Shreveport/Bossier Edition
Motorcycle Mama It’s A Woman Thang! Reverse Mortgages Tailgate Time from Holly Clegg
Septemberr/October 2010
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www.beltone.com/e-texas Seven convenient locations to serve you! Longview Texarkana Henderson Marshall Gilmer Monroe, LA September /October 2010
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On the move...
Home Instead Senior Care opened its doors
back in February 2001. Thanks to the hard work of the owner, Paige Locke, and her staff, the business has grown. No matter where a senior lives – in their home, in an assisted living facility or even a nursing home – Home Instead Senior Care can help. Providing thousands of hours of senior services monthly, we are available whenever and where ever you need us. The fact of the matter is, our clients typically have unique lifestyles and needs and our goal is to not disrupt, but to be there to help any way we can. Compassion and (Front, L-R) Jessica Brady, Administrative Assistant Paige Locke, Owner Rosemary Brant, General Manager
respect will always be the icing on the cake. Our services may include assistance with trips to the doctor, reminders to take the right
(Back, L-R) Lauren Day, Creative Designer Marnyce Slaughter, Client Care Coordinator Bobbie Hebeisen, Community Service Representative Melinda Langley, Staffing Coordinator Melissa Wilson, Recruiting & Retention Coordinator
medication at the right time, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, shopping and even Alzheimer’s and dementia care. The result is companionship allowing seniors to feel safe and
independent while they age in place in the home they’ve lived in for years. And, in those situations when a client has aging-related medical needs beyond our home care capabilities, we refer them to our close partners in the health care industry. Home Instead CAREGivers and office staff alike have a passionate dedication to serving the elderly. It is a mission they take personally. Recently Home Instead moved their office to the Fern Avenue Business Park.
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September /October 2010
table of contents Remember: you can read us online too!
savvyandsage.com
4
Motorcycle Mama
7
Making Grape Jelly
In This Issue
Dennise Aiello
9
It’s A Woman Thang! Elaine Marze
14 16 9
College Football Schedules
7
11 Ways To Break Out Of A Weight Loss Plateau Rico Boyer
22
Rachel Chappellie: Activist Dennise Aiello
24
Puzzles 14
26
Tailgate Time Holly Clegg
30
Reverse Mortgages Ric Cochran
26
32
Big Cedar Lodge Elaine Marze
36
36
Calendar Of Events
38
AMIkids Red River To Hold 2nd Annual Art Extravaganza
32
Savvy & Sage has made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in this magazine, but assume no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions. The opinions of the personalities featured in Savvy & Sage do not necessarily express those held by Savvy & Sage or The Locke Group, Inc. Savvy & Sage Magazine is published bi-monthly by Locke Group Inc. at 520 Spring Street, Suite 202, Shreveport, LA 71101. Phone 318.429.8311. Fax 318.429.8453. Email greg@savvyandsage.com. All rights reserved. Savvy & Sage is printed by Branch-Smith Printing, Fort Worth, TX, 800-315-4110.
September /October 2010
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MOTORCYCLE MAMA! STAFF WRITER
he eyes show – unless it is too cold to remove her Betty Bailes recently h goggles and helmet. her returned from riding a Son, Gary, the family prankster, gives Harley Davidson motorcycle B Betty’s heart fits sometimes with stunts like through Colorado. That states sitting sideways on his bike while riding at ment takes on new meaning 65 mph, but their family camaraderie and with the fact that Betty will frequent stops at such places as Blanchard soon be 80 years old! What Springs Caverns and the grand dining room is even more amazing is that of Queen Wilimena Lodge keeps Betty wellher three sons regularly take entertained. her along on extended motor- Betty Bailes, Keithville resident, and her son Rick. “What trips! What experiences!” says cycle trips. Betty knows she is Betty about their Harley rides. “Arizona…Utah… blessed to be included because how many other adult Colorado…New Mexico … All from the back of a sons invite their mothers to go along on biker rides? bike!” Betty’s husband, Vance, died just three months Last year, Betty and sons, Rick, 57, and Darryl, after a family motorcycle trip in 2002. Now, her sons 46, flew to Montana and rented motorcycles for a ride do all the planning and then invite her to go along. that totaled 2,265 miles and included Yellowstone, the During summer, they have hauled the bikes “across the Grand Tetons, and Glacier National Park. Texas inferno” and left truck and trailer in Raton, New “Stepping on the footrest with my left foot, I swung Mexico so they can “mount-up,” or sometimes they fly my other leg over the bike and settled down in my seat to a destination and then rent Harleys. Whatever plans behind Rick, exhilarated by an irrepressible eagerness,” her boys make, Betty is good with and just enjoys going is the way Betty describes the trip’s beginning. “With along. a loud ‘Vroom’ we took off, the torque of the motor“Nothing compares to seeing mountains, lakes, cycle pressing me hard against the padded seatback. canyons, and gorges from a motorcycle,” says Betty. “If That’s the moment I like best of all … the feel of that I ever go back again in a car, I know I’ll feel frustrated awesome power and the anticipation of all the exciteand disappointed at the difference. In fact, while we ment and beauty that lay ahead! All I could think was, were in the breathtaking Zion National Park in Utah, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord!” we decided to take the glass-top shuttle through the She’s also traveled 1200 miles on a Mother’s Day valley to ‘Weeping Rock.’ Before long we all got so trip with all three sons, Rick, Darryl, and 52-year-old frustrated with our inability to see as well as we were Gary. On this trip they rode the “Talimena Trail”, a used to, we hopped off the shuttle, caught another one twisting, skyline drive along mountain tops between back and climbed on our bikes with relief.” Oklahoma and Mena, Arkansas. With a mother’s Betty and Vance had viewed the Grand Canyon joy, Betty particularly remembers, “The boys enjoyed from the South Rim years before, but on the North the continuous twists and turns of Arkansas’s Scenic Rim with her sons, she says its immense size inspired Highway 7. They rode along with wide smiles plastered Darryl to quote Ephesians 3:18: … the breadth, and across their faces.” So did she. length and depth, and height of the love of Christ.” When they stop for breaks, Betty is not always With God’s beauty so incredibly displayed, it seems pleased with how she looks in her doo rag and thinks only natural to Betty and her family that, “His Word she looks like an “old-time aviator with goggles on my bursts forth from our hearts.” head.” In cold weather she is so bundled up that only
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SSeptember b /O /October b 2010
Betty and sons share photos of some of the sights they’ve enjoyed from the vantage point of a Harley.
September b /October b 2010
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Life is Better‌ without Cataracts Dr. William H. Steen is helping patients daily to enjoy the best vision they’ve had in years. With more than 40,000 cataract procedures, Dr. Steen is the most experienced cataract surgeon in the Ark-La-Tex. Remember how beautiful the world used to be? See again without cataracts. Call the Steen-Hall Eye Institute today at (318) 631-2020 and trust your vision to experience.
