BOOM! May 2014

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

R i ve r Re g i o n B o o m . co m

May 2014

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Join us at Frazer for a year of preaching through this life-changing book that will show you exactly who Jesus Christ is.

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

–John 20:30-31 THROUGHOUT THE YEAR 2014, Pastors Tim Thompson and Patrick Quinn will be preaching verse by verse through the gospel of John in all of Frazer’s Sunday morning worship services. Jesus made the remarkable claim that He came to give you life—real, abundant, overflowing life right now, and eternal life in the world to come. This teaching series will lead you to the heart of who this Jesus is and what it means to believe in Him.

Frazer Church: find hope, Follow Jesus • Sunday worship 8, 9:30 & 11AM 6000 atlanta Hwy. Montgomery • frazerumc.org • 334.2728622 •

BOOM!, The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

Contents

May 2014

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”

Volume 4 Issue 10

Carl Bard

Thought Relationships Taste Inspiration

Humor Advice Health Community

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” C.S. Lewis

3 Jackson Hospital’s Health News 6 Publisher’s Letter 8 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas 9 The Road from Addiction to Redemption 10 DATING Advice 16 BOOM! Cover Profile 19 6 Tips for Planning Ahead 20 Your Customized Beauty Plan-Dr. Michael Bowman 24 Social Security Benefits are Retirement Assets

page 12

25 A Superhero for God

Features 26 Prevent Serious ARCD tips to keep your brain!

36 See Rock City

and more in Chattanooga

40 We’re older, grayer but still riding motorcycles

28 Working Out for Real LifeLeigh Anne Richards 31

One Day University

32 iPhone Meets Hearing Devices

Departments 12 This and That

Will help you be “In the Know”

33 BOOM! Advertising

44 {12} Things

Solutions for Bored Boomers

24 Greg Budell

34 Travel Trends

Has it Really Been 20 Years Since My First Computer?

35 Sex Talk for Seniors a little tame 37 BOOMER & BEYOND HUMOR

BOOM!

COVER PROFILE

38 Working By The River

page16

40 Lifetime Achievement Dr. Martha Poole Simmons 43 Art & Soul

page 40

page 9

page 26

page 31

BOOM! The River Regions 50+ Lifestage Magazine is published monthly by River Region Publications, 6398 Eastwood Glen Pl., Montgomery, AL 36117.

The phone number for voice and fax is 334.523.9510. Copyright 2014 by River Region Publications. No part of this publication can be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Opinions expressed in BOOM! The River Regions 50+ Lifestage Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the owners, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products and services herein.

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

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publisher’s letter

My Mom The mission of BOOM! is to serve the folks of the River Region age 50 plus with information and ideas to inspire new experiences, better quality of life and new beginnings.

Publisher/Editor Jim Watson, 334.523.9510 jim@riverregionboom.com

Associate Editor Kelly Watson

This month’s issue is packed with a variety of interesting stories and information that will make you laugh, smile and maybe even plan a trip.

Let me first introduce you to our Cover Profile, Dorie Autrey. Dorie is the owner of Nancy’s Italian Ice along with her daughter, Jordan. Many of you have enjoyed her “coolest treat in town” but even more of you have seen her driving The Nancy Van! Check out her profile on page 16 and then head over to Nancy’s to sample her favorite flavor…

Jim Watson, Publisher

kelly@riverregionboom.com

Contributing Writers Sandi Aplin Dorie Autrey Barbara Bice Dr. Bettie Borton

What an important person our mother’s are. They determine so many of our attitudes and outlooks about life. Some good and some bad.

Fortunately, all of mine are good. At least that’s how I choose to remember my mom. She’s been gone for many years now but I think about her often.

She suffered with Alzheimer’s so I lost her sooner than her time, but my memories of her remain clear and inspirational. She taught me to listen and to nurture; to persevere and to think; to love and to be happy. My mom’s legacy lives on through me, thanks mom.

We also profile a book by local author Barbara Bice about her experiences on the road from addiction to redemption with her husband. It’s a story we can all grow from. One of the best All American cities in the south is brought into focus when Kathy Witt takes us on a visit to see Rock City as part of her Bucket List Series.

Dr. Michael Bowman Rosemary Broadway Greg Budell Lisa Copeland Karen Garloch Dr. Jann James Lee Lawrence

Roger Phillips Leigh Anne Richards Wina Sturgeon Raley L. Wiggins Kathy Witt

Cover Photography Kim Bethea The Studio @ EastChase thestudioateastchase@gmail.com

www.thestudioateastchase.com 334.239.3196

Advertising

Jim Watson, 334.523.9510 jim@riverregionboom.com

Design & Layout Lake House Graphics

Our feature on Dr. Martha Poole Simmons, who exemplifies service to others, will move you to roll up your sleeves and get busy doing what you can to help others. The City of Wetumpka has big event beginning in May called Working by the River. The event will include the The Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street which will bring the exhibition entitled “The Way We Worked” to Wetumpka on May 23 for its final Alabama appearance. Wetumpka has some exciting things going on down by the river so check it out.

Of course we have more good reads like Greg Budell and his computer experiences from way back. I can relate to his obsession with solitaire…how about you? There are a few new trends in the travel industry you may want to check out as you prepare for your travel plans this spring and summer. As you relax and read this month’s BOOM! I hope you’ll enjoy the experience

Finally, as if you didn’t know, our advertisers want to have a customer relationship with each of you, so if their offers fill a need, please consider their services. They’ll earn your business. Thanks for sharing BOOM! with your friends and your comments with me, I love to listen.

I miss you Mom.

Jim

Distribution Network Delivery

jim@riverregionboom.com 334.324.3472 cell/text 334.523.9510 office

Printing Publications Press, Montgomery, AL 334.244.0436 Please Recycle This Magazine, Share with a Friend!

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“The best reading experience for the 50+ community” RiverRegionBoom.com

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

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Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

for the Moms in Your Life

For Moms age 55-74

Things Remembered

WILLIAMS-SONOMA

The relationship with a grandmother is one that is cherished. And this water globe is treasured for its handcrafted design and intricate detail. Grandma will love adding this to her collection of gifts from you-especially when you engrave it.

Breville One-Touch Tea Maker $249.95 Because for her it’s always tea time.

Grandmother Musical Water Globe, $39.99

For Moms age 25-34 Williams Sonoma

Power her day...

Vitamix S30 Personal Blender S 399.95

Massage Envy

New to EastChase Plaza is Massage Envy Spa, the pioneer and national leader of professional , convenient and affordable massage and spa services.

They offer $49.99 introductory massages and $59.99 facials, gift cards for the holidays and special occasions, along with Murad skincare products.

A powerful blender that can make whole-food juice by turning fruits and vegetables into nutrient –rich juice. The best part? You are not extracting any pulp, so there’s not waste and plenty of extra fiber.

THINGS REMEMBERED

Mom Bling Heart Bracelet $39.95 Free Keepsake Box

1-Hour Massage $49.99 Introductory Price

Essential Therapeutic Relief Includes time for combination full body massage or focused relief of tension areas Ideal for mild stress and relaxation

1 ½ Massage $74.99

Complete Therapeutic Relief Allows time for full body massage plus dedicated relief of key areas that cause tension, stress and pain, Ideal for neglected stress, tight muscles or persistent pain

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VICTORIA’S SECRET

Frangrances, gift sets and more ..... you know she deserves it.

Angels Only Body Mist $25 Angels Only Parfum $52-$68 The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

The Road from Addiction to Redemption Barbara Bice has a story that needs to be told. On top of that, she has an amazing gift in telling it.

‘Just Right’ is a realistic and inspirational book about one of the great battles in our country and in most of our families...drug addiction. In ‘Just Right’, Barbara will walk you through her husband Ed’s descent into addiction and her battle to save him, her marriage, and her family. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will learn. You will learn about addiction, how to confront it, and how, by the grace of God, to overcome it.

Truly, it is a story that needs to be told and a story you need to read. I have seen firsthand how this story has changed lives. You or your loved one may be the next. When you come to the end of this book, you too will say, ‘It is JUST RIGHT!”

Buddy Bell – Senior Minister Landmark Church, Montgomery, AL

Just Right - Chapter One I rolled over in bed and laid my head on his pillow. Although I was exhausted, sleep would not come. I looked at the clock for the hundredth time that night.

Midnight. One o’clock. One-twenty. Twofifteen. I prayed, I cried, and I prayed some more. “Please God, don’t let him be doing it again.”

I got out of bed and walked over to the bedroom doors that led to a large deck.

“This was supposed to be our dream home,” I thought to myself. It sat almost in the middle of fifteen acres. As I looked out into the night, the moon was so full and so bright. I felt I could see every tree, every rise and slope of the land . . . and every shadow. I thanked God for the bright moon because I knew I would be going out into the night alone again. I reluctantly got dressed and went upstairs The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

where our sons were sleeping.

I hated myself for what I was about to do, but what other choice did I have? I did not want to wake my son, but suppose one of the boys woke up and needed me? Suppose the house caught on fire after I left? I had to tell someone I was leaving. I knelt down beside his bed, said a silent prayer, and then, for what seemed like the millionth time, I gently shook our middle son and whispered to him, “I’ll be back soon.” My heart broke because I knew he knew what that meant. For so long I tried to hide the truth from our sons to protect them, to cover it up; but by this time, he knew something was wrong. All three sons knew something was terribly wrong. Yet, I still wanted so badly to spare them the heartache I was feeling . . . that gutwrenching raw fear I felt every time he did not come home.

I got into my car and headed down the long winding driveway and onto the narrow dirt road that led to the main paved road. As I turned onto the dirt road, I wondered to myself, “Will I find him this time? Where will he be this time? What lies will he tell me this time?”

Then, almost instantly, I was overcome with anger at myself that I would even stoop so low as to go looking for him again. Hadn’t I had enough already?

Then, as I rounded a small curve in the road, I saw headlights. I knew the lights were his. I stopped my car and waited.

As he drove closer, I turned off the engine and headlights, got out of the car, and stood in the middle of the dusty dirt road.

Barbara and Ed Bice

I watched as he brought his truck to a stop some distance in front of my car.

Finally, his headlights went off and he stepped out of the truck. The moon lit up the dirt road like a runway. We walked towards each other slowly. It was like a showdown in a western movie, only I had no weapon to pull. I was again thankful that the moon was so bright because I wanted him to see the disappointment, the anger, and most of all the hurt on my face. When I looked into his eyes, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he had done it again.

Every promise he made to me died in an instant. “Lies, all lies,” I thought. Staring him in the eyes and feeling a rage like I had never felt before, I said to him, “If you ever do it again, I hope it kills you.”

Tears began to fill his eyes, and as I turned to walk away, I heard him say the words that shook me to my very core, “I hope it does, too.” he said.

Purchase Just Right and learn more about Barbara and Ed Bice at JustRightBook.com and TheShedinc.org.

You can also purchase from Amazon.com R i ve r Re g i o n B o o m . co m

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DATING Advice

With Lisa Copeland

3 Reasons a Man Disappears After a Great Date

When Elana met Alan, his good looks literally took her breath away. He looked so handsome and sexy in his black pants, white shirt and sport coat. Wow . . . she couldn’t believe how nice he’d dressed for her. She loved that he so wanted to impress her.

A mutual friend had introduced them so she felt comfortable with Alan’s suggestion he pick her up. They headed to a local restaurant and sat outside enjoying the final days of summer, a good bottle of wine and a leisurely dinner.

Elana couldn’t believe it. As she sat across from Alan, she felt like she’d met the man of her dreams.

To her, he was amazing . . . openly talking about anything and everything, including exploring the possibility of a relationship with her. He made her feel so girly and feminine about herself, which felt really good. And on top of all that . . . he loved doing the same things she loved doing. She was truly in awe of this man.

The next time they met, Alan came back to her home and as they talked and laughed, he offered to rub her feet. She felt like she’d died and gone to heaven. No man had ever done this before. His touch was perfect and she found herself just melting into his blue eyes and gentle hands as they talked more and more about the possibilities of being in a relationship together.

As the third date approached, Elana found herself totally infatuated with this man,

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feeling like she’d finally met her Mr. Right.

The morning of their date, Alan texted that he couldn’t make their date and he thought they should just be friends. Elana was stunned Up to now, everything this man had said and done had screamed of relationship. Thinking she’d met the man of her dreams, she couldn’t understand why he’d backed away.

What happened to Elana is actually pretty common. I want to share three reasons this happens and what you can do to heal should it happen to you.

1. You’re not alone if you’ve painted a picture in your head of who you think your Prince Charming is. When it feels like he’s shown up on the first date . . . it’s normal to get really excited. And even before you’ve finished your cup of coffee it’s not uncommon to start imagining yourself in a wedding dress walking down the aisle with this special guy.

Having said this . . . I want you to pay close attention to the next few sentences.

First dates are meet and greets. Second dates are for getting to know him better.

Third dates are for getting to know him better. Fourth dates are for getting to know him even better.

Do you get my drift? Go on a date expecting nothing more than to meet a new and interesting person. That’s it. Don’t paint pictures of who he is until you’ve known

him a while. Those pictures you paint are a set-up for getting hurt once you discover he isn’t who he appeared to be in his profile or on your first date.

