16th Annual Drive-Thru Autism Crawfish Boil

16th Annual Drive-Thru Autism Crawfish Boil Benefiting Easterseals Central Alabama, May 30, 2020

Easterseals Central Alabama, a collection of programs designed to help individuals with disabilities, in conjunction with the Mudbug Ball Committee, a group of local community volunteers, is announcing the rescheduled date and new format for the 16th Annual Autism Crawfish Boil to be held on May 30th at the Montgomery Biscuits Stadium. The Mudbug Ball Committee hosts the event annually to benefit Easterseals Central Alabama's autism therapy services. The event is a major fundraiser for the non-profit organization, who now faces new challenges raising revenue due to COVID-19. The 16th Annual Autism Crawfish Boil was estimated to attract over 1,000 people on April 4th and the all-volunteer committee wanted to ensure the important fundraiser continued. Committee Chair and Easterseals Central Alabama Board Member, Stefania Jones said in a facebook post, " We have been putting our socially-distanced heads together to try and come up with a safe alternative so we can honor Easterseals and the services they provide and to honor our ticket holders who have already purchased tickets this year." On May 30th, people who have already purchased an early bug or general admission ticket will get a large bag that contains 4-5 lbs of fresh, cooked, and seasoned crawfish as well as separate large bag of "fixin's" (corn, potatoes, sausage, etc.). Early bug ticket holders will also get a cup and VIP ticket holders get two bags of crawfish and "fixin's" along with a reusable swag bag containing a cup and event t-shirt. Previously purchased ticket holders will also gain early entry to the drive-thru one hour earlier at 11:00 a.m. Those who did not previously purchase a ticket can still participate by driving up between the hours of 12-3:00 p.m. and for a $20 donation will get the 4-5lb bag of freshly cooked and seasoned crawfish and a bag of "fixin's" to go with. Event shirts will be available for a $10 donation. To learn more about the 16th Annual Autism Crawfish Boil, please contact Stefania Jones at 335-467-2035 or Varina Mead at 334.380-8153 or email vmead@eastersealsca.org.

Leanne Morgan-The Big Panty Tour at the MPAC

Leanne’s style of comedy combines her southern charm and hilarious story telling about her own life into an act that keeps them coming back for more. As a stay-at-home, mother of three with a husband, people are always accusing her of spying on them because she seems to be living the same life that they do. The fact that everyone can relate to her comedy has made her a hit even among the strangest of audiences. Friday, July 24, 2020 7 pm. Tickets: $32. For more info visit www.mpaconline.org

Susie Mattox.."I'm Just Getting Started"

This month’s cover profile is one of the River Region’s newly published authors, Susie Mattox. Although it took four decades to finally achieve her goal of publishing her first novel, Susie has been honing her writing skills since fifth grade. With her journalism degree she pursued writing jobs that led her through advertising and a dental journal but after about twenty years she began to realize what a gift she’d been given, the gift of writing fairly simple stories. Her stories are about heartbreak and redemption and freedom. After getting up the courage to let others read what she was writing, Susie finally published her first novel last year, it’s called Fairly Strange. Susie’s writing skills began years ago but as she says in this month’s cover profile her writing journey is “just getting started”. Finally, Susie offers this advice for dreaming your dreams, "If you have a dream, pursue it. No matter how old you are or how long you’ve waited or how terrified you might be or what others might say. Surround yourself with people who will push and encourage you, because, truly, none of us do this alone". If you’re interested in checking out Fairly Strange and supporting Susie’s dream check out this link www.amazon.com/Fairly-Strange-Susie-Mattox/dp/1697166865.

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

Susie: I was born in north Alabama and grew up in a small town, Hamilton. I graduated from Auburn University in Fashion Merchandising and worked in Birmingham as a copywriter at Parisian, and later, The Birmingham News. I met Tucker Mattox at the War Eagle Supper Club in Auburn during our time there. When he graduated from UAB Medical School, we married and moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, so he could complete his residency in orthopedic surgery. In Chattanooga, I worked as an editor for a dental journal, CRANIO: The Journal of Craniomandibular Practice. I also worked as a freelance editor for a forensics journal. During our last year in Chattanooga, our first child, Ty, was born. After Tucker’s residency was completed, we moved to Montgomery, Tucker’s hometown, to start his practice. Two years later, our second child, Carly, was born. Ty graduated from Trinity Presbyterian School and Carly graduated from St. James. In 2018, Ty graduated from Auburn University, magna cum laude, in building science and is now working for Brasfield and Gorrie in Charlotte, North Carolina. Carly will graduate this month from New York University, earning a Founder’s Day Award, in journalism and French. BOOM!: You are a writer, a novelist, who recently published your first book, Fairly Strange, in October 2019. Would you please share your journey with becoming a writer and publishing your first novel? Why now? Favorite authors? What is Fairly Strange about and where can readers buy a

Susie signing copies of Fairly Strange at her favorite bookstore, Sundog Books in Seaside, FL

copy? How many books or ideas for books do you have waiting in the wings?

