Prime Montgomery

Prime Celebrating Midlife and Beyond

April 2012 FREE

Montgomery

T.V. from the 60’s -what WERE we thinking?

INside Easter Ham n Vines for All Seasons n Selecting a Bank or CU n PetWatch (NEW!) n Wine & Flowers n DVD Reviews n

Wedding Art:

Peggy McKinney’s Cakes

The Fighter

Will O. (Trip) Walton, III Walton Law Firm, P.C. 334.321.3000 www.waltonlaw.net waltonlaw@waltonlaw.net

The values of a fighter are honor, dignity, pride and sportsmanship.

Trip embodies all of these, and more. As a Golden Gloves Heavyweight Boxing Champion,Trip learned that hard work, persistence and diligence pay off - in the ring and the courtroom. Our team always fights for the rights of victims who have been harmed by others. Walton Law Firm’s motto has always been

“We don’t start the fight we finish it!”.

2011 Alabama Super Lawyer Traumatic Brain Injury • Wrongful Death • Serious Personal Injury No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. This is for general information only. For legal advice, contact a lawyer.

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April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

y p Hap ay, d h t Bir

Features 12 the things we watched!

Prime!

Witches, aliens, monsters, talking horses, possessed cars and... a porpoise?

The good old days of quality TV.

By Tom Ensey

18 the cake lady

What does it take to create an outstanding wedding cake? Some flour, butter, sugar, stuff like that. Oh, yea. And decades of experience.

By Lenore Vickrey

26 wine & flowers Mention ‘wine country’ and few will think of Texas or Virginia. But they’ve got it,and it’s good.

By Andrea Gross

Columns 7

A Gracious Plenty — Carron Morrow

10 In Every Life — Arlene Morris 11 Social Security — Kylle’ McKinney 15 Off the Beaten Path — Niko Corley 16 Yard n’ Garden — Ethel Dozier Boykin 17 Moving Free — Mirabai Holland 22 MoneyWi$e — Alan Wallace 24 PetWatch Q&A — Steve Dale 34 Prime Diversions — Mark Glass

April 2012 www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

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Prime

Editor’s Note

Celebrating Midlife and Beyond

It’s our second birthday! Who could imagine that two years could pass so quickly?

Montgomery

From Big BAM shows to Shakespeare players, from heirloom sewing royalty to TV weather wizardry, in the past year we’ve showcased people from our area and events from our past that are fascinating and unique. Our features have ranged from stories about a local history archivist whose collection resides primarily on the internet, to a published 50+ area author of paranormal romance stories, to now-famous hometown singers and songwriters. And, despite the nearly 400 pages of content we’ve amassed over the last twelve months, there’s much more information to share, more stories to tell, and innumerable events still to be covered from our unique “Midlife and Beyond” vantage point.

Apropos for our birthday issue, this month we feature one of the area’s consummate cake bakers. In The Cake Lady (p. 18) writer Lenore Vickrey spotlights Peggy McKinney, a Montgomery wedding cake legend. From recalling McKinney’s beginnings at the Capital City Club to detailing the 63-year-old baker’s frenzied wedding and holiday work schedule, Lenore profiles this talented woman and provides an absorbing look into the business of baking.

Recurring Prime contributor Tom Ensey is back this month recalling sitcoms from the 60s with his signature iconoclasm. One look at Tom’s satiric and funny recollections in The Things We Watched (p. 12) and you’ll never think of Mr. Ed, My Favorite Martian or Flipper in quite the same way.

Carron Morrow reminds us of Easters-gone-by in her ongoing column A Gracious Plenty (p. 7). What defines a southern Easter meal better than home-baked ham? Perfect in any setting, ham is great for dinner as well as those numerous sandwiches long after holiday company has left.

You may be surprised to learn there are superb wine regions in the U.S. outside of California. This month we highlight Texas and Virginia with Andrea Gross’ Wine and Flowers (p. 26). It may also surprise you that Alabama, too, has a burgeoning wine industry, with vineyards from the coast to the mountainous north. Look for a special Prime profile of Alabama’s wine industry in an upcoming issue.

We introduce a new column this month, PetWatch (p. 24), written by animal behavior consultant Steve Dell. He’ll be offering regular advice on pet health and behavior. We’d love to hear your comments about this brand new addition.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring! Happy Birthday, Prime!

Sandra Polizos Editor primeeditor@gmail.com 4

April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

If you’re 50+ and on Facebook, become a fan of PRIME Montgomery!

April 2012,Volume 3, Issue 1 PUBLISHER Bob Corley, primemontgomery@gmail.com EDITOR Sandra Polizos, primeeditor@gmail.com ART DIRECTOR Callie Corley, primemagdesign@gmail.com WRITERS Tom Ensey, Andrea Gross, Bob Moos, Lenore Vickrey CONTRIBUTORS John Bitter, Ethel Boykin, Tina Calligas, Niko Corley, Steve Dale, Mark Glass, Mirabai Holland, Kylle’ McKinney, Arlene Morris, Carron Morrow, Alan Wallace PHOTOGRAPHERS Bob Corley INTERN Meagan Ashner SALES Bob Corley, 334-202-0114, primemontgomery@gmail.com Stephanie Crompton 334-462-1240 stephaniecrompton7@gmail.com Carolyn Gibson 334-546-1885 cgibson@knology.net Prime Montgomery 7956 Vaughn Road, #144 Montgomery, AL 36116 • 334-202-0114 www.primemontgomery.com ISSN 2152-9035 Prime Montgomery is a publication of The Polizos/Corley Group, LLC. Original content is copyright 2012 by The Polizos/Corley Group, LLC., all rights reserved, with replication of any portion prohibited without written permission. Opinions expressed are those of contributing writer(s) and not necessarily those of The Polizos/ Corley Group, LLC. Prime Montgomery is published monthly except for the combined issue of December/January. Information in articles, departments, columns, and other content areas, as well as advertisements, does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Prime Montgomery magazine. Items relating to health, finances, and legal issues are not offered as substitutes for the advice and consultation of health, financial, and legal professionals.

Consult properly degreed and licensed professionals when dealing with financial, medical, emotional, or legal matters.

We accept no liability for errors or omissions, and are not responsible for advertiser claims.

new you can use Love — Good for the Heart Being involved in a healthy, loving relationship is good for the heart, says Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute cardiologist Julie Damp, M.D. “There are a couple of different theories behind why that might be,” Damp said. People who are married or who are in close, healthy relationships tend to be less likely to smoke, are more physically active and are more likely to have a well-developed social structure, she said. They are also more likely to have lower levels of stress and anxiety in their day-to-day lives.

Weight Training Improves Parkinson’s Symptoms New research suggests weight training for two years significantly improves the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease compared to other forms of exercise such as stretching and balance.

The clinical trial, which compared two forms of exercise for Parkinson’s disease, will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting this month.

Overeating May Double Risk of Memory Loss New research suggests that consuming between 2,100 and 6,000 calories per day may double the risk of memory loss, or mild cognitive impairment (MCI),

among people age 70 and older. MCI is the stage between normal memory loss that comes with aging and early Alzheimer’s disease.

The odds of having MCI more than doubled for those in the highest calorieconsuming group compared to those in the lowest calorie-consuming group. The results were the same after adjusting for history of stroke, diabetes, amount of education, and other factors that can affect risk of memory loss. The study will be presented at this month’s meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Twinkle, Twinkle Kidney Stone: With a Push You Could Be Gone Just the mention of kidney stones can cause a person to cringe. They are often

painful and sometimes difficult to remove, and 10 percent of the population will suffer from them. In space, the risk of developing kidney stones is exacerbated due to environmental conditions.

The health risk is compounded by the fact that resource limitations and distance from Earth could restrict treatment options. Scientists with the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) are developing an ultrasound technology that could overcome some medical care challenges associated with kidney stone treatment.

The new technology detects stones with advanced ultrasound imaging based

on a process called “Twinkling Artifact” and provides treatment by “pushing” the stone with focused ultrasound. This technology could not only be beneficial for health care in space, but could also alter the treatment of kidney stones on Earth.

Walking Speed and Grip in Middle Age May Predict Dementia and Stroke Risk Simple tests such as walking speed and hand grip strength may help doctors determine how likely it is a middle-aged person will develop dementia or stroke.

That’s according to new research to

be presented this month at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study found people with a slower walking speed in middle age were oneand-a-half times more likely to develop dementia compared to people with faster walking speed. Stronger hand grip strength was associated with a 42% lower risk of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in people over age 65 compared to those with weaker hand grip strength. This was not the case, however, for people in the study under age 65.

Researchers also found that slower walking speed was associated with lower total cerebral brain volume and poorer performance on memory, language and decision-making tests.

Stronger hand grip strength was associated with larger total cerebral brain volume as well as better performance on cognitive tests asking people to identify similarities among objects. www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

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You Really Can Die From a Broken Heart A person’s risk of suffering a heart attack increases by approximately 21 times in the first 24 hours after losing a loved one, according to a study lead by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The study, published in the journal Circulation, found the risk of heart attack remained eight times above normal during the first week after the death of a loved one, slowly declining, but remaining elevated for at least a month.

Researchers noted that emotional sense of the broken heart may actually lead to damage leading to a heart attack and a physical broken heart of a sort.

The Biology of Aging The outward signs of aging are obvious. For instance, you notice a new wrinkle or it takes more energy to do an everyday task. But, complex changes are also happening under the surface, deep inside our cells. Biology of Aging: Research Today for a Healthier Tomorrow, a new publication from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, explores questions such as: • What is aging?