2. Men talk out loud about what they are thinking. A man might verbally explore a relationship with you because he wants it, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready for it and that is probably what happened here. It’s possible Alan really liked Elana . . . then got scared and backed off till he could sort his feelings out. Men get scared too! The best thing you can do when you find a guy you really like is to continue dating him and other men until the two of you decide to create a committed, exclusive relationship together.

3. Try and not blame yourself when a man disappears. It’s really not about you.

It’s about something going on inside of him, whether it’s fear, confusion or just him talking out loud about what he thinks he wants.

The best thing you can do is to go slow while observing whether or not a new man walks his talk and is who he appears to be.

And remember . . . some day, someone will walk into your life and make you realize why it never worked out with anyone else.

Lisa Copeland, “The Dating Coach Who Makes Dating Fun and Easier after 50!” (c)2014, Lisa Copeland, findaqualityman.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

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i

This & tHAT Hills & Dales Estate

Hills & Dales Estate sits on the crest of a gently rolling hill in LaGrange, Georgia. The centerpiece of the estate is a beautiful GeorgianItalian villa, designed by architects Hal Hentz & Neel Reid for textile magnate Fuller E. Callaway, Sr. Completed in 1916, the home complements the formal boxwood gardens planted earlier in the mid 19th century

by Sarah Ferrell. The property has been lovingly preserved by two generations of the Callaway family and is now open for public visitation. Guests can explore educational exhibits and experience an engaging film that tells the story of the estate. Visitors are provided a guided tour of the home and given an opportunity to explore the historic Ferrell Gardens. Hours are Mon-Sat, 10-6 and Sunday, 1-6. Enjoy!

For more information call 706-882-3242 or email info@hillsanddales.org. You can also visit hillsanddales.org

Jackson Hospital Appoints New CFO Paul Peiffer has been selected as the new Chief Financial Officer for Jackson Hospital.“Paul brings more than 19 years of experience in hospital administration to Jackson Hospital, with past experience in Florida, Missouri and Mississippi,” said CEO Joe Riley. “His diverse background in administrative and financial positions makes him an excellent fit to oversee financial operations at Jackson Hospital.”

Peiffer received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati. He obtained his master’s degree in hospital and health administration from Xavier University and completed a residency at Mercy Hospital in Miami, Fla. Paul and his wife, Carol, have two children and one granddaughter.

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Taste of the Gardens Southern Homes & Gardens (Vaughn Road) and the American Red Cross present Taste of the Gardens, a benefit for the American Red Cross, held annually at SH&G on Vaughn Road, Montgomery. Taste of the Gardens will be held Thursday, May 8th, from 5 to 8 pm. The event includes a silent auction featuring works from local artists; tasting from the River Region’s finest restaurants & caterers; wine and music with Henry Pugh. Items purchased at SH&G will be discounted 20%. Event tickets are $20 online at american.redcross.org/tasteofthegardens. For more info call 334.260.3981 or email kelly.hodges@redcross.org.

Kentucky Derby Party!

Saturday May 3rd, 3:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at the Alley Station Ballroom & Rooftop, downtown Montgomery located at 130 Commerce Street. Come out to our inaugural Kentucky Derby Party and celebrate The Running of the Horses. Great fun in Benefitting Hospice of Montgomery. To purchase tickets call Contact Amy at 334-279-6677 or agodsoe@ hospiceofmontgomery.org The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

BOOMERS, share your stuff with BOOM! We Love to Bring BOOMERS Together, send info and pics to jim@riverregionboom.com

“Bluegrass On The Plains” The authenticity of bluegrass music makes this cultural event one of a kind. The sincerity and purity of the tones and intense quality of music is matched by none other.

Bluegrass music pierces your soul and leaves you in awe.

Bluegrass On The Plains in Auburn won the International Bluegrass Music Association 2013 Momentum Award for New Festival of the Year. 2014 Bands Include: Dr. Ralph Stanley, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Larry Sparks, Little Roy & Lizzy Long, Volume Five, Jr. Sisk and Ramblers Choice, Lonesome River Band, Special Consensus, Kevin Richardson and Cuttin’ Edge, Detour, Kelli Johnson and Sweetwater Road, Shannon & Heather Slaughter and County Clare, Cedar Rock, Frances Mooney and Fontanna Sunset, The Isaacs, Chris Jones and the Night Drivers, Cumberland Gap Connection, Gary Waldrop and The Bailey Mountain Cloggers.

Wednesday, May 28th thru Sunday, June 1st. For more info visit bluegrassontheplains.com or call 334.821.8968.

The Issacs

Missions Flea Market Hurry! Saturday, May 3rd, 7am - 1pm at the parking lot by Frazer Soccer Fields, 6000 Atlanta Hwy. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure! And whether it’s junk or treasure, the annual Missions Flea Market sponsored by the Frazer Single Adult Ministry makes something wonderful of it by raising funds to support mission projects that reach out to those in need here in Montgomery and in some of the darkest corners of the world. Participate in one of three ways: Donate Items: If it’s time for Spring Cleaning, bring your “preloved” items to the Singles Ministry and we’ll sell them for you. Pick-up available.

Rent a Booth: space to sell your own stuff at this high-traffic market costs only $20 Come and Shop! It’s fun, and remember, all proceeds go to Frazer missions.

Contact, Virginia Holmes 334.495.6390 or virginia@frazerumc.org

Herb Day The 17th Annual Herb Day will take place on Saturday, May 10, 8-3 pm at the Living Block of Old Alabama Town, 301 Columbus Street, Downtown Montgomery. This is a fun-filled, public educational event for the entire family featuring children’s activities, music and crafts as well as programs by herbal experts on growing and using herbs –including a cooking demonstration and an exploration of medicinal properties of herbs. Proceeds from the Herb Day event help our volunteers carry out numerous educational activities focused on the value and joy of growing and using herbs, including the free to the public, Herb Day event, school gardening programs, and more. To learn more visit oathsblog.com

Maki Fresh Restaurant Coming to Midtown A new restaurant located at 2938 Carter Hill Road in the Westminster Shopping Center, is opening in May. The Montgomery restaurant will be franchised and managed by local resident Jack Belew. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to bring the Maki Fresh concept to Montgomery,” Belew said. “I believe the residents of Montgomery will appreciate the unique experience Maki Fresh provides.” Maki Fresh is a fast casual Asian restaurant offering a variety of fresh options including rice bowls, sliders, salads, and sushi in a modern and inviting atmosphere. Founded by John Cassimus, creator of Zoës Kitchen and Jinsei Sushi, Maki Fresh provides a wholesome alternative for customers wanting quality Japanese-inspired fare and sushi on the go. for more visit makifresh.com The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

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This & tHAT

i

More

Do You Drink Wine? the Vivino App simplifies your path to enjoying great wines.

The app helps you remember your favorites, learn more about wine, and which one to choose for next occasion. Snap a photo of any wine, and while you have a sip Vivino automatically recognizes it from their database of more than 3 million wines. If the app doesn’t match it immediately, their team will do it for you as quickly as they can.

Discover all you want to know about wines, explore friend’s ratings and get personal recommendations based on your taste, simply browse wines in nearby stores or locate the ones on your Vivino Wish List. Best of all: It’s free!

Download the app for ios and Android or visit vivino.com

BRUCE S. REID NAMED TO UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA LEADERSHIP BOARD Bruce S. Reid, a partner with Stamp Idea Group based in Montgomery, Alabama, has been named to The University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Board. He is also a member of the College of Communications and Information Sciences Board of Visitors for the university and was selected as Outstanding Alumni in 2005. The Leadership Board, established by the university in the early 1990s, consists of alumni and friends of the College who partner with the Dean to advance the goals of the College and provide student scholarships and faculty fellowships. Mr. Reid is a native of Montgomery and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communications/English from the University of Alabama. He founded Bruce Reid Advertising in 1976, which became Reid & Mount Advertising in 1978, evolved into Reid/O’Donahue Advertising in 1990, and in 2013 merged with LWT Communications to form Stamp Idea Group. Mr. Reid is a nationally recognized media advisor on more than 100 political, issue and educational campaigns and has been recognized in Advertising Age as one of America’s “best media negotiators” by the Pepsi Cola Media Department. Mr. Reid is a member of the Committee of 100, the Montgomery Business Committee for the Arts, current member and past chairman of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Art Auction selection committee and is involved with many other local non-profits. Stamp Idea Group, LLC is a full-service advertising, interactive and media firm currently comprised of a team of 30 professionals with $16 million in annual capitalized billings. In addition to his duties as agency principal, Mr. Reid currently serves as New Business Director for the firm.

How Long Do Men Keep Their Underwear?

Call them underwear, knickers, or drawers...when it comes to the tighties down under. Men tend to hold on to them a little longer. “I know I have a tendency to have underwear that still has holes in it,” one man admitted. A survey says men hold onto their trusty britches on average 7 years. Some guys don’t measure in years. “When they get to a point where i don’t want to wash them and they shred in the washing machine...and or just need to throw them out,” said one man. So why do men keep them so long? “I think it’s more of a pain to shop for them unless they are shopping for us. So that’s why I think we tend to hold on to them longer,” one man said. “I don’t think men care about their underwear and looking...I don’t want to say sexy in their underwear but it’s not important to them,” said one woman shopper. The folks at target allowed us to check out their underwear on the racks. They tell us women change with the seasons. Men...well...some are a little lost. “We see people come in here looking for underwear and have no idea where to look. Clearly they have not bought underwear in years,” said one target employee. One scary statistic according to the survey, some guys wear the same knickers multiple days in a row. “I like to be so fresh and so clean so I don’t do that but I have heard of others.” Men may hold on longer but they are still masters of their shorts. Keep in mind, only English men were questioned about their underwear practices. Survey from KSDK.com

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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

R i ve r Re g i o n B o o m . co m

May 2014

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BOOM! COVER PROFILE

Dorie Autrey, She’s Not Nancy!

Dorie, Owner of Nancy’s Italian Ice, with her Sister Gay and Father, Sonny This month’s BOOM! profile is Dorie Autrey.

In the past issues we have featured many women and men who have done some cool things after the age of 50. Dorie is another one of those women who decided to go after an idea and create a successful business.

Some of you have heard of it or maybe even enjoyed it a time or two, her business is Nancy’s Italian Ice, located in Sturbridge Shopping Center. Her advice to others starting a business is “don’t be scared”, which is great advice but it helps to have friends and family who will be there when you need them, especially a dedicated dad like Dorie’s. Dorie is sometimes confused with the name of her business, Nancy. The name of the business was named after Dorie’s mother, Nancy, who would have loved the successful business dorie created in her honor. We visited with Dorie recently and she shared some of her life’s journey with us. Hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as we have.

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BOOM!: Please give us a brief biography, i.e. where you’re from, education, what brought you to the Montgomery area, did you raise your family here, schools, married, family etc…

Dorie: I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. I was blessed to have a wonderful family; my dad Sonny, my mom Nancy, an older sister Gay, and an older brother Larry. I graduated from Coral Gables High School and then went to Auburn University and majored in Home Economics. I met my husband, Steve Autrey from Greenville, at Auburn and this year we will be celebrating our 39th anniversary. After Steve graduated with his B.S., we stayed an additional two years so he could get his Masters. It was fun to stay in Auburn another two years!

After Steve graduated, I told him that I wanted our children to grow up around their grandparents, so when he got a job offer in Montgomery, we took it so we could be around his mother (his dad died when Steve was very young). After eight years of marriage, we had our first daughter, Sarah, who is a school teacher at Coosada Elementary. Then five years later, we had our second daughter, Jordan who is my partner at Nancy’s.

BOOM!: As the owner of Nancy’s Italian Ice in Sturbridge Shopping Center, tell us about your business , what motivated you to launch your business? Any special inspiration? How would you describe your business philosophy?

Dorie: I always feel like you learn a great deal from every job you have. I worked

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

at Montgomery Athletic Club/SportsFirst for almost 25 years. It was an incredible job, we had wonderful members and a outstanding staff. I learned alot about running a business. From there I worked at a Real Estate company and I learned about properties and location.

Sturbridge Shopping Center is a great location with a wonderful combination of businesses. Susan Forbus is my Alfa leasing agent and from the beginning she believed in our store. I am thankful to be there and I am very thankful we have a drive thru window.

Nancy’s Italian Ice began when Sarah and I were returning from the mountains and we stopped off at an Italian Ice store in Atlanta. She loves Italian Ice and after sitting there for a while and noticing the traffic, she said “Mom, you and Jordan should open up an Italian Ice store in Montgomery” and that is where the dream began.

the blessing I didn’t see was how much it meant to my dad. It was extremely hard for him after my mom died, but Nancy’s has kept him going. When he visits

grandchildren on a special treat. It is the best feeling ever.

BOOM!: What are you most passionate about?

Dorie: My passion is really about serving others and letting the love of the Lord shine through me. I think that is why I love Nancy’s so much. It is a wonderful vehicle to accomplish this goal.

BOOM!: How do you like to relax and wind down from a hard day’s work?

The Nancy Van

Montgomery, he sits at the table outside and tells people how he was married to Nancy. It is very sweet and I cherish his guidance over the years.

