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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
Dr. Blake Raggio, Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
Beauty Tips for Your Next Big Event: A Facial Plastic Surgeon Weighs In
Over the last several months, I have written several articles detailing the best options available to reverse the signs of facial aging. The question that continues to come up, however, is this: When is the best time for one to pursue these facial rejuvenation procedures? Such a question often corresponds to patients trying to determine how to look their best for a special upcoming event (e.g., birthday, wedding, reunion, etc). That said, this month’s article will attempt to answer that elusive question by presenting a “treatment timeline” with several options, ranging from professional-grade skincare to plastic surgery, all in an effort to make sure you put your best face forward for your next big event. Starting now: Skincare The basis for any facial rejuvenation plan starts with the routine use of high-quality, professional-grade skincare. What’s more important than the skincare line you choose, however, is the daily use of the product. In brief, nearly every person wanting to optimize their skin’s appearance would benefit from the routine use of the following skincare items: facial cleanser, antioxidants (Vitamin C/E), Retinol/ tretinoin (Vitamin A), Moisturizer, and sunscreen (SPF 30 or greater). I can’t say it enough: daily use is key! 9-12 months: Facial Plastic Surgery Although a cosmetic procedure may sound off-putting or dramatic to some, modern-day plastic surgery techniques allow for subtle, natural refinements to the face with minimal downtime and low risks of complications. For example, a “mini-facelift” is a great way to create a more youthful appearance to the midface. These patients should plan for 2 weeks of “social downtime” and understand that The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
final results take 4-6 months to fully appreciate. Another common facial rejuvenation procedure includes a blepharoplasty (eyelid lift), which is a quick and well-tolerated inoffice procedure
used to refresh the appearance of one’s eyes. Lastly, an increasingly popular procedure for “Boomers” is the surgical lip lift, a quick, in-office procedure used to create a more youthful but natural appearance to the upper lip (often negating the need for lip filler). 6-9 months: Skin Resurfacing (Chemical Peels, Laser Treatments) Chemical Peels and laser treatments represent a great way to improve texture, tone, and discoloration to the skin. While these procedures offer little to no downtime, one should know that multiple treatments are often required to obtain (and maintain) good results. 6 months: Botox and Dermal Fillers: Facial injectables, namely botulinum toxin (e.g., Botox, Xeomin, Dysport) and dermal fillers (e.g., Juvederm, Restylane, RHA), represent a powerful, minimally invasive tool to reverse the signs of facial aging. By restoring volume and softening wrinkles, injectables represent an affordable alternative to surgery with immediate
results, minimal discomfort, and little to no downtime. Results last approximately 1 year. 1-2 months: Microneedling, Microdermabrasion, Dermaplaning Microneedling relies on the principle of inciting controlled damage to the skin (with microneedles) to induce collagen stimulation. Microdermabrasion (i.e., DiamondGlow) combines the power of exfoliation and infusion of custom serums to treat a variety of skin issues. Dermaplaning uses of a sharp blade to remove dead skin cells and fine vellus hair (aka “peach fuzz”). Any of these treatments, used either alone or in combination, are great tools to get your skin glowing before your special event. How can I learn more? If you are interested in learning more about looking your best for your next big event, I suggest consulting with a surgeon experienced in facial rejuvenation procedures. This will ensure that you receive a comprehensive, non-biased assessment and treatment plan. As a fellowship-trained Facial Plastic Surgeon, I always encourage patients to understand the treatments available to them before deciding on their plan of action, as frequently, a combined modality (surgical and non-surgical) represents the best option. Lastly, and as always, choose a surgeon whom you trust. There is nothing more important than the relationship you have with your doctor. In Good Health,
Dr. Blake Raggio Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Alabama Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 334.373.3611 (office) www.ALplasticsurgery.com R ive r Re gio n Bo o m . co m
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The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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BOOM!, The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
Contents
November 2021
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Volume 12 Issue 5
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
C.S. Lewis
Thought Relationships Taste Inspiration
Humor Advice Health Community
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”
Carl Bard
4 Vivian O'Nay Gift Guide 9 Beauty Tips for Your Next Big Event: Dr. Blake Raggio 14 Publisher's Column 17 Montgomery Chamber Music Season page 58
24 The 2021-2022 Festival Season at ASF
Features 18 Stevie Van Zandt Looks for What's Next
26 Dementia: Insights From the Leading Edge of Care
40 Travel Experiences with Jeff Barganier: Lights in the Black Belt
58 When Conservatorship Goes Terribly Wrong
Be Thankful and Gracious!
Departments 42 This and That A variety of TIDBITS
20 EASTCHASE SENIOR LIVING, NOW HAVEN MEMORY CARE
52 Greg Budell THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART page 11
28 Unveiling of The Return from the Argonne & Montgomery Veterans Day Tribute 29 Author Shares Joys of Gardening-GIVEAWAY 30 Maximizing Medicare 2022 with Susan Moore 32 Opportunities Remain for the AUM OLLI Fall Term 35 MACH Blanket Drive 36 Vertigo: More Than Just a Hitchcock Movie
page 48
page 18
page 9
page 30
page 48
38 Pollinator Friendly Lawn By Tom Ringenberg 39 I Remember Recycling 48 BOOM! Cover Profile
page 43
page 26
page 36
page 29
56 Natural Pain Relief Tracy Bhalla
Free Subscriptions @ w w w. r i ve rre gio n b o o m.co m BOOM! The River Regions 50+ Lifestage Magazine is published monthly by River Region Publications, P.O. Box 6203, Montgomery, AL 36106. The phone number is 334.324.3472. Copyright 2021 by River Region Publications. No part of this publication can be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Opinions expressed in BOOM! The River Regions 50+ Lifestage Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the owners, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products and services herein.
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Publisher’s Letter
Be Thankful & Gracious This month’s issue s a little bigger because we had some new advertisers join the BOOM! Community, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to be their Marketing Partners as we are with all of our advertisers. I want to encourage every BOOM! reader who spends money to consider each of our advertisers and their services. They support the aging well BOOM! community and we want to return the love.
The mission of BOOM! is to serve the folks of the River Region age 50 plus with information and ideas to inspire new experiences, better quality of life and new beginnings.
Publisher/Editor Jim Watson 334.324.3472 cell/text jim@riverregionboom.com
Contributing Writers Jeff Barganier Tracy Bhalla Greg Budell
Greta Lambert Erica Loberg Randi Mazzella Susan Moore Dr. Blake Raggio Tom Ringenberg Bertha Lazenby Knox Whetstone Michele Wojciechowski
Cover Photography Photography by DiAnna Paulk photographybydiannapaulk.com
Advertising
Jim Watson, 334.324.3472 jim@riverregionboom.com
Facebook.com/RiverRegionBoom
This month we have one of the premier actors from ASF performing as our cover profile. Greta Lambert, as many of you know, has performed countless roles during her 35 years at ASF both in the Shakespeare realm and outside of it. Greta is a treasure to the River Region art scene and this month I’m proud to share Greta and her story with BOOM! readers. It’s been a pleasure to get to know her and I know you will feel the same way. And don’t forget to get your tickets to her one-woman adaptation of Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, it should be a classic holiday memory! Jim Watson, Publisher jim@riverregionboom.com
After getting to know Greta check out a few of our other features. For example, we have a short profile on Stevie Van Zandt and his new book, Unrequited Infatuations. Stevie as many of you know starred in the Sopranos Series and has been playing music with Bruce Springsteen for decades. An interesting guy with no desire to slow it down. Another feature we’re offering is insights from experts in the field of dementia. The feature is laid out so you can use your smart phone and scan QR Codes to watch their YouTube presentations. If you’re a caregiver or has a loved one with memory issues you may find these video presentations to be very insightful and helpful in how you cope caring for a loved one. Drop me text and let me know if they were helpful. If any of you have seen some of the movies or portrayals of a family dealing with a conservatorship, it defies our common sense, and we wonder how families find themselves in this helpless state. The feature is a good one to help us pay closer attention to our aging parents and vulnerable loved ones. It’s worth a read and a share. Don’t forget to check out our traveling explorer, Jeff Barganier, this month as he heads off to what was once referred to as the Dark Belt of Alabama and spends the night in a Bed & Breakfast that the Marquis de Lafayette also stayed. Jeff does travel in some interesting circles…and is always a fun read. We have beauty tips, blanket drive, gift guide, Medicare solutions, Vertigo issues, natural pain relief, when recycling was really recycling and why waiting is the hardest part from our good friend Greg Budell. All worth your time, maybe even better with a favorite beverage in your very own comfort zone. We hope you enjoy this month’s reading experience; it was a fun project to put together for all of you. Be Thankful and Gracious!
Jim
334.324.3472 cell/text
READ IT - LOVE IT - SHARE IT BOOM! starts conversations and shares stories. Share your business with BOOM! readers. For more information call/text 334.324.3472 or visit www.riverregionboom.com
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Stevie Van Zandt
By Randi Mazzella
Looks for What's Next
The E Street Band member, 'Sopranos' star, activist and now author of 'Unrequited Infatuations,' what 'Little Stevie' isn't planning to do next is retire Stevie Van Zandt has had a career worthy of several book volumes, but he only just got around to writing the first one. At home for the first time in decades, Van Zandt, 70, finally had the opportunity to write down the details of his incredible journey as a musician, producer, songwriter, radio show host and activist.
Stevie Van Zandt: When you are an artist, you are lucky when an audience discovers you. I got lucky with The E Street Band. Then I got doubly lucky that even though the audience knew me as a musician,
Van Zandt (aka "Little Stevie") Van Zandt with his wife of 40 years, Maureen, and their began his career dog Edie | Credit: Renegade Nation in the music industry as a teenager in New Jersey, they were willing where he met another young musician to accept me as named Bruce Springsteen. an actor [playing a gangster on TV's "Some of my most personal work I never "The Sopranos" and found an audience for." "Lilyhammer"]. That said, some of Due to the pandemic, Van Zandt used my most personal his time off from touring to write work I never found "Unrequited Infatuations," which hit an audience for, and bookstores in September. that is where the title of the book, Next Avenue talked to Van Zandt about 'Unrequited Infatuations,' comes from. his multi-faceted career. Sometimes the things you love don't love you back. But I don't take the successes Next Avenue: Musician, actor, producer for granted. ...This list goes on. How have you been able to do so much? In the early '80s you left The E Street Band. Looking back, do you regret it?
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At the time, it felt like I had ended my life. After fifteen years with the band, I was starting again, on my own without a plan. I didn't know what I was going to do. And yet, so many great things came out of that decision. I became an artist in my thirties, an actor in my forties. I was able to accomplish so much by finding a way to move forward. My advice after disappointment is that life may surprise you and that it's what you do next that really matters. You also became an activist [Van Zandt started Actors United Against Apartheid in 1985]. What compelled you to speak out? Back in the '80s, a lot was going on and it was all very hidden. I felt if I had the microphone, I needed to speak up. Celebrities need to use their fame to make a difference. I still believe that. We need to be a part of talking about the issues, even the scary ones, and make it a normal part of our business to speak out and help where we can. Throughout your career, you have shared your knowledge to help other artists. In a business that can be cutthroat, why the generosity? I never knew my birth father and that can mess people up. But I got so much damn love – from my mother, my grandparents. I always felt secure and that there was room for everybody. I also never craved the spotlight. I liked The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
being behind the scenes as a writer, a producer, a member of the band. I had no interest in being a solo artist. I am a family guy and a band is a family, it's friendship, it's communication. Together, something good becomes something great.
The E Street Band last toured in 2016 when you were in your sixties. How was the experience different than in your twenties? "But my first priority is Bruce. If he wants to go out on tour, I'm there."