• Living long and well: Can we do both? Are they the same?

• Is aging in our genes?

• Does stress really shorten your life?

• Can your immune system still defend you as you age?

Learn about major findings into

the basic biology of aging and preview future areas of investigation. Colorful diagrams and photos help to illustrate some of the important points. No science degree required and it’s FREE. Read the information online, download it, or order print copies: Biology of Aging: Research Today for a Healthier Tomorrow at www.nia.nih.gov/health/ publication/biology-aging. Or call toll-free 1-800-222-2225.

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April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

a gracious plenty

Ham it up

for Easter E

aster is a special time of year for family gatherings. Spring is bursting into beautiful flowers and the earth is coming alive again after the gray drab of winter. It’s a time of remembrance of faith and the core of what is good on this earth, and our memories become very precious.

I remember mama working for days on organza dresses that stood out with stiff crinoline so my sister and I would look Carron Morrow our best. I remember dying eggs most of Saturday to take to church for the ‘hunt’ at the Easter fellowship after services. And I remember how mama would bring enough food to the church to feed not just us, but most of the other families as well! That love of cooking “...just for the fun of it,” led us to the business we have had for forty years.

Our meal every Easter was a bounty of great food: stuffed

eggs, potato salad made with sweet pickles canned the previous summer, tiny lima beans, country green beans with lots of pork, fresh sliced tomatoes, fried chicken, corn bread cut into squares, and of course, baked ham with pineapple rings and cherries on top. And if that wasn’t enough, banana pudding followed.

Cooking an Easter ham isn’t difficult, nor is getting that perfect glaze on top.

Carron Morrow owns Personal Touch Events, a 40-year-old Montgomery-based company specializing in corporate and personal catering and event planning. Contact Carron at 334-279-6279 or by e-mail at carronmorrow@bellsouth.net, or visit www.onlinepersonaltouch.com.

Recipe - 5 to 6 lb. ham - brown sugar - pineapple slices - cherries with stems - toothpicks 1. Heat oven to 350 degr ees.

2. Place ham in pan and cover with foil, but do not seal the foil ar ound the pan.

3. Bake 1 1/2 hours, remo ve from oven, and drain on a rack for 15 minutes.

4. Coat the ham with br own sugar.

5. Cover the ham with pin eapple slices held in place with toothp icks.

6. Slide a stemmed cher ry down each toothpick so it touches the ham (you can also fill-in spaces be tween the pineapple slices with cher ries).

7. Sprinkle brown sugar over the ham.

8. Return, uncovered, to a 350 degree oven for about 20 minute s, or until the sugar makes a glaze.

Enjoy!

www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

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feature

shingles vaccine What Medicare Covers

By Bob Moos

A

nyone who has suffered from shingles knows the pain is excruciating. “Uncomfortable” doesn’t begin to describe your plight if you come down with the disease. “Miserable” is much closer to the truth.

Shingles produces a blistering skin rash that lasts from two to four weeks. It usually appears on just one side of your body, most often on the torso or face.You also may have a fever, headache, chills or an upset stomach.

When the blisters finally go away, you may be left with scars. And for one in every five sufferers, the pain continues – sometimes for a year or more.

You can’t catch shingles from someone else. The disease – also known as herpes zoster -- is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus actually starts as chickenpox, the childhood illness that comes with a fever, sore throat and rash.

When the chickenpox ends, however, the virus doesn’t. It hides in your nerves and, for some people, emerges later as shingles. No one knows why that happens, but shingles is more common after age 60 and among people whose immune systems have been weakened by a disease like cancer.

About one million Americans a year get shingles. Most will have only one outbreak in life, though a second or third outbreak can occur. Fortunately, you can prevent shingles or at least blunt its effect with a vaccine.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a one-time shot if you’re 60 or older. The vaccine reduces the risk of shingles by about 50 percent. If you do come down with it, you’re likely to have a milder case if you’ve been inoculated.

There have been no serious problems with the vaccine. The most common side effects have been redness, soreness, swelling or itching at the shot side. If you have any questions, visit with your doctor.

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April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

Medicare covers the shingles vaccine as one of its preventive benefits. But, unlike some other vaccines that are paid through Part B, the shingles vaccine is covered by Part D. That’s the part of Medicare you use when you buy prescription drugs at your pharmacy. People get Part D through a private stand-along drug plan, if they have traditional Medicare, or through a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage.

Your Part D plan will pay for the vaccine itself and for your doctor or other health care provider to give you the shot. But you need to make sure you follow your particular plan’s rules in order to keep your outof-pocket cost as low as possible.

The average copayment for Medicare beneficiaries who get inoculated for shingles is $57, though that will vary by plan. If you’re vaccinated at a drugstore, check to make certain it’s in your Part D plan’s pharmacy network. Otherwise, the shot will cost you more than your usual copay.

If you’re inoculated in a doctor’s office, check to make sure

the office can bill your plan or at least can work through a drugstore in your plan’s network. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay the entire bill up front and then claim reimbursement from your plan.

Just to be safe, call your Part D drug plan ahead of time and ask which pharmacies and doctors in your area you can use to receive the shingles vaccine at the plan’s regular copay. As today’s 78 million baby boomers age, the number of shingles cases will only increase.

Guard yourself against the pain and suffering. Get vaccinated.

To learn more about shingles, contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 1-800-232-4636 or visit www.cdc.gov/ vaccines. For more about Medicare’s coverage, call 1-800-MEDICARE or go to www.medicare.gov.

“You can’t catch shingles from someone else. The disease — also known as herpes zoster — is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.”

Bob Moos is the Southwest Public Affairs Officer for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

April 22–May 19

April 13-May18

“Ingenious! A dizzy delight” – NY Daily News “Riotous and Marvelous” -The New York Post

April 22–May 19

Adapted by Patrick Barlow From the novel by John Buchman From the movie of Alfred Hitchcock

April 22–May 19 AlAbAmA ShAkeSpeAre FeStivAl

montgomery, Alabama 1.800.841.4273 www.ASF.net www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

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in every life

Respect ALL Medications S

pring is in the air! With it comes increased pollen and potential for seasonal allergies, which can begin at any age. Although several allergy medicines are available over-the-counter, ALL medications or herbal preparations should be carefully considered to evaluate potential risks and benefits. Over-the-counter Arlene Morris and herbal preparations can be as dangerous as prescription medications, although these may not be considered ‘medications’ by either patients or providers.

For example, allergy medications commonly have side effects such as drowsiness; dry mouth, nose, and throat; nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, constipation; headache, confusion, dizziness; or increased chest congestion. These side effects can increase older adults’ risks for dehydration or falls.

In the U.S. those over age 65 consume more than one third of prescription and over-thecounter medications, taking an average of five prescription and four over-the-counter medications on a daily basis. However, not much research has been completed regarding potential interactions of over-the-counter with prescription meds (most drug studies consider responses to one medication).

As discussed in last month’s column (all of which are available at www.primemontgomery.com), kidney function declines with aging, potentially causing decreased excretion (increased retention) of substances.

Therefore, multiple medications compete for areas of excretion, thus potentially causing an increased amount of one or more of the medications. Also, multiple medications can interact to increase or decrease effects of others. This gradual accumulation of medication can cause adverse drug reactions, which are considered a factor in 10-20% of hospital admissions of adults over 65.

Decisions about medication use should be based on objective evidence, not media hype or drug manufacturer claims. Discussions with your healthcare providers should include a list of all medications or herbal preparations that are taken, dosage, time, purpose, how long they have been taken and if they seem to be effective or not. Ask healthcare providers for suggestions for specific preparations that interact as little as possible with other medications, and to consider the Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in 10

April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

Older Adults (see citation below).

Medications on “Beers List” are considered to have potentially more risks than benefits in older adults.

Dosage modifications may be needed.

Open communication with healthcare providers can provide specific information suited to individual needs and situations, minimizing unintended reactions. All medications, including over-the-counter or herbal preparations, should be treated with healthy respect.  Reference: Fick, D. M., Cooper, J. W., Wade, W. E., Waller, J. E., Maclean, R., & Beers, M. H. (2003). Updating the Beers criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults: Results of a US consensus panel of experts. Archives of Internal Medicine, 163, 2716-2724. Retrieved from www.http://archinte.ama-assn.org/ cgi/content/full/163/22/2716

Arlene H. Morris, EdD, RN, CNE, is Professor of Nursing at Auburn Montgomery’s School of Nursing. She can be reached at amorris@aum.edu.

• Physical Therapy • • Wellness/Personal Training •

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social security

Earn (and KEEP!) More Money

Y

ou probably already know that there was an increase in Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) monthly payments at the beginning of the year. If you receive monthly Social Security or SSI payments, you received a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment beginning with your payment for the month of January 2012.

For people who receive Social Security Kylle’ McKinney retirement benefits, there’s more good news.

In addition to receiving a little more each month, you may now earn more income without offsetting your benefits because the “earnings test” numbers also have gone up.

If you have reached your full retirement age (age 66 for anyone born between 1943 and 1954), the earnings test does not apply and you may earn as much money as you can without any effect on your benefits. However, if you are younger than full retirement age, collecting benefits and still working, we do offset some of your benefit amount after a certain earnings limit is met.

For people under full retirement age in 2012, the annual exempt amount is $14,640, and if you do reach that limit, we withhold $1 for every $2 above that limit from your monthly benefit amount.

For people who retired early, continue working and will obtain full retirement age in 2012, the annual exempt amount is $38,880 and we will withhold $1 for every $3 you earn over the limit from your monthly benefits.