Dorie: There is not too much relax time at this season of our lives. Along with Nancy’s, we are very involved in helping our parents at this stage in their lives. It always feels good to be home or being around friends and family. With having a family business, you are able to keep in touch with your family and that is a big bonus.

BOOM!: Favorite vacation spot? Any travel My philosophy is serving others, I don’t I started researching it and asked my dreams planned for the future? believe you can never out give. husband what he thought. He said “Go for It”. Then Dorie: I do love to go to the mountains and BOOM!: Many Boomers I called make memories with family and friends. are experiencing a renewed my dad It is very beautiful and peaceful. I would sense of purpose, new who is a also love to go to Italy and sample their goals, new careers, real estate Italian ice and gelato! especially if they’ve developer experienced and he BOOM!: Do you the empty nest really have time to syndrome of their did some be involved in children moving research. community, civic or on. How would you He visited other activities? describe this sense many of renewal in your Italian Ice Dorie: The life? Any advice for stores in community is very the rest of us seeking the lower Dorie, her Dad, Sonny and Daughter/Partner Jordan important to us. renewal? part of We are involved in Miami and he agreed that we should go for schools, Runs for After retiring from the Athletic Club, it. Jordan was in college studying business different charities, I was seeking the Lord’s wisdom on and I asked her if she would like to go into and fundraisers. what to do next and I knew I loved business together and she agreed. My We try to give back being around people and after the dad, my sister and I went to school to learn as much as we can. idea of Nancy’s came about, I knew about it and came out of there knowing we Dorie’s Husband, Steve it was right. I could not have done could do it.

BOOM!: Many it without the help of my family spouses play an important role in and friends. If there is any advice I could The very special thing is that we decided developing and growing a business; would give is, don’t be scared to try. If you don’t to name the store after my mom, Nancy. you please describe your husband’s role in try, you will never know. After all the My mom was the type of person everyone yours? wonderful jobs I’ve had, Nancy’s is the icing wanted to be around. She loved people on the cake. When I am at Nancy’s, I love and children and was so much fun. I feel Dorie: I don’t think you can have a to look out at the tables full of families like Nancy’s captures her spirit, she would successful business if your spouse is not enjoying each other, and teenagers having have loved a place like this. on board. Steve has always been a great a good time and grandparents taking their It is rewarding working with Jordan, but

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encourager and really glad we opened Nancy’s. He is always a good person to bounce ideas off of. We get tickled at the store when he comes, because he always has suggestions and does the white glove inspection. It is actually very helpful to have another set of eyes looking after your business. One of the best things he has done for the business was to surprise me on my birthday last year, and gave me The Nancy’s Van. We have refrigerated carts that we take out to schools and events and I used to put them on a trailer. His idea was to get the van and put a wheelchair lift in it to make it easier to maneuver the carts. It is wonderful and I am so thankful for it. Signs Now did such a great job wrapping it that it’s become one of our best forms of advertising, we’re very hard to miss! I have more fun with it. People are always stopping me, asking me where the store is and children get so excited when they see it. When I stopped at the gas station the other day, a lady told me she had been following The Nancy Van for miles to find out more about us. She said the Italian Ice looks so good in those pictures. It is quite the conversation piece!

BOOM!: What is it about living in the Montgomery River Region area that you like?

Dorie: I love Montgomery. There are so many people in Montgomery and I have enjoyed getting to know new people through Nancy’s. Montgomery is growing and there is a great deal of opportunity.

We have a very supportive Chamber and local government.

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BOOM!: As you’ve aged, how have your ambitions changed?

Dorie: I think as you grow older, you focus on what is really important in life. It is not about money and the things you have, it is about things that you love, like family and friends.

BOOM!: Give us three words that describe you?

Dorie: That’s hard to do without sounding boastful so I asked a few people and these same words kept coming up; Loyal, Fun and Caring.

BOOM!: Do you have any hobbies or other activities that grab your attention?

Dorie: I don’t have much spare time, I used to love tennis and maybe I can go back to it. I have a great group of ladies that I croquet with, however I think we talk more than we croquet. One day I think I would like to play golf with my husband.

BOOM!: What do your future challenges look like, retirement, business growth, community service?

Dorie: I told Jordan, I would work with her five years and it has almost been that amount of time. I once heard someone say, if you love what you do, you will never work. I love being at Nancy’s. There are still so many things I want to do, so I think it will be a long time before I retire.

BOOM!: Technology is rooted in almost every aspect of our lives. How do you use technology to manage Nancy’s Italian Ice? Dorie: There are so many different avenues you have with technology. We use our website and facebook to communicate. It is really not my expertise, so I leave all that stuff to Jordan. She is really good at it and I am glad she is, especially when I mess it up!

BOOM!: Dorie, if you weren’t in the Italian Ice and sweet treat business what kind of work would you be doing?

Dorie: I just can’t imagine doing any thing else.

BOOM!: What’s your favorite flavor of Nancy’s Italian Ice? Dorie: That is a tough one. We have over 45 flavors, so it is changing all the time.

This week I love pomegranate-lemonade.

Strawberry-Lemon is one of my all time favorites, but If I had to choose right now it would probably be cotton candy!

If you have any questions for Dorie or would like to try Nancy’s Italian Ice, drop buy and start enjoying one of the 45 flavors they offer. You can learn more at nancysice. com or if you want to talk catering, you can reach her at 334.356.1403 Thanks to Kim Bethea from The Studio @ Eastchase for her professional photos. If you have questions, comments or suggestions, please send them to jim@riverregionboom.com

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

6 TIPS FOR PLANNING AHEAD How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, of course.

The task of “getting your affairs in order” can be overwhelming. Perhaps you know that it involves pulling paperwork together, and maybe even talking to a lawyer. But where do you start? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Who do You Love?

Ask yourself: who am I making this plan for? Let me help you eliminate one person—you. Estate planning isn’t something you do for you, it’s something you do for the people you love.

2. Who Will Care For You?

Review your answer to Number 1.

Are any of these people capable of caring for you if you become feeble or disabled? The fact is, a nursing home in Alabama currently costs around $6,000 per month. Consider long-term care insurance (even a little bit) and asset protection planning as part of a comprehensive estate plan.

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3. Decide Who Will Be in Charge

You need a Durable Power of Attorney (“POA”). If you lose the capacity to manage your affairs, one of two things will happen. If you planned ahead, then the Agent you hand-picked and named under your POA can step in and handle your affairs. If not, then your family will need to ask the probate judge to appoint a conservator to manage your assets.

4. Name a Healthcare Agent

You may assume that if you’re ill and in the hospital, your spouse or next-ofkin automatically has the right to make decisions on your behalf. The fact is, they don’t. Every adult should have an Advance Directive and/or Healthcare POA in place stating who will make healthcare decisions if you can’t.

important papers, and listing the name of your accountant, financial advisor, attorney, etc. in order to make their task a little easier.

6. Do Something

Of course, this list contains just a few suggestions. The point is to start by doing something, anything to work towards your goal. While most of us leave estate planning for tomorrow, the fact of the matter is that we don’t know whether tomorrow will be too late. So what are you waiting for?

Raley L. Wiggins Attorney at Law, Red Oak Legal, PC 334-239-3625 | info@redoaklegalpc.com 401 Madison Avenue, Montgomery AL 36104 www.redoaklegal.com

5. Write a Letter of Instruction

Once you have a Last Will and Testament in place, take it a step further. Write a letter to your executor in plain English telling them where to find your

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Your Customized Beauty Plan Presented by River Region Facial Plastics

can make a dramatic difference in your appearance. It is never too early or late to benefit from great skin care that will help improve and maintain your skin’s appearance. A high quality, medical grade skin care regimen will also help provide a foundation to enhance the results from other interventions. We proudly offer the SkinMedica® line of skin care products. SkinMedica®’s formulas and products were created by cutting edge scientific research, so you can depend on the highest quality products and results.

If you just want to focus on your skin During your consultation, first we review care, call for an appointment with our your medical history to ensure that I Aesthetician, Amy Bierly, at Radiant Skin. understand any medical conditions that Radiant Skin is our might impact your skin care spa at recommendations.

“Your Beauty Plan is broken down into With that done, three main categories of intervention...” River Region Facial Plastics. we discuss your concerns about The next section your appearance. in your Beauty Although this sounds Plan is for office simple, it is one of treatments. These the most important interventions include injectable products parts of your visit. Once I understand like Botox® Cosmetic and Dysport®, your concerns exactly, I can tailor my fillers like Juvederm®, Voluma™, and recommendations to make sure you get Restylane®, as well as volumizing the results you desire. Once I am sure I products like Sculptra® Aesthetic. Each understand what aspects of your face you product has been selected to help me want to enhance, we can proceed with a rejuvenate or enhance a particular area quick and painless physical examination. of the face. We only offer FDA approved Now it is time to create the Beauty Plan. products and only purchase from the genuine manufacturer. All of our office Your Beauty Plan is broken down into procedures offer excellent results with three main categories of intervention: only a few minutes in our comfortable daily interventions, office treatments, treatment chairs. With rare exception, and procedures. Daily interventions there is minimal downtime. Your Beauty help minimize the ongoing aging process Plan may contain one or more of these and help enhance the results from the products, and during your consultation I other two categories. Office treatments will explain each product and show you give great results while offering minimal pictures of what results we can expect. downtime and recovery. The surgical procedures we offer at River Region Facial The final section of your Beauty Plan Plastics give dramatic results, but do have is reserved for procedures. This area some downtime or recovery associated includes surgical procedures like the with them.

QuickLift® (a procedure which gives facelift quality results with mini-lift All Beauty Plans will include recovery), blepharoplasty (eyelid recommendations for skin care. Beauty rejuvenation), functional and cosmetic is indeed more than skin deep in so rhinoplasty (nasal reshaping), facial many ways, however good skin care Hello, this is Dr. Michael Bowman with River Region Facial Plastics. When it comes to facial aging, many of us have similar concerns, but just like snowflakes, no two faces are ever the same. For that very reason, there cannot be a cookie cutter approach to facial rejuvenation.

This is why your care at River Region Facial Plastics begins with a consultation and the creation of your customized Beauty Plan. The Beauty Plan concept is what we will be discussing in this column.

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implants (i.e. chin or cheek implants), facial liposuction, otoplasty (ear reshaping), medical grade chemical peels, brow lifting, etc. Many patients choose to combine multiple procedures (i.e. a QuickLift® and blepharoplasty or rhinoplasty and chin implant). Each of these procedures has different recoveries, downtime, etc. If I recommend a procedure for you, we will review before and after photographs to show you what results you should expect. We’ll also discuss the risks and alternatives for each procedure, and I will make sure to answer all of your questions.

Aesthetic practitioners who are not trained in surgical rejuvenation techniques are limited to the products/ techniques at their disposal. As a dual board certified Facial Plastic Surgeon, I have the knowledge, training and skills needed to deal with any and all aspects of facial rejuvenation and reconstruction.

From simple skin care regimens to dramatic procedural transformations, your Beauty Plan will reflect your desires and the specific needs of your face. Since we have all of those options available, we are able to focus on your results and choose whatever combination of products and procedures that will give you the best possible results.

I hope you will give us a call to set up your free consultation so we can help create your own customized beauty plan and determine which treatments will be best for you.

Please email us at Doctors@ RiverRegionFacialPlastics.com with your questions about facial health, beauty and rejuvenation Yours In Good Health, Dr. Michael Bowman 334.270.2003

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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

How to Prevent Serious ARCD ARCD, or Age Related Cognitive Decline, has received much more study in the past decade, because the world’s population of folks over 50 is literally booming.

Nearly everyone who reaches the half-century mark suffers from some degree of ARCD. It can be as mild as “Why did I come in this room?” or “Where did I put my keys?” Or it can be more serious, turning into a pre-dementia state by age 65.

A few drugs have been developed that can lower the degree of mental decline or even help delay some of the symptoms, but there is no current cure. There are, however, numerous methods of prevention. If you value your brain, it’s important to start protecting it. No matter how old you are, here’s information that’s been learned from hundreds of scientific studies.

First, know that your brain uses a huge amount of energy, a disproportionate amount compared to other parts of your body. To repeat an old cliche, it takes energy to make energy. You’ve certainly heard that exercise increases blood circulation, improves the heart and respiratory systems, and helps work off fat. All four of those exercise benefits help prevent or lessen the symptoms of ARCD. Studies have shown that people who get little activity or who are obese suffer more from mental decline as they age than those who are fit and active. Personal habits also affect the onset of symptoms. One big discovery is that chronic brain inflammation is a big marker for the condition.

Chronic low-level brain inflammation can be caused by such habits as cigarette The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

smoking, eating a non-nutritious diet dependent on fast or processed foods, poor sleep patterns and obesity. In fact, brain inflammation is now believed to be associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Regular activity will also help maintain good blood pressure and prevent diabetes, two conditions closely associated with ARCD. It doesn’t even have to be hard physical activity; even moderate exercise has been shown to reduce mental decline by 35 percent.

New studies also show that both testosterone and estrogen help keep the brain functioning. But before purchasing and self-medicating with these now available hormones, get checked. Have yourself tested to see if you actually have natural low levels of these hormones.

