BOOM! February 2023

Publisher/Editor

Jim Watson 334.324.3472 cell/text jim@riverregionboom.com

Contributing Writers

Liz Alterman

Jeff Barganier

Tracy Bhalla

Greg Budell

Morris & Kelly Capouya

Evelyn Garrett

Judith Graham

Susan Moore

Susan O’Conner

Dr. Blake Raggio

James Skarnikat

Edd and Cynthia Staton

Nick Thomas

Cover Photography

Photography by DiAnna Paulk photographybydiannapaulk.com

Advertising

Jim Watson, 334.324.3472 jim@riverregionboom.com

Jim Watson, Publisher

jim@riverregionboom.com

Lead with Love

Love is in the air and everywhere. At least that’s the theme of the month of February, Valentine’s Day, and all. Love is such a powerful word and feeling we can’t limit its power to just one month. So I’m proposing a new idea about love…why don’t we just Lead with Love. Everyday. In our hearts. In our relationships. You know, Love your neighbor as yourself. I’m convinced that if everyone began their day with the mindset to lead their lives with love, our lives would be changed for the better. I challenge you all to begin now and Lead with Love the rest of the year, to see the change you make in others, Love is in the air and everywhere.

This month’s cover profile knows something about love, Morris and Kelly Capouya have been married more than 31 years and one of their secrets was marrying their best friend, each other! Their love has sustained them and their family. Now that they are empty nesters, there are new challenges and new experiences to pursue. Morris and Kelly share their story with us this month and I know you’ll enjoy getting to know them as much as I have.

Both Morris and Kelly are involved with the congregation at Temple Beth Or and this month they are preparing for the 18th Annual Jewish Food Festival on February 26th. The JFF was interrupted by the Covid Pandemic but is now back better than ever. I hope you’ll make plans to attend and enjoy the many delicacies offered. They also have a Treasure Market if you’re in a need of some great bargains. Check it out, it’s part of what makes Montgomery a special place to live.

A few other stories to look for would be our friend Greg Budell and his observations on Gen Z and what they now have in common with the BOOMERS, yeah they’re starting to get us. Jeff Barganier goes Big Easy on us and his travel experience reminds of just how easy it is to get away for a few days. Make the time for new experiences. Another story relates what romance looks like for one midlife couple, it’s different. Many of you may know about slow travel but we get a little help in what it is and how to do it. Interesting perspective. Oh, we added a word search this month and to see if anyone can complete it we have a $50 contest for the winner selected, give it a try, they say it’s good for your brain!

I hope you enjoy this month’s issue. There’s plenty of good reads for your reading pleasure, so sit back, grab your favorite beverage, and enjoy the experience. And thanks for sharing BOOM! with friends and family, I appreciate it. And remember to Lead with Love!

Age well my friends.

Jim 334.324.3472 cell/text jim@riverregionboom.com

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.

A Guide to In-Office Plastic Surgery

The Rise of In-Office Cosmetic Procedures

As we had discussed last month, Plastic Surgery amongst Baby Boomers has become increasingly popular over the last two decades for several reasons. To that effect, plastic surgeons are also seeing a rise in cosmetic procedures being performed inoffice, which offers a variety of benefits as compared to performing such procedures in a hospital or surgery center setting. Here, we will outline some of those advantages and review the latest trend in Plastic Surgery, that is the rise of in-office cosmetic procedures.

Why are In-Office Procedures so popular? In-office procedures offer several distinct advantages compared to the hospital or surgery center setting:

1. First, and perhaps the biggest advantage, would be that in-office procedures require no general anesthesia. In other words, you will not be put to sleep and the procedure can be comfortably performed entirely with local numbing injections. For folks that are either too unhealthy or apprehensive to undergo general anesthesia, procedures performed in-office represent a great option.

2. Secondly, the price associated with inoffice procedures is often considerably lower than the cost associated with utilizing the hospital or surgery center. This means the patient saves money on both facility fees and the cost of general anesthesia. You can expect to save several hundred dollars, at least, with this method.

3. Thirdly, the ease of scheduling a procedure in-office grants more flexibility than that of a surgery center or hospital setting. This allows the patient more freedom when making that important decision to schedule their procedure.

4. Lastly, the overall experience associated with performing a procedure in-office is often more pleasant than that of a hospital or surgery center. In general, the office setting affords a more personal and concierge-type service compared to the

hospital or surgery center setting.

What Plastic Surgery procedures can be performed in-office? What do they cost? Now that we have outlined the multiple benefits of in-office procedures, the question remains what procedures can be safely and effectively performed in an office setting. In no particular order, here they are with a brief description and their “ballpark” cost:

1. Facelift (mini-lift) – skin, muscle, and fat trimmed and/or repositioned to create a more youthful appearance. Cost: $6500

2. Upper Blepharoplasty (eyelid lift) – skin and/or fat removed from the upper lid to refresh the eyes. Cost: $3000 (Fig.1)

3. Lower Blepharoplasty – skin removed, and fat repositioned to rejuvenate the undereye region. Cost: $3000

4. Nose Alar Base Reduction – soft-tissue removed from the nostril to narrow the base of the nose. Cost: $2000

5. Surgical Lip Lift – skin removed from the upper “white” lip to improve overall lip shape. Cost: $2500 (Fig. 2)

6. Buccal Fat Pad Removal: mid-face fat pad removed from the cheeks to slim the face and improve contour. Cost: $2000

7. Chin Implant – medical grade implant used to augment the chin and balance the profile. Cost: $2500

8. Submental Liposuction – fat removed from the neck to improve profile and sharpen jawline contour. Cost: $2000

9. Otoplasty (ear pinning) – skin and/or cartilage removed from ear to improve shape. Cost: $2000

10. Scar Revision – resection of unfavorable scars plus meticulous suturing used to improve appearance. Cost: $1500

11. Ear Lobe Repair – repair of split or torn

ear lobes. Cost: $1200

12. Mole or Skin Lesion Removal – surgical excision of unwanted skin lesions. Cost: $1000

13. Chemical Peel (medium-deep) – skin resurfacing procedure to improve texture, tone, and discoloration of the skin. Cost: $1000

Note: the above procedures vary in their cost, risks, downtime, and results. That said, the in-office procedures listed above typically require 1-2 hours to perform, have a high safety profile, and have minimal associated “social” downtime usually no more than 1-2 weeks. More extensive procedures (e.g., facelift) or combination procedures (e.g., Upper and Lower Blepharoplasty) may require additional time for healing. Of course, these are generalities, so please ask your surgeon for specifics regarding your procedure.

What if I am interested in an in-office cosmetic procedure?

Whether you are considering a facelift to look your best for your daughter’s upcoming wedding, or whether you are interested in a blepharoplasty to rejuvenate your eyes, you should consult with a physician who has specialty training in the area you are looking to improve. Furthermore, ensure your doctor is well versed in both surgical and non-surgical facial rejuvenation procedures so that you are guaranteed a comprehensive evaluation.

Lastly, choose a surgeon whom you trust. There is nothing more important than the relationship you have with your physician.

In Good Health,

Dr. Blake Raggio

Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon

128 Mitylene Park Ln. Montgomery, AL 36117 334-373-3611

www.ALplasticsurgery.com

Dr.Raggio@alplasticsurgery.com

Dr. Raggio’s Modified Surgical Lip Lift (post-op 1 month)

Dr. Raggio’s signature Upper and lower lid Blepharoplasty

By James Skarnikat

How Music Benefits Seniors

As one that entertains seniors professionally, I’m constantly witness to the powerful effects of music on my venerable audiences. Nearly all of my 2500+ concerts for seniors have demonstrated this to me. Always at the end of my program, I’m approached by well-wishers eager to tell me how a song made them feel, or to be told a story about some memory stirred.

My programs usually go by the name ‘Jimmy’s Old Time Radio Show’, my attempt to find a title representative of the broad span of material I draw from, classic songs of many styles and time periods that my audiences heard on the “old time radio” of their youth.

I perform to seniors in all levels of care ranging from the fully independent to secure dementia wards, even palliative. The average age of someone in my audience is approximately 90. I couldn’t tell you how many people over 100 I’ve met, but it’s many, and it’s always an honour.

Commonly, a senior will share memories about making music in the family home, often describing mom and dad and siblings around the living-room piano, with fiddles and guitars, joyously singing, a cherished reverie, this from a time when people made their own entertainment.

Through my experience playing concerts for the elderly, some audience reactions stand out. To highlight just a couple, I often recount how a man by the nick-name of ‘Curley’ illuminated the importance of music for seniors to me when I was a novice entertainer. Years ago…he’s long gone now…I encountered Curley as a slumped figure in a wheelchair, the staff saying, “Don’t worry, he’s unresponsive.”

But as I played on, a transformation took place. Curley raised his head and opened his eyes. Then he began tapping to the rhythm on his tissue box. Then he began

to sing. It was amazing. Staff stopped their work and took notice, talking among themselves about what they were witnessing as they gathered in the doorway of the small activity room where Curley and I were.

As a couple years of singing for him progressed, he even taught me a song that he hummed for me each visit, but I didn’t know what it was until one fateful day when I was able to learn from his family, it was the 1930s classic, “When I Grow Too Old To Dream”. I learned it and sang it with him each subsequent visit, usually more than once, even at Christmas time, the experience powerful and heartrendering. Then one day, he was no longer in my audience, but I have carried the lesson he taught me ever since.

Then recently, thousands of concerts later, a woman openly wept as I sang ‘Unchained Melody’, bawling “Thank You!” as I finished the song, she was so moved. We laughed together when I told her my next song was called, ‘Smile’. “It better be!”, she quipped. The Activity Aide witnessing this musical miracle laughed too with her arm around the woman.

These are just two examples from hundreds I could draw from of how music programs are holistically vital to those living in retirement or long-term care. This is why I advocate for “more music for more seniors” at every opportunity.

There are no sadder words than to be told by the recreation manager in a facility that, “We don’t have the budget” for music. It’s not common, but it happens. Every facility is unique. From varying levels of care to different populations, from public to private homes, to capital needs and operating budgets, a widearray of factors determine the calibre and frequency of entertainment a place can afford.

Volunteers are the grease to recreation departments, but professional entertainers bring something more, especially those that specialize in concerts for seniors.