We used to do four-hour shows with an intermission and now we do three-and-a-half hours straight through. The songs are Michael Badalucco, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt, Tony Sirico, and Maureen Van Zandt in the final episode of Lilyhammer, Van Zandt's first probably a better tempo for us directing job | Credit: Netflix than they were years ago. But what is great is that now the about how the gift of songs is that they pressure is gone. tell people about their lives and help My technique is denial (laughs). When them understand their existence. Can you are young, denial is your enemy, For the first fifteen years with the band, you explain? but as you get older, it's helpful. I have we used to worry, 'Will we make it?' We no sense of time. There are friends that didn't have a plan B except to keep doing Music is a convenient art form. In three I haven't spoken to in five or ten years, this somehow and hope it worked out. minutes, the right song can explain and then we pick up where we left off. Now we don't have that anxiety. We can something and allow listeners to So I pretend I just haven't seen them enjoy performing and playing music. understand their lives better. One of the [Federici and Clemons] in a while and best communicators we have is music, they are still with me. Any desire to slow down as you get especially rock music. older? Sometimes, I have conversations with Rock and roll can change the world I am slowing down a bit, but that is them. We will never replace them, but for the better, which is why I started just enough to be at a normal pace for we can continue because the music is TeachRock.org (an arts integration most people. The older I get, the more bigger than all of us and it transcends. curriculum focused on the history of productive I am. I am in more of a hurry It's a different E Street Band, but it popular culture and music). Schools because I still want to do so much, so continues as long as there is Bruce and need to shift the focus from STEM much I want to create. I'm by his side. [Van Zandt returned (Science, Technology, Engineering, in 1995 and 1999, and is currently a Math) to STEAM (Science, Technology, Even with pandemic and quarantine, member of the band.] Engineering, Arts and Math) and include these past three years have been some the arts as part of the curriculum, not of my most productive yet. I've been Many people listen to music and feel just an afterschool activity. We don't busy with the book and with my bands transported back in time. Do you think need to teach kids what to think. We (Soulfire and Summer of Sorcery). I have that way? need to teach them how to think. That is a few scripts and I'm interested in a the power of music. It makes us all think I am not a nostalgic person, so I don't return to television. But my first priority and it can transform us. look back too much. To me, every day is Bruce. If he wants to go out on tour, is 1967. I never left that magical time. I'm there. You and your wife Maureen have been It was the summer of love, the ultimate married for forty years. What is the period of music with Jimi Hendrix, Sgt. So no plans for retirement? secret sauce? Pepper, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane … Retirement? Nah – I don't even take I love that whole psychedelic thing. But Being on the road! (laughs) I do think vacations. I did once in 1978, and I didn't I am not stuck in the past. Instead, I am to stay together, you have to stay apart. like it. If I go somewhere, I want to work. creating new things with a part of these Each partner creates their own identity, Being on stage, being with the band – traditions, so it's all connected. has a separate life and keeps busy. You that's what I love. I don't live in the past, but I don't let get to grow on your own and have a go of it either – it flows through to the Randi Mazzella is a freelance writer specializing in a wide chance to miss each other. Then when future. range of topics from parenting to pop culture to life after you are together, it's brand new and you 50. She is a mother of three and lives in New Jersey with her husband and teenage son. Read more of her work on complement each other. In the book, you write about a randimazzella.com. conversation with Bruce where you talk That connection must make losses [E Street band members Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons have died] especially tough. How do you keep the band going?
Source: www.nextavenue.org
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EASTCHASE SENIOR LIVING BECOMES HAVEN MEMORY CARE ON HALCYON AND EXPANDS MEMORY CARE SERVICES IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY Community Senior Life (CSL), a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization based in Orange Beach, Alabama announced the reformation of Eastchase Senior Living to Haven Memory Care on Halcyon. Previously offering both assisted living and memory care options, Haven on Halcyon continues to offer a supportive home-like environment for our residents, but now exclusively for those living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and cognitive memory impairments, providing the highest quality memory care available. “Community Senior Life was founded decades ago, but as an organization our mission is as relevant today as ever. Unchanged over these many years our mission calls us to provide for the physical. emotional, social and spiritual well-being of our most vulnerable and valuable population” said Doug Warren, President & CEO of parent company Community Health Systems, Inc. “We do many jobs very well across our family of companies, but in no job do we take more pride than caring for the frail and elderly who came before us”.
Haven Memory Care on Halcyon features 57 memory care units. Each private apartment includes a spacious bathroom with shower and grab bars, individually controlled heating and air conditioning units, and an emergency alert system. Suites also include a kitchenette. The community’s layout gives residents access to the entire building along with two self-contained outdoor courtyards. In addition, Haven Memory Care on Halcyon features two richly appointed family living rooms with fireplaces, a community room, a private dining and conference room, a library nook, a hair salon, and other amenities. Haven Memory Care on Halcyon has a full-time nursing staff and offers 24/7 access to nursing care. Every staff member is trained in dementia care best practices using tools developed by the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners, and other professional organizations. This training aids staff to understand behavioral, communicative,
and cognitive changes residents will experience as dementia progresses. The Community Lifestyle Director will also focus on life enrichment programs to engage residents’ senses and personalities. Haven Memory Care on Halcyon will also offer seminars and support groups for sponsors and families. The community also offers respite care to give caregivers a break. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 206,000 family caregivers bear the burden of the disease in Alabama. Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health crisis in Alabama. The most recent data for Alabama shows that 96,000 people aged 65+ are living with Alzheimer’s in Alabama and 14.3% aged 45 and older have subjective cognitive decline. Haven Memory Care on Halcyon is located at 1775 Halcyon Blvd and is conveniently located near The Shoppes at EastChase off Interstate 85. The community is currently conducting tours and reserving units. For more information or to schedule your private tour, contact Ginger Fletcher, Executive Director or Charlie Mulcahy, Community Development Director at 334-396--1111 or cmulchany@havenonhalcyon.com
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Did you know that you can provide a scholarship at no cost to you? Under the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013, YOU, the Alabama taxpayer can donate up to 50% of your state income tax liability to Scholarship for Kids. S4K is a Scholarship Granting Organization that accepts private donations from taxpayers and awards scholarships to low-income students to attend schools like Montgomery Christian School. MCS students in need of tuition assistance receive these tax credit scholarships. You, the Alabama taxpayer, get a dollarfor-dollar tax credit for this donation, meaning you reduce the total amount of your state tax bill by up to 50%. All MCS students receive scholarships, and 65% of our students are awarded S4K scholarships. These children need you! Please contact Montgomery Christian School at (334)386-1749 or www. MontgomeryChristianSchool.org to learn more about us and Scholarship for Kids (www.scholarshipsforkids.org).
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ASF returns to its stages for its 50th season, filled with musicals, exciting new works, and one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. The 2021-2022 Festival Season at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, which features nine productions exploring stories of contemporary culture, heroic activists, everyday people in extraordinary times, and lots of music. In its 50th season, ASF continues its mission of building community with captivating stories that speak to and represent all people in the South. “It's time to come back together. The long intermission is finally coming to a close,” said ASF Artistic Director Rick Dildine. “Plus, it’s a milestone year we are coming into: our 50th anniversary season! On July 12, 1972, in Anniston, AL, ASF had its inaugural season. This season spans real life to fairy tale. It celebrates families and heritage. It spans from Medieval Scotland to modern day Ferguson, MO. World premieres and some classics that never get old. There’s serious art and some pure campy moments. Almost all of the shows have never been performed at ASF.” For the holidays, ASF returns to its Festival and Octagon stages with Rogers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella and Greta Lambert’s one-woman adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In the new year, Shakespeare’s most famous power couple comes to life in Macbeth, followed by yet more blind ambition with the mega-hit musical Little Shop Of Horrors. The season continues with compelling stories based on actual events: Until the Flood and Freedom Rider (another world premiere). ASF wraps up its season with two summer musicals The Marvelous Wonderettes and American Mariachi. Subscriptions are on sale now at ASF.net or by calling the ASF Box Scan to Order Office at 334-271-5353. ASF Tickets
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New Independent Senior Living Development in Midtown Montgomery
Country Club Estates, a new affordable rental housing community is now leasing to Montgomery area seniors who are 55 years of age or older. The new construction development is located at 2075 N. Country Club Drive and includes 62 new one- and two-bedroom apartments with set-aside units for veterans and individuals with disabilities. Real estate developer Gulf Coast Housing Partnership (GCHP) and co-developer Volunteers of America Southeast worked together to construct the $12.6 million development which will contribute to the continued revitalization of Montgomery’s Mid-Town Community. ‘Strong partnerships are the foundation of GCHP’s approach to community revitalization, said Kathy Laborde, GCHP President and CEO. “We are grateful for the support of VOASE and our financial partners who helped make this project possible.” Residents of Country Club Estates will enjoy apartment and onsite amenities that include in-unit washers and dryers, a fitness center, hair salon, outdoor pavilion, and on-site storage rental. VOASE currently operates a center adjacent to the development and will provide and coordinate supportive services for residents. “Working in unison with Gulf Coast Housing Partnership we are excited to provide a new affordable housing option for seniors that is conveniently located near grocery stores, restaurants and health centers,” said Rob Rogers, VOASE Senior Executive Vice President. “Residents will also be offered additional services through VOASE and our partners, including on-site wellness checks, financial training and computer classes. The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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Dementia: Insights From the Leading Edge of Care
Below is a series featuring thought leaders reporting from the front lines of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia touch hundreds of millions of lives, from the people living with the condition and their loved ones to professional caregivers and healthcare teams. Dementia360 provides a comprehensive perspective on research, caregiver support, prevention, and more. We have listed the experts below and a brief summary of their topic of discussion with a link or QR Code for your to watch their presentation. If you're impacted by dementia in some way, these experts may help your understanding and provide hope for the future.
Shadi Gholizadeh PhD, MPH
Beth Popolizio PT, DPT
Learn more about how your health can be impacted when caring for a loved one with Scan QR Code Alzheimer’s or dementia. to Watch Dr. Gholizadeh walks us through guided meditation and self-care tips for the caregiver.
Are you looking to learn how to best engage your clients living with dementia? Watch this Scan QR Code session back to learn to Watch the importance of the approach and the necessary tools to facilitate Activities of Daily Living to engage the client, patient, or resident.
Link: https://youtu.be/_SOjvK1ujuw
Link: https://youtu.be/R4k_33fL5fo
Director of Memory Care, Home Care Assistance
Training and Development Specialist, Home Care Assistance
Dr. Howard Fillit MD
Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation
The FDA recently approved a new Alzheimer’s treatment for the first time in two decades. Dr. Fillit covers Scan QR Code the perspectives of the to Watch Aduhelm FDA approval and its impact on research, the promise of a diverse drug pipeline for Alzheimer’s disease, and the importance of biomarkers for the future of Alzheimer’s research. Link: https://youtu.be/DXdagcP3BbE
Dr. William Mobley MD, PhD
Associate Dean for Neurosciences Initiatives at UCSD
Watch Dr. Mobley’s session on the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, new treatments, and the pilot study by the University of San Diego, which uses online meditations to increase social connectedness and reduce depression and stress. If you are interested in participating in the trial of meditation presented by Dr. Mobley, please contact Dwayne Mosbey, UCSD Program Coordinator at dmosbey@health.ucsd.edu.
Scan QR Code to Watch
Link: https://youtu.be/zU8KFhuU_n8
This article is sponsored by Home Care Assistance, for more info visit > www.homecareassistance.com 26 BOOM!
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Dr. Yuko Hara MD
Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation
Did you know that your brain health can be affected by the food you eat? Watch this session back to learn more Scan QR Code about the evidence for/ to Watch against food, drinks, and supplements and seven steps to improving your cognitive vitality with Dr. Hara. Link: https://youtu.be/ed8QVX6oGYk
Michelle Wile Client Care Manager and Dementia Expert
Studies have shown that you can delay agerelated cognitive decline and reduce the risk of neurocognitive disorders Scan QR Code by adopting healthy to Watch lifestyle behaviors — watch this session to learn how you can integrate these simple activities into your life as Michelle walks us through a MindFit interactive activity. Link: https://youtu.be/GVkBydis82g
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Unveiling of The Return from the Argonne & Montgomery Veterans Day Tribute on Nov. 11 On November 11, 2021, exactly 103 years after the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I, the nation will commemorate the centennial of the return and burial of the American Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. This same day, a bronze sculpture entitled The Return from the Argonne, from British sculptor James Butler, RA, will be inaugurated in front of Montgomery Union Station. Beginning at 11 a.m. on November 11, 2021, the City of Montgomery will host a public ceremony at Union Station, 210 Water Street, to honor all veterans and celebrate the unveiling of The Return from the Argonne. The Return from the Argonne will complement The Rainbow Soldier, another bronze sculpture from James Butler, which remembers specifically the legacy of the 167th in the Rainbow Division. It was from this
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very same Victorian Railroad station that these National Guardsmen departed for France in August 1917 and where they returned in May 1919. The Return from the Argonne memorializes these soldiers, as well as all Alabamians who fought in the Meuse Argonne campaign, specifically the African American soldiers from the 366th Infantry in the 92nd division, the majority of whom called Alabama home. Another Alabama native son, the famous band leader James Reese Europe, from Mobile, served in the Argonne. He led the military band of the 369th regiment (Harlem Hell Fighters) which brought jazz to Europe. It
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is in their honor and in honor of all WWI veterans from Alabama that this gift is made to the City of Montgomery by the Croix Rouge Farm Memorial Foundation through the generosity of longtime community and business leader Nimrod T. Frazer, Silver Star. This event will serve as the City’s official Veterans Day commemoration. It will feature a fly over by the Alabama Air National Guard and a performance from the Alabama National Guard Band, with some musicians from “The 369th Experience.” Representatives from France, United States military leaders, elected officials and business and community leaders are among those who will attend the public unveiling at Union Station. Additionally, the Alabama Department of Archives and History will welcome visitors from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Veterans Day to experience its WWI exhibit. To read more about the 167th in the Argonne, visit www. amazon.com/Best-World-War-StoryKnow/dp/1732548501.