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September /October 2010
Making Grape Jelly BY DENNISE AIELLO
T
his year the grape vine in my back yard produced a bumper crop. In the past the plant had six or eight small bunches of grapes, but never enough to make jelly. I thought about making grape jelly last summer. I even bought some canning jars and Sure-Jell pectin, but last year’s vine produced only a few clusters of grapes. On July 4 of this year, the vines were full of ripe grapes, ready to be picked. When picked and washed, the purple and red beauties weighed more than seven pounds. I refrigerated the grapes overnight, thinking the cold would kill any tiny bugs that survived the washing process. However, the next day the grapes were re-washed in hot water because a couple of spiders survived the night’s refrigeration. They did not survive their scalding hot bath on jelly making day. I had plenty of sugar, jars, lids, and pectin from last year which still had a few more months of “use- by date” left, but I did not have cheesecloth and lemons required by the recipe inside the pectin box. So, it was off to Walmart for the additional supplies needed. Finally, the canning process began. The grapes smelled
delicious cooking with the lemon juice. Ummm. The fragrant aroma coming from the kitchen attracted my husband, Bob’s, attention, too. I enlisted his help when it was time to strain the fruit through the cheesecloth and colander. I needed moral support as well as a little more muscle to mash out the last sweet nectar left in the soft, mushy grapes. When it was time to add the pectin and sugar to the grape juice, I should have sent Bob out of the room. He could not believe the amount of sugar used in making jelly, 5 1/3 cups sugar for 3 3/4 cups of the prepared grape juice. After cooking according to the directions, the jelly was ladled into sterile jars, the lids sealed tightly, and the jelly had its final boiling-water bath. To reward ourselves for work well done, Bob and I celebrated with hot tea and buttered toast, topped with fresh homemade grape jelly scraped from the bottom of the cooking pan.
...the vines were full of ripe grapes, ready to be picked.
summer's bounty preserved for winter's morn jellied sweetness September /October 2010
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PHOTOS BY DENNISE AIELLO
Dennise Aiello is a freelance writer/photographer, and sometimes haiku poet, who lives in Benton, Louisiana. Her email address is dbaphotos@aol.com.
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woman thang!
It’s a
BY ELAINE MARZE
Untold numbers of books have been written and billions of conversations have taken place discussing differences between the male and female species. Is it true that one sex is from Mars and the other from Venus? Is it legitimate to say men are basically left-brain and women are predominately right-brain? No matter how hard enlightened libbers try to convince the world there is no basic difference in the thinking processes between the sexes, I think that most women and men see things differently and think differently. At every level of life, men and women seem to have dissimilar outlooks. When a group of women go to a restaurant and the bill arrives, they divide it up, including the tip. When a group of men go out to eat, they each throw a $20 bill on the table and won’t ask for change back. When a man shops he will pay $15 for a $5 item he needs, but a woman will pay $5 for a $15 item she doesn’t need because it is on sale. It has long been said that a woman marries a man expecting him to change, but he
doesn’t, while a man marries a woman expecting that she won’t change, but she does. No where does the innate differences between male and female show up more distinctly than when there are tires and a steering wheel involved. For example: my husband and I were on our way from Shreveport to Toledo Bend one day. I was pulling a ski boat, and the father of our children was pulling a camper. He insisted on driving behind me in case I “ran into problems”. I thought my biggest problem was him driving behind, critiquing me. When we arrived at our destination and during the days we were there, he kept complaining that I had driven too slow, rode my brakes, and held up traffic. When we got ready to go home, I urged him to drive in front of me so he wouldn’t be held up by my brake-riding, slower driving. No, he insisted he needed to follow me, and for me to put the cruise on 65mph and not take it off till we got back to Shreveport. That’s what he said: “Set the cruise on 65 and don’t take it off until you get home!” So I did. I lost sight of him in the first town. I had a green light and cruised on through, but he caught the red light and
At every level of life,
men and women seem to have dissimilar outlooks.
September /October 2010
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9
apparently HE was obeying the speed limit signs. I tell you, that boat was a swaying this way and that way, and there were a few times going around curves when it tried to go in a different direction than I was headed, but it hung on. I had set the cruise just as Mr. Driving Instructor told me to do, and like the obedient wife he wanted, my foot did not touch the brake – even when it looked like our boat was going to get ahead of me on a straight stretch. Thankfully, it was Sunday morning and the highway was nearly deserted. According to the policeman who finally got my attention and dramatically indicated he wanted me to stop, he had chased me for miles with lights flashing. I was concentrating so hard on staying ahead of that boat that I had not noticed him. He could tell I hadn’t deliberately ignored him so he wasn’t mad at me, and he kindly shared with me about how money from speeders is what provided his small town with the income to beautify the landscaping around their single flashing light. He also mentioned in the course of our conversation that as he tried to go around me to get my attention, the sashaying boat nearly side-swiped him. Apparently the town has a law, or maybe it’s a state law, that speeders have to pay cash at the time of the violation instead of them sending you a bill. He wanted money for the ticket right then. But I explained about the obedient wife thing and how I was just doing what my hyper-critical husband insisted. Once he understood that it was all the “big boss man’s” fault that I cruised through town at 65 mph, the nice policeman was laughing so hard he had to wipe tears away. He said it reminded him of why he was divorced. I asked the officer, and he agreed to stop my husband and make him pay my fine since it was all his idea. I gave the nice policeman a very good description of our truck and camper so he wouldn’t miss my fine-payer. When my complaining half got home, I asked him if the nice policeman had stopped him so he could pay my speeding fine. His reaction was typical of the way men view things. I did exactly what he told me to do, yet he didn’t seem to appreciate it one bit, and his attitude about that nice cop was not the least complimentary. He never did tell me how much the ticket was, but on the other hand, he doesn’t follow me when I’m pulling the boat anymore either. He just heads out on his own, and has faith that I will show up in my own sweet time. 10
Stop and pay the fine, Big Boss Man!
Another interesting distinction between women and men is how men actually take road signs at face value whereas women use their own judgment about when road construction should be heeded. A number of times I’ve gone around barricades and gotten out to move “Road Closed” signs that have obviously been forgotten by road crews, or else they just get a kick out of making people drive the longer “detour” routes. I admit there was one time when I should have taken the “Road Closed” signs at face value. Work on Dean Road had been going on for way over a year, and I was running late on my way to a baby shower. The house I needed to get to was five houses off Dean Road on a side street, but road closed signs were up where I needed to turn off Bert Kouns onto Dean Road. I faced a dilemma because if I went all the way around Walker Road to Colquitt to get to my destination I was going to lose precious minutes, but if I just circled around those road closed signs and drove a half mile or so down the formerly black-topped, but currently red-dirt road, I could save valuable time. That was the plan. It was a Sunday afternoon in December, and I could see abandoned road working machines way, way down Dean so I figured if those machines could drive on the dirt, so could I. After all, as a hostess for the shower I had strawberry / pineapple punch that needed to be on time so I gave my woman’s logic full reign and got out
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September /October 2010
and moved one of the signs just enough to let me pass through. I soon realized though that what looked like harmless dirt was actually muddy, clay-like substance that caused my maxi-van to slide around. I had trouble staying in the middle of the road. Who would have thought that professional road builders would have topped a road with snot-slick red clay? The rain that morning hadn’t helped matters either, but as it was too late (and impossible) to turn around, I just aimed the van straight ahead and hung on – until I slid off the road into a water-filled ditch. At least it was pretty close to the street I needed to reach. Getting out of the van was exciting. I tried to stand on the running board to open the back door to get the punch bowl out, but in all the skidding around a lot of mud got thrown onto the running boards so I ended up slipping off into the ditch. I sat there a while as the shock of chest-high, cold, muddy water soaked through my Sunday dress with the thought that I should have removed my high heels first and the hope that all the snakes were hibernating. It also crossed my mind to hope nobody was looking out their windows at me. Eventually I got up and got the back door open, still standing in the muddy water. With the way the van was angled downward, I had to get my short legs up the slippery side of the ditch and climb into the van to get the punch bowl. Everything attached to me made it onto the running board except my shoes which were stuck somewhere in the mud, snakylooking grass and cold water. It took a few tries before I could get my wet, slippery arms around the sloshing punch bowl without sliding back down to sit on my rear-end in the ditch again. I was still imagining there were a host of snickering people watching out their windows with good intentions of helping me once they stopped laughing, but nobody showed up by the time I climbed out the other side of the ditch holding tightly to the heavy punch bowl. I didn’t bother locking the van or shutting the door because my main priority was getting out of the muddy, water-filled ditch without losing the punch bowl and it took both arms.
