacy how much money to collect from us.

Earlier this month, I was given a new prescription by my doctor. If it proves helpful, it’s something I might take perennially.

Unfortunately, until you get to the pharmacy, you probably won’t be told how much the drug will cost, how much your health insurer will chip in for it, or how much you’ll be expected to pay out of your pocket.

The prescription might even go directly from doctor to pharmacist, electronically, never being placed in your hands. Which means you won’t even know how to spell the darned drug.

I don’t like surprises at cash registers. I prefer to know my costs long before I reach the checkout. But with the pharmaceuticals industry, there’s no way

around it.

And I don’t blame the pharmacies — they’re as hamstrung by the rules as are we consumers. The cost they tell you comes from the insurance company, and it varies greatly from one insurer to another.

So I went to the local mom-and-pop pharmacy to get my first month’s dosage of this drug. (If it improves my health, then I’ll label it a medicine.)

Though I didn’t know it when I entered the shop (doctors don’t automatically mention these things), there is a generic version available. Therefore, the purchase would cost me much less than I had feared — about $22 and change out of my pocket for a month’s supply, said Carl the pharmacist.

But before paying, I asked Carl the one question all consumers should ask when starting a new prescription: “How much would it be without the insurance?”

Normally you can expect a great difference in drug costs between a person with health insurance and a person without. That difference could get magnified manyfold if there is no generic version of the drug available.

As a rule, the cost via insurance is lower, sometimes considerably lower, or there is no difference at all.

Ah, but every once in a while, the consumer with no insurance at all — or the consumer with just a freely dispensed drug-saving card from the manufacturer that some pharmacies honor and other pharmacies don’t — pays less than a consumer using expensive insurance.

Carl happily obliged my request by researching the answer. Without insurance, the cost would be $13.50 — which, you’ll note, is about $9 less than the rate for purchasing the very same drug, in the very same dosage, in the very same quantity, and at the very same pharmacy, than if I were to have the purchase processed through my health insurance.

“Oh, dear,” I replied. “I seem to have left my health-insurance card at home. Would you mind ringing this up without applying my insurance?”

Carl obliged me again.

I’ve asked around. Seems that until just a few years ago, pharmacies were not permitted to alert you up front on those occasions when it would cost you less if you circumvented the insurance. They were under a type of “gag order” implemented by some of the pharmacy-benefit managers, who act as a sort of subcontractor for the health insurance providers.

However, if you broach the subject, the pharmacy is required to answer your question.

So when you initiate a new prescription at the pharmacy, ask the question: “How much would it be without insurance?”

If you don’t ask, you might never know.

Arthur Vidro worked for a decade in the stock industry. Before and after, he wrote newspaper articles and edited a few books. He has served as treasurer of theater and library organizations. He’s been cautious with money ever since a dollar was worth a dollar.

Arthur Vidro

pennsylvania’s population plummets by 40,000 in a Year

By Anthony Hennen

The American population might be growing, but Pennsylvania remains a leading state for Americans to flee, rather than stay.

The commonwealth is one of 18 states to lose population in 2022, according to new data from the Census Bureau, and one of the worst performers. The data is confirmation of a long-running trend: Pennsylvania has a population problem, and the end isn’t yet in sight.

The latest Census data shows the American population grew by 1.26 million (0.4%) since a year ago, with the primary growth being more than 1 million immigrants landing on American soil. Natural change (births minus deaths) added almost 250,000 Americans.

Pennsylvania, however, is seeing little of that growth. It was second in the nation (behind Florida) with the biggest natural decrease (more deaths than births) of 23,000 residents. Neighboring Ohio was third, with a 19,500resident drop.

While Pennsylvania remains the fifth most populous state with just under 13 million people, it’s ranked fourth for the biggest one-year population decline. Since July 2021, the commonwealth has lost 40,000 people. Some of the Keystone State’s woes reflect regional trends. While the South and the West have continued to grow in population and in economy, the Midwest and the Northeast keep losing population.

Anthony Hennen is a staff writer for The Center Square (thecentersquare.com/ pennsylvania).