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Gardener and Author Shares Joys of Gardening in Debut Guidebook As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to simmer in the background of modern life, many people are reevaluating their goals for the future, getting to know themselves on a deeper level, and exploring new, exciting hobbies. For author and newspaper columnist Jo Ann Wiblin, the pandemic created an opportunity to educate others about one of her favorite pastimes – gardening. In her debut book, “Gardening: A Growing Addiction,” Wiblin shares an engrossing collection of columns about growing her garden, savoring the outdoors, and finding revitalization in the company of plants. Spanning three and
a half years, Wiblin’s columns set out to simply share some of the activities she and her husband did outside. But as she continued to pen them, it was clear that the column was about far more than just gardening – it was educational, rewarding, and creative, and it allowed her an outlet to share the special, community-centric philosophy that gardening cultivates. “I wrote about the things I did, learned, and failed at over time,” Wiblin said. “Gardening can be funny, and I explore that a lot in this book. Each column flows through the distinctive seasons of Ohio as they come and go. I hope you learn from and enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.” Ultimately, Wiblin’s book sends a simple message: Gardening is fun. Brimming with tips that range from pruning and
composting to harvesting and canning, “Gardening: A Growing Addiction” shares the joy that can be found in the sunshine-drenched outdoors under a wide-brim, floppy hat. “It is apparent the author is an excellent writer and is able to convey important gardening techniques while injecting humor,” a reader wrote in a five-star review of the book on Amazon. “It is easy and fun to read. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys humor, wants to learn more about gardening, and appreciates an honest description of the struggle to become a master gardener.”
WIN THIS BOOK Text "I Love to Garden" to 334.324.3472 then you'll be entered to win a copy of “Gardening: A Growing Addiction”
Advanced orthopaedic care is closer than you think.
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Maximizing Medicare for 2022 Maximizing your benefits and minimizing your costs for Medicare is becoming increasingly more complex, especially in the age of Covid-19. There are several significant changes that may impact existing participants for 2022, including those who take insulin or have End Stage Renal Disease. Seniors who are on Social Security are expected to receive a larger cost-of-living increase than they have seen in years due to the inflation experienced during 2021, which would allow Medicare to pass along a significant premium increase (which is not known at the time this goes to press). Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans continue to increase. These plans have an annual maximum outof-pocket cost for hospitalizations and doctor treatments; however, there is no maximum out-of-pocket cost for drug plans that are included as part of some Medicare Advantage plans. Not all Medicare Advantage plans include drugs; as a result, some Medicare Advantage participants would be better off with a separate Medicare Part D plan. With Medicare Part D plans, a recent study found that drug costs can vary dramatically even at the same pharmacy, depending upon which plan you use. The difference according to the study can amount to hundreds of dollars a year. As a result, experts advise that participants should review the changes and their individual program choices annually.
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Financial Thoughts with Susan Moore
By Susan Clayton Moore, J.D.
Principal of Moore Wealth Management, Inc.
Medicare’s open enrollment period is underway. It starts October 15th and continues until December 7th. At the Moore Wealth Management, Inc. office in Montgomery, we offer an annual workshop that covers how to maximize your Medicare. Due to Covid-19, this year’s workshop will be conducted by webinar on Wednesday, November 17 from noon to 1:30 p.m., is complimentary and without obligation. 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 At Moore Wealth Management, we have been conducting our annual seminar on Maximizing Medicare since 2006. Our experience shows
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that over 90% of participants need to switch Medicare Part D plans annually to maintain the most costeffective coverage for their Medicare Part D plans. To get the most out of Medicare, retirees need to manage and review their options. At Moore Wealth Management, we do our best to help you do that. 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 3.31.2021) in brokerage and advisory assets through Kestra Financial and has been a financial planner for over 38 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/KF-Disclosures ¹https://www.consumerreports.org/drug-prices/medicare-part-ddrug-plan-save-hundreds-of-dollars-each-year-on-drugs/
October Webinar
Maximizing Medicare for 2022
to register, call our Montgomery office at
334.270.1672
sarah@moorewealthmanagement.com
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Opportunities Remain for the AUM OLLI Fall Term The fall term at AUM OLLI is half over, and exciting things are happening in the classes. Members are learning new things and developing new talents through the discussion and handson classes. Even though the term is well underway, there are still some opportunities that make it worth joining OLLI.
opportunity to select one-of-a-kind objects for holiday giving. And they do splendid gift-wrapping at the Center!
An exciting field trip to Camden, Alabama, is scheduled for Friday, December 10 (10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.). Participants will have lunch at GainesRidge, a pre-Civil War house repurposed as a restaurant. After lunch, they will travel to Black Belt Treasures Cultural Arts Center for holiday shopping. The Center has developed as a way to stimulate the economy in Alabama’s Black Belt region through the sale and promotion of fine arts and heritage crafts. All of the items sold are unique works created by approved Black Belt artists. This is a shopping
The cost for the trip – transportation and lunch – is $50.00. You can pay the annual membership fee ($40.00) and register for the field trip by going to www.aum.edu/olli. Or you can call 334-244-3804.
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Black Belt Treasures also provides important arts education opportunities. Proceeds from the sales of the art works help fund these community services.
One other opportunity in the fall term is a lunch presentation on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, from 11:35 a.m. – 12:35 p.m. at the Center for Lifelong Learning (75 TechnaCenter Blvd.): “Get Ready – or How to Purchase a Car.” Now is the time to begin planning for
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Winter Term 2022. Many retirees have knowledge and talents that they can share. A good way to share is through classes once a week for seven weeks in winter term (January 31, 2022 – March 18, 2022) and spring term (April 4, 2022 – May 20, 2022) and lunch presentations on Mondays and Wednesdays during the term (one-hour sessions from 11:35 – 12:35). Become involved in AUM OLLI as a member or an instructor or a presenter! Join AUM OLLI now for a $40.00 annual membership fee, and take advantage of these unique opportunities. For more updates and information about AUM OLLI, go to www.aum.edu/OLLI.
JOIN TODAY! Tell your friends!
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HandsOn Volunteers:
In conjunction with National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, the Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless is coordinating their annual Blanket Drive. The Blanket Drive is an opportunity for the community to donate new and gently loved blankets, coats, hats, scarves, gloves and winter wear to benefit the homeless population in our area. On Saturday, November 6, 13 and 20, MACH will have donation sites set up throughout the River Region for the collection of donated items. Volunteers are needed from 8:45 am - 12:00 pm at each location to: • greet donors • receive donations • complete donation receipts • lift and carry donations • sort and count donations • organize and cleanup Locations include: I Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless, 101 Coliseum Boulevard 36109 I Vaughn Park Church of Christ, 3800 Vaughn Road 36106 I 3rd Location TBD Register at https://tinyurl.com/ adbkts3k today to help! If you need more information, please call (334) 261-6182.
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By Michele Wojciechowski
Vertigo: More Than Just a Hitchcock Movie While vertigo can be upsetting, it’s often not serious. Professionals weigh in on what to do to keep things nice and still. I've seen Alfred Hitchock's "Vertigo" on the big screen a few times at a historic theater. But no matter how much the cinematographer spun the camera to give you the feeling of vertigo, it didn't even come close to how it actually feels. I know. I've experienced vertigo a few times. It was scarier than Kim Novak's eyebrows. Besides the room looking as though it was literally spinning, I completely lost my sense of balance. Thank goodness my husband was home, as he helped me to the bathroom, where I proceeded to get sick. I had been seeing an ENT, which stands for "ear, nose, and throat"(apparently otorhinolaryngologist is too long for folks to say) for an inner ear problem. But I hadn't had vertigo before. "Vision, inner ear function and sensation in our feet work together to let us know where we are in space. If any of these parts is not functioning well, we may experience poor balance, dizziness and vertigo." After my doctor called in prescriptions to stop the vertigo and the accompanying nausea, the world looked normal again. I then went through a series of tests — a hearing test, an MRI and many others. Once a number of conditions were ruled out, one thing was ruled in: I had atypical Meniere's disease — a somewhat mysterious condition that can cause
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If you're a fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, you may recall Tim Curry singing that he would remove "the cause, but not the symptom." And that's what vertigo is — it's a symptom of something else, which is why it's important to seek medical care and not ignore it.
vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss. Perhaps you've heard of it: Rocker and singer/songwriter Huey Lewis has Meniere's disease and now a few more people seem to know what it is. Mine was considering "atypical" since I wasn't experiencing flare-ups regularly. When other treatments didn't seem to work, my ENT suggested I get a steroid shot in my ear drum (and before you freak out: it doesn't hurt). They numb the membrane that the needle passes through, but it doesn't actually stick into anything; it just deposits the steroid into the area. Research showed that it could help. I had tried everything else, so I went with it. I even wrote a humor column about the steroid shot. The good news was that it worked. I was in remission for 14 years. Until the coronavirus pandemic changed everything. While I didn't get COVID-19, I was completely stressed out about it. Just before everything shut down, I woke up one morning with a sensation I hadn't felt in more than a decade. I had vertigo… again. Not the Cause, But the Symptom
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"Vertigo is part of a dizziness category, but more specifically a term used to describe the sensation of spinning," says Dallas Reynolds, district director and doctor of physical therapy at ATI Physical Therapy in Las Vegas. "A person can experience vertigo from many different causes, but the most common is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), a disorder of the inner ear — the balance portion of your ears." It is caused, Reynolds said, "when the Otoconia, commonly known as the 'inner ear crystals,' dislodge off the walls of the inner ear and are floating freely. When BPPV is the cause of vertigo, symptoms are felt with head motion. This is common when lying in bed, getting your hair washed at the salon, or looking up." While vertigo is rarely a sign of imminent danger, it's still important to get the cause diagnosed, says Joey Remenyi, an Australian vestibular audiologist, founder of Seeking Balance International and author of "Rock Steady: Healing Vertigo or Tinnitus with Neuroplasticity." She explains: "Vertigo can be a sign of more rare and serious conditions such as brain tumors, rare forms of neurological dysfunction or the onset of a stroke." If you have no other symptoms but vertigo, and mostly notice it when The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
you move your head, Reynolds says, it can likely be resolved by visiting your physician or a physical therapist trained in the diagnosis and treatment of vestibular issues. You may then be asked to have tests done, which is what happened to me. "A common test is the Dix-Hallpike test, where the patient is laid down rapidly, often with camera goggles on for better visual of the eyes. The provider is watching for specific eye motions called 'nystagmus' to diagnose the presence of BPPV," Reynolds says. "There are also tests that are performed to test inner ear and vestibular nerve function that can help diagnose other forms of vertigo other than the common BPPV." Stop the Whirl — You Wanna Get Off Unless you want to feel like a whirling dervish for the rest of your life, seek help. "Like a muscle, our vestibular system can become weak after experiencing illness that attacks this system or just over time with aging," Reynolds says. "Our vestibular system is our balance system and is a combination of vision, inner ear function and sensation in our feet. These
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three systems work together to let us know where we are in space. If any of these parts is not functioning well, we may experience poor balance, dizziness, and vertigo.
to be the result of an abnormal amount of fluid (endolymph) in the inner ear, but it isn't clear what causes that to happen."