You can learn more about the earnings test and how benefits may be reduced by visiting our website, www.socialsecurity.gov, and searching on the topic “earnings test.”

Find out what your full retirement age is at our Retirement Age page, www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/ageincrease.htm You also may want to read our publication, How Work Affects Your Benefits. It’s available at www.socialsecurity.gov/ pubs/10069.html.

Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached in Montgomery at 866-593-0914, ext. 26265, or by e-mail at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov.

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www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

11

feature

the things we watched W

By Tom Ensey

hen we were children, TV was new, a remarkable technology that changed everything. Not many generations before ours, kids sat around campfires at night and talked about hunting or what kind of bird they saw that day.

But we grew up watching situation comedies or “sitcoms,” a word that didn’t even exist prior to our lifetimes. And as writers became more desperate to come up with comedic situations to fill the Vast Wasteland with new material, the weirder the situations and the comedy got.

Consider the TV shows we grew up on, the oddness that bombarded our innocent little minds, and it’s small wonder we didn’t turn out even stranger than we are. Which is, let’s face it, pretty strange.

Is there anybody out there who remembers:

the radio. No, he wasn’t insane – the car really was his mom. A few years later, Stephen King wrote a pretty creepy book about a haunted car called Christine. That turned out kind of scary and made a decent movie. My Mother the Car was not a horror show. It was supposed to be a comedy. But you could watch every one of the 30 episodes and not crack a smile.

Amazingly, the creators and others who worked on this show went on to make some of the best TV shows in history, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, Lou Grant, The Simpsons, Barney Miller...

How they kept their jobs after this one, though, was a miracle.

My Mother the Car This is properly regarded as the worst TV show ever aired. Through the miracle of the Internet, the entire first and only season is on YouTube for your viewing agony.

The premise: Jerry Van Dyke, whose primary claim to fame was that his brother was Dick, played a guy who bought a car that somehow contained the spirit of his departed mother, who gave him advice through

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April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

Mr. Ed Without a doubt, the best TV show ever made about a talking horse. The theme song was classic.

The guy who did Mr. Ed’s voice sounded exactly the way a horse should sound. He was a country singer and a cowboy star named Allan Lane who never was credited.

The perfectly named main human character – Wilbur Post – played by Alan Young, was kind of goofily perfect, too.

He came across as exactly the kind of guy who, even with a wife as cute as Carol (Connie Hines), would still spend all his time in the barn with a horse.

The big question remains: How did they make the horse’s mouth move in sync with the dialogue? Did

the trainer really put peanut butter behind his lips? Was it invisible wires? Was the horse that played Ed just that smart? There is no definitive answer.

My Favorite Martian A man from Mars crashes his craft on Earth.

A newspaper reporter finds him, but instead of breaking the biggest story in the history of mankind, takes him in as a roommate, conceals his identity, and tells everybody it’s his “Uncle Martin.”

Martin is a lot like the professor on Gilligan’s Island, who can make a walkie-talkie out of a coconut, but can’t fix a hole in a boat.

Martin can mentally levitate things, be invisible, read people’s minds and build an actual time machine that transports him and his host to Medieval England.

But he can’t make his spaceship fly again.

and archetypal, affable boss Larry Tate.

The show also provided a generation of kids with great names for pet cats.

Tell the truth – how many of you had a friend who named their cat Samantha, Endora or Darren?

That is, if you didn’t do it yourself.

The Addams Family This had one of the greatest theme songs ever, and not just because it had a tune and rhyme scheme that made it easy for adolescent boys to create rude, offensive alternative lyrics.

(If you don’t know what I’m talking about, e-mail me and I’ll send you my version that got me thrown out of Mrs. Osborne’s class when she overheard me singing it during third grade math.)

There are people alive today who don’t know why tall, kinda spooky-looking guys are called “Lurch,” why short, bald guys with funny voices are called “Uncle Fester,” or why my nickname in grammar school was “Pugsley.”

Thank goodness.

Bewitched What’s harder to believe? That a mortal guy who looks like Dick York could get a dish like Elizabeth Montgomery to marry him – or that she’s also a witch?

As if that weren’t enough, she changed husbands in the middle of the show – to the equally ordinary-looking Dick Sergeant – and none of the characters in the show or even the folks watching at home found this to be distracting in the least.

You have to admit, it’s actually a pretty clever little show.

It gave us archetypal nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz, archetypal interfering mother-in-law Endora (with supernatural power, no less, played by the inimitable Agnes Moorehead),

www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

13

Flipper This show helped create the popular delusion that a giant, eight-foot-long, 600 pound wild animal that can swim 40 mph and kill you with its nose, is regarded as nicer than most dogs and smarter than the average high school student.

Dolphins are beautiful animals, and they are far more intelligent than, say, a tuna.

But if you are on a trip to the beach some day, and see a group of them swimming offshore, don’t swim out to them thinking they will stand on their tails, make cute eeeky-eeeky noises and turn back flips for your entertainment.

Life isn’t a TV show.

And dolphins are just a little dangerous.

(Editor’s Note: One More Thing) Dolphins have to be conscious to breath, which means they can’t go into deep sleep or they’ll suffocate.

The solution?

Half their brain sleeps, and half stays awake.

On average they sleep eight hours a day like this.

The question then has to be... do they alternate which half of the brain sleeps, and which half stays awake?

We know dolphins are smart, but several of their intelligence traits are shared with other mammals. For instance, dolphins are fast learners and can generalize, but so can pigs. Dolphins can also learn complicated language-like commands, but so can great apes.

However, neither a pig or a great ape is at home in the water. So there.

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April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

off the beaten path

Farm-to-Table,’ Nothing New

L

ong before “going green” was a buzz have our very first shared garden in our backyard. We have a variety of vegetables and fruits, and she has her own herb word in home improvement and garden with an array of aromatics to complement the fine grocery stores, hunters and fisherdishes that come out of her kitchen. men were “living green.” Harvesting our By no means are either of us as experienced in horticulture own wild game gives those of us who as Ethel, but we have shared many hunt and fish not laughs and joyful moments planning only the pride in “We’ve lost part of our our garden, sowing our seeds and having provided identity in distancing watching them sprout and grow This for ourselves and ourselves from an is a new tradition for us, and one that our families, but Niko Corley intimate knowledge I hope to continue for many years to also the exceedof the origins of the come. Maybe even add to our farmingly rare (these days) knowledge foods we eat.” to-table concept with the addition of about the origin of our food; where some chickens to give us fresh eggs! it came from, what it ate, how it was For now, I’m content to have found a processed, etc. satisfying hobby we can enjoy all year long.

The truth is, many people these days don’t regularly dine on anything that doesn’t come canned, wrapped in cellophane or stamped with an expiration date. This was not the norm Niko Corley spends his free time hunting, fishing and enjoying just one or maybe two generations back. We’ve lost part of other outdoor activities. Contact him at cootfootoutfitters@gmail. our identity in distancing ourselves from an intimate knowlcom or follow him on Twitter @cootfootoutfitters. edge of the origins of the foods we eat. I personally want to know as much as possible about the origins of the foods my family and I consume to keep us healthy.

Restaurants and specialty food stores charge a premium for “free range” or “wild caught” meats, fish and shellfish and “organic” and locally grown fruits and vegetables. I recently •Parkinson’s or MS? read an article about a restaurant in one of the nation’s largest cities that has made quite a splash with its menu that •Arthritis/Fibromyalgia? relied heavily on wild game (including raccoon). Apparently, city slickers cannot get enough of the ultra-organic, free •Knee, hip, or back problems? range game served there, fare we hunters and anglers have enjoyed for ages.

•Diabetes/neuropathy?

The fact that people are going crazy over a menu filled with wild fish or game seems odd, and claims regarding the •Cardiovascular problems? healthy aspects of eating these free range and organic foods •Poor balance, weak muscles? has only increased their popularity with consumers. The general public seems to have only recently accepted what we hunters and fishermen have known for some time.

My personal preference (if you haven’t guessed it by now) is to harvest my own dinner. Here recently, in consultation with fellow Prime columnist Ethel Dozier Boykin, I have expanded upon that concept to also include growing my own fresh produce. With the farm-to-table sensation sweeping the nation, I thought it’d be fun to have a version of this right here in my own backyard. Plus, I have the added benefit of a shared hobby with my wife, Sally. We both have fond memoTaoist Tai Chi Society ries of eating fruits and vegetables grown in our grandparents of the USA, Alabama Branch or our own backyard gardens as children, and this year we

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www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

15

Yard n’ garden

The Versatile Vine

E

Wisteria

A popular vine sold this time six feet in six weeks. very yard has a Hyacinth Bean is a purple bloom- of year is the Mandevilla. It’s full spot where a vine of bright, happy pink flowers, but ing vine with purple bean pods at can grow, or a the end of summer.You can see it in is a tropical and only spends the patio where it will fit summer with us. It’s often planted the Shakespeare Garden at Blount in a pot.Vines can be on mailboxes, and is nicknamed Cultural Park. An iron trellis works evergreen or deciduMailbox Vine. Enjoy it if you can great for this vine, but if you don’t ous, come from bulbs take that much pink. have one, a bamboo or seeds, and some (NOTE - Its yellow tee pee will work. are rooted plants. Due cousin doesn’t perMost garden shops to their fast-growing Ethel Dozier Boykin nature you can train a form as well.) sell bamboo in differVine can be a four vine to grow up a trellis or fence to ent lengths. letter word. Drive Cypress Vine has hide an unsightly view. I use Confeddown Vaughn Road a red flower with erate Jasmine for this purpose. It’s past Deer Creek tiny, fern-like foliage. an evergreen with small, white fraand see how the grant flowers that bloom in summer. It grows rapidly and Wisteria has taken hummingbirds love it.