Susie: I’ve been writing almost as long as I can remember, attempting my first ghost story in about the fourth or fifth grade. Within a few years, I decided I wasn’t imaginative enough for fiction and focused on essays and other nonfiction. During my junior year at Auburn, I was required to take a technical journalism class. After my final exam, my professor encouraged

My amazing family at my Fairly Strange book launch at Wynlakes Country Club

me to change my major to journalism. I felt like I was too far along in my curriculum, but started taking creative writing classes and journalism classes, with plans of one day living in New York City and writing for Women’s Wear Daily. My senior year I completed an internship

with Parisian, a retail corporation, in advertising. They hired me out of college and I moved to Birmingham and worked as a copywriter. Little did they know, all of my ads would become stories in one way or another. I began dabbling in fiction again on the side, and was then hired as a copywriter for The Birmingham News writing promotional articles for their in-house advertising agency. When Tucker and I moved to Chattanooga, I was hired as an editor for a dental journal, CRANIO. But the more technical my writing and editing became, the more I wanted to return to fiction. So, I began taking creative writing classes at UTC. By the time we moved to Montgomery, I was a mom to Ty, then two years later, Carly, and I again put my writing aside. When Carly started kindergarten, I seriously returned to fiction writing. But every book I finished, I stuck in a drawer and started another one. By the time Carly was a senior in high school, I’d written four complete novels and started about eight more. Tucker had encouraged me all along to send my books out to agents, but it finally took working with life coach Boo Archer, for me to screw up enough courage to let anyone outside my family read any of my work. Boo suggested using beta readers, people who give feedback from the point of view of an average reader, she helped me engage with many of them and they were extremely encouraging, soon after I began sending Fairly Strange to agents. Hiring a professional editor, Teresa Kennedy, was another huge turning point, as she was extremely knowledgeable, tough, meticulous, and encouraging all at the same time. Writers often struggle with imposter syndrome, the idea that we aren’t real writers until we’ve been published. As awesome as my beta readers were, having a professional in the business critique and approve my work gave me the confidence I needed to continue to move forward. Teresa helped me submit Fairly Strange to a publisher who made an offer on it. The publisher and I were unable to work things out and I finally decided to self-publish through Amazon, with my editor’s help. I hosted a book launch party just before Halloween, the perfect time to launch a southern gothic ghost story. My book launch was an incredibly humbling experience, an overwhelming outpouring of love and support. I am so appreciative of every person who attended and purchased Fairly Strange. Sales continued through Christmas, and in February, I experienced my first book signing at one of my very favorite book stores, Sundog Books in Seaside, Florida. A few weeks later, the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down. And here we are. The entire process of sending my manuscript to beta readers, agents, an editor, and publisher took at least two to three years, and was filled with many ups and downs and a lot of polite rejection. But I’ve talked to enough writers to know that’s fairly common. Some of my favorite authors are Flannery O’Connor, Ray Bradbury, and Cormac McCarthy, and they’ve all inspired my interest in southern gothic literature. Fairly Strange is a ghost story about a bullied young woman who’s trying to save her mom’s new job at a grand hotel from a desperate ghost while trying to put her own demons to rest. My interest in ghosts probably stems from spending summers in my grandmother’s home in north Alabama, which was reportedly haunted. Fairly Strange can be purchased as a paperback or an eBook from Amazon or you can purchase a signed copy from me. It’s also available at the Scarlet and Grey Shop at Huntingdon College, and at Sundog Books in Seaside, FL. I’m currently working on a sequel

Carly, Tucker, and me visiting Ty in his new home, Charlotte, NC Tucker and me at the Big Head Todd concert in the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado Carly and me in Times Square, NYC Carly and me in Times Square, NYC

to Fairly Strange, as well as an adult ghost story, and an adult novel involving time travel in the old south. BOOM!: Looking back, who have been some of the most influential people to help you with launching your writing career and why? Susie: Of course, I wouldn’t be here today without the continuous encouragement and support of my family, Tucker, Ty, and Carly. When Carly was a senior in high school and I was struggling to advance my writing, I had my first panic attack, which I thought was a heart attack. I reached out to Boo Archer, a life coach who specializes in helping people with many issues, but especially in getting unstuck. Not only has she hugely influenced my success by forcing me to submit my writing to the public, which I was apparently terrified to do, she’s also become an invaluable friend. My beta readers for Fairly Strange, Dr. Bonner Engelhardt, Millie Thomas Gardner, Kaylen Hamilton, and Melissa Gambill were amazingly instrumental and encouraging in critiquing my manuscript and helping make Fairly Strange the best it could be. My editor, Teresa Kennedy, and her company, have helped me in so many ways, from copy editing to book design. And my marketing expert, Elizabeth Bethune of Elizabeth Ellen Digital, has truly bumped up my marketing game (before Elizabeth, I had no marketing game). I would not be where I am without these incredibly talented, creative people. BOOM!: Many people as they age think about writing a book. Would you share some of the challenges to writing and publishing a book? What is a literary agent and how do you find one? Susie: Personally, my two biggest challenges in writing and publishing a book have been (1) believing that writing is something I actually deserve to do, or am called to do, that it’s not just some frivolous notion, and (2) fear. Fear of failure. Fear of looking stupid. Fear of what people might think. Fear of success. It’s really taken a lot of coaching to get me to realize that I’ve been writing almost my entire life and when I’m not physically putting pen to paper, I’m still writing in my head. I’ve written an entire young adult series during boat rides on Lake Martin. I’ve solved many problems and filled in plot holes on hikes in Maine. Equally challenging, has been trying to get people, agents, readers, and publishers to take a chance on an unknown author. I think there’s a bit of a stigma for writers who don’t have an agent or a publisher backing them. I mean, if you can’t get an agent or a publisher, you must not be very good, right? That’s a fair assumption, I think. But it’s not always the truth. A literary agent is someone paid to represent authors to publishers and film producers and studios, many who won’t accept an unsolicited manuscript from a writer. They help negotiate advances and publishing rights for the author. You can find agents and their agencies on

