Prime Time August 2015

PRIME TIME August 2015

Steve and Ann Heimann

Faith and justice in action

Margaret Powers | Retirement planning | The return of Harper Lee

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Editor’s note

I don’t know about you, but I can’t get used to kids going back to school at the beginning of August. Everybody knows that summer vacation is supposed to be June, July and August, right? But now education experts say kids forget too much of what they learn if they’re out of the classroom for three months.

Really? Having three months off in the summer was grate when me were a kid, and it don’t seem to have infected my education much. But watt does I no?

Like a lot of other baby boomers still in the work force, Ann and Steve Heimann are looking forward to retirement. They won’t have long to wait now that Steve has announced he won’t seek re-election as Bartholomew Circuit Court judge.

While Judge Heimann won’t be stepping completely away from the courtroom at the end of 2016, he and Ann are planning to spend more time together and with family. Be sure to check out Sharon Mangas’ profile of the happy couple.

When it comes to retirement, one size definitely does not fit all. Everyone’s situation is unique. Some of us have enough money stashed away that we’ll be able to live the high life for 30 or 40 years after we give up the day job. Others … many others … have been too busy with other things to properly plan for retirement.

For some of those folks, the golden years may quickly lose their glitter.

To properly plan your retirement, you’ll definitely need to do much more than read one issue of Prime Time. Still, we hope to give you some things to think about with our special Retirement Requirements package, which starts on page 14.

On page 24, Sharon Mangas introduces us to Margaret Powers, a woman who makes full use of both sides of her brain. In addition to her role as executive director of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, the mathematician and musician also runs her own quilting business.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Prime Time. As always, if you have a story idea or a topic you’d like to see us address, feel free to contact me at dshowalter@therepublic.com or 812-379-5625.

See you in November.

PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 1

contents 4

This & That

8

Ann and Steve Heimann

12

Heirloom dishes

14

Retirement requirements

24

Philharmonic’s Margaret Powers

28

Organization essential for caregivers

30

Harper Lee’s other book

34

Benefits of an active lifestyle

36

Calendar of events

40

Sharon Mangas column

2 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

8

14

24

Forest Path 30

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Not just a design, an approach to living.

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Comments should be sent to Doug Showalter, The Republic, 333 Second St., Columbus, IN 47201 or call 812-379-5625 or dshowalter@therepublic.com. Advertising information: Call 812-379-5652. ©2015 by Home News Enterprises. All rights reserved. Reproduction of stories, photographs and advertisements without permission is prohibited. Stock images provided by © iStock.

Lutheran Community Home, Inc. On the cover: Ann and Steve Heimann | photo by April Knox

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PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 3

This & That Free health screenings Comprehensive health screenings will be offered at no charge from 8 to 10 a.m. Aug. 20 at Mill Race Center, 900 Lindsey St. Sign up at the business office or call MRC at 812-376-9241.

Screenings include hemoglobin, balance test, advanced directives, mental health, hearing test, blood pressure, height and weight, BMI, eye pressure, pharmacist consult, dietitian consult and glucose test (fasting required).

Find security with a solid retirement plan Achieving financial independence is key to enjoying a satisfying retirement. Social Security has many tools to help you plan for your future.

Prepare for a secure, comfortable retirement by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. Once there, open a secure “my Social Security” account and assess your financial needs. You’ll get immediate access to your personal Social Security Statement, your earnings record, and an estimate of your retirement benefits at age 62, at your full retirement age, and at age 70. You can also ensure your earnings are correct, since your future benefits are based on your earnings record.

Choosing when to retire is an important decision.

At the Retirement Estimator, which you can find at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator, you can get an estimate of your future benefit amount. You can use “what if” scenarios to see how your benefit amounts will change with different retirement dates and future earnings estimates.

Also, visit www.myra.gov to check out myRA, a new retirement savings option from the Department of the Treasury for the millions of Americans who face barriers to saving for retirement. myRA is a simple, secure, and affordable way to help you take control of your future.

4 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

Once you are ready to retire, apply at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire. Our online retirement application is the easiest and fastest way to apply for Social Security retirement benefits. It can take you as little as 15 minutes to complete. There are no forms to sign, and usually no documentation is required. Additionally, you can apply online from the convenience of your home.

Learn more about Social Security retirement benefits by reading the publication at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.

With all of these resources in place, you too can prepare to reap the joys of a financially secure retirement. Learn more at www.socialsecurity.gov.

National conference at Mill Race Center Mill Race Center recently created the Pitman Institute for Aging Well in honor of former MRC Executive Director Bob Pitman. The institute is concentrating on four initiatives: research, new program development, bringing distinguished speakers to Columbus and an annual conference or exposition. All will focus on aging well.

From Sept. 20 to 22, the center will host SEEK 2015 — Engaging Communities to Age Well Conference. This national conference will offer community aging practitioners, planners, leaders and interested members in a forum to engage in the important conversation of aging well.

The conference is open to anyone and will be held at Mill Race Center and several additional locations in the downtown Columbus area. It will feature more than 50 presentations and networking opportunities.

Keynote speakers will be James Firman, executive director, National Council on Aging; Zach Benedict, managing partner, MKM Architecture and Design; and Colin Miller, CEO, International Council on Active Aging.

Information/registration: www.pitmaninstitute.org or 812-376-9241.

PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 5

[this & that] Book Reviews (These books are available at Viewpoint Books)

“Life After Life,” by Kate Atkinson “One of the best novels I’ve read this century. Kate Atkinson is a marvel. There aren’t enough breathless adjectives to describe ‘Life After Life:’ Dazzling, witty, moving, joyful, mournful, profound.” — Gillian Flynn, author of “Gone Girl” What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born, the third child of a wealthy English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in any number of ways. Ursula’s world is in turmoil, facing the unspeakable evil of the two greatest wars in history. What power and force can one woman exert over the fate of civilization — if only she has the chance?

Wildly inventive, darkly comic, startlingly poignant — this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best.

“Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania,” by Erik Larson From the best-selling author and master of narrative nonfiction comes the enthralling story of the sinking of the Lusitania.

On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its 10th month, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were surprisingly at ease, even though Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone. For months, German U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic.

But the Lusitania was one of the era’s great transatlantic greyhounds, the fastest liner then in service, and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack.

Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige. Meanwhile, an ultra-secret British intelligence unit tracked Schwieger’s U-boat, but told no one. As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small — hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret and more — converged to produce one of the great disasters of history.

It is a story that many of us think we know but don’t, and Erik Larson tells it thrillingly, switching between hunter and hunted while painting a larger portrait of America at the height of the Progressive Era. 6 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

Walgreens, insurers push expansion of virtual doctor visits Walgreens expects to reach about half the country by the end of the year with a new service that lets people see doctors for minor ailments without leaving home, through smartphone, tablet or computer.

The nation’s largest drugstore chain is expanding a smartphone application it started testing last December to tablets and personal computers and plans to make it available in 25 states.

The growth comes as major insurers UnitedHealth Group and Anthem prepare to expand their own non-emergency telemedicine services to about 40 million more people by next year.

Doctors have used video feeds and other technology for years to treat patients in remote locations. But experts say growing smartphone use and customer demand are fueling a rapid expansion into everyday care the family doctor used to handle.

— Staff and Wire Reports

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PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 7

Cover Story

Judgment call Ann and Steve Heimann have followed their hearts to serve others

B

By Sharon Mangas n photo by April Knox

artholomew Circuit Court Judge Steve Heimann and his wife, Ann, will soon celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Cupid’s arrow struck in January 1975, when Ann was attending Ball State University and Steve was at Wabash College.

Steve was in Muncie for a weekend to attend a student conference with Ann’s brother, Tom, who wanted Steve to meet his sister. Steve was reluctant at first.

He had doubts about a college coed who was dateless on a Friday night. But when they met, his fears dissolved. He took one look at Ann and fell for her hook, line and sinker, and the feeling was mutual. It was love at first sight.

The true litmus test of their relationship came shortly after they met, when Steve took Ann canoeing on Sugar Creek. “It was February, very cold and rainy,” says Ann, “and the guy Steve arranged to pick us up at the end of our trip didn’t show on time, but

8 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

Steve did his best to keep my hands and feet warm while we waited. I thought he was considerate and sweet. We just clicked. It was meant to be.”

Once Steve got the OK from Ann’s dad, he couldn’t wait to give her the engagement ring. Shortly after leaving Ann’s family home in Indianapolis, he pulled his car to the side of the road and asked for her hand in marriage, not realizing he had parked directly in front of the Feeney-Hornack Mortuary. “We still laugh about it,” says Ann. “It gives deeper meaning to the phrase ’til death do us part.’”

They tied the knot in December 1975, 11 months after they met. Steve was 21 and Ann was 19.

Theirs is a mutual admiration society, built on respect, humor and faith.

After Steve’s graduation from law school in Indianapolis, they arrived in Columbus in July 1980, with infant son Andrew in tow. Steve had accepted a job with local attorney Alan Goltra and later

took over the practice when Goltra retired in 1982.

Daughter Emily arrived in 1983, and in 1991 Steve was asked to fill out the final year of Judge Suzanne Trautman Dugan’s term.

“That wasn’t an easy decision for us,” says Ann. “We had purchased the building where Steve’s office was located, and he was reluctant to give up his practice, in case he wasn’t elected in 1992. We had two young children then and taking the job as judge meant a salary cut. But Steve strongly believed in the greater good, and I supported him in that 100 percent.”