On a recent stop at the feed over. It’s a sight to store I came across a Clematis bulb I got this plant free, behold. It’s blooming but if something’s I did not have, so as most plant Mandavilla now and will be for a people do, I bought it. Or rather, my free, there’s usually a few weeks. We love the smell and reason. With Cypress Vine, the reahusband bought it for me. His way look of Wisteria, but its dominant son is its invasive properties. Many of buying me flowers. people plant it to enjoy the flowers, personality means it was probably a Clematis love the sun, but want first-born in the plant family! If you then pull it before it goes to seed. their roots cool, so mulch them must have it, control it. Older yards One of sumwell and put a may have it climbing up an iron post mer’s southern rock on top of the and grown to look like a plant umfavorites is the soil to keep them brella. This keeps it off the ground Sweet Pea, with cooler during sumand contained. pastel colors and mer heat.

I started out telling about my new a sweet perfume.

A less-used vine Clematis purchase, and I want to At older homes it is Trumpet Creepwas planted on the end up focusing on them. er, with orange In full bloom, Clematis is a specporch for its sumblossoms loved tacular vine. The problems many enmer fragrance. by hummingbirds.

Clematis Not all vines bloom counter with it are due to pruning Avoid this vine’s wild at the wrong time. There are three cousin by purchasing it from a nurs- in summer. The Sweet Autumn groups, and each requires differClematis, as its name implies, ery. The Tangerine Beauty over my ent pruning. The tag (or an on-line blooms in the fall with white, fraback gate trellis stops traffic when search) will determine into which grant blooms. it’s blooming. group they fall. Colors vary, includVines, as with all plants, have An inexpensive way to grow vines ing red, purple, pink and white, with different light requirements.

Most is to start from seed. If children flowers from one to eight inches. want sun, but many shade vines are are in the home purchase Morning available, such as English Ivy, a super And, like us, this vine improves with Glory seeds, soak them overnight, age! and plant in a pot. They’ll go to seed worker in the garden. Creeping Fig Montgomery native Ethel Dozier and Algerian Ivy are two others that at the end of summer and you’ll thrive in shade. Other shade bloom- Boykin owns Art in the Garden, a lohave more than you can handle. cal landscape, design and consulting ers are the Trumpet HoneysuckA fast growing vine is the Black company, 334-395-5949, or e-mail Eyed Susan, yellow with a black cen- le and the Clematis Armandii, an etheldozierboykin@yahoo.com. evergreen with large white flowers. ter. It blooms all summer and can be 16

April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

moving free with mirabai

ease back into Exercise

I

love to get out in the Spring after a Winter of exercising indoors. Even if you haven’t done much over the winter, the green smell of plants and flowers in the air and switching on to Daylight Savings Time are great motivators.

Start with a duration you’re comfortable with and work your way up. I do some standing pushups and a couple of stretches at the end of my walk to round out the workout. No equipment necessary, just Mirabai Holland your favorite tree. Here is what I do: 1) Standing Pushups: Stand facing your tree and stretch arms in from of you, chest level and place hands on the tree a few inches apart. Keeping your body straight, slowly bend elbows until your chest is close to the tree and push back with a single thrust. Work up to 20 reps. Works chest, and arms.

2) Back Extension: Stand facing your tree and stretch arms in front of you slightly below chest level.

Place hands on the tree a few inches apart. Keep arms stretched as you bend back lifting your head, chin up while contracting your abs. Hold for 10-20 seconds. Stretches

the back.

3) Front Thigh Stretch: Stand facing your tree and hold on with your left hand. Grab your right ankle and gently pull heel towards buttocks. Hold for 10-20 seconds. Then switch legs. Stretches the front thigh muscles.

Mirabai Holland M.F.A. is a leading authority in the Health & Fitness industry and a public health activist specializing in preventive and rehabilitative exercise. Her Moving Free® approach to exercise is designed to provide a movement experience so pleasant it doesn’t feel like work (www.mirabaiholland.com).

www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

17

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April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

feature

The Cake Lady Story by Lenore Reese Vickrey Photos by Bob Corley

I

f you’ve been to a wedding in Montgomery in the “There’s a misconception you get up on Saturday past 20 years, there’s a very good chance you’ve and make a cake,” she says, “ but it’s a week long proeaten a piece of cake baked by Peggy McKinney. Her cess. We’re a small business, but we work 80 to 100 culinary confections have become the staple of many a hours a week.”

Capital City wedding reception, so much so that she’s A graduate of Robert E. Lee High School, McKinney earned the well-deserved unofficial title of “The Cake studied music at the University of Alabama, specifiLady.” cally the oboe. With one semester left she quit school It’s an appropriate moniker for a 63-year-old Montto get married and moved back to Montgomery next gomery resident - one of four daughters - who lives door to her parents. She went to work at the Capital and works next door to the Capitol Heights house in City Club as a waitress in 1978, a year after it opened. which she grew up.

“The customers were good, fun people,” she said. “A “We eat most of our meals right here,” she says good portion of them are still my customers.” indicating a Soon after she began work she learned she was exlong white pecting her third table in the child, front room Karen, where she is but she surrounded kept on by cake working, boxes, cake impressing forms and her bosses albums with her filled with strong photos work ethic. of her Soon, a hidelaborately den talent decorated emerged. cake cre“I’d been ations. working The there about same four or five table years, and doubles we were Peggy and husband Don in the kitchen, as her getting our photos of cakes she’s them, cake boxes sh baked covering the are shelf space with decoratcakes for table. Behind photos of grandchildr en. ing station, where, dessert despite painful arthritis, she will spend as long as 36 hours to fully ice and decorate an elaborate wedding cake to perfection.

“Fridays and Saturdays are pretty stressful,” laughs McKinney. “All the cakes are baked by Tuesday night, and we have to cut all the boards, get the mirrors up and washed, and everything labeled and taped down.

I start icing on Friday morning and I’ll still be working on a cake at 6 p.m. Saturday.”

from a local bakery,” she remembered. She was unimpressed with their product.

“It tasted like a box.” Although the wait staff had been encouraged to “push” diners to order desserts, Peggy couldn’t do it. “Not when it didn’t taste good.”

She knew she could do better, so she offered to make the cakes herself.

“Now, not many chefs would let a waitress bake the

www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

19

cakes,” admitted McKinney, but license. They took out a he did. “And that was the beginloan to buy new equipment, ning.” including heavy duty mixers, She made carrot cakes, Gerdishwashers, large capacity man chocolate cakes and red freezers and refrigerators. velvet cakes at Christmas. One She hasn’t stopped baking day she saw a recipe in the since. newspaper for a peanut butEvery weekend, beginning ter fudge cake. Not too many in March and continuing people don’t like chocolate and through June, she’ll bake peanut butter, she thought. She and decorate cakes nondecided to use crunchy peanut stop. She plots her weekly butter for the filling, along with schedule on a whiteboard her own recipe for chocolate in the kitchen, divided into frosting. four quadrants of pound “I tweaked it,” she said. “Well, cake (the basic wedding cake that just started selling like norecipe), strawberry, fudge body’s business. People started and red velvet. The number ordering to serve to their out and size of each layer is of town guests.” marked, ranging from six to Today, that peanut butter 18 inches in diameter. fudge confection is her signaShe buys her cake ingrediture cake and her most popular. ents locally - flour, flavorings, You’d be hard pressed to find extra crunchy peanut butter, anyone who’s not sampled a along with “real” lemon and groom’s cake at a local wedding “real” butter. McKinney uses that wasn’t made by McKinney.

180 eggs a week, 36 in each Her daughter’s 11 tier wedding cake featured multiple flavors.

The requests for her cakes batter. grew so numerous she eventu“I’ve formulated my recially quit her job at the club. pes so I can get the maxiAfter 14 years of working for someone else, she went into mum amount of batter in each of my big mixers,” she said. the cake-making business full-time.

She can bake a four-tier wedding cake at one time in her large For five years she used the kitchen at the Vintage Year on convection oven. No toothpick test here: she tests doneness Cloverdale Road, owned by friends Judy and John Martin. with uncooked spaghetti noodles.

With no air conditioning, icing cakes was a challenge, so she Spring and summer are her busiest times for weddings, moved into her father’s house and started her cake business but holidays are almost as stressful. McKinney estimates in in the house next door, where she still operates today. the past holiday season, over a three week period, she baked McKinney’s husband Don, despite knee and hip replacemore than 200 peanut butter fudge cakes, 30 to 40 strawments and an illness so severe he required a kidney transplant, berry cakes, and 15 to 20 caramel cakes. refurbished the house over a five-year period.

“What makes me the happiest is that I’ve been seeing the “He did it all by himself,” she said. same people every Christmas, and I think, isn’t it nice to be a In January 1997, McKinney Cakes received their business part of someone’s Christmas traditions?”

A typical groom’s cake (L), with unusual decorations. Decorating (R) is detailed and time-consuming, and often results in hand cramps.

20

April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

She bakes for individual and corporate customers, with one loyal customer ordering 22 cakes to give as Christmas gifts. It’s a true family business, with sister Carol assisting in the kitchen, and husband Don and their former son-in-law traveling from one end of the state to the other delivering her creations intact, and on time. Her cake career hasn’t been culinary perfection, however.

At the State Capitol several years ago a cake in four different pieces was being pushed on a cart along the sidewalk when the cart turned over in the parking lot.