A physician can order the tests for you, and prescribe the right combination of hormones in the right amount. Don’t fall for the heavily advertised pop testosterone pills aimed at the male psychology. Women and men need both hormones, and only a medical test will show how much is needed.

Other supplements can also help prevent ARCD. Perhaps the most important is the B complex of vitamins. They’re extremely important for brain and central nervous system function. Aging can prevent the efficient absorption of nutrients

from food, so supplementing vitamin B, especially folic acid, can help prevent the symptoms of mental decline. However, the full B complex is required for the body to use any one factor of it.

Fish oil helps supply the brain with omega-3 fatty acids, which control many parts of thought and attitude. Fish oil also helps ease depression, which is also closely connected with mental decline.

That decline will go back up to more healthy levels when depression is cured, either by exercise or medication.

The “gray matter” of the brain is actually a type of fat, called phosphatidylserine.

You can actually buy this substance and take it to help keep your brain from literally shrinking, as the brain normally does with age. There have been numerous clinical trials showing that taking “PS” orally will help retain brain power.

Finally, the brain itself must be exercised to improve its function. One of the best ways to work the brain in middle age is to learn a second language. This forces the brain to think in a different pattern, forcing the development of new connections between brain cells, improving mental function.

You can search “How to Prevent Age Related Cognitive Decline” to find more information on caring for your brain as you age. When there’s no cure, prevention is as good as gold.

Wina Sturgeon is an active boomer based in Salt Lake City who offers news on the science of anti-aging and staying youthful at: adventuresportsweekly.com . (c)2014 McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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Things that Matter

With Lee Lawrence

Things That Matter: Social Security Benefits are Retirement Assets I commented in an earlier BOOM article that I request evaluations during the Q&A portions of my workshops and client reviews. I use both venues, Q&A’s and evaluations, to identify individual concerns that arise during the workshop or review. I try to identify shortfalls with the intention of enhancing and hopefully increasing the value of subsequent workshops and reviews. Since my firm specializes in retirement and pre-retirement planning, most of the workshops I have hosted over the last year addressed retirement issues, more specifically guaranteed life income strategies.

While the most prevalent goal of seniors entering retirement remains planning for income that they cannot out live, a second concern has become increasingly apparent. The evaluations reveal an increased emphasis on Social Security Benefits and how they apply to retirement planning in general. The responses further acknowledge the increased importance of Social Security to seniors as a retirement resource.

They agree that understanding Social Security and the strategies that allow for maximizing the retirement benefit is sadly lacking among seniors preparing to enter retirement. Additionally, retirees claim a lack of availability of reliable information to assist in the decision making process. I continually get good solid questions about how Social Security should be integrated with a retirement plan. Frequent questions like, Will it be there for my life time?

When should I start taking the benefit?

Who is eligible? How do spousal benefits work? What strategies would allow for me to get the most money from the benefit? With 10,000 boomers reaching

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full retirement age each day there is an increasing number of people asking these questions, needing assistance, and access to Social Security planning tools.

As a retirement income specialist, I feel that a client’s Social Security Benefit should be treated as an important retirement asset and be included in a coordinated retirement income plan. I often use the example of the three legged income stool. Social Security represents one of the legs and accounts for approximately one third of the average individual’s retirement income. The second leg in my example is normally funded with a pension plan. In the past we have seen defined benefit plans represent the majority of a retiree’s retirement income. In recent years we have seen a significant decline in Defined Benefit Plans (Pensions) especially in the private sector. Many pension plans have been replaced with 401(k)s and other qualified alternatives.

While the 401(k) may provide market opportunity it normally does not provide the security of life time income that was experienced with the pension. The third leg of the income stool is comprised of personal investments outside the pension or Social Security. These may be IRA’s, equity investments, CD’s, saving accounts, etc. that have been created during the accumulation phase of the financial plan.

Once we have identified the assets that make up the three income legs we can effectively evaluate the significances of each leg. For example, if there is not a pension or 401(k) the Social Security Leg may make up the major proportion of retirement income and take on more relevance. Based on the needs of the retiree a 401(k) and Social Security may not provide enough life time income and result in the personal investments from leg three to become essential. The

point is, each leg of the income stool is balanced by the other two and that all three are needed. The assets associated with each leg should be made part of any coordinated financial plan in both the accumulation and distribution phases.

It just becomes more critical in the distribution phase.

In the context of my stool, Social Security must be considered as a retirement asset and made an integral part of that planning process. While the basics of Social Security are relatively simple the strategies of when and how to take distribution to insure maximizing the benefit for the retiree and spouse are significantly more complicated. With 81 different ways for a married couple to take their benefits and hundreds of thousands of dollars of benefits at risk the decision warrants time and consideration. Remember, Social Security is a retirement benefit that you have contributed to and you should spend as much time and effort to maximize that return as you would your 401(k).

In response to the overwhelming and unique interest in Social Security, I developed a new workshop curriculum based on the fundamentals of Social Security and Social Security strategies.

The focus is on Social Security as a retirement asset, how to maximize that asset, and incorporate it with the retirement goals of guaranteed life time income, tax planning, and related topics.

I started offering the Social Security workshop at AUM in March and April.

The introduction of a new curriculum coupled with some new technology resulted in a less than perfect first night but the subsequent classes have proven exceptional. Each person that attended the workshop was offered an individual consultation and the participation has been astounding.

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

I have been personally rewarded as I met with the attendees during their free consultations. As I guided them through “The Things That Matter” in retirement planning they no longer made independent decisions with their pensions, Social Security, and other investments but incorporated each leg of the stool into a cohesive thought out retirement plan. Retirement goals were identified, put in writing and funded by a specific retirement asset. Assets were identified and invested to provide guaranteed income they cannot out live. They made investment decisions with the tax consequences identified and understood. With some I had the opportunity to discuss family goals involving legacy planning, charitable giving, and asset based long term care.

I would like to thank those that attended and participated in the success of the workshops. The excitement and experiences we shared with the workshops at AUM in March and April warrants our doing many more. If someone from the BOOM family, subscriber or reader, is interested in attending a workshop or the free consultation call Signature Financial Solutions and ask for Lee. Lee Lawrence Signature Financial Solutions LLC 8128 Old Federal Road Montgomery, AL. 36117 www.signaturefinancialsolutionsllc.com 334-546-7597 Lee Lawrence is an investment advisor representative of and securities are offered through, USA Financial Securities Corporation.

Member FINRA/SIPC A Registered Investment Advisor. 6020 E. Fulton St., Ada, MI. 49301.

Signature Financial Solutions LLC is not affiliated with USA Financial Securities.

From Our Readers...Rosemary Broadway

An Old Life Made New I remember reading the article from the December issue of “Boom!” in which Jim Watson quoted C.S. Lewis –“You are never too old to dream a new dream”. I think that is an inspirational message for all of us that are in the 50 + life stage. It is life-giving to embark on something new, especially when you really feel inspired to do so. I know. I’ve been there. I’m still there. Two and a half years ago I decided to write a story about an actual event that happened in one of my grandsons’ life. I set out on this new adventure just to preserve the experience for my seven grandsons. I did not know where Author Rosemary Broadway that first step would lead me. I just felt compelled to take it, but I wasn’t sure why. So, I began what has proved to be one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. I recorded and illustrated a children’s book. It is what I would describe as a faith story about how God uses our words and actions in ways we would never imagine. Sometimes we may wish we could take back something we have done or said, but we all know we can’t. We just never know the kind of effects our words or actions may have on other people for bad or for good.

As the actual writing process unfolded, I surprisingly discovered that there were different levels of meaning that emerged in the story. This story became no longer just my grandson’s story. I now recognize it as the story of just about anyone who has ever said or done something they regretted. It has a universal meaning for all ages. “A Superhero for God” was recorded by me, but I don’t actually feel that it was written by me. It is a true story, and I am just the storyteller and interpreter.

Another unusual aspect of “A Superhero for God” is the fact that no one else knew I was writing it. I purposely did not tell anyone I was writing a book.

It was very important to me that I did not have any outside influences or suggestions from others. Still, having said this, I must give credit where it is due. I did have help writing it. I did a lot of praying to God for guidance, worked only when I felt inspired, and know that I could never have done it alone. And, the creative process I was involved in has brought an exciting new dimension to my life.

Rosemary Broadway Montgomery, Alabama Readers can purchase A Superhero for God online: archwaypublishing.com amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, booksamillion.com and locally from The Name Dropper in Montgomery.

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

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Bucket List Adventure:

See Chattanooga’s Rock

More than 75 years ago, a Tennessee land developer named Garnet Carter embarked on an ingenious campaign to lure tourists to his mountaintop attraction to see some rocks. Yes, rocks.

“See Rock City” was painted on nearly 1,000 barn roofs in 19 states from 1936 to 1969; millions heeded Carter’s call and made the trek to Chattanooga and the top of Lookout Mountain.

Their reward?

Breathtaking vistas sweeping across swatches of seven states from a massive outcropping named Lover’s Leap.

Fairyland Gardens, a whimsical wonderland created by Carter’s wife, Frieda, an aficionada of European folklore, with German statues of gnomes and well-known characters from fairytales is set amidst a profusion of wildflowers and other native plants.

The area had its nickname long before the Carters began wresting a world-class attraction from this ancient geologic marvel. Bucket list adventurers had been coming to this mountaintop wilderness as early as 1823 to experience “the Rock City” and traverse its naturally formed “streets and avenues” by mule. By the close of the decade, Frieda had begun her grand-scale, four-year landscaping project, forging paths among the rock formations.

A mere 100 now-historic barns bearing the distinctively painted black and white slogans remain. Rock City, however, has continued to grow, adding the magical Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village, a 25-foot climbing wall, lots of shops and restaurants _ even a Starbuck’s. Wending through the 14 acres

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and passing a 100-foot waterfall and a 1,000-ton balanced rock is the Enchanted Trail. Its route takes thrill seekers across the Swing-A-Long Bridge, hovering 1,700

feet above sea level and spanning 200 feet.

Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world continue to find their way to Rock City each year, but it isn’t the only draw on Lookout Mountain. Ruby Falls is a 145-foot-high underground waterfall. The Ruby Falls ZIPstream Aerial Adventure is an obstacle course in the sky that includes bridges, tunnels and 700 feet of roundtrip zipping. The world’s steepest passenger railway, the Incline Railway, is a National Historic Site that has been in operation since 1895.

You can grab a seat for the Battles for Chattanooga, a three-dimensional electronic battle map presentation recalling Lookout Mountain’s strategic role in the Civil War through 5,000 miniature soldiers, hundreds of lights, lots of sound effects and narrated video. Afterward, stroll over to Point Park, the site of what is called the Battle Above the Clouds, to see where the battles you just learned about were fought 150 years ago.

By Kathy Witt

City

Off the mountain, downtown Chattanooga is home to the Tennessee Aquarium _ so big it takes up two buildings, their glass peaks stretching into the skyline.

In the River Journey building, see freshwater habitats, two living forests and a lot of creatures, including alligators, frogs, prehistoric sturgeon and otters.

This is also where Ranger Rick’s Backyard Safari is located, along with a Eurasian eagle owl, one of the largest owls in the world.

At the end of May, the aquarium’s otter exhibit will have been expanded so visitors can see the feisty critters cavorting about a multitiered landscape featuring shoreline, pools and waterfalls any time of day.

The Ocean Journey building is where the sharks hang out, along with penguins, jellyfish, squid, cuttlefish and crabs. Its Undersea Cavern reveals panoramic views of a Secret Reef; its indoor rainforest is home to the Butterfly Garden with hundreds of the jewel-hued beauties in free flight.

Straight up Broad Street from the aquarium is The Chattanoogan, a boutique hotel with resort amenities that is offering a Summer Fun Package for families.

Choose free tickets either to Rock City and Ruby Falls or to the Tennessee Aquarium and IMAX with an overnight stay.

Kids will be happy to know there is free WiFi, a heated swimming pool and an extensive menu with their kind of eats (chicken fingers, grilled cheese, sliders, pasta, pizza) at the hotel’s Broad Street Grille. Mom and Dad will love the vacation

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ambience of the hotel, its oversized guestrooms, full-service spa with twinklelight relaxation area and sunning terrace adjacent to the pool.

The hotel sits on beautifully landscaped grounds with lots of trees shading a courtyard in a neighborhood of museums, shops and restaurants. Lookout Mountain, visible from many of the guestrooms, is 15 minutes or so away.

Eighty-two years after its official opening in 1932, Rock City continues to pull road trippers from the highway to come see what Mother Nature and one entrepreneurial couple created. A visit to Rock City and Chattanooga combines blast-from-the-past fun with today’s adventure in an extremely family-friendly getaway.

INFO Chattanooga, 800-322-3344, www.ChattanoogaFun.com.

The Chattanoogan Hotel, 877-756-1684, www.ChattanooganHotel.com. Ask for the Summer Fun package when making reservations. Rates start at $169 per night and are based on a two-night stay for a family of two adults and two children.