“Money’s never been the focus,” says Steve. “If I was in law just for the money, I would’ve continued in private practice. I make a reasonable salary, and I get a lot of satisfaction from my work. Of course, there are those who haven’t agreed with all my decisions,” he continues, “but I hope they recognize I was fair.

“I always take time to explain my decisions to defendants. I talk to them about where they’re at in

life, how they got themselves in this position, what the consequences are, and how they have an opportunity to change their lives. I’m amazed at the number of former defendants who seek me out to thank me for helping them turn their lives around. I try to treat everyone as a human being. My philosophy as a judge is to judge, not be judgmental.”

Bonita Hall, a retired county probation officer agrees. “He’s forward thinking and fair. He’ll be missed when he retires next year. He works hard and collaborates with other agencies to help head off crime. As a probation officer, I didn’t always agree with his decisions, but nine times out of 10, he was right. His goal has always been to help defendants become productive citizens.”

Ann and Steve’s biggest life challenge has been dealing with her health issues, stemming from her diagnosis in 1994 with a rare type of nonmaPRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 9

[Cover Story] lignant tumor located within her spinal cord, just below her brain stem.

“It took a long time to get diagnosed,” says Ann. “I knew something was wrong when I had intractable pain following a minor traffic accident, and then fell playing tennis. I had always been very athletic and coordinated, and something just didn’t feel right.”

After several misdiagnoses, they finally found the cause of her symptoms. A neurosurgery specialist in New York City removed the tumor.

“My mother died when I was 11,” says Ann, “and our daughter Emily had just turned 12, so I was very worried about the outcome.” Though the surgery was deemed a success — Ann retained motor skills — the operation left her with many sensory deficits.

“I could move my limbs, but not feel much. I had to relearn to walk.” Complications from her sensory deficits have put Ann through at least nine additional surgeries.

10 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

Longtime members of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, they lean on their faith. “When Ann was diagnosed, we got up every morning and prayed about it,” says Steve.

“At first we prayed for a miracle,” adds Ann, “but when we changed the focus to ‘Your will be done, not ours,’ it took the pressure off.”

“We ask God to give us strength to deal with whatever occurs,” says Steve. “Ann is the person I admire most in my life. She rarely ever complains. She would rather focus on the needs of others and will do anything she can for her friends and family.”

Though her life changed dramatically after her diagnosis and surgery, Ann has no regrets. “I had to give up my job as president of Precision Fire and Safety in Indianapolis — a business my father founded — as well as many of the activities I loved, like tennis and running. The tumor is something I didn’t want to have, but it’s made me who I am today. Before I got

sick, I was always planning for the future, and the reality is, your future may be today. I’ve learned the importance of enjoying each day.”

Many in Columbus attest to the Heimanns’ personal strengths. Their good friends, retired physician Sherman Franz and his wife, Jacque, know them well.

“Ann and Steve’s generosity, compassion, deep faith, personal courage and incredible sense of humor are an inspiration to all who have the privilege of knowing them,” says Sherman.

When Steve retires in December 2016, they look forward to spending uninterrupted time together and enjoying their first grandchild (a girl) from Emily and son-in-law Adam, due this fall. They plan to continue devoting time to their wide variety of church and community volunteer commitments. Steve will also fill in as a senior judge, when other Indiana judges are unavailable due to vacations, etc. “I’m pretty well known as a judge,” says Steve, so I’ll keep busy doing that.”

One thing’s a given. They’ll keep doing for others. Longtime friends and former neighbors Dan and Wanda Lunsford sum up the Heimanns’ philosophy of life. “We’ve witnessed — and been recipients of — their many acts of kindness,” says Wanda. “Steve and

Judge Steve Heimann in Circuit Court at the Bartholomew County Courthouse. | The Republic file photo Ann have a knack for knowing what others need and act upon that without fanfare or recognition. They live out their faith by serving others wherever they are.” PT

PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 11

lifestyle

Heirlooms or Ikea: or What’s on your table?

TNS photo

By Lee Svitak Dean n Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (TNS)

I

n the back of the buffet at home, nestled safely in the farthest corner, lies an entire set of Noritake dishes that my grandmother received as a wedding gift in 1923, the plates cushioned by pieces of felt.

This weekend I will set them on the tablecloth she had embroidered (white with baby-blue finely crocheted lace on the edges, French knots galore making up the embellished flowers at each corner). Danish Princess flatware from Holmes & Edwards will finish off the plate setting.

Before we pick up so much as a salad fork, I will let my guests know — as I always do — that the tableware, now more than 90 years old, was hers.

I am not alone in this reverence for family heirlooms, especially those used at the table. Many of us who do so are of a particular age, one that need only be described as “with adult children.”

We hang onto this tableware through one move or the next, whether or not it holds monetary value.

For us, the inherent meaning of crystal, china and silverware lies in those who dined off the dishes before — or perhaps with — us. Some might consider this to be simply “clinging to the past.” For those of us who reach for the lovely patterns of yesteryear, it’s more like reliving fond memories.

Rebecca Jorgenson Sundquist of Deephaven, Minn., is one such cook who is beguiled by beautiful

12 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

dishes and, not surprisingly, entertains often and with great exuberance. She admits she has the “dish bug.”

In her cupboards, Sundquist has accumulated at least one complete set of dishes for each decade of her adult life: Dansk White and Royal Copenhagen blue half lace for her 20s, Mary Hadley pottery for her 30s, Simon Pearce Belmont crackle celadon for her 40s, Atticus Blue Pacific for her 50s, and now Juliska Pewter stoneware for her 60s.

Then there are the other collections of dishes — a set from Salzburg, Austria, another of Peter Rabbit Wedgewood and her mother’s best dishes.

“When my parents passed away, Mother had 20 place settings of china in a Yellow Rose pattern.

She used that china almost every week. No one else wanted them, except one brother who wanted a single place setting as a memory. So I have the dishes and take them out when they all come over. They love it.”

As she has moved from one home to another, storage for those dishes was always a priority. “I keep them handy so I can use them,” Sundquist said.

“They are meant to be used. We create wonderful family memories with them. It’s an anchor of home.”

Her two adult children and their families just laugh when she adds to her collection.

“Just as we have food memories, we have memories of place settings,” said Sundquist. “My kids grew up with Royal Copenhagen for festivities and the

Mary Hadley dishes. It’s just a wonderful reminder of home for them. I’ve heard them tell their children about these dishes.”

But times change. And so do storage options, as younger generations move often and live in smaller spaces or without dining rooms. Finer tableware also requires some effort, whether it’s hand-washing or polishing.

“The market is graying,” said Kimberly Thompson, estate buyer for J.B. Hudson Jewelers of Minneapolis, about the interest in fine tableware. She spent eight years working with crystal, china, flatware and giftware for J.B.Hudson, before moving on to estate jewelry.

“I call it the Ikea-ization of America,” she said. “A younger generation lives with china and flatware until they tire of it, and then they replace it. If it’s too much work, they won’t buy it. There’s not a lot of hope for dishes you can’t put in the dishwasher.”

Today she finds whole china settings for 12 for $200 at estate sales. “It’s rare for our younger clients to be interested in full sets of fine tableware. Some are out there buying sterling silver flatware at estate sales or secondhand goods. But they are not [bridal] registering for it.”

Nor are they always stepping up to lay claim to their parents’ fine dishware. “There’s much to be said about the tactile and physical continuation of tradition,” said Thompson. “How extra special is a picnic table with Grandma’s salt and pepper shakers on it?”

For some families, that tradition can result in battles. “I know of a family where everyone went to war over a pickle dish. When Grandma died, everyone wanted that dish,” she said. For years, Thompson has searched estate sales for a duplicate of a favorite jelly bowl her grandmother had, now in the possession of her uncle. “He will never give it up,” she said with a laugh.

For Thompson and Sundquist, the dishes on the table matter, whatever meals they hold. And it’s not only about tradition. Consider the difference of a sip of wine when served in a heavy juice glass instead of even an inexpensive wine glass.

“Great food tastes better with great utensils.

Just look at what’s going on at a nice restaurant.

They are not serving food with beat-up flatware,” Thompson said.

“Even really great takeout tastes better on great china.” PT

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Retirement requirements

Shared housing can provide financial security for retirees

By Janet Kidd Stewart n Chicago Tribune (TNS)

W

hen Rika Mead retired, and divorced, two years ago, the idea of taking on a roommate wasn’t high on her list of priorities.

Her Denver-area home isn’t a duplex, and she admittedly was a bit rigid about keeping her belongings a certain way.

“I liked things the way I liked them,” she said. “I didn’t want to share my home with anyone.” She briefly looked at homes for sale in a lower price range, but said they were dark, very small or in neighborhoods where safety was a concern.

Her current home is large — 3,700 square feet over three floors — so a friend thought of Mead last summer when trying to help a couple of 21-yearolds find housing for the summer. Because it was a short-term situation, Mead agreed to rent out two extra bedrooms.

“We had a blast. It was so much fun I decided to get over myself and start thinking about my space in a new way,” said Mead, 68, whose career interests helped her see her situation differently. She still does some organizational effectiveness and change management consulting after retiring from a similar position in local government.

Housing wealth accounts for a big chunk of retirees’ net worth, but tapping that wealth can be fraught with as much emotional baggage as financial — one reason some financial advisers shy away from pushing the issue with clients.

