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September 2015
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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
R ive r Re gio n Bo o m . co m
September 2015
BOOM!
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September 2015
RiverRegionBoom.com
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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Bring the pain. 5
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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
BOOM!, The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
Contents
September 2015
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Carl Bard
Volume 6 Issue 2
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 8 Publisher’s Letter 10 The Benefits of Resistance Training for People with Lifestyle Diseases Leigh Anne Richards 11 Riverwalk Wine Festival WIN TICKETS! 12 Stairways and Elevators with Brandt McDonald 14 Wine Smart: The Nose Knows
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Features
30 Bareback Riding @55
Jed McKinlay can’t shake his love for the cowboy culture.
Departments 14 This and That
Now You’re “In the Know”
16 Eliminate Double Chin
34 Finger Lakes
Bucket List Adventure with Kathy Witt
44 {12} Things
Solutions for Bored Boomers
46 Grandparent Lessons I Learned How to be a Grandparent from a granddaughter.
18 BOOM! Cover Profile 22 Modern Mavens of Murder Mystery Novels 24 Beauty Buzz From RRFP
38 Greg Budell
26 Eating Smart with Tracy Bhalla: TEA!
JIMMY FORTE, A CUT ABOVE...
27 What Are the Lessons People Often Learn Too Late in Life?
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COVER PROFILE page 18
28 4 Things You Don’t Know About Estate Planning Ask an Elder Law Attorney
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41 37
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32 Don’t Let Hearing Loss Work Against You 37 Gallery One Hosts 10th Art of Philanthropy Reception 41 Ask Nancy: How do we get Mom to comply with what the doctors prescribe?
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BOOM! The River Regions 50+ Lifestage Magazine is published monthly by River Region Publications, 6398 Eastwood Glen Pl., Montgomery, AL 36117. The phone number is 334.324.3472. Copyright 2015 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.
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September 2015
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Publisher’s Letter
Vote...Again Not that long ago my wife and I were at home relaxing and her son Ian called to see if he could come by and talk with us. Sure. What he shared with us was his desire to run for Montgomery City Council representing District 2. Out of the blue my step son wanted to be a politician, we were surprised and somewhat skeptical of his new aspiration but as parents, we were all in.
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, 334.324.3472 jim@riverregionboom.com
Associate Editor Kelly Watson
kelly@riverregionboom.com
Contributing Writers Sandi Aplin Jay Bazinotti Tracy Bhalla Michael Briddell Greg Budell
Erica Curless Deirdre Donahue Kellie Hampton Brandt McDonald Leigh Anne Richards Katie Slade Brittany Spahr Nancy Stein Raley L. Wiggins Kathy Witt
Cover Photography Kim Bethea Total Image Portraits www.totalimage.com 334.261.2080
In the past month Ian has worked as hard as possible to win the voter’s approval in District 2. He had a team of volunteers, including his mother, walking the streets and knocking on doors to ask for votes for Ian. As it turns out Ian got 1,187 votes! It was enough for second place and a runoff election on October 6th. We hosted Jim Watson, Publisher a celebration “fish fry” on election night for his campaign supporters. It was an exciting evening for all of us, but what struck me most was the enthusiasm all of these young people had for Ian and getting him elected. He is a dynamic young professional and his supporters believe in him and the future of Montgomery. So if you live in District 2 (not sure...visit ianmaloy.com) I would appreciate your vote for Ian Maloy, he’s part of the new generation of Montgomery leaders. Speaking of Montgomery leaders, we reached out to one of the city’s finest for our Cover Profile this month. Michael Briddell works with Mayor Strange as the Director of Public Information and External Affairs and helps the Mayor communicate the positive aspects of Montgomery. Some of you will remember Michael as a reporter and news anchor for WSFA as well as an assistant to former Mayor Bobby Bright. In our football crazed state, Michael is probably the biggest “Track & Field” fan anyone could meet. And he still competes! I hope you’ll take a few minutes and read his story, you’ll enjoy getting to know him. As usual there are plenty more good reads in this month’s issue. If you have a lifestyle disease Leigh Anne Richards shares the importance of resistance exercises to help you gain strength. Brandt McDonald helps you gain some perspective on the recent financial ups and downs. Greg Budell shares his heart about an old friend’s passing. We also have a unique Bucket List Adventure, a story about a 55 year old “Bareback Rider”, and the lessons a granddaughter learned from her grandparents. As you have come to expect, there’s plenty more to enjoy in the River Region’s best reading experience for the 50+ community! With Labor Day straight ahead be sure and buy plenty of those BBQ goodies from the 67th Annual Labor Day Greek BBQ located at the Greek Orthodox Church, 1721 Mt. Meigs Road in Montgomery. The sale begins at 9 am on Monday September 7th...Enjoy! Thanks again for being part of our BOOM! Community and allowing us to share stories with you.
Jim
Advertising
jim@riverregionboom.com 334.324.3472 cell/text
Jim Watson, 334.324.3472 jim@riverregionboom.com
Design & Layout Lake House Graphics
Distribution
Network Delivery
Printing Publications Press, Montgomery, AL 334.244.0436 publicationspress.com
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September 2015
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The Benefits of Resistance Training for People with Lifestyle Diseases
Resistance training is not just for athletes, body builders, or “gym rats.” Many people still view resistance training as an activity used just to build muscle and bulk up for sports performance. In reality, resistance training can benefit individuals with lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and joint and bone problems. Once a physician clears a person with any of these diseases to strength train one can see an improvement in overall health and management of current disease symptoms. A person with a disease or disability will benefit from resistance training just like a healthy individual would. Although once thought to be too dangerous for patients with cardiovascular disease, resistance training has been found to be helpful in the recovery process. Resistance training has not been studied as much as aerobic activities concerning cardiovascular disease. However research has shown that moderate resistance training (2-3 times per week with 8-10 exercises while performing 10-15 repetitions) is safe and effective for most patients. Resistance training exercises have become commonplace in your cardiac rehab settings. Low to moderate intensity training has the potential to help those currently fighting cardiovascular disease by improving functionality and psychological state and reducing body fat percentage and blood pressure. In one large scale study, a 23% reduction in cardiovascular disease was reported for men who participated in resistance training exercises for a minimum of 30 minutes per week. High blood pressure (hypertension) affects about one in every three adults. In years past, people with high blood pressure were told not to strength train. Resistance training programs ranging
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from 6 to 30 weeks have been found sufficient for lowering blood pressure in patients diagnosed with hypertension. A number of studies have shown that 75% of the subjects were able to lower their blood pressure through exercise. Many of the studies consisted of weight training alone or weight training in combination with aerobic training also.
Fitness over Fifty by Leigh Anne Richards
The United States has seen an epidemic rise in the prevalence of adult onset diabetes (Type II). Research has shown over and over that maintaining moderate levels of physical activity is one important component in regulating this disease. Excessive weight is a risk factor for Type II Diabetes. Experts examining the evidence concluded that moderate resistance training has been shown to decrease weight and simultaneously increase insulin sensitivity in subjects diagnosed with the disease. Moderate levels of both aerobic and anaerobic exercise reduce waist circumference and lower glycosylated hemoglobin levels, indicating better control of blood glucose levels. Because muscle can account for more than 80% of the disposal of oral glucose, a weight loss strategy that includes the development of muscle mass should be preferred to one that only aims at losing fat. Although bone and joint disorders are not life threatening like heart disease or diabetes, many older adults suffer from these disorders. Our common sense tells us that when people suffer from these bone of joint disorders they feel pain so they do not exercise, thus, increasing the risk for heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Musculoskeletal disorders, such
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as arthritis and back pain, cause more cases of physical disability than any other single disorder. It may seem as though it makes no sense to strength train when your joints ache, but applying resistance against weights or gravity or even elastic bands can be “good” for hurting joints. The examination of the literature reveals that resistance training is an effective therapeutic instrument for managing pain and discomfort associated with arthritis and osteoporosis. The benefits may be derived from the psychological boost that comes from exercise. Also, the body has the ability to better disperse stress because of more muscle mass and to better lubricate joints because of movements that improve the range of motion. With very few exceptions, almost anybody can derive some benefits from resistance training, including individuals with common lifestyle diseases and disorders. Potentially, all of the health problems discussed in this article can be affected positively by regular resistance training. Skeletal muscle is active tissue and of course, plays an important role in locomotion as well as being metabolically active. This decreases the risk of numerous health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and frailty. As always, consult your physician before embarking on a strength training program if you have any of the diseases mentioned. The information presented hopefully will convince people that resistance training can be safe and effective for most everyone.
Reference “The Value of Resistance Training for Individuals with Common Lifestyle Diseases, Hill, Kory, Ph.D, ACSM Health and Fitness Journal, March/April 2015, Vol 19, pp9-13. Leigh Anne Richards, MEd, Certified Personal Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor, General ManagerMetroFitness. For any questions or comments, contact Leigh Anne at LAMetrofit@aol.com
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Stairways and Elevators Recently, I visited a little known city called New Philadelphia, Ohio. You see, my oldest son was working up there for a theater company call “Trumpet in the Land.” I had no idea about the rich history that exists in that neck of the woods. I discovered a powerful story that took place in New Philadelphia, and more specifically, Schoenbrunn, Ohio’s very first settlement. It was here that a peaceful, Christian community of settlors got caught in the middle of a quagmire we all refer to as the revolutionary war. Unfortunately, nearly the entire settlement was slaughtered because they refused to pick sides. Nonetheless, a few who survived picked up the pieces and rebuilt. In many ways, their inspiration is what led to the State we all know as Ohio. Faced with adversity they remained in their long-term vision, stayed true to their core beliefs and ultimately achieved their goals. Their personal resolve to overcome is still impacting generations of people who followed after them. The day after the final performance, my son and I loaded up his car for the long journey back to Montgomery. As I drove the 13 hour trek, while he slept I might add, I had a lot of “windshield time” to think about life and the challenges that we all face. Fortunately, in spite of what might seem like tough times, at least we don’t have anyone storming into our homes slaughtering our friends and family with reckless abandon. In other words, no matter what life throws at us, it could always be worse. In recent weeks, we have all witnessed the extreme market volatility that came as a result of a massive slowdown in China. For most of you who follow my writings or my commentary on Greg Budell’s radio show and my “Making Cents” segment on “the Time of Your Life”, you will recall that I have had a high degree of concern about economic conditions in China. It all started several months back when I began to notice that credit conditions were getting worse in their local economy. And, as I always say, credit leads equities, every time!! And then, on August 9th, China abruptly
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announced that they were going to devalue the Yuan (their local currency) relative to the US dollar by two percent. By most accounts it came across as them announcing to the world that they were in a state of emergency. Thus began the beginning of rapid market fluctuations around the globe. This also came on the heels of what I would consider a very disappointing second quarter earnings season. Most CEO’s of the large multinationals spent a great deal of with time highlighting the Brandt McDonald weakness they were seeing in their end markets overseas – primarily in Asia (China). Add it all up and you have a recipe for the long anticipated correction in the U.S. stock market. And, yes, it is a correction and NOT a crash. I realize the 2008-2009 time frame hasn’t been forgotten by any of us. However, recent events are NOT anything like what took place then. In my opinion, this is a story about a global economic slowdown, not a credit crisis or a financial crisis.
Financial Thoughts
In times like these it’s important to understand what you own and why you own it. This has always been my motto. And, if you really don’t quite understand it, then it’s time to get a review of your investment holdings. All of us here at McDonald, Barranco, and Hagen take enormous pride in our wealth management process. We work hard every day to make sure our clients understand what they own and how it fits into their long term plan. And, it’s gratifying to know that when tough times come to the financial markets, we have a well-thought out plan in place that is built to contemplate market volatility. We understand our client’s objectives, their vision and the legacy they wish to leave their children and grandchildren. Long-term investing is like climbing a flight of stairs. It can be long, hard work. Sometimes, when you make it to the 50th floor, you get suckered into taking the elevator, only to find out that you just
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went ten stories down and not up. You get off the elevator and start climbing the stairs again. Long-term progress in an investment plan is like climbing the stairs. And, when corrections come along it feels like the market took the elevator straight down. Any good investment plan requires a solid template, a longterm vision, and clearly stated goals and objectives. There is no easy route, except to keep climbing – slow and steady wins the race. No matter what your situation in life, never let the hard times get you down. Cast aside the anxiety and hold firm to your core vision and beliefs. Never forget that IT CAN ALWAYS BE WORSE. And, certainly, never let something like a market correction hold you gripped in fear. Real fear is something that the people of Schoenbrunn are more than happy to explain. If you don’t believe me, go up there and watch the production of The Trumpet in the Land. Like me, I’m sure you’ll come away with a whole new outlook. Lastly, football season begins this week. Who’s got time to worry about the market? HAHA. As I always say, until next time, remember to never run with the herd, always be thankful, and look to the future with anticipation of what’s yet to come. Brandt McDonald, Managing Partner McDonald, Barranco & Hagen Wealth Management LPL Branch Manager MBCapitalWealth.com Direct comments and questions to bailey.worrell@lpl.com or 334.387.0094
Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. The opinions expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of LPL Financial.