ADVENTURE GUIDE TO DON’T-MISS MOMENTS ● Standing at Lover’s Leap atop Lookout Mountain and seeing the world spread out before you. OK, not the world, but seven states (Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky) and at 1,700 feet above sea level. You may be overcome with the impulse to shout to your fellow tourists, “I’m the king of the world!” ● Racing down the Tennessee River aboard the Tennessee Aquarium’s River Gorge Explorer, a zippy eco-cruise vessel that can do S-curves at 50 miles an hour and stop and turn on a dime. You might spy bald eagles, blue herons and other river life, and you’ll hear more about Lookout Mountain, its geology and role in the Civil War. ● Dining at either one of the Chef’s Tables in The Chattanoogan Hotel’s exceedingly pleasant Broad Street Grille. Sink into a comfy chair and turn yourself over to the culinary team; you won’t be disappointed.

Dishes are layers of flavors (like the BLT – bacon, arugula, dried tomato and The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

smoked onion aioli) beautifully presented in a no-rush, softhush atmosphere, perfect for long conversations and lingering over desserts like luscious tiramisu. ● Treating yourself to a Riverport Facial at The Spa at The Chattanoogan.

It’s 50 minutes of tranquility and total relaxation that ties harmoniously into a getaway to Rock City: Smooth-as-glass stones from North Chickamauga Creek and the Tennessee River are cooled and placed on key pressure points on the face to improve circulation. Divine! You’ll leave feeling buffed, de-puffed and polished. ● Discovering the MoonPie General Store just a few blocks from the Tennessee Aquarium. Talk about a welcome blastfrom-the-past. Grab some MoonPies and RC Colas or your pick of lots of other retrothemed candy and souvenirs _ Gummy Bacon, sock monkeys, Capt. Kirk mugs, even “See Rock City” birdhouses.

includes a 20-inch carry-on and 24- and 28-inch pieces.

Collection colors are very berry, citron, silver cloud and black accented with black zippers, wheels and corner armor. Cases have a split book-style opening so you can separate clean clothing from soiled items (or kids’ togs from their toys). One side has a see-through mesh divider; the other has stretchable straps to hold everything in place.

ADVENTURE GEAR TO TAKE ALONG A visit to an American icon requires luggage that is equally emblematic. Skyway Luggage was founded in 1910 and acquired by Ricardo Beverly Hills _ another American luggage company that’s been around for 35-plus years _ in 2012. The Skyway name came from hand luggage that was originally called “Sky Way . . .

Styled for the Sky.”

A thick lining contrasts nicely with case colors and smooth-gliding wheels make it easy to push or pull the luggage.

As family-friendly as Chattanooga is, you should plan on taking home lots of souvenirs.

With a tug of the zipper, Nimbus cases provide the extra packing space you’ll need.

At the recent International Travel Goods Show held in March in Phoenix, Ariz., Ricardo introduced Skyway Nimbus, a sturdy hard-side collection that can be found on sale for half price, making it an affordable $79.99, $89.99 or $99.99, depending on size. Ideal for family adventures, this versatile trio of Four Wheel Expandable Spinner Upright cases

Author, travel and lifestyle writer, and travel goods expert Kathy Witt feels you should never get to the end of your bucket list; there’s just too much to see and do in the world. She can be reached at KathyWitt24@gmail.com or KathyWitt.com. (c)2014 Kathy Witt Visit Kathy Witt at www.kathywitt.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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Fitness over Fifty

By Leigh Anne Richards

Working Out for Real Life Functional Fitness has become a buzz word in the fitness business. It is all about training your body to handle real life situations.

For instance, lifting grocery bags out of the car requires Leigh Anne Richards forearm strength and balance. Putting those groceries up on the shelf requires shoulder strength, flexibility and calf muscle stability. In real life, you do not do an activity that just involves the bicep. Functional fitness is all about multi joint activity. Functional Fitness is focused on multi joint activity such as rotating your body. One has to rotate the body to put the seat belt on, or twist to put a bag in the car or get the bag out of the car. Functional Fitness training ranked eight on the American College of Sports Medicine’s list of the top trends in 2013. Exercise programs for older adults ranked sixth.

Getting started with functional fitness does not require weights entirely at the beginning.

Most people can’t even control their own body weight without falling over. The first step should be to control and balance your own weight. Once you can control your own body weight you can start working with weights. There are popular tools that promote functional exercise such as stability balls, balance boards, both of which force the core to keep the body balanced while lifting a weight.

What are some examples of functional fitness exercises? Multifaceted physical movements found in activities such as tai chi and Pilates involve varying combinations of resistance training that can help build functional fitness.

Other examples of specific functional fitness movements that use multiple joints and muscles include: • Multidirectional lunges-mimics preparing your body for activities such as vacuuming and yard work.

• Standing bicep curls vs. a machine- requires balance and stability • Step ups on a step with weights- this movement mimics walking up steps carrying groceries, or even grandchildren • Squats- sitting in a chair or on a toilet is an everyday movement that sometimes becomes difficult as we age.

In the Gundersen Luthern Medical Journal,

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July 2008, an article entitled “The Effect of Functional Exercise Training on Older Adults” was published. The purpose of the study was to determine if 4 weeks of functional exercise training would result in improvements in functional fitness levels of older adults.

Twenty four physically active adult volunteers ages 58-78 years were randomly assigned into an experimental group (functional exercise) and a control group (traditional exercise). Both groups were tested before and after the training period using the Fullerton Functional Fitness Test for Older Adults. At the completion of the study the experimental group had significant improvements in lower body strength (13%), upper body strength ( 14%), cardiorespiratory endurance ( 7%), agility dynamic balance (13%), and shoulder flexibility (43%) compared with the control group. The results of this study indicate a short course of functional exercise training can lead to improvements in several components that contribute to functional fitness levels of older adults.

The functional fitness exercise circuit used in this study was shown to be inexpensive, easy to individualize, and one that could be performed conveniently at home, or in a exercise facility The functional exercise circuit that was used in the study consisted of 12 exercises.

Resistance was added as tolerated, using various levels of sand filled milk jugs to approximate weights of common house hold items (one-half to 10 pounds). As the exercises became easier to perform, the level of difficulty was increased by adding weight or making modifications to the exercise to achieve and maintain moderate intensity.

The following exercises were used in the circuits: • Unilateral balance- Subjects stood on one leg for 30 seconds while using the arms to hold onto the back of a chair for support • Golfers Lift- Subjects stood on one leg, with the knee straight. Then they flexed forward at the hip and reached toward the floor while extending the nonweightbearing leg behind the body. Then they returned to upright position • Squat with arms forward- Standing in place, subjects squatted slowly up and down for 60 seconds. The arms were kept slightly forward • Wall pushups- Subjects faced a wall with their feet at a comfortable distance away from the wall. Subjects leaned slowly toward the wall and then pushed away.

• Lateral squats- Subjects stepped sideways

and squatted side to side for one minute • Forward/backward lean- Subjects faced a wall with their arms crossed over their chest and learned toward the wall and tried to hold the position for 30 seconds. Then they returned to the upright position and their backs faced the wall and did the same exercise by leaning backwards.

• Squat with diagnol reach-Subjects stood with feet shoulder distance apart and performed squats while alternating reaching with both hands down the lateral aspect of one ankle and then reached up past the contralateral aspect of the shoulder. Each side was performed 30 seconds • Walk around obstacles. Subjects walked for 1 minute on a level surface while maneuvering around cones placed on the floor in a figure 8 pattern • Overhead press- Subjects stood with feet shoulder width apart and performed overhead presses with 2 weights ( one weight in each hand) • Rotation lunges- Subject began the exercise by facing forward. They rotated to the right and lunged with the right foot approaching the 5 o’clock position then returned to 12 o’clock position. Then rotated to the left to the 7 o’clock position and then back to the 12 o’clock. They performed alternate sides for one minute.

• Lunge and chop- Subjects started in a partial forward lunge position and using a bilateral grip, held a small weight near the lateral aspect of the forward ankle. Then they rose upright and rotated the trunk, while raising the weight in the hands from a low lateral position to up and over the opposite shoulder. Each side was done for 30 seconds • Stair Climb- Subjects climbed up and down a flight of stairs for 1 minute. The height of the steps was 10 inches.

Functional Fitness training is becoming more prevalent in gyms and fitness centers. Many classes and/or personal trainers incorporate these types of movements mentioned above.

Any age should be performing these types of exercises but even more so as we age and begin to lose some of our balance and stability.

Information taken from: Gundersen Luthern Medical Journal, Volume 5, Number1, July 2008 and WebMD, “Working out for Real Life Functions” August 12, 2003

Leigh Anne Richards, MEd, Certified Personal Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor, General ManagerMetroFitness. For any questions or comments, contact Leigh Anne at LAMetrofit@aol.com The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

“that I had been The softest sounds

missing for years,

“

I could now hear!

Ed Saliba Montgomery Hearing Services Patient

To hear more of Ed’s story, visit MontgomeryHearingServices.com/testimonials

Healthy Hearing Starts Here.

As the leading hearing healthcare provider in the greater Montgomery area, Montgomery Hearing Services is committed to providing neighbors like Ed with the most personalized and innovative hearing care possible. Let our highly trained team of physicians and experienced hearing professionals help improve your hearing — and quality of life — too.

(334) 651-0500 1722 Pine Street, Suite 803 Montgomery, AL 36106 29 © 2014 Montgomery Hearing Services. All Rights Reserved. 2/14 TJAD2631-00-EE-XX

By Roger Phillips

We’re older, grayer but still riding motorcycles I dug through boxes at my mom’s house searching for a photo of my oldest brother, Richard, and I holding trophies.

It was my first trophy for motorcycle racing, but probably not his, judging by his annoyed look about having to pose for a photo with it.

My brothers and I were living in the golden age of motorcycle riding.

We were kids of the “On Any Sunday” generation _ a classic 1971 movie that did for dirt biking what “Endless Summer” did for surfing.

Motorcycles have been a constant thread for me since then. I’ve bounced between dirt bikes, street bikes, and now dual-sport bikes that allow me to ride on and off road.

Rich hadn’t owned a motorcycle since the ‘70s. He had long talked about getting another one, but that’s as far as it had gotten until the summer of 2013.

He went whole hog and bought a new Harley Davidson Super Glide Custom.

I was nearly as excited as he was. I’ve been doing multiday motorcycle trips for several years now, and they’re a highlight of my summer. I pitched the idea of a road trip, and he agreed.

Being brothers, we share a lot of similarities, and also like brothers, have our distinct differences. He likes to plan, I like to fly by the seat of my pants. This road trip would be interesting.

I had the upper hand for experience at traveling on a motorcycle, but he’s still the big brother.

In the natural order of things, older brothers don’t listen to younger brothers.

Also in the natural order of things, little brothers always compete against older brothers. But that didn’t matter when we met in August on a lonesome, two-lane road in Oregon.

I checked out his new bike. It was big and shiny, like Harleys are supposed to be. It has that unmistakable Harley rumble.

He had reserved a room for our first night

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near the small town of Chiloquin, Ore., but from there, we had only a general route in mind and no timeline other than when we would arrive at his house in Phoenix, Ore. We rode north from Chiloquin to Crater Lake, an ironic destination for both of us.

We grew up in the tourist town of Newport, Ore., and we consider ourselves the anti-tourists.

We don’t visit cutesy places. We don’t care about roadside attractions or tourist traps.

When we’re traveling, the only acceptable stops are to eat, get gas or take a bathroom break, and sometimes, we do all three at the same place.

But that changed on this trip. We were unabashed tourists cruising along the back roads of Oregon and stopping whenever we felt like it.

We gawked at Crater Lake and took photos of ourselves like proper tourists, then followed the headwaters of the North Umpqua River down to its confluence with the South Umpqua and continued toward the Oregon coast.

We stopped to see the famous Dean Creek elk herd near Reedsport, Ore., and watched 18 branch-antlered bulls grazing as casually as cattle right next to road.

The Oregon coast was a homecoming for us, but also new territory. When you live on the coast, you don’t typically vacation there. There were several stops on the coast I had never seen.

Rich was concerned about finding a motel room on the Oregon coast during summer, but instead we got an invite from our friend from the coast to spend the night in his camp trailer parked in his driveway.

We traded bikes, and despite our usual tendency to bicker over whose is better, we agreed they are both fun to ride, just different from each other.

He liked mine in the tight corners, and I liked his for highway cruising. We headed south down the coast and detoured up the Rogue River, where Rich and I have fished for trout and steelhead and done whitewater trips.

We occasionally rekindled the old sibling rivalry, which was inevitable, on a very twisty and very lightly traveled road.

We saw five vehicles going in either direction for about 20 miles, fortunately, none of them had lights on top.

We continued south on the famous Highway 101 into California and the redwoods. We stopped and took more photos of ourselves standing next to giant trees.

Richard committed the ultimate tourist move by buying a T-shirt at a Harley dealership. Not to be outdone, I bought one at a Triumph dealership.

We turned northeast and headed through Northern California and Southern Oregon’s wine country and ended up at Mom’s house near Rich’s house.

I dug through boxes and sorted through hundreds of old photos until I finally found the one that put our trip into proper perspective.

It was taken in 1973, a mind-boggling 40 years ago. The years can sail by like a picket fence next to a country road, but riding motorcycles with your brother erases them just as quickly. (c)2014 The Idaho Statesman (Boise, Idaho) Distributed by MCT Information Services

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

One Day University: A Fascinating Day of Learning.