The profound effects of music on persons dealing with dementia is increasingly publicised, from iPod programs to Music Therapists’ restorative work. With the ratio of seniors in the population increasing, this aspect of elder-care is increasingly in focus.

As one that has been connected to the industry for years in a variety of capacities, I champion the cause for more music. It’s why I write these words.

To those that sang along even when they couldn’t speak, I’m compelled to speak on their behalf. Music is deeply-ingrained, the melodies they sing are coming from their soul. There is no monetary value that can be placed on that.

‘Jimmy’s Old Time Radio Show’ can be seen on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/ user/2112chef) and Facebook (facebook.com/ jimmysoldtimeradioshow)

Source: www.seniorlifestylemag.com

Senior resident and performer James Skarnikat

Temple

Beth Or’s 18th

Annual

Jewish Food

will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2023

Festival

~We look forward to coming every year. I get excited when I see the signs around town announcing the date.~

~Love, love, love the food. I wish they would hold it every month!~

Comments by past visitors to Temple Beth Or’s Jewish Food Festival

After a three-year break due to the pandemic, the members of Temple Beth Or are ready to once again welcome our friends and neighbors to enjoy our Jewish Food Festival and Treasure Market from 10am to 2pm on Sunday, February 26th. Year after year, visitors enjoy delicious food, wonderful bakery items and great bargains in the Treasure Market.

Choose from a variety of delicious food items available to eat in or take out. Some of our homemade, mouthwatering Jewish specialties include slow cooked, tender beef brisket, cabbage rolls (cabbage leaves stuffed with meat), noodle kugel (noodle and egg casserole made with sugar and raisins), fresh potato latkes, and Quajado (spinach, pasta, egg and cheese casserole). For lunch, choose from a hot plate consisting of beef brisket in savory pan juices, kugel, green beans and homemade Challah, or a veggie plate with Quajado, noodle kugel, a potato latke and Challah (traditional braided Jewish bread). Kids (or you) will love the kosher hotdogs with hearty mustard. In addition to the frozen quarts of homemade Matzah Ball soup we sell every year, this year we are offering Frozen-to-Go pans of kugel, Quajado, and cabbage rolls as well as frozen loaves of homemade Challah. Hungry yet?

Don’t forget to visit our beautiful bakery for the many homemade pastries such as strudel, rugelach, mandel bread, curabies (traditional Sephardic sand tarts) and praline matzah. Take home several loaves

of our homemade Challah. This year we have several of options for Carnegie Deli Cheesecakes. The 4” cheesecake is perfect for two people or maybe as a hostess gift; the 10” cheesecake is large enough for a dinner party with friends and new this year, bags of chocolatecovered cheesecake bites – bet you can’t eat just one.

Our Treasure Market is full of unique, pre-loved items ready for sale at bargain prices. Spend time browsing the book room, or enjoy the great deals on jewelry, silver, glassware, antiques, artwork, lamps, furniture, household and decorative items. We have children’s books and toys, lots of garden items, tools, cameras, linens and so much more.

We will once again feature live, family musical entertainment by Dahlia Road. And don’t miss the Sanctuary tours and

discussions led by Rabbi Looper. The 17 years of success of the Jewish Food Festival & Treasure Market is made possible by the hard work of our congregation members and the support of the greater Montgomery Community as well as the sponsorship provided by the Montgomery business community. We couldn’t do it without everyone!

For a menu or information, visit Temple Beth Or’s website at www.templebethor.net

What: Jewish Food Festival

Where: Temple Beth Or 2246 Narrow Lane Road Montgomery, AL 36106

When: Sunday, February 26

10 am – 2 pm

Additional info: www.templebethor.net

Free Admission and Free Parking

Creamy Tortellini Soup

My favorite cozy weeknight soup made in just 30 min! It’s so stinking easy too. Loaded with tender tortellini, sausage and kale! That and all the crusty bread to sop up all this creamy goodness. Oh, and the wine. That helps warm you up too, no?

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium sweet onion, diced

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken stock

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

1 (9-oz) package refrigerated three cheese tortellini ½ bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped ⅓ cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.

2. Stir in garlic, onion and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

4. Gradually whisk in chicken stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

5. Stir in tortellini; cover and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

6. Stir in kale until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and basil until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

7. Serve immediately.

Source: https://damndelicious.net/2019/01/30/creamy-tortellini-soup/

God's Grace ALONE

God’s Grace Alone is the story of one woman’s struggle to find his love. From a nomadic childhood filled with sexual abuse, to marriages filled with emotional and physical abuse, not to mention forced abortions, she’s faced with the challenge of trying to save her current husband from meth addiction. Through it all she learns that no one is so broken that God can’t fix them. Told in a simple, raw, southern voice, this is a story to inspire.

Starr Rogers has lived in Alabama all of her life. She's been a preschool teacher for twenty-three years and she's a pro-life activist. She has four children and three grandchildren.

https://wipfandstock. com/9781725276888/ gods-grace-alone/

Author, Starr Rogers

By Liz Alterman

Romance at Midlife Isn't Dead - It's Just Different

My husband, Rich, and I walked into our kitchen following a night out with friends. We'd gone to a restaurant and then to the couple's home to meet their new puppy.

As I tossed the cardigan I'd knotted around my shoulders onto a chair, Rich said, "Hey, I was proud of you tonight."

"I'd never imagined that not breaking wind in front of another couple would be a source of pride, something that put a little twinkle in my husband's eye, but here we are."

"Really?" I spun around, curious to hear what I'd done to impress him. Was it the fact that I'd changed out of sweatpants and put together a semistylish ensemble? Was it my attempts at witty banter over dinner? Was it that I'd remembered to bring the treats and squeaky toys I'd purchased for the puppy days before? "For what?" I asked.

"For not farting when that dog knocked you over."

Welcome to romance at midlife!

"Um, thank you?" I laughed as the image of me, a 50-year-old woman, lying flat on my back in our friends' living room flashed through my mind.

Before releasing their sweet spaniel from his crate, our friends had advised me to squat down so their pup would be less tempted to jump. I complied, knees popping and crunching as I got into baseball catcher position. But once the dog bounded my way, my balance was no match for his enthusiasm. The next thing I knew, I was sprawled across

the hardwood floor as their new pooch licked any salty remnants from dinner off my startled face.

Notions of Romance Have Changed

"I mean, c'mon, after a big meal, that's not easy!" Rich continued.

I'd never imagined that not breaking wind in front of another couple would be a source of pride, something that put a little twinkle in my husband's eye, but here we are.

As we approach our twenty-third wedding anniversary, it's fair to say that our forms of sweet talk and flattery have undergone a radical transformation. And I'm fine with that.

For example, the old "You're so beautiful" and "You look hot!" have been replaced by mutual assurances that we're not nearly as frightening as we appear on FaceTime, Zoom or Google Meet.

"No, of course, you don't look like that!" we insist. "It's just bad lighting. Seriously, that's a terrible angle!"

Sometimes I wonder if we're stuck in a reciprocal kindness bubble. Or perhaps we still see each other as we were back

in 1996 when we first met. More likely, we both need new glasses.

When we began dating, we loved trying new restaurants, catching live music and comedy shows. We spent weekend afternoons strolling hand-inhand through museums and botanic gardens. Now, for special occasions, we print out an ad for an upcoming performance and promise each other that if the pandemic doesn't postpone it and if it isn't raining and if we're not too tired and if the kids don't need a ride, we'll definitely (maybe!) buy tickets and go.

A Different Love Language

With three children and two cats, neither of us is about to whisk the other out of town for a romantic getaway at a moment's notice. But we do try to help each other when one of us ends up in the basement without a clue as to what brought us down there.

You said something about getting a box of pasta?

Oh, yes, right. Thank you!

Our love language is different, evidenced by the unique ways we show each other we care:

Him: "I bought you some beets." Me: "I cleaned the litter box."

Our brand of sexy talk now consists of "Hey, come here," said in an urgent, hushed whisper as we lure each other into the bedroom. "Can you check out this mole? Does it look suspicious?"

These days, in lieu of flowers, I'm happier

with a five-minute foot rub.

If we really want to dazzle each other, one of us will offer to skip that Saturday evening glass or two of wine and venture out into a chilly winter night to pick up one of our teens from a pal's house hours past our usual bedtime.

I have friends who are divorced and dating again. I won't lie, there are elements of it that sound exciting — meeting someone new, hearing their life story, the anticipation of a first kiss. At the same time, it also sounds a bit exhausting, which many of those friends would readily admit.

For instance, how long would it take for my new love interest to know I can't stand certain bands from the 1970s? Would my husband be comfortable revealing that he has an aversion to touching cotton?

We're at a point where our quirks require no explanation, and that alone is pretty appealing.

Our midlife relationship reminds me of the near-last few lines of William Matthews's poem "Misgivings," which read:

Listen, my wary one, it's far too late to unlove each other.

Amen. We'll be the first ones to admit that the Hallmark Channel probably won't be calling for the rights to our present-day love story any time soon, but we cherish the comfort level we've established after decades together.

We've grown to appreciate things about one another that others would surely overlook. And isn't that what made us fall in love in the first place?

Liz Alterman is the author of a domestic suspense novel, The Perfect Neighborhood, a young adult thriller, He’ll Be Waiting, and a memoir, Sad Sacked. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, McSweeney’s, and other outlets. Source: www.NextAvenue.org

By Nick Thomas

Valentine’s Day Advice

Lovers beware. Forgetting your sweetheart on February 14 may invoke a tsunami of fury that makes the 1929 Chicago Valentine’s Day Massacre look like a church picnic.

And even if you do remember to buy a gift, choose judiciously. I once alerted a girlfriend she would be receiving a special bunch of ‘flowers’ for Valentine’s Day. Yes, in my attempt at romantic humor, I surprised her with bags of all-purpose, whole wheat, and selfrising flours – which, I hasten to add, were all lovingly hand-picked by me from the shelves of our local high-end supermarket. Nevertheless, I quickly learned how easily a flour bag ruptures when hurled across a room.

Obviously, real flowers as well as candy or perfume are traditional Valentine’s Day gifts for ladies. However, in today’s nervous health-conscious society, personal protection apparel might be acceptable practical gifts, too. This was not the case in my youth. Once upon a pre-viral time, giving your beloved even a designer face mask and suggesting she wear it on a public date might have landed you in the ER faster than you could say “and here’s some rubber gloves, too.”