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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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This & tHAT The Nose Knows Have you ever gone to a wine tasting and when asked about the wine’s aroma, said, “It smells like, well, …grapes?” If so, maybe you need to teach your nose a thing or two. An aroma kit can help by refining your sense of smell. You can buy a premade kit. Wine Awakenings, for example, sells various 12-aroma kits for $159 per kit. The company sells kits for reds and whites, and most recently, even one for icewine.You can also make one at home yourself for a fraction of the cost.If you want to go the home-schooling route, here’s how:Grab an inexpensive, neutral bottle of white and red. Pinot grigio would be okay for the white choice, and merlot would work fine for the red.Line up several glasses (one for each aroma want to create) making sure to label each with tape or a sticker. Pour a couple of ounces of wine into each glass. Add one of any number of ingredients to each, and let them all sit for an hour. Remove the solids and then start sniffing and comparing. What’s the craziest word you’ve used to describe a wine you tasted or smelled? For more information visit wineawakenings.com
Red Aromas • A couple of ripe or frozen strawberries • A teaspoon of strawberry jam • A couple of ripe cherries • Crushed mint • A piece of licorice • A drop of vanilla extract • A pinch of tobacco • Freshly ground pepper • Shaved chocolate or powered cocoa • A sprinkle of ground coffee White Aromas • Lemon peel and juice • Grapefruit peel and juice • Pineapple juice • A slice of ripe melon • A slice of ripe peach • A slice of ripe pear • A few blades of grass • A teaspoon of honey • A drop of vanilla extract • Grated nutmeg • A chunk of caramel • Liquid smoke (to identify oak)
Tickled Pink Women’s Expo To kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Alabama News Network is teaming up with the Joy to Life Foundation in the first Tickled Pink Woman’s Expo on October 1 at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl from 11am – 7pm. The event will feature vendors fit for a queen. Whether you’re into fashion, health, beauty or fitness, there is plenty to see and do! Tickets go on sale Aug. 1 and will be $10 at the door or $7 online. Visit alabamanews.net to purchase your tickets online today! We’re excited to add that Jess Meuse, singer, songwriter and American Idol star, will be in concert at the Tickled Pink event along with a visit from Meg McGuffin, Miss Alabama 2015! Join the event on Facebook! All ticket sales will benefit the Joy to Life Foundation and will help provide free mammograms to medically under-served women and men throughout Alabama.
FREE Estate Planning and Asset Protection Workshop August 26th Wednesday, September 23: Hosted by Red Oak Legal, PC: 1:30 - 3:30 pm at the Archibald Senior Center (MACOA) in Montgomery. This educational workshop presented by local attorney Raley L. Wiggins covers wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance directives, living wills, probate administration, protecting assets from creditors, bankruptcy, divorce and remarriage, nursing homes, long-term care and Medicaid qualification. Registration is required. Call 334.625.6774 today to reserve your seat or register online at www.redoaklegalpc.com.
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Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Introduces Two Exhibitions for the Fall William Christenberry is best known for his work in photography and sculpture, but he continually employed drawing to reveal the spirit of his ancestral home and touchstone, Hale County, Alabama. This exhibition brings to light the stunning wealth of these drawings, many previously unseen, from the very beginning of Christenberry’s career in the late 1950s through 2010. Journey Through the Collection: Docent Choices is an exciting first for the MMFA. Museum docents have organized their first exhibition. The docents’ goal is to demonstrate how they use art to teach a variety of subjects William Christenberry (American, born 1936), Palmist Hand, 1991-1996, mixed media on paper, Collection of the John and in our galleries, and their choices represent an exploration Maxine Belger Family Foundation, Kansas City, Missouri of the permanent collection. The exhibition is divided into five categories: Remembering the Past, How Do They Do It?, A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words, Isms Max Weber (American, 1881-1961), View of Roslyn, New and Styles, and Echoes of the South. The exhibitions will be on view through November 1. York, ca. 1922-1925, oil on canvas, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of the Ida Belle Young Art Acquisition Fund For more info visit mmfa.org
Auburn, Auburn Montgomery Schools of Nursing Blue Jean Ball ‘Under the Stars’ The Blue Jean Ball, the annual fundraiser for the Auburn University and Auburn Montgomery Schools of Nursing, will be held “Under the Stars” at Coach Pat Dye’s Crooked Oaks Hunting Lodge in Notasulga, Alabama, on Friday, Oct. 2. The rustic and secluded confines of Dye’s property provide the perfect refuge for a laid-back evening under the stars. Now in its 15th year, the Blue Jean Ball always attracts hundreds of friends, faculty and students for a casual party to benefit students, faculty and programming initiatives in the Schools of Nursing. Starting at 5 pm, Conecuh Sausage will be served, Haflinger-drawn and mule-drawn wagon rides, tours of Dye’s home and lodge, will be offered. Silent auction will continue until 7:30 pm and local author Camille Foshee-Mason will sign copies of her book, “Duty Shoes: A Nurse’s Memoir.” Dinner with all the fixin’s from Moe’s Original BBQ will be served from 6-8 pm The Auburn Astronomical Society will lead a star viewing at 8 pm The live auction, emceed by Dye and Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl, will begin at 8:30 p.m. Kidd Blue will provide musical entertainment during dinner and following the live auction. As always, guests are encouraged to don their favorite Western wear. Individual tickets are available for $125 each. Sponsorships start at $1,200 for a table for eight guests. Reservations must be made in advance. For more information or to order tickets, go to auburn.edu/bluejeanball or call 334.844.7390.
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This & tHAT
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KYBELLA™, the First and Only Injectable Drug for Your, or Double Chin KYBELLA™ deoxycholic acid) injection, the first and only FDA-approved injectable drug available that contours and improves the appearance of moderate to severe submental fullness, sometimes referred to as a “double chin,” is now available in Montgomery. Submental fullness is a common, yet under-treated aesthetic condition that is often resistant to diet and exercise alone and influenced by several factors, including aging, genetics and weight gain. “We are excited to be the first facial plastic surgery office in the River Region to be able to offer KYBELLA™ to patients. We have been trained on the proper technique for administering the treatment for the safety of our patients,” said Michael Bowman, MD, and Thomas Cawthon, MD, Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeons. Both Dr. Bowman and Dr. Cawthon are Allergan Platinum Plus injectors, which means they are in the top 5% of all injectors in the nation. Each in-office treatment session with KYBELLA™ is typically 15-20 minutes. When injected into subcutaneous fat, KYBELLA™ causes the destruction of fat cells. Once destroyed, those cells cannot store or accumulate fat. After the aesthetic response is achieved with KYBELLA™, re-treatment is not expected. “We feel like this treatment is a game changer,” said Dr. Bowman. “Unlike other treatments that have to be re-administered in a few months, KYBELLA™ destroys fat and it doesn’t come back,” said Dr. Cawthon. With this nonsurgical treatment, many patients experience visible results in two to four treatment sessions spaced at least one month apart. Up to six treatments may be administered. Treatment with KYBELLA™ is customized by River Region Facial Plastics to the patient’s aesthetic goals for an improved chin profile. To learn more, please visit RiverRegionFacialPlastics.com or mykybella.com.
Pike Road Natural Trail In addition to offering residents a safe, convenient place to exercise and experience the beautiful natural surroundings of the area, the Pike Road Natural Trail is the network that will connect the town’s neighborhoods and future recreational sites. Funded by a Transportation Enhancement Grant from the Federal Highway Administration, the first phase of the trail system is designed to accommodate walkers, runners and off-road bicyclists. The trail system will be constructed in phases and will include strategically located “trailheads” with parking areas. Phase I of the Pike Road Natural Trail runs alongside Meriwether Road between U.S. Highway 231 and Pike Road, with a trailhead at each end. Trailhead 1 of the Pike Road Natural Trail is located on the southern side of Meriwether Road, between Barnes Road and U.S. Highway 231. It includes parking, a covered picnic pavilion with charcoal grill, tables and lighting, and a restroom facility. The trailhead faclity is ADA accessible. Trailhead 2 is located near the Old Town Hall site at the corner of Meriwether and Pike Roads. An accessible restroom facility and pavilion are planned for the location. For more information visit pikeroad.us/pike-road-natural-trail
Is It Time To Get Back on That Bike? Montgomery Multisport is encouraging bike rides every Thursday with their Group Bike Rides. They begin at 6 pm from Montgomery Multisport. If you have questions about your bike or getting a bike for the ride, give them a call, 334.356.7271. Because they also want to get you off the couch and in shape they will be starting their Couch to 5k Program on September 14th. These are group runs starting at their location in Pepper Tree Shopping Center located at 8107 Vaughn Rd. For more info visit montgomerymultisport.com
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Titus Bluegrass Festival The toe-tappin’ will begin Saturday, September 26th, as down-home music will kick-off the 15th annual Titus Bluegrass Festival, which will feature regional as well as local talent. Family-oriented fun and entertainment will be the order of the day as banjos, mandolins, and guitars take center stage. Visitors will be entertained by several bluegrass bands, and also have a chance to browse arts and crafts booths and purchase some of the best barbeque around. Sponsored by the Titus Community Center and the Titus Volunteer Fire Department, the family event features a schedule of continuous music that runs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Headlining the event will be Prattville’s Glory Band, Solid Blue, out of Huntsville, Magnolia Drive from Hattisburg, and Cullman’s Baily Mountain Band. All the bands are family oriented, and enjoy meeting their fans. Held on the lawn of the Titus Community Center (bring lawn chairs for outside seating), children’s activities will be available and barbeque and beverages can be purchased. Booths are available for $20 each and each vendor will receive entry to the festival. Exhibitors of all types of crafts are encouraged to apply. Admission is $5 for age 12 and over, and free to children. Grab a lawn chair and head to the Titus Community Center located approximately 10 miles north of Wetumpka on Highway 231, then six miles north on County Road 29. For more information, email titusbluegrassfestival@gmail.com, or like our us at facebook.com/pages/Titus-Bluegrass-Festival
The Renaissance Spirit Group: An Adult Day Group for Alzheimer’s Patients Responding to the needs of the community for more Alzheimer’s Day Programs, AERS, Inc. has teamed up with John Knox and Frazer UMC to start an adult renaissance day group in our community. This one day a week program will be offered at no charge to early to middle stage Alzheimer’s patients each Thursday from 10 am - 2 pm at Frazer UMC, 6000 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery. For more information or to register a loved one for this program contact: Nancy McLain, 334.233.2139, Office: 334.649.2205 or visit us online at AlzheimersERS.org
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BOOM! COVER PROFILE
Michael Briddell, All American Running Man This month’s BOOM! Cover Profile is Michael Briddell. Michael has been a part of the Montgomery community for the past 16 years and he has made a contribution. First he was a news anchor and reporter for WSFA and then began working for the City of Montgomery, first with former Mayor Bobby Bright and since 2009, our current and recently re-elected Mayor, Todd Strange. In his role as Director of Public Information and External Affairs he promotes the positive image of Montgomery. In other words, he tries to make us all proud of living in the “Capital of Dreams” and it looks like he’s doing a good job of it. Michael is also the person Mayor Strange has appointed to help Montgomery become a healthier city because there were surveys done over a year ago that showed Montgomery had a high obesity rate. Michael is the guy for that job because he is an active runner/ sprinter and a very health conscious “young man” who is now in his 50’s...a healthy role model for the rest of us for sure! We recently sat down with Michael at the new Park Crossing HS track and unlike most of us, he’s still training for the next event! We admire his desire to keep using a stop watch to measure his time, while many of us have stopped running the race. We hope you enjoy getting to know Michael as much as we have. 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? Michael: I grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – the city with the Liberty Bell, cheesesteaks and sports fanatics so unruly that one sports stadium had its own jail and courtroom for misbehaving fans! I graduated from the country’s second oldest public high school, Central, which was all boys at the time and have a degree in Communications Media from the college with America’s most confusing name: Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After an internship at CBS News in New York and working as a bank teller and in
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Often we need outsiders to help give us a clearer perception of ourselves. One of my favorite Bible verses, Luke 12:48 says, “to whom much is given, much is required.” God continues to bless me and I feel obligated to try to share with others. Scuba diving with Brittany in Hawaii Some of my a video store, I spent 20 years in TV news community work living all across the country. My wife is serving as a Board officer, some of it is KayMarie (a realtor), our daughter Brittany labor-intensive on the ground level. (embarking on her senior year at NYU) and I moved to Montgomery 16 years ago Shortly after coming here, I learned from suburban Cleveland when I landed a former Attorney General Bill Pryor job at WSFA. volunteered weekly to BOOM!: Montgomery is a city with a heart, lots of volunteering for non-profits and serving others, do have time in your busy schedule to serve others? Why is it important to give back?
help struggling readers. I reasoned if he could carve the time out of his schedule, I certainly could do the same. I worked with one student for three years. It was very rewarding but also a frustrating eye-opener to the needs of our public schools. My student would have greatly benefitted from one-onone tutoring every day, yet that’s not possible with our current level of education funding.