Dance competition in Charlotte, NC, with partner Jim Williams Tucker and me visiting Carly in Paris, France

the internet, as well as the genres they represent. By now, I’ve shopped three of my manuscripts around to agents, choosing those who represent the genre of whichever manuscript I’m sending at the time. You have to do your homework. It’s a waste of time to send your young adult book about vampires if that agent only represents nonfiction. It’s an equal waste of time to send your ghost story to an agent who hates ghosts, which I’ve actually done. Once you query an agent, often they’re so busy they don’t even have time to respond to the query you’ve sent. In my experience, about half of the agents I submitted to never responded. But the ones who did respond, and rejected my work, were always kind and professional in their rejection. Eventually I got up the nerve to attend writing conferences and pitch to agents in person. A pitch is about a one- to two

Carly and partner winning awards at her dance competition at Harvard University

minute description of what your book is about. It’s one of the most challenging (think terrifying) things I’ve forced myself to do in attempting to sell my work. The first few pitches I made at the NYC Writer’s Digest Conference a few years ago were disastrous. I forgot my pitch. I forgot the name of my book. I forgot major characters. Once, I forgot my entire plot. It’s been another humbling experience. But I’ve pitched to about 25 agents and/or publishers at four different conferences by now, so I’m definitely improving.

BOOM!: A few months back you wrote an article for the website, WTF – Waltz Tango Foxtrot, can you tell us how you got involved with them and what the article was about?

Susie: My extremely talented daughter, Carly, who created the video for Fairly Strange and helped with the book cover, is a senior at NYU. Her freshman year, she joined NYU’s competitive ballroom dance team. As her passion for dance bloomed, she created an online magazine for other competitive collegiate dancers, Waltz Tango Foxtrot. Having taken up ballroom dancing, myself, and still a newbie, I was privileged to be asked to contribute an article on ways to improve your ballroom dancing outside the dance studio. I interviewed dance, Pilates, and yoga instructors on ways to strengthen your body for dance, especially your core, as well as improve balance, and flexibility. But you don’t have to be a dancer to want to improve those areas, and my article can be found in her magazine online. BOOM!: What are you most passionate about? Susie: I am most passionate about continuing to connect with my kids in new and exciting ways since they’re adults, now, and don’t seem to need me in the same ways they used to. I’m passionate about spending more time with my husband, traveling to fun and exciting places, even dropping everything to attend a concert halfway across the country. I’m passionate about getting to know my soon-to-be daughterin-law, Mori Wallace, and helping her feel a warm and welcome part of our family. Ty and Mori are planning to marry in May 2021, and I’m so excited about their bright future. I’m also passionate about helping others who have always dreamed of writing a book, or pursuing a writing career, whatever stage of life they’re in. BOOM!: How do you like to relax and wind down from a full day’s activities? Susie: I tend to write in the late afternoon, as that’s when my muse apparently decides to appear. And that’s pretty relaxing for me. In fact, rarely can I truly relax without getting at least something down on paper each day. But after that, a nice glass of prosecco on the back porch with Tucker, listening to music, with our two bird dogs lying at our feet, is about as relaxing as it gets. BOOM!: What are some of your favorite travel experiences? Favorite vacation spot? Any travel dreams planned? Susie: We used to take the kids snow skiing at least once a year or so. Sun Valley, Idaho, and Telluride, Colorado, are two of my favorite spots, especially since they both have great little book stores. A few years ago, Tucker and I started attending the Singer/Songwriter Festival in Key West, Florida, for our anniversary, which is this month. We love to hear new songwriters just starting out. And the venues there are so small and cozy, you feel like you get to know the singers a bit. As a family, we’ve enjoyed London a few times, but we don’t tend to travel much outside the States. However, Carly’s sophomore year, she completed a semester and internship in Paris, and we traveled to see her for two weeks. I could absolutely rent an apartment or house there for a month and really knock out some books. It was an amazing trip, particularly seeing Carly embrace and excel in such a rich, cultural environment. Ty spent a few weeks in Ireland his last year at Auburn and we were planning a trip there for Carly’s graduation when the pandemic struck. I still hope to visit there one day. But my absolute favorite vacation spot is Seaside, Florida. We’ve gone at least once, sometimes several times, a year since the kids were little. It’s just a big summer camp for adults, as well as kids, and truly, one of the most relaxing places I know. BOOM!: We understand you have an interest in ballroom dancing, what has that experience been like? How did your daughter influence your interest? How can our readers find out more about ballroom dancing in the River Region? Susie: It has been so much harder than I thought it would be – mentally, physically, emotionally. But so much more rewarding, too. I grew up twirling, with a lot of dancing involved, but