“Most of the time the money aspect of it is just a rationale that they use to justify what they’re doing,”

14 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

said Dan Moisand, a financial adviser and principal with Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo in Florida.

Other times, he said, downsizing isn’t the windfall many retirees expect, particularly in markets where home price gains are modest.

Through a fledgling online introduction service targeted to women, roommates4boomers.com, Mead began corresponding in January with Deborah Halverson, 57, a nurse who recently relocated to Denver to be near family. The pair hit it off and Halverson moved in this month after completing an apartment lease. For now, at least, industry entrepreneurs say demand for elder shared housing is largely among single women.

The arrangement cut Halverson’s housing costs by a little more than half, and it covers about half of Mead’s monthly mortgage payment.

Rooms for rent typically generate about half the going rate of a one-bedroom apartment, said Bonnie Moore, founder of a competing website, goldengirlsnetwork.com. (Moore and Karen Venable, founder of roommates4boomers.com strongly recommend clients check the backgrounds of any potential candidates before sharing personal information. They and several home sharers we spoke with also suggested detailed meetings about how expenses like cleaning services, food and alcohol will be shared.)

Other retirees are leveraging the home-sharing concept in different ways.

In Chicago, a small company called Point in Time (pointintimellc.com is developing shuttered Catholic

convents into upscale shared rental housing for people 62 and up. Each one will house about a dozen residents, with private bedrooms but common kitchen and living areas. Together, the groups will decide what shared services, such as chefs and vehicles, they wish to purchase.

Some retirees are offering reduced rents in exchange for tenant-provided handyman or other services.

Financial adviser Sheryl Garrett, founder of the Garrett Planning Network, remembers talking with a 62-year-old client about potentially needing to downsize her home and rent a smaller apartment.

“When we finally got to the bottom of it, we realized she wouldn’t be saving much if she moved out and paid rent,” Garrett said. “What she really needed was a live-in handyman, so she made a few upgrades in her basement and found a tenant who could pay a little rent and take over shoveling the walks, mowing the lawn and other jobs.”

To find him, Garrett advised her client to contact her county aging department. Many of these departments screen potential candidates, but it is still important to check out anyone you are considering thoroughly. Another good source is the

National Shared Housing Resource Center (nationalsharedhousing.org).

Bringing on the tenant bought her client time to stay where she really wanted to live, and it preserved her ability to pick up more home equity over time — an important asset in case she needed to sell in the future to pay for a nursing facility, Garrett said. PT

The best and worst things to do when looking for a place to retire

By Lucy Mueller n GOBankingRates.com (TNS)

T

his year, some 4 million baby boomers will retire, meaning that every second, nine Americans punch out and start idly considering moving to Florida.

Each year, about 55,000 do it. The 55-and-older population in Florida swells by 138 percent annually, according to USA Today, and other popular retirement states like Arizona are seeing similar influxes.

In fact, the four most popular retirement destinations, as determined by the Brookings Institution — Phoenix; Riverside, Calif.; Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Atlanta — all have one thing in common: They’re warm.

Believe it or not, clement weather shouldn’t be your only non-negotiable when figuring out where to retire. A number of factors will come into play, from PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 15

Retirement requirements financial considerations like tax rates to less quantifiable components, like proximity to family, friends and early bird specials. When you add them all up, you might find that Florida is not at the top of your list.

We talked to a number of retirement and financial planning experts to find the biggest do’s and don’ts of relocating for retirement.

DO: LOOK FOR A LOWER COST OF LIVING One of the worst-case scenarios in retirement is the possibility of outliving your savings.

“One way to help alleviate that stress is to move to a place where your money goes further,” Aaron Hatch, a certified financial planner and co-founder of Woven Capital, told us. “One of my clients is considering moving to Mexico so that their money goes further.”

You don’t have to cross a border to find a less-expensive city, though. The key, according to Stephanie Genkin, a Brooklyn-based financial planner, is to make sure you can afford your three biggest ongoing expenses besides your home: health care, food and energy.

“You want to find a city that is affordable particularly in these areas,” she said. “You’d be surprised how much variation there is across the country. Eventually, you may not play golf or tennis or be able to do as many activities as you did at the beginning of the retirement. These costs will drop off. But you’ll still need to go to the doctor, eat, and heat or cool your home.”

DO: SECURE ACCESS TO GOOD HEALTH CARE “It’s a given that as you get older your health will deteriorate in one way or another,” said Andrew

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McFadden, a financial planner and founder of Panoramic Financial Advice. “It may be something as simple as arthritis or as debilitating as diabetes can get in some cases. You want to make sure that when problems arise, you will have fast access to high-quality health care providers.”

DO: MAKE SURE YOU’RE CLOSE TO A GROCERY STORE How far are you willing to drive to reach the nearest grocery store? Or dry cleaner? Or library?

Once you’ve zeroed in on a city, check to see how robust its local amenities are — a little bit of inconvenience can become a big problem once you move there.

DO: LOOK FOR STATES THAT OFFER TAX BREAKS FOR RETIREES “When determining where to retire, it is important to consider how retirement income will be taxed in a particular state, as well as other tax implications of a move in retirement,” Medora Justus, an Oxford, Miss.-based investment adviser, told us. “For example, Mississippi does not tax retirement income, and the first $75,000 of a personal residence value is exempt from property tax for those 65 and older.”

Transitioning to a fixed income isn’t going to be easy. You’ll need every little bit of help to stay atop your finances in the first couple of years, and tax benefits can go a long way toward helping with this concern.

When you’re shopping around for your retirement city — diligently doing your homework, researching

every last tax rate and polling your potential neighbors on their enthusiasm for the Neighborhood Watch — it’s easy to let some things fall through the cracks.

Here are a number of don’ts for choosing where you will settle down.

DON’T: BASE YOUR DECISION SOLELY ON PROXIMITY TO FAMILY It’s a mistake financial advisers see again and again: Retirees move close to their much younger and more mobile children and grandchildren, who they forget will likely relocate in the near future themselves.

DON’T: FORGET ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES It’s a lurking expense that’s just waiting to emerge and take a huge chunk out of your savings: property taxes, which vary wildly by state. In fact, many retirees are stymied when they realize states with low costsof-living don’t necessarily have correspondingly low property taxes.

For example, “Texas does indeed have a much lower cost of living, and while we don’t have a state tax, our property taxes are typically twice that of California’s,” explained John Fowler, a financial planner and wealth manager. “Even with the higher property tax, Texas is still way more affordable than California, but the sticker shock may be enough to sour an observant person when they get the bill.”

For some, a high property tax might not be prohibitive. The key, Fowler told us, is to “do the math and get a realistic understanding of how much you pay for each good or service and come up with a total.

If the total amount that you will end up spending is within a reasonable range that won’t alter your retirement plans, meaning that you won’t have to become

a greeter at Wal-Mart to make ends meet, then you should be fine.”

DON’T: MOVE SOLELY FOR NO INCOME TAX On a similar note, retirees are often lured to states that have no income tax — Florida, Texas and Washington, among them — not realizing that they might be able to save more money by paying attention to other factors.

“I wouldn’t recommend moving simply on this basis,” said Andrew Mohrmann, a financial planner and the founder of Modern Dollar Planning. “The benefits of a lack of state tax might not be so important if, for instance, you won’t have a high taxable income in retirement or you’ll end up traveling back often to see friends and family. As with many decisions, ‘don’t let the tax tail wag the dog.’”

DON’T: RULE OUT COLLEGE TOWNS A bunch of rowdy college students are probably not, in your opinion, the one thing missing from your retirement plans; still, according to Forbes, more boomers are retiring to college towns. There are certainly ample reasons to consider this move, Frankle told us.

“I think the obvious things are proximity to cultural events and hospitals,” he said. “Moving to a college town can be smart because there are many free activities that can be intellectually stimulating.”

In fact, per Forbes, a number of universities around the country — including Stanford, Notre Dame and Penn State — have begun to work with private developers to build residential retirement communities near campuses, providing easy access to health care facilities, apartment-style living and amenities like golf courses. PT PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 17

Retirement requirements

Seven best ways retirees can boost their income

By Morgan Quinn n GOBankingRates.com (TNS)

D

reams of retirement usually conjure images of beach vacations, time tinkering with hobbies and ample visits from friends and family.

Unfortunately, for many people, those dreams do not turn into a reality.

The traditional retirement of a generation ago looks very different today. Many retirees do not have a company pension and health care, sufficient savings or adequate Social Security to fund their golden years. According to the 2014 Retirement Confidence Survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, only 18 percent of workers are very confident they have enough money for a comfortable retirement, and 36 percent say they have less than $1,000 in savings and investments.

The future of retirement may look bleak, but just because you jumped out of the workforce doesn’t mean you can’t still earn an income. With a little creativity and a lot of drive, there are plenty of ways to bring home a little bacon. Here are a few ideas:

GET A FLEXIBLE OR HOME-BASED JOB Many retirees can find work through sites that specialize in part-time, home-based employment, perfect for older workers. “Working from home is quickly becoming a solid option for retirees because it eliminates the things we all dislike most about work — commuting and office politics,” said Sara Sutton Fell, CEO and founder of FlexJobs, a service that helps workers find flexible jobs. “There are also onsite projects, so if someone wants to get out of the house for work, this is 18 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

a great option, too. Remote or telecommuting jobs can be found in almost every career field.