Everyone stared aghast at the disaster, but McKinney remained calm. For some reason, she’d baked two extra 16-inch layers. She rushed home, retrieved the layers, and the cake – and the day – was saved.

“And I rarely ever have extra cake,” she said.

Her proudest moment was baking her daughter’s wedding cake in November 2000.

The one-of-a-kind creation had 11 tiers, each layer a different flavor including cherry, pumpkin and caramel, decorated with marzipan and miniature fruits.

Her most popular cake is peanut butter fudge, with strawberry cake the next favorite. For bride’s cakes, she uses a basic cream cheese pound cake batter with a choice of fillings – toasted almond with Grand Marnier, strawberry, raspberry, caramel or lemon cheese.

“I am a customer pleaser,” she said.Yet there are some things she won’t do: “I won’t cover a cake with fondant. It just doesn’t taste good. And I won’t do weird shaped cakes. Just square or round, and a few hexagonals.”

If a bride finds a cake design she likes, Peggy will do her best to duplicate it.

“I’ve copied so many of Martha Stewart’s cakes it’s hard to believe,” she said. Many of the current designs she gets from the internet.

After more than 25 years McKinney is not ready for retirement. She still provides cakes for the Capital City Club in addition to weddings and individual customer requests, crediting much of her success to others.

“Everybody in this town has been so good to me,” she says, “the florists, everyone.”

She’s been asked to share her recipes, but that won’t happen any time soon.You’ll have to wait until she has the peanut butter fudge cake recipe engraved on her tombstone.

“But that way,” she says with a hearty laugh, “I’ll make sure people will visit my grave.” www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

21

moneywise

Choosing a Bank (or Credit Union)

F

or most of us, certain bank products and services are a necessity.

You likely have one or more existing bank relationships. Are they the right ones for you at this stage of your life?

Should you make a change? If so, where should you go?

The first step is to evaluate your Alan Wallace banking needs and preferences. Banks (and credit unions) offer a wide range of services.You will need some of these, may want certain others, and some will not interest you at all. Financial institutions make choices about the types of customer they want to attract and serve. What they offer is designed to appeal to their desired market. If you are not in their target market, it is likely a mistake to use them.You will pay more for what you get, get things you do not need, and encounter hassles because you and your bank are not a good match for each other.

So, what products and services do you need? Personal checking? CDs? Safe deposit box? Convenient ATM access?

Online banking? Personal lending? Business lending? Mortgages? Debit and or credit cards? Trust services? Business banking? Decide what products and services you need or want.

The next step is to comparison shop. This can be time consuming, depending on how thorough you want to be. While cost is certainly one point of focus, it should not be the only one.You also need to think about convenience, financial stability and other considerations. Where are they located? Are there multiple branches? What are their hours on the days that you need to transact business in person? How long have they been in the local market? If you want to build a relationship with people where you bank and be on a first-name basis, does their culture promote that or even allow for it? Remember: bigger institutions tend to move people around more than smaller ones.

While costs or monthly fees are not the only consideration, they are major ones. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to develop an “apples-to-apples” comparison of costs between banks. Ask potential service providers questions, particularly about the services important to you. Then, based on a realistic estimate of your likely usage, what would your costs be with those which might be a good fit for you in other respects.

Keep in mind, though, that things change. Banks can raise fees, discontinue certain types of accounts and services, change personnel and close branches at any time without consulting you first.

Third, decide whether you can get everything that you need and want in one place or if you would be better off going to more than one institution for different services? For most people, it makes sense to consolidate everything in one place, but if competing banks are clearly better than one another 22

April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

in particular services that you need, you might be better off dividing your business. There is no law against having accounts at more than one bank if it makes sense for you.

Fourth, don’t be snookered by promotions and gimmicks that you do not need and that will not benefit you. Focus on what you really need and want, not what a marketer dreamed up as a public promotion that does not help you. It may be a good idea to learn about service offerings that you have not used in the past because they could revolutionize your life, but keep a clear head when you evaluate them.

For instance, if you have never used and do not own a home computer, the fact that ABC Bank has the greatest web banking portal ever is not likely to do you any good.

If you work through the process outlined above, you may find that your current banking relationship is the one you should stay with. But if you do not look around, how will you know for sure?

Alan Wallace, CFA, ChFC, CLU is a Senior Financial Advisor for Ronald Blue & Co.’s Montgomery office, 334-270-5960, alan.wallace@ronblue.com

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Elder law

Silver Haired Legislature

By John Bitter

I

n its October 2011 session, the Alabama Silver-Haired Legislature made Elder Abuse its top effort. Members are working to get the ball rolling in their individual districts, and for the fifth year in a row a bill was introduced in the Alabama Legislature to establish an Interagency Council for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. It sailed through the Senate and is now in the House.

Last year the governor created the Elder Justice Alliance, which is attempting to do what most of this legislation calls for. The proposed plan of action includes: n a statewide long-range plan for caring for those at risk; n elimination of existing barriers to identifying and reporting elder abuse; n developing programs/services for elder abuse victims; n developing fiscal plans to fund this effort The major areas of elder abuse include: n physical abuse, inflicting pain and injury on a senior; n sexual abuse; n financial exploitation; n emotional abuse, inflicting mental pain/anguish on an elder; n abandonment, seniors are often turned loose to fend for themselves; n self-neglect, leaving seniors to care for their health and safety when evident shows them incapable of doing so.

Alabama is in a position to gather data, form committees and study the problem in anticipation of the Legislature putting the force of law behind their efforts.

Montgomery District 77 Rep. William L. Richards has been

Pr i m e

addressing the problems of the elderly with local civic groups.

Speaking to the Retired Federal Employees Association’s Montgomery Chapter, Richards recalled the heart-wrenching tale of child actor Mickey Rooney who went to court in an effort to protect himself from his own son. Rooney claimed his son was verbally, physically, and financially abusing him.

“The child actor grew into adulthood, as have many of us,” said Richards, “believing that everyone close to him had his best interests at heart. This was not the case. Before the court intervened [Mr. Rooney] was effectively a prisoner in his own home.”

Similar cases exist in Alabama, with one concern being nursing home residents, who are particularly vulnerable with limited recourse as it relates to protection from abuse.

Others helping to spread the word about elder abuse and efforts to combat it are Robyn James of the Elder Rights Division of the Alabama Department of Senior Services, and Steve Searcy, Executive Director of the Alabama Justice Center.

Both recently spoke to members of the Alabama Assisted Living Association at the group’s annual conference in Birmingham.

They presented information on the Elder Justice Alliance initiatives, financial exploitation of elders, and the importance of “looking both ways before a senior connects to the Internet”.

Robyn James is available for speaking engagements on this topic and can be reached at 334-353-9273, or by e-mail at Robyn.James@adss.alabama.gov.

Pr i m e

Beyond Celebrating Midlife and

Subscribe today to have Secrets Prime Montgomery delivered T.V. from San Francisco the 60’s -what WERE we to your home or office. thinking?

Prime Montgomery is the I Ma rrie d a Rev olut iona ry River Region’s premiere W edd ing Ar t: monthly magazine celebrating the lives & times of those of us 50+.

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Montgomery, AL 36109 334-799-0709 nkynard@yahoo.com www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

23

pet world

By Steve Dale

Keep Your Pet Healthy Q A

: My 16-year-old cat has been vomiting off and on for a week.The veterinarian said it’s because her kidneys are failing. Should I consider putting her down? - J.S., Cyberspace : “There’s a difference between kidney insufficiency and kidney failure,” notes Dr. Elizabeth Colleran, of Chico, CA. “Kidney insufficiency is very common and occurs in most cats over 12; and it is treatable with diet, nausea medication, fluid intake and supplements.”

The prognosis for kidney failure isn’t nearly as optimistic.

Still, depending on the severity, quality of life might be maintained for some time by treating the symptoms.

Colleran, past president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and spokesperson for Cat Friendly Practices, adds, “Your veterinarian will know how to figure out what’s going on with your cat. It’s pretty straightforward, based on blood work, kidney values, thyroid function and your cat’s general condition.”

You might consider seeking a second opinion from a feline veterinarian. It sounds like you want to do what’s in the best interest of your cat, which is most important. My thoughts are with you.

Q

: Our 4-year-old Papillon is scared of the steps I bought for her so she could climb into our bed.We just bought a new mattress and box spring, so the bed is higher than before.The dog can jump up on the bed, but I’m afraid she might get hurt jumping down to the floor. How do I convince her to use the steps? - S.B., Pahrump, NV : I recall a similar question around the time I began this column nearly 20 years ago, I was disparaged by at least one other pet writer for taking the question seriously. How times have changed! Today, nearly half of all dogs sleep in bed with their people.

As it happens, my wife and I also just purchased a new mattress and box spring, and we practically need a step stool ourselves to get in bed. The salesperson explained that beds are now higher than ever, so your trepidation about your dog jumping off is reasonable, and could be an even greater concern as the pet ages.

Try smearing some peanut butter on the top step. Once your dog makes it that far, place a treat just beyond her reach on the bed. Of course, going up is the easy part. To get your dog in the habit of going down the steps, lead her down them using a leash. Hold a special treat as a lure to direct her down, while you also offer a cue, such as, “Out of bed.” Use a weekend to train her.

A

Q

: Van Gogh, my 3-year-old calico cat, has cracked, rough paw pads instead of soft pink ones.Why did this happen to our indoor cat? I’m currently putting olive oil on the cat’s paw pads, but that’s sloppy because she jumps on the couch and gets olive oil there. Any advice? - T.P., Chicago, IL : Save the olive oil for your pasta. If your cat is limping or demonstrating discomfort in any way, see your veterinarian promptly.