I walked barefoot past the first four houses looking like the victim of a tsunami; pieces of fruit and punch mixing with the muddy water running down my formerly Sunday best dress. Finally reaching my destination, I rang the doorbell with an elbow and stood there dripping till the other hostesses opened the door wide-eyed but sympathetically understanding about the short-cut I took on Dean. They took the crystal punch bowl to the kitchen to clean the mud off it while I went directly to the shower. I had to borrow some dry clothes from the woman of the house which was a problem since she was eight inches taller than me, but at least I was covered and dry when guests began arriving. None of us were particularly surprised when the doorbell rang and Sharon stood there with her muddy shoes in hand and mud up to her knees. “I could see Elaine’s van parked down Dean Road so I thought it was okay to drive around the road closed signs …” she starting explaining. It made perfect sense to us women why Sharon decided to ignore the road signs, but explaining to our husbands about why they needed to come pull us out of the mud on a closed road … well, let’s just say that men lack understanding. It was unfortunate that when other people saw my van and Sharon’s new sports car on Dean, they thought it was alright for them to go around the signs too. And, then when our husbands came to rescue our cars, they had to call in reinforcements because they got stuck. I got all the blame from Mr. Sensitivity because by the time it was over, there was a whole line of vehicles slimed and stuck on Dean Road that Sunday. Apparently, when residents (mostly women) of the community who had been having to detour to get home, saw our cars on the road, they thought, “Oh, the road must be passable now,” and here they came. It was a muddy mess! It was also a learning experience, and now before I drive around road closed signs, I make sure the surface is dry and hard.
Who would have thought that
professional road builders would have topped a road with snot-slick red clay?
September /October 2010
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Expedition could do the same thing his big truck did. He said, “Yes, Mam, that hoss you’re driving will go anywhere you want it to!” Alright! I was excited. My husband had never told me I was driving a “hoss” that would climb barriers and sidewalks. But I knew it now, so I hit the gas and bumped across to the adjacent parking lot, not even worrying about the grinding noises I heard because, hey, I was driving a “hoss.” I parked, got out and was walking across the lot when I saw a lady in a new, pastel-colored Cadillac who tried to do what I had done. Her car got hung up on the first barrier, and it wouldn’t go forward or backward. I commiserated with her and explained that the truck guy and I were driving “hosses”. She tearfully called her husband. The last thing I heard was her telling him, “It’s all your fault for not buying me a hoss car like this other woman has.” Yep, men and women think differently; I don’t care who says otherwise.
You’re buying me a hoss car!
Men excel in understanding about the number of horses under their hoods whereas a lot of us women don’t understand the power and ability of our ride. One day when I went to visit a friend in the hospital, I couldn’t find an empty space in the full parking lot. Cars were circling like vultures waiting for somebody to pull out. I was behind a young man in a jacked-up pickup truck with huge tires when he drove over two barriers and a sidewalk to the parking lot of a neighboring business. I waited to see if he made it, and then I asked his opinion about whether my
Elaine Marze is a freelance writer who also works in public relations and advertising. She can be reached at elmarz7@yahoo.com.
PLUMBING SHOWROOM
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September /October 2010
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13
COLLEGE FOOTBA LOUISIANA TECH 09/04 vs Grambling St.
Shreveport
09/11 at Texas A&M
LOUISIANA STATE 09/04 vs North Carolina
Atlanta
7:00pm
College Station 6:00pm
09/11 vs Vanderbilt
Nashville
6:00pm
09/18 vs Navy TV
Ruston
6:00pm
09/18 vs Miss. State
Baton Rouge
6:00pm
09/25 vs Southern Miss
Ruston
6:00pm
09/25 vs West Virginia
Baton Rouge
7:00pm
10/02 at Hawai’i
Honolulu
10:30pm
10/02 vs Tennessee
Baton Rouge
7:00pm
10/09 vs Utah State
Ruston
3:00pm
10/09 at Florida
Gainesville
TBA
10/16 vs Idaho
Ruston
3:00pm
10/16 vs McNeese
Baton Rouge
7:00pm
10/26 at Boise State
Boise
7:00pm
10/23 at Auburn
Auburn
TBA
11/06 vs Fresno State
Ruston
3:00pm
11/06 vs Alabama
Baton Rouge
7:00pm
11/13
Las Cruces
5:00pm
11/13
Baton Rouge
7:00pm
11/27 at San Jose State
San Jose
7:00pm
11/20 vs Ole Miss
Baton Rouge
7:00pm
12/04 vs Nevada
Ruston
2:00pm
11/27 at Arkansas
Little Rock
TBA
12/04 SEC Championship
Atlanta
TBD
14
at NM State
6:00pm
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vs ULM
September /October 2010
ALL SCHEDULES NORTHWESTERN
UNIV OF LA MONROE
09/04 at Air Force
Colorado Spgs 1:00pm
09/11 at Arkansas
Little Rock
6:00pm
09/11 vs Samford
Natchitoches
5:00pm
09/18 at Arkansas State
Jonesboro
7:00pm
09/18 vs Tarleton State
Natchitoches
6:00pm
09/25 vs SE Louisiana
Monroe
6:00pm
09/25 at North Dakota
Grand Forks
4:00pm
10/02 at Auburn
Auburn
TBA
10/02 vs McNeese State
Natchitoches
2:00pm
10/09 vs Florida Atlantic
Monroe
6:00pm
10/09 at Central Arkansas Conway
6:00pm
10/16 at W. Kentucky
Bowling Green 6:00pm
10/23 at Texas State
San Marcos
3:00pm
10/23 at Mid. Tennessee
Murfreesboro
3:30pm
10/30 vs Sam Houston
Natchitoches
6:00pm
10/30 vs Troy
Monroe
2:30pm
11/06 at SE Louisiana
Hammond
6:00pm
11/06 at FIU
Miami
TBA
11/13
Natchitoches
2:00pm
11/13
Baton Rouge
TBA
11/20 at Stephen F. Austin Nacogdoches
2:00pm
11/20 vs North Texas
Monroe
TBA
11/27 vs UL Lafayette
Monroe
TBA
vs Nicholls
September /October 2010
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at LSU
15
Sage Health
Ways to Break Out of a Weight Loss Plateau BY RICO BOYER
You’re eating right, exercising, and yet you are no longer losing weight. You’ve hit a plateau. Plateaus are common to anybody who’s been on the same diet and exercise plan for a while. If you’ve been eating right and exercising, chances are you’ve been losing weight at a rate of one or two pounds a week. However, as you get closer to your optimum weight, it usually gets harder to lose those last few pounds. “You know you’ve hit a plateau when more than two weeks have gone by without any further change in your weight,” says Rico, owner/trainer of Fitness Together in Monroe, La. “Many times, people slip out of plateaus on their own, but it can get discouraging to wait it out.” What do you do then? Although it’s tempting to slip into crash diets, the best way to break the plateau is to review your HEL P! current weight-loss program and try to find where lies the problem. 16
Keep a Food Diary As you get comfortable with your diet, it’s easy to lose focus and fall back into old habits. A nibble here, a slightly larger snack, an extra glass of wine… It’s usually the little things that make the difference. Starting a food diary will help you become more aware of what you’re actually eating. Most people underestimate amounts by up to 20 percent. “I think journaling is a great idea,” says Cary Rousel, a personal trainer at FT. “It helps you stay honest with yourself. As long as you are in denial you will never reach your goals. Seeing it in black and white is the best way to break that plateau.” To keep a food diary, start with a blank notebook and for a week, record everything you eat (down to a piece of gum or cup of coffee), when you ate it, how much, and how hungry you were before and after. According to the
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September /October 2010
American Academy of Family Physicians, a food diary must contain not only the food you ate, but also what were you doing and who you were with when you ate. It will make you aware of any negative pattern. It’s important to be completely truthful while keeping the diary. Also, remember to be specific --A baked potato is not the same as a baked potato with gravy and butter.
