of Western NC
Pot Pie Perfection
You Are Worth It
A Sewing Story
50pluslivingWNC.com
September 2020
Congratulations to Angie and DJ Lamoree of Weaverville, NC Their shop 5 LITTLE MONKEYS QUILT & SEW has been chosen as one of the top 10 shops in America! 5 Little Monkeys Quilt & Sew is featured in the Spring/ Summer issue of Quilt Sampler Magazine, published by Better Homes & Garden
Visit fivemonkeysquilts.com to see and order beautiful fabrics, supplies, and sewing machines. Watch Angie live on Facebook daily for inspiration.
32 N Main St. | Weaverville, NC 28787
828-484-7200
fivemonkeyquilts.com
2 | 50+ Living | September 2020
Bloom
Morning Glories
are a symbol of
affection and unrequited love. Images of morning glories can be found on Victorian gravestones to signify a love that never ended. The blossoms only live for one day; it blooms in the morning and withers by nightfall. Its hardy, twining vine will grow vertically on any and
every—thing. This flower comes in solid and bi-colors; in blue, purple red, white, and yellow,. The blossom may grow to be eight inches across. This flower, which is a cousin to the sweet potato, is said to take each twist and turn and to keep growing. They hold the message that the key to success is to hold on to your dreams.
Asters
are a daisy-like flower.
They symbolize love, patience, elegance, and daintiness. They are a hardy flower that can lasts up to two weeks when cut for an arrangement. Their lovely colors include bluish-purple, pink, lavender, and white. Throughout history, asters have been used to appeal to the gods or to ward off evil spirits. Early English and German cultures believed asters held magical powers. A Cherokee Indian legend is that two young Indian girls who hid in the woods to avoid a fight, sought help from an herb woman. While they slept, she covered them with leaves and sprinkled herbs over them. During the night, the girls turned into aster flowers. September 2020 | 50+ Living | 3
A Note From the Editor On the morning of September 11,
2001, I was at work getting ready for another day of counseling women on their nutritional needs. It was a peaceful, misty morning. The summer season was winding down, and an early fall feeling was in the air. Then, at around 9:00AM, the calmness was interrupted by a coworker screaming, “We’ve been attacked!” “We?” “Attacked?” “What?” Throughout the morning it became clear that while details were sketchy, something terrible had happened to our country. We tried to go online, but with all of America searching for answers, the internet was slow to respond. At the time, it was impossible to imagine the magnitude of destruction and death that occurred on a seemingly quiet, tranquil morning. We muddled through the day. While I talked about fruits and vegetables, I thought about what had happened and what this meant for our country—for my children. By the end of the workday, we knew that the North and South towers in the World Trade Center complex had fallen, the Pentagon had been attacked, an attempt to destroy the White House had been thwarted, and thousands of Americans had died. When I got home, my teenage son and I sat on the floor and stared speechlessly at the television screen. The clip of the falling towers was shown over and over. We sat there as if a spell had been placed on us . . . unable to stop watching, yet not wanting to see it again. This act of terrorism led to the War on Terror in Afghanistan. I don’t think anyone that afternoon in 2001 could have anticipated that nineteen years later we would 4 | 50+ Living | September 2020
still be there—fighting America’s longest war. On that somber evening, as my son and I sat together, I certainly didn’t imagine that he would deploy to Afghanistan twice. In fact, I distinctly remember thinking, I’m glad there is time for this war to be over before he joins the Air Force. As a civilian, I don’t know the facts—or the truth—of why we are still there. I don’t know what will happen if we leave, or if we stay. Really, the only thing I know is that I love this country, and I love freedom. As our country continues to work through its problems, I hope we will all remember how blessed we are to live in America—Land of the Free.