Michael: I’ve never lived anywhere where the spirit to give and help others is more pronounced. It’s hard to imagine what our community would be like without the philanthropy BOOM!: You are the and community Director of Public Competing at the best track meet in the service displayed by world, the Penn Relays! Information and External individuals, groups Affairs for the City of Montgomery, how and corporate citizens. We mentioned would you describe your job? Mayor it when Montgomery was vying for the Strange calls you the Health and Wellness All-America City Award last year. That Czar, what’s that about? honor is often referred to as the Nobel Prize for civic innovation and involvement. Michael: I may have the best job in The judges were impressed with what Alabama. Primarily, we work with the has been accomplished here and inquired media to assist with their news coverage, into how we have been able to pull it off. we promote Montgomery’s positive image
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to folks and organizations near and far, and we work with the Art Museum, Library, Clean City Commission and BONDS.
world better? How could I capitalize on opportunities that aren’t in infinite supply?
made great strides. At my last physical, Dr. Jeff Underwood informed me that I significantly reduced my bad cholesterol and (along with exercise) eliminated my stroke and heart attack risks.
BOOM!: What are you most passionate A co-worker about? lost his mother inIn 2010, the Michael: I have traditional passions law and it Montgomery regarding my faith and dedication to compelled me metro area family…and a few others that may to do a better tied for having border on eccentric. My dad took me job of savoring the nation’s to Philadelphia Eagles football games time with highest obesity (season tickets) before I understood the family and rate. That was rules of the sport. Although the team friends. I lost My wife and me holding our daughter in Destin (we’ve taken a distinction has never won a championship in my my mother variations of this photo in multiple locations over the years). that was lifetime, I’m the biggest Eagles fanatic unexpectedly unflattering there is! I go to at least one Eagles per in 2009, but and more importantly unhealthy. Mayor season. I unequivocally guarantee we’re not before we had a lot of substantive Strange felt a “czar” was needed to going to win the contact. I advise everyone address the issue and I was honored next Super Bowl! Of to find a way to spend to be given the task. Since then, due to course, I make the quality time with the the dedicated work of many people and same guarantee every people you care about. groups, our obesity rate has dropped season. There’s no telling when the 7.5 percentage points. We have 26,500 I’m equally passionate opportunity will be lost fewer obese people and rank in the about running. Every forever. middle of the nation; but there’s still year, I watch the progress to be made. That reduction in world’s best track As for my math obesity is saving lives, reducing suffering meet – the Penn calculations, I’ve decided and lost productivity, and saving big Relays (my dad and against easily conceding bucks in health care costs. Fighting I have had the same that I have passed the obesity continues to be a line item in the front row seats for halfway point. I am trying Montgomery’s general fund budget and decades); and I’ve hard to take better care our community is fortunate to have a had the good fortune of myself and hope by huge team of groups and people involved to compete there watching my nutrition, in this effort. in my teens, 20’s, exercise, and rest that 30’s, 40’s and now I’m adding years to my BOOM!: Many people over 50 experience 50’s. My event only life…and life to my years. a renewed sense of purpose, new goals, lasts approximately At a family reunion last Our daughter Brittany graduating from new careers…how would you describe this 60 seconds, but summer, I saw a cousin Montgomery Academy sense of renewal in your life? Any advice spend most of the who I was raised confined for the rest of us seeking renewal as we year training for it. Not sure if I am to a wheelchair. It was a wake-up call age? passionate…or just too stubborn to quit! to address my genetic cholesterol issues. Michael: A few years BOOM!: How do you like to relax and KayMarie is a vegan (no back I did the math wind down from a hard day’s work? meat, no dairy, everything and concluded I likely I’m not sure that it meets the traditional she ingests is plant-based). had more birthdays definition of relaxation, but I visit Park She has been a great role behind me than Crossing High School’s track to do interval model and helped me see ahead of me; with workouts every other day… as long as I’m that a plant-based lifestyle that revelation, I not injured and the weather cooperates. is possible (her practice really wanted to focus Temperatures in the 30’s or above 100 and of no longer cooking nonon making everything lightning will divert me to the elliptical vegan meals also hastened count. What could I machine. It’s physically uncomfortable my experiment with a Enjoying Bourbon Street with my father do in some small (or and some of my afternoons are filled plant-based diet). I’m following an Eagles/Saints game. big) way to make the with nauseous anxiety about the pain not 100% vegan, but I’ve
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that lies ahead. of North Michael: It would be very difficult to leave But the fear America, but the best job in Alabama, for perhaps goes away once I’m 100% the second best job. I know the 2009 the technical sincere. I campaign was arranged by God and He running begins; love our wanted me to gain the spiritual growth and there’s a mild winters, that came from the experience. An adage huge sense of easy work states, “humans plan, God laughs.” I accomplishment commutes, have no idea what 2019 or the rest of the when I’m proximity to future holds; but I’ll gladly go where He through. It beaches and leads me. is borderline metropolitan miraculous how cities and BOOM!: You’re a big Philadelphia Eagles acute oxygen more than fan, if Tim Tebow makes the team will he En route to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro with my debt and lactic anything else make a difference? brother in-law, Bobby Spears. acid buildI love the up can keep you from fixating on life’s people of the River Region. It’s easy to Michael: I accept that Coach Chip Kelly problems! The running helps lower my take what we have for granted, especially has forgotten more about football than genetic cholesterol and keeps me from for folks who haven’t lived elsewhere. I’ll ever know. If Tebow is on the 53-man embarrassing myself too much at the Penn roster, it’s all part of Kelly’s master plan Relays. In 2004, it looked like we were going to finally bring the Lombardi Trophy to to move to another city. I remember the City of Brotherly Love. However…I Hardback books and fun time with Camp attending our daughter’s homecoming do need to get word to Chip to abandon (our dog) are less strenuous and equally rally at Montgomery Academy and I the hurry up offense when we’re leading enjoyable ways to relax. was filled with remorse. I loved MA, late in the game. Four yard runs that stay our church, this whole community; with in bounds, spaced 40 seconds apart will BOOM!: Favorite vacation spot? Any moisture in my eyes I couldn’t come to sharply reduce my Maalox moments. travel dreams planned for the future? terms that we were about to move on. Regardless of everyone’s Saturday A short while loyalties, I hope people Michael: I live for the beach! Some of the later, former are joining me on the best in this hemisphere are merely three Mayor Bobby big green bandwagon to hours away. I fear I’m a beach snob. It’s Bright offered root DeMeco Ryans (Roll very difficult to enjoy water that doesn’t to let me join Tide) and Cody Parkey rival the beauty and clarity of the Gulf. his staff. It (War Eagle) to victory on Our family savors travel and we have been was a blessing Sundays! blessed to visit some fascinating places. It of the highest is impossible to pick a favorite. KayMarie order! I was BOOM!: As you’ve aged, and I spent our 10th anniversary dining at very composed how have your ambitions a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. My mother in his office; changed? and I climbed into the Great Pyramid but afterward at Giza. Brittany and I have kayaked in stopped in Michael: They’re a lot Camp (our dog from the Humane Society) and me Alaska went scuba diving in Hawaii. AUM a City Hall more simplistic and after canvassing in Florida in November 2012. professor Mike Winkelman and I solved staircase and responsible. I want to our nation’s poverty issue over cigars and gave a heartfelt prayer of thanks. maintain good health long into the future. Scotch in Rome. I tried to surf in Rio (I I want to avoid being a financial burden advise learning someplace else first!). When Montgomery was declared an on my family or the government. I need All-America city it was a wonderful improved patience and discipline. I want My next bucket list destination is Ghana. validation that our community is a special to go to sleep nightly at a decent hour I want to see and emotionally experience place. It was an honor to be part of the (this is very difficult). I want a better grasp the locations where my ancestors were team that helped bring back the award. of the technologies millennials embrace. shackled and held before they were I cannot imagine living anywhere else. Just for kicks, I would really like to shave brought to the New World. Montgomery is home! a bunch of seconds off of how long it takes me to race around the track (400 BOOM!: As a former news anchor and BOOM!: Many people may not remember meters). If by some miracle, I can get into reporter for WSFA, and someone who has your run for Mayor in 2009 but you came 55 seconds territory, I’ll throw a party that worked in a variety of markets, how would in second behind your current boss, will dwarf Mardi Gras! The realist in me is you rate the quality of life in Montgomery Mayor Strange. Do you still have a taste not holding his breath. and The River Region? for the political arena? Will you be kissing babies in 2019? BOOM!: Give us three words that describe Michael: People think I’m joking when you? I say Montgomery is the garden spot
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Michael: Blessed. Thoughtful. Easy-going. BOOM!: Do you have any hobbies or other activities that grab your attention? Michael: I am a roller coaster fiend (front seat please). I am a bigtime fan of fireworks (I had laid the groundwork to volunteer to help set off pyrotechnic shows before moving to Alabama!). I’ll deprive myself of sleep if I have an interesting book in my hands. I love the pageantry and tradition of New Orleans during Mardi Gras. BOOM!: We know you are a thrill seeker of sorts, can you describe the thrill of preparing and climbing the Summit of Mount Kilimanjaro? On a different thrill level, how about being a contestant on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” Best Roller Coaster to ride? Michael: I don’t think I’m an adrenaline junkie, but I am interested in testing myself to see if I can control my fears instead of them controlling me. Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua addressed my fear of heights (along with skydiving once in college) and also provided ample hours for introspection. Climbing hurts but offers a tremendous sense of accomplishment. The game show was my attempt to make a whole lot of money very quickly while engaging in a unique experience; but
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gave me stomach butterflies larger than Sikorsky copters! The best coaster is a title that is everchanging. The Hulk at Universal’s Islands of Adventure will always be my sentimental favorite because it helped me infect my daughter with Coaster Fever. BOOM!: Technology is rooted in almost every aspect of our lives and many folks over 50 are reluctant to embrace it…how’s your relationship with technology? Michael: I want to master technology, but too often fear that I’m the old dog unable to learn new tricks. I’m good with my smart phone and some social media, but I can’t code and don’t fully grasp gigabyte fiber. Fortunately, I have many co-workers who make up for my tech shortcomings… yes, I’m talking about you Griffith Waller, Kimberly Wright and Dina Campbell. It’s easier to force myself to learn about tech tools when I view them as something we’ll all need to comprehend if we want to have the best quality of life. For the record though, I’ll ALWAYS prefer ink on paper to an e-book. BOOM!: Many people think it’s important to make Montgomery a city where young adults want to live and work, what’s your take on that idea? How can older folks make a contribution to making Montgomery a cool place to live?