Break Up Your Meals If you’re eating three times a day, eat five. If you’re already eating five times, upgrade to six or seven. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be eating more food; you’d just be breaking it into more meals. Eating frequently stabilizes your blood sugar, controls appetite, and keeps your energy up. Ideally, you shouldn’t go more than three or four hours without eating something. Doing so slows down your metabolism and makes your body burn fat at a slower rate. Instead of going for a second serving, stick to one plate and then eat a small snack two hours later. Always eat before you’re hungry. A feeling of hunger indicates your blood sugar is going down, which makes you prone to craving simple sugars. “Your body has no idea that there is plenty of food around, only what is coming in. You need to reach a sense of well being for your body to feel free to burn up some storage.
Always eat before you’re hungry.
Eat More A big mistake many people make is to cut down on calories so much that at they starve their bodies. When you eat too little, your ur metabolism goes down. The body goes “ yikes”, s”, metabolism drops, frustration rises, moods ds drop, motivation dies. You start overeating ng and gain weight again, creating a viscouss cycle that hinders your success. If you’re consuming less than 1,200 calories a day (1,500 for a man), your ur body may react by slowing down as a selflfpreservation measure. This means you’ll u’ll be actually storing fat even if you’re working king out consistently. September /October 2010
Rely on a Friend If you’re having a hard time finding the motivation to step up your program, find a likeminded buddy, either real or virtual. Join a support group, find an appropriate chat room, or sign up with a motivational website or enlist a personal trainer. A recent study by the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences of The University of Vermont found that web-based support programs are as effective as traditional face-to-face meetings when it comes to helping people maintain weight loss. The study followed 250 overweight adults through an initial six-month weight loss program, and then set them up with either in-person or internet support. Surprisingly, both groups did remarkably well. Many people can’t or don’t want to attend faceto-face meetings. Having access to virtual support, while no substitute for one-on-one counseling, it’s still a step-up from going at it alone.
Watch Your Carbs You don’t have to go on a low carb diet (in fact, low-carb and exercise don’t mix well), but do watch out for the extra refined carbohydrates that tend to slip into everybody’s diet –Be mindful not only of white flour and sugars, but also look for hidden carbs in foods such as ketchup, salad dressings, dairy products, and even soups. Read labels. Many low-fat products, incl including fruit juices and energy bars, are high in sugars. Avoid carbs at dinnertime, hig and opt for a larger salad as a side dish. When you do eat carbs, stick to whole Wh gra grains. Plateaus are sometimes due to water retention. Restricting salt intake and ret reducing carbs can give you the jumpstart redu aand the motivation to keep going.
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Move More Be more active even beyond your workout.. The FDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week to maintain health, and at least 60 minutes to help manage body weight. If you’re going to the gym four times a week, that leaves you with three days where you still need to be active. Walking is the best exercise for those “off ” days. It’s gentle enough to allow your body to recuperate from the heavy workouts at the gym, but still raises your metabolism to carry on the weight loss. Get a pedometer and aim for at least 8,000 steps a day. You’d be surprised to learn most people barely make 4,000. Office workers sometimes stay under 3,000. Activity is the key. “You can walk at a brisk pace, ride a bike (but be sure you are working at this little bike ride), swimming, tennis, even golf (forget the cart) are all ways to keep your body moving and increase the energy you are burning.
Aim for at least 8,000 steps a day.
intensity of the workout. Add one minute intervals at a high speed or incline (not both) followed by three or four minutes at a lower intensity. If you’ve been working alone, it may be a good idea to enlist the help of a workout buddy or even a personal trainer. Whenever you change a workout routine your body will respond by dropping fat/weight. Many people do not work hard enough. You need to understand it isn’t only the kind of activity you are doing but the frequency, the duration of each exercise session, and the intensity during your session. A little walk in the park is not exercise necessary to drop weight. People come to me and say, I ride my bike every night with my 4-year-old and I am not seeing any changes in my body. They need to keep the 4-year-old home while they ride hard for an hour and then come back for a cool down with their child.
Pump It Up A common mistake women make is skipping weights because of the fear they would look “bulky.” Truth is, women lack the testosterone needed to develop large muscles. Done appropriately, weight training can break a plateau faster than any other method. According to Wikipedia, “The body’s basal metabolic rate increases with increases in muscle mass, which promotes long-term fat loss and helps dieters avoid yo-yo dieting. Moreover, intense workouts elevate the metabolism for several hours following the workout, which also promotes fat loss.” The increase in metabolism rate is immediate and it can be as significant as 10 percent. “It takes more energy to maintain healthy muscle than fat. This
Shake Up Your Workout It takes your body only four weeks to get used to a workout. Once something becomes a routine for your metabolism, plateaus are likely. Are you doing the treadmill for an hour every day? Give it up and enroll in a kickboxing class instead. Doing the stationary bike? Switch to the Stairmaster. Or try playing with the 18
Many people do not work hard enough.
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September /October 2010
way you are burning calories while you sleep! Also, if all you are doing is cardio and dieting you will be flabby. Skinny flab is just as unattractive as fat flab. If you’ve never tried weights before, start slowly with light weights, mixing machines and free weights. Work with a personal trainer or someone who has a good knowledge of resistance training. Weights should be done three times a week, alternating muscle groups.