Mori Wallace, my future daughter-in-law, and me at Grayton Beach, FL

Ty’s graduation at Auburn University

Ty wishing me a Happy Mother’s Day all the way from Ireland

ballroom is totally different. Rumba, Cha Cha, Swing, Waltz, Tango, Quickstep, Foxtrot. Every dance has a completely different feel to it. When Carly started ballroom dancing, we were a bit shocked. She’d played soccer since she was four years old; dancing, not so much. A few years ago, we attended one of her competitions at Rutgers University. As I spent an entire day watching beautiful young couples in brilliant colors swirling around the floor, I thought, wow, I’ve always wanted to do that. But growing up in a small town, we had no dance instructors of any kind. And then, as I sat there, I thought, why can’t I do that? We were willing to invest all that money for Carly to dance. Why couldn’t I invest in myself, too? So, when I returned to Montgomery, I showed up at the dance studio Carly had taken lessons from the summer before, River Region Ballroom, and said, “Hi, I’m Carly Mattox’s mom. I’d like to take lessons.” And within three months, I was competing in my first competition. It has been amazing. Many say addictive. The owner, Jim Williams, and his staff are incredible instructors and the studio atmosphere is much like a big family. Many of the dancers don’t compete, but I enjoy the challenge, and the costumes. I’d be glad to answer any questions BOOM! readers might have about ballroom dancing, or River Region Ballroom. You can also find them at www.dancemontgomery.com, on Facebook, or call (334) 279-1000.

BOOM!: As a professional writer, please describe your writing process, where you write, when, how long, how you organize your thinking, etc.?

Susie: Oh, I’d love to say I have a fancy writing process, or I’m well-organized, but I’m not. I tend to write about the same time every day, although I’m not sure why except that I’ve heard other writers talk about “their muse” showing up at the same time every day. I edit and try to take care of other tasks throughout the day, like marketing on Facebook and Instagram. I have a study downstairs that I used to work in, but with the pandemic going on, Carly has turned it into a dance studio. So, these days I write mostly in my bedroom so I can multitask, letting the cats out onto the balcony we turned into a catio. We have one dog who hates the cats, and the two cats hate each other, so we have to keep them all separate, which is quite a trick. I almost always write a complete chapter at a time, a chapter being about six to seven handwritten pages. Yes, I do all of my writing by hand and then enter it into my laptop. I used to try to type directly into my computer,

Tucker and Carly climbing The Beehive in Acadia National Park, Maine

as we tend to type so much faster than we write. But what I found was, quite often, I’d be typing into my computer so fast, and be so into my story, that I’d inadvertently hit the delete key or backspace, which would erase huge chunks of what I’d written. And once it was gone, I couldn’t recreate it. It was so incredibly frustrating that I resorted to writing it all down by hand. As you can imagine, I go through a lot of notebooks and legal pads. A lot. Sometimes I begin writing where I left off the day before. Or I write a particular scene that’s been on my mind. I virtually never have writer’s block. If I’m struggling with a place to start, or not feeling particularly excited about the place I am in the story, I ask a character, any character, “Who wants to speak? Who’s got something to say?” And amazingly, somebody always has something to say. It’s true for me that characters take on a life of their own. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to make one of my characters do something to follow my idea of what should happen in a story. But often, they simply refuse to cooperate. Especially, in Fairly Strange. The ghost, Culver Washington, is desperate. But I kept trying to make him be this incredibly angry, vengeful spirit out to destroy everything and everybody, including Cat Turner’s mother. But he just wouldn’t be that angry. The more I tried to force him, the more he refused to behave. But what we discovered in the struggle between him and me, was that it was actually Cat Turner who was powerfully angry and maybe she had as much to do with the destruction of the hotel as he did.

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

Susie: I love that Montgomery has the perks of a big city, like museums, shopping, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, but it has the feel of a small town. I do wish more areas were more accessible by foot like Cloverdale and The Waters. I’d love to be able to walk to neighborhood shops and restaurants and parks. And I think we need safer neighborhoods in all areas of the city.

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

Susie: Obviously, until recently, my priorities have revolved around my family, taking care of them and sometimes just holding down the fort. And I have loved that, and am so blessed to have been able to stay at home and be there to meet their needs. But the kids are pretty much on their own now, or will be soon, and they don’t need me in the same ways they did as children and teenagers. So, my priorities are definitely shifting more toward my writing, and the promotion of it, and being more independent, and accomplishing things on my own that my family can be proud of. I’m incredibly technologically challenged, so I’m definitely trying to become more knowledgeable and independent in that regard.

Susie: Thoughtful. Persistent. Sincere.