Michael: Young people are the key to Montgomery’s (and every other community’s) pursuit for sustainable vitality. Our generation needs to appreciate the different values young people possess, present opportunities to work together and learn from them while also sharing our knowledge. I think it’s natural for some of us to be reluctant to hand over the “reins”, but failing to do so will jeopardize the future. Perhaps a better course of action is to educate and nurture young people (just as we were mentored in our youth) and not be afraid of passing along the baton. Many non-profits in our community have Junior Boards of Directors that are grooming young adults for leadership positions and allowing them to make meaningful contributions to our city. I am always on the lookout for talented “up and comers”. I enjoy recruiting them and their talents for causes about which I am passionate, learning from them and presenting opportunities for them to make a difference. We want to thank Michael for sharing his story with us this month. Please share your comments with Michael at mbriddell@montgomeryal.gov and as always, thanks to Kim Bethea from Total Image Portraits for her professional cover photo of Michael. If you have questions, comments or suggestions about our cover profiles, including nominating someone, please send them to jim@riverregionboom.com
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Modern Mavens of Murder Meet the modern mavens of murder, who rule the bookshelf of death with humor… and hair-raising horror. Just how popular are murder mysteries? Well, the reigning queen of the genre, Mary Higgins Clark, has sold more than 100 million books in the U.S. alone, a number a little smaller than the population of Mexico. The reason is simple. While in real-life America some 35 percent of killings go unsolved, in fiction land you close the book with a thump, satisfied that through grit and guile, the good guys or gals have caught the killer and justice will be served, straight up and strong. Who doesn’t relish a 100 percent punishment rate for the wicked? It is also appropriate that the continent that created the modern mystery, thanks to Edgar Allan Poe and his C. Auguste Dupin detective stories, today has a slew of gifted daughters to rival those legends from across the pond, such as Agatha Christie and P. D. James. Meet the A-team of crime and punishment, XX-chromosome style. Though their settings may vary, our ladies always have crime on their minds.
JANET EVANOVICH
Alias: Jersey Girl Modus operandi: Combines comedy with occasional killing Background: Nobody does Jersey ‘tude better than the Garden State’s Janet Evanovich, 72. Born in South River, she began with romance novels but by book 12 says she “ran out of sexual positions.” Crime solver: Big-haired bounty hunter Stephanie Plum rocked Evanovich onto the best-seller lists in 1994, and the series is going strong 25 books later. Evanovich says that although she’s not Plum, “I know where she lives.” Made her bones with... “One for the Money”, 21 years later, it’s still hilarious. Latest book: “Wicked Charms”
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TESS GERRITSEN
Alias: The Doctor Modus operandi: Medical suspense made scary Background: A graduate of Stanford University and the UCSF School of Medicine, Gerritsen, 62, has gone from doing no harm to terrifying readers with tales of grisly death and medical malfeasance. She started writing when she was on maternity leave. Crime solvers: Jane Rizzoli is a Boston homicide detective; Dr. Maura Isles is a medical examiner. Gerritsen’s most famous pair is played by Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander on TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles. Made her bones with... the 1996 medical thriller “Harvest,” about transplants. Latest book: “Die Again”
LOUISE PENNY
Alias: The Canadian Modus operandi: All about morals as well as murder Background: Penny, 57, is a former Canadian radio journalist who draws on her country’s culture and history to add heft and interest to books that are more whydunits than whodunits. Crime solver: Bilingual Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûrete du Quebec is Canada’s answer to Hercule Poirot _ but sexier. The setting is imaginary Three Pines, just across the Vermont border. Made her bones with... “Still Life” and the enchanting artists, booksellers and eccentrics of “Three Pines.” Latest book: “The Nature of the Beast”
SARA PARETSKY
Alias: The Crusader Modus operandi: Bullet-paced plots meet social injustice in Chicago Background: The Kansas-raised Paretsky, 68, holds an MBA and a history Ph.D. She founded Sisters in Crime to
support women mystery writers and readers. Crime solver: V.I. Warshawski, “Vic” for Victoria, never victim or vamp, is an ex–public defender turned P.I. She’s smart, tough and, though often outraged, always in control. Made her bones with... “Indemnity Only.” Published in January 1982, the novel remains bracing in its depiction of a fearless female pathfinder in a rough job. Latest book: “Brush Back”
SUE GRAFTON
Alias: That Alphabet P.I. Modus operandi: Hard-boiled but with a female twist Background: In 1982, a new kind of gumshoe who was nobody’s helpmeet hit the street running. A former screenwriter, Grafton is blasting through the letters; “X” will arrive in August. Crime solver: P.I. Kinsey Millhone is, says Grafton, the author herself but younger, smarter and thinner. Her fictional private eye is a twice-divorced loner; Grafton, 75, has been married over 20 years. Made her bones with... “A Is for Alibi,” which introduced readers to the town of Santa Teresa, aka Santa Barbara, California. Latest Book: “X”
MARY HIGGINS CLARK
Alias: Queen of Suspense Modus operandi: Deftly teases readers into scaring themselves Background: It all started in 1975 when Clark, a widow with five young children, published her first mystery. Some 40 years and 49 books later, Clark, 87, remains the monarch of American mystery. Crime Solvers: Varied Made her bones with... the blockbuster “Where Are the Children?” Clark fictionalized the 1965 headline tale of Alice Crimmins, the Queens, New York, mother who was accused of killing her two children. Two publishers rejected the novel because it featured children in jeopardy. Latest book: “The Melody Lingers On” Deirdre Donahue is consulting book editor, AARP Media. (c)2015 AARP, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Beauty Buzz
From our blog at RiverRegionFacialPlastics.com
Exciting New Treatment for “Double Chin”
Now there is a treatment for your double chin! The FDA has approved KYBELLA™ (deoxycholic acid) injection, which contours and improves the appearance of moderate to severe submental fullness due to submental fat. Submental fullness, also known as “double chin,” can affect adult women and men of all ages and weights and is influenced by multiple factors including aging and genetics. Submental fullness is often resistant to diet and exercise, and according to a 2014 survey conducted by the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, 68% of people said they are bothered by their double chin.
Product Spotlight
KYBELLA™ is a formulation of a naturally occurring substance (deoxycholic acid) that targets and destroys fat cells in the area where it’s injected. Once those cells are destroyed, they can no longer store or accumulate fat. The most common side effects are typically local to the treatment area and most commonly include swelling, bruising, pain, numbness, tingling, hardness and redness.
Don’t Forget the Eye Cream!
The first and only FDA-approved injectable drug that contours and improves the appearance of “double chin”
While you are shopping around for skin care products that have proven science behind them, you are going to run into the SkinMedica® product line. SkinMedica® is medical grade skin care not sold in department stores; however, these products are dispensed by very select licensed physicians. SkinMedica® has an unprecedented reputation for standing true to research-based science and clinical experience.
SkinMedica® founder, Dr. Richard Fitzpatrick, is a world renowned dermatologist whose body of work in dermatology during the past 30 years earned him special recognition by many popular media sources such as Allure magazine, New Beauty magazine and even the Today Show, which referred to him as a “beauty industry visionary” and one of the world’s doctors who has “most influenced the world of beauty products.” Dr. Fitzpatrick discovered the science of growth factors, which are comprised of 93.6% human fibroblasts. Although SkinMedica® offers a full line of facial care products, our focus here will be on those that are for eye enhancement. Did you know that the skin around your eyes is 38% thinner than the rest of your face? This is definitely an area that needs tender loving care. SkinMedica® has two eye treatment creams, both of them use a patented, unique combination of ingredients that improve the look of wrinkles and fine lines, improve the texture and tone of your skin, in addition to smoothing and brightening the eye area. TNS Eye Repair®– improves the appearance of fine lines, reduces dark circles, replenishes skin TNS Illuminating Eye Cream®– reduces the appearance of dark circles, improves skin firmness The SkinMedica® eye creams are safe for all skin types. Applying twice a day is of greatest benefit. We recommend using the back of your hand as a palate so that application to the face is smooth and even. Apply eye creams around the eye; however, avoid the eyelid. Results are achieved after consistent 90-day application. Pick one or use a combination of both and you are sure to see results!
Please contact us via email at Doctors@RiverRegionFacialPlastics.com with your questions or comments! 24 BOOM!
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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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TEA!
Eating Smart with Tracy Bhalla
Green tea has very little oxidation also, allowing the leaves to stay green in color, retaining their chlorophyll and minerals. The taste is more astringent and subtler than oolong or black tea, but stronger than white tea.
Green tea has been found to improve bone mineral density and strength.
The lack of oxidation is also responsible for the very low caffeine content of green tea, 25-35 mg per 8oz cup. Its caffeine effect produces a nearly steady, mild high with no big peaks or plunges. Green tea is therefore the perfect meditative aid: it acts as a mild stimulant, without causing insomnia or nervousness.
Tea might be an effective agent in the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases, especially degenerative diseases (eg. Alzheimer’s).
Oolong tea is halfway between green and black tea, which gives them the body and complexity of a black tea, but with the brightness and freshness of a green tea
Researchers attribute tea’s many health properties to polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) and phytochemicals. Scientists have found that the antioxidants in green tea extract increase the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel, which accounts for improved muscle endurance.
All tea drinks, however, are not created equal. As with all things, the quality of the product is paramount to its success. With tea, as with all produce, this starts at the plant and carries on through to the processing and packaging and even how the product is stored once in your home.
The caffeine content and antioxidant level is also mid–way between that of green and black teas, making them most healthy and palatable.
All teas have a proven ability to fight free radicals. While our bodies are designed to fight free radicals on their own, they’re not 100 percent effective — and since this specific kind of damage has been linked to cancer, heart disease and neurological degeneration, any extra help is welcome.
As a general rule, the more “leafy” your tea looks, the higher the quality. So it is usually better to drink whole leaf loose tea than tea bags; though there are some very good quality pre-bagged teas out there now too (Mighty Leaf, for example), but try and avoid the cheaper end where the leaves are unidentifiable – it just looks like a bag of dust! And store it in an airtight container in a dark, cool space.
Perceived as a very English drink, hot tea actually has many health benefits besides being both refreshing and relaxing. (I’m still getting used to calling it “hot tea” as opposed to just tea. Ask for “tea” in England and you will automatically get hot tea; here, of course, you get iced!)
Real tea is derived from one particular plant (Camellia sinensis) and includes only four varieties: green, black, white, and oolong. Anything else is an infusion of a different plant and isn’t technically tea. This can be somewhat confusing.
Drinking tea is linked with a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. When considered with other factors like smoking, physical activity, age and body mass index, regular tea drinking was associated with a lowered risk of Parkinson’s disease in both men and women. Tea might provide protection from ultraviolet rays, from the inside. Green tea particularly may act as a back-up sunscreen. (Note, BACK-UP!) Tea could be beneficial to people with Type 2 diabetes. Studies suggest that compounds in green tea could help diabetics’ better process sugars. Tea can help the body recover from radiation. One study found that tea helped protect against cellular degeneration upon
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exposure to radiation, while another found that tea can help skin bounce back post exposure.
Now, on to distinguishing between the teas. The single factor that determines whether a tea plant will become white, green, oolong, or black tea is oxidation. Oxidation begins after the leaf has been plucked from the plant, and begins a process of being dried, withered, rolled, and heat treated. A black tea is fully oxidized, causing it to turn black, while a white tea is barely oxidized at all, thus retaining its soft, silvery down. White teas are picked when young tea buds are tightly enclosed in new leaves. This tea has a very subtle flavor and is often infused with fruit flavored to enhance its appeal. It has the lowest level of caffeine of all teas, 10-15 mg per 8oz cup.
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Interestingly, and somewhat uniquely, oolong can be infused multiple (3–7) times, each steep lasting 1–3 minutes. The caffeine content of oolong teas decreases dramatically from the first to the third brew, yielding about 30–50 mg in first the cup, 15–25 mg in the second, and 5–10 mg in the third. Black tea is fully oxidized; after the leaves are plucked they are allowed to wither. They are then rolled and crushed by hand or by machine. This activates the oxidation processes and the leaves are allowed to turn black. Finally they are fired in ovens to stop the oxidation process. By far the most popular brew in the West, they range from 40-60 mg of caffeine per 8oz cup. Now go get brewing! Tracy Bhalla, Owner/ Manager of Cool Beans Restaurant, 115 Montgomery Street, P: 334.416.8447, coolbeans.mgm@gmail.com or facebook.com/coolbeans.mgm Trained as an architect! Worked as a teacher of product design and graphic design for 9 years in England and Bermuda. Always had a love of healthy, good-for-you food. Always cooking for friends and family. Married a cardiologist in 2007. We have a shared passion about eating healthily (and wine) and both love to cook, so when Cool Beans became available we jumped at it.