“Some telecommuting jobs recently listed include Internet assessor, at-home (English as a second language) teacher and virtual assistant, and some of the more interesting freelance projects we’ve seen listed include photo researcher, content editor and medical interpreter.”

BECOME A CONSULTANT Many entrepreneurs and small business owners need advice and help from consultants who work on an hourly basis. If you’re an expert in your field, a consulting business can bring in extra income and still give you the flexibility you crave during retirement.

“Consultants and the expertise they bring are in demand,” said Tim Hird, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources. “Businesses are working with these professionals to access specialized expertise, support key projects and help their fulltime employees.”

To start a consulting business, “tap your network for their thoughts and referrals,” he said. “Also consider working with a staffing firm specializing in placing experienced professionals. The firm can handle the marketing and administrative aspects of consulting for you and allow you to do what you enjoy most: the work.”

PURSUE A PASSION Plenty of people turn their passions into careers, and retirees are no exception. Ed Snyder of Oaktree

Financial Advisors said he has several clients who have turned their interests into side jobs during retirement. “I have a client who was a decorator, and in her retirement she works for a local retailer helping them to design and lay out their store displays. She loves the work.”

Retirees don’t need to limit themselves to what they did in their previous careers, either. “I have a client who retired in his 50s who loves golf,” he said.

“He picked up a part-time job at a golf course helping around the pro shop. He gets to pick up some extra cash and do what he loves. Tell me he doesn’t look forward to going into work every day.”

HELP AND SERVE OTHERS Some of your fellow retirees and other people need help with basic services. “The very oldest among us will need increasing help and support,” said Roy Cohen, career coach and author of “The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide.” “For those who want to remain independent, having a person to help with errands, driving, personal hygiene and other activities will become essential.”

Other senior-friendly jobs include dog walking, house sitting and tutoring. “The prospect of working beyond the age of 62 or 65 is fast becoming a reality,” he added. “People are living longer, healthier lives and realizing that work is central to maintaining a sense of purpose and joy.”

PARTICIPATE IN MARKET RESEARCH Yes, you can get paid for having an opinion.

Many companies hire market research firms to poll consumers about their products and services. These research firms often offer cash or gift cards in exchange for your time.

David Bakke, finance expert at MoneyCrashers, recommends Delve or Focus Pointe Global. “Sign up for an account and from time to time you’ll get email questionnaires to complete, or sometimes you’ll be called on the telephone. If your answers qualify, you’ll be asked to participate in a test group or panel discussion, and you can make as much as $100 for just several hours of your time.”

CASH IN ON THE SHARING ECONOMY In the sharing economy, owners can rent out something they are not using. If you don’t drive very often or own more than one vehicle, you can rent your car out through a website like RelayRides. You can list your home for rent on a website like Vacation Rentals

by Owner or Airbnb. On sites like JustPark and

StowThat, homeowners can rent out parking spots or attic and garage spaces, which can be especially lucrative if you live in a city where storage is hard to come by. And speaking of renting out extra space …

BUILD A SMALL RENTAL UNIT This kind of project doesn’t have to be as complicated or as expensive as it sounds. “Many houses are well-suited to be modified without too much expense to include an autonomous rental apartment,” said Joanne Cleaver, author of “The Career Lattice.” “The rent is great extra income, and the homeowners will save on taxes through pro rata write-offs of certain expenses. Just be sure to check with your home insurer first about maintaining coverage, or find a new insurer that will meet your new needs.” Also remember to follow zoning and other laws.

If you aren’t crazy about dealing with the hassle of managing a rental unit, you might want to consider hiring a property management company. You’ll sacrifice some of your profit, but it could eliminate a lot of headaches. PT PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 19

Retirement requirements

What retirement without savings looks like

By Paul Sisolak n GOBankingRates.com (TNS)

T

n a perfect world, the perfect retirement is where life begins. But for people like Debra Leigh Scott, there’s the very bleak possibility that retirement is where life might end.

“Suicide is my retirement plan,” Scott, a 60-yearold adjunct professor, said in an interview with Vitae, an online career hub operated by The Chronicle of Higher Education. “Unless you have a spouse or partner, you’re looking at dire poverty in old age. In addition to poverty, you’re looking at getting no additional work because of your age, or you’re looking at dropping dead in the classroom.”

Scott, a divorced mother of two grown children, has been teaching for over a quarter-century but never received the tenured position she hoped for. After years of financial struggles — including the loss of a home — she has no money saved for retirement.

Fewer Americans than ever before are adequately prepared financially to retire. In a survey earlier this year by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald and Associates, 28 percent of respondents said they have less than $1,000 in savings and investments poised for retirement. A 2014 Federal Reserve survey paints a more discouraging picture: 31 percent of non-retired respondents have zero retirement savings — 19 percent of them ages 55 to 64.

Scott’s story is a real-life reminder that paints a painful portrait most people would rather avoid. With their golden years well ahead of them, many people assume there will be enough money stored up to retire without a hitch. And they don’t even want to

20 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

think about considering the alternative. But for many adults behind on retirement savings, they might be unaware of the realities of retiring without enough money in the bank.

If that money isn’t there by the time you retire, that ideal retirement — world travel, time spent with family, and a life of leisure, relaxation and hobbies — will have to come with some major downgrades to compensate for your lack of savings.

YOU’LL NEED TO LIVE OFF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS The average Social Security check for retirees is $1,287. “Social Security can help boomers make ends meet during their golden years, but for many, it won’t be enough,” wrote Donna Fuscaldo of Fox Business.

If you’re single and qualify for Supplemental Security Income, you might be able to barely live off Social Security and SSI, but if you have any extenuating expenses, like a mortgage or supporting adult children returning to the nest, you cannot.

YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GET A ROOMMATE Steve Vernon of CBS MoneyWatch offered the example of a single, 65-year-old woman with a $50,000 annual salary — and no savings or assets to invest — looking to retire. “To help cover her living expenses, one option she may want to consider is the ‘Golden Girls’ solution of sharing living quarters with other people in her situation,” he wrote. “If she owns her house, she may want to consider renting a room to bring in more income.”

YOU’LL HAVE TO ALTER YOUR LIFESTYLE AND SPENDING If Vernon’s hypothetical retiree wants to retire full time at age 70, “she’ll need to focus on buying ‘just enough’ to meet her needs and be happy. Most likely this will be a struggle, unless she has paid off the mortgage on her house, which will make things a little easier,” he wrote.

YOU’LL NEED TO CONSIDER DOWNSIZING Selling your big house or car and downgrading to smaller, more affordable living arrangements and transportation can save money. If every decade of your working life has been to dream bigger and bigger, however, scaling down smaller and smaller in retirement might seem a bit anticlimactic.

Trying to retire without any savings in the bank can be difficult, and that difficulty is compounded by other factors senior citizens need to keep in mind as they age, like health issues and mobility. If saving money is not possible for you, retirement doesn’t have to pass you by. There are plenty of government-assisted and nonprofit programs that can help you, such as the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, Medicare, senior housing help from Housing and Urban Development and other resources. PT

Managing five finance trends

By Allyn Hughes n AdviceIQ (TNS)

Y

our financial plan needs to keep pace with larger socioeconomic trends. Here are smart ways to manage the five trends that will be important over the next five years. n Your cash and bank savings accounts will continue to earn next to nothing. The combination of too much global debt, aging demographics and low energy prices forces many countries in the de-

veloped world to lower the interest rates they pay on short-term notes. European countries are paying negative interest rates to short-term lenders, meaning the lenders must pay a fee to own debt securities.

Global economic growth remains muted, and there’s little reason for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates significantly over the next five years.

This means that savers and investors continue to PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 21

Retirement requirements

earn very low returns on their savings and fixed income portfolios.

To do: The distinct downside of this trend is an increase of the overall risk and volatility of your investment portfolios. To earn higher returns, you have to modestly increase your allocation to global stocks and real estate. n Too much information is the norm.

Technology allows smart marketers to better target financial product or service promotions to you via blogs, social media and emails. With so many investment options and relatively easy access to competitive products, analysis paralysis could cloud your decision. The growing abundance of information, however, does not provide actual insight into your personal situation.

To do: Turn off the “cookies” feature in your browser to avoid being bombarded with ads. n The costs of investing will continue to come down. The growth of assets in exchange-traded funds and low-cost index funds suggests that investors want lower fees. In the world of investing where so many factors are out of your control, lowering your expenses is a smart way to try to boost returns. But cost is not the most important part of an investment strategy.

Consistent savings, investment diversification and comfort with volatility are all larger factors in creating financial security.

To do: Instead of pursuing low fees, create an appropriate investment strategy that aligns with your goals. n Life insurance is going to get more expensive. As a result of the low interest rates and invest22 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

ment returns, insurance companies are likely to earn less on their portfolios, which in turn leads to premium increases for whole and term life policies. Premium income and investment portfolio performance are the chief ways insurers build capital, which they use to pay benefits.

To do: Consider buying term insurance for the longest time span that makes sense to you. Term life, unlike whole life and other so-called permanent policies, features no cash component and usually expires after a set amount of years. So term is usually cheaper.

If you want permanent life insurance, then consider a variable policy from a lower cost yet financially stable provider. This allows you to take modest investment risk over a long time and grow the policy’s investment account. n Your personal information is more likely to be stolen. No electronic transaction is completely safe. Unfortunately, you can’t fully control what personal information you provide while using new technologies (like Apple Pay or your Starbucks app), nor can you make sure of the data security of the companies you do business with, including your health care providers.