Even if you don’t buy a gift, be sure to remember a Valentine’s Day card and –very importantly – after receiving yours, keep it on prominent display for at least a week. Otherwise, the source of those love arrows may quickly shift from Cupid to Robin Hood.

Cards, of course, are a convenient way

to send a message on that special day, although not always a welcome one.

I remember early one February, many years ago, baking a ‘make-up’ apple and rhubarb pie and leaving it on the doorstep of a girlfriend during our short and sometimes turbulent relationship. A hand-made Valentine’s Day card later arrived on the 14th in the mail. I wish it had read: “Roses are red, violets are blue. Your cooking rocks, and so do you” followed by “Good pie!” In reality, the words were not quite so encouraging: “Roses are red, violets are blue. Your cooking sucks, and so do you …. Goodbye!”

As for the origins of Valentine’s Day, no, it was not created by a greeting card company CEO named Val N. Tyne. According to history.com, it’s traced to several early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. Most came to a rather gruesome end, all presumably failing to

present their sweethearts with gifts. That always bears remembering.

The same source also explains that the actual connection of romance to Valentine’s Day is usually credited to medieval English writer Chaucer. In “Parliament of Foules,” the poet refers to the mid-February day as a time when birds (and presumably other creatures including humans) look for a mate: “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day, Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate” (old Geoff was a terrible speller).

However, I recommend you approach the topic of mating in any Feb 14 conversation with caution, especially if it’s a first date.

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama, and has written features, columns, and interviews for many newspapers and magazines. See www.getnickt.org

Getting To Know You

Haven Memory Care on Halcyon

"Coming Home"

Hi! My name is Evelyn Garrett! I am a native Montgomerian, but I have been away from Montgomery for many years. Both of my parents and their siblings grew up here, so I had lots of family around when I was a child. I had grandparents on both sides, aunts and uncles, and many cousins right here in Montgomery! We all lived close together and mostly went to school together. To make it even nicer, because my parents were raised here, they had childhood friends who were also raising their families in Montgomery, which gave us even more close family-like friendships. It was an almost “storybook” place to grow-up. I, in turn, raised my own children here…...How could I resist the charm and legacy Montgomery held?

When our last and youngest child went off to college, my husband’s work took us to Fairhope, Alabama. It was a lovely place to live and we put down roots while we were there. That is actually how I became involved in the senior living industry. My husband’s mother was living alone and had determined the time was right for her to move to a Senior Living Community. We visited a place called Homestead Village, which is owned by Community Senior Life, the company with which I am employed to this day.

I like to say that my mother-in-law and I went to Senior and Assisted Living together! We both really liked the community and established an immediate rapport with Vicki Gordon Wagner, the Community Development Director. During our

tour of Homestead Village, Vicki casually asked if I would be interested in working there. She said, “I can see that you would be a good fit working with seniors.” I never dreamed she was serious!! Late that afternoon, Vicki called and asked me if I would apply for the Business Office Manager’s position, which I did. My mother-inlaw moved into her new apartment the same week I joined the company … and the rest “is history”.

Community Senior Life is a family of not-for-profit healthcare-related organizations specializing in senior independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities in Fairhope, Foley, Gulf Shores, Madison, and Montgomery, Alabama. Dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for an ever-growing senior population, each organization within the Community Senior Life family offers a service tailored to meet the lifestyle needs of senior citizens while preserving one’s dignity. The longer I am involved with the CSL company, the more I admire and appreciate all it stands for.

Eventually, as our children married and started having children of their own, we began to feel the pull of family ties. We had been spread out between Dallas, Nashville, Birmingham, and Auburn. Because they all lived in different cities, it seemed that my husband and I were beginning to spend almost every weekend driving to one place or another to see them. Finally, late one Sunday evening, after a long drive home from a

Evelyn Garrett, Executive Director Haven Memory Care on Halcyon

weekend visit to Nashville, Tennessee, my husband said,” we are just going to have to move closer to our family”. We believe that close proximity to our own grandparents played a critical role in our development and happiness; our hope/aim/desire is to do the same for our grandchildren.

My husband and I decided to move to the Huntsville area to be closer. I discussed the move with my boss, Executive Director, Kim Neal, who was very instrumental in helping me transfer to one of our sister communities in Madison, Alabama. Kim and I worked closely together at Homestead Village, and she has always been an outstanding role model for me in the Senior Living industry. I gained a life-long friend the day I walked in the doors of Homestead Village! Another positive characteristic of CSL is their willingness to help employees develop within the company. It is rewarding to feel that you are supported by your company and able to grow in your skills and opportunity. While working at Madison Village, CSL provided the opportunity for me to obtain my Assisted Living Administers License, Level II. I am immensely grateful they did so.

After spending only, a year at Madison Village, the Vice President of Operations, Nick Wilmott, asked me if I would be willing to help our sister community, Haven Memory Care on Halcyon in Montgomery. They needed an Interim Administrator, and it would only last for about two months. I would be “back and forth” between communities for a while, but I knew it was an opportunity for growth….and it

was in my “beloved Montgomery”. I said yes! As the weeks went by, I fell in love with the community of Haven Memory Care. I grew to love the residents, their families and the staff. I believed that I could make a difference for the community and for the Montgomery community, as well. Nick and Kim discussed making my position permanent at Haven Memory Care on Halcyon. My husband and I were thrilled with the idea of moving home!

Haven Memory Care on Halcyon is a full-service Memory Care Community. Memory Care is our specialty. We are committed to providing the highest Alzheimer’s and Dementia care level. Our memory care services provide each resident with a tailored plan of care that focuses on their cognitive abilities and skills. We offer a safe and secure environment that seeks to provide meaningful interaction and experiences for our residents. This provides family and loved ones with peace of mind knowing that the senior in their life is receiving the care and attention they need and deserve.

As we are all unique in our own way, and as there are no two cases of Dementia that are alike, the determining factor of when to transition into memory care assisted living varies. For some individuals, it is the inability to manage the day-to-day care of their loved one

who is struggling with memory loss concerns such as wandering or how to perform simple tasks; for some with the inability to manage the activities of daily living such as bathing, toileting, dressing, and grooming; Finally, the financial strain of being able to afford in-home care is the impetus for the transition to assisted living.

Our community supports both the resident in need of assisted care and the family. Our purpose is to be the bridge with the family, to provide the appropriate care to allow their loved ones to have dignity and quality of life in the midst of a terrible disease.

My mother was in the last few months of her life when I began coming back and forth to Montgomery. I would go see her early in the morning before I started work and often visit her again late at night after I finished. She would say, “Darling, you are working so hard” to which I would reply, “Mama, every day, when I am taking care of my residents, I see your face in theirs and am doing it for you!” It was truly a gift God gave me during those months. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.” That does not mean God will give us whatever we desire, it means He will put His desires for us in our heart and it will delight us.” I believe God placed me on this path and I am working hard every day to do a good job and I am truly delighted.

Please come by and see us at Haven Memory Care On Halcyon. We would love to show you our home and, if needed, help you navigate the sometimes intimidating path of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. We are here to help.

‘Throw Me Something Mister!’”

Downtown Millbrook will soon be filled with beads, Moon Pies, candy and the sounds of thousands of revelers shouting, “Throw me something mister!” The Millbrook Revelers will hold their annual Mardi Gras Festival Saturday, February 4 from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. with the parade through downtown beginning at noon. “This year’s parade will be extra special,” said Revelers’ President Michele Reeves. “We are so fortunate to have Sean Dietrich, also known as Sean of the South, as our Grand Marshal. “We are so excited to have him as part of our celebration. We hope everyone will come and see him and catch some beads!” Sean is the author of 13 books and does a daily column about life in the South. For nearly two decades, the Millbrook Krewe has brought the fun and pageantry of Mardi Gras to Millbrook. Members work hard all year to bring the spirit of laissez le bon temps rouler (let the good times roll) to the River Region and visitors from far and wide.” This year’s King Ben Robbins, and Queen Shirley Hasse, will reign over the festivities at Village Green Park which include a variety of food and arts/craft vendors and events (including the 10 a.m. Umbrella Stroll) and family friendly fun. The highlight of the Festival is the noon parade through Downtown Millbrook. “The parade will feature local marching bands, special guests and a fantastic array of vehicles and floats decorated in the tradition of Mardi Gras,” said Charter Krewe Member Johnny Moore. “Parade goers will be treated to great entertainment and thousands of beads, candy treats, and other throws. Just yell out, ‘throw me something mister!’”

Prattville’s 19th Annual Mardi Gras Parade and Celebration will be held on February 4th

The good times will begin to roll with food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, inflatables, and other activities at 11 am. The parade will start at 2 pm at the Autauga County Courthouse. It will follow Main Street through downtown, turn right on Northington then left on Doster Road, ending at Stanley Jensen Stadium. For more information, call (334) 595-0854

Get Beaded @ Mardi Gras

Limited - Bourbon & Beignets!

Saturday February 18th

Museum @ 4:30, 6:00 or 7:30 PM.

Bourbon & Beignets

Join a "spirited"

Mardi Gras parade! Roll into Ozan for a Taste of New Orleans! A paired wine tasting! Finish with our Founder's Cut Bourbon & Beignets! Book your Mardi Gras Fun at www.ozanwine.com, Ozan Vineyard & Winery, 173 Highway 301, Calera, Alabama, contact@ozanwine.com

Travel to Ozan by private train coach from the Heart of Dixie Railroad

By Judith Graham

How Do Fairy Tales Tell Stories of Aging?

A new book looks at how characters like Hansel and Gretel can help us examine the chapters of our lives

Several years ago, three close friends, now in their 70s, decided to explore their thoughts and feelings about growing older by diving into the world of fairy tales.

What would they learn by revisiting stories of their childhood and reinterpreting them from a very different perspective, they wondered.

William L. Randall and W. Andrew Achenbaum, who spent long careers studying aging, wanted the freedom to write personally and reflectively, not academically.

Randall, a retired professor of gerontology at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, Canada, has specialized in studying how the stories people tell about their lives shape their experiences of growing older. Achenbaum, a historian who spent most of his career at the University of Michigan and the University of Houston, has focused on the history of aging in the United States.