Drink Plenty of Water Thirst is often mistaken for hunger. Every time you feel the urge to snack, drink a glass of water first and see if the urge goes away. Decaf teas, calorie-free drinks, and seltzer water count towards your eight glasses of water a day, but add an extra glass for each cup of coffee you drink, as caffeine dehydrates. A recent study by the Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center in Germany showed a basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories your body burns at rest) increase of up to 30 percent after participants drank 16 ounces of cold water. Researchers estimate that drinking an additional 16 ounces of water over the required 60 ounces (eight glasses) a day can result in an annual weight loss of almost two pounds.
Cut Down Your Alcohol Intake The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 stress the fact that while alcoholic beverages supply excess calories, they do not supply any essential nutrients, making it difficult even for moderate drinkers to maintain a healthy weight. Alcohol is, in fact, very dense in calories. 7kcal/ gram compared to only 4 for proteins and carbs, and that’s without taking into consideration that many alcoholic drinks (such as cocktails) are high in sugars and fat. Alcohol consumption slows down the fat burning capabilities of the body, as the body focuses on using the alcohol (a toxin) as fuel, rather than burning fat for energy. Alcohol also dehydrates, which, in turn, can make you hungry.
Keep Your Chin Up Finally, it’s important to keep your eyes on the large picture. Focus on health, not fat. Focus on feeling good (looking good is just a side effect of feeling good). Forget the notion that some excess weight just got there by accident, and that you are going to get it fixed by “six weeks of torture”. It is lifetime behavior changes that provide for a longer, happier life!
Rico Boyer, Exercise Science, M. Ed., Advance Certified Exercise Specialist, is a health/fitness professional with Fitness Together in Monroe, Louisiana.
HEALTHY
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Rachel Chappellie: ACTIVIST
BY DENNISE AIELLO Rachel and Congressman John Fleming (4th District Louisiana)
Rachel and Shreveport City Councilman Bryan Wooley
T
he gentle sound of splashing water from a small water fountain beside the fireplace sets a relaxed mood in the home of a very busy lady. Eightyseven-year-old Republican activist Rachel Chappellie, like the water in the fountain, seems to never slow down. Rachel retired from the registered mail section of the U. S. Postal Service in 1974. She had worked all her adult life, her first job right after high school graduation in Crowley, Louisiana. Retirement did not mean that Rachel would stop or even slow down. A friend invited Rachel to a meeting of the Women’s Republican Club of Shreveport, and with that invitation, a new niche was waiting for Rachel. She joined the club, held several offices and was elected as president of the club in the late 1970s. Rachel said that she had always voted and was interested in civic matters, “but I never worked in campaigns until my retirement and membership in the Republican women’s club.” In that club, Rachel became a volunteer in campaign activities for local school board candidates, Mark Milam and Mike Powell.
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Both campaigns were successful. Since that first involvement, Rachel has stuffed and addressed envelopes, made phone calls and personal visits on behalf of candidates in Caddo Parish ranging from district judge, juvenile court judge, parish commissioner and coroner. However, Rachel doesn’t limit her volunteer efforts to Caddo Parish, but has also worked for candidates in Bossier Parish. She has manned election headquarters of candidates for state and federal offices that include governor, state representative, state senator and state attorney general as well as presidential campaigns and campaigns for U. S. Senator and House of Representatives. And those candidates that she’s help get elected do not forget her hard work. In 2008 Rachel worked daily for Dr. John Fleming who was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives. “Rachel has proven to be the hardest working and most dedicated campaign worker that I have ever known. She sets the pace and works rings around others,” says Fleming. At a Town Hall meeting last fall the
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September /October 2010
Women to experience her dedicaCongressman introduced Rachel Rachel Chappellie tion, diligence, and leadership!â€? as his oldest, but best campaign believes that staying Besides her involvement in worker. When he asked if she busy is one reason individual campaigns, Rachel would mind if he told her age, that, at 87 years old, volunteers at the Caddo/Bossier her reply to him was to “just be she is physically and sure to get it right.â€? Congressman mentally very healthy. Republican headquarters on East 70th Street in Shreveport where Fleming’s wife, Cindy, who knows she learned to use the computer after her retirement. Jim Rachel from the Professional Republican Women of Caddo Allen, Parish Executive Committee chairman, believes that as well as from the congressman’s campaign, agrees with because of her competence with the computer, the 87-yearher husband. “Rachel is a force to be reckoned with. She is old, “should be a poster child for seniors wanting to learn to a real inspiration to women. If she can do it, why can’t we?â€? use the computer.â€? In the election cycle of 2008, Rachel racked up more than As if her volunteer efforts were not enough, you will 3,000 volunteer hours. Now a member of the Professional ďŹ nd the spry, white-haired Rachel at 5:30 a.m. on election Republican Women of Caddo, the club presented Rachel day, opening Precinct 11 located at Arthur Circle school. with a plaque recognizing her service hours. She was also She has worked as a parish election commissioner since recognized in the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women for her outstanding service. Argiro Morgan, presi- 1975, moving up to the position of commissioner-in-charge, never missing an election day along the way. In spite of the dent of the LFRW says, “Rachel Chapellie, despite her 15-hour-or-longer day, Rachel enjoys working at the polls. small physical stature and her white hair, is one of the most Along with all of her Republican activities, Rachel is formidable Republican women possibly in America! How also involved with the TEA Party in the Shreveport-Bossier honored we are in the Louisiana Federation of Republican City area. Rachel attends monthly meetings and sends out email notices of TEA party events. At the TEA party rallies, Rachel can be found in her patriotic tee-shirt, handing out pins and bumper stickers. Rachel believes the TEA party efforts will bring about a change in the government with !
the 2010 fall elections. She plans to be busy with TEA party
efforts and will also work in the re-election campaigns for " Congressman Fleming and Senator David Vitter. She will
divide her time to also include campaigning for Shreveport # $ % & mayoral candidate Bryan Wooley.
Rachel Chappellie believes that staying busy is one rea son that, at 87 years old, she is physically and mentally very healthy. She cooks healthy meals for herself and in particu
lar enjoys using tomatoes and herbs from her patio garden.
She starts each day working the crossword puzzle from the newspaper, and reads the paper and watches television news
to stay informed about current events. Rachel is looking forward to her 88th birthday next year and, like the water in the fountain by her ďŹ replace, she has no plans to slow down.
September /October 2010
Dennise Aiello is a freelance writer/photographer who lives in Benton, Louisiana. Her email address is dbaphotos@aol.com.
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Puzzle Savvy
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Experienced Ottoman officer Place a load on (archaic) Hodgepodge Happening Modify written material One of 52 in a deck Slowly, in music Expert Accidental Floral necklace Escape Where the sun rises Lace place Author President Lincoln Bowel cleasing Sensational But not quite all Sully
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ACROSS 1. 5. 8. 12. 13. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 22. 23. 24. 26. 29. 31. 32. 34. 36. 38.
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A military installation Communion table Place Two short of a dozen Ventilate “Dracula” author Learning method Foot digit A spring month Little tiny pieces Matured Earlier in time With a short hollow thud An elaborate Hawaiian feast A ring-shaped surface Slave Cousin of a gull Neither ___ Marsh plant
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 13. 14. 20. 21. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.