To do: Be careful with your online practices. Do not open unexpected attachments. Turn off your computer when you are not using it. Use different passwords (and update those passwords often). Use only one credit card and a separate email address for online purchases. Although the society is going tech, paying cash is still your best defense. PT

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24 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

profile

It all ADDS

up

Finance, quilting and music blend perfectly in Margaret Powers’ world

T

By Sharon Mangas n photos by April Knox

hink math isn’t pertinent in the real world? Meet Margaret Powers, executive director of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. Powers, who has an undergraduate degree in math and an MBA in business, is proof positive that math skills remain useful and practical. Throughout her career in business, and in her creative endeavors, such as music and quilting, she often applies her math expertise.

Growing up in the Washington, D.C., area, math and music were always part of her life, considering her father worked for the IRS and her mother was a music teacher. She took piano lessons from her mom, and played violin and viola in school.

After graduating from Ohio State in 1975, a job at Cummins Inc. brought Powers to Columbus. “My first position at Cummins was as a financial analyst at the Walesboro plant,” she says. “It was a great introduction to business and accounting. I had an opportunity to see how everything worked and got to interact with all the different groups who ran the plant, like the manufacturing engineers and the production folks.”

She got her MBA in finance while working at Cummins. “I commuted to school in Indianapolis at night. … It took me four long years part time, but I did it.”

Moving up the corporate ladder at Cummins, Powers became director of market business support,

before moving on to Our Hospice of South Central Indiana in 1996, where she was manager of finance and information systems. She came in on the ground floor of planning for the inpatient facility, preparing the business plan and supporting efforts to raise millions of dollars for the building fund.

In 2007, while working as chief financial officer at Shalom Health Care Inc. in Indianapolis, Powers faced the heartache of losing Gene, her husband of 26 years. “It was a difficult period in my life,” she says. “When you lose someone you’re that close to, you feel very alone. You have to learn how to live on your own again. That’s not always easy, and sometimes it’s scary.”

She joined a grief support group at her church, First United Methodist, in Columbus. She later trained as a leader for the program, to facilitate the class for others. “It helps to know that others are going through the same things you are,” she says. “You’re not alone in your grief. You can get through it.”

A year after Gene’s passing, she resigned from Shalom, to fulfill a dream of starting her own quilting business. At Powers That Bee Quilting, she makes her own quilts and offers machine quilting services to others. “I used to sew clothes when I was growing up, so I had experience,” she says.

“I got hooked on quilting in the 1990s, when friends from PEO (a women’s philanthropic organizaPRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 25

[profile] tion) started dragging me to quilt shows. My friend Kathy Benson is really talented at picking out fabrics and color combinations, and I learned a lot from her.

My skill was looking at a quilt and seeing the best way to construct it. That’s where the math comes in.

There’s a lot of math in quilting.”

Powers still runs her quilting business on the side, using a long-arm sewing machine specially designed for quilting. She plans to devote more time to quilting when she retires. Her ultimate goal is becoming a nationally certified quilt judge.

Benson is in awe of her talent. “When Margaret’s interest was piqued by quilting, she went exponentially with it,” she says. “There was no stopping her. She’s won many awards for her quilts. In all the time I’ve known her, no matter what she takes on, she never does anything halfway. She’s very detail oriented and strives to be the best at whatever she does. She’s one of my favorite people.”

Powers stays busy at church, too, serving as an alto in the chancel choir, playing in the adult hand bell choir and leading the Sounds of Joy, a singing group for 3-year-olds to first-graders. “There’s a lot of math in music, too,” she says. “I use math skills when I’m reading music. Being a musician requires an understanding of spatial relationships.”

Kevin Butler, music director at First United Methodist, feels fortunate to have Powers on board.

“She has so much versatility,” he says. “She knows how to have fun with the little ones, but she’s also extremely adept as a singer in our chancel choir. She’s comfortable singing the most complicated masterworks we perform. We’re lucky to have Margaret.”

Good friend Lynette Farless, a retired BCSC math teacher, has known Powers since the late 1980s. “We were both math majors in college, so you might say we bonded over our shared skill as linear thinkers,” says Farless. “Margaret is musically talented and financially knowledgeable. She’s a skillful leader. At the philharmonic, she’s not only built on the quality work of her predecessors, but she’s also working hard to build new depth and variety to programming, to draw a larger audience.”

A chance encounter in 2012 with a friend serving on the philharmonic board connected Powers to the orchestra. “I heard their finance manager was retiring, so I asked my friend if the position was posted. I knew it was a part-time job, and I thought it could be a good supplemental income to my quilting business. Luckily, the job was open; I applied and was hired.

“Shortly after I started, Jayne Farber, then executive director of the philharmonic, resigned, and I was asked if I was interested in taking over the leadership.

I had to think it over, because it meant full-time work again. But music is something I’ve truly enjoyed all my life, and I figured if I could make a difference in the

Powers fills her free time with her business, Powers That Bee Quilting. She sews quilts on her long-arm machine and offers finishing services for clients who have already created quilts.

26 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

organization and move it forward, then it was a challenge I wanted to take on.”

Local business owner Jeff Baker and his partner, John Pickett, former executive director of the Indianapolis Opera, met Powers shortly after she stepped into her executive role in 2012.

“A philharmonic board member suggested to Margaret that John and I could be a resource to help generate special event and development ideas,” says Baker. “We’ve become good friends with her and enjoy being a sounding board for Margaret. She’s always willing to try new things, like Lobsterfest and the cabaret programs, which have proven to be very successful.

Her focus, at all times, is on enhancing and benefiting the philharmonic.”

Baker mentions Powers’ persistence in getting things right. “Once into a project,” he says, “she is determined to make sure it’s done correctly.”

At 61, Powers thinks about retirement, but stepping down is still a few years away. When that time comes, she looks forward to spending more time with family, including her four stepdaughters and nine grandchildren. She anticipates serving as a quilt judge and hopes to revive her interest in gardening. When asked to contemplate what her legacy might be, she states it simply and from the heart, “That I made a difference in my little corner of the world.” Problem solved. PT

PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 27

lifestyle

Organize your loved one’s information

before a crisis hits

F

By Pamela Yip n The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

or caregivers already exhausted from the demands of their duties, devising an organizational system can be a godsend.

“How do you coordinate the vast amount of information in that caregiving role?” said Sandy Markwood, chief executive of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. “How do you keep track of all of the physicians? How do you keep track of all of the medications? How do you keep track of all things like advance directives? How do you keep track of all the different insurance policies?

“There are so many buckets of information a caregiver needs to have access to, depending on the condition of their loved one.”

Pulling it all together in an organized fashion will alleviate some of the stress by making it easier to find important documents and other information.

There are several key areas that caregivers need to focus on when it comes to organizing their loved one’s matters, said Markwood.

28 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

“In my case and so many others, there seem to be three buckets of organizational information that caregivers need to organize — health, financial and legal — and then two buckets of organizational supports that are needed — support for your loved one and then support for you as a caregiver,” she said.

HEALTH BUCKET Make a list of your loved one’s doctors, medications, medical history, Medicare, other health insurance cards and a list of emergency contacts.

If your loved one has long-term care insurance, get a paper copy of the policy.

“Have a file with information and instructions so that someone else can step in and take over if you, the caregiver, become sick or unable to manage things,” said Lue Taff, geriatric care manager at the Senior Source in Dallas.

With medications, make sure you list the doses, who prescribed them, the times for the medication and the pharmacy.

Sharon Toth of Rockwall is caregiver for her husband, Larry, who has Parkinson’s disease. She keeps a list of all her husband’s medications and maintains a calendar of all doctors’ and physical therapy appointments and dates when medications can be refilled.

Toth, 73, also has designated pill containers, one for each day, because her husband takes medicine every three hours from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

“Parkinson’s patients freeze up and can’t walk or lose their balance if they don’t have their medication,” she said.

Toth said it’s critical that caregivers create an organizational system that works for them.

“You’re taking care of someone, and everything ends up on you,” she said. “I keep a loose-leaf folder with the plastic pages, and I slide everything into that.

I do keep track of the doctors’ names and numbers so that if anyone needed to take over in my absence, they would have that.”

She also made sure her three children know where the book is and what it contains.

In addition to her folder, Toth also uses a bulletin board to post the business cards of doctors and pharmacies.

“It all needs to be in one spot,” she said.

“You’ll also be able to see how balanced the plan is in terms of how your loved one’s needs are met and each person’s load.”

Goyer’s sisters are part of her parents’ caregiving team.

“I have my sisters on that list so that when I add a task to that list, they get an email and it says, ‘There’s a new list on Mom and Dad,’ and they can look at that and see if there’s something that they can help with,” Goyer said.

The best organizational system is the one that works for you. What’s important is that you start now, before a crisis hits.

“Most of us have experienced the frantic search for a critical legal, health or financial document, often under heavy pressure due to a crisis or time crunch,” Goyer said. “Start now to gather the information and documents and organize them for easy access.”

Once they’re organized, you’ll be able to find what you need easily, whether it’s in the midst of a crisis or not.

“You can’t control a lot of what happens to your loved ones in the course of caregiving,” Goyer said. “But this is one place where you can be proactive, and that’s worth the effort.” PT

FINANCIAL RECORDS The financial information you need to collect should include your loved one’s: •Birth certificate.