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What Are the Lessons People Often Learn Too Late in Life? Jay Bazinotti from nextavenue.org
1. Time passes much more quickly than you realize. 2. If you don’t take care of your body early then it won’t take care of you later. Your world becomes smaller each day as you lose mobility, continence and sight. 3. Sex and beauty may fade, but intimacy and friendship only grow. 4. People are far more important than any other thing in your life. No hobby, interest, book, work is going to be as important to you as the people you spend time with as you get older. 5. Money talks. It says “Goodbye.” If you don’t plan your finances for later in life, you’ll wish you had. 6. Any seeds you planted in the past, either good or bad, will begin to bear fruit and affect the quality of your life as you get older — for better or worse. 7. Jealousy is a wasted emotion. People you hate are going to succeed. People you like are going to sometimes do better than you did. Kids are going to be smarter and quicker than you are. Accept it with grace. 8. That big house you had to have becomes a bigger and bigger burden, even as the mortgage gets smaller. The cleaning, the maintenance, the stairs — all of it. Don’t let your possessions own you. 9. You will badly regret the things you didn’t do far more than the things you did that were “wrong” — the girl you didn’t kiss, the trip you didn’t take, the project you kept putting off, the time you could have helped someone. If you get the chance — do it. You may never get the chance again. 10. Every day you wake up is a victory.
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Ask an Elder Law Attorney By: Raley L. Wiggins | Attorney at Law | Red Oak Legal, PC
4 Things You Don’t Know About Estate Planning 1. “Stale” Documents
Every adult age 19 or older should have a durable power of attorney. This is a document that appoints another person (called your “Agent”) to manage your financial and business affairs on your behalf, particularly if you are no longer able to manage them yourself. The same is true of an Advance Directive, which is essentially a Power of Attorney for Healthcare that appoints an agent to make medical decisions for you if you are no longer able to make them for yourself. Most powers of attorney do not expire on a given date. Instead, they are usually effective until you either revoke the document, or you die.
will names a guardian for your children, and those children are in their 30’s or 40’s, that’s probably a good sign that it’s time for an update.
The number one problem that will “break” your estate plan is the failure to consider how ownership of non-probate property will pass Protection Workshop after your death.
Attend Free Workshop Estate Planning and Asset
Wednesday, September 23: Hosted by Red Oak Legal, PC: 1:30-3:30 pm at the Archibald Senior Center (MACOA) in Montgomery. This educational workshop presented by local attorney Raley L. Wiggins covers wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance directives, living wills, probate administration, protecting assets from creditors, bankruptcy, divorce and remarriage, nursing homes, long-term care and Medicaid qualification. Registration is required. Call 334-625-6774 today to reserve your seat or register online at www.redoaklegalpc.com.
As a practical matter, however these documents are only useful if the bank, hospital, physician or other third party will accept it as valid proof of the agent’s authority to act. For example, if you walk into a bank with a power of attorney that your mother gave you in 1981, the bank is more likely to scrutinize the document more carefully than they would if it were dated 2012.
Other reasons to update your estate plan may include marriage and divorce (of you or your children), the birth of new children or grandchildren, or the death of a spouse or other family member. Likewise, acquiring more wealth can be a reason to update your plan.
That’s what I call a “stale” document. Technically it’s as effective as the day it was signed. But practically you may run into some problems if it was typed on ancient, yellowing paper thirty years ago.
In sum, estate planning is a process, not something you do once, put in a drawer and forget about it. It needs to be updated from time to time to reflect your current financial and family situation, and your current wishes.
2. It’s Not a One-Shot Deal
3. Your Estate Plan Might Not Work
I often see clients who have previously drafted wills or other estate planning documents. But these documents are often seriously out of date. Unlike the powers of attorney discussed above, your last will and testament doesn’t really get “stale.” It’s a document that is essentially meaningless until your death. The law says that a will only “speaks” at death. This is because you can revise or revoke your will at any time while you are alive, so long as you’re competent to do so. I cannot tell you how often you should update your will, but I will say this: if your
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become the property of the surviving coowner at your death.
When I teach estate planning workshops to the public, I make a point to explain that your will may have very little to do with who actually inherits your property at death. In fact, it may have nothing at all to do with who gets what. That is because some kinds of property passes “outside the will.” For example, life insurance will pay the beneficiary named in the policy, regardless of what your will says. If you have a retirement account like an IRA, you probably designated a beneficiary to receive the proceeds at your death. Similarly, many jointly owned bank accounts and pieces of real estate will automatically
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4. You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
When it comes to estate planning, don’t trust the advice you get down at the beauty shop or the coffee shop. The fact is every situation is different, and just because something worked for one person doesn’t mean it will be the same for you. I do estate planning work every day, and I’m always learning something new. Just recently I was surprised to learn that in most cases burial plots do not pass to the beneficiaries under your last will and testament. Instead Alabama law says that the plots go to the people who would have inherited your property if you had died without a will (unless you specifically reference and make a gift of the burial plots in your will). Most folks aren’t thinking about who will get the leftover cemetery plots after their deaths, and it’s commonly overlooked. But the lots can be valuable, and it can lead to a great deal of confusion over who gets to own them after you’re gone. Remember, estate planning is something we do for our loved ones—after all they’re the ones who will have to pick up the pieces after we’re gone. So dust yours off from time to time and make sure it’s up to date.
Raley L. Wiggins Attorney at Law, Red Oak Legal, PC 334-239-3625 | info@redoaklegalpc.com 445 Dexter Avenue, ste 9000, Mont, AL 36104 www.redoaklegalpc.com The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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55-year-old Still Competes in Bareback Riding
By Erica Curless Jed McKinlay can’t shake his love for the cowboy culture. It’s in his blood, a passion that’s deeper than just a pair of cowboy boots.
had two daughters and was riding lots of broncs. He graduated with a doctorate of veterinary medicine So no surprise when the local from Washington equine veterinarian entered in the State University in bareback riding at the Asotin Pro 1990 and worked West rodeo. What’s surprising is in Alberta before McKinlay recently turned 55. opening a clinic from his Colbert That’s an old, old man in a sport garage in 1993. known as the most physically He was still riding demanding of all the rodeo events. bareback horses and had four Bull riding is dangerous, but the children cowboys just hang on, they don’t Today, McKinlay have to spur. Bareback riders are & Peters Equine searching for a rhythm, where they Hospital employs can gain control and rake their Jed McKinlay remains active in bareback riding. He won his belt buckle at a recent rodeo five veterinarians spurs from the horse’s neck all the in Clayton, Washington. Jesse Tinsley / The (Spoakane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review and has two clinics, way up its shoulder to the rigging. Half including a state-of-the-art equine “There are not a lot of young men of their score depends on this spurring hospital in Newman Lake. McKinlay, craving it,” he said. “That’s a lot of what action, all the while their neck and back whose specialty is reproduction, jokes I’m trying to do: pass on tradition. I want are whiplashed from the explosive force that he’s everything from an ER doctor to to encourage the next generation to be of these powerful broncs bred to buck a gynecologist and dentist. The evening involved and enjoy it.” hard and wild. Unlike in his younger days, interview was cut short when his pager bareback riders now wear a neck roll to went off calling him back to work. McKinlay grew up in Kimberly, Idaho, but protect their neck and spine from the not on a ranch or in a rodeo family. He whiplash. So how does a man in his 50s decide to was surrounded by the lifestyle, working rekindle his passion for riding bareback on ranches and riding bulls and bareback “That’s one thing I kinda had forgotten,” horses, where he uses one hand to grip horses in high school rodeos along with McKinlay said. “No matter how good it the rigging, which is a heavy piece of his year-younger brother, Mark. goes, something is going to be sore.” leather with basically a suitcase handle? “I think I won district bareback riding He nonchalantly notes that he may have First, he must persuade his wife. finals in ‘78,” McKinlay said, not cracked a rib at Newport, recently when fully comfortable talking about his his bronc fell. That didn’t stop him from “Part of it was just my love for it,” he accomplishments. “I probably was the winning. He also won the recent Clayton, said. “Passion is maybe an appropriate only one who stayed on and marked rodeo and took second in Cheney on word. My uncle mentioned the word them out.” a horse he talked of like a long-lost addiction but maybe that’s too strong. I love. Good Times, a mare owned by C5 really just love the sport.” Out of high school, McKinlay served Ranch in Alberta, has bucked herself to a two-year mission for the Church the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, McKinlay had a soft start three years ago of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nev. In Cheney, she did her part to help when he rode two rodeos. He tore his California’s San Joaquin Valley. Then he McKinlay win $1,370. tendon off his bicep muscle during a ride attended the College of Southern Idaho in Sandpoint. before transferring to the University McKinlay isn’t old in mind, dreams or of Wyoming, which has a competitive grit. He’s happy and healthy back on “I had a little surgery and had it put back college rodeo program. the broncs. To him, it’s a way to have together,” he said. “It got me excited some fun and, more importantly, mentor I guess. Ever since I think I’ve been By the time he graduated with an animal younger cowboys in an event that’s thinking about it.” science degree, he was married and seeing fewer and fewer riders.
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Besides building the strength in his arm, McKinlay trains hard to stay fit and agile. At first he ran a lot. Then his brother encouraged him to do wind sprints, a logical training method because bareback riding is ultimately a sprinters’ sport. He’s embarrassed admitting he tore a hamstring muscle. Now he bikes, lifts weights and does a lot of pullups and core exercises. He’s lost 15 pounds. “It’s an event you don’t want to be packing extra weight especially when I’m physically too old to be doing it,” he said.
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A devout LDS church member, McKinlay also thanks God for his return to the bucking chutes, saying “I feel it keenly as I settle down on the back of a bucker.” There aren’t a lot of guys riding at 55. A quick look at the National Senior Pro Rodeo Association, which doesn’t have sanctioned rodeos in the Northwest,
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shows there were no cowboys in the 60 plus or 68 plus bracket who qualified as national finals average champions. That was the same for bull riding and saddle bronc. Only the roping events had older competitors. Competitors must be 40 to compete in senior rodeos. Jimmy Nugent, of Albuquerque, New
Mexico, is the bareback event director for the National Senior Pro Rodeo Association. He made his comeback in 2014 at age 49, but it was more of a “live like you’re dying” influence. According to a recent article in Rodeo News, Nugent received a kidney transplant from his twin brother in 2011. After three years of recovery and working out, friends encouraged him to ride broncs again. “I did miss the camaraderie and friendships, so I came back in 2014 and had a great time,” he said in 2011. I’m having more fun than I’ve ever had.”