Their collaborator, Barbara Lewis, a retired psychoanalyst, Episcopal priest, and Achenbaum's wife, is especially interested in how people address the spiritual dimensions of aging.

Together, the three have published an imaginative, thought-provoking new book, Fairy Tale Wisdom: Stories for the Second Half of Life. In it, they examine tales such as The Tortoise and the Hare, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Hansel and Gretel, The Ugly Duckling, and several religious-oriented stories.

Which characters do I identify with and has this changed from when I was a child, they ask themselves. What personal memories do these stories evoke, and what sense

do I make of these experiences now that I'm older? What images of aging are embedded in these stories, and how do I relate to that?

Reexamining Fairy Tales Today

"The adventure that awaits us in the second half of life is that of exploring and owning our inner worlds" and reexamining fairy tales is a meaningful way to do this, Randall told me in a phone conversation.

For him, the exercise has been transformative. Previously, Randall said, he conceived of "life review" – a form of selfreflection important to many older adults – in a chronological framework.

"You go over the past and take stock of key events and turning points in your life and hopefully come to some sort of positive assessment along the lines of 'I did best with the circumstances I was given,'" he explained.

While writing this book, Randall said, he also came to recognize the value of reviewing emotion-laden images and moments that bring to light important themes. An example: in his chapter on Jack and the Beanstalk, Randall ends up associating the fearsome giant with his often-critical father, who he described as having a "monstrous side" that "I hated and feared."

For Randall, one of the key tasks of growing up was cutting his father down to size and asserting his independence. (Think of

Jack cutting down the beanstalk.) His father's aging advanced those tasks: beset by the pain of arthritis, the old man became more appreciative of his son and reconciliation of sorts occurred.

Writing about the tale, Randall said he realized "age cuts us all down to size." Also, all kinds of authorities lose their power over us (as the giant lost power over Jack) as we move into a new stage of life with different priorities.

A New Lesson from the Tortoise and the Hare

Lewis examines shifting priorities in her take on the Tortoise and the Hare. (All three authors riff on this story at the beginning of the book.) A conventional interpretation might be that the hare, who stops to take a nap during the race and ends up losing, is foolish while the Tortoise is steady, reliable and admirable.

But Lewis questions the underlying premise of the story from an older person's perspective. "Is life to be seen as a competition? As something we should try to win?," she writes. Especially as we grow older, she observes, a "zero-sum view of the meaning of life" might not be useful.

This leads Lewis to empathize with the hare who, she writes, "can no longer bear to put her energy into the race. She knows she can win; there is no challenge left in this arena. She has run the race, or others like it, long enough." How many people share similar feelings upon retirement?

Achenbaum, who describes his youthful self as an unathletic "plodder" – in other words, a tortoise — writes of learning how to compete with others as an adult, "to be a hare." Why was it so important for him to reject his tortoise nature in his early and middle adulthood, he asks. Is it possible that he's both a tortoise and a hare, and that the dichotomy between the two is false?

With age, we tend to move away from dualistic thinking and better appreciate paradoxes, the authors observe at various points in the book. Also, we realize that our own stories are, by necessity, incomplete until the very end, and we come to accept that.

Hansel, Gretel and the Challenges of Aging

Of the stories she reviewed, Hansel and Gretel was particularly resonant for Lewis. Rereading this tale from the perspective of an older adult helped her understand that "we, like Hansel and Gretel, have survived. We were able to surmount difficulties –maybe even near-fatal experiences – and, even if scarred, lived through danger and frailty."

In Lewis' interpretation, the witch who threatens Hansel and Gretel is a symbol of the "uncaring, often cruel world that lures us by promising wonderful treats." And Hansel and Gretel's expulsion from home by an evil stepmother evokes the challenges of aging.

"As we age, many of us feel the shock of being 'thrown out' of our adults lives – by deaths of loved ones, by our own illnesses, by the leaving of grown children, or by retirement," she writes.

If we're lucky, we find a new path forward. Achenbaum said that happened to him in writing this book. "It was really a turning point in my retirement," he told me. "I didn't have to worry about peer review, deadlines, tenure decisions. I could write the way I wanted to write for myself, and that is really spiritual."

Source: www.NextAvenue.org

by Susan

Move In Ready

She stooped down and looked inside the broken flowerpot covered in sticks and bark. “But where are the fairies?” she asked in a slightly upset but definitely disgusted voice. The expression on her face matched the tone of her voice. We had spent the morning collecting bark, rocks, pinecones, sticks, and moss from the yard for our fairy house. She patiently, in a very four- year-old way, let me apply the hot glue while she held the bark and sticks as they cooled. A pinecone was a nice finishing touch for the roof where it came to a point.

I found a large saucer that once held a flower pot, long ago broken. Filling it with dirt was messy fun. She gently placed the just completed house in the soil. The jagged hole in the flowerpot was the doorway for the fairies to use. We hot glued small pebbles around the sharp edge so the fairies wouldn’t hurt themselves on it. Two tiny pinecones were

placed on either side of the doorway to be pretend lights. Fairies are afraid of the dark. Moss dug from the cracks in the driveway made the lawn.

She decided fairies liked flowers and wanted some for the project. I remembered I had planted a St. Patrick’s Day shamrock under some boxwoods last April. The shamrock’s leaves showed signs of spider mites, but it was covered in delicate, white, trumpetshaped flowers. She was delighted, spider mites and all. Now it was time to put the completed project in an interior corner of a back patio bed filled with boxwood.

Naptime, then milk, vanilla wafers, and apple slices. Time to jump up, go outside and check for fairies.

Oh my, no fairy sightings and one very disappointed little blue eyed babe. Ok, maybe fairies are afraid of people, just like the birds, butterflies, and squirrels we’ve spent so many hours trying to catch. That idea seemed to make sense to that young brain. The rest of the afternoon was spent decorating the patio with sidewalk chalk interspersed with moments of dancing, spinning, swinging and singing. We are sure the fairies will think all of this is just too beautiful. Surely some small spite will find our garden fairy home to be practically perfect in every way.

To make a fairy garden you will need a broken flower pot of any size with a larger saucer, and a hot glue gun. Collect sticks, bark and other interesting yard trash. A small child adds a magical perspective.

Susan O’Conner Master Gardener

Class, 2016 lives in Montgomery. For more information on becoming a master gardener, visit www.capcitymga.org or email capcitymga@gmail.com

ReInvent Retirement with AUM OLLI

Research on aging emphasizes the importance of keeping mind and body active as we get older. AUM OLLI provides activities in both areas to help members engage in physical and mental activities.

Classes are offered during three regular terms – Fall, Winter, and Spring – plus a mini-summer term (four sessions in June). The selection of classes includes three categories: discussion/study, active, and do-it-yourself (craft) classes. Many of these selections are repeated every term if the interest dictates: art, book discussions, brain bowl, writing, jewelry making, line dancing, Tai Chi for pain relief, and others.

Winter term classes began January 30, 2023, but there is still time to take advantage of other AUM OLLI benefits: bonus opportunities, lunch presentations, and general benefits. General benefits include:

• Full AUM and AU library privileges

• Discount on AU OLLI workshops

• Discount on AUM Continuing Education programs

• Open invitation to attend AUM OLLI lunch presentations and special events

• Eligibility to join the AUM Wellness Center at a discounted rate

• Free admission to AUM athletic events

• Opportunity to join AUM and AU Special Interest Groups

• Opportunity to attend OLLI at AUM and AU field trips

• Members receive early notice of course catalogs.

• Free admission to Theatre AUM productions

• Discount on single tickets at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival

• Free AUM OLLI ID card

Lunch presentations are scheduled for Monday, February 6, 2023 – “Taiwan

Between Beijing and Washington” by Lawrence Grinter and Wednesday,

February 22, 2023 – “A Man’s Introduction to Quilting” by Al Medina. These events take place at the Center for Lifelong Learning from 11:35 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. Available Bonus Opportunities include a tour of the AUM Wellness Center (February 23, 2:00 p.m.), author appearances at Books and Coffee on February 7 (Bill Deutsch) and February 21 (Marlin Barton) at 8:30 a.m., and book discussions on February 7, February 21, and March 7 at 10:00 a.m.

In addition to these benefits, members of AUM OLLI become part of a community of friends!

Visit the AUM OLLI website (www.aum. edu/OLLI) or call 334-244-3804 for more information.

The Big Easy

I’m sitting in a comfortable chair in the Davenport Lounge at The RitzCarlton, New Orleans. Cindy’s sitting on one end of a plush coach to my immediate right. We share the corner of a coffee table where our petite waitress will soon place a slice of blueberry cheese cake and two cups of coffee. Renown trumpet player and vocalist Jeremy Davenport is taking the stage where he and his band will perform until midnight. Thirty-five years ago, he visited New Orleans from his native St. Louis with plans to stay a few months. Today, he’s a vital part of the New Orleans music scene. During his exciting career, he’s performed the world over with jazz legends like Wynton Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr. I sense this is going to be a real treat.

The Davenport Lounge feels like an extravagant high-rise apartment with luxurious aubergine silk sofas backed by mirrored display cabinets filled with porcelain and china. Jazz enthusiasts’ stream in and compete for seating. A couple of sisters from Dallas politely

request to join us and we are happy to oblige. We learn the delightful siblings, Aja and Aisha Scott, who both work for American Airlines, are enjoying a “sisters” adventure to a New Orleans Saints’ game. They grew up listening to the music their parents frequently played in their home; and are thrilled as Davenport croons an old familiar Sinatra song. When Aja and Aisha leave for a late dinner reservation, a young lady and her parents grab their seats. She just turned twenty-five and her birthday wish has come true—an evening with Jeremy Davenport. For jazz lovers, it doesn’t get any better than this.

Meanwhile, a tall, straightas-a-board gentleman and his beautiful, vivacious young partner, regale the rest of us with graceful, if not sensuous, gliding movements in a physical interpretation of the band’s random jazz presentation. I suspect she’s a professional dancer. Not so sure about him. She keeps him shuffling to and fro as she sways, spins and dips in and out of his arms. When the band takes its first break, she eases away into the

shadows. He flings his coat over a chair, appearing somewhat fatigued, and beelines for the bar. Today is his 80th birthday.