Reynolds goes on to say that, "Vestibular rehab works to strengthen these systems through specific exercises and working with a trained vestibular rehab specialist who will find what part of the system is weak and work to improve it."
Hence, the diuretic which works to eliminate fluids in the inner ear. I also got another steroid shot in the ear. And this time, the shot, or the combination of it, with the diuretic, worked.
Typically, she says, "change to the vestibular system doesn't happen overnight and may require several weeks of work, but the therapist will reassess along the way and keep you informed on your progress." Vestibular rehab has been shown to be very effective, Reynolds notes, and often, patients can see 100% improvement of symptoms.
Because there is no cure for Meniere's, I may be in remission forever or my problem could come back again tomorrow. One thing I can do to help prevent another episode is manage my stress, since that could be what triggered it to return in the first place. After all, I was experiencing my first global pandemic — what could be frightening about that?
Since I have Meniere's disease, vestibular rehab wouldn't help. Knowing that oral steroids never worked for me, my new ENT (my first ENT decided to retire) suggested I try a diuretic.
Regardless of what ends up causing your vertigo, it's important to get it checked. Then watching "Vertigo," as opposed to experiencing it, can be its own special nightmare.
According to the Mayo Clinic, "The cause of Meniere's disease is unknown. Symptoms of Meniere's disease appear
Michele Wojciechowski is an award-winning writer who lives in Baltimore, Md. She's the author of the humor book Next Time I Move, They'll Carry Me Out in a Box. Reach her at www.WojosWorld.com. Source: www.nextavenue.org
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Master Gardener's Perspective
By Tom Ringenberg
KEEPING A POLLINATOR FRIENDLY LAWN AND GARDEN
Every gardener, whether you grow vegetables, ornamentals, or fruit trees, knows how important, bees and other insect pollinators are to your garden. Unfortunately, you may have noticed in recent years that you are seeing fewer honeybees then you used to, not to mention there are all the media reports saying that there is a shortage of honeybees. I have enjoyed beekeeping off and on since I first took it first as a 4-H project as a teenager. While, keeping bees is a great way to help with the pollination process, not everyone is able to keep honeybees. Fortunately, there is still plenty that we can all do to help, not only honeybees, but native pollinators as well.
First, leave the dandelions alone. Yes, I am talking about those yellow flowers that pop up in everyone’s yard every spring that people spend loads of money on herbicides to eliminate them. However, dandelions are very important to bees and other pollinating insects emerging in the spring in that they are often the first food source available to them. Still, if you insist on having that “perfect” green lawn then perhaps at least wait until later in the spring to give plenty of other pollen and nectar producing plants a chance to become available. Plant a wide variety of not only different types of plants, but different colors. Different pollinators prefer different colors of flowers, so it stands to reason that planting a wide variety of colored flowers will attract more of a variety of different pollinators. Also, plant plants that bloom at different times of year that way that regardless of what time during the growing season it is there will always be readily available sources of pollen and nectar available. You might consider putting out some mason bee boxes. When most people think of insect pollinators the honeybee
immediately comes to mind. While honeybees are important pollinators they are not native bees to North America. Instead they were introduced from Europe. Mason bees are native and are therefore much better adapted to pollinate our native plants more efficiently. While, honeybees are social bees living in colonies of thousands of bees, mason bees are solitary bees. Honeybees are easy to agitate and will readily sting requiring the use of protective clothing and gear whereas male mason bees have no stinger and while the queens do have stingers they rarely use them. Honeybees also need to be kept in specially made hives with removable frames of wax foundation, where the store Honey, pollen, and raise their young. A mason bee house on the other hand is very easy to construct using a scrape piece of untreated wood. Simply use a 5/16” drill bit and drill several holes between 3 to 5 inches deep without drilling through the other side and then placing them on the south side of a building, fence or tree. Organic is best, but if you must use pesticides, then use them as sparingly as possible, apply them in the evening when most pollinators are not foraging, and avoid using neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids, or neonic as they are sometimes called are a group of chemical pesticides that are closely related to
nicotine. These chemicals attack the nervous system of the insect, and resent research suggests that they are at least partially responsible for what has come to be known as honeybee colony collapse disorder. This family of chemicals includes acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, nitenpyram, nithazine, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam. While these chemicals are sold under several different trade names, you need only to look at the label for the active ingredients. These chemicals can be applied using several different methods including soaking seeds before planting. They are then absorbed into the plant tissue making the nectar and pollen, as well as other parts of the plant toxic to insects, including pollinators. Fortunately, many retailers are not waiting for the government to act and have agreed to quit selling products containing these chemicals or plants that have been treated with them, but it is still wise to check the labels or ask to be sure. Finally, if you are interested in keeping honeybees, you can find more information, by contacting a local beekeeper in your area, your county cooperative extension office, or even join a local beekeeping club. You can also go to www.aces.edu, the website for the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, or any number of other websites. You will be able to get the information you need to get started in beekeeping. Tom Ringenberg, an intern in the 2016 Master Gardener Class, lives in Prattville, AL. For more information on becoming a master gardener, visit www.capcitymga.org or email capcitymga@gmail.com.
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I Remember Recycling
By Bertha Lazenby Knox Whetstone
Today when I buy something at the store, occasionally the label will read, this carton made from recycled material. Recycling is not new to me. Growing up in a large farm family in the 1930’s and 40’s everything was used or recycled. We didn't even own a trash can. We bought very little can food. Papa's garden furnished vegetables for canning. We picked fruits and berries of all kinds for jellies and preserves. Tin cans were not thrown away, for they were used for many things. Papa used them to put nails and bolts in. We also made many toys from tin cans, just using our imagination.
fireplace were used in making soap. The ashes mama didn't need for soap were put around fruit trees or scattered in the flower beds and fields, along with the leaves from the yard. Also, the chicken house and barn were cleaned of manure and scattered in the field and flower beds. Mama's roses and zinnias grew bigger and colors more brilliant than any I see today.
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Newspapers were used to line shelves and dresser- drawers. Iron scraps were used to patch farm equipment. Nails were pulled from old boards, straightened, and put in tin cans according to size then stored in the tool shed for future use. When the sole of shoes wore thin, an old tire tube was cut to fit inside of the shoe, thus giving longer wear and protecting our feet from the hot dirt while chopping cotton. There was no need for landfills or garbage dumps because little was thrown away, what was we put in washes in the field or woods to help stop erosion. Recycling is nothing new to the way I lived life growing up on a farm. We understood the value of making the best use of everything you had, we didn’t live in a “disposable” world back then.
Table scrapes fed the dogs and cats, while fruit and vegetable peelings were fed to the hogs. Eggshells were crushed and thrown out for the chickens to eat. We wore hand-me-down clothes and when they were worn thin, mama cut the best material from shirts and dresses, and made quilt tops. Buttons were cut off and put in the button box for future use and if I dropped mama’s button box, I had to find each and every one! In the fall after the cotton was picked, we scraped over the cotton left in the field and after the seeds were pulled from the cotton, mama carded the cotton into batting for quilt lining. Hickory and oak ashes from the
flour sacks, also the girl’s underwear was made from flour sacks. Mama ‘s embroidery and crocheted lace made them real pretty. Fertilizer sacks were washed and boiled in the wash pot until soft, then made into bed linens and dishtowels with pretty embroidery designs on them.
Papa and the boys would rob the bee gums and honey was squeezed from the honeycomb. The honeycomb was melted and made into beeswax which had many uses. When mama cooked beef and the tallow hardened, it was removed from the pot, washed, remelted, and shaped into bars. Tallow was good for chapped hands and feet.
Bertha, 90 years old is the youngest of 13 children. Her parents were Charles Dawson and Zelef Haynie Lazenby of Elmore County.
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Travel Experiences with Jeff Barganier
Lights in the Black Belt dining room. This place is really nice. I The nascent days of didn’t expect to find anything like this in fall find me roaming Camden. But it’s been a long time since I the back roads with no was last through here. I’m impressed and particular destination in eager to see more. mind. I’ve left my bike at home. I’ll probably After lunch, I tour Camden, the county regret not having it seat of Wilcox County, a truly beautiful along as some places are town of about 2000 people choc-full of best explored on two historic homes and churches. It almost wheels. Crisp cool air has hurts to pass these lovely homes fast settled over Alabama and now I’m following weeks of The Pecan on Broad wishing I had steamy showers. The my bike; so, I cloudless morning sky is Street to “The might pause singing in a deep azure Pecan” where and study their voice that inspires trees to join nature’s it appears architectures colorful celebration of the autumnal everyone is in greater equinox. Thanksgiving is approaching. I gathering for detail from the reflect on my many blessings as I ease lunch. This sidewalk. down I-65, exit west toward Selma then establishment onto Alabama 21 South toward Camden. is half I stop at Black This is a pleasant drive over good store half Belt Treasures road. Much better than I remember. restaurant. I Cultural Arts I’m passing small farms, cotton fields, feel a bit silly Center and pecan orchards, and an occasional old The Pecan on Broad Dining Room when I open peruse the home in need of love. I used to travel the door interesting through this rural countryside in the and enter, only to realize that almost displays of local artists. A book catches 50’s with my grandfather who eked out the whole front of the shop is open to my eye: Light in the Dark Belt. A back a living collecting pennies and dimes— the sidewalk where diners are sitting at cover quote by the author stirs my spirit: sometimes a chicken—from burial-policy outside tables. The shop I’m standing “This little volume is to tell its readers holders who subsisted down the dusty in offers shoppers everything from in plain, simple words how the almighty tributaries of counties like Lowndes and wine, pecan pies, pumpkin bread and God, for Christ’s sake, in a mysterious Wilcox. Today, I’m hearing good things local honey to various gifts, novelties, way, prepared and led me and a host of are happening in this area of Alabama’s hats and T-shirts. Ice cream, too! (My others out of gross darkness which hung “Black Belt” once referred to as the mother would love this place.) It’s like a like a dense fog over our souls into the “Dark Belt” by missionary/teacher Rosa smaller version of Priester’s Pecans in Ft. marvelous light of His salvation.” – Rosa Young whose mission it was to bring light Deposit, perhaps more upscale with what Young. When I go to purchase the book, in the darkness. appear to be marble floors. Pretty young I learn that one of the ladies behind the ladies greet me and explain how the counter happens to be a descendant I pass through Hayneville, then Braggs, ordering process works. There are cold of Young. In conversation, one thing arriving in downtown Camden at noon. sandwiches in the refrigerators along the leads to another and concludes with The streets are clean. Young men are wall or I can order the Brunswick stew/ an invitation for me—I’m a Black Belt applying fresh paint to a small wooden baked potato special. I purchase a cold author, too—to conduct a future book house. Renaissance is in the air. I park turkey wrap, a bottle of water and take signing at the Arts Center. in a vacant lot and walk across Broad a seat on a church pew in the adjacent
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I drive a few miles to Liberty Hall Bed and Breakfast and park off the driveway by a fence that separates the mansion from a pasture where cows are napping beneath oaks. As I open the car door, a tiny spotted fawn runs by. Proprietor Julia Handly greets me with a big smile and—I’m lucky—she has a room. It’s always better to call ahead and make a reservation. But, maybe, because I’m a travel writer and look “like a lost puppy,” Julia takes me in. Soon, others arrive—a couple from Louisiana. Steve’s an electrician who works on oil rigs throughout the world. His wife, Sandy, is a nurse. This is the first time off they’ve had together in a year. Another nurse, Vicki, of Nashville arrives with friend, Gail, of Auburn. Then Camden natives Mary and Melanie get in late from Georgia. They’re home to catch up with each other and celebrate a birthday. We all have different reservations for dinner
at Camden’s Gains Ridge Dinner Club. I end up sitting with and getting to know Gail and Vicki. (We also get to chat with former Senator Jeff Sessions who happens to be sitting at the table
Liberty Hall
next to us.) After dinner, we return to Liberty Hall and Dining Room at Liberty Hall lounge together on the breezeway between the main house and the kitchen—the home was built in 1850; so, the kitchen is separate from the main structure. The conversation is delightful, if not hilarious. The stories these ladies tell ... but I’m not. Next morning, Julia’s husband, Dudley, makes us a grand breakfast. Julia and Dudley have gone all out. We dine in
the formal dining room off the kitchen. The table is set for eight and adorned with a vase of colorful zinnias and fine china. The Marquis de Lafayette was served wine from the buffet against the wall opposite where I’m sitting! If only these walls could talk. Julia tells me the “Yankees” nearly burned the home during the War Between the States. But her Great-Great Grandfather John Robert McDowell who was a Mason, flashed the Masonic sign, or whatever, and the Union officer, recognizing him as a brother Mason, rescinded the order to destroy Liberty Hall! One hundred fifty years later, Julia and Dudley consider Liberty Hall a blessing they use to bless others. In the tradition of the venerable Rosa Young, they serve as yet another light in the Black Belt.