McKinlay is having fun too, looking forward to riding in Coeur d’Alene and at the Spokane County Interstate Fair Rodeo in September. He said most everyone is supportive and that he’s blessed to have so much encouragement. “There are the worry warts too,” he laughed. “But that is just a way of saying I love you.” (c)2015 The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Don’t Let Hearing Loss Work Against You According to a 2013 article from US News & World Report, a growing number of Americans are continuing to work beyond age 65. In fact, a 2010 Census Bureau report showed that the percentage of people between the ages of 65 and 69 who were working had grown to 30.8 percent. Factors such as lingering effects of the recession, higher Social Security retirement age, and longevity have been cited as reasons for this change. One effect that this change has on the profession of audiology is that a larger percentage of patients are coming to us with complaints of hearing loss not only affecting their personal relationships, but their work relationships and performance as well. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about 2 percent of adults aged 45 to 54 have disabling hearing loss. The rate increases to 8.5 percent for adults aged 55 to 64. Nearly 25 percent of those aged 65 to 74 and 50 percent of those who are 75 and older have disabling hearing loss. We hear every day from patients ways that hearing loss affects them in the workplace…doctors can’t understand their patients, lawyers struggle hearing in the courtroom, grocery store clerks have trouble hearing patrons, salesmen can no longer communicate effectively over the telephone, conversations in meetings are difficult to follow, just to name a few. Sadly, it is not just communication that can be affected for people in the workforce suffering from hearing loss. A national study from the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) revealed that hearing loss also affects productivity and job performance, which often leads to lower income potential. It was estimated from their study that people with untreated hearing loss lose as much as $30,000 in salary and wages annually, depending on their degree of hearing loss. So, what can be done? First of all, approximately 95% of Americans with hearing loss can be effectively treated with hearing aids. The BHI study of more than 40,000 households revealed that the use of hearing aids was shown to reduce the risk of income loss by 90 to 100 percent for those with milder hearing loss, and by
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65 to 77 percent for those with moderate In addition to amplification, certain to severe hearing loss. What a difference! communication strategies can also be One reason often cited for delaying utilized to overcome some of the negative treatment of hearing loss is the cost of effects of hearing loss in the workplace. hearing aids, Keep in mind the but according following suggestions: to this study, • Pick your best spot hearing aids for communication. By Dr. Katie Slade and Dr. Brittany Spahr could potentially Choose a position pay you back in that is quiet and has higher income good lighting. If you potential. hear better in one ear, consider that Hearing aids when choosing your aren’t the only position. Arrive at consideration meetings early and sit in addressing where you can hear hearing loss in (and see) best. the workplace. Various assistive devices • Pay attention. Concentrate on the are designed to work in conjunction with speaker to take advantage of visual cues or alongside hearing aids. For example, from facial expressions, body language, most hearing aids now are Bluetooth and lip movements. Even people with compatible, which allows them to be normal hearing use these cues to help linked to a variety of other Bluetooth them understand better. A hearing aid devices, including cell phones, computers, does not negate the need for adequate televisions, and MP3 players. Bluetooth visual cues. connectivity between these devices and • Be assertive. Tell people you have hearing aids allows listeners to send sound trouble hearing, but more importantly from these devices through both hearing tell them what makes it difficult for you aids at once. For those who struggle to hear (e.g., background noise, poor in conversation over the telephone, lighting, faster rates of speech, speakers either their cellphones or landline work communicating with their back turned or telephones, Bluetooth connectivity allows from another room). them to listen to telephone conversations Hearing loss is a stealthy thief in the through BOTH ears using amplified workplace. But it doesn’t have to be! settings calculated specifically for their People who treat their hearing loss with hearing loss. amplification and the application of Several hearing aid companies now offer recommended communication strategies apps for smart phones that allow the are often less stressed, more confident, hearing aid wearer to use their cell phone and less fatigued at the end of a long as a remote control to adjust volume workday. If you would like to learn more and in some cases make small temporary about improving your hearing, contact adjustments for sound quality. A few of Doctors Hearing Clinic to schedule a these apps also allow the hearing aid complimentary hearing evaluation and wearer to use their smart phone as a consultation. We look forward to working remote microphone, which can be placed with you! in the middle of a meeting table or on Sources: a lecturer’s podium to send the speech www.betterhearing.org signal through their hearing aids at a www.healthyhearing.com/content/news/Hearing-loss/ www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/pages/quick.aspx level above any competing noise. For http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/ those without smart phones, remote www.hearingloss.org/sites/default/files/docs/Magazine.pdf microphones are often available from the manufacturer to provide enhanced Dr. Katie Slade is a Board Certified audiologist and fellow of the American Academy of Audiology. Dr. access to a speaker’s voice in a meeting or Brittany Spahr is a Doctor of Audiology and fellow lecture.
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of the American Academy of Audiology.
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Bucket List Adventure by Kathy Witt
Finger Lakes Wine Country
According to Native American legend, when Great Spirit laid his hands upon the earth to bless it, he created 11 bodies of water from the imprint of his palms. These are New York’s Finger Lakes, and today this region is famous for its wines.
As the largest wine-producing region in New York state, it seems the Finger Lakes, with its cool climate, fresh water lakes carved out by ancient glaciers and the soil deposits surrounding them, was also blessed with exceptional terroir, and one particularly favorable to the noble Riesling grape. “The overwhelming majority of Finger Lakes wineries produce Riesling,” said wine writer and educator Thomas Pellechia, author of “Timeless Bounty: Food and Wine in New York’s Finger Lakes” and “Wine: The 8,000-Year-Old Story of the Wine Trade,” among other titles. “Riesling is without doubt the region’s signature wine; the grape has been growing successfully here since 1962.” There are about 130 wineries in the Finger Lakes. Linking many of them together are four wine trails that meander around the lakes, whose names are of Native American origin: Seneca, Cayuga, Keuka, Otisco, Owasco, Skaneateles, Canandaigua, Hemlock, Conesus, Canadice and Honeoye. A good place to begin exploring the varietals is at the place the Seneca Indians named “The Chosen Spot”: Canandaigua. The 41-mile Canandaigua Wine Trail stretches from Fairport to Naples, with stops at wineries, tasting rooms, art galleries, shops and restaurants that surround Canandaigua Lake. Stop by Hazlitt Vineyards to taste its Red Cat Wines, unpretentious sweet red wines that can be served straight or over ice,
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or the Heron Hill Winery with its a beautiful tasting room and gift shop. At the Finger Lakes Wine Center, where 40 different local wineries are represented, taste selections from a dozen or so different wines from a rotating inventory while being awed by the most glorious stained glass window. The Center is located at Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park where visitors can stroll among nine restored gardens, including rock, rose, pansy, Japanese and Italian gardens, then visit the 1887 Victorian mansion, a 20room brick farmhouse originally built as a summer home. Thirty-five wineries circle Seneca Lake and form the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. The specialty of the region is European vinifera varieties such as Riesling, Gewurtztraminer and Cabernet Franc. The largest and most active wine trail in New York State, it traces its history back to 1866 and the opening of the Seneca Lake Grape Wine Company’s winery.
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In addition to the wineries, there are a distillery, several breweries and hard cider producers and a meadery on this trail, not to mention some unique attractions, including the Corning Museum of Glass, home of the world’s largest collection of glass art, where visitors can catch live glassmaking demonstrations and make their own glass. Smaller is the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, home to 16 wineries, a cidery, meadery and four distilleries _ including Bellwether Hard Cider and Wine Cellars, the Finger Lakes’ first cidery, set against a backdrop of gorgeous views and waterfalls. This trail is also home to the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, which showcases “Broadway in the Fingers Lakes” at three different venues in Auburn. The festival runs from May through October and includes big glam productions (think: “Sweeney Todd”) as well as edgier fare and musicals in development. Also on the trail are the Hangar Theatre, a professional regional theatre producing award-winning plays and musicals, and the Kitchen Theatre Company, where The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
adventurous theatre-goers can catch original plays and musicals. Although petite with just eight wineries, the Keuka Lake Wine Trail nonetheless is a force to be reckoned with. Wellseasoned and award-winning, balanced and nuanced characterize these grapegrowing powerhouses, from Ravines Wine Cellar, whose winemaker learned viticulture and winemaking at his family’s centuries-old vineyard in the South of France, to Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars, the state’s most award-winning winery since 1962. Said Pellechia: “National and international wine critics and magazines have recently discovered the Finger Lakes region, which has been patiently waiting for them to do so.” The wines of the Fingers Lakes are a discovery worth making. Choose your trail and enjoy the sipping and scenery. ADVENTURE GUIDE TO DON’T-MISS MOMENTS STake a crepe making class with Pierre Heroux, owner of Simply Crepes, and learn how to make crepes the way Pierre’s grandmother taught him. It is an old family recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation – probably since the Heroux family first arrived in the Finger Lakes area in the 1600s. SOrder a freshly baked grape pie at Monica’s Pies, take it right directly to The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
the bench in front of Monica’s shop and eat it on the spot. These delicacies made with local Concord grapes are a Naples, NY specialty with some 70,000 are sold each year. The “Monica” difference? The crust is baked and then the filling is added. The result is a pie brimming with grape filling and the flakiest of crusts. SMake a beeline to the jewelry counter at Heron Hill Tasting Room in Bristol (Canandaigua Wine Trail) for one of the best-kept secret shopping bargains around: well-made and really cute earrings for only $5 a pair. The jewelry is made by Wende Logan-Young, a retired physician and pioneer in women’s health cum beading artist. SWatch the chefs in action at a cooking demo in the Educational Theater at the New York Wine & Culinary Center. Better still: Take a class in the Hands-On Kitchen and whip up your own culinary masterpiece. SIn this land of 11 lakes, boating is a must. Board the Canandaigua Lady, a 19th century replica paddlewheel boat that recalls the steamboat era of the 19th and early 20th centuries, for a cruise on Canandaigua Lake. Why here? It’s among the largest of the Finger Lakes and is also where acting legend
Humphrey Bogart used to spend his summer vacations. ADVENTURE GEAR TO TAKE ALONG With breathtaking scenery, plunging waterfalls, acres and acres of rolling vineyards and uniquely charming tasting rooms, plan to take lots of pictures in the Finger Lakes. The best way to capture all that great scenery is to take along a Selfie Extension Arm Monopod by Satechi ($39.99; www.Satechi.net). Simply snap in your cellphone and voila! You can position the smartphone up to three feet away to create a wide-angled image. There’s you standing before a waterfall; you in the vineyard; you at a wine tasting with a group of new friends. You can pair any smartphone via Bluetooth to the device and the monopod will provide an easy assist in snapping individual and group selfies. An adjustable ball joint provides 360-degree rotation and various tilting angles and a spring holder with rubber grips securely holds the smartphone in place. The Selfie Extension Arm Monopod weighs a mere 5.6 ounces, has a foldable design to make it compact and can be packed into a backpack or carry-on bag or attached to a belt loop or backpack strap. INFORMATION
This is the Finger Lakes, emphasis on lakes, so book a place with a water view. The Inn on the Lake, TheInnontheLake.com, is a great option. It has wonderful views of Canandaigua Lake, is within walking distance to the New York Wine & Culinary Center and is a good jumping off point to the wineries, as well as Finger Lakes shopping and antiquing. For more information about travel to Finger Lakes, visit VisitFingerLakes.com. 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)2015 Kathy Witt Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
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September EXHIBITION: Gallery One Featured Artists
Beautiful Night, 8x8 oil on canvas board, Spring is Here, 24x36 acrylic on canvas Venturesome, 14x11 acrylic on canvas, Peaceful Forest, 24x20 oil on canvas Judith Ivy Hayden Shirley Esco Anita Westerberg Jane Segrest galleryonefineart.com/Judith-Ivy-Hayden galleryonefineart.com/Shirley-Esco galleryonefineart.com/Jane-Segrest galleryonefineart.com/Anita-Westerberg
Flummox, wood culpture, Ken Lever galleryonefineart.com/Kenneth-Lever
Oak Leaf Hydrangeas, 28x22 oil on canvas, Anne Hugghins galleryonefineart.com/Anne-Hugghins She Never Opened the Letter, 20x16 oil on canvas John Wagnon galleryonefineart.com/John-Wagnon
The Other Side, 18x24 mixed media, Cecily Hulett galleryonefineart.com/Cecily-Hulett
Migration, 60x36 oil on canvas John Mazaheri galleryonefineart.com/John-Mazaheri
Gallery One offers a wide selection of original art by gallery artist members. As an Alabama not-for-profit cooperative gallery, Gallery One is actively engaged in the community. Gallery Director Sandi Aplin sandiaplin@aol.com, 334.269.1114, galleryonefineart.com
Main Street, 24x30 oil on canvas, Pamela Wesley Copeland galleryonefineart.com/Pamela-Wesley-Copeland
Indigo Vibes, 24x36 mixed media, Carol Barksdale galleryonefineart.com/Carol-Barksdale
Art & Soul
Gallery One Fine Art Hosts
By Sandi Aplin
10th Art of Philanthropy Reception
Gallery One Fine Art is pleased to hosts the 10th Art of Philanthropy here in our gallery on Tuesday, October 6th from 5:30 to 7 pm. The Women’s Philanthropy Board (WPB) is the flagship division of the Cary Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies in Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences. It was established in 2002 as an outreach initiative to provide educational, leadership and mentoring opportunities for individuals regarding financial sustainability and philanthropic engagement. We partnered with WPB for this event the first time in 2003. Over the last 13 years, the initial small group of women has grown to include more than 170 individual member donors and 11 Corporate Partners and 10 Business Partners. WPB is committed to inspiring, educating and enabling individuals to develop their full leadership potential: achieve independence as financial donors and decision makers; serve as mentors for future generations of philanthropists; and, broaden the base of support for the College of Human Sciences. In 2014, the launch of The Phils, a new men’s auxiliary became a reality. The Phils represent men who believe in the importance of philanthropy and financial sustainability. June Henton, Dean of the College of Human Sciences, views the establishment of The Phils as a way to involve men who are leading the way in the next evolution of committed philanthropists. Henton says, “These men are stepping up in a way that is unique in the advancement of women’s financial and philanthropic issues.”
her personally and professionally? “I love Auburn and the WPB provides the opportunity for me to personally connect to my University and to give back through support of the WPB mission. That mission of educating, enabling and empowering speaks to me both as a female professional and as the mother of three daughters. As a professional, the WPB allows me the opportunity to build new relationships with individuals who share common values, goals and to network with other professionals. As a female and the mother of three young women, the WPB represents an opportunity for me to have an impact on future generations, their perspective on personal finances and their philanthropic investment in the world around them.”