Central points Flair Former Italian currency Walk unsteadily Affirm Lady’s man Initial wager Chair part Mixed with impurities Calamitous Decorative case Chemical Laser printers need this Sheltered spot A dog wags this Counterfoil Hemorrhagic fever Past times Flirt Declines Stair part American Medical Association
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33. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 35. Lair 37. Tropical root 39. Rags 42. Rodents 44. A swinging barrier to a room 47. Entice 49. Zoo or book ______ 52. Kiln-dried barley 53. Chills and fever 55. Weightlifter’s pump this 56. Novice 57. 60 minutes 58. If not 59. Not a single one 60. Moved fast 62. Horse of a dull brownish grey color
September /October 2010
6 8 4
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Sudoku Rules Sudoku rules are extremely easy. Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 3x3 box. Tips Use a soft erasable pencil. Double check before placing a number. Make small pencil marks to show which numbers are allowed in empty squares. This will come in handy when analyzing techniques are used.
9
5
Never guess. Only make moves based on logical deductions.
2 1
September /October 2010
7 8
5 6 3
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Answers to both puzzles can be found on page 40.
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Food Savvy
C08;60C4 C8<4 BY HO HOLLY CLEGG
Excitem ment, anxiety and anticipation ďŹ ll the air each weekend to watch football games.. Whether you are a college or pro football fan, sit in front of the televisio on or hang out at the stadium, you can guarantee there will be a crowd around d the food. Tailgating is the number one party this time of year. Here are som me recipes that will insure a great tailgating party. Instead of ďŹ nger sandw wiches, wait until you taste these mouth-watering Mini Muffalettas. Simplee to prepare, I make them ahead of time, freeze and bake when ready to servve. These toasty bites tes ďŹ lled with ham, olive salad and cheese make a lasting g impression. No need ed to purchase chicken ďŹ ngers when n you can prepare theese ese fantastic grab-and-go grab and go season ned Blackened Ch hickken Fingers. Another make ahead d recipe that may be served with a sauce or plain. To tem mpt your sweet to ootth, these easy and outstanding pick-up p German Chocolatte Cream Cheese Bars made with a German Chocola atee Cake mix will win you over even iff your team is lossing g.
HOLLY CLEGG Holly Clegg, author of the best sellingg trim&TERRIFICâ&#x201E;˘ C cookbook series including a diabetic cookbook with the ADA and Eating Well Through Cancer, r has sold almost 1 million copies. Holly has appeared on national shows including Fox & Friends, NBC Weekend Today, y and The 700 Club. Known as the healthy â&#x20AC;&#x153;Queen of Quick,â&#x20AC;? her focus is on fast, easy and healthier recipes using everyday ingredients. You can check out Hollyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web site at www.HollyClegg.com or her blog The Healthy Cooking Blog. g 26
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September /October 2010
BLACKENED CHICKEN TENDERS Quick, spicy, and always a hit — a fullbodied sauce provides the perfect harmoony to well-seasoned chicken tenders. Serve over pasta or rice for an entrée, or serve the tenders alone as an appetizer with th he sauce on the side. Makes 4 servings 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon light brown sugar 1 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 green bell pepper, cored and chopped 1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped 1 cup chopped red onion 1 (5-ounce) can evaporated skim milk 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1. In a large resealable plastic bag, com mbine paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, pepper, and salt. Add chicken and shake to coat. 2. In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, heat oil over medium heat and sauté chicken until browned and done, about 5–7 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. 3. To the same skillet add green pepper, red pepper, and onion. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender, scraping bits from bottom of pan. 4. Add milk, stirring for one minute or until heated and bubbly. Serve chicken with sauce and sprinkle with green onions, if desired.
September /October 2010
Nutritional information per serving Calories ............................................................................299 Calories from fat ............................................................. 19% Fat 6 g Saturated Fat ..........................................................1 g Cholesterol .................................................................100 mg Sodium 472 mg Carbohydrate .........................................16 g Dietary Fiber ......................................................................4 g Sugars .............................................................................10 g Protein............................................................................ 44 g Diabetic Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, 6 very lean meat
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2 (12-ounce) packages party-size rolls (16–20 to a package) 1/2 pound thinly sliced lean ham 1 1/2 cups shredded Italian five-cheese blend 1 (16-ounce) jar chopped Italian olive salad, drained 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 2. Split rolls in half and lay on a baking sheet. Divide ham, cheese, and olive salad onto each roll. 3. Replace bread tops. Bake for 10–15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
MINI MUFFALETTAS All it takes is four easy ingredients and 15 minutes to create my popular version of this Louisiana favorite Italian-style sandwich. Make them ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake. Makes 32–40 mini muffalettas
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Nutritional information per serving Calories ............................................................................107 Calories from fat ............................................................. 48% Fat 6 g Saturated Fat ..........................................................1 g Cholesterol .....................................................................9 mg Sodium .......................................................................260 mg Carbohydrate...................................................................10 g Dietary Fiber ......................................................................1 g Sugars ...............................................................................1 g Protein...............................................................................4 g Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 fat
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September /October 2010
GERMAN CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE BARS T simple-to-make This rrecipe combines two popular desserts in one. p Makes 4 dozen squares M 1 (18.25-ounce) box German chocolate cake mix 1 egg 1/3 cup flaked coconut 1/3 cup butter, melted 1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese 1 (16-ounce) box confectioners sugar 3 egg whites 1 teaspoon coconut extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13 × 9 × 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. 2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg, coconut, and butter. Press into the bottom of prepared pan. 3. In a mixing bowl, beat all remaining ingredients until mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour over mixture in pan. 4. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool and cut into squares. Nutritional information per serving Calories ............................................................................108 Calories from fat ............................................................. 26% Fat .....................................................................................3 g Saturated Fat .....................................................................2 g Cholesterol ...................................................................11 mg Sodium ....................................................................... 116 mg Carbohydrate...................................................................19 g Dietary Fiber ......................................................................0 g Sugars .............................................................................15 g Protein...............................................................................1 g Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate; 1/2 fat
Red River Motor Company
Servingg the Shreveportp Bossier area since 1931 New and Certified Pre-owned Cars and Trucks
Come in ffor an easy, y no ppressure, ffun car buying experience. Chris Robbins
318-549-7734 crobbins@ redriverchevy.com September /October 2010
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ATeTabT <^acVPVTb
Will they take you forward, or set you back? BY RIC COCHRAN
I
â&#x20AC;&#x2122;m often asked about reverse mortgages. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve probably seen the TV ads. In one, a repair crew shows up and tells the homeowner his house sent them. Anotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pitchman is an actor who played a thief in the popular sixties series, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It Takes a Thief.â&#x20AC;? Now he wants to send you a free DVD from a company offering reverse mortgages. Reverse mortgages are heavily promoted these days. Lenders donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be concerned with a borrowerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creditworthiness or ability to make payments. They have some of the highest fees and interest rates in the industry so lenders love them. Homeowners, over 55, can cash in some of their homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equity without having to move out. How does it work? The simple answer is that you can borrow against a portion of your equity without making monthly payments. The interest and fees quietly accrue until you die, sell, or move out. Then you, or your heirs,
