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GAZETTE
SENIORS Editor Graphic Design Contributing Writers
Tiffany Arnold Lorraine Walker Karen Finucan Clarkson Jim Mahaffie Kate McDermott
Corporate Advertising Director Creative Director
Dennis Wilston Anna Joyce
Advertising Manager
Celeste Polster
Creative Services Director
Ellen Pankake
Special Sections Coordinator
Ashby Rice
PUBLISHED BY THE GAZETTE/POST COMMUNITY MEDIA, LLC 9030 COMPRINT COURT, GAITHERSBURG, MD 20877 | GAZETTE.NET
Gazette Seniors is produced by The Gazette's Special Sections and Advertising departments. It does not involve The Gazette's newsrooms. Contact us at Seniors@gazette.net. ON THE COVER: WOMAN: PHOTODISC/THINKSTOCK; CHESS: BANANASTOCK/THINKSTOCK 1930792
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TRAVEL
OFF THE BEATEN PATH Bethesda couple trots the globe BY JIM MAHAFFIE
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ail and Tom Thornburgh make time to experience what the world has to offer. “Traveling is the easiest way to learn about other ways of seeing things as well as yourself,” said Tom Thornburgh, 73. Last fall, the Thornburghs, psychiatrists who live in Bethesda, went to Tahiti on the luxury ship the Paul Gauguin. They enjoyed the five-star service, but they also enjoyed having famed oceanographer and environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau as their onboard lecturer on Tahiti's waters and ecology.They ate breakfast and lunch outside, and the smaller, shallow-draft boat allowed passengers to swim, snorkel and enjoy water sports right off the back of the vessel. “Tahiti looks just like 'Bali Ha'i,'” said Gail Thornburgh. “'South Pacific' has always been my favorite musical, and I've wanted to see where it was based since I was young.” While Tahiti was Gail Thornburgh's choice, the couple's upcoming trip to China is Tom Thornburgh's. He has been to China, but always wanted to go back. The couple is looking forward to visiting Hong Kong, Shanghai, theYangtze River, the terra cotta warriors in Xian and the Great Wall, among other sights. “I like seeing how the people live, work, have fun, transport themselves, express humor, go to school, enjoy whatever sports they have, go to market, and relate to us, their families and each other,” said Tom Thornburgh. “Things like that really intrigue me. It's kind of like being adopted for a little bit.” That curiosity took the Thornburghs to Cuba in 2012 with Grand Circle Foundation, whose mission is to give back to the places they travel.The People-toPeople visit included Havana, but also ecological replanting and reforestation sites, smaller villages, stores (with very little merchandise, noted the couple), and facilities for older adults. “It was lovely. We sang to each other and then we all cried,” recalled Gail Thornburgh. The country offers lots of music and art, and the Thornburghs attended lectures on jazz and baseball, two pastimes for which Cuba is well known. Several years ago, the Thornburghs had heard from a friend who had just returned from Machu Picchu, the 15th century Inca site in the high mountains of Peru. The friend told the Thornburghs that, no matter where he went, a company called Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) always seemed to get there first. So
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GAIL AND TOM THORNBURGH
Gail and Tom Thornburgh of Bethesda have travelled the world. Here, Tom Thornburgh poses for a photo with a few people he met during a trip to Burma.
Thornburghs did some digging into the company, and liked what they found. “Our first trip with OAT was to India,” said Gail Thornburgh. “I figured if I survived India, I could survive anything,” she laughed. The Thornburghs said OAT was relatively inexpensive and a little more adventurous and more off the beaten path that other tour companies. “Trips are more social and cultural, and we stay very busy and active on the ground,” Gail Thornburgh said. Between their in-depth trips and more traditional cruises, they've been to India twice,Vietnam, Thailand and Burma and through South America.They enjoyed a memorable trip along the Dalmatian Coast and the Adriatic Sea and also have cruised from Indonesia through Malaysia and Singapore. On those trips, they prefer Celebrity Cruises. “They don't seem to cater lots of revelers,” said Gail Thornburgh. “There's plenty
to do, but you're not running up against spring breakers and hard-partying crowds.”This past fall, they took a Celebrity Cruise up to Quebec in Canada. Tom Thornburgh took grandchildren to New Orleans and Chicago, and took their grandson to Vancouver, British Columbia in March. “I think the trip was about hockey,” said Gail Thornburgh. “It's usually something to do with sports.” After the China trip in May, the Thornburghs said they were planning on taking a grandchild to Yellowstone National Park in July. “We keep thinking, 'Well, we're going to slow down a bit,' said Gail Thornburgh. “But then we want to see more national parks. We love traveling with our family. There are so many interesting places in the world. So while we have time, we're going to get there.” April 2015 | Gazette SENIORS
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LIVING
Mercedes-Benz GLA: Hot Trend of SUVs
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MERCEDES-BENZ
The 2015 GLA-Class is the first Mercedes-Benz SUV with the all-wheel-drive system 4MATIC, which features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque. BY FRANK A. AUKOFER MOTOR MATTERS
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mall crossover utility vehicles, or CUVs, are the hottest vehicles on the market. At the introduction of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250, a Mercedes official noted that sales of compact CUVs had passed those of midsize sedans for the first time. Increasing numbers of consumers appear to be willing to pay higher prices for luxury models. The Acura RDX, MINI Countryman, Buick Encore and Lincoln MKC are examples of newer luxury CUVs. Crossovers are car-based, with unit-body construction, usually with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. 6