Most of us remember college as days when we lived a life of nearly total intellectual stimulation. We were free to explore the world of ideas, books, and learning. Unfortunately, very few young adults fully appreciate the opportunity college affords them, until long after they’ve graduated. Once they have settled into a busy career, or started raising a family, they no longer have time for purely intellectual pursuits.

The men and women who come together at One Day U understand that learning is a rewarding lifelong process, not a chore that ended on the day they received their diploma. Most return again and again and describe the experience the same way: Enrolling in One Day University is like returning to the college environment of their youth. They feel like they’re 19 again! The pace of the day is brisk and stimulating, the professors eager and enthusiastic, the classroom electric with the excitement of learning! But unlike “regular” college, at One Day University there are no grades. No tests.

No homework.

One Day University’s lecture series, aimed at learners over 50, will be coming to Atlanta on May 10th. The typical participants in One Day U are more than 50 years old; college educated and would rather take a class than play golf.

“Boomers grew up believing in lifelong learning and they are going to take classes until they die,” said William The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

Draves, president of Learning Resource Network, a national association for continuing education. “Generation Y takes more workplace courses but boomers take avocational and leisure courses.”

Class Time: 9:30am - 10:45am Why Are Some People Resilient? (and some people are not) Andrew Shatte / University of Arizona

OR What’s So Great about Picasso?

Tina Rivers / Columbia University

Class Time: 11:00am - 12:15pm Is The American Dream Still Alive?

Wendy Schiller / Brown University

OR The Nature of Genius: From Leonardo da Vinci to The Beatles Craig Wright / Yale University

Class Time: 1:15pm - 2:30pm What is the Internet Doing to Our Children?

Anne Nelson / Columbia University

OR The Science of Sleep (Everything You Always Wanted To Know But Were Too Tired To Ask) James Maas / Cornell

Class Time: 2:45pm - 4:00pm World War II: What We Know Now (That We Didn’t Know Then)

The teaching faculty for the One Day University Atlanta Program comes from some of the top schools in the country, including Brown, Columbia and Yale universities.

Carol Anderson / Emory University

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and One Day University® are bringing together these professors from the finest schools in the country to present special versions of their very best lectures - LIVE.

Location: Cobb Galleria 2 Galleria Parkway Atlanta, GA 30339 May 10,2014 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Adult “students-for-a-day” each choose four presentations from a list of 8 classes; each class is 75 minutes long.

The class choices are:

To learn more or register for lectures visit OneDayU.com

OR The New Frontier of the Brain and Learning

John J. Stein / Brown University

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Healthy Hearing

By Dr. Bettie Borton Au.D.

iPhone Meets Hearing Devices

Meet the New Made-for-iPhone Hearing Aid “People wait in long lines and even camp out to get their hands on new Apple® devices as soon as they’re available.

But they drag their feet, sometimes for years, when it Dr. Bettie Borton Au. D. comes to purchasing another piece of technology that could greatly improve their lives: hearing aids” –CNN The World Health Organization estimates that 5% of the world’s population -- 360 million people -- has a significant hearing loss. The amount of individuals with hearing loss will only increase, as factors such as noise exposure and an aging demographic take their toll. More than 36 million Americans have a hearing loss, but only one out of five people who could benefit from hearing devices actually wear them, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

Thanks to the low-power transmitters, improved batteries and custom chips resulting in “smart” technology, hearing aids are smaller and more cosmetically appealing, but also more capable than ever. Hearing aid users have been able to use smart phones in the past, but they needed to have bulky “relay” devices in their pockets or hanging around their necks to get their phones to connect with the hearing instruments. iPhone owners with hearing impairment now have a smaller, more compact choice for “phone smart” hearing aids as the first batch of “made for iPhone” hearing aids were recently released.

With the release of the new iOS7® operating system and iPhone 5s and 5c models, Apple® has now arranged for “made for iPhone” hearing instruments.

“Made for iPhone” hearing aids will provide two helpful features: • Wireless connectivity between hearing aids and smart phones

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• iPhone accessibility to hearing aid settings Apple has collaborated with several hearing aid manufacturers to create ear level devices enabled with technology similar to Bluetooth that allows users to stream music and use hearing aids as a two-way headset for making telephone calls. Additionally, users are able to manipulate some hearing aid settings through an iOS® app without an intermediary device or streamer. The hearing aids are also compatible with iPad® tablets and iPod® touch media players.

The hearing aids connect with Apple devices in the 2.4-gigahertz band using Bluetooth 4.0’s low energy mode, the same power-saving wireless technology that is the foundation of Apple’s iBeacons micro location services and synchronization for devices like Fitbit’s movement trackers.

Apple’s improvements specific to these hearing aids have resulted in some important advances in hearing instrument and iPhone compatibility, including: • Clearer, more natural sounding signal (due to enhanced wireless transmission of the signal) & • Reduced power usage (leading to improved battery life) Made for iPhone hearing aids will require the iOS6® operating system in an iPhone 4s or 5, both released by Apple in September 2013.

Hearing aid manufacturers use apps to basically transform the Apple devices into hearing aid control panels. Some allow owners to record audio, use their cell phones as microphones, adjust the volume, treble, and bass settings, and allocate

automatic sound settings to commonly visited places like home, work, and favorite restaurants. Additionally, the user can locate the hearing aids if they’re lost.

Dusty Dorey, a 29-year-old software trainer with significant hearing loss, has been testing made for iPhone hearing aids and is pleased. The technology’s large amount of adjustability has provided him with the ability to fine tune the hearing aids for difficult listening situations, such as understanding soft spoken individuals. In the past, he would have needed to make an appointment with his audiologist for similar adjustments. He’s impressed with how the app can remember places he’s visited and how it automatically activates the corresponding hearing aid settings.

For more information about the new made for iPhone hearing aids, contact one of the audiologists at Doctors Hearing Clinic. We will be happy to show you what the new advances in hearing aid technology can do for you!

For more information please contact Doctors Hearing Clinic at (334) 396-1635.

Content adapted from Can Apple help make hearing aids cool? By: Heather Kelly, as seen on CNN.com; First fully-integrated ‘Made for iPhone’ hearing aids are set to hit the market, By: Shane Cole, as seen on appleinsider.com; Bluetooth hearing aids could take off with baby boomers, By: Julio Ojeda-Zapata, as seen on twincities. com.

Dr. Bettie B. Borton is a licensed audiologist in Alabama, was the first board certified audiologist in Montgomery, served as National Chair of the American Board of Audiology, and is currently serving as President of the American Academy of Audiology. Co-authored by Dr. Brittany Spahr and Casey Gonzalez, Doctoral Extern, LSU Health.

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

We Love Women Over 50!

If your Target Audience are Women with Money and Desire, BOOM! readers are your customers...70% of our readers are Mature Women, 75% of US wealth is owned by Mature Women age 50+, and Mature Women spend 2.5 times what the average person spends and they spend it on things like Beauty, Grand Kids, Pets, Fitness, Gifts, Restaurants, Healthcare, Financial Services, Caregiving, Classes, Fashion, Home & Garden, Concerts, Entertaining, Travel, and much more!

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Travel Trends . . . . . . . . . .

This past year was a reinvention of sorts for the travel industry, and now that spring has officially sprung, it’s time to reap the benefits!

With a newly vested interest in getting back on the road and seeing the world, the adventurous traveler has more opportunities than ever to set out and discover new things in 2014. From booking options to new security measures, here are five things any vacationer should take advantage of to help make the journey just as enjoyable as the destination!

1. The Flight Experience If you travel a lot, you may be used to tuning out preflight announcements. But now there’s added reason to pay attention, you’ll likely be hearing good news about the use of electronics during your flight. During takeoff and landing, you can now use an e-reader, tablet or smartphone, as long as it’s in “airplane mode,” so it can’t receive or transmit data. And with the advent of new technology like phablets (smartphone-tablet hybrid), Google Glass, and smartwatches, it couldn’t be a better time to sync up in the air.

Additionally, domestic airlines are rushing to reconfigure their transcontinental cabins in an effort to lure high-paying passengers.

With the premiere of new premium cabins like JetBlue’s Mint in July, the passenger bar may just be rising to a new cruising altitude.

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2. The Security Gauntlet Don’t think that just because you’re not a frequent traveler with high status or a member of the Global Entry club that you’ll never enjoy the benefits of TSA Pre, which is a specially designated line in security where the lucky travelers don’t have to remove shoes or belts and they can keep their laptops and liquids in their bags. In other words: how it used to be. It’s still a random line and so you may be lucky one day and get picked.

And even if that doesn’t happen, the large number of travelers who are now being routed through this specific security point means your line just got shorter.

3. Destination Unplugged In our hyperconnected world, travel has become a popular way to break free of technology and strengthen family bonds. And certain destinations stand out for unplugged family and multigenerational vacations, places such as Costa Rica, which is home to the Tortuguero (“turtle catcher”) National Park and acres of vibrant flora and fauna.

Try thinking outside of the box for destinations as well, or rediscovering old ones. Big cities like Cape Town, Warsaw and Rio de Janeiro are all great places this year, but why not try something a little closer to home? Stateside attractions like the River Arts District in Asheville, N.C., and Union Market in Washington, D.C., are lively and walkable areas that offer great local artist shops and prime eating spots.

4. Creative Thinking Abroad Looking for that creative spark? Try to head for a place where the young, hip generation is taking it upon themselves to change the world, one store, restaurant, art gallery or record shop at a time. That’s where you’ll find the kind of local vibe treasured by experienced travelers.

And while you’re there, get a taste of the local fare. The underground supper club is coming into the light. A slew of websites are enabling home cooks, amateurs and professionals alike, to invite out-of-towners into their private dining rooms. Websites like EatWith, Feastly and Traveling Spoon are great places to take a bite out of when dining out on vacation.

5. The Happiness Factor The days of going online and simply searching for the cheapest flight are coming to an end. If you’re tired of being miserable in the air, try using sites like Hipmunk.com, which uses its “agony algorithm” to search flights based on a combination of factors.

Routehappy.com allows you to choose “happiness” by helping you check out features other than price for your flight, such as roomier seats, power adapters and seatback TVs. (c)2014 AARP Distributed by MCT Information Services

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

Sex Talk for Seniors a little tame

It could have been the provocative title: “Sex, Drugs & Rock & Roll.”

Or the advance warning: “This talk may make some people uncomfortable as it will be open and frank.”

Whatever the reason, more than 300 members of Senior Scholars of Queens packed a meeting room to hear Dr. Kevin Soden speak about human sexuality for the senior set, how it’s never too old to be interested in sex even if you have to “set your own standard for what is normal.”

(The over-55 group hosts weekly speakers in partnership with Queens University of Charlotte, N.C.) Soden is a onetime emergency physician at Carolinas Medical Center and former health reporter for WBTV who has worked with Dr. Mehmet Oz and hosts his own Emmy award-winning TV shows, “Healthline” and “Whole Body Health.”

As indicated by the title, Soden divided his talk into three parts. In addition to the “sex,” he talked about exercise as a way to “keep rocking and rolling,” and “drugs,” as in mostly the prescription type for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and depression.

On exercise: Get 30 minutes a day five days a week and incorporate strength training

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

to keep bones strong. “Walk your dog even if you don’t have one,” said Soden, who offers similar advice in videos at www. sharecare.com.

On drugs: The more you take, the more likely you’ll have side effects that could include drowsiness, confusion, memory loss, depression, incontinence, fatigue and muscle weakness, just to name a few.

“All of these things have the potential to interact with one another,” he said. Talk to your doctor about whether any medicine is really necessary, how to know if it’s working, and what the side effects are.

When Soden finally got to the “Sex” part of his hour-long talk, he acknowledged: “This is what you’re all here for.” He displayed a photograph of himself at an AARP convention chatting with “Dr. Ruth” Westheimer, the 85-year-old sex therapist widely known for plain-spoken advice.

Soden used humor to deflect nervousness by displaying cartoons depicting old people talking about sex. It worked. The audience laughed again and again.

“My sex life isn’t dead but the buzzards are circling.”

“You can have a healthy sex life into old

By Karen Garloch age, assuming you can stand the sight of people your age naked.”

(Couple in a bed divided by barbed wire) “Apparently I’ve done something to upset you.”

But despite the advance billing, Soden’s talk didn’t come close to explicit. The most direct words were about men. Penis size doesn’t change with age, he said, even though it might appear that way when viewed against an expanding belly. Also, aging causes men to lose the ability to have “psychogenic erections” that occur often in younger men who just think of something sexual or see someone who’s physically attractive.

Soden also talked about the increase in medicines, such as Viagra, that treat erectile dysfunction and the marketing of drugs for low testosterone. “I would be really careful,” he said. “Low testosterone levels are a normal fact of life as we age.”