To date, WPB has provided more than $500,000 in support of people and programs in the College of Human Sciences, a remarkable accomplishment considering the organization is entirely funded by the financial support of its donors. Sandy Coaker is President of the WPB and I asked her what has WPB meant to
For more information about the WPB or how you can become a donor to WPB, please contact Kim McCurdy, Associate Director of Development, (334)844-9173 or visit carycenter.auburn.edu/wpb
Sandi Aplin, Director of Gallery One Fine Art A freelance writer living in Montgomery, AL sandiaplin@aol.com or galleryonefineart.com
Since its inception, WPB has shown a commitment to practicing philanthropy as an organization by providing student scholarships, faculty awards, and programmatic grants. The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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By Greg Budell
The Mayor of BOOMTOWN
JIMMY FORTE, A CUT ABOVE THE REST So, last month, I decided to have a little fun and let my hair grow in a few shades darker. “Bon Bayalage” gave me a chance to tell some “tales from the chair”, and convey the importance of the hair stylist-client relationship. Millions of people have been up in arms with the government takeover of the health care industry. If the G tried to do something similar in hair care(Obamahair?) there would be rioting in the streets. “If you like your stylist you can keep your stylist”. A betrayal of that promise would surely have resulted in someone’s impeachment. This month, I would reveal The Changethe Post-Bayalage look- but something happened between July and August that turned my plan upside down. Keep in mind, this column is (mostly) for fun! Sometimes, when one of my Newstalk listeners is upset, claiming I was “too soft” on a political guest, I have to remind them that the show is called “Happy Hour”, not “60 Minutes”. I do interviews, not Inquisitions. This space is devoted to anecdotal story telling on whatever topic comes to mind. In mid-July, I wanted to get
my piece completed early so I could enjoy a few days off in North Carolina, where my daughter’s Mom and stepdad offered me the use of their mountainside rental home for a week.
The face of my phone announced the listing “JIM HAIR”. I figured my buddy of 22 years was checking to see if I was coming down to South Florida sometime soon.
So, BOOMspiration comes in the form of Tales From the Chair- Battling Ageand discussing that most unique clientstylist relationship. The idea also gave me the chance to introduce readers to my Hair Team, 2 extraordinarily talented stylists, Jimmy (South Florida) and Debra (Elegant Styles of Montgomery).
Instead, I tapped the screen to see the text was from Jim’s wife, Cherie. “Jimmy is dying. In Hospice”. The words were an epic, unexpected sock in the gut.
The whimsical essay came together quickly- complete with a cliffhangerand much to the shock (he was treated and released) of BOOM! Publisher Jim Watson, I had it done days before deadline. I left for North Carolina with no unfinished business, looking forward to spending time with my daughter and sucking down copious amounts of mountain air. The first morning in Blowing Rock featured a fabulous homemade breakfast on the balcony of ex-wife Michele’s stunning new mountainside retreat. Ever the helpful ex, I was carrying dishes into the kitchen when I heard my cell phone announce a new text.
In last month’s column, I didn’t mention Jimmy’s battle with cancer. I’d just seen him in March and he appeared to be winning. He’d cut my hair for the May cover of BOOM! and during that visit he mentioned he needed some additional radiation after a year of treatments for cancer that began in the lung. “No big deal”, he said. I took him at his word because Jimmy didn’t BS about anything. He looked good. As always, I hugged my pal and told him I’d see him on the next trip down. I gathered my emotions and called Cherie. After some serious tears, I told her of my recently completed column, which was pretty much a love note to, and about my great friend. Cherie put Jim on the phone. His cancer had spread everywhere and
Greg Budell's column is proudly sponsored by McDonald, Barranco & Hagen Wealth Management
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from BOOM! publisher Jim Watson, I had a chance to say goodbye and thank you to a special guy in a special way.
Cherie pulled it up on her laptop and said Jimmy got a big kick out of it, smiling through wracking pain.
his pain was beyond control of medication. I told him I’d just finished the long overdue story of our friendship, and a copy would be on the way shortly. “I love ya buddy. Hang in there”, I said. “You got it”, he replied. “Love you too”. Greg-Post Bayalage
From that moment, things happened quickly. Cherie back came on the line and I asked her to email me some Jimmy pix. I then contacted BOOM! publisher Jim Watson and asked if he could assemble a PDF of the column ASAP. He was on it! Within hours, the completed production was in PDF form and on the way to Cherie’s inbox.
Sick as he was, in hospice, Cherie said Jimmy was reassuring friends and visitors he’d be back in the salon in a few days and not to cancel their appointments.
On the last day of July, Jimmy’s suffering came to an end. I’ve been writing these columns for 14 years. I had no idea Jimmy’s health had deteriorated, so I couldn’t help but wonder where the inspiration for the July issue originated. Oh hell, yes- I know where it came from. It was GMGod Messenger. With a major assist
Cherie has asked me to make my annual Christmas drive by the Forte home, and of course I will. At some point though, I’ll have to stop by Mane Changes on University Drive in Davie, Florida. Outside the salon there is a bench. Over 22 years Jimmy Forte and I built a great friendship, solved the world’s problems and shared the day to day experiences of life in a post-cut chat on that bench (while indulging a cigarette or two). It won’t be easy, but I will take a seat on that bench one last time. So will Jimmy. I heard that straight from GM. Greg Budell lives in Montgomery with his wife, children and dogs. 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 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. Every business needs one more customer, where will yours come from? Call today and get your $50 Business Mini, 324.3472 or jim@riverregionboom.com
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Ask Nancy: Caring for Aging Relatives
How do we get Mom to comply with what the doctors prescribe? Q: My sister and I are constantly taking my 86-year-old mother to the doctor for her real and/or imagined problems and the doctor will make suggestions or prescribe treatments. She either disagrees with what the doctor says and requests to see a different doctor or decides that she doesn’t want to do the treatment or take the medicine. How do we get her to comply with what the doctors prescribe? _ Debra B., New York, NY A: This sounds like a very frustrating situation for everyone concerned: you and your sister, your mother and her physician. In the meantime, her medical complaint, whether real or imagined, is not being properly addressed. You didn’t indicate whether this is a relatively new behavior and whether it is confined to accepting advice from physicians. But, it is clearly exposing her to more serious health consequences and you are right to be concerned. For advice from an expert in these situations, I contacted Dr. David Bernstein, a Geriatrician in Clearwater, Fl., who has spent more than three decades treating aging patients. He is the author of an
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excellent book on aging called, “I’ve Got Some Good News and Some Bad News: You’re Old.” Here’s his advice; “Going from one doctor to the next is a form of doctor shopping and the family should at least try to discourage this behavior. The patient/ mother should commit to trusting one of her physicians. If she is not doctor shopping, the children could encourage her to see a geriatrician, if there is one locally, who she will commit to trust. Alternatively, have her choose just one physician to act as quarterback of her health care, for the sake of continuity of care.” Dr. Bernstein also stressed how important it is for family members to forge a strong alliance with the physician and his nursing staff. “If she has a trusted physician, I
recommend the children (within the confines of privacy guidelines) develop a rapport with the doctor, as well as with his/ her nurse. Request to have a contact person at the office to share their concerns prior to the patient’s visit. The family might even be able to provide suggestions of possible solutions to the issue at hand. This could help prepare the physician to present his treatment options in a way that would be convincing enough to get the parent to comply.” These steps might be just what’s needed to put enough pressure on your mother to comply with her doctor’s recommendations. Nancy Stein, Ph.D., is the founder of Seniority Matters (senioritymatters.com), a caregiver advisory and referral service in South Florida for seniors and their families. You can contact her at nancy@senioritymatters.com. (c)2015, Seniority Matters Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
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When You Don’t Know Where To Turn Research by the National Hospice Foundation identifies the top four concerns Americans have surrounding end-of-life care: • Someone to be sure that the patient’s wishes are enforced; • Choice among the types of services the patient can receive; • Pain control tailored to the patient’s wishes; and • Emotional support for the patient and family.
and we at Hospice of Montgomery want to offer assistance to help those in our community navigate through this time,” said Jenille Ball, Executive Director of Hospice of Montgomery.
for everybody. Hospice of Montgomery has a comprehensive Bereavement Program. Services are provided through our licensed staff counselor. These services are offered to patients, their caregivers and family members, and to the community-at-large. This includes children.
For patients, bereavement services offer emotional and spiritual support, tailored to the patient’s wishes. For families, bereavement services ease the burden of care giving, through emotional and spiritual support; helping loved ones understand the journey of grief, and to cope with their loss in a healthy and productive manner.
Understanding the role of hospice can ease the burden of these concerns. Bereavement services are central to high-quality end-of-life care and an essential component of hospice care that includes anticipating grief reactions and providing ongoing support for the bereaved. While the terms are often used interchangeably, bereavement refers to the state of loss, and grief is the reaction to loss. Bereavement is the period of grief and mourning after a death. When you grieve, it’s part of the normal process of reacting to a loss. You may experience grief as a mental, physical, social, or emotional reaction. Mental reactions can include: • Anger • Guilt • Anxiety • Sadness • despair Physical reactions can include: • Sleeping problems • Changes in appetite • Physical problems • Illness How long bereavement lasts can depend on many factors. Friends, family, and faith may be sources of support. Grief counseling and grief therapy are also helpful to some. Each of us takes their own journey through grief and healing. There is no “one way” or “one plan” that can work The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
Because a family’s experience of terminal illness and a loved one’s passing does not end at the moment of death, hospice care extends support for the family through the Bereavement Program up to thirteen months after the patient’s passing. Most adults believe it would take a year or more to adjust to the death of a loved one. However, only 10% of adults have ever participated in a bereavement program or grief counseling following the death of a loved one. Hospice programs offer individual and/or group counseling for caregivers/surviving family, and friends. Printed materials are also available to assist families with grief along with notes of encouragement from the hospice staff. Hospice of Montgomery adds to their personal services by offering individual and/or group counseling to the public, as well as grief education programs to the community we serve. “After loss, the days are often difficult. Emotions can be overwhelming and these feelings may invade every part of a person’s life. Grief is a difficult journey
While many area churches, counseling centers, and independent counselors provide counseling services, not all bereaved are affiliated with a church and many cannot afford the cost of individual counseling. Hospice of Montgomery moves from care provider to grief counselor. Due to the nature of our work, grief and bereavement counseling are our area of counseling expertise. We are with you every step of the way. For over 30 years, Hospice of Montgomery has provided medical care for the seriously ill, bereavement and grief counseling for families, as well as caregiver relief. Hospice of Montgomery has cared for thousands of patients since 1976. We are Alabama’s FIRST hospice and the ONLY Independent, non-profit hospice provider in the River Region. For more information designed specifically to help individuals facing a serious illness and their loved ones gain resources and information, visit hospiceofmontgomery.org or simply call us at 334-279-6677. Make a difference today, make it Hospice of Montgomery.