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Essentially, they are tall hatchbacks or station wagons. That describes the new Mercedes GLA250, a luxury CUV that is reasonably priced given its level of content and performance. As usual, Mercedes likes to add a halo to most of its cars by turning them over to its hot rod division, AMG. Sure enough, there's also the GLA45 AMG, with a 355-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive. More of the attention will be focused on the GLA250, which starts out with the Mercedes 4Matic AWD system. A lower priced four-wheel drive arrives
soon. The 4Matic version tested for this review had a base price of $34,225 and, with options that included a navigation system, rear-view camera, power liftgate, AMG 19-inch wheels and body cladding, blind spot assist, dual-zone climate control and SiriusXM satellite radio, checked in at $44,220. Gazette.Net
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Make a Friend Make a Difference It's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine delivers 208 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch automated manual transmission. The combination is enough, Mercedes specifications assert, to accelerate to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds, with a top speed of 130 mph and city/highway/combined fuel economy of 24/32/27 mpg. The engine and transmission combinations in both the GLA250 and GLA45 AMG are identical to the new entry-level Mercedes CLA sedan. Though the CLA has its own charm, the GLA would be a better choice for almost anyone. It seats four comfortably, with plenty of head and knee room in the back seat.The fifth passenger in the center rear suffers with a hard cushion, restricted head room and large floor hump. The interior is practical and functional, with wood grain trim, easy-to-read Gazette.Net
instruments and, on the test car, a 7-inch color screen to display navigation and other functions. Like other German cars of late, the upholstery is an artificial material called MB-Tex, which is high quality but not breathable. Real leather costs an additional $1,500. There's 22 cubic feet of space behind the rear seat for cargo and the seatbacks fold flat to increase the volume to 42 cubic feet.The tailgate is conveniently motorized. On the road, the GLA250 feels tight and composed, and it exhibits flat cornering around curves as well as a supple suspension system that absorbs road irregularities. The ride is comfortable despite the run-flat tires that eliminate the spare wheel. Electric power steering has good feedback and tracks true in a straight line. On price, practicality, performance, convenience and comfort, the new GLA250 gets multiple thumbs up.
Give just 1 hour per week to visit a senior in need
For more information about referring a senior to the Friendly Visitor Program contact: Tammy Schmidt (301) 424-0656, x507 tschmidt@mhamc.org
For more information on becoming a Friendly Visitor volunteer contact: Emily Kamin (301) 424-0656, x541 ekamin@mhamc.org
Do you know an Isolated Senior? With one hour a week our volunteer can make all the difference.
“Barbara and Mamie – best friends happily matched by the Friendly Visitor program.”
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LIVING
WAGAYA REMODEL
EXPLORES ASIAN SENSIBILITIES BEFORE
HOME FRONTS NEWS
Takuro Kimura says that despite its conventional, circa1960s style, this home already had Asian influences.
AFTER BRYAN BURRIS
Takuro Kimura and Akiko Kimura remodeled their split-level home in Bethesda to reflect the architectural styles they came to know while growing up in Japan.
BY JOHN BYRD
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t is enlightening, as one gets older, to explore one's roots. This urge to self-discovery may be a long time coming. It is seldom a first priority, like establishing a career or raising a family. But over time, it can be fruitful and rewarding to look into your origins, to discover and articulate more fully who you are. Such are the thoughts of Takuro Kimura and his wife Akiko Kimura, who, over the past 18 months, have gradually converted their 3,000 square foot Bethesda split-level into an international-style residence that deliberately explores the architectural sensibilities they saw growing up in Japan during the 1950s. “We think of the design as the spirit of Asian 8
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style,” said Takuro Kimura. “Yes, there are many strictly Japanese elements, but it's the balance influences that we have found especially effective in creating a peaceful environment.” Takuro Kimura said that when he bought the house in 1997—having moved to the U.S. from Japan four years earlier—there were already Asian influences on the grounds, despite the fact that the house was a conventional circa-1960s split level. “There were Japanese maples. The backyard garden was landscaped in an Asian style. That's what caught my eye,” he said. But it wasn't until Takuro Kimura leased out the house, moved back to Japan for several years, and then returned that he decided the house had latent potential as a permanent family residence. “I had re-absorbed a lot of design ideas in Japan, which was very fulfill-
ing personally,” Takuro Kimura said. “By designing a place which draws more fully on Asian traditions, I saw that my wife and I could really make it our own. It would be a way of saying, 'We've settled down in a tranquil place that is our home.'” The Japanese word for this peaceful home is wagaya, Takuro Kamura said. Unfortunately, the steps needed to convert the mid-century split level into a personal residence that expressed the couple's cultural sensibilities weren't immediately clear. Thus, after returning from Japan in 2007, the Kimuras met with Liz Lee of Sun Design Remodeling. “We were starting with a completely clean slate,” said Lee. “There wasn't much about the existing interior the Kimuras wanted to preserve as is. What we shared from the outset was an enthusiasm for simpliciGazette.Net
BEFORE
HOME FRONTS NEWS
Takuro Kimura and Akiko Kimura of Bethesda didn't want to keep much of their home's old look. “We were starting with a completely clean slate," says Liz Lee of Sun Design Remodeling, the firm they hired to remodel their home.