***

I was at first tentative about visiting New Orleans because of its crime stats. But I inquired, and received this communication from The Ritz-Carlton: “While the media may have indicated that New Orleans has more than its fair share of crime, it is not wildly different than other urban areas. We certainly recommend being aware of your surroundings at all times and using common sense when navigating

the city. 2022 saw the successful return of major events to New Orleans; new cultural products and attractions. Some festivals and restaurants are reporting best-ever attendance in 2022 which is a great sign for the resurgence of our cultural economy. Additionally, the Downtown Development District whose jurisdiction contains The RitzCarlton has increased their budget by $10,500,000 for increased spending for public safety and sanitation services, among other initiatives.”

Following this communication, we decided to make a reservation and take our chances.

For my history fix, we first visited the

Jeremy Davenport Band

Beignets

The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans

Battle of New Orleans site en route to The Ritz. It’s five miles south, near the bank of the Mississippi. From the battle field, our GPS took us through some neighborhoods that made us thankful for daylight. (The progressive Mayor of New Orleans is facing a recall vote. And it’s rumored George Soros-backed District Attorney Jason Williams is soft on crime.) I found myself praying for better luck in this celebrated multicultural city than the British had against Andrew Jackson’s ragtag army 208 years ago. Closer to the hotel, Cindy raised her voice, “Turn left here!” I was thinking: turn left where? “Turn left,” she insisted. I turned down what appeared to be an alley versus a street. We made a right at Deanie’s Seafood, and another right onto Canal Street where tall palms greeted us.

The Ritz-Carlton valet entrance was defined by oversized white stonecarved benches and urns filled with lush greenery. “French Quarter” lanterns flickered overhead and created a romantic ambiance. White double French doors between

limestone pillars opened to a marbled foyer filled with French oil portraits and antiques. The porter elevator carried us to the third-floor lobby. We were greeted by a young lady and her beignet cart filled with hot sugary temptations served in miniature paper cones. (And to think Cindy prefers this over primitive camping.)

Our room’s door opened into a private foyer of white Italian marble with dark grey veins. Off the foyer was a glamorous marble bathroom. We freshened up, and, being aware of our surroundings, walked a block back to Deanie’s Seafood that we had passed earlier. A polite young man coming out the door

offered, “It’s an eight out of ten.” A half-platter combo of shrimp, oysters and catfish proved to be more than enough to share. (Deanie’s gets a ten from me for the prompt, friendly service and delicious food.)

Next morning, we enjoyed more beignets, and then eggs Benedict at

the M Bistro Restaurant adjacent the Davenport Lounge. Some Saints’ fans were wearing favorite sports apparel. A fellow who resembled “Mean” Joe Greene was sitting at the table next to us with his wife and children. “Pardon my ignorance,” I asked. “Are you a famous football player?” He smiled and, in kind of a sad way, said he wished he was. He said he drove an eighteen-wheeler for a living. “Well,” I responded, “I can’t tell you how much we appreciate you. We’re in the interior design business. Without you truckers transporting our custom pieces, we’d be out of business.” He teared up.

Preparing to depart, we met a young woman from Massachusetts who peddled a “pedicab.” (She had muscular legs.) Turns out, she moved to New Orleans to escape the harsh New England winters. She offered us a ride in her contraption. But we politely declined—it was raining. Maybe next time. As for The Big Easy, it’s a fun place to visit. I’d go back in a drum beat.

www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/new-orleans www.jeremydavenport.com www.deanies.com

Jeff S. Barganier is a novelist, travel writer and manager of Cindy Barganier Interiors LLC (www.cindybarganier.com). He travels far and wide upon the slightest excuse for something interesting to write about. Contact: Jeffbarganier@knology.net. Instagram: @jeffbarganier. You may print out Jeff’s features at www.jeffbarganier.com and take them with you when you travel!

Aja and Aisha Scott

Jeff With Jeremy Davenport

Davenport Lounge Bar

This & tHAT i

Tempest: Feb. 23 – Mar. 12 Find Adventure, Intrigue, and Romance on Prospero's Island.

Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a storm that will have you on the edge of your seat! Adventure, intrigue, and romance are in store when you crash onto Prospero's island. Director Rick Dildine's infusion of live music will transport you! Bard Talk Is Back! Join Dr. Susan Willis before each public performance for insights into The Tempest — history, social triends, culture, and more. ASF Insights — Feb. 25, Dive into the production with an expert view of The Tempest. Join us before the matinee on Feb. 25 from 12:30–1:30 p.m. in the Patron's Lobby. For more vist www.asf.net

Collegiate Hotel BEE Mine Valentine Night Honey & Libation Tasting

The Collegiate Hotel is excited to partner with the Auburn University Bee Lab to bring you a night of Honey with your Honey! The AU Bees will provide a tasting of global honeys and you are in for a treat. Who knew honey could have so many complex and unique flavors from sweet to sour and marshmallow to mushroom! The bar team has been busy bees creating and finding four honey inspired libations from beer and bubbles to cocktails to make it a BUZZY evening! Tickets are $35 per person. Make it a date night, Galentines or Fun with Friends by purchasing your ticket for The Collegiate Hotel Honey and Libation tasting on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Drop-in anytime from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. to taste at your own pace with stations set-up in the hotel lobby and porch areas where you can sample the honeys and drinks. Make it a complete evening by enjoying bites from a large grazing board featuring a wide array of sweet and savory treats. Click here or scan QR code, https://tinyurl.com/bdmt77w7 to purchase tickets.

Caregiver of the Month Spotlight: Jermani Milner

Jermani has been with Home Care Assistance since September. While young, she has the wisdom of someone who has lived this life before. She is compassionate and empathetic, always blessing you with a beautiful smile. The amount of love and adoration shown to each of her clients has truly been a blessing.

“When we truly care for ourselves, it becomes possible to care far more profoundly about other people. The more alert and sensitive we are to our own needs, the more loving and generous we can be towards others” – Eda LeShan

We appreciate your hard work and dedication, thank you for a Job Well Done!!

For more information visit www.homecareassistancemontgomery.com

Pike Road Offers Valentines for Veterans

Our Valentines for Veterans card drive is on! Send a little love to veterans in care of the Central Alabama Health Care System, which serves veterans across Central Alabama and parts of Georgia. It's easy to participate: • Drop off handmade or store-bought cards with a sweet note at Pike Road Town Hall (9575 Vaughn Rd) by 5 p.m. on Feb. 10 to be delivered to local veterans in time for a Valentine's surprise! • Cards are available at Town Hall to personalize with a kind note for your convenience. This is a great activity for families with children, as well as for classes, service organizations, and church groups. If your family or group participates, we encourage you to share photos with us using #mypikeroad on social media or by emailing them to info@pikeroad.us. Town Hall hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday - Thursday; 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Friday. More info call, 334.272.9883

Artist: Ashley V Blalock

This & tHAT i

Stevie Nicks Live at The BJCC

Singer Stevie Nicks, who gained fame as a member of Fleetwood Mac before launching a successful solo career, will perform April 5 in Birmingham. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. at at the Legacy Arena at BJCC, 1898 Ninth Ave. N in downtown Birmingham. Nicks' Fleetwood Mac hits include "Rhiannon," "Dreams" and "Landslide," while her solo hits include "Leather and Lace," "The Edge of Seventeen" and "Stop Dragging My Heart Around." The tour begins March 15 in Seattle and will continue through June 27 with a show scheduled in Louisville. Other stops on the tour include shows in Atlanta, Orlando and Knoxville, Tennessee. For more info visit www.bjcc.org

Grief Recovery Support Group

A Grief Recovery Support Group -- Your Journey from Mourning to Joy -- will meet every Tuesday from 5:30-7:30 PM. All meetings will be in room 3105. Video based curriculum followed by discussion concerning the stages of grief, the storms that come with it, and ways of dealing with loss. This is a free group. Sorry, childcare is not available during this time. www.frazer.church

Cloverdale Playhouse Presents, A Doll’s House, Part II by Lucas Hnath

In the final scene of Ibsen’s 1879 groundbreaking masterwork, Nora Helmer makes the shocking decision to leave her husband and children, and begin a life on her own. This climactic event—when Nora slams the door on everything in her life—instantly propelled world drama into the modern age. In A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2, many years have passed since Nora’s exit. Now, there’s a knock on that same door. Nora has returned. But why? And what will it mean for those she left behind? “[A] smart, funny and utterly engrossing play…Hnath approaches what might seem like a hubristic project with the humility and avidity of an engaged Everyreader. A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2 gives vibrant theatrical life to the conversations that many of us had after first reading or seeing its prototype…” —NY Times. “Hnath’s inspired writing, which endows each character with an arsenal of fastballs, curveballs and spitballs, keep[s] us disarmingly off-balance. He’s an uncommonly gifted parodist. For all its seriousness, A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2 is suffused with a contagious bemusement.” —deadline.com. Received eight 2017 Tony Awards nominations, and won for Best Actress. Order ticket at www.cloverdaleplayhouse.org

5 Ways to Feel Happier this Year

Whether you vowed to ditch a bad habit, take better care of your health, move forward in your career, or improve your love life, almost all New Year's resolutions have one thing in common: a desire to feel happier. But even if you find yourself unable to to stick with a goal to lose weight, find a better job, or move somewhere new, there are other simple ways to increase your happiness and satisfaction with life, without relying on drastic changes in your circumstances. All you need to change is your perspective and attitude—and that can be done by anyone at anytime.

1. Appreciate the positive aspects of life. While it's pointless trying to pretend things are wonderful even when they're not, many of us are guilty of dwelling too much on the negative. Instead, it's possible to train your brain to focus more on the small pleasures in daily life that can improve your outlook and boost happiness.

2. Value your relationships. Studies have shown that fulfilling relationships are one of the greatest sources of happiness. So it's no surprise that losing touch with friends is one of the most common end-of-life regrets. Whatever your work or school commitments, try to carve out more time to spend with friends and loved ones this year—especially those who bring joy and positivity into your life.

3. Live in the moment. When you're feeling unhappy, anxious, or sad, chances are you're either dwelling on something negative from the past or worrying about something in the future. When you focus on the present moment, you're much more likely to feel happy and at peace. One way to live more in the moment and savor the good things in life is to practice mindfulness.