Questions from the audience, even anonymous ones written beforehand, were more tame than Soden expected. He said one woman came up to him privately afterward to thank him for saying that it’s normal to have sex no matter how old you are. But in the public setting, it seemed everyone was more comfortable just keeping it light. (c)2014 McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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BOOMER & BEYOND HUMOR

LOL

Laugh Out Loud

Share some humor with BOOM! Send your jokes, cartoons, short stories, etc. to jim@RiverRegionBoom.com

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The Business Mini Directory

A Business Mini is a little fatter than your old business card and for a limited time we are offering a Business Mini to fit your budget. Fifty dollars will get your business message in front of thousands of people over 50 who have the money to buy stuff.

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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

“Working By The River” a joint endeavor of the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery encompasses a series of special events that will take place in downtown Wetumpka and throughout the River Region this summer.

The Smithsonian exhibition, “The Way We Worked,” has been the impetus and inspiration for a series of other events and exhibitions that will run concurrently.

The Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street will bring the exhibition entitled “The Way We Worked” to Wetumpka on May 23 for its final Alabama appearance. The exhibition, made possible in our community by the Alabama Humanities Foundation, will be shown in the Elmore County Museum located at 112 South Main Street through July 6. Hours for the “The Way We Worked” will be Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. “alabama at Work” and “dixie art Colony: a look at Its legacy” hours will be 10 am to 4 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays at the Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery in the City of Wetumpka Administrative Building located at 408 South Main Street. “dixie art Colony: a look at its legacy”: the retrospective exhibition will explore the life and work of famed Wetumpka artist Kelly Fitzpatrick who was a founder and

mainstay of the Dixie Art Colony on Lake Jordan. The Dixie Art Colony was a place for struggling artists to work, study and play during The Great Depression and into the 1940s. Fitzpatrick co-founded the DAC with Sallie Carmichael of Montgomery, the financial backer. Carmichael’s daughter Warree LeBron was among the artists who worked there, along with Arthur Stewart, Frank Applebee, Mildred Nungester Wolfe, Karl Wolfe, Louise Smith Everton and others. The exhibition will include loaned original artwork by many of these artists as well as storyboards, which will chronicle the history of the Colony and the life of Kelly Fitzpatrick. This is believed to be the first retrospective ever done on the Dixie Art Colony.

A project of the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery While “The Way We Worked” focuses on the history of work in the United States, “alabama at Work” will focus on the history of work in Alabama and specifically Elmore County. The exhibition will feature competitively chosen original artwork depicting the theme and a series of storyboards which will include the history of work in the 180 years of Wetumpka’s history.

Both “alabama at Work” and “dixie art Colony: a look at Its legacy” will also explore President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s depression era economic stimulus program the WPA Federal Art Project. Docent tours of “dixie art Colony: a look at Its legacy” and “alabama at Work” will be available to the public on Wednesdays from 10 am to 4 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm. “art Walk” in historic downtown Wetumpka will also be available for viewing at leisure. The works of art are copies of original work submitted by artists and placed in downtown storefront windows.

At the same time these exhibitions are in place an extensive calendar of special events is planned, including special tours available in Tallassee and Millbrook, a night of storytelling in Wetumpka and a series of outstanding lectures.

The Montgomery Museum of Fine Art will host a special showing of Kelly Fitzpatrick art from its collection.

A calendar of events will be available at: WorkingByTheriver.org.

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Lifetime Achievement Award Dr. Martha Poole Simmons Be The Change was the theme for the 2014 River Region Volunteer of the Year Celebration. The event was held on Thursday, April 10th when approximately 400 people gathered at Trinity Presbyterian Church to honor individuals and groups who take action and solve significant problems in their communities. The annual event, held during National Volunteer Week, is co-hosted by HandsOn River Region, and the Junior League of Montgomery.

The recipient of the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award is Dr. Martha Poole Simmons.

Through her unfailing support of the American Red Cross of Central Alabama, Dr. Simmons exemplifies the spirit of service. She does everything for the Red Cross: from driving the Emergency Response Vehicle in times of disaster to deploying to far flung locations to assist other regions. Each Wednesday she assists families at Baptist Medical Center South. She sits in the waiting room with families while their loved ones are undergoing surgeries. She helps them understand the process and serves as an understanding friend in a stressful time. Dr. Simmons also volunteers for First Methodist’s Angel Tree Project. Dr. Simmons has also donated her expertise to the Crump Senior Center. From grant writing to secure funding to organizing bridge games for the residents Dr. Simmons uses her talents and energies to better the lives of the residents. Mayor Strange wrote a moving letter in her support speaking of her selfless nature that has served as a catalyst in the community as a whole.

Nomination Description for Dr. Martha Poole Simmons Dr. Martha Poole Simmons has shown exceptional commitment, initiative, and leadership in serving our community. Her hands-on, direct service with the following agencies shows that her service is extraordinary.

She is very deserving to be the Lifetime Achievement Award. Martha’s work with the American Red Cross has included service with people in need at several disaster areas throughout the United States. She has served for the past seven years with the American Red Cross at hurricane, tornado, snowstorm, and flood sites where she has served food as well as worked with FEMA helping people complete their disaster applications. Many times she may have had only a few hours notice to leave for these disaster areas.

In these instances she never knew how long she would be deployed. During the Sandy Hurricane onslaught, she was on the East Coast for over three weeks where she spent many nights sleeping on the floor with no electricity or heat. None of this deters her from the desire to serve. Martha also offers classes about the Red Cross to various education organizations throughout Alabama.

Dr. Martha Poole Simmons and Carol Douberley

Martha was instrumental in helping get the Crump Senior Center moved to its new location. She has written several grants to use in improving the Center. Some of this grant money has resulted in a new, commercial size stove for the kitchen while other money created handicap assistance rails for the restrooms. Martha serves on the Crump Senior Center board. She also manages the Tuesday Afternoon Bridge program for the seniors. This program has grown to as many as fifth-two bridge players due to Martha’s organization and leadership.

At Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church Martha can be seen working on the Christmas Angel Tree project where she obtains and distributes the names of foster children and their Christmas wish list. She helps collect the gifts and distribute them to the children. Martha also helps with the Older Adult Ministry with activities where she helps with weekly set-ups for dinners as well as serves meals. For many years Martha has written articles and taken photographs for the church’s monthly newspaper. On the Great Day of Service that the church organizes, Martha offers her services to clean, paint and repair public areas throughout Montgomery.

On her own, Martha often visits those seniors hospitalized as well as makes home visits for those recovering from surgeries or illness. There have been times that she has been the intermediary between ill seniors and their families living great distances away from Montgomery. In some instances these people were not known by her, but she saw the need. All of her work is done quietly, never calling attention to herself.

There is never a day that she is not doing something for someone in need. She never ceases in her quest for the betterment of services provided in this area and, indeed, throughout the United States.

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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

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May 2014

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Featured Artists This Month, Shirley Esco and Jane Gillis Segrest KINDRED SPIRITS Gallery One Fine Art will host the opening of “Kindred Spirits” on May 8th from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Traditional and contemporary paintings create an interesting mix of beautiful work.

Shirley Esco joined Gallery One Fine Art the 1st day of May, 2007.

Esco says, “My work is considered representational and I paint with oil, acrylic and watercolor.

There is a certain feeling of freedom when using different medium. If asked about my favorite Shirley Esco subject, this is an easy question to answer, it is landscape. My strong southern roots run very deep. Clouds capture my imagination whether it is a reflection in the water or a brewing storm. I can sit for hours, soaking up the beauty of a peaceful lake scene or the rural view of miles of cotton fields on both sides of a dirt road.” The 20 plus landscape paintings in this show represent a wide variety of work. As an adult she took three years of Commercial Art at Auburn of Montgomery while working for Regions Bank. She says, “I have always loved the Lord and my church, Cain’s Chapel in Slapout, Alabama.

Retiring from Regions Bank was the beginning of the second half of my life.

My husband Dan was so supportive of me and my painting. Shortly after I retired, Dan was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He fought a heroic battle, but the cancer won. My faith in

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God, my family, many friends and my painting are my salvation. The last couple of years, I have traveled a lot and I feel this has greatly influenced my paintings.”

GALLERY ONE, INC.

Fine Art

presents

Shirley Esco & Jane Segrest RECEPTION: Thursday, MAY 8, 2014 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Shirley Esco Red Poppies 22x28 Acrylic on Canvas

Kindred Spirits

Jane Gillis Segrest joined Gallery One Fine 423 CLOVERDALE ROAD Art in the MONTGOMERY,ALABAMA 36106 TELEPHONE: 334.269.1114 Spring www.galleryonefineart.com of 2005.

Jane grew and several others. Segrest says, “I up in have learned that the more I can let Hartford, Alabama, she things go and rely on my instincts, the earned a B.S. Degree more delighted I am with the outcome in Home Economics in that is when the emotional connection 1963 at Montevallo. happens with the painting. Just the Although she now lives in process of painting can be the art itself Florida, she is an active and knowing when to stop is very and very supportive important. Trying new techniques, member of our gallery. Having, as well constantly experimenting as attending shows in with colors and materials, the gallery and with each painting seems to lead our philanthropic to new discoveries, which outreach projects, pushes me along the path to Segrest has become a the next. This is why I work very special member/ in series, so I can explore friend to Gallery One. these new ideas before Her abstract paintings moving to another subject. are direct, bold and Color, a lot of color, has spontaneous. Segrest remained a trademark of my says, “I enjoy working work as well as strong lines large, painting on and shapes.” both canvas and Jane Gillis Segrest watercolor paper with acrylic paint. I feel acrylics allow me to paint in both a fluid watercolor Visit Gallery One Fine Art style and achieve the appearance of 423 Cloverdale Road, Montgomery, AL Gallery Director Sandi Aplin oil paint with less drying time.” sandiaplin@aol.com Segrest is a signature member of 334.269.1114 the International Society of Acrylic www.galleryonefineart.com Painters, the Watercolor Society of Alabama, the Montgomery Art Guild Jane Segrest Great Expectations II 48x36 Acrylic on Canvas

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

By Sandi Aplin

Art & Soul

The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts’ Creator/Created Jerry Siegal Portraits and Artists from the Permanent Collection

I sincerely hope all our readers have had an opportunity to see the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts current exhibit featuring paintings Jerry Siegel from their collection partnered with Jerry Siegel’s collection of black and white photographs of each artist next to their painting. You can enjoy the work and read wonderful information about the paintings and the artists. The following information and more can be seen at the museum.

Over the past sixteen years, Jerry Siegel has turned his camera on a remarkable group of artists, from the little-known self-taughts to internationally recognized painters, photographers, quilters and sculptors.

of my experiences to become a visual statement and a non-ending search…

As the strata become more textured, the richness of my consciousness allows intuition to interact with intellect pushing deeper and wider. My interest is not just to play with the formal elements of abstract painting, but to transform my lifelong experiences into a journey on a canvas.”

Under the Umbrella by Clark Walker

Clark Walker’s painting, Under the Umbrella, illustrates individuals lost in thought. Walker was born in Selma, Alabama and now lives in Montgomery.

The lively vibrancy of Wagnon’s still life perfectly sums up his philosophy regarding his art; he states Creator/Created “Color is the actual subject of demonstrates not only my paintings, no matter what the rich holdings of the motif.” Born and raised Southern, and specifically in Montgomery, Alabama, Alabama artists’ John T. “Jake” Wagnon has works in the MMFA a background in advertising, Permanent Collection, publishing and worked as both but also the opportunity Long Ago and Far Away Beverly B. Erdreich an editor of a humor magazine to see artists more and an illustrator of editorial cartoons. clearly, through both their visages and their environments. Artists photographed by Siegel with works on view include: John Lapsley, Charlie Lucas, John Wagnon, Clark Walker, Crawford Gillis, Charles Shannon, Beverly B. Erdreich and many others.

The Lover was inspired

by Charles Shannon’s experience with rural black Southern Pearl Eggplants John T. “Jake” Wagnon culture. This subject closely relates Shannon’s work to the Regionalist and the Mexican muralist schools of painting that flourished in the 1930’s. Charles Shannon was born in Montgomery, Alabama, began his studies at Emory University and transferred to the Cleveland School of Art in 1932 he returned to Alabama. Once settled in, Shannon joined a group of like-minded artists in forming the New South School and Gallery in Montgomery.

There are many other artists and paintings The Lover by Charles Shannon displayed in this show, these are my favorites. This exhibit comprised of exceptional work will close June 1st.

Sandi Aplin, Director of Gallery One Fine Art A free lance writer living in Montgomery, Alabama www.galleryonefineart.com

I seem to gravitate to abstract paintings and so enjoyed seeing “Long Ago and Far Away” by Beverly B. Erdreich Long Ago and Far Away illustrates Erdreich’s lyrical painting style that explores the beauty and texture of paint. She states, “The paint transforms layers

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May 2014

{12 Things} for active boomers and beyond

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

be held Saturday May 17, 5:00-7:00pm, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, located at 8570 Vaughn Rd. The $15 plated meal or $8 Kibee sandwich plate will include traditional Middle Eastern foods prepared by local cooks. For more information contact CSS at 334-288-8890, Ext. 219.