•Mortgage/rental documents.

•Bills.

•Bank records.

•Passwords for online accounts.

•Contact information for financial advisers.

•Legal papers.

You also should have copies of your loved one’s: •Will.

•Financial power of attorney.

•Medical power of attorney.

•Living will.

•Caregiving plan.

Assessing your loved one’s unmet needs and how their care can be improved will allow you to develop a thorough caregiving plan.

“To complete the caregiving plan, list everyone — including yourself — who is providing support, their broad or specific responsibilities, specific tasks and timelines for accomplishment,” said Amy Goyer, family issues expert at AARP and caregiver for her parents.

“Share a copy with everyone on the team so all can understand their unique roles and how everyone is working together.

900 Lindsey street • CoLumbus, in 47201 812.372.6415 • www.justfriendscolumbus.com PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 29

books

Everything you want to know about

Harper Lee and her two novels

By Laurie Hertzel n Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (TNS)

R

ecently, extremely private writer Harper Lee went from being a one-hit wonder to being the author of a series. (Series of two, anyway.) “Go Set a Watchman,” her longlost first novel (which takes place after “To Kill a Mockingbird” but which was written before it), hit bookstores in July.

The novel sold 1.1 million copies in its first week alone, according to Publisher’s Weekly. Publisher HarperCollins reports the book has gone back to press for 1.3 million additional copies, with Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million reporting that it was the fastest-selling adult fiction title in the history of both retailers.

As with so much about Lee, who has not talked to the press since 1964, many of the details surrounding the discovery of the manuscript and its publication are shrouded in mystery. But here is what you need to know about the author, the new book and the famous Pulitzer Prize-winning companion book.

Why is this such a big deal?

“Because no one ever thought it would happen,” said Amy Watkin, associate professor of English at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., and author of a book about Harper Lee’s work.

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Lee published “To Kill a Mockingbird” on July 11, 1960, and that was it. By 1965, she was done talking to the press, and she never published another book.

Why not?

Nobody knows.

Since she won’t talk to reporters, all we have is hearsay and speculation. Chicago Tribune journalist Marja Mills addressed the question in her 2014 memoir, “The Mockingbird Next Door.” She wrote, “Alice (Lee, Harper’s sister) leaned forward in her office chair. ‘I’ll put it this way. … When you have hit the pinnacle, how would you feel about writing more?

Would you feel like you’re competing with yourself?’”

Later in the book, Mills (who lived next door to the Lee sisters for a year) quotes a Lee family friend who remembers Harper Lee saying, “Two reasons.

First, I wouldn’t go through all the pressure and publicity I went through with ‘Mockingbird’ for any amount of money. Second, I have said what I wanted to say and I will not say it again.”

But did she continue to write?

For many years, there was talk of a second novel, and, later, Lee began work on a true-crime narrative similar to “In Cold Blood” (which she had

PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 31

[BOOKS] worked on with Truman Capote), but neither book ever materialized.

In a 1974 interview with the BBC, Alice Lee said that the manuscript of Harper Lee’s second novel had been stolen in a burglary. (A mystery!) “Apparently she didn’t have the heart to start over,” noted Charles J. Shields in “Mockingbird,” his 2006 biography of Harper Lee.

Where does “Watchman” fit into all of this?

“Go Set a Watchman” is actually Lee’s first novel.

Its protagonist is the character of Scout as a grown woman who comes back to Alabama from New York City in the 1950s to visit her father, Atticus Finch.

It was not published, but her editor at Lippincott suggested a book that focused on Scout as a child.

That became “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Lee said in a statement this year that she thought the “Watchman” manuscript had been lost, and she was surprised when her attorney discovered it last fall.

Where did the attorney find it?

Nobody knows.

Well, somebody knows. But stories conflict. The attorney, Tonja Carter, says she happened upon the manuscript last August while looking through Lee’s private papers. She said it was attached to an original typescript of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

But the New York Times recently reported that the existence of the manuscript apparently had been known for several years. The Times reported that in 2011 a rare-book expert from Sotheby’s went to Arkansas to appraise some of Lee’s papers and that the manuscript of “Watchman” was among them.

Carter says she wasn’t in the room when it was discovered, and she wasn’t told. Others who were there say that she was present.

More mystery!

Might someone find a treasure trove of unpublished Lee manuscripts after her death?

Nobody knows.

Shields notes in his book that Lee once said she hoped to write a series of novels chronicling smalltown middle-class Southern life — a way of life she saw as rapidly disappearing.

“I hope to goodness every novel I do gets better and better, not worse and worse,” Lee said in one of 32 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

her last interviews in 1964. “All I want is to be the Jane Austen of south Alabama.”

But did she write those novels and not publish them? It’s anybody’s guess.

Why is “Mockingbird” considered a classic?

The book won a Pulitzer Prize, has been translated into more than 40 languages, is taught in classrooms all over the country and has sold more than 40 million copies. In 55 years, it has never been out of print.

“Some writers are able to convey something about the human condition in a way that continues to resonate through decades, and sometimes centuries,” Watkin said. “There’s something about the way Harper Lee writes, and what she writes about, that is so human and universal it just grabs people.”

Are the characters in “Mockingbird” based on real people?

The character of Dill is based on Lee’s childhood friend and neighbor, writer Truman Capote. Atticus Finch is based on Lee’s father, who was also an attorney. And Scout? While most people assume that Scout is based on Lee herself, Lee told writer Mills, “You know Boo Radley? Well, that’s me.”

What is “Watchman” about?

The HarperCollins press release says: “This takes place during the mid-1950s during a turbulent time in American racial politics. There was civil unrest, which particularly affected the South and Alabama, and that’s part of the background for this novel.

“Scout, who’s now a grown-up woman living and working in New York City, goes back to the town where she was born and revisits old friends and family and sort of encounters old ghosts and comes up against new ideas and opinions. It’s a complicated, very adult novel that sweeps in family, politics, love, the South.”

Why has there been so much controversy about it?

Because Harper Lee was adamant for so many years that she would not publish another book in her lifetime. Many people have speculated that she was manipulated by her attorney into publishing this manuscript or, worse, is so frail that she doesn’t understand that it is being published.

How is her health?

Lee is 89 and suffered a stroke in 2007. She uses a wheelchair. She has been described as “frail” and “nearly blind.” She suffers from macular degeneration and is hard of hearing, if not entirely deaf. Some friends say she is lucid and sharp, while other friends say she is forgetful and sometimes confused.

Her agent, Andrew Nurnberg, issued a statement in March saying that Lee was “in full possession of her mental faculties” and was delighted that her book was going to be published.

HarperCollins publisher Jonathan Burnham told the Atlantic in March that Lee was “very much engaged in the process,” adding that Nurnberg told him that Lee was “feisty,” “full of good spirits” and reading voraciously” (which might be hard to do, if you have macular degeneration, but not impossible).

So was Harper Lee the victim of elder abuse?

Alabama’s Department of Human Resources investigated and determined that there was no evidence of abuse or neglect.

Harper Lee worked for several years with her editors before publishing “Mockingbird.” Was “Watchman” edited?

No, said HarperCollins publicist Tina Andreadis.

“Aside from some light copy editing, it will remain as written.”

There was talk in February that Lee might write an introduction to the new book.

Did this happen?

No. Lee has famously said that she loathes introductions; as a matter of fact, she said so in a letter to HarperCollins when they asked her to write an introduction to the 35th anniversary edition of “Mockingbird.” The publisher then used that letter as the book’s introduction. It says: “Please spare Mockingbird an Introduction. As a reader I loathe Introductions. To novels, I associate Introductions with long-gone authors and works that are being brought back into print after decades of internment. Although Mockingbird will be 33 this year, it has never been out of print and I am still alive, although very quiet. Introductions inhibit pleasure, they kill the joy of anticipation, they frustrate curiosity. The only good thing about Introductions is that in some cases they delay the dose to come. Mockingbird still says what it has to say; it has managed to survive without preamble.”

What does the title, “Go Set a Watchman,” mean?

Nobody knows. Kidding! It comes from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, in the King James Bible: “For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth” (Isaiah 21:6).

Lee’s longtime friend Wayne Flynt, a retired Auburn University history professor and Baptist minister, said in an interview with AL.com that Lee “probably likened Monroeville to Babylon. The Babylon of immoral voices, the hypocrisy. Somebody needs to be set as the watchman to identify what we need to do to get out of the mess.”

“Watchman” was rejected by the publisher the first time around.

Should we lower our expectations?

“I don’t know that I would say lower your expectations, but maybe change your expectations,” said Watkin. “If this book is Scout as an adult, it will not have that voice from the first book and that is so much what people love about it: that voice. You’re not going to find it here. I feel like people are setting themselves up for disappointment. And it’s so hard to imagine how anyone, including Harper Lee, could write something better than ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’”

But what if it’s lousy?

Will that tarnish “Mockingbird”?

“I hope not,” Watkin said. “And that’s been my biggest concern. I suppose it could work the other way around. I guess we’ll know how good her first book really was.” PT PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 33

health

An active lifestyle makes life and death better

A

By James Fell n Chicago Tribune (TNS)

ny day above ground is a good one. Or is it? People are living much longer than they did a century ago, but in many cases this comes despite terrible lifestyles; it’s medical advancements that increase longevity for those disinclined to help themselves. Conversely, the physically active don’t just live longer, they live better; plus they have “compressed morbidity.”