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must pay off the loan or the home is sold to pay whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owed. If anythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paid to you or your estate. And thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the rubâ&#x20AC;Ś if anythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left. Lenders donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lend anywhere close to the full value of the home. At least, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t intend to. Steep declines in some markets made the loan to value ratios of some earlier loans less favorable to lenders as well as borrowers. Lenders need room to collect interest and fees from the un-loaned equity. Age is also a factor. Lenders expect to wait longer to be repaid by younger borrowers. Most reverse mortgages have adjustable rates. As interest rates adjust upward, equity disappears faster. Since youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not required to make payments, you may not even notice. And because lenders donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how long they must wait to be paid, fees are high. Lenders are quick to point out that if the loan balance exceeds the value of your home they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pursue your heirs
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September /October 2010
home to be sold when borrowers move out, for instance, to after youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re gone. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like they could pursue an assisted living facility, or nursing home. While a homethem anyway unless your heirs were cosigners. The lender stead is treated as a non-countable resource by Medicaid, might make a claim against your estate unless the contract any money left for borrowers after the lender has been paid includes a â&#x20AC;&#x153;non-recourse clause.â&#x20AC;? Some have government will be treated as a countable resource. This can affect backed insurance to protect the lender, for which a fee is Medicaid as well as VA Aid & Attendance beneďŹ ts so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a charged to the borrower. good idea to seek advice from those of us who specialize in Does all this mean reverse mortgages are a bad deal? understanding the ins and outs of qualifying for long-term The answer depends on the circumstances. One possible care assistance before signing on the dotted line. candidate might be someone with no heirs, a need for cash and nowhere else to get it. They should still consider Ric Cochran works with S.A.F.E. Planning assisting whether it makes sense to get a reverse mortgage or to sell families facing the ďŹ nancial crisis of paying for nursing and move somewhere thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cheaper to maintain. Borrowers home care and those wishing to plan ahead to avoid a should consider where the money will come from, if, after ďŹ nancial crisis. He can be reached at 1-888-836-2738. theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tapped all the available credit, they need money for home maintenance or other expenses. Lenders tout that the money received is tax-free. Of course it is! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s principal you borrowed against your home. Why would it be taxed? On the other hand, the interest charged is not deductible on a reverse mortgage as it might be on a traditional mortgage. A homeowner in a higher tax bracket might be better off with a traditional mortgage if they really need additional cash and their chief resources are retirement plans, like an IRA or 401k, where a mortgage interest deduction could offset income taxes as funds are withdrawn. Traditional mortgages typically offer better rates and lower fees, though they require monthly payments. ! All options should be considered. Borrowers should shop for the best deal and consider paying an attor ney of their own choosing, who has their interest at heart, to evaluate loan offers. I would recommend lenders with a strong presence in the state rather than out-of-state lenders. Planning for the possibility of long-term care should always be part of the process. Lenders require the
September /October 2010
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Savvy Travel
#JH $FEBS -PEHF BY ELAINE MARZE
S
ome resorts are surrounded by big city lights, heavy traffic, lots of glitz, glitter and glamour – and then there is the 800 plus acre resort at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri where night lights are strategically placed under rocks amid mountain streams flowing alongside moonlit paths bordered by fragrant flowers. Called “America’s Premier Wilderness Resort,” established in 1921, at Big Cedar you will see slow moving vehicles and guests who are eager to explore the walking trails. If and when they tire of walking, guests can hitch a ride on conveniently provided trams driven by friendly and informative drivers. Some people provide their own glitz by dressing up to dine in one of the three fine restaurants on the grounds, but other than that, the “glitter” comes from rainbow trout reflections or water sprays shooting out from paddle and ski boats on Table Rock Lake. Big Cedar is a four-season playground where the outdoors plays a significant role. This is where families can come for a fun, relaxing retreat or 32
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honeymooners can get away to themselves in their own Garden of Eden-like atmosphere. Our stay in Falls Lodge was pleasant in every aspect. The large double-queen room had feather beds and down duvets. It was unique from the double balconies (corner room) where French doors opened out on beautifully landscaped grounds featuring flowers of every color and the trickling sounds of waterfalls cascading into a flowing creek that meandered alongside our room. Inside, the glassed-in Jacuzzi hot tub and separate oversized sit-down shower provided luxury bathing and a unique layout. We loved the rustic, log interior and the matching rustic, but comfortable, furniture. To say that the room was out of the ordinary would be simplifying the obvious because many folks do not wake up each morning looking at dead animals on their walls, but here, it fits right in. The lodge itself is homey and welcoming. The many displays of wilderness life surely inspire guests to want to don a coonskin cap and go track down some critter to bring back for dinner! September /October 2010
Guests may also choose to stay in a private one-room log cabin with wood-burning ďŹ replace, private deck, and an outdoor grill. Cabins come with Jacuzzi bath and beautiful views, some overlooking the lake. There are recreational pursuits for all ages. Guests can rent boats for ďŹ shing or skiing on Table Rock Lake or go exploring in a canoe or paddle boat provided free at the full-service marina. Numerous pools provide swimming opportunities, or enjoy a good time hiking, biking or horseback riding with friends. There are plenty of wooded trails to explore, and there is also golďŹ ng on championship courses surrounded by magniďŹ cent scenery. For amateur golfers, mini-golf is provided and may be more in line with your idea of relaxing fun. Other amenities offered at Big Cedar include basketball, tennis, a spa and a Lazy River for kids. The resort also provides a Little Cedar Kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; House in a separate building for guestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age 4 to 12 years where they can play while parents take some time for themselves. A trained activities staff keeps the children busy with games, crafts and snacks. Extra special experiences are offered in the Little Cedar Kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Club where kids can ďŹ sh at a special ďŹ shinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hole (supervision provided), take a nature hike or learn a craft. Swimming pools, hot tubs and the Lazy River are situated indoors and outdoors so inclement weather does not prevent water activities. Towels are provided at all the pools. The Swimminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hole Hot Tub is designed
to remind you of old-timey hot springs, and this uniquely landscaped tub will seat up to 30 people and is open year round. There is also a large swimming
at the Cedar Mountain Stables. The young trail bosses, Kim and Chris, were personable and capable, and the horses looked to be ďŹ t and well-cared for. (Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not true about some stables weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve visited in other areas.) Dogwood Canyon is nearby and features open-air trams, ďŹ shing, horseback riding, biking and hiking. There is a two-hour wildlife tram tour which winds through
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September /October 2010
pool and a special childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pool at Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pool, where our favorite restaurant is also located. The Worman House provides ďŹ ne dining with an excellent wait staff, and the brunch is delicious, especially served in the historicallyinviting setting. There is live entertainment Monday through Saturday evening and during Sunday brunch in the Worman House. Massages are available at The Spa. Try the ultimate 90-minute Cocoa butter massage with hot shell therapy, or visit a personal ďŹ tness trainer for a 90-minute consultation. Facials and pedicures are also available. If you fail to pack enough clothes for your stay, shop at Collections Boutique. In addition to fashionable clothes, the Boutique also has accessories, home dĂŠcor and gourmet snacks. Or take a romantic carriage ride about the grounds after visiting the photographerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s studio where you can capture some special vacation memories. My husband and I took a trail ride www.savvyandsage.com
the canyon ďŹ&#x201A;oor, past picturesque waterfalls and towering bluffs and it crosses over the Arkansas state line. (Best to have reservations.) Among the canyonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wooded acres 33
available to shoppers at Bass Pro Shops where they can sign up for a guest package at reduced rates providing you attend a Wilderness Club Tour Presentation while you are there. If you want to check out the facilities first, go to www.bigcedar.com, and if you are looking
for a few days of “back to nature” rather than “glitz and glamour”, you’ll surely enjoy Big Cedar. Elaine Marze is a freelance writer who also works in public relations and advertising. She can be reached at elmarz7@yahoo.com.