The Cloverdale Playhouse presents A RAISIN IN THE SUN and CLYBOURNE PARK back to back. These two plays are often considered “companion pieces” and the Playhouse is thrilled to offer audiences the rare chance to see them together in its 2014 Season. A RAISIN IN THE SUN by Lorraine Hansberry runs May 1-4. CLYBOURNE PARK by Bruce Harris runs June 19-22 and 26-29. Tickets for both shows may be purchased together for a limited time: Buy a ticket for A RAISIN IN THE SUN and a CLYBOURNE PARK ticket for $30. This offer extends only through May 4. Regular price tickets for each show are $18/general admission. Box Office: (334) 262-1530 boxoffice@cloverdaleplayhouse.org or visit cloverdaleplayhouse.org

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

A RAISIN IN THE SUN and CLYBOURNE PARK The Cloverdale Playhouse May 1-4

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

Southern Makers Union Station Train Shed-Downtown Montgomery Saturday, May 3, 11 am to 5 pm After a wildly successful inaugural event in 2013, the one-day celebration of regional artists, farmers, chefs, purveyors and designers returns to present the “Best of Alabama” under one roof in downtown Montgomery. Bursting at the seams with more than 100 highly-talented makers, the event is co-curated and created by Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Matter, E.A.T. South and Southern Accents Architectural Antiques. All proceeds from the event benefit E.A.T. South, a non-profit organization that encourages healthy lifestyles through education and sustainable food production in urban areas throughout the Southeast. Tickets are expected to sell out in advance and are available for purchase online.

Tickets are $20 for General Admission and $10 for ages 10-15 (no charge for children under 10.) Guests are encouraged to bring cash for artist purchases at the Southern Makers Market and Silent Auction. For tickets, event details and a full list of makers, visit southernmakers.com

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

The 5thh annual Lebanese Food Festival Holy Spirit Catholic Church Saturday May 17, 5-7pm

Light Dreams II Festival in 3D UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center Thursday-Saturday, May 8-10, 8pm Join us for the second annual Light Dreams festival, a FREE celebration of art, music, dance, and light. This year, an even bigger team of Birmingham’s best artists will use UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center (ASC) as a canvas for their digitally projected artworks and large-scale light installations. The entire southern façade of the ASC building will once again be wrapped in fabric and transformed into a giant projection screen. With these innovative light projects – plus live music, interactive art exhibits, and your favorite local food trucks – Light Dreams is becoming one of Birmingham’s best arts and music festivals. 1200 Tenth Avenue South, Birmingham, AL. For more info visit uab.edu/lightdreams

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

The 2014 Cloverdale-Idlewild Spring Concert Series Sundays, May, 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th, 4pm - 7pm The 2014 Cloverdale-Idlewild Spring Concert Series starts Sunday, April 6th. This is the neighborhood’s most anticipated event of the year!

It is always fun and a great way to meet your neighbors and visit with friends! Everyone is welcome, so bring all your friends and family!!

Leashed dogs are also welcome, so bring your furry babies as well!! Hope to see y’all there!!! Cloverdale Bottom Park, Intersection of Cloverdale Road and Ponce de Leon Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36106. ADMISSION IS FREE! Bring your chairs or blankets (or both), coolers, snacks. Plan to sit under the beautiful oak trees in the park setting and enjoy the music. For more info visit the Facebook Page/Cloverdale-Idlewild-Association

The 5thh annual Lebanese Food Festival—dinner, ala carte sales, and silent auction—to benefit Catholic Social Services in Montgomery, will

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BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

PELHAM, ALABAMA

SuperJazz Big Band Concert is performed 4 times a year by 21 of Birmingham’s top professional Jazz Musicians - 5 Saxes, 5 Trombones, 5 Trumpets, a Rhythm section, and an unending stream of musical ideas. Selections covering various styles, from the big-band era to modern jazz compositions. Admission is $5.

Located at 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209

Two well-known American rock bands will take the stage at Pelham’s Oak Mountain Amphitheater. Journey has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide and earned 19 Top 40 singles and 25 gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums since its formation in 1973 in San Francisco.

The Steve Miller Band has sold more than 30 million record in a career spanning more than 40 years. Oak Mountain Amphitheater, 1000 Amphitheatre Dr., Pelham, AL 35124. For more info visit livenation. com.

SuperJazz Bib Band Concert Brock Recital Hall - Samford University Sunday, May 11th, 3-435 pm

MILLBROOK, ALABAMA

Go Reptile Rendezous & Fauna Photography Workshop Alabama Nature Center Saturday, May 17, 8-6pm Enjoy Reptile Rendezvous, the Alabama Nature Center’s special, one-day event from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Get up close and personal with the reptiles of Alabama starting at 10 a.m. Come find out more about misunderstood reptiles and get a glimpse of over 20 different kinds of snakes. The afternoon is sure to be a treat as Herpetologist Mark Bailey presents a program on frogs, salamanders, turtles and more. He may even have a few surprises up his sleeve, like spring peepers and a stinkpot. Take part in a photography workshop specific to fauna. Rick Dowling will share tips for creating successful fauna photography. You will have the opportunity to try your own hand at photography. Located at 3050 Lanark Rd, Millbrook, AL 36054. For more info visit alabamawildlife.org or you can call 334.285.4550.

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

River Jam Music Festival-Downton Montgomery Train Shed/Riverfront Amphitheater Friday, May 16th, 6pm, Saturday May 17th, 4:30pm Friday’s location is Union Station Train Shed, 6 pm. Local performing artists scheduled to perform Include: Wish Bone, Souled Out, Brandon Self and the Outlaw Revival, Free Admission! Saturday’s location is location is Riverfront Amphitheater starting at 4:30 pm.

Artists Schedule to Perform: Rosco Bandana, AJ Ghent, Reggie Hines, and headliner Chuck Leavell. Free Admission! For more info visit funinmontgomery.com.

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA Brewfest-Downtown Montgomery Riverfront Park Saturday, May 17th, 3 pm

Located in the beautiful Riverfront Park, in Downtown Montgomery. The second annual Brewfest will feature a large selection of Craft, Specialty and Seasonal brews from Local, Regional and National Breweries. Gates open at 3 pm and the tasting begins at 3:15 pm. Tickets are $20/Person & Includes a Commemorative Tasting Glass. Must be 21 or Older to Purchase Tickets. For more info visit funinmontgomery.com

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

Journey/Steve Miller Band Oak Mountain Amphitheatre Tuesday, May 27th, 6:45 pm

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

James Gregory, Comedian MPAC-Montgomery Performing Arts Center Saturday, May 31st at 7:30 pm For over two decades, the unforgettable caricature of veteran comedian James Gregory has stood grinning: his shirt untucked, his arms outstretched, a carefree welcome to a down-home, hilarious comedy experience. It’s storytelling at its best.

The trademark caricature is the essence of James Gregory’s comedy: rib-tickling reflections on life from the front porch. James is heard weekly on syndicated radio shows such as Rick & Bubba, John Boy & Billy and Bob & Tom. Combined, these shows are broadcast to people in over 220 cities nationwide. For more information visit mpaconline.org/event

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA Great White Shark McWane Science Center Runs through May 31st

Great White Shark concludes the oceanic trilogy begun by Wild Ocean and The Last Reef and brings natures greatest predator to the IMAX giant screen as never before.

Misrepresented, maligned and misunderstood, the Great White Shark is an iconic predator: the creature we love to fear. Great White Shark explores the Great White’s place in our imaginations, in our fears, and in the reality of its role at the top of the oceanic food chain. Shot on location in South Africa, New Zealand, Mexico and California, the film looks to find the truth behind the mythic creature forever stigmatized by its portrayal in the world’s first blockbuster movie, JAWS. Experience Great White Shark on the 5-story tall dome screen where high-intensity images are delivered in surround-sound by almost three tons of speakers and subwoofers. 200 19th St N, Birmingham. For more info visit mcwane.org It ’s a Great Time to Be Booming!

Please submit any events/pictures to jim@riverregionboom.com

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By Greg Budell

The Mayor of BOOMTOWN

HAS IT REALLY BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE MY FIRST COMPUTER? I am an Anniversaholic and can find occasions to celebrate every month of the year. My ability to remember events and occasions from decades gone by is uncannyright down to the exact date. Don’t ask me what I said on the radio this morning, but on May 4, 1994 I know I was unpacking my first home computer.

What a thrill!

Slightly heavier in those days (and about 8k in today’s $), it was like lifting a large tombstone out of the car trunk and carrying it to my desk. I immediately learned what computer “crash” meant as the right front desk leg buckled sending 400 pounds of HP sliding to the floor.

After duct-taping the desk leg at the knee, I began the assembly process. As a male, I obliged my DNA by setting the Tolstoy-sized instruction manual aside to figure things out my way.

A month later, with numerous plastic bags scattered about, colorful chords draped over furniture arm rests, and enough packing popcorn to stock a Styrofoam Cineplex, I called my friend Bruce to help me finish the job. He actually knew about these things.

Within several hours, I was playing Solitaire.

Lots of Solitaire. Entire afternoons and weekends would come and go during some of these marathons. When I figured out how to change the design of the playing cards, I felt like I’d channeled the genius of Robert Oppenheimer.

Anderson-Muncie market near Indianapolis.

This fulfilled my lifelong ambition to broadcast to livestock and gulp deep breaths of alfalfa spores - an experience every radio jock lusts for.

Problem was, I’d left a woman behind.

We’ll identify her only as “Peas” (Women can be classified under three nickname categories, Animals: Bunny, Bear; Tasty Stuff: Honey, Sugar; and Vegetables: Sweet Pea, Squash-face).

Suddenly, Peas and I are 1000 miles apart. We’re on the phone one night and she talked me through the process of going on line, and writing an e-mail. As one who likes to express his love with a flourish, I loved the idea I could decompose a long letter filled with lust and insecurity and have her receive it seconds later.

On February 28, 1999, I sent my first e-mail.

It still amazes me (e-mail, and the fact that I remember the date I sent my first).

Shortly after, I learned what “search” meant - that you could write a couple words on any subject into that browser thing and it would come up with web sites featuring the subject you entered. That was March 29, 2000, but you’ll never know what I typed in (blushing).

Eventually I learned how to use my HP to write, and began making money free-lancing commercial copy and other presentations.

Within a year or two, I recouped the 4,322 dollar cost of the machine.

Now it is 20 years hence and I am on laptop #3. It makes asthma-like noises but its powers remain beyond my comprehension.

That I can write this column, store it, and send it without using wires or even an electrical outlet is mind boggling - especially for a guy who began his writing career on a Tom Thumb typewriter (Christmas Day, 1960).

Do you remember your first e-mail? I had taken a radio job in the extinguished

Oh, I still do 3 radio shows every day. How amazing that computers allow people to tune in to me all over the world. In fact, my online audience in South Florida is bigger

From 1994 to 99, I’d seen and heard about the World Wide Web and “on-line” but had no idea what any of it meant. Heartbreak taught me how to e-mail.

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All this technology led to a new part time job - Facebook.

than some of the shows actually being broadcast there.

I don’t remember how I got started with Facebook. I just sort of found it. Ask me at the nursing home in 30 years. All I know, it has become to me today, what Solitaire was 20 years ago - addicting fun and a chance to remain friends with people without ever actually having to bother seeing them in person!

Facebook has many functions. I’ve posted pictures from the South Florida radio career I blew up and photos that show how handsome I used to be. It allows people to stalk your every move without having to hide in your bushes or rummage your trash.

I love it!

When I first used AOL’s Instant Messenger service, my self esteem would rise and fall with the number of “buddies” on my list.

The higher it got, the better I felt. Then I realized how stupid it was to be typing out everything I wanted to say when it was far more convenient to do that on another amazing piece of technology, the telephone.

Today, IM is only used for communicating with my daughter (who says nothing on the phone but writes essays on IM) and Joey Clark, my talk show producer. He is 3 feet away during the show but IM allows me to communicate silently while callers are talking.

Once I hit the 5000 friend mark on Facebook, the thrill of the chase subsided and it’s now a simple tool. I use it far more for work than personal stuff.

Anyway, most of the people I reconnected with soon reminded me why I disconnected with them in the first place and those friendships are once again dormant.

I will now close this column down and email it to Jim Watson at BOOM! The girl who taught me how to email is long gone but in honor of 20 years using computers I’d like to dedicate this essay to her.

She’d be “peased” I remembered.

Greg Budell lives in Montgomery with his dog Hershey. He’s a 25 year veteran of radio who hosts the Greg & Susan morning show 6-9 am and Happy Hour 3-6 pm on NEWSTALK 93.1, Greg can be reached at gregbudell@aol.com

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine

R i ve r Re g i o n B o o m . co m

May 2014

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Third time’s the charm!

It

. take d e t s t hr te c o r p e e do s lly u f es of the e b H P V vacc ine to HPV causes cervical cancer and many other cancers in men and women.

The HPV vaccine is recommended for boys and girls at age 11-12 to prevent cancers and diseases later in life. For those not yet vaccinated, the vaccine is recommended through age 21 for boys and age 26 for girls.

The ADPH encourages you to pair the first dose of the HPV vaccine with the required 6th grade vaccinations (TDAP/Meningococcal) The vaccine is available at ALL County Health Departments at little or no cost to children ages 9 to 18.

Dependents up to age 26 may be covered by their parents’ insurance.

Get in the loop and learn about the HP V vaccine! /CANCERCONTROL

facebook.com/ALCompCancerCoalition