You could try Omega 3 fatty acid (as a nutritional supplement), which might improve Van Gogh’s skin. Dr. Colleen Currigan, a Chicago, IL-based feline veterinarian and board member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, notes that some cats with rough paw pads, as you describe, may be dehydrated.

“Your veterinarian can tell for sure,” she says. “But you can do no harm by offering many choices of places to drink (particularly if you have other cats). Add some water to canned food (if that’s what you’re feeding). If you’re feeding only dry food, consider adding some canned food. Many cats enjoy running water, and fountains for cats are available (online and wherever pet products are sold). And be sure to add fresh water to water bowls daily.”

If adding Omega 3 to your cat’s diet and insuring that Van Gogh is drinking lots of water doesn’t help, Currigan says the problem may be an allergy or a number of metabolic causes. It’s possible - if Van Gogh is declawed - walking with an unusual gait could cause the problem. Or, dry pads may mean nothing and can be totally insignificant.Your veterinarian can tell you.

Steve Dale is Certified Animal Behavior Consultant. Contact him at Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY. 14207, or by e-mail, petworld@stevedale.tv. Include your name, city and state. (c) 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

health

Marci’s Medicare Answer

April 2012 Dear Marci, My doctor says I need home health care. Will Medicare cover this?

— Ralph Dear Ralph, Medicare will help pay for your home care if all four of the following are true: n You are homebound, meaning it takes a considerable and taxing effort to leave your home; and n You need skilled nursing care on a part-time or intermittent basis and/or you need skilled therapy services; and n Your doctor signs a home health certification stating that you qualify for Medicare home care because you are homebound and need intermittent skilled care. The certification must also say that a plan of care has been made for you, and that it is regularly reviewed by a doctor. Usually, the certification and plan of care are combined in one form that is signed by your doctor and submitted to Medicare.

Starting April 1, 2011, as part of the certification, doctors must also confirm that they (or certain other providers, such as nurse practitioners) have had a face-to-face meeting with you that was related to the main reason you need home care.

This meeting must occur within 90 days of starting to receive home health care or within 30 days after you have already started receiving home health care.Your doctor must specifically state that the face-to-face meeting confirmed that you are homebound and that you qualify for intermittent skilled care. n You receive your care from a Medicare-certified home health agency (CHHA).

plans at any time. Is that true?

— Bart Dear Bart, Yes. If you receive Extra Help, the federal program that helps pay for Medicare prescription drug costs, you get a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that allows you to join, disenroll from or switch Medicare drug plans on a monthly basis. The SEP begins the month that you become eligible for Extra Help, Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program (MSP), and continues as long as you have Extra Help. (If you lose Medicaid or the MSP, or if you lose Extra Help during the calendar year, you get one two-month SEP. If you lose Extra Help for the next calendar year because you are no longer deemed eligible, you get one SEP that lasts from January to March.)

To switch plans, you should enroll in your new plan without disenrolling from your old plan. It is best to enroll into your new plan by calling 800-MEDICARE, rather than by calling the new plan.You will be automatically disenrolled from your previous Medicare private drug plan when your new coverage starts.

Marci’s Medicare Answers is a service of the Medicare Rights Center (www.medicarerights.org), the nation’s largest independent source of information and assistance for people with Medicare. To speak with a counselor, call (800) 333-4114. To subscribe to “Dear Marci,” the Medicare Rights Center’s free educational e-newsletter, simply e-mail dearmarci@medicarerights.org. To learn more about the services that Medicare will cover and how to change plans, log on to Medicare Interactive Counselor at the Medicare Rights Center’s website at www.medicareinteractive.org.

Dear Marci, Am I eligible for Medicare coverage of annual glaucoma screenings?

— Gertrude Dear Gertrude, Medicare Part B covers annual glaucoma screenings at 80 percent for individuals who are at high risk.You or your supplemental insurer is responsible for the remaining 20 percent.

People are considered at high risk for glaucoma if they: n Have a family history of glaucoma n Have diabetes n Are African American and aged 50 or older n Are Hispanic and aged 65 or older.

If you are in a Medicare private health plan, you should contact your plan to see what rules and costs apply.

Dear Marci, I have Extra Help, and I heard I can change drug www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

25

feature

Wine

and

Flowers

By Andrea Gross

I

find a patch of green and begin to unpack our picnic basket. “Wine?” asks my husband. I nod happily. I’m surrounded by wildflowers, fixed with food and wine, and within shouting distance of places waiting to be explored.

I’m hard put to think of a nicer way to spend the day.

Now we’ve found a way to have not one, but two spring breaks. First we go to the Hill Country of central Texas, where spring begins early. Later we explore the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia, where flowers don’t reach their peak ‘til May or June.

Texas Hill Country It’s mid-April in Fredericksburg, and the bluebonnets are in full bloom.

Friends point us to Willow City Loop, 15 miles to the northeast, and soon we’re on a winding road that takes us over cliffs, through meadows and across bridges. We drive slowly, admiring the scenic glory, in no hurry to get back to town.

But we need to prepare for our picnic, which is scheduled for the following day. Fredericksburg is at the center of the Texas Hill Country Viticultural Area, a 15,000 square mile area that is the second most visited wine region in the United States, topped only by Napa.

Therefore we head out along Highway 290, locally known as “Wine Road 290,” which bisects the town.

Here the land resembles the grapegrowing regions of Italy and southern France, leading Brian Heath, owner of Grape Creek Vineyards, to refer to the area as “Tuscany in Texas.” We go into a tasting room that is styled like an Italian villa with heavy timbers and a 26

April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

Wineries abound in both Texas Hill Country and Virginia’s Roanoke Valley. Fredericksburg (below) has a vital downtown filled with specialty stores of all kinds. (Photos: Irv Green)

Bluebonnets (L) cover the hills near Fredericksburg, peaking in mid-April. (Photo: Al Rendon). Mountains form a perfect backdrop to a picnic in the hills near Roanoke. (Photo: Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau)

tile roof and sample their award-winning wines, finally settling on a bottle of Pinot Grigio for $16.95.

Afterwards, because we’re in splurge mode and can’t resist, we pick up a pie from Tootie Pie Company Gourmet Café, recognized by Yahoo Travel as one of the top ten pie shops in America.

Exercising zero self-control, we eat the pie on the spot, then buy another for our picnic basket. After all, this is a vacation, right?

The next morning we wander through the downtown area, which is quietly becoming one of the country’s leading art centers. Collectors often arrive in private planes to visit galleries like Whistle Pik, where they can acquire paintings and sculptures by nationally acclaimed artists. Nearby, Artisans at Rocky Hill showcases outstanding work by top regional craftsmen and women, while The Grasshopper and Wild Honey features an eclectic collection of local handicrafts and European imports.

Finally we stop in Rustlin’ Rob’s Texas Gourmet Foods, where we indulge in a sampling of sauces and dips. We end up with a packet of Rattlesnake Dust (a mix of herbs, garlic and exotic peppers) and a jar of Texas Hot Wild Fire Pickles.

We put the Dust in our suitcase but as for the pickles… they go into the picnic basket. www.VisitFredericksburgTX.com

Virginia’s Blue Ridge A month later we’re in Roanoke.

Here, near the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway and just south of Shenandoah Valley, flowers begin blooming in April and color the hills through October. First come the delicate wildflowers; later, the flame azaleas and rhododendrons.

The city, which is already the cultural and business hub of southwestern Virginia, is cementing its reputation as the northern terminus of the Parkway, offering visitors an experience similar to that

of Asheville, 250 miles to the south. To that end, the revitalized downtown has become a regional art center, filled with markets and galleries.

We poke in the shops and then, to prepare for our picnic, we hit the wine trail. Wine has been produced in Virginia since the Europeans settled the region in the 1600s, and Wine Enthusiast Magazine has named Virginia one of 2012’s ten best travel destinations in the world.

(The two other U.S. wine regions that made the list are in California.)

Vaughn Road CENTER

9350 Vaughn Road Pike Road, AL 36064 (East of Chantilly Parkway)

©2008 PS Graphics & Promotions DESIGN & INSTALLATION SERVICES ALL rights reserved Landscaping, Irrigation, Outdoor Lighting, Ponds, Waterfalls 334-270-9481 4333333 Bird supplies: feeders, seed, houses.

Unique Yard Art! 10% DISCOUNT for Military Personnel & Master Gardeners

334-272-8180 • vaughnroadgardencenter.com • vrngardencenter@bellsouth.net www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

27

(Top) Wine-tasting, Grape Creek Vineyards (photo: Irv Green).

Flame azaleas (R) south of Roanoke. (photo:William A. Blake)

We visit Virginia Mountain Vineyards and Fincastle Vineyard & Winery, where we taste-test their Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay. Delicious. Then, on a whim, we drive through orchards and down a country road to Peaks of Otter Winery & Orchard in nearby Bedford.

There the atmosphere is more homespun, and we’re offered samples of wines labeled Blackberry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie and Blueberry Muffin, which, we’re told, was Mark Twain’s favorite. These make me feel virtuous. I’m not really drinking; I’m just imbibing my grandmother’s home cooking.

We buy a bottle of each and set off to find the perfect picnic spot. www.visitroanokeva.com; www.blueridgeparkway.org 28

April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

35th

Anniversary Season

Montgomery Symphony Orchestra

Concert V • Monday, April 30 • 7:30pm Davis Theatre • Downtown Tickets: 240-4004 • montgomery symphony.org www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

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APRIL CALENDAR RECURRING EVENTS Exercise Class, Bible Study, Bingo.Various days, times, locations.