Julia Handly
Explore More: www.facebook.com/thepecanonbroad www.bbtcac.com www.LibertyHallBandB.com www.wilcoxwebworks.com/gr/
Jeff S. Barganier is a novelist, travel writer and manager of Cindy Barganier Interiors LLC. He travels far and wide upon the slightest excuse for something interesting to write about. Contact: Jeffbarganier@knology.net. Instagram: @jeffbarganier. Visit: www.jeffbarganier.com.
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Alabama River Region Ballet is proud to announce the 6th Annual “The Nutcracker” Alabama River Region Ballet is proud to announce the 6th Annual “The Nutcracker” at the Historic Davis Theatre in downtown Montgomery. Performances will be Friday, December 3rd at 7:00pm, Saturday, December 4th at 7:00pm and Sunday, December 5th at 2:00pm. “The Nutcracker,” set to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Steven Grebel, will thrill the audience with the prodigious dancing of the Youth Ballet Company and students from the school. With spectacular backdrops, scenery and a growing Christmas tree, this ballet is a truly magical experience and a classic holiday favorite for the whole family! Based on the original storybook written in 1816 by German author, E.T.A.Hoffmann, Act I of “The Nutcracker” opens with “The Party Scene”, taking place on Christmas Eve in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Stahlbaum. There are many guests in attendance but none like the mysterious Drosselmeyer, who brings exciting and magical gifts for the children, the most magical gift being The Nutcracker doll for his niece, Clara. After the clock strikes midnight and all are asleep in the home, the thrilling “Battle Scene” ensues. The audience will be swept away with “Clara” on her magical journey to the “Kingdom of Snow '' and the “Land of Sweets.” She and the audience will be royally entertained by dancing snowflakes in an evergreen forest winter wonderland. In Act II, “Clara” and “The Nutcracker Prince'' are fêted by “The Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Her Cavalier” and her entourage, who perform the famous “Nutcracker” divertissements, including “Flowers,” “Spanish,” “Chinese,” “Arabian,” “Candy Canes,” “Mirlitons,” and “Mother Ginger” and her adorable “Polichinelles.” The Alabama River Region Ballet’s “The Nutcracker'' has become an annual tradition and holiday favorite for Alabamians of all ages and gets better every year. This year will surely be the best yet! A 10% discount is offered for military, seniors, and children 12 and under. Saturday is designated as Military Appreciation Night where all members of the military and first hand responders and their families can attend for 50% off! Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at Scan QR www.alabamariverregionballet.com or by contacting the ARRB office at 334-356-5460. Get them while they last! for Nutcracker Tix
St. John’s Bazaar Returning This Year! After last year’s disruption due to COVID, the Episcopal Church Women’s (ECW) annual bazaar at St. John’s Episcopal Church will be held Wednesday, Nov. 17, in the Education Building of the church, 113 Madison Ave. In its current form, the bazaar is a more than 50-year tradition, and recently discovered historical information shows this may be the 100th anniversary of the first recorded bazaar. Committee coordinators are working toward staging a safe and prosperous event, which serves as the ECW’s major fund-raising activity for its Outreach Projects. In the past, proceeds have benefited programs and agencies supported by the ECW in the local community. Past proceeds have benefited Abdullah House, Aid Member of the Pantry team prepare casseroles for sale to Inmates Mothers and other agencies pertaining to women. Expect to see Arts and Crafts made by talented ECW members; a Pantry including homemade casseroles, soups, breads and pies and cakes; and the ever-popular Treasure Attic with its collection of gently used housewares and home decorations. The hours of the bazaar are 10-2 and the luncheon will be served in the Parish Hall 11-1. Take-out will also be available. The luncheon menu always includes favorite dishes from the ECW cookbook, St. John’s Disciples Blest Recipes I and II, which is no longer in print. This year’s menu includes turkey tetrazzini, congealed cranberry salad, green beans, garden salad, bread and dessert. Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased in advance in the church office or at the door. For more information, call the church at 334-262-1937 or email the parish administrator at victoria@stjohnsmontgomery.org. Please Note: masks will be required.
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17th Annual International Tasting Drive-Thru Montgomery Area Council on Aging (MACOA) will host its 17th Annual International Tasting. This year’s event will be a Drive-Thru and take place on Sunday, November 14th at MACOA’s Downtown office located at 115 East Jefferson St. Montgomery, AL 36104. The Drive-Thru event will feature cuisine from around the world, provided by local chefs. Preordered International Meals will be picked up and taken home to enjoy! All proceeds go to support MACOA and the Meals on Wheels program. MACOA’s flagship program is Meals on Wheels which utilizes volunteers to deliver 416 hot nutritious meals each weekday to homebound seniors facing food insecurity via 35 delivery routes. Meals on Wheels is much more than meals; it is a lifeline to seniors in Montgomery County by serving as a safety check and combating isolation L-R International Tasting Co-Chair Sue Groce Fmr. Board Member Ester by having volunteers visiting on a daily basis while Miller and MACOA CEO Donna Marietta delivering a nutritious meal. Recent data confirms our clients range in age from 60 to 102, with 25% being eighty-five years and older and 22% of the men and women served by MACOA are distinguished American veterans and spouses of veterans. WHAT: MACOA’s 17th Annual International Tasting Drive-Thru Event WHEN: Sunday, November 14, 2021, 1 p.m.– 3 p.m. WHERE: MACOA Scan QR Downtown Office 115 East Jefferson Street Montgomery, AL to Order Tickets
Capital City Master Gardeners Association Lunch & Learn @ The Armory, Capital City Master Gardener Association presents Lunch & Learn, the 1st Wednesday of Every Month from 12-1 pm. They will meet at Armory Learning Arts Building, 1018 Madison Ave., Montgomery 36104. Mark your calendars, November 3, Shade Gardening, Mary McCroan, Advanced Master Gardener, will be presenting the program, “Shade Gardening”. Join us to learn about gardening with an abundance of shade in the yard. How can you add color to the landscape and which plants work the best with limited sunshine? Find out the answers to these and other questions during Mary’s presentation. December 1, “Decorating for the Holidays”, Anna Owen, Master Gardener, will be presenting the program, “Decorating for the Holidays”. Join us to get some new and fun ideas to make your home look lovely for Christmas in a natural way. Plan to wear your mask and socially distance, as mandated by the City of Montgomery. 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.
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Jackson Wellness Center Now Open in East Montgomery The Jackson Wellness Center is now open at 7150 Halcyon Park Drive in Montgomery and is located in the former Metro Fitness facility. The Jackson Wellness Center is a 17,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art medical fitness facility, offering a variety of weight training equipment, multipurpose activity rooms for classes, and a raised walking track, all within a pleasant and comfortable environment. The wellness center also offers massage appointments to better support members in every aspect of their fitness journey. The wellness center provides adults of varying fitness levels a method of achieving optimal health through individualized fitness programs, personal training, and tailored fitness plans designed to the fitness goal prescribed by their Jackson Hospital and Clinic provider. The Jackson Wellness Center also staffs degreed health and fitness instructors, certified and degreed personal trainers, licensed massage therapists, clinical exercise physiologists, administrative staff, member service representatives, and dedicated volunteers. Membership plans start at $65 a month and include cardio and strength training equipment, access to all group classes, an indoor walking track, sauna and steam room, 3D body scanner, wellness coaching and counseling, education classes, health and fitness tracking tools, and more. Visit www.jacksonwellnessmgm.com or call 334-440-3330 to learn more Scan QR about membership options and other amenities. to Learn More
Volunteer Opportunities at the Montgomery Zoo! Volunteers at the Montgomery Zoo are very important people and play a vital role in the success of the Zoo. We are looking for energetic individuals, who want to volunteer in a beautiful and fun place. The Montgomery Zoo has a variety of volunteer opportunities that are interesting and fulfilling. Some volunteer positions interact with the Zoo visitors while others may work behind the scenes. Whatever the job, each and everyone is valued and provide a service for the Zoo that cannot be measured in dollars and cents. Volunteer commitment has allowed our Zoo to improve, expand programs, generate community involvement and support, and assist Zoo staff in daily Zoo operations. There are volunteer opportunities for adults, teens, groups, schools, businesses, and families. Volunteers ages 12-16 must be accompanied by a parent/ legal guardian or a designated school chaperone. Volunteers under the age of 19 must obtain parent/legal guardian permission to volunteer. The Zoo offers flexible hours and a large variety of things to do! Sign up here Scan QR www.montgomeryzoo.com/education/volunteer-opportunities to Learn More
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FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH ANNOUNCES GIFT HOPE: Giving HOPE to Our Neighbors in need by Supporting Our Local Nonprofits Gift Hope will offer people in the River Region an opportunity to rethink the traditional holiday gift by honoring friends and family with specific gift donations to local Non-Profits. This year’s Gift Hope program is the 10th annual community-wide event benefitting more than 30 area nonprofit organizations. IN PERSON: Date: Saturday, December 4, 2021, Time: 10am – 12pm Location: First United Methodist Church, 2416 W. Cloverdale Park, Montgomery AL *Open to the Public* ONLINE: Dates: November 21 through December 13, 2021 www.FUMCmontgomery.org/GiftHope Gift Hope invites the community to find a richer meaning for giving this holiday season by doing their “shopping” to help fund specific needs of those served by River Region area nonprofit organizations. Providing a safer way to shop this Christmas, Gift Hope 2021 is sponsored by the Church & Society Work Area of First United Methodist Church. For those unable to attend, online shopping will be available November 21 through December 13 at www. FUMCmontgomery.org/gifthope. All donations go directly to the NonProfits. This service is a witness to our living faith in the community and is not a fund raiser for the church. “We are thrilled to host such a meaningful gift fair every year,” Dr. Jay Cooper, Senior Minister at First United Methodist Church said. “This year especially, our community needs to support one another. If you’re looking for ways to make an impact with your gift giving this Christmas, shopping through Gift Hope is a beautiful way to do so. Montgomery is a kinder community when we are all supporting each other.” The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
GIFT HOPE supports local ministries and nonprofits through an event where you can purchase a variety of “gifts” in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one. These gifts don’t go under your tree, rather they help dozens of community organizations make a positive and tangible impact in lives across the River Region.
of the designated nonprofits the gifts supported. Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 4th and support your community! To learn Scan QR to Participate more, visit www.FUMCmontgomery.org/gifthope.
By supporting Gift Hope, you help fund specific, needed items from one or more nonprofits working in the Montgomery area to help those in need -- for example, one week of hot meals for an elderly couple in need, one night’s shelter for a homeless family or a teddy bear to a child at Child Protect. Many other wonderful gifts will be available at a variety of price points/donation amounts, starting at $5. The gift recipient will receive from the gift purchaser a special card announcing the gifts made in their honor and the names R ive r Re gio n Bo o m . co m
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Angels For the Elderly held their “Rededication Open House” Angels For the Elderly held their “Rededication Open House” recently. Friends and families joined the new management team in celebration of the remodeling, reopening and rededication of one of its 4 homes. Guest enjoyed food, fun and fellowship while touring the newly opened building. Michelle Haigler Kelley, Executive Director was happy to share information regarding Angels new Respite Program. It’s the perfect program for caregivers that just need a break. They can bring their loved one to Angels for the Elderly for a temporary stay while caregivers take a much-needed break or go on vacation. Angels new management company named IGH, Health Services which is managed by Heather Freese was also in attendance and is thrilled about the new team at Angels and the great things that are happening. For more info visit www.angelsfortheelderly.com
Maximizing Medicare for 2022 At Moore Wealth Management, we have been conducting our annual seminar on Maximizing Medicare since 2006. Our experience shows that over 90% of participants need to switch Medicare Part D plans annually to maintain the most cost-effective coverage for their Medicare Part D plans. To get the most out of Medicare, retirees need to manage and review their options. At Moore Wealth Management, we do our best to help you do that. Medicare’s open enrollment period is underway. It starts October 15th and continues until December 7th. At the Moore Wealth Management, Inc. office in Montgomery, we offer an annual workshop that covers how to maximize your Medicare. 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.