4. Help others. There's a reason why people who give back to others tend to feel happier: It's truly fulfilling to feel like your actions are making a positive difference in the world. Volunteering for causes or organizations you believe in, going out of your way to lend a hand to a friend or neighbor, or even just brightening a stranger's day can also bolster your overall health and self-esteem.

5. Take care of your health. While it's true that you can be happy even when you're suffering from ill health, we can all benefit from improving the aspects of health that are within our control. The important thing to remember is that eating well, getting more exercise, and sleeping better don't have to all or nothing propositions. Even making small positive changes can have lasting benefits.

Capital City Master Gardeners Association Lunch & Learn @ Montgomery Cultural Arts Center

Capital City Master Gardener Association presents Lunch & Learn, the 1st Wednesday of Every Month from 12-1 pm. They will meet at Montgomery Cultural Arts Center (Armory Learning Arts Building), 1018 Madison Ave., Montgomery 36104. Mark your calendars, March 1, “Azaleas for Alabama Gardens” David Doggett, Advanced Master Gardener, will present “Azaleas for Alabama Gardens”, Have you always wanted to plant azaleas in your landscape, but didn’t know where to start? Join us for this very informative program about azaleas. Learn what type of soil is needed for successful flowering. Find out when to prune your azalea bushes. Discover the many varieties and colors that are available for the garden. Don’t miss this program! BRING A SACK LUNCH, FREE PROGRAM, WATER PROVIDED, For information, please contact the Montgomery County Extension Office 334.270.4133. Also visit www.capcitymga.org.

By Edd and Cynthia Staton

Taking the Road Slow Traveled

Immersing yourself in a different culture can be more satisfying than staying at a sterile resort or racing from town to town

Travel for most of us falls into two categories: vacations and trips.

Vacations are when daily life has you stressed to the max, so you arrive at your destination to relax and do as little as possible the entire time you're there.

Trips are when you think you may be at a special place only once in your life, so you rush around trying to cram in as many activities, excursions and photo ops as possible.

Each approach comes with its own problems. Vacationers often spend the first few days of their time off unwinding and the last few days thinking about the problems waiting for their return. People on comprehensive, don't-miss-anything trips can be so exhausted by the last day that they feel they need a vacation.

What Is Slow Travel?

The good news is there's a new form of travel popular among the 50-plus set that hits a happy medium between these two extremes. It's called slow travel.

Inspired by the slow food movement that began in Italy in the 1980s as a reaction to the proliferation of fast food restaurants, slow travel started, well,

slowly. It has accelerated significantly since the COVID pandemic turned travel upside down and Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, the world's first hotel school, expects it to grow 10% per year.

Slow travel emphasizes staying in one place long enough to personally connect with the local people, culture, food and even music. While purists advocate avoiding touristy spots in favor of locations more off the beaten path, there are no hard and fast rules. You decide where, how, and for what period of time to apply these basic principles:

• Travel independently. With large, organized tours, participants travel together, lodge together and eat together. Historical context and architectural highlights are selected by one person, the tour guide. While slow travel can involve small-group tours within specific geographic areas, the goal

is to enable travelers to independently participate in a rich and meaningful experience.

• Stay, eat, and buy local. Forego the international chains and book your stay in a locally owned hotel, B&B, or Airbnb. Tap into the knowledge of guides and drivers with deep roots in the community. Sample regional delicacies in a restaurant where you're the only foreigner in sight. Cherish the skill of the indigenous weaver who crafted the embroidered poncho you just purchased.

Insider tip: Look into the possibility of house sitting for a local family. In exchange for keeping an eye on their home and probably caring for a pet, you'll have free accommodations and maybe even the use of a vehicle.

• Don't overschedule. Forget about bouncing from attraction to attraction snapping photos all day every day in a whirlwind "greatest hits" frenzy. With slow travel you purposely leave gaps in your itinerary to be spontaneous, perhaps by planning one activity and leaving the rest of the day to freely explore. Or resisting the urge to "stay on schedule" by leaving an entire day open.

Why to Consider Slow Travel

• Richer experiences. Have you ever found yourself looking at travel photos trying to figure out where the heck you were? Or what you are even looking at? And you've only been home a week?

Savoring each day. Having stories to tell for years to come about a meal shared in a local's home. Remembering the taste of the fresh artisanal goat cheese you bought at a small farm. Returning home energized instead of exhausted. That's slow travel.

• Cheaper trips. It may seem counterintuitive that an extended stay in one place might save you money. Often the biggest travel expense is getting to and from your destination. The more stops you make, the more money you spend.

Besides minimizing transportation costs, multi-week stays frequently come with substantial discounts. Airbnb has a dedicated site for bookings longer than 27 days with savings of 30% or more versus the daily rate.

Insider tip: Don't be shy about asking the host for an even better rate, especially if the calendar for the listing is empty. A "no" costs you nothing.

• Relaxed pace. What slow travel definitely is not is "speed traveling" for a longer period of time. Especially for older travelers, it's important to pencil in adequate rest and relaxation between activities to avoid burnout.

How to Be a Slow Traveler

As full-time travelers for the past several years, we've practiced slow travel without knowing it was a "thing." The benefits were evident during a recent

European visit when we spent two weeks each in Lisbon, Madrid, Bordeaux and Paris.

A more leisurely pace in these popular cities with tons of attractions allowed us to take in all the sights, randomly wander through interesting neighborhoods, and guiltlessly do nothing on days we needed to rest. Sometimes we planned our own outings, but when it made more sense, we didn't hesitate to book a guided excursion. Purists we are not!

If slow travel sounds intriguing, here are some ideas to get you started:

• Set a leisurely pace. Looking to visit a bucket list destination? Decide what you want to see and do, then figure out the shortest amount of time your trip would take if you were in nonstop attack mode. Then either increase the length of your travel (if possible, double it), or scale back your itinerary.

• Choose dates wisely. Consider planning your slow travel during "shoulder season," the period between peak and off-peak months. In most areas of the world this is the spring and fall. Crowds are gone, the weather is glorious and prices are lower. More of that, please!

• Pick affordable spots. Are your vacation days or budget limited? Narrow your list of potential destinations to places where you can enjoy an immersive experience

without a major investment of time or money. We spent a month in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a popular retirement spot, last autumn and had a blast touring the Amish countryside and nearby historical sites.

A Different Approach

Twenty years ago 1,000 Places to See Before You

Die sounded like a great idea. However, many of us have concluded that passport stamp collecting is too exhausting a hobby to continue pursuing.

Slow travel focuses more on custom designing the journey. It's truly a metaphor for a different approach to life: Take your time. Be present. Connect to your surroundings. Practice environmental consciousness. Create meaningful moments.

If you are ready to make your future travel adventures more memorable, relaxed and enjoyable, join us on the road slow traveled.

Edd and Cynthia Staton write about retirement, expat living and health and wellness. They are authors of three best-selling books and creators of Retirement Reimagined!, an online program to help people considering the retirement option of moving abroad. Visit them at www.eddandcynthia.com

Source: www.nextavenue.org

Writers Cynthia and Edd Staton in Merida, Mexico Credit: Courtesy of Edd and Cynthia Staton

Morris & Kelly Capouya

The secret to a successful marriage just might be to marry your best friend.

This month’s cover profile is Morris and Kelly Capouya, empty nesters except for their 2 cats and a dog, have been married 31+ years. They have worked together in their family travel business, raised their family together and have even fixed a broken washing maching together! Morris and Kelly have unique skill sets and that allows them to work together as a team and according to Kelly, the secret to a successful marriage may be just to marry your best friend. It has worked for them and their family. This year they are working to bring back the Jewish Food Festival which takes place on Sunday, February 26th from 10 am – 2 pm. Morris and Kelly are part of the congregation of Temple Beth Or, serving in leadership roles and helping to share their Jewish heritage and traditions with the River Region during this year’s Jewish Food Festival. Be sure to take time and experience all the food, shopping and culture that awaits. We enjoyed getting to know Morris and Kelly, a true blessing, we hope you’ll enjoy getting to know them as well. Thanks for sharing!

BOOM!: Please give us a brief biography, i.e. are you from the Montgomery area, did you raise your family here, schools, marriage, family, etc?

Kelly: Born in Montgomery, I was raised in Prattville. After graduating high school, I moved to Montgomery and pursued a college degree at AUM while working at a local accounting firm where I met my best friend and now husband of 31+ years. We have three beautiful children: Jonathan, an Account Executive in Construction Services-Surety Underwriting at Travelers, who is married to Caroline, an Interior Designer, who live in Birmingham; Abi, a traveling Children’s CVICU nurse currently working in Phoenix, AZ and Isabella, a sophomore in the school of Interior Design at the University of Alabama. Our children all attended the Montgomery Academy.

at a local accounting firm, Bern, Butler, Capilouto & Massey, before joining my family’s travel business. I had

Morris: Born and raised in Montgomery; attended Montgomery Academy before attending the University of Alabama to receive an accounting degree. I worked for seven years

the privilege of growing up and living in Montgomery where I was blessed to have the support and love of greatgrandparents, grandparents, and parents during my formative years.

BOOM!: You own and operate Total Sports Travel which has been a leader in the industry for many years, could you

share how you got involved with sports travel and what services you offer college sports fans and donors? Do you travel with the groups? What’s the most rewarding part of what you do?

Morris/Kelly: In 1994 Kelly was

Kelly and Morris, "Date Night"

Morris & Kelly Cruising the Greek Isles

Morris & Kelly Capouya Family

already working in the family travel business with my parents when they asked me to join them. What began as a fullservice travel company, Fair Winds Travel, was growing rapidly and they needed someone who could assist them with managing the financial and administrative functions for the company. As a certified public accountant, I was uniquely qualified to fill that role.

Total Sports Travel began as a small division of Fair Winds Travel operating trips to football bowl games for Alabama and Auburn fans. Total Sports Travel has grown from Alabama and Auburn football fan trips to operating a variety of sports events for fans and donors of several SEC schools and even a few schools outside the SEC. We offer packages that can involve chartered air service,

hotel accommodations, transportation to and from the sports event, as well as tickets to those events. Along with our employees who travel, Kelly and I have enjoyed traveling with these groups off and on for the past 30+ years (between children and life). The most rewarding part of the business is the people we meet and the long-lasting relationships we make.