Mtgy. Area Council on Aging, www.macoa.org, 334-263- 0532.

Zumba. Tues. 5-6 pm, Jackson Hospital, www.jackson.org, 334-293-8978.

Bluegrass Jam. 1st. Sat. 9 amNoon. AL River Region Arts Center, Wetumpka. All levels welcome. For info. 334-5788594. Free.

Jam Sessions. 2nd & 4th Sat., 9 am-noon, Old Alabama Town, www.oldalabamatown.com.

334-240-4500

The Alabama Academy of Honor is accepting nominations for its Class of 2012 through April 12.

Membership is limited to 100 living Alabamians, plus current and living former governors. The academy was created to recognize living Alabamians whose accomplishments and service have greatly benefited, or reflected great credit on, the state.

For info. call 334-242-0100, or e-mail debra.wilkins@archives.alabama.gov.

Montgomery Bridge Club. Lessons, games, tournaments. Mulberry St. www.montgomerybridgeclub.org, 334-265-2143.

Capital City Club Book Group, Martinis and Manuscripts, 2nd Thurs., 6 pm, Jan-Nov. For info., 834-8920.

SUPPORT GROUPS Hearing Loss -- 2nd Thurs., 4 pm, First United Methodist Church, 334-262-3650.

Cancer -- Tues., 10-11 am, Mtgy Cancer Center. For info 334-2796677.

April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

Apr. 12-28. Wetumpka Depot Players. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. For tickets/info., ww.wetumpkadepot.com, 334-8681440. $

Apr. 15, 2 pm; Apr. 16, 7 pm. Auditions for Millbrook Community Players July production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s State Fair. For info., 334-782-7317.

Apr. 18, Hot Coffee. Documentary about the famous law suit against McDonald’s from injuries sustained when a customer spilled a cup of coffee, injuring herself. Capri theatre. $ Apr. 19, 7:30 pm. Capri Theatre. Arsenic and Old Lace. Old Cloverdale. For info., www.capritheatre.org. 334-262-4858. $

Giant Indoor Yard Sale Apr. 13, 14, 7 am-Noon. Mtgy. Area Square Dance Assn., 2201 Chestnut St. Money will support music and dance in the River Region.

For info. contact Loretta Moseley 265-5523 or Dimple Williford, 235-1664.

Visually impaired -- 2nd Tues., 1-2:30 pm, Aldersgate United Methodist Church. For info 334-272-6152.

30

Alzheimer’s/Dementia -- 1st Thurs., 11 am, Frazer Church.

For info 334-272-8622.

Apr. 12-22. 7:30 pm, Thurs.- Sat., 2 pm Sunday. AUM Theatre.

Six Characters in Search of an Author. For tickets/info. contact Katie Pearson, 334-244-3632, kpearso2@aum.edu. $

Clifford and Virginia Durr Lecture Apr. 22, 5:30 pm., Moore Hall Auditorium, AUM. Annual lecture on civil liberties. Rev. Robert S. Graetz keynote lecturer. Filmmaker Andrew Grace previews segments of a documentary about the Durrs. For info. visit www.aum.edu/durr.

Docent lead tours. Sun., 1-2 pm. Mtgy Museum of Fine Arts.

Gluten Intolerance -- 4th Thurs., 6-7 pm, Taylor Rd. Baptist Church.

Speaker, research, symptoms, etc.

Sample gluten-free food. For info 334-328-5942, http://gfmontgomery.blogspot.com.

Parkinson -- 4th Sun., 2 pm, Cloverdale School, Fairview Ave. For info 334-328-8702 or 334-322-6301.

THEATRE/MUSIC/ DANCE Apr. 12-22. Cloverdale Playhouse: The Boys Next Door. Old Cloverdale. For info., www. cloverdaleplayhouse.org., 334-262-1530. $

Bluegrass Jam. 3rd Sat. (Mar.-Sept.), 9 am-noon. Perry Hill UMC. For info. 334-272-3174.

Art Class. Tues., Wed. 10 am, Perry Hill United Methodist Church, www.perryhillumc.org, 334-2723174

Fibromyalgia -- 3rd Tues., 6-8 pm, Frazer Church. For info, 334272-8622.

Apr. 19-22, 26-29; May 4-6, 10-12, 18. Thurs.-Sat. 7 pm, Sun. 6 pm.

22nd Annual production of To Kill A Mockingbird. Courthouse Museum, Monroeville. Tickets on sale March 1. Must be purchased in advance, phone or in person.

For info., 251-575-7433, www. tokillamockingbird.com. $

Apr. 20 & 21. Montgomery Ballet. Spring Gala Celebration. Montgomery Performing Arts Centre. For info., www.montgomeryballet.org. 334-409-0522. $

APRIL CALENDAR FLEA MARKETS/FESTIVALS/FUNDRAISERS/ CELEBRATIONS Apr. 7, 1-7 pm. Autism Mudball, 8th Annual Crawfish Boil. Roux restaurant. Cloverdale Rd. Crawfish, sausage, corn, potatoes, live music. For info./tickets contact DeAnn, 590-5543 or Stefania 467-2035, or e-mail mudbugball@gmail.com. $ Apr. 7, 4:30 am-2 pm. Santuck Flea Market, Santuck. Arts, crafts, antiques, collectibles, toys, food. For info. 334-567-7400.

Armstrong art show/sale. Sturbridge Plantation Clubhouse, 9015 Sturbridge Place. For info., 334-399-7086.

Apr. 28-30. 9 am-3 pm. 33rd Annual Chunnenuggee Fair.

Downtown Union Springs. Juried arts and crafts show, entertainment, children’s games, food. For info. contact Elizabeth Smithart 334-738-8683, 334-850-1792 or esmithart@yahoo. com, or visit www.unionspringsalabama.com.

Apr. 7, 6 pm. Bobby Mills Art exhibit/sale.Village Gallery, 107 S. Court St. Live music. Due to venue location, must be 21 to attend.

OTHER Apr. 7, 14, 9 am-10 pm. Free Tax Assistance for those earning less than $50,000/year. Alabama State U. College of Business Admin. No appointment needed. For info. 334-229-4134.

Apr. 9, Wynlakes CC. 13th Annual Chamber Open Golf Tournament. Registration 7 am, tee-time 8 am. Afternoon, registration 11:30 am, tee-time 1 pm.

Apr. 23-27, 9 am-5 pm. Photography exhibit. Silhouettes in Courage: March To Equality, AUM, Goodwyn Hall Gallery. For info. contact Keri Watson, 334-244-3927, or kwatson9@aum.edu.

Apr. 10, 6-11:30 pm. Alley Station/Ballroom. Louisiana Lagniappe. TrenholmTech Foundation. Silent and live auctions, entertainment, Louisiana-inspired delicacies prepared by chefinstructors and culinary arts students. For info., Erica Giles, 334-420-4309.

Apr. 25, 9:30 am-Noon. Holocaust Education Program, AUM, Physical Education Complex. Film screening, high school essay contest winners, stories from Holocaust survivors, candlelight memorial Holocaust victims. For info., contact Sheila Guidry, 334-244-3268, or sguidry@aum.edu.

Apr. 19, 6:30-10 pm. 18th Annual Monte Carlo Night benefitting Hospice of Montgomery. Wynlakes CC. Silent auction of original art, baskets from local merchants, gift certificates, home furnishings, antiques, jewelry, sports items, fine wines.

Buffet of hors d’oeuvres and desserts. Tickets at www.hospiceofmontgomery.org or by mail, Hospice of Montgomery, 1111 Holloway Park, Montgomery, AL 36117.

Apr. 25, 11 am-1 pm. Retired Officers Wives Club Luncheon.

Maxwell AFB Officers’ Club. Open to wives and widows of retired officers and to retired female career officers. New attendees call Janet Lewis, 334-567-9872 or Linda Davis, 334224-9929 by Apr. 20.

Apr. 21, 22 (11 am-5 pm; 1-5 pm). Artists Judy Walton & Jackie

Apr. 27, 11:30 am-1 pm. Ladies Lunch, Mulberry District Fashion Show, Capital City Club. Enjoy a meal and view the latest seasonal fashions. For info./reservations, 334-834-8920. $ May 1, 6:30 pm. Habits of Highly Effective Spenders. Seminar.

MAX Credit Union, Eastdale Community Rm. ‘Smart spending’ can change your life for the better. Speaker Alan Wallace, Ronald Blue and Company, and Prime Montgomery columnist. Free. Call to register, 334-260-2600.

Bou Cou

dancewear & a whole lot more! ,Hours.

Mon-Fri 10-6 Saturday 9-4

Jewelry Accessories Gifts Invitations Monogramming

In The Courtyard 2101 Eastern Blvd. (behind Starbucks)

(334) 239-0655 www.boucou.net www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

31

3 A Day in Downtown Montgomery 4 Saturday, April 21

Walk of Life Breast Cancer Fund Raiser The 5K run/walk through historic downtown Montgomery starts at 8:30 a.m. Runners and walkers will traverse the USATF certified course with all participants being able to take advantage of optional chip timing to record their official start and finish times.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three overall male and female finishers, with a post-event party at Riverfront Park and Amphitheater.

Book Festival Old Alabama Town More than 35 writers, poets, scholars and industry professionals will read from and discuss their works. Authors will be available to sign their books, and books by every featured author will be available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds going back to support the festival.You may also bring a book from home for signing.