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

Susie: When the kids were young, I learned to smock and created some really beautiful designs. I don’t have an occasion to do it as much now, except for baby gifts. But I’d love to get back to it just for the fun of it. I also used to watercolor before I got serious about my writing. My mother was an incredible artist and I feel like in some ways I’ve let her down. So, I’d like to return to that eventually. But my writing and ballroom dancing are truly my main creative outlets right now. I also have a strong desire to take up crocheting, eventually. Maybe when I’m too old to dance. I think I’ll always continue to search for new ways to create.

BOOM!: Do you have time to be involved in community, civic, or church activities?

Susie: If I were better organized, I would probably have a lot more time for those things. Throughout Ty and Carly’s school years, I was quite involved in their activities and fundraisers. Currently, I’m on the Board of Trustees at First United Methodist Church. Eventually, I’d like to reach out to middle schools and high schools across the state to make presentations or hold workshops for any students interested in pursuing writing.

BOOM!: How do you and your husband like to spend time with family? Describe your experience as a mom, can you share any motherly advice?

Susie: My husband, Tucker, is incredibly creative, as are Ty and Carly. We’ve spent many vacations painting pottery in Seaside, Florida. And we love music. My family is quite progressive and eclectic in their interests. Some of my favorite times are attending concerts like Widespread Panic, music festivals like The Hangout in Gulf Shores, and singer/songwriter festivals throughout the south. We also have a small cabin on Lake Martin where we enjoy boat rides at sunset and roasting s’mores over bonfires. Our family builder, Ty, even created a version of The Red Bar in our basement there, where we enjoy late night games of pool and music. I think my family would have a good laugh at the idea of me sharing any motherly advice. As I mentioned before, I was incredibly fortunate to be able to stay home with my kids, and I don’t regret postponing any career I might’ve had for that. I know this is probably cliché, but I would encourage young mothers to soak in every minute they can spend

Eliza, our vizsla, and me relaxing at Lake Martin

with their young children. Really be present with them. At the time, it seems like it will never end, but it goes so fast. Even as much as I hated carpool, I now see the value in spending that precious time with my kids. And I wish I had listened to them more, and tried to give advice less. Not that they didn’t need guidance, but mostly, I think they just needed someone to listen.

Bruno at Lake Martin

BOOM!: Many people as they age seek new experiences, a renewed sense of purpose, new goals, even new careers. How would you describe this sense of renewal? What’s the future look like for Susie Mattox? How do you view the idea of retirement?

Susie: I can’t deny that I’m experiencing some regret that I’m starting to seriously pursue my dreams so late in life. There’s

a sense of time wasted, even though I wouldn’t trade a single minute with my kids and my husband for any published book or career. There’s a sense that if I’d been more organized, more driven, I could’ve done both. But I have to fight those feelings. I’ve always considered myself a late bloomer and I can’t go back and change things, even if I wanted to. I simply have to keep pressing forward, do what I can each day, and take nothing for granted. Not a breath. Not a moment. Not an experience. I have no idea what the future holds for me. I simply have to trust that God is working everything for my good. And he has led me to this particular place at this particular time. And his timing is perfect. My only advice is, don’t put off your dreams another day. If you can’t think of what to do to progress, just do the next small thing. If you don’t know what the next small thing is, do one thing that scares you every day. It’s never too late. There are plenty of writers and artists and entrepreneurs who didn’t find success until later in life. Grandma Moses. Morgan Freeman. Julia Child. Laura Ingalls Wilder. With all that said, I’m looking forward to Tucker Mattox retiring and traveling the country with me meeting people and selling books. He’s truly my best advocate. But I’m afraid there’ll be no retirement for Susie Mattox. I’m just getting started.

We want to thank Susie for sharing her story with us in this month's cover profile. If you want to connect with Susie, check out her Fairly Strange Facebook Page, www. facebook.com/FairlyStrangeNovel A special thanks to Shellee Roberts at Total Image Portraits for making this month and other cover shots the best they can be, you can check them out at www.totalimage.com. If you have questions, comments or suggestions about our cover profiles, including nominating someone, please send them to Jim Watson at

jim@riverregionboom.com.

Read all of the BOOM! Cover Profiles at www.riverregionboom.com/archive/

Free Subscriptions www.RiverRegionBoom.com

home for the rest of your life

Aging in place is about more than just putting in a grab bar.

The word is so taboo many interior designers avoid even using it when working with clients.

“I don’t ever use the word ‘aging’,” says Clevelandbased designer Laura Minieff. “I don’t have it in my vocabulary.”

Yet, as baby boomers edge into older age, and many are already helping their parents stay in their homes as long as possible, the popularity of this phrase is growing: “aging in place.’’

A design solution formerly more focused on in-home design changes — like adding grab bars in the bathroom or lowering kitchen counters — is now expanding. These days, “aging in place” also incorporates new technology, rebooted urban design and a strong focus on staying connected to family, friends and caregivers.

According to a survey by AARP, threequarters of Americans over 50 want to remain in their homes rather than move into an institutional setting like a nursing home or other facility.

That “aha” moment when we realize we need help can hit much sooner than expected.

Realizing it’s time

“I get calls every day” from potential clients who need to reconfigure their current home to accommodate changing needs, whether those are temporary or permanent, says Minieff.

Typically, it’s spurred by what she calls “a catalytic event,” perhaps a stroke or a car accident with its accompanying

rehabilitation, or the sudden departure of a spouse or children leaving the nest.