AFTER
ty and clean lines. In many respects, Japanese architecture is a kind of minimalism that incorporates natural materials and seeks to connect with nature, so it's become a kind of international style.” Several Japanese traditions would be profiled. The front elevation would be balanced and symmetrical, stressing continuity with surrounding garden elements. A new foyer would be added, designed as a genkan—the front vestibule in a Japanese home where shoes are exchanged for slippers. The plan would make use of sliding doors, or fusuma, as space dividers. The ima, or primary living space, would be an open area with a strong visual continuum in all directions. The kitchen interior would have smooth surfaces in contrasting lights and darks. There would even be a traditional Japanese bathroom with an ofuro, a two-part platform with a cleansing shower next to a deep-soaking tub. The most technically difficult step involved raising the roof in the rear-facing living area. Consistent with Japanese design priorities, the Kimuras wanted a strong visual connection to the now fully-developed Asian garden in the backyard. They also wanted to maximize natural light availability. “The existing living room had a low, eight-foot ceiling with spacious window wall on the rear elevation,” Lee said. “To bring in views and light, I designed an elevated ceiling cavity for a two-panel Gazette.Net
BRYAN BURRIS
Clean lines and openness are hallmarks of Japanese architectural style, according to Liz Lee of Sun Design Remodeling.
transom window.” Lee said this involved installing a ridge beam higher than the original pitch and re-framing a portion of the roof. “It's not a cathedral ceiling, but a partially elevated roof reminiscent of designs found in some pagoda and other Japanese structures,” Lee said. Already having directed a viewer's eyes upwards, Lee replaced the top component of existing floor-to-ceiling cabinetry with a glass-facing, back-lit decorative frame whose design motif shares the size and shape of a transom window. For greater efficiency, the cabinetry is part of an L-shaped interior wall configuration that extends into the open, formal dining room—where there's a view of the garden. Another corollary to Japanese interior design is less reliance on fixed interior walls. In a traditional household, a bedroom may be used for other purposes during the day. Sliding shoshi screens are used to alter the size and purpose of interior rooms, as needed. Along these lines, the Kimuras sought more open interaction between the dining room and the kitchen, and the kitchen and an adjacent family room. The wall that separated the kitchen and the family room was removed. A partition with an accordion door and a sliding pocket door replaced the wall between the dining room and kitchen. When the doors are open, there's a visu-
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LIVING
GARDENS OF TRAVILLE BOASTS LOCAL CONVENIENCE Independent Rockville community offers variety
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE GARDENS OF TRAVILLE
Built in 2002, The Gardens of Traville is close to Rockville shopping centers and restaurants, according to property manager Alexa Lopez.
Residents say they enjoy the comfort and convenience of The Gardens of Traville in Rockville.
BY ELLEN R. COHEN
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hen seniors have had enough of the snow shoveling, grass cutting and other maintenance headaches associated with home ownership, they begin to consider alternatives. Many residents praise The Gardens of Traville, a rental community located in a quiet area of Rockville, for being comfortable, convenient and pleasant. “It's a very nice place to live, and I've been there long enough to know,” said Shirley Windear, 76, who moved there in 2004. Property manager Alexa Lopez said the community, built in 2002, has 230 apartments. “Approximately 97 percent of the units have balconies,” said Lopez. There also is a library, crafts area and computer area. The fitness center in each of the community's four 10
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buildings has basic equipment, such as a treadmill and bicycles. Dogs and cats up to 30 pounds are permitted. “All areas are handicapped accessible,” Lopez said. There are no dining facilities at The Gardens of Traville. “This is an independent community, just like any multi-family community,” Lopez said. “Many people cook for themselves. Others gather in the great room, order in, and eat together.” Lopez said a shuttle is available to take residents to nearby grocery stores and restaurants. While many residents come to The Gardens of Traville from out-of-state to be near family, others have lived in the region for a long time. “We were homeowners in Germantown for years,” said Windear, who opted to stay in a familiar area when she and her husband moved to the senior community. In a wheelchair since October, Windear said she appreciated her
handicapped-accessible apartment, and the convenience of having an elevator and access to the shuttle van for errands. She said she liked the security and the fact that you need a code to enter the community. Windear also said she enjoyed the ice cream socials and playing games like Rummy Cue. The Gardens of Traville has been managed by Pinnacle Management since 2009. Affordable housing is available for qualified residents under a tax credit assistance program, depending on household size and income. “We have approximately 187 units under this plan,” Lopez said. One-bedroom, one-bath floor plans range from 663 square feet to 878 square feet. The two-bedroom, two-bath floor plans range from 990 square feet to 1,191 square feet. All apartments have fully equipped kitchens and full-size washers and dryers. Upgraded Gazette.Net
The Gardens of Traville in Rockville has 230 one- and two-bedroom units with many amenities.