Photo taken from our balcony porch.
sits Hope Wilderness Chapel, a replica of churches from the 1800’s constructed of hand-stripped pine logs. Oak plank flooring is complemented by antique wooden pews, and the chapel is available for weddings, receptions and other special events. For those who want an added element of excitement, you can ride back-country logging roads on private guided Jeep tours which are available year round. Many people come to the Canyon’s spring-fed waters to fish for rainbow trout. No license or trout stamp is required, and tackle and rental rods are available. Fly fishing schools and fly casting clinics are offered seasonally. Call 1-800-235-9763 for costs and times. Log cabins rentals are available, and each cabin includes woodburning fireplace, covered deck with patio furniture, gas grill, fully equipped kitchen and satellite TV. Call 417-779-5983 to ask about the Adventure Pass that provides the added value of combining multiple activities for one price. The Big Cedar experience is also 34
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September /October 2010
A Lifestyle That’s Just Right In Every Way! t Professional, compassionate staff t Spacious, private apartments t Complete housekeeping services t Full-time nurse on staff t Personalized care & service t Restaurant-style dining t Planned social activities
(318) 524-2100 7110 University Drive t Shreveport, LA 71105 www.emeritus.com An Emeritus Certified Assisted Living Community We comply with the Fair Housing Act.
Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Homes, Crematorium and Cemeteries, Inc.
www.rose-neath.com 318-222-0348 1815 Marshall Street Shreveport, LA 71101 F u ne r a l Home s | P re -Ne e d | C e me t e r ie s | Flower Shop September /October 2010
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calendar of events September 22-26 Lion in Winter 600 Clyde Fant Pkwy. Riverview Theater Shreveport 318-868-5888 September 25 Germantown Bluegrass Festival Germantown Colony Minden 318-426-4691
September 28 Got Heart for the Homeless BeneďŹ t Municipal Auditorium Shreveport 318-227-2868 October 2-9 Red River Revel Arts Festival Festival Plaza Shreveport 318-424-4000
October 2-3 Classic Car Show Return to the 50s 781 Front Street Natchitoches 800-259-1714 October 3-31 (Sundays only) Angola Prison Rodeo Louisiana State Penitentiary Angola October 7-9 Zwolle Tamale Fiesta 1100 S. Main St. Zwolle 318-645-2388 October 8-9 Annual Springhill Lumberjack Festival 301 Church Street Springhill 318-539-2071 October 8-10 56th Annual Pilgrimage: Tour of Homes 781 Front Street Natchitoches 800-259-1714
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September /October 2010
October 9 Main Street Antique Car & Motorcycle Show Frank Anthony Park Springhill 318-539-5699
November 5-7 Florien Freestate Festival Village of Florien 318-586-3521
November 13 Highland Jazz & Blues Festival Columbia Park Shreveport 318-869-5706
October 15-16 Fall Fest Fair Grounds Jena 318-992-4111 October 21-November 7 State Fair of Louisiana Fairgrounds Shreveport 318-635-1361 October 30 Great Pumpkin Run for Research 2911 Centenary Blvd. Shreveport 318-813-1056 October 31 Spooky Cruise on the Red 820 Clyde Fant Pkwy. Boat Dock Downtown Shreveport 318-564-3560 November 5-6 Main to Main Trade Days, Webster Parish Springhill 318-371-4258
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AMIkids Red River to Hold 2nd Annual Art Extravaganza AMIkids Red River will hold its 2nd Annual Art building in Bossier City. Since its inception, the school has Extravaganza on Saturday, October 23, 2010, from 6:00 served more than 1,200 students from Bossier, Caddo, p.m. till 9:00 p.m. The event will be Claiborne and Webster Parishes. held at the school, 2890 Douglas Drive Funds raised from the Art in Bossier City. The festive evening will Extravaganza will be used for after feature a silent auction of paintings by school programs, particularly academic local and regional artists. Heavy hors tutoring, athletics, swimming instrucd’oeuvres from the Culinary Arts School Saturday, October 23, 2010 tion and technical training. of Bossier Parish Community College and The aftercare program is estimated 2890 Douglas Drive a cash bar will be available for guests. to cost $60,000 per year and all proBossier City, Louisiana AMIkids Red River is a school for ceeds from the Art Extravaganza will be 6:00 - 9:00 PM adjudicated juvenile offenders from age used to fund the program. AMIkids Red 12 to 18, who are given an opportunity for a new start River is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization. Tickets for and a new turnaround in their lives. Founded in 1999, the event are $25 per person and may be purchased by the school is located in the former Douglas Street YMCA calling the school at (318) 747-2224.
Want to reach the Jan/Feb 2010 ssier Shreveport/Bo
and the rest of the mature market? Want to be seen in a high quality publication that is read cover to cover? Want to be part of a resource that is referenced again and again? Want to be one of a few instead of lost in the crowd? Wa
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“Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music.” Ronald Reag
ONLINE READ US sa ge.com at savvyand ur (Click on “Yo
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Acupuncture by Elaine Marze Stages of Senior Care A Step-by-Step Guide
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M AG A ZI N E
Shreveport Symphony Returns
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520 Spring Street, Suite 202, Shreveport, LA 71101 Phone 318.429.8311 • Fax 318.429.8453 greg@savvyandsage.com www.savvyandsage.com
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September /October 2010
Connected! Smart phones! What the heck is an app? Oh! This speed d off the golldenn age!! Twitter and download, or upload, oh crap! My grandkid ds don’t thhinkk I’m a sage. I flick the TV with one handy remote, With another, the thing-a-ma-jigger. Withh a thhird d, welll, now I feell like a dope, The garagge door just came upp, go figgure. As I get older lf I compare myse To an old car. rself. An old do-it-you I’m slow to start , Earlly in the day rear in gear, e But once I get th ! ay Get out of my w gas I have plenty of wo spare tires. And tw Justt watch out For backfires! b I need a body jo ed. And parts replac s a tune-up-My engine need e! No tiime to wast
Marolyn H. Wolf Benton, LA
I’m wireless with camera and Bluetooth enabled, The priinter comes onn wiith a jerkk. I stab in a disk,, I feel so disabled,, Please God, make this thing work! Mulltiband com mponents from my satellite dish, Should I worry that they might attack. I-chhat, I-fface, I mighht even phhishh. Who knows, I might evven hack. High-Fi or Wi-Fi or whatever it is, It sound ds likke the Chinese are comiin’’. Iff Googgle had never started this biz’,, Would my browser still be a runnin’? A gllass off wiine and a currennt novvell, These I’d rather know. If you’re my age, would you text me, please, And advise how to get back to slow?
Clair Bryan Shreveport, LA
We’re not falling for that whole “I was just double-checking” excuse. We know you’re cheating. Guess what? It’s ok! Here are the answers to the puzzles on pages 24 and 25. F O C I
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520 Spring Street, Suite 202, Shreveport, LA 71101
SO10-SB
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September /October 2010
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