By JeanAnn Taylor
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Welcome Home September 2020 | 50+ Living | 5
50+Living of Western NC
The flower doesn’t dream of the bee, it blossoms and the bee comes. Mark Nepo
PUBLISHER Tammy Sheppard publisherofsofia@gmail.com EDITOR JeanAnn Taylor WEB DESIGN Alphie Hyorth
CONTENTS
3 Bloom 7 Yay For Yoga 8 Because You Are Worth It 10 Taylor’d with Style
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Mike Demos 828.273.0098 mikedemos@aol.com Trish Luzzi 828.423.0248 wnccreations@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jennifer Adams Gigi Steel
P.O. Box 18416 | Asheville, NC 28814 828.230.7537 50pluslivingWNC.com
Sewing Your Style
12 The Bright Side of Gray Divorce 14 The Classy Cook Yummy Pot Pie
All advertising published in 50+Living of Western NC is believed to be truthful and accurate. However AVL Media, Inc. assumes no responsibility and shall have no liability whatsoever for errors, including without limitation, typographical errors or omissions in 50+Living of Western NC. Any reference made to AVL Media, Inc. is not to be construed as making any representation, warranty or guarantee concerning the information on properties advertised in 50+Living of Western NC. The content of all ads contained herein are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. The opinions and statements contained in advertising or elsewhere in this publication are those of the authors of such opinions and are not necessarily those of AVL Media, Inc. AVL Media, Inc. reserves the right to edit or refuse any advertising submitted to this publication.
6 | 50+ Living | September 2020
If you are looking for a way to increase your strength and flexibility, improve your posture and breath, reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and even help you feel more peaceful and calm, you may consider giving yoga a try. There are many types of yoga, which means that yoga is for everyone—lazydaisies to advanced athletes. The goal of yoga is not to twist yourself into a pretzel, but to explore your personal potential and to glean the mental and physical health benefits. All the variations of yoga essentially work by stretching the muscles. This results in easier movement, less stiffness, and better balance. The various poses of yoga can be gentle, offering relaxation, or strenuous, offering strength, endurance, and improved muscle tone. The strength-building poses can be physically challenging—which means they are also rewarding. Some yoga poses require that you support your body weight in ways you may have never considered. By accepting this challenge, you will build strength and muscle tone in your arms, legs, and torso. A primary benefit of increasing core muscle strength is improved posture. When your core is strong, you have the ability to hold yourself up when sitting or standing. The body-awareness that comes from practicing yoga will help you notice if you are slouching. You can then adjust your posture to a healthier position. As we age, falling becomes an increased risk. The ability to balance and catch yourself before you hit the ground is the difference between a sigh of relief and a trip to the emergency room. Posture is a key factor in the ability to maintain balance.
Breathing is a primary component of yoga practice. Focusing on intentional breath has a calming, meditative effect. This helps to create mental clarity and awareness, which helps us manage stress and adopt a more positive outlook on life. Yoga is said to bring your mind and body together. This joining improves the quality of life: better sleep; reduced anxiety and depression; improved flexibility, strength, and balance; fewer headaches; decreased body fat; increased endurance and confidence. The language of yoga can be confusing at first, but with a patient instructor, you’ll soon learn what words like “asana” and “pranayama” actually mean. Give it a try. Practicing yoga a few times each week can make a noticeable and positive difference in your health and overall well-being. September 2020 | 50+ Living | 7
S
Because . . . You are Worth It
By Gigi Steel
eptember is Self-Improvement Month, making this the perfect time to assess our health, habits, and emotional state of mind. Self-improvement can include all aspects of who we are—our physical body, our mental state, and our level of happiness. As life is often challenging, self-improvement can be an
overwhelming task to contemplate. The answer to this conundrum is to begin by taking small steps. Self-improvement is a lifelong process. It isn’t something you do one day, and then check the box that it’s “done.” As our lives change, so does the need for wellness-adjustment. Our ever-evolving lives require that we adapt to the changes. The way we took care of ourselves when we had young children is very different from the way we live our lives as seniors. Retiring from a job that required forty-plus hours of work each week offers new opportunities of growth and wellness. Life-changes are not always easy, but those who intentionally seek selfimprovement and acceptance will have an easier time of adjusting. Self-improvement is easier accomplished with a support system. Try to find like-minded people who inspire and cheer you on to better health. Explore new opportunities: take a cooking class, learn to dance, 8 | 50+ Living | September 2020
woodworking, or flower-arranging, join a skeet club, practice yoga, try watercolor painting or gardening, go hiking or explore museums. There are countless opportunities to investigate. As you try new things and expand your mind, you’ll also make new friends. Try to avoid time-sucking activities like playing computer games or spending too much time in the rabbit hole of social media. These activities will not get you any closer to any goal you have set for yourself. Make a plan for the day. Get up, get dressed, and be grateful. Visualize your goals and eat healthy. These simple steps will help you realize the benefits of overall self-improvement. After all, if you don’t take care of yourself . . . who will? Be the best version of you because you are worth the effort.