bathrooms have grab bars and adjustable showers. There is an emergency response system in each apartment. “We especially liked the layouts of the apartments,” said Sheila Ryans, 61, who lives with her husband, Jimmy Ryans, 67. “We were homeowners in Germantown for years. Because my husband is disabled, we felt it was time for us to move where we could get more help. We researched senior apartments in the Rockville-Gaithersburg-Germantown area and chose Rockville because of its closeness to the hospital,” she said. CeJai Brooks, 54, and her sister, Mary Holloway, 65, have lived at The Gardens of Traville for about three years. “We selected the community because it was handicapped conducive,” said Brooks, “because we are both handicapped, both on canes, and we do well living there.” Originally from Washington, D.C., the sisters said they liked the attitude of the staff, especially the management team members, who “make you feel like family.” Brooks said she liked the accessibility of the shuttle van and the Halloween festivities, at which she won a gift card last year. “This is a very wonderful place,” she said. “I would recommend it to everyone, and I do.” Priscilla Johnson, 77, is a former nurse at Shady Grove Adventist Hospi-
tal. Having worked “across the street,” Johnson said she noticed that The Gardens of Traville was being built when she was researching senior housing. Johnson, who came to the community in October 2003, said she liked the concept of independent living for seniors. She praised the office, leasing, maintenance and housekeeping staff members who have what she called “people skills for seniors.” Johnson said her favorite activities were games like Trivial Pursuit, movies and the many parties. “This is home for me,” she said. “I know this area and I am comfortable here. I love to read, knit, et cetera. I can always find something to do, and I like having people around to talk to.” Lopez said there was a mix of singles and couples at The Gardens of Traville. The oldest resident is 95. Other community amenities include a hair salon, a wellness center with physical therapy, a movie and television room, and a games and billiards room. A podiatrist and family physician keep periodic office hours. A priest and a rabbi visit regularly. The community also offers a variety of activities, from weekly bingo to wine and cheese hours and other social events. “We're like a big family,” Lopez said.
The Gardens of Traville Senior Apartments 14431 Traville Gardens Circle, Rockville 20850 Phone: 301-762-5224 Email: GardensofTravilleMgr@pinnacleliving.com Web: thegardensoftraville.com Gazette.Net
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LIVING
GUITAR CHRONICLES
Vintage collector and dealer Gil Southworth opens up about his love for the electric guitar BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON
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KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON
Vintage guitar collector Gil Southworth, 59, says his love for the electric guitar began when he was in elementary school.
hat he lacks in furniture, Gil Southworth makes up for in guitars. While most of his collection – about 100 in his Bethesda condo and 300 in his Vienna, Virginia house—are carefully labeled and neatly stowed, several dozen are casually displayed, a testament to this man's nearly life-long passion. From his sparsely furnished corner condo, Southworth can see the building—right next to the Dryclean Club in downtown Bethesda—in which he operated a vintage guitar store for 15 years. “When I closed the shop in 2007, it was just dumb luck. I didn't see it coming,” said the 59-year-old guitar aficionado about the financial crisis that would impact dealers nationwide. “Many were forced to close up their brick and mortar shops.”