Even retirement, as residents spend a lot more time in their homes, can bring fresh eyes and insights to a familiar space, she says.

Once clients realize changes are needed, “it is a very, very honest conversation,” she adds. “You do have to do it with compassion.”

What changes

Some standard adaptive changes include entryways to the home with no stairs or steps, showers without a curb or no door, widened doorways to accommodate a wheelchair or walker and floors free of rugs that can invite a slip and dangerous fall.

The conversation, like that with any designer or architect, begins with a frank discussion about daily life in the home — Does it include adult children, possibly with their own special needs? Grandchildren? Pets? A work area?

For Katrina VanHuss, a fundraising consultant in Mechanicsville, Va., the conversation about making her home as safe and comfortable for aging in place was already familiar — thanks to caring for her daughter who has Down Syndrome and who lives at home.

“I knew what I wanted because my daughter has low tone [diminished physical strength] and difficulties with vision and hearing,’’ she says. “You need grab bars everywhere. Living with her has taught me a lot.”

Her mother is also likely to move into their house, so VanHuss and her husband have invested significantly to be ready for her as well as housing a caregiver when she and her husband need one.

To improve their vision, they added lots of light: can lights in the ceilings in the kitchen and spotlights in the kitchen. They also use at least three lamps controlled by a smart speaker in every room.

The decision to stay in their 2,200-square foot house, built in 1972, was easy, she says, thanks to its two-acre lot, a neighborhood they love and a lake.

“We use Echo and Alexa everywhere and they’re really helpful to turn lights on before you enter a room,” she says

“I can watch eagles hunting,” she says. “When we were deciding what do to, I asked ‘ What’s going to make us happy?’”

It has come, she admits, at a very high cost — almost the current value of their home — with a $270,000 addition.

“I plan to die there,” she says.

More than a grab bar

Staying safely and comfortably in one’s home, whether an apartment or house, isn’t just a matter of adding new features

“It’s not just the building itself,” he says. “Is it accessible? Are there sidewalks?”

The streets we rely on daily can ease our odds of aging in place or present a dangerous, slippery set of obstacles, he says.

In his suburban county outside D.C., a nearby muddy path led to the nearest bus stop, imperiling anyone with mobility challenges. It took years of complaining to local authorities, but the path is now paved, Wetmore said.

When many suburbs were built in the 1960s and 1970s, “sidewalks were considered old-fashioned, but all of a sudden these suburbs are a tough place to retire in,” he says.

“We’re just now the generation getting to the point where we don’t drive any more and it will become more and more of a problem,” says Wetmore.

“What happens if I’m frail with a walker or a cane or a wheelchair?’’ he asks. “You need to take a good look at these neighborhoods.”

The generational shift

Aging in place will soon mean much more than making architectural and urban

design changes, predicts Drew Miller, executive director of design at frogHealth, a division of frog, a global design and strategy consultancy working in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

“We’re seeing a massive generational shift,” he says. “Our generation has gone through a significant caregiving experience with their own parents.”

Previous generations didn’t live as long, with many now surviving into their mid to late 90s, spurring those now in their 50s and 60s to be “pro-active and planning.”

“They want to get out ahead of these issues because when you’ve seen it happen to your parents you see your future and that’s an impetus to action,” Miller says.

So staffers in Miller’s Austin, TX office collaborated with their peers in San Francisco, New York and Shanghai, realizing that “aging in place” happens in three distinct stages as people move from being “independents” to “transitioners” to “strugglers.”

“There’s a progression,” says Miller. “Think of this as a journey you go through many times. You may notice something is physically different or an event triggers that recognition. That, in turn, produces negative feelings as you adjust to the ‘new normal.’” Those aging in place need additional levels of support: financially, cognitively, physically and emotionally, Miller adds. “We talked to seniors, adult caregivers, spouse caregivers and senior living specialists,” he says. “This allowed us to see the different approaches people took.”

Facing the future

Key to success will be new uses of current technology, he says. While Alexa and Echo and their cohort are familiar, there is also a need for tech that initiates contact,to help potentially isolated seniors stay safe and in touch with their families, friends and healthcare providers.

LifePod, a virtual caregiver or companion, is completely voice-controlled and can ask a senior living alone if she’s taken her medication or spoken to a friend that day.

The real challenge, experts agree, is facing the future and getting our homes, hearts and heads ready for it.

“It’s huge!” says Miller. “This ability to engage directly and to send notifications and regular reports is probably the most exciting solution I’ve seen for home healthcare.”

“These are the seasons of life,” says VanHuss. “Fighting them is counterproductive.”

Source: www.considerable.com

Cheaha - High Falls

April 4, 2020 – The Communist Chinese Party Virus (CCP Virus) has invaded our land, killing our people and disrupting our economy. The Surgeon General is requesting Americans stay home. Enough is enough! It’s time to fight back. My manhood demands satisfaction. Thus, I spring into action and march to the sound of the guns. Against the onslaught, wife Cindy is frantically sewing “front-liner” face masks for local medical centers. So, amidst the incessant whine of her Kenmore, I gather my camping gear and announce my departure for the front… at the state’s highest point, Cheaha State Park. There, I’ll vanquish the enemy and its Lilliputian minions of fear, despair, boredom, uncertainty and microbes! The challenge is on. As they say in the infantry, follow me!