September 2020 | 50+ Living | 9
Taylor’d with Style
Sewing Your Style
By JeanAnn Taylor
I
like to write about “style” opposed to “fashion”
most like “me” when I’m wearing a 1950s-type full
because our style is an intrinsic element of
skirt. I wear a lot of colors: pink, coral, mint, and
our essence. Fashion is simply the vast array
mermaid blue. I prefer structured, fitted-clothing and
of garments that designers and marketers want us
floral or paisley prints. The foundational element of
to buy. Developing your signature style shows your
my everyday ensemble is that it has an ultra feminine
ability to put together an ensemble that expresses your
flair. As this style is not always easy to find, I’m
personality and reflects who you are. Your individual
fortunate to have learned how to sew and therefore
clothing expression tells the world what is important
able to design and make nearly everything I wear.
to you—and what is not. Taking care to develop your image will help give you the drive and self-assurance
September is National Sewing Month, so now is
you need to conquer the world and make your dreams
the perfect time to advocate for this exceptionally
come true—or at least make you more comfortable and
beneficial and rewarding skill. As a young teenager,
confident as you toil away.
I learned to stitch on my great-grandmother’s treadle
My personal style is unlike many women. I feel 10 | 50+ Living | September 2020
machine. But, it wasn’t until I was expecting my first
child that I became seriously interested in learning
When I sew, I lose my sense of time, but I find my
how to sew. I remember thinking, If I have a girl, I
sense of self. Sewing connects me to my heritage. I can
may want to sew for her. That was back when home
visualize my great-grandmother sitting at her treadle
extension classes were offered during the evenings
sewing machine, rocking her feet to control the speed
at local high schools, so I took advantage of the
of the needle. The only sewing machine I have right
opportunity. It took only one or two classes for me to
now is a 1952 Singer Featherweight. With this sweet
become completely obsessed with the idea of sewing
machine, I’m on a mission to use up my stash of fabric
my own clothes. I quickly realized that I loved fabric:
scraps by creating interesting and unique designs.
the texture, the colors, the prints, and the idea that I could make anything I could dream up. The options of creativity were endless.
What sewing has done for me, sewing can do for you. You may not become completely obsessed as I did, but if you take a chance on learning to sew, you may
As my new obsession grew into a lifelong passion,
find that it offers a creative outlet of self-expression.
I learned to sew everything from dresses to bluejeans,
You may gain the satisfaction of saying, “I made this
hats to purses, dance costumes to lingerie, and home
myself!” And, you just may find a new passion.
decor to rag dolls. As with many interests, one thing can lead to another, and I soon decided that I wanted to learn how to quilt. I needed a way to use up all my scraps! This needlework led to a desire to learn
My Soul is Fed with Needle & Thread.
the art of crochet, then doll-making, and then on to embroidery. Trust me, there is a whole world of thread and yarn to discover!
Learning to sew not only allowed me to wear original designs, clothe my children, and decorate our home, I also had the honor of winning several awards. A special highlight was being featured in Vogue Sewing Magazine. All of this recognition helped to give me confidence and inspiration.