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Caregiver of the Month Spotlight:
CARRIE WARE
Carrie Ware can always be seen with a smile upon her face. She is dependable, dedicated, and determined to make a difference in the lives of all she touches. Carrie is not only kind, but devoted, compassionate and sincere to say the least. Although you were busy, we noticed how comforting and loving you are.
“Carrie your abilities are unmatched and for that we appreciate you, thank you for a Job Well Done” For more information visit www.homecareassistancemontgomery.com
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BOOM! COVER PROFILE
Greta Lambert, Actor Alabama Shakespeare's Very Own
This month’s cover profile is a woman who has been pretending to be someone else for 35 years, at least within the confines of Montgomery’s very own Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Greta Lambert has been one of the premier actors at ASF since she opened the inaugural season, playing Titania, the Fairy Queen, in Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s first production in 1985, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Greta has played leading roles in a staggering 130+ productions. Shakespearean roles include Lady MacBeth, Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, Rosalind in As You Like It, and Miranda in The Tempest, to name a few. Other plays include Driving Miss Daisy, A Streetcar named Desire, Death of a Salesman, Great Expectations, and Fair and Tender Ladies (her favorite). Rick Harmon, former features writer for The Montgomery Advertiser describes her work this way, “Greta has given us performances so diverse that they’ve been linked only by their brilliance. She’s been cruel, kind, regal, witty, uncultured, humorless, passionate, cold, young, and old, but always believable.” Many of you know Greta through her various roles and her involvement at ASF, she has added to the quality of life here in the River Region because of her dedication to her trade and the arts community we all can be thankful for. We hope you enjoy getting to know Greta as much as we have and will continue to enjoy the outstanding productions at ASF as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary Season, including Greta’s one-woman production of A Christmas Carol, a must see for the entire family!
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?
years later, I made the move to New York, city of my dreams. As a New York actor, one difficult step is getting an agent who will then submit you for plays. Well, I got an agent, and she finally submitted me. My first audition was for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. And, of course, as fate would have it, I got the job! But, the last thing I wanted to do
Greta: I grew up in Birmingham with my mom and two sisters, Jeri and Elizabeth. I was always very shy and the only time I opened up was when I read aloud in school. I actually wanted to be a secret agent when I grew up. My father watched all those spy shows on TV (I Spy, The Man From UNCLE, Honey West, The Avengers) and I loved that they wore disguises, pretended to be other people, and spoke in dialects of other countries. I eventually turned my sights toward a much safer career – acting. One advantage my “secret agent experience” gave me was my investigative skills. Acting is detective work. In 1974, my high school Speech teacher, Nell Salamone, took me to Montevallo to meet the faculty. I received my BFA in Theatre at the University of Montevallo and went to the University of Florida
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Greta and husband, actor Rodney Clark
for my MFA. Since my early teens, I longed to leave the South. So after grad school I took a job outside Washington D.C. at the Round House Theatre as an actor and teacher. Four
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Wedding Day 1999, for Greta and Rodney
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was to return to the South! However, I needed to take the job so my new agent could earn her weekly commission. So in the fall of 1985, I arrived in Montgomery. And of course, everything about Montgomery, the job, the theatre, Greta playing Titania, the Fairy Queen, in The the city, Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s first production in the people, 1985, A Midsummer Night’s Dream fit me like a comfortable old shoe. I loved ASF BOOM!: As a the moment I arrived. On opening seasoned and night of the brand new theatre with professional A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I stood actor, how backstage with tears of joy running down would you my face. I was so proud that Alabama compare ASF had this amazing theatre and I was about productions to perform on its beautiful stage! I with others in found an artistic home working with the U.S? excellent professionals on stage and in the shops. Greta: I have worked in Over the years I have gone to do a show New Mexico, or two at other theatres out of town, Salt Lake City, but ASF is my home. It offered me some Cincinnati, of the most incredible roles an actor Cleveland, could dream of playing: Lady Macbeth, Norfolk, Blanche DuBois, Cleopatra, Shirley Valentine, Hedda Gabler, Ivy Rowe and countless others. Over the 35 years that I have spent at ASF I have worn
many hats. I have served the theatre as an acting teacher for the MFA program, Education Director, Director of the Fellowship Company and Associate Artistic Director. One of my greatest joys is directing the Fellowship Acting Company in an adaptation of a Shakespeare production that tours around the state.
Greta playing Miss Daisy along with fellow actor, James Bowen, as Hoke
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Shakespeare Festival, located in the gorgeous Blount Cultural Park with the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts just across the water. The large Festival Theatre is grand and stunning. The smaller Octagon Theatre is a little gem, intimate and magical. Artists visiting from out of town are awed by our theatres. Our shops are among the country’s best. ASF attracts the highest quality designers and artisans. Patrons are amazed to learn that everything on stage is handmade here at the theatre – wigs, costumes, crafts, props, sets, lighting, sound. BOOM!: You’re also ASF’s Deputy Artistic Director and Director of Education/ Outreach, can you tell us more about your roles in these areas? When you’re judging acting talent or potential what qualities are you looking for? Do you teach acting one on one?
Greta: As Deputy Artistic Director I assist the Artistic Director in casting, season planning, outreach programs, and directing the Fellowship Greta playing Ivy Rowe, a role she created in Company. As Fair and Tender Ladies Education and other Director I schedule classes and camps, spots. Each hire teaching staff, plan workshops and theatre has create programming for community its magic and engagement. its wonderful quirks. Our When casting a play or choosing a state is Fellowship Company, I look for young blessed to people who are ready for the next step have the in their careers, usually after grad school. beautiful These young artists are almost ready Alabama to enter the professional world. We
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turned each “fixer-upper” into a dream home. He claims to know nothing about renovation – but you should see our kitchen! I am the designer (mostly) and he is the renovation foreman. The same thing applies to our garden. We never actually break into “character”, but from time to time we do use funny dialects with each other or quote Shakespeare. Sometimes lines from plays will pop up out of nowhere. Then we test our memories to guess what play that line came from.
Greta and Rodney, sharing a beach moment
serve as that bridge. The artists need to be open, imaginative, collaborative, good with language, adaptable, positive, courageous, and have a sense of play. BOOM!: You are married to a fellow actor/director, Rodney Clark, would you please share some of your love story? Do you ever break into “character” for each other? Greta: I met Rodney Clark in St. Louis performing together in To Kill a Mockingbird. I played Jean Louise the narrator and Rodney played Boo Radley and the prosecutor, Mr. Gilmer. I knew we would marry the moment we met. He was funny, talented, tall and very handsome. Plus, he was from Alabama! And we were doing a play about Alabama. Doesn’t that sound like fate? We have been married for 22 years and we still make each other laugh. He is my best friend. We respect and encourage each other in our work and we always give each other ideas and suggestions. Since Mockingbird, we have
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done many shows together – Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Proof, A Doll’s House, Henry VIII. We have even directed each other in shows. We live in Montgomery with our sweet dog, Molly, and our two cats. We have lived in several houses and Rodney has
Greta and Rodney enjoying a moment in Italy
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BOOM!: You are performing your own adaptation of A Christmas Carol beginning December 3 where you take on more than a dozen roles, please share this unique experience and the joy it offers to many families during the holidays? Greta: I have been adapting Shakespeare plays for our Fellowship Acting Company for about 8 years. The company tours schools around the state. I love adapting literature. When Rick Rodney and Family Dog Molly Dildine offered me the opportunity to adapt A Christmas Carol, I jumped at the chance. It was originally created to be a reading. Both of us dreamed that maybe one day, the experience could have a greater impact as a live theatre performance. My hope is that audiences feel like they are in their living room, gathered around a fire, sharing a holiday favorite they all know and love. There is something comforting about hearing a familiar story told by a familiar storyteller. Hopefully, the members of the audience will feel that their holiday tale is in good hands. As the production gets closer to Christmas Eve, I think the magic of the story will The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
a much deeper level. It dodges language the city. Perhaps grow, just and appeals straight to the heart and it is the presence as holiday body. Music can make you dance and of the water excitement sing spontaneously. I have music in my everywhere. We builds as soul but I do not possess the means to also love the beach the big day let it out. I admire those who sing or and we take short gets closer. play music. I am often inspired by music trips whenever And I know when I direct. I love to discover new possible. there will music and let it guide my entire concept be children with setting and costuming. A music Once as a research in that genre will reach out and grab me. Music trip for Fair and gathering creates new worlds! One season I used Tender Ladies, who will be Romani music for my Midsummer tour, I Rodney and I discovering Greta with sister Elizabeth used Electro Swing for Comedy of Errors, drove through A Christmas I found some great new artists when I the Appalachian Carol for the created a Steampunk world for Twelfth Mountains. What a beautiful place! It first time. Plays can bring us together Night. Perhaps fed my “inner in celebration. The holiday is a time when I retire I Ivy Rowe” to rejoice together as we experience A will get out my and gave my Christmas Carol in the same room. old fiddle and imagination take lessons. lots of BOOM!: With a busy life, how do you like mountain to spend time with family and friends? BOOM!: How do magic to you like to relax feast upon. Greta: It seems that food always plays a and wind down By accident, role when I spend time with family and from a hard we stumbled friends. I love to experiment with recipes day’s work? onto a Blue and subject my guests to my cooking. Grass Festival Usually Rodney does all the cooking, Greta: When out in the but I love to cook for large gatherings Alabama woods. That or holidays. I also love dining out and Greta with sister Jeri weather music was finding new places to eat. permits, I love to sit in my garden and amazing and wiggled itself into my soul. listen to the trees. Nature is a sweet It was a new discovery and yet familiar at BOOM!: What are some of your favorite balm to my mind. We have lots of the same time. It felt like home. It was travel experiences? Favorite vacation birds and squirrels to watch, too. The like remembering something long, long spot? Any travel dreams planned? wonderful thing about the garden is forgotten. that it is always changing. Too much Greta: Travel time away means missing some amazing Rodney and I has become changes in the plants. Our dog loves to long to return expensive, hang out in the garden, too. She loves to Italy. It is a so we do playing, of course, but you can see her fantasy of ours not go on sitting yoga-like and smelling the air to buy an old adventures peacefully. She feels “the zen” as much villa in Italy as often as as I do. and fix it up to we would be a vacation like. Rodney BOOM!: What is it about living in the spot for all and I have Montgomery/River Region area that you our friends. been to like? What do we need more of? Maybe even many a group wonderful Greta: Montgomery’s best feature is its retirement places, people. When you encounter people on villa! especially Greta with sisters and mom the street or in a store, they say hello. I in France love that. There is a lot of kindness here. BOOM!: What and Italy. I Montgomery has a booming art scene, are you most passionate about? think Venice is my favorite spot. There’s lots of music, theatre, architecture, a lovely fragile beauty there. It is an and visual art. We certainly have some Greta: I am very passionate about music. enchanting experience just walking the learning to do, about ourselves, our Music has the ability to reach people at streets and getting lost in the maze of The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
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Greta in the one-woman show Shirley Valentine
Greta playing Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire
history, our community. But I have faith we will find the love, courage and understanding to do so. BOOM!: Give us three words that describe you? Greta: Optimistic, motivated, kind BOOM!: Do you have any hobbies or other activities that grab your attention? Greta: I love gardening. That’s something I get from my mother. She always had a wonderful garden. I love learning about plants and watching what they will do. The possibilities are endless. Believe me, I kill half of what I plant, but the other half ain't bad at all! It is something Rodney and I (and our dog) enjoy together. Japanese maples are my favorites. I also make wind chimes out of colored glass. It is very time consuming, so perhaps when I retire I can return to making my chimes. BOOM!: What are some of the future challenges you’re contemplating for ASF? For yourself? Greta: Like every theater in America, ASF is trying to get patrons back in the building. We are looking forward to having full houses for our holiday shows and our classes and camps will be back in full swing this spring and summer. BOOM!: Many people over 50 are experiencing a renewed sense of
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Greta and Rodney in Death of a Salesman (they played Willie and Linda Loman)
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 retirement? Greta: I have been so concentrated on my career in the theatre for the past 50 years that I have given little thought to new goals or retirement. My acting has defined my life. There are so many other things in life to explore and experience. As much as I fear retirement, I am looking forward to new adventures and sleeping late. I love animals and would love to find an opportunity to work with them in a shelter or a veterinarian clinic or the zoo. That would certainly be a fun way to spend the next chapter in life. BOOM!: Favorite roles performed at ASF? Most challenging? Most rewarding, personally? Greta: Without question, my most rewarding theatre experience was creating the role of Ivy Rowe in Fair and Tender Ladies. Based on Lee Smith’s novel, the play is written by Eric Schmiedl, music composed by Karren Pell, Tom House and Tommy Goldsmith, directed by Susan Willis. As a product of ASF’s Southern Writers Festival, I had the honor of being the first actor to play Ivy in this adaptation. The play
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was produced three times, once in the Octagon, once in the Festival and once on a tour of the Southeast. The story and the character spoke to me, awakening in me another world that I had somehow known, perhaps in my past or maybe my family’s past. The play celebrates the beauty of living an ordinary life – falling in love, raising children, losing loved ones, family bonds, mistakes, the cycle of life. The music is ever present, moving the story forward, yet taking time to honor the joys and pain of life. I think actors always give parts of themselves to their roles. I certainly do. And I gave a lot of myself – joyfully – to Ivy Rowe. BOOM!: Many of us think of actors as just waiting for their big break, to be discovered and hit it big…would you please share the joys of “hitting it big” as a professional resident actor at Alabama’s premier theatre company, ASF? Greta: I love being welcomed in Montgomery as part of the community. People know me through my work, so, in a sense, we have experienced many lives and stories together. I have taught the children of our patrons in our ASF Acting Academy and Summer Camps. Many people return to the place their school brought them to see a play through our SchoolFest program. Montgomery is a growing city with a blooming art scene – it is exciting to be part of that growth.