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{12 Things} for active boomers and beyond
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
67th Annual Labor Day Greek BBQ Greek Orthodox Church, 1721 Mt. Meigs Road, Montgomery, AL Monday, September 7th, 9 am The offerings include a choice between three entrees: sliced pork or 1/2 chicken or lamb. Each plate comes with cole slaw, slow-simmered camp stew, bread and the church’s secret recipe barbecue sauce. Chicken and pork plates are $10; Lamb plates are $12. Quarts of the homemade camp stew are also available for $12 each. Event goers may also select from a mouth-water array of Greek pastries, including baklava. (sold separately). Don’t miss this holiday feast! For more info visit agocmal.org
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Free Broadway Under The Stars Pops Concert Performed by The Montgomery Symphony Blount Cultural Park Thursday, September 10th, 7:30 pm The Montgomery Symphony will perform a free evening of Broadway showtunes on Thursday, September 11th, when the Orchestra presents its 28th annual Broadway Under The Stars Pops Concert. Picnic baskets, coolers, blankets, and lawn chairs are all welcome at this free, family-oriented event which is sponsored by Regions Bank. The concert will be held lakeside in the Blount Cultural Park in front of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and will begin at 7:30 pm. Come early and pick a good spot to enjoy your family’s outing. The gates will open at 5 pm. For more information, or to order a Special VIP Dinner Package with reserved seating and parking, call 334.240.4004. For more info visit montgomerysymphony.org
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA Family Guidance Center Walk/Run The Shoppes at EastChase Saturday September 12th, 7:30 am
This event offers many different activities for individuals and families. In addition to the 5K and 10K courses designed by the River Region Runners, many of the stores at The Shoppes at EastChase open early and offer deep discounts to participants. Gap, Williams-Sonoma, and Bath & Body Works are some of the many participating stores. Refreshments, Color Guard flag presentation, and DJ-hosted music add to the festive spirit. Age-level
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awards encourage best times among competitive runners, and door prizes allows everyone a chance of going home with a prize. More info visit familyguidancecenter.org
PINE MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA Craft Beer Festival Callaway Gardens
Saturday, September 12th, 2-5 pm
Callaway Gardens® will host the second annual Craft Beer Festival on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Robin Lake Beach from 2 to 5 pm. This festival is an all-you-can-taste extravaganza with more than 50 craft beers from 25 different vendors. Beginning at 2 pm, guests will casually stroll from tent to tent sampling a variety of craft beers. Experts will be on hand to answer questions. Some of the featured breweries include Cannon Brew Pub, Goose Island, SweetWater Brewing Company, Jailhouse Brewing Co., Red Hare, Monday Night Brewing, Red Hook, Kona Brewing Co., Blue Point, Jekyll Brewing, Harpoon Brewing, Brooklyn Brewery, Anchor Brewing, Yuengling, New Belgium and more. The bands Secret Sauce and The Barstool Prophets will entertain and college football will be on the big screens. For more info visit callawaygardens.com
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
“Dali Dreamstones” Stonehenge Gallery, Cloverdale, 1041 East Fairview Avenue Exhibit runs through Saturday, September 12th Stonehenge Gallery is pleased to host this ancient Chinese art form exhibit of Dali Dreamstones. Near the ancient town of Dali in Yunnan Province in Southwest China is the towering massif called Cangshan that contains extraordinary marble deposits noted for their unique twisted striations and explosive combinations of colors. This Yunnan stone was esteemed so early in China that the Chinese word for “marble” is “dali.” This marble is also the source of Dali Dreamstones, natural canvases that reveal mysterious variegated patterns within each formation. For more information visit stonehengeinc.com
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Find Your Story: A Genealogy Course for All Levels Alabama Department of Archives and History
Mondays (4), Beginning September 14th, 9-12 noon Join Alabama Archives’ expert genealogist, Nancy Dupree, for a four-part series that will provide in-depth instruction into family history research for all levels of experience. This course will offer step-by-step instruction followed by hands-on research in the Alabama Department of Archives and History’s Research Room, with full access to a vast number of resources and state-of-the-art research tools. Come find your story! The course will be offered on 4 consecutive Mondays beginning September 14 from 9 to 12. See dates below: September 14, September 21, September 28, and October 5. To register call 334.242.4364 or visit archives.alabama.gov
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
“Learn to Square Dance” Beaux and Belles Square Dance Club Montgomery Area Square Dance Association (M.A.S.D.A.) Tuesdays September 22nd and 29th, 7:30-9 pm You don’t need to know anything about dancing to come. FREE Open House to learn about square dancing: Tuesday, September 22, 2015 7:30-9:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 29, 2015 7:30-9:00 p.m. Dress casually; bring a partner or learn individually. Join the Beaux and Belles for a fun evening with no commitment. We guarantee you’ll enjoy it! Nothing to lose, everything to gain, but you won’t know if you don’t try it! Montgomery Area Square Dance Association (M.A.S.D.A.), 2200 Poplar St., Montgomery, AL 36107. Classes start on October 6, 2015. See you there! For more info call 334.354.2854
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Bob Margolin to headline JUKE#8, Alabama Roots Music Train Shed-Union Station, Downtown Montgomery Friday, September 25th, 7 pm until Save the date! Electric blues guitarist Bob Margolin will be the featured act when the Alabama Roots Music Society gathers for music at the Union Station Train Shed on Friday, September 25. Bob Margolin is a Blues guitarist and singer. He tours worldwide today as a bandleader or guest with both legendary and contemporary musicians. Bob played guitar in Muddy Waters’ band from 1973-’80. He delivers exciting Blues guitar and an entertaining, friendly stage presence. In 2013, Bob was nominated for The Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Award for Traditional Male Blues Artist. He has won Blues Music Awards for guitar in 2008 and 2005. For more info visit bobmargolin.com or alabamarootsmusic.com
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
Chick Corea & Bela Fleck ion Concert Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, Birmingham, AL
Friday, October 2, 8 pm This is the duo’s second, back-by-popular-demand appearance at the ASC. Performing together, these two master musicians weave duets out of staggering virtuosity creating mind-blowing magic. They cross a myriad of genres, to create a casual, intimate evening with two legends from different musical worlds. The fourth most-nominated artist in Grammy history, Corea has attained living legend status as a DownBeat Hall of Famer, NEA Jazz Master, keyboard virtuoso, bandleader, and composer. Fleck is considered by many to be the premier banjo player in the world. Some even believe Fleck has virtually reinvented the image and the sound of the banjo through a remarkable performing and recording career that has taken him all over the musical map and on a range of solo projects and collaborations. for more info visit alysstephens.org/corea-fleck
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Montgomery’s Capitol Sounds Concert Band Presents “Sounds of Autumn” Concert City Hall Auditorium Downtown Montgomery Sunday, October 4th, 3 pm The Sounds of Autumn Concert will treat the audience to a wonderful program full of patriotism, opera, movies, Broadway and pop and rock favorites. The Capitol Sounds will begin the concert in the tradition of the great American marches with John William’s “Midway March”, followed by the Richard Rodgers and Robert Russell Bennett patriotic classic, “Victory at Sea”. The Capitol Sounds will also perform a selection of music from the Broadway staple My Fair Lady and pay tribute to the legendary singer, songwriter and entertainer Stevie Wonder. There is no admission but donations will be taken at the door. For more information contact John Jackson, musicjsj@gmail.com or 334.324.8661 or visit capitolsounds.org
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
Driving Miss Daisy ASF-Blount Cultural Park Beginning October 8th through November 1st When Daisy Werthan causes a car wreck, her son hires hard-working chauffeur Hoke Colburn to look after her. What begins as a hostile clashing of wills between a stubborn Jewish matriarch and a proud black man evolves into a decades-long friendship as the two navigate Civil Rightsera Atlanta. With humor and heartfelt emotion, Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play poignantly explores the transformative power of true friendship. For more info and tickets visit asf.net
BIRMINGHAM/SHELBY, ALABAMA Alabama Wine Trail Excursions Alabama Wine Country September 2015
Spend the day in Alabama’s wine country, taste traditional wines plus our southern favorites. Break the day with a great meal along the way, or bring a picnic and finish the day at a Bed and Breakfast or area hotel. Trail Maps available on the website wineries minutes away from the Interstates and Highways. Plan your trip now by visiting alabamawinetrail.net
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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
How to be a Grandparent...Lessons I Learned Let’s set the record straight here, I have a long time before I’ll be a grandparent. But I’ve been a granddaughter for 35 years to some pretty amazing grandparents so I guess that makes me a grandparent apprentice of some sort. I’m learning the trade and storing what I know so that someday, if my grandkids are as lucky as I was, I can be really good at the art of grandparenthood — perhaps even nail the perfect cookie jar. As all good apprentices do, I take notes. And because it’s almost Grandparents Day, I’ll let you take a peek at my apprentice notebook — a long time in the making — that includes some things I’ve learned about being a grandparent from four amazing teachers.
1. Be Very Interested and Passionate about Something It doesn’t really matter what that something is — photography, trains, coins, crossword puzzles, the Cubs, things with roosters, memoirs of First Ladies, Japanese art, knitting — just let your grandkids know what makes you come alive. Make them listen to you talk about your hobbies and loves, even if they look bored. Teach your grandkids something they don’t even know they want to learn. Drag them to coin shops and yarn stores, and make them listen to you read passages about Eleanor Roosevelt and how the steam engine works. Do it with gusto. I promise, they’ll love you for it. They will know you for it. Someday, they’ll lovingly remember, “He sure did love trains.” 2. When You’re Getting Old, Take Your Humor with You Nobody wants to say they’re old, but we can at least agree that we’re all headed there, and as we’re headed that way, I do know one thing: I don’t want to be the stodgy old lady. I want to be funny — maybe even embarrassingly funny. My favorite thing about my grandma? She’s hilarious. She’ll hit the dance floor at weddings, make fun of her own moves, and if there’s one thing she shares generously, it’s her laughter. It’s the best gift she could give us. 3. Have a Secret Stash of Candy No need to tell the parents about this
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one. I’m not going to lie: The way to your grandkids’ hearts is candy. OK, your love would also be nice, but candy seals the deal. Get a signature candy — M&Ms, jelly beans, Starbursts, Chiclets — and find a little tin (my grandpa’s was a small Jelly Belly tin), something memorable to store it in. Keep it in your pocket, or by your nightstand, or in your office, or on that end table next to the big La-Z-Boy chair where you watch the news. Make sure the grandkids know where it is, and make a big to-do about pulling it out when they’re with you. Make it “your special thing.” Someday, when you’re not with them, it will still be your special thing. 4. Get Into Their Worlds Want to be close to your grandkids? Learn to speak their language. Get on Facebook. Dip into social media and follow their accounts to let them know you care (OK — and to keep them in the circle of trust). I know the only reason my grandma checks Facebook is so she can have a closer glimpse of her grandkids’ lives. Know what OMG and TTYL and LMFAO mean (you won’t like it, but still — you should know). It’s OK to make your grandkids put their phones away at the dinner table (and please do) and to tell them about the days when “we didn’t have any of this crazy technology stuff — and when adults talked to us, we looked at them.” They need to hear it. But throw in some OMGs and put those thoughts on your Facebook wall — and your point might actually get across. 5. Give Them Your Handwriting So you’ve figured out what LOL means (“lots of love,” right?). Don’t get ahead of yourself. Just because you’re posting grandma selfies on Instagram doesn’t mean you can quit old-fashioned correspondence. Your grandkids might communicate through texts and Twitter, but they need you to keep the pen alive. Give them notes and cards. Write out your best casserole and cornbread recipes and start a collection for your grandkids. Your handwriting is a piece of you — pass it on.
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6. Tell Them the Stories of the Past Heritage is important. You need to pass the stories of your own childhood and their parent’s childhood down to your grandkids, or they’ll never know them. Make it a point to tell and retell those stories so that family is not forgotten. Tell stories with lessons — the value of hard work, the rewards of kindness, the consequences of fighting with your brother (which looked a lot different in our grandparents’ day!). 7. Build Traditions Start the wave in the bleachers — you are, after all, the matriarchs and patriarchs. The family traditions my grandparents started are security blankets in my life — and always a reminder of the comforts of home and family. Traditions can hold deep meaning — like our family singing the Doxology before holiday meals. Or, they can be as silly as a repeated routine like taking a grandkid out for chocolate malts and cheese fries after the first day of school. You don’t have to have an explanation for a tradition you start. But the more you repeat them, the more you tighten the ties that bind the family. Many of our family’s traditions have no explanations — like chocolate-covered cherries for all the girls at Christmas and seven presents for your 7th birthday — but they keep us close. My grandparents aren’t around to do these traditions themselves, but we carry them on, texting cousins pictures when we do, a tiny reminder in the midst of all the craziness in our lives that we’re family — and we’re here for each other. 8. Family Is Everything This is the most important lesson my grandparents ever taught me. Highlight it. Put stars next to it: Family is everything. And if you have kids, you have the power to drive this lesson home. Repeat this mantra in your conversation, in your actions, in the love you show your family and in your expectations for your children: We support each other, we show up. Kellie Hampton, ehow.com
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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