By moving his guitar shop to the Internet, Southworth was uniquely poised to weather the economic storm. “My expenses were just over $20,000 per month in that store and yet almost all my business was mail order,” he said. So, he got himself a website (southworthguitars. com) and saved close to a quarter-million dollars a year. A good thing, as he ended up selling upwards of 100 guitars at a loss—anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars—when the economy went south. Southworth was in elementary school whenThe Beatles ignited his passion for electric guitars. “I can remember lying on the floor watching Ed Sullivan in 1964 and seeing people in the audience going nuts over them,” he said. “That's when I first became aware of electric guitars.” By his 13th birthday, he was desperate for a guitar of his own. His parents pushed acoustic but Southworth wanted electric.With $30 in his pocket, most of it
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birthday cash, Southworth convinced his father to drive him to a store in District Heights, where he bought a two pickup, solid body Kimberly electric guitar for $29.95.The date of purchase is ingrained in his memory—March 8, 1969. While he took a few lessons, Southworth quickly determined that they weren't essential. “For the kind of stuff we were playing, you didn't need to read music. I, like plenty of others, am self taught,” he said. Southworth hasn't been in a band since the year after he graduated from high school but he does still play from time to time. He frequents Union Jack's—a British-inspired alehouse across the street from his condo—mostly to listen. “One of the bands was terrifyingly great. You wonder, what are these guys doing in (a) joint in Bethesda?” A Bethesda native, Southworth started dealing guitars as a student at Walt Whitman High School. “I'd read the Washington Star's teen-to-teen swap and sell,” he said. “It came out on Saturday only. The truck would drop off the newspaper around 1:15 or 1:30 in the afternoon at the People's Drug Store on Sangamore (Road) and I would be waiting for it.” The first guitar he flipped—a 1963 Gibson ES 330—was listed in the swap column for $100. “But, I knew it traded for $150 or $175,” he said. “It took me a while to get $100 together in 1971. I had some of my own money, and the rest I borrowed from friends. Once I bought it, I put an ad back in the Star and sold the guitar for $135.” That's when Southworth put away his lawn mower and snow shovel, up until then his tools of choice for earning money, and began buying and selling guitars. Not inclined to pursue an undergraduate degree—“I spent one year flunking out of Montgomery College, all the time thinking why bother?” he said—Southworth took up guitar trading full time. For the first year or so, his inventory generally consisted of a single guitar. By the mid 1970s, he could afford to carry several vintage guitars at a time. Business began picking up in 1976 when Southworth borrowed $1,600 from his mother—“She got a loan from the credit union to help me out,” he said—and headed to Boston to buy a 1958 Gibson Les Paul Sunburst guitar. On the return trip, Southworth stopped in New York City. “I had heard thatWest 48th Street was a mecca for rare Gazette.Net
guitar dealing.” And it was true. Southworth discovered that his guitars would command a higher asking price in Manhattan than they would locally. Gradually, Southworth grew his inventory. “When I built up to 70 guitars, which I kept in a hippie house on Nebraska Avenue—what a great set up that was—I opened my first store on MacArthur Boulevard by the MacArthur Theater in D.C.,” he said.That was 1983. Today, Southworth considers himself not just a dealer but a collector. That collection, however, ebbs and flows. “I've sold countless guitars over the years that I swore I'd never (sell). Some I'd held for over a quarter of a century,” he said. “But, when the money gets too tight, I set 'em free. It does half kill me sometimes. … When I birth a truly cherished one, I just take the money and, you know, take the money.”The most highly valued guitar, at least in terms of price, currently in Southworth's personal collection is a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard in original cherry sunburst with a repaired and refinished neck. He appraised it at $100,000. “I have about 20 guitars in the $2,500 to $25,000 range that I like better and prefer to play,” he said. It is another guitar—a 1959 Sunburst Les Paul Standard, which appeared on the cover of “American Guitars: An Illustrated History” by Tom Wheeler—that qualifies as the most highly valued guitar Southworth ever has traded. He put that instrument's value at $850,000. When it comes to pure profit, Southworth once made $150,000 flipping a 1958 Gibson FlyingV that he bought from a member of April Wine, a Canadian band. After paying $52,500 for the guitar and $22,500 for a period-original case, Southworth sold them three years later for $225,000. While income is a necessity, Southworth finds it increasingly difficult to part with his guitars, though he's not certain why. His website currently lists only about 20 percent of what he has to sell. “I'm my own worst employee,” he said, noting that his best clients understand that, “Gil does things on Gil time.” For those looking to buy or sell a vintage guitar, Southworth Guitars is still considered by many to be one of the premiere dealers, he said. Just be patient.
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SIGN ME UP
FROM FARM TO FORK COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE DIGS UP FRESHNESS BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON
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hey are shareholders. But their return on investment is far more nourishing and flavorful than what one might expect from Nasdaq or the NewYork Stock Exchange. “With community supported agriculture (CSA), you pay money up front so that the farmer has the resources to buy seed, prepare the land and hire staff. In exchange, you get a share of whatever comes up during the growing season. But, you also accept some risk,” said Jean Hochran, a Rockville resident who serves on the board of Red Wiggler Community Farm, a CSA in Germantown. “If it's a bad year for cucumbers, you don't get many. If it's a good year for tomatoes, you share in the bounty and good fortune.” Hana Newcomb likens CSA membership to being a magazine subscriber. “You purchase a subscription not knowing what someone is going to write about but feeling confident that what you end up reading will satisfy you,” said Newcomb. She and her 80-year-old mother Hiu Newcomb run Potomac Vegetable Farms in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Each Tuesday afternoon, June through October, Margie Orrick stops by a neighbor's house in the Carderock Springs section of Bethesda to retrieve her weekly share of produce from Fresh and Local CSA. “The food is harvested Tuesday mornings in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and delivered that afternoon, so Tuesday dinner is incredibly fresh,” she said. “The quality is amazing. Who knew that carrots can literally burst with flavor in your mouth?” While freshness and flavor are top reasons people join CSAs, nutrition is another, according to Eris Norman, co-owner of Norman's Farm Market. “We're so used to grocery store produce that has been picked two weeks before and refrigerated,” she said. 16
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RED WIGGLER COMMUNITY FARM
David Ruch, a grower at Red Wiggler Community Farm in Germantown, takes a break to show off carrots he harvested.