September 2020 | 50+ Living | 11
The Bright Side of Gray Divorce By Jennifer L. Adams
w
hen I talk with women going through a “gray” divorce, I often hear things like “you need to get the word out about this—women need to know our options,” or “I have several friends that are going through this same situation right now.” So, here we go. Gray divorce—a divorce that happens over the age of 50—is becoming a reality for more and more women. In fact, divorces granted in the U.S. for those under 50 are on the decline, but growing rapidly for those over 50. Many factors certainly contribute. Clients working on financial planning issues in divorce have told me “When the kids grew up and left for college, we didn’t have anything in common anymore,” and “I wanted to leave earlier, but decided to wait until the kids moved out.” Gray divorce can be detrimental financially for both spouses, but women generally have a rougher road to travel. They should expect a lifestyle constrained by available income that is about 40% less compared to income funding their marital lifestyle. If they stayed at home with their children for any length of time, they are subject to lower incomes and fewer 12 | 50+ Living | September 2020
opportunities for promotion. Career women may have decided to stay in a position that paid less because they never suspected divorce would happen to them. Some women who stayed home with their children their entire marriage might be forced to retrain themselves for the workforce completely. There are, however, plenty of financial bright spots that may apply specifically to women going through a gray divorce: Women are great at reinventing themselves, planning the future they want to live and not necessarily going along with others’ ideas. I’ve worked with women who are obviously excited about the freedom to reshape their futures. One woman I met with was so relieved to get out of her marriage because it meant freedom from financial stress. Her partner’s spending habits had caused tremendous strain on the marriage, and years of counseling had not provided a resolution. Going it alone financially was clearly the better choice for her. If you are in a situation where you were not the primary wage earner in the family, you are entitled to
one half of your spouse’s Social Security benefit at full retirement age as long as you were married more than ten years. You can even establish the correct benefit with the Social Security Administration without any involvement from your former spouse. Likewise, most company pensions can be separated for each spouse through a qualified domestic relations order (“QDRO”) distribution; the distribution may even be untaxable at the time of the divorce. Truly equitable distributions in divorces are possible, but good counsel is very important. Settling a divorce without at least seeking the advice of an attorney is not wise. Cohousing, planned communities and “villages” populated by women in similar life circumstances are on the rise. Divorcées are creating their own support system through community building. Condo developments are morphing into co-ops where singles have the help they need; older adults have access to vetted services like home repairs, errand runners, and transportation to doctors’ visits. These communities plan outings together—trips, lunches, and evening events. Women in particular find cohousing to be a great option. There is companionship living with another person and financial relief when sharing expenses. If you find yourself heading towards a gray divorce, traditional advice, like getting good legal representation and preparing for a tighter budget, still applies. But opening yourself to the freedom to craft creative solutions for the problems you’re facing also makes sense. Understand that you are one among many, and that cooperating with others can at least partially address the financial changes that divorce later in life brings. Source: “Gray Divorce on the Rise.” Charles Schwab. www.schwab.com.
Jennifer L. Adams is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) and financial advisor at Starks Financial Group (440 Montford Ave. Asheville, NC 28801 // 828-285-8777). Starks Financial Group is not a registered broker/deal, and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/ SIPC. Investment Advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. This article expresses the opinions of Jennifer L. Adams and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™ and CFP® in the U.S.
September 2020 | 50+ Living | 13
The Classy Cook Celebrate The Great American Pot Pie Day, on September 23, by making this nutritious, delicious (and easy) dish. It’s full of vegetables, and can be adapted to meet the needs and likes of you and your family or guests. Be creative and see what happens when you exchange green peas for beans, or add a little squash to the vegetable mix. You can certainly make a pie crust from scratch, but if you are in a pinch, a frozen pie crust will do. You can also substitute frozen vegetables for fresh—it’s all up to you. :) This dish is easily prepared in advanced. You can pop the pie in the oven 45 minutes before suppertime!
Yummy Pot Pie Makes two pies Ingredients 1 lb. of boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 cup sliced carrots 1 cup frozen peas 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup all-purpose flour Sea salt and pepper to taste 1 chicken bouillon cube 2/3 cup milk 4 deep-dish frozen pie crusts (they come 2 in a pack)
Directions Cook chicken in small amount of water until no longer pink. Pour water into a 2-cup measuring cup. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and transfer to bowl. Cook peas and carrots in saucepan for 5 minutes, transfer to bowl with chicken. Sauté onion and celery in butter. If needed, add enough water to the broth to make 1 1/2 cups of liquid. Dissolve the bouillon cube in this water. Turn the heat down to low, add the bouillon-water, flour, salt, and pepper. Stir. Slowly add the milk. Stir constantly, and simmer until thickened. Place half of the chicken and veggies combination in a piecrust. Pour half of the milk mixture on top. Place a second crust on top and seal the edges. Cut slits in the crust top to allow steam to escape. Repeat with the second set of pie crusts. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. We would LOVE to hear what you are cooking this fall. Please send an email to us at jeananntaylor@rewnc.com to share your ideas and recipes.
You may even find your recipe featured in 50+Living Magazine! 14 | 50+ Living | September 2020
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16 | 50+ Living | September 2020