Compressed morbidity? That doesn’t sound good.

Actually, it is good. Yes, studies show exercise increases longevity, but guess what else happens? When you finally go downhill, you go fast. The period of sickness is shorter. Hooray!

Seriously, hooray! This is good news. Think about it: Say you live to be 90, almost all the while in awesome shape. Wouldn’t you rather be spry right up to 89? The “body falls apart to let you know death is

34 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

looming so make your peace” messaging is brief; then you’re fertilizer.

Perhaps that sounds less than awesome; we’re talking about the big “D” here, and it’s coming for you.

It’s coming for us all. But for many, it’s not the rainbows and puppy hugs compressed-morbidity version.

They’re dying younger after an unpleasant and lengthy period of disability.

“People get into middle age, and their health begins to ratchet down, often due to specific diseases that frequently occur due to poor lifestyle: hypertension, diabetes, obesity and coronary artery disease,” said Dr. Mike Joyner, a physician-researcher and expert in exercise physiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Being sedentary is a common cause for a lot of these diseases.

“Then what happens is that their physiological function goes down and they get progressively more disabled,” Joyner said. “By the time they’re in their 60s and 70s, they’ve become frail and have this long period of reduced functionality prior to death. Seventy percent of 70-year-olds can’t get up off the floor without grabbing onto something.” He explained that the biggest predictors of five-year life expectancy were things like grip strength, self-selected walking speed and how fast you get out of a chair. Weak and slow equal get your affairs in order.

“How early you start and how many years you keep exercising is probably more important than amount,” Dr. Jim Fries, professor emeritus at Stanford University, told me of how to “delay aging.” Fries is a Boston Marathon qualifier and made it to just below Camp 4 on Everest, just 3,000 feet beneath the summit. As a pioneer in the subject of staying spry, he practices what he preaches. “More exercise is better, but there are diminishing returns. And starting young is better than starting at 50, but starting at 50 is better than nothing.”

Joyner, who once ran a lightning-fast marathon (2 hours and 25 minutes), was more optimistic about the later-life start.

He explained that a solid effort in middle age could change your physiology to make it akin to a lifetime exerciser.

It’s not just aging that exercise delays — but death.

“Exercise adds 16 years in terms of postponing morbidity and nine years postponing mortality,” Fries said, referencing a 2012 research article he wrote for Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research.

Excuse me while I go for a run.

Fries is a fan of running because it trains the entire body and keeps organ function high. It’s also good for preventing cognitive decline. He is cautious, however, about committing to any specific prescription of exercise in terms of type, time or intensity. Instead, he advises, “Start as early as you can and do as much as you can. Also, do something you like.” Sound advice.

If you want to live long and live well, Joyner recommends mimicking the lifestyle of Seventh-day Adventists, referencing a 2001 study of 34,192 followers published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

They have “optimal behaviors,” such as regular exercise, healthy diet and body weight, and abstinence from smoking, and this affords them up to 10 years longer life expectancy, along with a significantly delayed onset of aging.

Joyner was more prescriptive in his exercise recommendations, suggesting a combination of aerobic exercise, like running or cycling, but also advocating that which builds strength, like lifting weights. “You’ve got to do both,” he said. “Aerobic is more important in young and middle age, but older people don’t need a lot of aerobic capacity to go about their daily tasks.

Seniors are more limited by musculoskeletal frailty.”

I’ve shown previously that resistance training improves bone strength and prevents falls, but it also makes it easier to look after yourself and stay out of the nursing home by being able to carry your own groceries and laundry basket or open your own jars.

“Resistance training is not just for those meathead guys,” said Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, a bodybuilding family physician in Suffolk, Va. “My older patients who lift weights do a lot better at being independent.”

“People are making fitness way too complicated,” Joyner said. “I don’t have a snowblower for a reason. Mother nature gives you a free workout.”

It sure does for my 71-yearold father, who has no running water, heats with wood, and shovels snow in the winter and gardens in the summer in northern British Columbia.

Inspiring news regarding the efficacy of exercise to delay aging was just published in the Journal of Physiology. It compared old cyclists to really old cyclists, using 125 subjects ranging from 55 to 79 years, and a researcher looking solely at the collected data of their various physical capabilities would not be able to tell how old these studies’ participants were. Yes, the oldest subjects didn’t perform as well as their less senior counterparts, but compared with the population at large, they were staying young on the inside.

I don’t like the idea of wasting away in a bed, tubes in orifices, perhaps for years. While I’m on the right side of the dirt, I want to enjoy life, so I’ll keep exercising. And the compression of my disabled period means the nosedive into death should be mercifully brief. PT PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 35

calendar of events

Hospice Concert Through Sept. 19 — Columbus Downtown Summer Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Saturday, rain or shine, Cummins Inc. corporate parking lot on Brown Street (between Fifth and Eighth streets). Free: Information: 812-371-1866 or columbusfarmersmarket.org.

Through Sept. 19 — Columbus City Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Saturday, Fair Oaks Mall parking lot, 2380 25th St. Information: 812-3780539.

August August

14

— Rock the Park. 6 to 11 p.m., Mill Race Park. The Columbus Area Arts Council welcomes the Charlie Daniels Band. Southern rock and country icon Charlie Daniels is an American musician, singer and songwriter, perhaps best known for his country hit “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” He was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. Winner of Teen Battle of the Bands will open the concert.

Tickets: $18 advance/$20 gate. Information: 812-376253 or artsincolumbus.org.

36 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

16

— Bark in the Park and End of Summer Doggie Swim. Donner Aquatic Center. Bark in the Park – Vendors 6-8 p.m., Indy Dog & Disc Club entertainment 6-7 p.m., doggie swim 6:30 -8 p.m.

Each dog must be accompanied by an owner or handler. Information: 812-376-2683.

20

— Family Service Golf Scramble. Join Family Service at Harrison Lake Country Club for a day of golf, starting with lunch in the club dining room. Bring a foursome and enjoy the slightly rolling terrain on this classic golf course design.

Food, door prizes, yardsticks, mulligans available for purchase. Cash prizes for first and second place, 50/50 drawing, and networking. Lunch at 11:30 a.m., golf at 1 p.m. Information: 812-372-3745 or familyservicebc.org.

21

— Music at the Harlequin Theatre.

The Heartfelt Trio, 7 p.m., inside Fair Oaks Mall, 2380 25th St. Information: 812-343-4597 and theharlequintheatre.com.

28

— Comedians Jeff Bodart and Danny Browning, 7:30 p.m., The Harlequin Theatre, inside Fair Oaks Mall, 2380 25th St. Information: 812343-4597 and theharlequintheatre.com.

29

— Columbus Got Talent. 5 p.m., Columbus North High School auditorium. Presented

by Columbus Area Multi-Ethnic Organization. Watch individuals and groups compete for a $1,000 grand prize and chance to perform at Ethnic Expo at this multicultural talent show.

September

3

— Neighborfest: Carson Diersing Band.

Free. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., 300 block of Washington Street. This band combines a deep feel for old style blues harmonica with a sense of younger modern musical sounds that have no boundaries.

Information: 812-376-2539, caac@artsincolumbus. org or www.artsincolumbus.org.

4

— Artz Daze. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 300 block of Washington Street. No-cost, hands-on experiences for people of all ages. No experience necessary. All activities are outdoors. Information: 812-376-2680.

5

— 29th Annual Hospice Concert. “Don Felder: An Evening at the Hotel California,” featuring the former Eagles guitarist. 6:30 p.m., Mill Race Park amphitheater, Fifth and Lindsey streets.

Concert is free. Proceeds from concession sales benefit Your Hospice of South Central Indiana.

Information: 812-314-8001 or ourhospice.org.

11

-12 — Hot Blown Glass. Glass artist Lisa Pelo will conduct glass making workshops offering community members the opportunity to create their own glass paperweights. The workshops will take place on Washington Street between Third and Fourth streets. Registration details: http://artsincolumbus.org/event/hot-blown-glass.

Information: 812-376-2539.

12

—Yes Comedy Showcase, featuring David Dyer. 8 p.m., Yes Cinema, 328 Jackson St.

Artz Daze Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Information: 812-379-1630.

12

-13 — Columbus ArtFest. Enjoy artwork on the streets of downtown Columbus from local, regional, and national artists, including mixed media, ceramics, fiber, leather, furniture, glass, jewelry, printmaking, sculpture, and woodwork. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Information: columbusartfest.com.

12

-13 — Columbus Scottish Festival. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds. A weekend of Scottish entertainment, competition, and history, including: Celtic concert, ceilidh, highland dancing competition, clan tents, sheep dog trials, European car show, musical entertainment, bagpipe marching bands, re-enactors and living history, children’s activities, Scottish country dancing, merchandise, and food vendors. Information: 812-546-6060.

19

— Hope Bike Ride. Hauser High School.

This scenic bicycle ride has various distances, some more than 50 miles, through hills and farmland and across rivers, with musical entertainment and SAG stops. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m., breakfast served 7:30-9; riders may begin any time between 7:30 and 9. Lunch served on the Hope Town Square from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with root beer floats served after the ride. Information: http://hoperide.org.

19

— Hot Rods & Rock-n-Roll. Downtown Columbus. Free. Enjoy classic cars, trucks, hot rods, motorcycles, live music and more at this familyfriendly event. There is no registration fee and no trophies, just pride, passion and a good time. The car show is at 3 p.m., and the concert begins at 7.