BOOM!: You’re both members of Temple Beth Or and one of their great outreaches to the River Region is the Jewish Food Festival, which is returning on Sunday, February 26, can you share more about this special event and what it means to the cultural landscape of Montgomery?

Morris/Kelly: The Jewish Food Festival was originally developed as a way for our congregation to perform outreach into the Greater Montgomery community by giving our members an opportunity to share our Jewish heritage and traditions through traditional Jewish foods prepared by our members, song and music by our Cantor, Turia Stark and religious discussions led by Rabbi Looper. All the food served and sold is made by our members from recipes handed down from generation to generation. In addition to the delicious foods, we have a Treasure Market chock full of items that have been donated by our members. The Food Festival is a wonderful opportunity for the community to experience Temple Beth

Kelly and daughter, Isabella

Son, Jonathan and wife Caroline

Daughter, Abi with Sister-In-Law, Caroline

Morris and his girls, Abi, Isabella and Kelly

The girls, Caroline, Isabella, Abi and Kelly in Santorini Greece

Or where they may not otherwise have that opportunity.

BOOM!: Since Valentine’s Day is around the corner would you share with our readers your love story, how you met and some of the secrets to your marriage success?

Kelly: We met while working at a local accounting firm; Kelly was working her way through school and Morris was doing an Accounting Internship. We became fast friends. Whether we were driving to the lake after work for some skiing, taking weekend trips with friends, or just hanging out doing a whole lot of nothing… we spent a lot of time together. And then one day the “bye, see ya later” turned into a good night kiss and the rest is history. The secret to a successful marriage just might be to marry your best friend.

Morris: Kelly and I complement each other well. We have different skill sets that allow us to work as a team whether raising kids, hosting a dinner party, traveling with a group, or repairing a broken washing machine. Seriously, we did this!

BOOM!: What is it about living in the Montgomery/ River Region that you like? What do we need more of?

Morris/Kelly: Having visited many places around the country and the world I think the best thing about living here is the closeness of everything and everyone. We both have family here in Montgomery and Prattville and we still have childhood friends who live here. It’s bigger than it was when we were kids but there’s still that “small-town” feeling of everybody knows everybody. And just as importantly, you can get anywhere you want in Montgomery in less than thirty minutes. We do feel that Montgomery needs more local dining establishments.

BOOM!: Do you have time to be involved in community and/or civic organizations?

Morris/Kelly: Now that we are Empty-Nesters (except for 2 cats and a dog), Kelly has a little more time on her hands for community involvement. Morris has been involved with Temple Beth Or as an officer or a Board Member for the past 20 years in addition to being involved with other local civic organizations. He is currently the Board Chairman for the Jackson Hospital Foundation and is a member of the Hospital’s finance committee.

BOOM!: What are you most passionate about?

Morris/Kelly: Family

BOOM!: What are some of your favorite travel experiences? Favorite vacation spot? Any travel dreams planned?

Morris/Kelly: Traveling abroad is always a favorite. There are just so many places rich with history and varying cultures. We probably don’t have a favorite vacation spot. Travel has always been most appreciated when we travel with our children. It’s a family affair. This past summer we enjoyed a family trip to Greece and visited the Isle of Rhodes where Morris’s paternal grandfather and paternal greatgrandmother were born. This summer we will be traveling to tour around Northern Italy and experience a Formula 1 race while we are there. During the winter, we usually travel to Colorado or Utah to get our annual snow skiing fix.

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

Morris/Kelly: While we both play tennis and Morris loves golf, we have both jumped into the pickleball craze. It’s so much fun.

BOOM!: As you’ve aged, how have your priorities changed? How would you describe what it means to “age well”?

Morris/Kelly: Work hard, play harder. As we’ve aged, we’ve realized the importance of saying “yes” to us and

Abi, Kelly, Morris and Isabella, experiencing the Grand Canyon

The Capouya Fur Babies

Jonathan and sister Isabella

“no” to things that don’t really matter. Work no longer consumes us and taking a nap in the middle of the day is okay! We have learned that we must carefully maintain our health and practice habits that will lead to less stress and better overall health. Sound mind and body.

BOOM!: How do you like to relax and wind down from a full day of activity?

Kelly: Love to needlepoint. I am usually stitching some little something for one of the kids and occasionally something for myself.

Morris: I enjoy reading or watching videos to learn, relax, or fall asleep.

BOOM!: With a busy life, how do you like to spend time with family and friends?

Morris/Kelly: Food…gathering for a meal with family and friends is a wonderful way to spend time together whether it is at a local restaurant, at our home in Montgomery or Lake Martin or in Birmingham with one or all of the children. Sitting around a table without your cell phone leads to great conversation and lots of laughter.

BOOM!: What are some of the future challenges you’re contemplating for yourself?

Kelly: I would love to spend more time at the lake and more time needlepointing as well as doing volunteer work in the community.

Morris: More efficiently managing the use of my time among my family, my business, community endeavors and outside interests.

BOOM!: Many people, as they age, experience a renewed sense of purpose, new goals, etc. How would you describe this sense of renewal in your life?

Any advice for the rest of us seeking renewal? What are your thoughts on a future retirement?

Morris/Kelly: Our sense of renewal comes from having an empty nest; from the time Jonathan was born in 1993 until Isabella went away to college in 2021 there was a child in our home…now it’s just the two of us. We can do more things together while also having time just to ourselves. Future retirement? Retirement is different for everyone. We already feel semi-retired having raised three beautiful, well-rounded, and successful children. With two off the payroll and the last one graduating in 2025, we will be retired from that job. We will likely continue working and traveling with Total Sports Travel until we can’t.

BOOM!: Kelly and Morris, give us three words that describe you? Your marriage?

Us: Happy, Content, Alive! Marriage: Love, Balance, Trust

Morris and Kelly taveling with family to Athens, Greece

We want to thank Morris and Kelly for sharing some of their life's story with us this month. If you’re ready to take in the Jewish Food Festival this year, mark your calendar for February 26, 10 am - 2 pm. To learn more visit www.templebethor.net Montgomery has a wonderful culture and the JFF is an excellent example, enjoy the experience! We hope you’ll share Morris and Kelly's story with friends and family, they’ll enjoy the reading experience. Thanks to DiAnna Paulk and her creative photography skills, you're the best! If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about our cover profiles, including nominating someone, please text them to Jim Watson at 334.324.3472 or email them to jim@riverregionboom.com

Morris with family connect to their roots in the Synagogue in Isle of Rhodes, Greece

GEN Z ZEES THE BOOMer LIGHT!

Hey, my fellow BOOMers! Would it make you feel any better to know some of our opinions and values are being embraced by Gen Z?

At least that’s what I read on the internet, and you know, if it’s on the internet it must be true.

Who exactly, is Gen Z? A quick search tells me Gen Z-ers follow Gen Y-ers, so the “Zs” are the demographic born after 2000. That makes common ground between Us and Them more of a miracle (than a surprise)!

Z = < 23years old.

So, what is it Gen Z likes about BOOMers? I found 10- count ‘em- 10 areas of common ground and it’s not a mutual appreciation of Hai Karate cologne.

In order-

1. "People share way WAY too much on social media."

FACT CHECK- TRUE! I’m on Twitter (@ gregbudell). Elon Musk has freed it from political bullies, and it’s mostly fun. Facebook, which at times seems to be run by Satan, is a different story. I celebrate the birthdays, anniversaries. Please leave the

symptoms of your undiagnosed rash off my newsfeed.

2. "Screw touchscreens. I want physical buttons . . . especially in the car."

I have mastered the touch of my cell phone, but it’s very easy to accidentally brush the cell phone screen and initiate a phone call while sticking in a pocket. We call it “buttdialing”. It rarely involves the butt, but it’s embarrassing when you realize you just called a Facebook friend you don’t all that well, or at all. I’m notorious for this. So far, no one’s gotten all bent out of shape about it, probably because it happens to them, too! And please- can we STOP with the touch menu screens at McDonald’s? They take forever. If I’m getting my order

screwed up I want it done by a human I can blame!

3. "I hate going to concerts and seeing everyone with their phones up."

I just hate going to concerts. Parking $ucks, and BOOMers need more bathroom breaks. Potential solution- two intermissions at any concert featuring an artist whose last Top 10 hit was pre-Reagan? I do think holding up a cigarette lighter is cooler than a phone though nobody carries them anymore.

4. "I will never own an e-reader. Nothing compares to a real paper book."

Full disclosure- we bought my daughter’s sweet Grandma an e-reader and she loves it. Grandma Jeanette can download with the best. For me, I prefer real books and have a stack of them next to my bed. Reading isn’t as much fun with glasses, though I can ditch them with sufficient lightlike that of a 10-megaton atomic bomb. There’s nothing like rolling over a nice paperback during the night and peeling the pages off your shoulder when you wake up!

5. "I want to read articles online without entering an email, creating

"A true story from the Greg files"

Real Books on Greg's Nightstand

an account, and giving out my phone number."

I agree with Gen Z on this. If I’m subscribing to something (and I know I’ve doubled up on a couple things because I lose track), that fine. If I want to sample a web site, or a story linked on a web site, I hate seeing ‘YOU’VE READ YOUR FREE QUOTASIGN UP OR GET LOST”. If they want that information from me, they can get it from China. They have it all. Thank you Tik-Tok!

6. "I just want to speak to a real person on the phone when I have to call a business . . . automated customer service lines are the worst."

There are humans on every alleged customer service line. To get to them, you must navigate a thousand prompts on the “menu” (any menu without fries is not a menu).

After the prompts and circumstance, you may finally get a human, who often has no idea why you’re a tad short of patience. WOW Cable- you took 3 hours of my life this week. I’m mad, but I’m stuck with you- for now, WOW.

7. "Paper menus are far superior to QR codes."

QR Codes came out of nowhere a few years back. I hate them. Just print cheap, legible menus that I don’t have to zoom in to read. Make a nice cardboard-like menu about 18” by 18”, I’m not sure what is being accomplished with QR Codes. Is it saving the planet? I doubt it. Good idea, Gen Z!

Any menu that weighs more than the meal is ponderous anyway.

8. "I don't need a 'smart' refrigerator or toaster."

Gen Z nails it. My buddy Rich Thomas recently purchased a washer/dryer that for some reason, is connected to the internet. Rich loves these things and more power to him.