Children’s activities include educational games, arts and crafts, and appearances by costumed characters such as the Cat in the Hat, Arthur and Clifford.

Food vendors will be on-site with picnic tables available for dining.You may also bring their own picnic.

In addition to the authors mentioned at left (Hickam, Crater; Randall, Ada’s Rules; Johnson, Hank Hung the Moon... and Warmed Our Cold, Cold Hearts), other authors and their books include Chip Cooper (Old Havana: Spirit of the Living City), Wayne Flynt (Keeping the Faith: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives), Valerie Gribben (The Fairytale Trilogy), Mark J. Hainds (The Year of the Pig), Dan Haulman (The Tuskegee Airmen, An Illustrated History), Wendy Reed & Jennifer Horne (Circling Faith: Southern Women on Spirituality), Solomon Seay, Jr. (Jim Crow and Me: Stories from My Life as a Civil Rights Lawyer) and Jeanie Thompson (The Seasons Bear Us).

Visit Prime Montgomery’s booth for subscription and other give-aways.

32

April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

Street Fair Dexter Avenue Dexter Avenue comes alive in a revival of an 1899 event in the same location.

Enjoy vendors selling art and crafts, live music, a hotdog eating contest as well as aerialists, jugglers, dancers, and musicians dispersed among the crowds.

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival will

host a City of Montgomery scavenger hunt highlighting some of downtown’s hidden gems.

Night activities will focus on musical performances.

Visit Prime Montgomery’s booth and offer suggestions for future stories and peruse our original artwork.

7th Annual Alabama Book Festival

Old Alabama Town Historic Downtown Montgomery Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Free Admission.

Author appearances, reading, book signings including Homer Hickam, Alice Randall,Rheta Grimsley Johnson.

Plus theatre, exhibitors and children’s activity area.

Volunteer! Sign up ahead of time: www.alabamabookfestival.org or call 1-888-240-1850 (Visit the Prime Montgomery booth!)

...and after that

Helicity Montgomery presents:

April 21st 3-9pm at the historic Court Square and Dexter Avenue.

Food, Arts, Crafts, Performances, and most of all FUN!!! montgomerystreetfair.com montgomerystreetfair@gmail.com

GAMES & PUZZLES Across 1 Penicillin source 5 Wee bit 9 "The Maltese Falcon" actress 14 Say it's so 15 1970 N.L. batting champ Carty 16 Gather 17 Debussy's dream 18 Scene in "The Hustler"?

20 Not wilted 22 In the future 23 Adam's apples?

26 Duchamp genre 30 Orlon, for one 31 Hot and humid 33 "A Challenge for the Actor" author Hagen 34 Grover's veep 37 Correspond 38 Tubby tabbies?

40 Faith symbolized by a nine-pointed star 43 Blemish 44 Off-rd. transport 47 "The Tempest" king

49 Canal problem 51 Even 52 Visitors to the Winter Palace?

55 Gives off 57 Provide with lodging 58 Tusk warmers?

63 Sommelier's selection 64 Plum tomatoes 65 Lima's home 66 Start of an intermission?

67 Apprehension 68 Mr. Potato Head piece 69 Mtg. Down 1 His clown alter ego was Bip 2 Be heavy-handed, in a way 3 Viagra competitor 4 Stylish 5 Response from 24-Down 6 Familia member 7 The planets, e.g.

8 Arens of Israel 9 Pearl Mosque setting 10 Northerners with a lot of pull?

11 Mad Hatter's offering 12 Iowa's state tree 13 Hosp. workers 19 Proclivity 21 Part of the Little

Dipper's handle 24 Rover's pal 25 Fanfare 27 Abbr. in car ads 28 Gaming cube 29 Roy Halladay or the Red Baron 32 Fleabag 35 Nabokov novel 36 More unfriendly 38 Voice of Puss in Boots in "Shrek" sequels 39 Cheaters, to teachers: Abbr.

40 It may be held by one on deck 41 Thrilla in Manila winner 42 Gardening aid 44 Nail polish remover ingredient 45 Fencing moves 46 Evening service 48 Suffix with psych 50 Common blues 53 Bar goer's option 54 Popular Japanese beer 56 Games magazine's 1994 Game of the Year 58 Author Levin 59 Word in many German names 60 Online "Yikes!"

61 Thing that comes to those who wait 62 "Mamma Mia!" song (c)2012 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

Sukoku answers on page 25.

Crossword answers on page 31. www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

33

prime diversions

Recent dvd releases

Being Elmo,We Bought a Zoo and The Three Musketeers Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey (G) It seems that we’ve been inundated all year with depressing news, documentaries that inspire anger about injustices here and abroad, and movies that dramatize all sorts of dysfunctional people and families. So savor this documentary which offers a simply delightful look at the career of one of the nicest people you could ever hope to encounter. As a child in Baltimore, Kevin Clash became fascinated by puppets on TV - Captain Kangaroo opened the door for the full-blown adoration young Kevin would feel for Jim Henson and his Muppets.

While other kids were playing sports, Kevin started making his own puppets and studying the art from any source he could find. In his early teens, he was putting on shows for kids in his yard, then at hospitals, clinics and schools. Before finishing high school, he had a local TV show, which led to The Captain, and eventually to Henson’s world of fantasy.When the original Elmo puppeteer failed to connect with his fuzzy critter’s nature, Kevin created the lovable entity that became one of Henson’s most beloved creations.

You don’t have to be a fan of the Muppet shows and films to bask in the warmth of this account of Kevin’s evolution and the role these characters have played in our culture since their 1969 Sesame Street debut. If ever a fellow deserved success from following his heart, it’s Kevin Clash. His joy, gratitude to those who helped him and his generosity to fans and others are all that the American Dream is supposed to be.The film has humor and heart without ever having to work us for an emotional response. The truth is lovely, and that’s all they need to serve up the nicest theatrical experience of recent memory.

We Bought A Zoo (PG) Matt Damon stars in this sentimental family dramedy about a widower with two kids, clueless on how to be an effective parent, since his wife had always maintained their home while his career as a globe-trotting journalist prepared him more for surviving in war and disaster zones than PTA meetings and carpools.The teenaged son has become particularly problematic, while the younger daughter is still too much of a dreamer to drive daddy nuts.

Looking for a fresh start in new surroundings away from the big city, 34

April 2012 | www.primemontgomery.com

Damon buys the rundown remnants of a private zoo outside San Diego.The acreage comes with over 40 species, some of Mark Glass which were endangered, in a fairly natural setting; a handful of employees (including Scarlett Johansson); and a huge burden of renovations that must be done in short time and even shorter funds to avoid losing the whole thing.

The film plays out fairly predictably, with satisfying levels of humor and Valuable Lessons for all ages.The proceedings would simply add up to a pleasant diversion as a work of fiction. But as a fact-based account of a family’s unlikely entry into such an unusual occupation, the feel-good component is greatly enhanced.

The warm fuzzy story elements play out nicely, steering clear of the emotional overkill that seems to be irresistible to less savvy writers and directors than Cameron Crowe. Among his body of work this may not rank with Jerry Maguire, but at least it’s not another Vanilla Sky.

The Three Musketeers (PG-13) Of all the films retelling Alexander Dumas’ classic swashbuckling novel, this one may not have the most high-profile or charismatic cast, but it certainly adds a 21st Century dimension that should work well for today’s viewers.The basics remain of the raucous trio gradually embracing young D’Artagnan to their ranks, while fighting the evil machinations and double-dealings of Cardinal Richelieu and Madame DeWinter (Christoph Waltz, Milla Jovovich).

But this saga adds a couple of enjoyably anachronistic touches - some stolen Da Vinci blueprints for a fanciful airship, and a surprisingly ninja-like enhancement to the swordplay sequences.

The result is a mix of Dumas, Jules Verne and contemporary martial arts flicks, with a touch of The Dark Knight.

The sets are colorful and extravagant, perhaps due to the budget room created by casting Logan Lerman, Matthew Macfayden, Ray Stevenson and Luke Evans as the heroic threeplus-one.The script provides bits of comic relief while setting up all the characters and subplots that have made this such an enduring premise for generations of movie variations, here and abroad.The ending sets the stage for a sequel, which would be quite welcome, based on this production.The DVD and Blu-ray bonuses include some worthy deleted/extended scenes, showing there’s more to be minded from this material.

Mark Glass is an officer and director of the St. Louis Film Critics Association.

AT MERRILL LYNCH, WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF THE RIGHT ADVISOR.™ CONGRATULATIONS TO

ROBERT F. RUNKLE FOR BEING RECOGNIZED ON THE BARRON’S TOP 1,000 LIST. Robert was ranked No. 1 in the state of Alabama.

Our Financial Advisors demonstrate every day how their hard work, insight and dedication earn them the most important place of all—a place in the lives of our clients.

To see what the power of the right advisor can mean to you, please contact: Runkle, Haynes & Associates Robert F. Runkle, CFM, CIMA® Senior Vice President–Wealth Management Wealth Management Advisor Merrill Lynch 4001 Carmichael Road Suite 500 Montgomery, AL 36106 (334) 409-5810 www.fa.ml.com/runklehaynes

Source: Barron’s “America’s Top Advisors: State by State,” February 20, 2012.

Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. The Bull Symbol, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and The Power of the Right Advisor are registered trademarks or trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a registered broker-dealer and member SIPC, and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. © 2012 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

AD-03-12-1334 ARG490T3-02-12 Code 439804PM-0312 www.primemontgomery.com | April 2012

35

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with WaterResistant Naida ` S CRT

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Find us on the web at www.allearscenters.com

Director of Hearing Instruments