Some of Alabama’s stunning state parks have fallen in battle and closed their gates. But not Cheaha! It remains a shining city on a hill, a refuge, a fortress in time of trouble. I make contact with the officer-in-charge and convey that help is on the way. To avoid hostile forces, I take an obscure route through scenic woods up Alabama 49, passing Horseshoe Bend where Jackson defeated the Red Sticks; thence

Cheaha - Express Trail Iris

Cheaha - Sunset

to Lineville where I stop at Jack’s and ask the maiden at the window if I may be allowed to use the restroom. She turns away, conversing with someone in the shadows, then turns back to me and says: “Naw, only truckers can come inside.” "Well, I think to myself, I used to drive a truck and, besides, my bladder and I are “seniors” and I’m a veteran, too! Surely an exception can be made for me.” But senior veterans don’t complain! We must all sacrifice, if only in small ways. So, only a few miles from Cheaha’s perimeter, I pull off the curvaceous mountain backroad for emergency relief, utilizing my deluxe Mobile Urination Device (MUD). (It resembles a Tropicana orange juice bottle.) Fully recovered, I approach Cheaha’s sentry, sound the password, and proceed up the mountain in search of my assigned unit already entrenched in the Upper-Primitive Camping area. I pass a big-buff-dude and his woman. She’s doing pushups on a picnic table. He glares at me. But I return his scowl with a friendly, reassuring nod as I make note of several suitable sites then return to Cheaha’s HQ to stake my claim. They’re allowing only staff to enter and, for the most part, everyone is practicing proper distancing. I take up my position at P125 in the UpperPrimitive sector, prepare and consume my evening rations—three firepitroasted, all-beef-wieners in buns with all the trimmings—then walk down to the closed Vista Cliffside Restaurant where I behold a glorious sunset. A few others are doing the same. Carefully keeping my distance, I strike up a conversation with a student from New Orleans. She expresses concern for her people there but seems at peace on this beautiful mountain and hopeful of the future. She wants to be a nurse. I sleep fitfully in my van on an air mattress. A man appears in a dream and says, “pray for COVID-19 to go away and it will!” I jerk awake with sun-splashed face, eager to strike out, to reconnoiter the mountain on my bike named Special. Special has transported me over

Cheaha - CCC Cabin

mountains from Alabama to Georgia, over the thick sand of Cumberland Island on the Atlantic coast, and on less formidable campaigns. He’s a strong, dependable mount. But, today, Cheaha’s 2-plus-mile Express Bike Trail will test the limits of his endurance. And mine. Special and I explore the re-opened (2019) Upper-Improved Camp Ground where we find excellent facilities: private showers; large, clean bathrooms; spacious camp sites with water and electricity. Then we ride along the bluff where we discover quaint, 1930’s Conservative Conservation Corps (CCC) cabins with full amenities and amazing views of the glorious countryside stretching for as far as the eye can see. I take in the view and pray: This land is my land, CCP Virus! You can’t have it. Go away! A refreshing downhill coast back to site P125, and I enjoy a hearty breakfast of Bear Naked Fruit & Nutty Cereal with blueberries, banana slices and OJ. Rested and energized, I re-mount Special and cruise to the starting point of the Cheaha Express near the park entrance gate. A nice young attendant there—an expert mountain biker—suggests I walk the trail before attempting to bike it. I thank her for the prescient advice but decide to give it a go anyway. Thirty yards in, I realize this is no “bunny” trail. It’s more like a “black widow” trail for naïve-biking-geezers…like me. I quickly develop a profound appreciation for bull riders as I engage stump after root after tree after rock after bigger, sharper rock. These obstacles conspire to defeat us. Special strains under this ordeal as I tax every spoke in him. Jerking, lunging, dipping, plunging and bucking forward, I mistakenly apply my front brake as I anticipate a large root across a downhill stretch. Special responds by inviting me to fly over his handlebars. I decline the invitation but learn from experience; and resolve to henceforth walk Special over difficult sections. We’re at about the halfway point now, exhausted but undefeated. I rest and photograph the splendid, sundrenched panorama and a stunning purple iris poking up from beneath the forest floor. Birds sing their melodious songs all over the mountain. A slight breeze caresses my face. I monitor several observant buzzards up in the blue, pondering my sudden inactivity. It’s all so exhilarating! We finish the course and enjoy another exciting downhill ride, then enter a period of rest and reflection on life. Afterward, I leave Special tethered to a tree and drive about ten miles to visit scenic High Falls hidden deep in a rugged canyon where signs warn of bears and other wild critters. Heading home now, descending Highway 281, I pass the buff-dude’s woman. She’s effortlessly pulling the hill on her bike. Quarter mile farther, I approach the dude himself struggling against the mountain. I nod and wave. But in his struggle, he scarcely acknowledges me. I don’t blame him. Nor do I acknowledge or accept the CCP’s malevolent gift. COVID-19, kiss my grits! It’s Cheaha 10. CCP Virus 0. For more info:

www.alapark.com/cheaha-state-park Cheaha - Jeff Enjoying Breakfast Cheaha - Jeff's Bike, Special Posing at Summit

Jeff S. Barganier is a freelance writer and manages Cindy Barganier Interiors LLC in Pike Road, Alabama. (www.cindybarganier.com) He travels far and wide upon the slightest excuse for something interesting to write about. Contact him at Jeffbarganier@knology.net. Follow him on Instagram #jeffbarganier.