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BOOM!: Would you please share with our readers and their friends the benefits of the theatre experience at ASF? Greta: An audience becomes a community sharing a story together. As an actor, I can feel how the audience is responding and it encourages and inspires me. A bond is created between the audience and the actors, the audience “sees” him/herself in the story. It is a safe place to feel what others feel, to imagine other worlds, to “walk in another’s shoes”. In a live theatre performance we feel, rejoice, celebrate, learn, hurt and suffer together as a group, a group that will be together for the short time that the play takes place.
The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
Theatre is a place for stories. And what better time to come together and enjoy a story we all know and love. Like little children, we can sit with Aunty Greta and hear that wonderful holiday story about the redemption of mean ol’ Scrooge. Come see the adaptation beginning December 3rd, www.asf.net.
We want to thank Greta for sharing some of her story with us this month, especially the many roles she has performed for the River Region since 1985. We also want to thank Alabama Shakespeare Festival for sharing the production photos. Thanks also to DiAnna Paulk for her quality cover photo of Greta taken in the beautiful facilities and grounds of ASF. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about our cover profiles, including nominating someone, please send them to Jim Watson at jim@ riverregionboom.com.
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By Greg Budell
The Mayor of BOOMTOWN
THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART "A true story from the Greg files"
Waiting is part of life. It’s also relative. Cub fans visited loved ones in cemeteries who lived long lives waiting for them to win a World Series. Many passed in their 90s without that experience. Championship flags dotted graves all over Chicagoland in 2016 when they finally achieved glory after 108 excruciating years! The DMV is a training ground for waiting. You’re holding ticket #119 while sign overhead says “now serving 29”. For me, the longest wait in my memory was the excruciating time that passed on Christmas morning between the time we woke up (usually 5AM)- and the moment Director Cecille B Budell announced we could come downstairs to open presents. He finally set his 8MM movie rig just right. It must have been all of 20 minutes, but it seemed like FOREVER! Doctor’s offices can be a training ground for waiting. In this regard, I am blessed. My personal physician, the extraordinary Dr. Dennis Woodling runs a timely office (BOOM Magazine always available for those waiting!). On the last day of September, it was time for my annual exam. I was optimistic. I’d lost weight, started eating healthier and by the time you read this, I’ll have gone an entire year riding my bike every day without fail. He noted these improvements and encouraged me to continue. The last step is always a chest x-ray. It’s the one test I sweat because
I’ve been unable to quit smoking. Cut back? Yes. I’ve been sober almost 2 decades from everything else that was killing me. While Dr. Woodling emphasizes “Smoking Cessation” nicotine is the one (and hardest) drug to quit. “No chest x-ray this time”, said the Good Doctor. “Huh?” I brilliantly replied. Doc explained “they really don’t tell us much and our technician is out- so I’m sending you over to the Cancer Center for a complete scan”.
One minute, I’m proud I didn’t chicken out on the test, only to learn it wasn’t happening that day. I went next door where they drew blood and sent me to a doctor down the hall to WAIT for those results. Waiting for him took forever. As he looked over the mostly good results I mentioned I’d been expecting a scan that day instead. “We’ve scheduled that for the 19th” he said matter-of-factly.
Dennis must have noticed my face turn a vampire-white color.
Making idle chat, I told this doctor about the lifestyle changes I’d made and was not experiencing any ominous symptoms.
“Don’t be alarmed!” he said. “I just want to be sure”.
“Well,” he said- “by the time you have symptoms IT’S USUALLY STAGE 4.
“Yes sir”, I swallowed.
Thanks, Doc.
His office called the next day. My scan appointment was set for October 12. For the next almost two weeks, a daily debate raged within me. Dr. Woodling said ‘don’t be alarmed’. I shouldn’t be, right? If something was truly urgent, he’d have sent me there directly, no?
My mind ran amok for another week. It was a purgatorial experience, a battle between potential outcomes, good and bad. Optimism V Pessimism- a case argued over and over until the 19th arrived.
Two weeks later I checked in the Imaging Center, where a machine scanned my ID and health cards. After processing, it came back “NO APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED”. An attendant looked through the Baptist system and informed me my appointment was for a blood test one building over.
I had a 2PM appointment for the imaging center and arrived a half hour early. Hurry up and wait some more. 2:40 arrived so I went to the counter and explained I might need to reschedule (quit tempting me to walk out on this procedure!). Fortunately, before I knew it, I was wiggling into position on the scanning bed and within minutes, was
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done. As the accommodating young attendant assisted me off the tray, I asked “did you see anything?”. Surprisingly he said he didn’t, but the guy reading the results would be the one issuing the results. Thus began The Final Wait. Every time my phone rang my heart jumped. On Thursday evening I heard the phone vibrating with caller ID proclaiming “ONCOLOGY CENTER”. I didn’t answer in time, and it was after hours so no one answered my return call. What are my %#^@* results? It turned out the Oncology Center call was a reminder for my blood appointment for 10/26. They’d left me a message. The next 3 days were lived in a shroud of doubt. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. I logged into my Baptist Health account almost hourly. Nothing new. Dear Diary for Monday, the 25th. My morning show is a great escape- fun with the crew from 6 to 9AM. Just before 9, my email indicated my “Informed Delivery Digest” had arrived. The USPS allows you to sign up for an email that sends pictures of all mail arriving that day. One caught my eye.
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CARMICHAEL IMAGING! Results?
I didn’t know. The process was so exhausting I didn’t feel elation over the mostly positive result.
I thought it might be a bill but deep down, I knew THIS WAS IT!
Dr. Woodling was pleased at the report. I slept well for the first time in weeks.
Our mail arrives late. My friend Teri stayed at our house, assigned to text hourly updates during my 3-6 afternoon show. “Nothing yet” times 3. On the way home, my phone rang with Teri’s ID on it.
Yes, the waiting is the hardest part. In that time, I did a lot of thinking and introspection on what was Petty and what was not. Thank you, Tom.
"Worth the Wait"
Listening like my future depended on it, because it did- I heard her say “you don’t have lung cancer”. I didn’t get off scot-free. There was what they described as a “benign” area they’d like to scan again in 6 months for any changes in size or shape, but everything else was OK. I uncorked my feet and the stress flowed out. It occurred to me I’d spent almost 4 weeks torturing myself with something
(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, Stepson, Sho, and dogs Hershey and Briscoe. He’s been in radio since 1970, and has marked 16 years in the River Region. He hosts the Newstalk 93.1FM Morning Show with Rich Thomas, Jay Scott & Jessie Lynn, 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.
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Smart Health - Nature's Way - Tracy Bhalla
Natural Pain Relief There are many ways we can relieve pain without resorting to drugs, whether over-the-counter Tylenol, etc. or the more potent prescription drugs; ALL of which wreak havoc on our liver, one of the most critical organs in the smooth running of our bodies (and one that we know the least about.) Lavender – inhalation of lavender essential oil has been shown to reduce the pain associated with migraines and with chronic menstrual pain. You can diffuse it or just put drops on a tissue and inhale it directly from there. Lavender also significantly decreases pain associated with burns, and helps the skin heal much more quickly. I can personally attest to that and always keep a bottle on hand in the kitchen, though it works just as well on sunburn or even gunshot burn (UK Doctors took it by the barrel load to Afghanistan.) It is also extremely effective at taking the pain away at the site of an insect bite or sting. In all these cases it must be applied immediately and neat – no water or other oils. If you have arthritis, then ginger is going to be your new best friend. It is the fact that ginger lowers the level of prostaglandin that makes it so effective at reducing both the pain and inflammation of arthritis. You can use the essential oil SPARINGLY in a massage oil or lotion base and apply it to the affected joints, or you can enjoy a cup of ginger tea.
Start with 4 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add a 2-inch piece of peeled ginger root. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Strain and sweeten with lemon and honey (or just honey). Arnica is also excellent for arthritis pain and can be bought in most health food stores in the form of a topical ointment or cream. This has been proven very effective for centuries.
bit of research done on the fact that adding the black pepper to turmeric is vital in increasing the body’s ability to absorb the curcumin, and therefore increasing its efficacy, so don’t skip the black pepper!) Simmer for 10 minutes. Add honey or maple syrup to sweeten to taste. Bromelain is our last natural remedy to discuss today. This is a key component in pineapple! Similar in effect to ginger, it decreases the amount of prostaglandin and can help ease the pain of many issues from arthritis to trauma related inflammation. The only problem is the amount of pineapple you would have to eat! Thankfully there is a Bromelain supplement that you can take instead.
Curcumin is the key healing ingredient found in turmeric So really you can take your pick, Ginger and is very depending on your type of pain or pains useful at helping ease pain associated or you can just have these ready in your with autohome first immune aid kit just in disorders. It case. Above seems to take all, they are over the proa wonderful inflammatory alternative to proteins called just reaching cytokines for the Tylenol which are the or Advil or root cause of whichever pill inflammation you usually and the pop in your associated mouth when pain. Many the pain hits. Tumeric Indian dishes Think about contain turmeric – giving them that rich the long-term damage to your liver and yellow color, so you can start by adding try something else instead. them to your diet. Also, you can try Golden Milk, a drink made with turmeric These examples are also just the tip of and ginger (double whammy!) Heat 1 the iceberg; there are SO many other cup of milk in a saucepan; add 1 small options available. I just don’t have room piece of fresh ginger or one teaspoon of here to go into more detail, but if you ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, have specific questions, please do not ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 pinch of hesitate to send me an email. I will do my black pepper (there has been quite a best to guide you in the right direction.
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 a place to purchase certain products. email: nyrbhalla@gmail.com I am here to answer any questions you may have. 2021andRiverRegionBoom.com BOOM! November The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine 56
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When Conservatorship By Erica Loberg
Goes Terribly Wrong
My family's troubling experience with the man appointed to manage my mother's life When people ask me about the circumstances surrounding the painful story of my mother's probate conservatorship — where the man appointed by a judge to manage my mother's finances and daily life inflicted financial and mental abuse on her — there's one question I always encounter: How did this happen to your family?
health decisions for themselves.)
The author's mother | Credit: Courtesy of Erica Loberg
A simple answer: it can happen to anyone. Roughly 1.5 million Americans are under guardianship or conservatorship, most of them over 65. Although many conservators and guardians do excellent work, some are notorious. One AARP article said: "Activists charge that in some cases, unscrupulous professional guardians have turned legally sanctioned exploitation into a cottage industry, abetted by greedy attorneys and pliable judges." A more complicated answer: our family fell apart after my father died. It took me almost two years and half a dozen court hearings to successfully remove the conservator who I'd describe as a criminal sociopath. He charged several thousands of dollars a month for my mother's minimal care, blew through a massive amount of my mother's money and emptied her house.