With vegetables like eggplant, that can kill the flavor … .When you are getting produce from local farmers, they are able to allow the fruit to ripen on the vine.The longer it's on the vine, the more nutrients and flavor it has.” Sarah Cahill's Cabin John home is a host location for Spiritual Food for the New Millennium CSA. “Belonging to a CSA changes your relationship with food,” Cahill said.“You learn to eat seasonally. In other words, you are eating the food you're supposed to be eating at the time of year you should be eating it.” That means eating produce such as greens, garlic scapes, spring onions, strawberries and asparagus in the spring, according to Norman, whose Howard County farm has several CSA pickup locations in Montgomery County. Because spring's harvest may not be as plentiful as summer's, Norman supplements with items such as granola or jam, even plants. Summer features blueberries, blackberries, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, beans and peas, among others. Come fall, squash, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, pears and sweet potatoes are being harvested. While the variety of produce, farming methods and pricing may differ from one CSA to another, they all share a commitment to building a more local and equitable agricultural system, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.The first CSAs in the U.S. began operating nearly three decades ago. By 2012, 12,617 farms reported marketing products through a CSA, according to the USDA. Because some CSAs tap multiple farms for their produce, the actual number of CSAs is lower, though no official numbers exist. The website LocalHarvest reports having more than 4,000 CSAs in its grassroots database at localharvest.org/csa. Farming methods locally include organic, certified organic and biodynamic. Gazette.Net
Fresh and Local CSA is biodynamic, as is Spiritual Food CSA, which has an office in Bethesda and farms in Pennsylvania. “Biodynamic takes organic and adds soul to it,” said Cahill. “The premise is that the farm is a living being, so farmers do things like nourish the soil and attract bees. They treat the farm as an organism with pieces and parts that must all work together.” Working together is at the heart of Red Wiggler Community Farm's mission, which includes providing meaningful employment for adults with developmental disabilities. “It is the inclusion—the opportunity for me to be friends with and learn from those with disabilities, who really are the experts on the farm—that makes Red Wiggler special,” said Hochran. The CSA, which began operations in 1996, claims to be the longest continually running CSA in Montgomery County. It has grown from 12 shareholders to 120. And, even though its summer session is sold out, spring and fall remain available. While some CSAs have a limited number of shares, others enroll new members throughout the season, prorating the price. “Anyone can jump into our season in the middle of it,” said Norman. “Because we operate both stands and a CSA and work with other farmers, we can be flexible that way.” Collaborating with other farmers has an added benefit, according to Newcomb. It diminishes the risk
due to poor weather, disease or insects. “Just because my tomato season may be a flop doesn't mean theirs will be,” she said. “We have two farms with some duplication and that provides a good safety net.” Local CSAs tend to offer shares in several sizes, which generally equate to small, medium and large. “A lot depends on how much you like to cook and how much produce you like to eat. For a couple, a small share is a great place to start,” said Norman. “You can always upgrade during the season but not downgrade.” With Spiritual Food CSA, families may sign up for biweekly pickups while others may choose to share, according to Cahill. “They'll take a box home and split it.” Sharing helps eliminate waste. “I may not like turnips, but perhaps you do,” she said. And, if one family is on vacation, the other family can take the entire share for the week. “A full share is $40 a week. I split my share and find it's a very economical way to get healthy food.” The distribution of produce differs from one CSA to another. While Orrick walks down the block to pick up her box, Hochran drives to Red Wiggler farm each week to retrieve her produce. “Some years we have shared with another family and would take turns visiting the farm. The truth is we treasure being there and treasure the food,” said Hochran, who always brings along a basket and clippers. “There are large pick-
your-own flower and pick-your-own herb gardens. If you need cilantro this week, you can help yourself.” At Norman's Farm Market, shareholders select their own produce at the pickup site. “We are not just giving them a box.They are choosing things they know they'll use,” said Norman. “We break it into steps. They go from table to table, and we let them know that a small share means two and a large is three.” For some, such as Cahill, it's fun to try something new. “I eat stuff I've never had before, such as rutabaga and winter radishes. I've learned to cook a wide variety of vegetables and become a real soup maker,” she said. “When you are in a CSA, you eat what's in season. Some who are new may not know what to do with things like a Jerusalem artichoke. So we try to ease them into it,” said Newcomb. “We send out recipes and links to websites. There's usually a weekly theme, such as cold soups or roasting.” A CSA membership can be an adjustment, according to Hochran. “I didn't eat greens before joining Red Wiggler. They weren't in my family's diet growing up. Now I'm more inclined to explore new vegetables, like kohlrabi,” she said. And, she's learned to preserve. “I make pasta sauce with the tomatoes and herbs that I get over the summer and put it in the freezer. Come January, I have this wonderful taste of summer.” A reminder of what was and what is yet to come.