Rock the Park. Charlie Daniels Band.

19

— Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, “Sylvia Sings Gershwin.” 7:30 p.m., PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 37

Columbus North High School auditorium. Two-time Grammy Award winner Sylvia McNair will kick off the philharmonic’s season with great Gershwin tunes.

Tickets: 812-376-2638 or tickets@thecip.com.

20

-22 — SEEK 2015 — Engaging Communities to Age Well Conference.

National conference hosted by Mill Race Center offering community aging practitioners, planners, leaders and interested members in a forum to engage in the important conversation of aging well. It will feature more than 50 presentations and networking opportunities. Information/registration: www.pitmaninstitute.org or 812-376-9241.

25

— Music at the Harlequin Theatre. Bleu Django Gypsy Jazz quartet, 7 p.m., inside Fair Oaks Mall, 2380 25th St. Information: 812-343-4597 and theharlequintheatre.com.

26

— Mill Race Marathon. Begins downtown.

A full marathon, a half-marathon, and a 5K. Sanctioned by United States of America Track and Field (USATF) and a certified Boston Marathon qualification course. Powered by Cummins.

Information: info@millracemarathon.com.

26

— Donner Park Variety Show. Free. 7 to 9 p.m., Donner Park shelter house, 22nd and Franklin streets.

October October

3

— Harvest Bicycle Boogie. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Columbus Learning Center. Boogie west through autumn-colored sites like Pikes Peak, Bellsville, Harrison Lake and Youth Camp, winding through Mill Race Park and touring Columbus.

Boogie east through harvest country to Simmons

Columbus Scottish Festival Winery and 450 North Brewing Co. for refreshments.

Proceeds from the Harvest Ride benefit the IUPUC Alumni Association Scholarship Program. Admission: $25.

9

-10 — Ethnic Expo. Downtown Columbus around City Hall. Annual celebration of ethnic heritage and the diverse people of Columbus, this year hosted by Pakistan. Tens of thousands turn out for this international food/marketplace, continuous entertainment, parade and fireworks. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. both days. Information: 812-376-2520 or www. ethnicexpo.org.

14

— Readers Theater, Lunch & Laughter.

Noon, Mill Race Center, 900 Lindsey St. Cost: $7, including lunch. Enjoy lunch and entertainment from Mill Race Center’s Readers Theater. Reservations required for lunch: 812-376-9241 and shannon@ millracecenter.org.

16

— UnCommon Cause. 6:30 p.m., The Commons. Celebrate 40 years of UnCommon Cause. Enjoy dinner while sampling a range of artistic traditions and dance to the music of Zanna-Doo. Information: 812-376-2539.

16 Columbus ArtFest 38 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

— Music at the Harlequin Theatre.

Guitarist Richard Gilewitz, 7 p.m., inside Fair Oaks Mall, 2380 25th St. Information: 812-343-4597 and theharlequintheatre.com

17

— Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Time for Three. 7:30 p.m., Columbus North High School auditorium. Joining the philharmonic is Johnson Distinguished Guest Artist Time for Three, a high energy string trio. Its mix of virtuosity and showmanship brings a fresh perspective to classical favorites. Tickets: 812-376-2638 or tickets@thecip. com.

23

-24 — Comedian Tom Mabe. 7:30 p.m., The Harlequin Theatre, inside Fair Oaks Mall, 2380 25th St. Information: 812-343-4597 and theharlequintheatre.com.

24

— Night of a Thousand Jacks. 3 to 9 p.m., PNC Bank parking lot, 333 Washington St. Participants carve jack-o’-lanterns and submit them to be judged. Judges select the most creative and scariest jacks in three age categories. Proceeds benefit Advocates for Children. Information: 812-3722808.

24

—Yes Comedy Showcase, featuring Nick Griffin. 8 p.m., Yes Cinema, 328 Jackson St. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Information: 812-379-1630.

November

6

— First Fridays for Families: Magician Nick Lakin. 6 p.m., The Commons. Free. Information: 812-376-2539 or http://artsincolumbus.org.

6

-8 — YesFest. Yes Cinema and Conference Center. Join us for the Yes Film Festival 2015 with films, filmmakers, discussions, awards and more.

The festival celebrates the creativity and diversity of independent films, bringing to the screen the best documentaries, narrative features and short films.

Information: http://yesfilmfestival.com.

12

— Music at the Harlequin Theatre.

Rhythm Future Quartet, 7 p.m., inside Fair Oaks Mall, 2380 25th St. Information: 812-343-4597 and theharlequintheatre.com

13

— Friday Night Live at Mill Race Center, with Whipstitch Sallies. 7 to 10 p.m., Mill Race Center, 900 Lindsey St. Admission: $5 for MRC members, $10 for nonmembers. Information: 812376-9241.

14

— Deja Vu Art & Fine Craft Show. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., The Commons. More than 60 artists who reuse or recycle materials to create their work will show collage, mosaics, jewelry, metal sculpture, fiber arts and more. Some will exhibit items made of natural and/or sustainable materials, too. Information: 812-376-2539.

15

— Columbus Indiana Philharmonic Verdi Requiem, 7:30 p.m., Columbus North High School auditorium. The Philharmonic Chorus will join the orchestra in this presentation of the Italian composer Verdi’s towering masterpiece that blazes with great power and beauty. Tickets: 812-376-2638 or tickets@thecip.com.

21

—Yes Comedy Showcase, featuring Costaki Economopoulos. 8 p.m., Yes Cinema, 328 Jackson St. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Information: 812-379-1630.

21

—Wine-A-Ree. Wine and beer tasting event to benefit Hoosier Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America, noon to 6 p.m., The Commons, downtown Columbus. Tickets $20 in advance; $25 at the door. Unlimited tastings and a commemorative wine glass included in the price of the ticket. Silent auction. Tickets available at Viewpoint Books in Columbus, Levenstein’s in Greensburg, Village Lights Bookstore in Madison, Bevers Family Pharmacy in Seymour, and at www.hoosiertrailsbsa.org.

Information: Jon Ocheltree at 800-844-6809, or visit our Facebook event page.

28 Ethnic Expo

-29 — Music at the Harlequin Theatre.

“Sounds of Summer” Beach Boys tribute, 7 p.m. Nov. 28 and 3 p.m. Nov. 29, inside Fair Oaks Mall, 2380 25th St. Information: 812-343-4597 and theharlequintheatre.com.

PRIME TIME • AUGUST 2015 • 39

M y Back Pages Sharon Mangas

‘The times they are a changin’’ My youngest son is getting married this month.

I’m over the moon for Ben and his lovely fiancée, Alexis, but I have to admit, as a momma, I’m feeling a little wistful right now. Their wedding marks the last big event in either of my sons’ lives that requires my official presence in the supporting role of mother.

I have my costume — mother of the bride dress — ready for the gala. It’s been hanging in my closet since January. But once Ben and Alexis say their “I do’s,” I’ll be cast in a new role, as a certified member of the post-mom society. Of course, I’ll continue to dole out unwanted advice to my boys and worry over them — things like that — but my sons are responsible for feathering their own nests, now.

My late mother used to say that being a mom was the kind of job that just when you felt like you had a handle on it, boom, it was over. I hope my sons have forgiven me for all the experiments in parenting that went awry while they were growing up. No doubt their unvarnished opinions will come out when they publish their life stories. Hopefully, I’ll be sitting on a cloud polishing my halo by then.

Ben was born in 1979 on a December day that was gloriously spring-like. As our family drove from our house in Brown County to Bloomington Hospital, the fields below Kelly Hill on State Road 46 were green and glowing. Our first stop in Bloomington was at a friend’s house to drop off our toddler, where we stayed too long, chatting and listening to Irish music. We were a little too relaxed about having a baby the second time around, barely making it to the hospital in time.

I insisted on staying in the hospital for a few days after Ben was born, having experienced the

other end of the spectrum when we brought firstborn son Russ home in less than 24 hours. As a new mother in the summer of 1978, I had no clue how to deal with a cranky, colicky baby, not to mention, as my mother would’ve said, that I was “bone tired” following a long labor.

These days, it’s standard operating procedure for moms and babies to leave the hospital in short order. Insurance dictates that. I only bring up this point to illustrate that those three days were the last quiet ones I had for about 19 years.

Parenting was loving chaos. Having grown up in an all-girl family, I had a lot to learn about raising boys. My husband’s frequent mantra — he had brothers — was, “Sharon, boys are just like that.”

Our boys were whirling dervishes of activity, which (in no particular order) included fighting, playing soccer, riding bikes, swimming, climbing trees, getting stitches, killing snakes, wrestling with the dog and crashing cars … along with other pursuits best left unsaid. Just thinking about it makes me tired.

One new role I took on a few years ago — grandma — is tiring too, but with grandbabies you have the option of handing the darlings back to mommy or daddy if you get too worn out. No wonder grandkids are so much fun. As grands, we can actually manage a few hours of sleep when the little ones visit, something that proved elusive during parenthood.

So, boys, take notice. As I prepare for life in the post-mom world, it’s up to you and your generation to carry on. Just remember: Have a first-aid kit handy, keep the doctor’s number on speed dial, designate a sturdy time-out chair (it will get a lot of use), and if all else fails, it’s OK to call your mother.

Sharon Mangas can be reached at sharon.d.mangas@gmail.com.

40 • AUGUST 2015 • PRIME TIME

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