I, however, do not want my dirty laundry online, or my dryer texting me “Almost Done!”. Not to be conspiratorial, I think this may ultimately lead to appliances that can be programmed to kill us in our sleep. What’s next? “Excuse me, my toothbrush lost its internet connection”?

9. "Using apps for everything is annoying. Like going to Disney World, and not being able to do anything (including eat) unless you use the app."

Just today I looked at all the apps on my phone. There are 5 screens with 24 apps each. I use about 8 of them. I’m terrified of deleting the ones I don’t use. I wonder if people are more impressed when they see a kaleidoscopic phone screen? “Imovie”? What is that? I’m only watching phone sized video in a power outage.

10. And this is a classic old-person meme, but it's TRUE, right? "I really don't want people I don't know on my lawn."

Sorry Z-ers. I have a beautiful lawn. I don’t care if you walk on it or if your dog poops on it. STAY OFF MY PORCH!

I already have a God.

(If you have a comment on this column, email me at gregbudell@aol.com. It's still fun to hear from new people!)

Greg Budell lives in Montgomery with his wife, Roz, and dog, Brisco. He's been in radio since 1970, and has marked 17 years in the River Region. He hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas and Jay Scott, 6-9 AM Monday - Friday. He returns weekday afternoons from 3-6 PM for Happy Hour with sidekick, Rosie Brock. Greg can be reached at gregbudell@aol.com

Maximizing Your Social Security Benefits

Social Security recipients are receiving a cost-of-living increase in 2023 that is the largest in decades, with an 8.7% increase. The average Social Security payment is increasing from $1,681 a month to $1,827. Often the cost-of-living increase is swallowed up by a similar increase in the Medicare Part B monthly premium, but this year the standard monthly Medicare Part B premium is dropping from $170.10 to $164.90, so Social Security recipients who are on Medicare are netting out a big positive increase.

More than 95% of Social Security recipients don’t maximize their benefits, according to a study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Over 40% of Americans file at age 62, minimizing their benefits if they live into their eighties. By minimizing their benefits, Americans are missing out on tens of thousands of dollars of benefits, if not more, according to Larry Kotlikoff, author of a best-selling book on maximizing social security benefits that was published in 2015.

The problem with maximizing Social Security benefits is how complicated it has become and is likely to remain so for the next several years. On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, from noon to 1:30 p.m., Susan Moore of Moore Wealth Management, Inc. (MWM) will conduct a complimentary and without obligation “Maximizing Social

Financial Thoughts with Susan Moore

and special rules that impact widows and widowers, divorcees and spousal benefits. For example, rule changes went into effect in 2016 that result in different options for people born before versus after January 1, 1954. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to maximizing Social Security. It pays to learn how the rules apply to you.

By Susan Clayton Moore, J.D. Principal of Moore Wealth Management, Inc.

Security” webinar. The workshop will review how Social Security works and will include a discussion on PresidentElect Biden’s proposals to reform Social Security that Republicans tend to support. There will be both a live and recorded version. If you would like to be included in the webinar, please call the Moore Wealth Management office for further information or reservations at 334.270.1672, or email sarah@ moorewealthmanagement.com . If you miss the webinar, we also offer free consultations that are without obligation.

The workshop will cover how the Social Security system works in general. Specifically, the workshop will discuss different techniques to maximize Social Security including when and how to file, how to lessen taxes on Social Security,

There are well-known issues about the solvency of Social Security. There are three areas that President Biden and the Republicans agree upon to reform Social Security. We will discuss them in the webinar and discuss how probable they might be enacted in 2023.

Susan Clayton Moore, J.D., is a financial advisor and wealth manager of Moore Wealth Management, Inc., with offices in Auburn, Montgomery, and Alexander City, AL. Susan has under advisement over $170 million (as of 1.21.2022) in brokerage and advisory assets through Kestra Financial and has been a financial planner for nearly 40 years. Contact Susan at 334.270.1672. Email contact is susan@ moorewealthmanagement.com

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney or tax advisor regarding your individual situation.

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. Kestra IS or Kestra AS are not affiliated with Moore Wealth Management, Inc. https://bit.ly/KFDisclosures

The workshop will cover how the Social Security system works in general. Specifically, the workshop will discuss different techniques to maximize Social Security including when and how to file, how to lessen taxes on Social Security, and special rules that impact widows and widowers, divorcees and spousal benefits.

Your Social Security Benefits”

Easing Anxiety with Essential Oils

Anxiety is one of the many areas where essential oils can have a profound effect on one’s wellbeing. It is very well (scientifically) documented that certain aromas can induce a state of calm, and this is in no small part due to the chemical components within those aromas.

A quick look at how we smell things may be in order here.

An aroma is basically minuscule droplets in the air that we breathe in intentionally or get wafted up your nostrils just on general air currents. These droplets or molecules pass over a special patch in your nose called the olfactory epithelium, made up of very specialized nerve cells that can interpret what that “smell” molecule is. The message goes straight up the olfactory nerve to the brain which then disseminates the information to whatever part of the body it sees fit. This is all done in a fraction of a second. The olfactory nerve is indeed the fastest route to the brain that we have.

So now you know WHY aromas work so well, let’s see which ones work best at inducing calm and reversing anxiety levels.

First of all, we are looking for oils that have a significant linalool content. This is because linalool has had a whole host of scientific research done on it and it has proven time and time again to be very effective at calming the nervous system and making people feel relaxed.

Linalool also supports the immune system, relieves pain, and reduces swelling.

Linalyl acetate is the second chemical component we will be looking for in

significant quantities. This has exactly the same line up as linalool in terms of support for the immune system, pain relief, reduces swelling, calming, antianxiety.

We can find plenty of oils that contain these two components, but to give you an example that is easily accessible (i.e. easy to purchase) LAVENDER has significant quantities of both and can be purchased at NYR Organic US (us.nyrorganic.com/ shop/tracybhalla). 27% linalool and 47% linalyl acetate! That is a no brainer, and I am sure you have heard of lavender’s excellent calming properties.

Another to be aware of is Bergamot Mint. Especially if you’re not a fan of the aroma of lavender, and some people are not. Bergamot Mint is a slightly citrusy mint aroma and again has high linalool (35%) and linalyl acetate (43%) values.

You can stick to just these two in various formats to help with anxiety. You can use them in a diffuser to make the atmosphere in your home or office more relaxed and calmer, or you can use them for a personal application in a lotion or a bath salt for example.

Recipes: Diffuser – add 5 drops of Bergamot Mint

and 5 drops of lavender to the water in your diffuser (not in a humidifier!) OR 10 drops of either one on its own.

Roll-on – if you have a roll-on applicator that you can refill, use a carrier oil and add 3 drops of lavender and 3 of Bergamot mint, or again 6 drops of a single oil.

Lotion – add up to 10 drops per ounce of lotion. Again your call as to whether you use two oils or stick to one. 5 drops each for two, 10 drops of a single oil.

Bath salts – add a tablespoon of either castile soap or a carrier oil (jojoba, avocado, etc.) to 1oz of salts – you can use Epsom salts or sea salt or a combination. Mix well, then add your essential oils and mix well before adding to your bath. Again, your discretion as to whether you mix one or two oils in; use the same dilution as the lotion – 10 drops total.

Any questions on these, please ask!

Of course, there are many other oils which can be added to your mix. Just look out for the linalool, linalyl acetate and d-limonene content. D-limonene has similar therapeutic properties to linalool and linalyl acetate and you may find it in place of one or the other in certain oil profiles. It is most prevalent in citrus oils, which themselves tend to have very pleasant aromas. You could look out for Neroli, Sweet Orange, Bergamot, for example and add them to your recipes. Play about with the fragrance profile. As long as you’re using oils with these chemical components, they will have the therapeutic properties you need to reduce anxiety, so now it’s up to you to find a recipe that has an aroma that you love.

email: nyrbhalla@gmail.com I web: us.nyrorganic.com/shop/tracybhalla I www. LogHouseAromatics.com

Tracy Bhalla, independent consultant with NYR Organics and founder of LogHouseAromatics.com; after 25 years of using homeopathic remedies, it was time to take charge and complete my Aromatherapy Certification, which I achieved April 2020 and since founded LogHouseAromatics.com as a source for useful essential oil and general natural health information and a place to purchase certain products. email: nyrbhalla@gmail.com I am here to answer any questions you may have.

Thorington Road Baptist Church to Host Night to Shine Prom for People with Special Needs, Sponsored by Tim Tebow Foundation

People will tell you how much happier Thorington Road Baptist Church announced today that they will serve as a host of Night to Shine 2023, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. The unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God’s love, celebrating people with special needs will be held in-person by host churches around the world simultaneously on Friday, February 10, 2023. Thorington Road Baptist is excited to be a part of this worldwide movement that God is using as a catalyst to change how cultures embrace people with disabilities and to rally the church worldwide to honor their local community of people with special needs, ensuring they know they are valued and loved.

Events begin at Thorington Road Baptist Church with hair and makeup stations, and shoe shining areas, and guests will receive boutonnieres and corsages staring at 4:00 PM. At 5:45 PM our excited guests begin riding a series of limos from Thorington Road Baptist to Wynlakes Country Club. We are recognizing over 100 honored guests this year.

Our Night to Shine prom/dance is hosted by Wynlakes Country Club and guests will begin arriving on the red carpet at

6:00 PM, February 10th. Aubie, T-Roy, and the 501st Legion Stormtroopers will be celebrating our guests and welcoming them on the red carpet complete with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi. Guests will enjoy food and fun and a rocking dance floor… all leading up to the moment when each guest is crowned king or queen of the prom.

“I’m so excited Night to Shine 2023 will be back in-person! All around the world, individuals with special needs are going to be celebrated like they should be. We’ve been able to adapt over the last couple of years but we can’t wait to be

back together in person to cheer for every guest as they walk the red carpet, dance the night away with their friends, crown them as a king or queen of the prom and most importantly, tell every single one of them that their life has purpose and they are loved by us and the God of this universe,” said Tim Tebow, founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation. For additional information on the Night to Shine hosted by Thorington Road Baptist Church in Montgomery, visit www.trbaptist.org. For more information on the worldwide movement of Night to Shine, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, visit: www. timtebowfoundation.org/night-to-shine