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My Family's Conservatorship Story Here is my story, followed by advice so something similar doesn't happen to you: My father, a Los Angeles orthodontist and UCLA School of Dentistry faculty member, was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and passed away 11 days later at 69. After his death, my family realized that he did not leave a will, and there was no guidance on how we should proceed with caring for my mom or managing her estate. As a result, my two sisters and I had different opinions on what should transpire. With the shock of our father's death and our immersion in grieving, we weren't able to come together and move forward collectively. So, shortly after my dad died, my 70-year-old mother was appointed a conservator. (A conservator — sometimes called a guardian — is appointed by a judge when someone is no longer able to make financial or
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For several years prior to my father's death, he was in charge of the household finances, managing most of the day-to-day tasks like grocery shopping and handling all the bills. My mom was no longer able to manage the stressors of maintaining the household at the time. When my father died, my older sister thought it would be better for our mother to live in an assisted living facility; my younger sister thought she should remain at home. I was caught in the middle, not sure what was best for my mom. Initially, my mom wanted to go to an assisted living facility, but after a few months there, she decided she wanted to be back in her home. Mayhem unfolded. So, I decided to reach out to my mom's older brother for guidance and help. He and my younger sister got my mother back home and found her a lawyer who recommended that my mother be conserved. The Conservator Is Appointed The lawyer filed the paperwork to make it happen. The requirements to become a professional, licensed conservator vary from state to state. Not all states require licensing; others mandate a credential The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
from a professional organization in addition to licensing. To become a conservator in California, either you must file a petition with the court and nominate yourself or another interested party can nominate you. Given the contentious nature of our family, we weren't given any options to decide on a particular conservator. We showed up to court and the conservator the judge appointed was there, ready to take over. His fees would be paid by the estate, which he controlled. It was all very confusing, and my sisters and I were operating more or less in the dark. Prior to this conservatorship assignment, I discovered, the man who became my mother's conservator was listed on a website about guardianship abuse. Its victims shared personal warning and tragic stories. I remember the night before the hearing at the Los Angeles Superior Court probate department to approve his position, my mother was held hostage in her home and not allowed to speak to any family members. Her own best friend flew in from out of state to speak to her and explain the dangers of her situation, and my mom was instructed not to open the door to anyone or else she would be sent to a nursing home. I only found out later that anytime he wanted something, he would use the nursing home as a threat so he could do as he pleased. Trying to Stop the Conservator When I went to the hearing to try to stop his petition for appointment, I presented the judge the list of testimonials I'd seen of his abuse. But I was immediately shut down. I walked home that day and thought to myself, something's not right. After that, the court assigned us an attorney representing the interests of my mom to make sure the chosen conservator was the right fit for the The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
family. In LA County, this kind of lawyer is known as a member of the Probate Volunteer Panel — attorneys who register with the court to help resolve probate proceedings. During the hearing with the PVP, it was my older sister and I (who didn't want this conservator) on one side of the courtroom and my younger sister (who did) on the other. The PVP chose to side with my younger sibling's wishes, and the conservator was officially appointed. Soon after, all the belongings from my mom's house, where I grew up, were removed, with no indication of their whereabouts and with no communication about this with the family. I remember the first time I walked into the house once this had happened; it looked like a living room set from "The Price Is Right" game show with all the furniture replaced by what looked like IKEA home ware. The family heirlooms, including paintings of my mother's, were removed, too. The kitchen had been completely remodeled. Those adobe tiles my dad had personally laid in the floor were replaced with plain ugly squares. I opened the cupboards only to find all the china was missing. The box of recipes passed down from generation to generation was nowhere to be found, either. Down in the basement, the wine cellar was gone. I wandered upstairs to an empty second floor and found the walls that used to hang family photos where bare. My childhood bedroom was a hallow box. All attempts to connect with the conservator were for naught.
Shut Out From Information About Mom I only found out that my mother was hospitalized for dehydration days afterwards. When I did, I tried phoning the conservator's office to insist on being alerted if my mother was sick, especially a hospitalization; he wouldn't take my call. I followed up with an email stating that correspondence about serious matters concerning my mother's health was unacceptable. I didn't receive a reply, but the conservator charged my mother's estate for receiving the email, and for my phone call. When I contacted St. John's Hospital, where my mom had been discharged. I asked to speak to the social worker. I got her on the phone, mentioned my mom's conservator's name and she fell silent. I asked if she knew him and she said, "I used to work in nursing homes over a decade ago, and he was known to prey on vulnerable women." Then one day, I received a call from another woman who had been victimized by the same conservator. She was involuntarily removed from her home and placed in a nursing care facility. This was one of several similar stories I heard. Over time, I began to understand his pattern: Prey on vulnerable victims, isolate them from their loved ones, allow no open lines of communication with the family, provide no transparency in billing, bleed the estate, then toss the people in conservatorship into nursing homes. When they run out of money there, leave them there to rot and die. I remember when the conservator did unnecessary renovations on the house, which were expensive and draining the
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estate, I asked my mom why she allowed them. She told me that if she didn't go along with what he had recommended, she'd end up back in a nursing home. The Estate Gets Drained My mom was constantly subject to manipulative abusive bullying behavior that came from the conservator. As far as I can tell, my mother had very little in-person communication with him. For the most part, he employed his minions to do his dirty work, which only calls into question the caregiving company he employed to watch over my mother. In fact, this conservator is practically invisible; you'll never find a picture online or a profile on social media about him. When I tried to contact my mom by phone, her number had always been changed. That happened numerous times. There was only one time my mom called me. It came in on an unidentified number, so I didn't pick up. However there was an accidental message left on my voicemail: "She's not picking up, call her back." (Mom) "She doesn't want to speak to you." (Her caregiver) The Conservator Tries to Keep Me Away From My Mother I remember the one time I picked my mom up when no one was there and took her downtown to spend the night with me. We left a note on the refrigerator letting the caregiver know she was with me, and that we were going to have brunch together. When the caregiver found out, she was instructed to immediately show up at my building to retrieve my mother. After that incident, she had 24/7 people in her home to watch her. They were more or less bodyguards to keep her away from spending any private time with the family. Once my mother's conservator realized I was after him, he
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tried to put a restraining order on me to keep me from talking to my mom, saying I was causing my mother stress by voicing my concerns about him stealing her money. To avoid the worst outcome for my mom, I immediately went to work to try and remove him as soon as possible. I decided I'd do this on my own, rather than hiring a Los Angeles attorney at $500 an hour — something I couldn't afford. I also believed I would be the best advocate for my mom, even though I knew nothing about the law or much about the process of conservatorship appeal. I'm grateful I took on this endeavor by myself because later, when I spoke with other victims, I learned they'd spent hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting this same conservator over the years. And they're still trying to remove him. The first thing I did was file a complaint with California's Probate Fiduciary Bureau; it's supposed to be a watchdog for complaints regarding conservators. The Bureau said, after conducting their "investigation," they didn't find any foul play. Next, I filed two Adult Protective Services reports, a police report and an FBI complaint. Finally, a Break For months I blanketed Los Angeles to find any and all outlets who could help. Then one day I got a break. I had filed a complaint with the county's Probate Investigators Office, and after months of the financial and emotional abuse inflicted on my mother, my complaint finally led to a report recommending his removal. I went back to court and presented the report, arguing that my mother's mental, emotional and psychological health was deteriorating. The judge assigned a new PVP to put fresh eyes on the case. This opened the door for me to get the conservator temporarily removed.
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The initial judge who appointed the conservator had retired, which I thought might help the situation. I argued that my mother's PVP who recommended her conservator had never interviewed all the siblings, asked for a new PVP and the judge agreed. The Troubled Mediation After this PVP conducted her investigation, she provided a report calling for a new conservator. Because my mother's conservator didn't want to step down, we were off to mediation. The next thing I knew, I was in an office with my older sister, the new PVP, the new temporary conservator and me in one room and the original conservator with his lawyer in another. The mediation turned out to be a disaster. The conservator lied about stealing all the family belongings, among other things. But the new temporary conservator had uncovered his wrongdoings. The conservator agreed to relinquish his position only if we fired the temporary one and went with one of his suggestions. After 10 hours of torture, my sister and I gave in. We just wanted the original conservator out, so we succumbed to his ultimatum. After the mediation I researched the new permanent conservator my mother was given, and discovered questionable articles written about her in The Los Angeles Times. I also learned that they both she and the original conservator used the same caregiving company, which struck me as odd. I raced back to court and filed paperwork to undo the original conservator's "suggestion." Thankfully, at the next hearing, we won. Getting Mom the Care She Needed and Deserved We were able to make the good, temporary conservator my mother's The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
permanent conservator. Finally, after almost two years, my mom was able to start getting the care she needed and deserved. Before the new conservator, my mother didn't see any doctors, except that one time she was hospitalized. Now, she was seeing a primary care doctor and a therapist. I've since seen my mom a handful of times; mostly we speak on the phone. She's doing pretty well. But when I walk into her house, I don't recognize anything, and it makes me sad. I doubt we'll ever get back any of the items that were ransacked. It's so depressing not to find my dad's vinyl record collection in the living room or the wallpaper in the dining room where we shared family dinners every night together. Seeing the chandelier over the dining room table replaced with a cheap tacky light traumatizes me. I don't need my high school trophies or any other items from my old bedroom, but why did the conservator find it necessary to remove all the belongings from the house? Best as I can tell, he was preparing the house for someone else to inhabit, so he could make money from the sale while my mother would live alone in a nursing home. I still have hope that one day, my mother's initial conservator will be brought to justice. 4 Ways to Prevent a Conservatorship Disaster How can you avoid an experience like my family and I had? There's no guarantee, but here are four suggestions: Discuss your parents' estate wishes and their finances while they are alive. I wish we had done that with my dad. Find out if your parents have wills, what they entail and where they are. Learn about your parents' assets and debts The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine
as well as how they'd like to live if their spouse dies before they do. If you can, get a durable power of attorney and a health care advance directive, giving you or someone whom you trust the authority to make decisions for a parent if they can't. If you will need to hire someone who isn't a family member or friend to be a conservator for your parent, do your homework. Make sure you choose a conservator with an excellent resumé and with reliable recommendations. Don't do what we did and accept some random person assigned by the court. If my sisters and I had taken these steps, most likely none of the abuse our mother suffered would have happened. If things do go wrong with a conservatorship, document everything. I cannot emphasize this enough. It means keeping a record of all conversations you have with parent that are concerning, with dates and times. This will help you make a solid case to get the conservator removed. If applicable, cover all aspects of the conservatorship abuse, including mental abuse — not just financial abuse. Don't give up. Despite the long odds to remove my mother's conservator, I never quit, despite his evil attempts to silence me and taint my relationship with my mother. If I can do it, you can do it.
While states have laws designed to protect people under conservatorship, in reality, there's very little oversight. A National Center for State Courts report said: "Nationally, there is a dire need for guardianship/conservatorship reform, as relatively few courts have the resources, staffing or expertise to actively monitor conservatorships." In 2017, the Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act was approved by a group called the Uniform Law Commission. Among other things, it's supposed to get rid of guardians and conservators not acting in the best interest of the people they're assisting; let courts "remove a conservator for failure to perform the conservator's duties or other good cause" and limit the ability of unscrupulous guardians to drain assets by charging unreasonable fees. But so far, only two states (Maine and New Mexico) have adopted any or all of this model act. At a 2018 Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said: "Some states have taken efforts to improve guardianship, but it's also clear that much more work needs to be done." At that hearing, Nina Kohn, associate dean at Syracuse University College of Law, said: "Currently, monitoring is typically anemic, and the ability to monitor is generally limited to underresourced courts."
If you can afford to hire a conservatorship attorney to remove a conservator, you might want to do it.
So, how did this happen to my family?
Now, back to my initial question: How did this happen to your family?
Erica Loberg is a poet and author. Her new book of poetry, "I'm Not Playing," is based on her experience with her mother's conservatorship. Her book "Inside the Insane" is a memoir about her struggles with Bipolar II coupled with a look at inpatient psych wards in Los Angeles County. She can be reached at ericaloberg@gmail.com. Source: www.nextavenue.org
The bigger question is how was this allowed to happen to my family? And another question: Why aren't there better checks and balances in the conservatorship system? The Problems With Conservatorship in America
You tell me.
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