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SIGN ME UP
CHECK
Channeling the Spirit of Friendship Through Chess BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON
M KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON
Bob Bragdon of Arlington, Virginia, enjoys a game of chess at the Madison Community Center, where the games are timed.
ore than an hour passes before the word “check,” spoken in a hushed tone, breaks the silence. Only two of the 10 men gathered in Clubhouse II at Leisure World seem to hear it. The rest focus intently on the pawns, rooks, knights, bishops, queens and kings in front of them, contemplating their next move. With skill levels ranging from novice to advanced, the members of this Silver Spring chess club come together Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons for camaraderie, conversation and a friendly game of chess. “We all have something in common—an interest in chess—and become friends automatically,” said Bernie Ascher, the club's president. “As a result, I've been invited to 50th wedding anniversaries and 90th birth-
day parties. And, just chatting before and after games, I've gotten to know people's interests and problems, who has relatives in the area, where the best places are to eat or find the cheapest TVs, and how to solve issues with cell phones.” While Leisure World's chess club is open to all residents, there currently are no women members. Over the past 27 years, since resident Hal Kern helped reinvigorate the defunct club, a woman would make an occasional appearance. “The few ladies that stopped by didn't play with us very long,” he said, “though I'm not sure why.” The group gathered for Macon Shibut's Monday morning chess presentation at the Madison Community Center in Arlington, Virginia is all male, though there are women members. “Women are still a distinct minority, not only at this club but throughout chess,” he said.
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Shibut is a three-time Virginia state chess champion and author of two chess-related books. He revisits a game between two world-champion players, Garry Kasparov and Veselin Topalov. As Shibut moves chess pieces on a large display board, he speaks to the players' intent and explores options that were passed up. “Every move opens certain doors and closes certain others,” he said. His audience of eight follows closely, asking occasional questions and responding to his prompts. It is Shibut's presentation that brings David Novak back week after week. The Vienna, Virgina resident, who learned to play 55 years ago, has belonged to other chess clubs but, he noted, none had this type of educational component. “It is a wonderful feature,” said Novak, who said he appreciates Shibut's skills. “Not all lecturers are excellent players, but Macon is. And, not all players are excellent lecturers, but Macon is.” Following the presentation, Novak and Thomas Yerg, an Annandale, Virginia resident, set up a chess board. “Chess is very absorbing,” said Novak. “While you're playing, it's as if nothing else is going on. The chess board becomes your entire focus.” Yerg, who has played with other groups, enjoys the informality of the seniors club. He began playing the game in 1967 as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia. “It was a small town of less than 1,000 people and the
lights went out at 9 p.m.,” said Yerg. “We would play by candlelight and the game was over when the candle burned out.” At a table across the room, Marcel Monfort of Fairfax,Virignia and Bob Bragdon of Arlington make their opening moves. Montfort is one of the club's longest tenured members, having joined in 1999 at age 48. “When I was working on Capitol Hill, my boss would let me play hooky one Monday out of four and this is where I'd come,” he said. While both the Arlington and Silver Spring chess clubs provide boards and pieces, some members choose to bring their own. The biggest difference in the two clubs is timers. Players at the Madison Community Center use clocks while those at Leisure World generally do not. A chess clock measures and allocates the time available to each player. So, for example, if players agree to a one-hour game, each must complete all of his moves in 30 minutes or less. Should a player use more than 30 minutes before the game is decided, he loses on time. While most of the members in the two chess clubs have previous experience, they welcome those new to the game. “Anyone of us will sit with someone new,” said Ascher. “The best way to learn is by playing.” Kern, who likes to play three times a week, supple-
ments his play with reading. “It takes work to play decently. You have to study, at least you should if want to play well,” he said. “We have a large collection of a magazine called Chess Life, which I like to look at.” One of several chess club members in their 90s, Kern credits the game with keeping him mentally sharp. Ascher agrees. “I think of chess as mental exercise. It's good for people who are worried about their memory,” he said. “It's relaxing, too. Once you start playing, you forget all your worries. And, there's the social element. It gets you out of the house and allows you to meet new people. One of the gentlemen I played, a newcomer to the group, has a different style, which forced me to really focus and think about the game.” As president of the chess club, Ascher works to attract new players. His regular columns in the community's bimonthly Leisure World News take topics seemingly unrelated to chess, such as patriotism or what it means to be a New Yorker, and creatively connect them to the game. Each column includes a chess puzzle that invites readers to consider the best next move. In Ascher's opinion, the best next move is a visit to Meeting Room 2 in Clubhouse II at 1 p.m. any Monday, Wednesday or Friday of the week for a friendly game of chess.
SPRING OPEN HOUSE
SATURDAY, APRIL 18TH, 2015 • 11-3 PM GIVEAWAYS:
2 months FREE rent and a chance to win a Caribbean Cruise for 2 with all 12 month lease applications that day!
Enjoy BBQ, musical entertainment, giveaways and great fun!