"A true story from the Greg files" "A Hallmark Moment .. 30 Years in the Making"

AMAZING how fast life can change.

Just two months ago we were enjoying an economic BOOM. Hopefully, you’re reading this in a place that has recently re-openedthat has survived panic and shutdown- and is hoping to prosper again.

I was a newsman and morning sidekick in Miami on 9/11. My voice was one that told thousands America was experiencing a “second day of infamy”. That event was a national gut punch, but with time we got our wind back.

I still work in the news business. For several months I’ve been trying to keep my head above the rising tide of information, misinformation, politics and flat-out BS of the Corona virus. It has been every bit as surreal as 9/11 but far more complicated. If I see one more “celebrity” telling me to stay home and wash my hands every 2 minutes my head will explode.

Stay home and come back to what, exactly?

So, forgive me if I share a story that has nothing to do with the bleeping Corona virus.

A few weeks back, Rosie Brock, my afternoon show producer (NewsTalk 93.1FM, 3-6PM) said “someone from Chicago who I knew in the 90s, was trying to reach me”. The caller didn’t leave a name, and only a couple of vague hints as to what he wanted. Even with my savant memory for people, places and things from 30 years ago (as opposed to 30 minutes ago), I had no idea what he wanted to discuss. Eventually, the man called during a show, so I put him on the air to solve the mystery. In the process, I received a Mother’s Day moment THIRTY years in the making. This past February 11 was the 30th anniversary of my Mom’s passing from brain cancer. A few weeks prior to that day in 1990, I’d had the honor of having comedian David Brenner on my Miami morning show. He was due to perform in town, so he was “working the circuit”. Brenner was no small-time comic. He was Johnny Carson’s all-time favorite guest comedian and hosted The Tonight Show for Johnny 75 times. He was Seinfeld before Seinfeld, credited with developing “observational humor”. David was great at holding a mirror up to everyday life and pointing out the absurdities we experience.

Comedian, David Brenner, 1976

On my show, he was a phenomenal guest, bringing high energy and sharp humor to the early hours of the morning. What struck me most though, is that he’d done his homework on Greg Budell, making it seem like being on my show was just as big a deal as sitting with Carson on national TV!

My mother was America’s biggest David Brenner fan, something I mentioned in the interview because it was she who got me to watch him. As we wrapped up, I did something I never do with a famous guest.

“David, would you mind speaking to me off the air for a second?”. He enthusiastically agreed. I plopped a Phil Collins song on the air and picked up the phone.

“David”, I asked, “I know you get requests like this all the time and I will totally understand if you can’t- but my Mom is your #1 fan. She’s in a Chicago hospital with cancer, and a call from you would lift her spirits”.

Without a second’s hesitation he said, “Greg, give me the number and I’ll call her this afternoon. It will be my honor to say hello”. Mom was at a point where there wasn’t much that could be done, excepting keeping her comfortable. That evening, I phoned her room hoping a promise had been kept.

“David Brenner called me today!”, she said. I explained how it came about, that he wanted to call her when I told him what a big fan she was. She exclaimed, “he talked to me for twenty-five minutes! He called me ‘Carol’ like he knew me my whole life!”. I smiled, big-time.

The next day I met David after his Miami show, my eyes clouding with tears of appreciation for his extraordinarily caring gesture. “Don’t mention it”, he said. With that enormous smile of his, he said “If my mother was a big fan of yours, you’d call, right”.

“Give me her number and I’ll call her now!”. He burst out laughing, claiming I needed a psychology degree to figure out his mother. I thanked him again, just to be sure.

Back to my “mystery caller”.

His name was Jack Diamond. He worked in the Oncology Department at Christ Hospital where my Mom was treated.

His reason for tracking me down? “I took care of your mother during her final days in the hospital. One day I stopped by in the evening to lift her spirits and walked in on a woman who was giddy! Carol was so sick at that point I was unprepared to see her in such high spirits. She went on to say how David Brenner had called and chatted with her for almost half an hour. When I asked how she knew David Brenner, she mentioned you. ‘I’ve got one amazing son, don’t I?’.

Mr. Diamond said it was one of the last times she smiled and wanted me to know how much that David Brenner phone call meant. Jack had checked in on her shortly after their chat concluded.

That this soft-spoken man tried to find me for 30 years to share that story moved me to choke up on the air. I think about Mom daily, but Jack Diamond’s call was a Hallmark moment 3 decades in the making. For a moment, the Corona Chaos was gone.

Like I said, AMAZING how fast life- one moment in one day in a life- can change.

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 dogs Hershey and Briscoe. He’s been in radio since 1970, and has marked 15 years in the River Region. He hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas & 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