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HEALTH
WHAT IS
LEWY BODY
DISEASE? Understanding the most misdiagnosed form of dementia
SUBJECT IS A MODEL USED FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. ISTOCK.COM/INHAUSCREATIVE
BY KATE MCDERMOTT
A
ggressive public information campaigns over the last 30 years have been highly successful in raising awareness of Alzheimer's disease, with many Americans now believing the illness is synonymous with what used to be simply known as dementia.Yet neurologists are quick to point out that dementia, like cancer, can take many forms and have many different origins. In particular, some families of patients who have previously been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases are learning that another form of dementia may be the cause of their loved ones' cognitive decline: Lewy body dementia. 20
Gazette SENIORS | April 2015
According to the Lewy Body Dementia Association, LBD is the most misdiagnosed form of dementia, affecting nearly 1.4 million Americans. Named after scientist Friedrich H. Lewy who discovered abnormal protein deposits that disrupt the brain's functioning, LBD remains a difficult condition to diagnose because its symptoms— at least initially—can closely mirror those of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. “Unfortunately, not many clinicians are able to diagnose this disease because its presentation is subtle,” said Dr. Anne E. A. Constantino, a practicing neurologist with Comprehensive Neurology Services of Silver Spring. Symptoms such as a slowing of cognitive abilities, difficulty assessing spatial relationships and fluctuations in alertness can be present in all three diseases, but often
what tips practitioners off to a LBD diagnosis is the presence of hallucinations or acting out during sleep. “If a patient presents with parkinsonian symptoms and is treated with medications for Parkinson's disease, they have a lower threshold for developing hallucinations,” Constantino explained. “So if they begin to experience hallucinations, this suggests that it is LBD more than Parkinson's disease.” Another clue to a diagnosis of LBD versus Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease is the order in which symptoms begin to present themselves. “Not everyone who has Parkinson's disease will get dementia,” said Dr. Jim Bicksel, medical director of Inova Hospital's Memory Center in Falls Church, Virginia. “So if movement problems (a slow gait, shuffling of feet, etc.) present themselves first, it Gazette.Net
could be Parkinson's. But if dementia occurs first and movement problems ensue, we tend to suspect LBD.” Some patients who are diagnosed with LBD may live with the condition for some time, and with proper treatment, can manage to cope effectively with the symptoms, even the hallucinations, according to Bicksel. “Sometimes they simply learn to ignore them,” he said. Unfortunately, however, LBD is a progressive disorder with no known cure, so over time, the symptoms will get worse. Doctors often treat it with many of the same medications used for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases—including drugs designed to increase the level of chemical messengers in the brain—known under brand names such as Exelon and Aricept. These may help improve memory, but Bicksel pointed out that unlike Alzheimer's patients, patients with LBD often do not have short-term memory issues. “If you ask them what month it is, it may take them a long time to give the right answer,” he said. Carbidopa-levodopa medications such as Sinemet, which are often used to treat parkinsonian movement symptoms, may also provide some relief. And although anti-psychotic medications, known to many under brand names such as Seroquel or Zyprexa, can help some patients reduce their delusions, other LBD patients may have a severe sensitivity to them that can actually trigger pronounced hallucinations. Age and gender seem to play a significant role in the onset of LBD. Most cases occur after age 60, although some cases have been reported much earlier. A 15year study funded by the National Institute on Aging published in 2013 revealed that the incidence of LBD was twice as common in men as in women. There are currently no tests to definitively diagnose LBD. Only an autopsy of the brain after death can confirm with certainty that a person had the disease. But thanks to patients and families who are willing to donate suspected LBD brains to science after death, Bicksel said
researchers are learning that Lewy body proteins are often found in the deep part of the brain that controls movement and that they affect thinking by interfering with the brain's ability to send signals to different areas involved in cognition. Armed with this knowledge, researchers can now attempt to answer questions such as how and why the Lewy body proteins deposit in those areas. Even though we know LBD is the second most common cause of progressive dementia after Alzheimer's disease, Constantino said that there is still much to be learned about it. “There are several papers that suggest a genetic predisposition, but this has never been conclusive,” she said. “Environmental toxins have also been implicated.” Until a cure is found, neurologists encourage LBD patients to follow many of the same recommendations given to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease patients. “It is important to continue to engage in mental, physical and social activities,” Bicksel stressed. Because of its similarities to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, families who suspect their loved ones may have LBD should share their concerns with their primary care physicians and request a referral for evaluation by a neurologist who is familiar with the disorder and the subtleties that distinguish it from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. “Anytime you see movement symptoms, things like the shuffling of feet, muscle rigidity, a masked face, et cetera, you should request referral to a neurologist,” Bicksel said. Despite uncertainty about how the disease forms or why some medications affect some patients more negatively than others, the experts are sure of one thing: Early identification and early management provide the best hope for patients, since the Lewy Body Dementia Association reports that a diagnosis by specialists who are very familiar with the disease can be accurate in 90 percent of cases, leading to more targeted and effective treatment.
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Hearing that’s up to 25% better than normal?
3 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS Call for appointment 4/30/15
WANT TO KNOW MORE? The Lewy Body Dementia Association (lbda.org) offers numerous educational materials as well as information on clinical trials and support forums for patients and families who suffer from the complexities of LBD.
Silver Spring-Colesville-Burtonsville
1930765
Rockville-Gaithersburg
301-384-4245
301-977-8695
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301-365-6270
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HEALTH
BATTLING
BONE SPURS This natural response comes with some unintended consequences
BY KAREN FINUCAN CLARKSON
T
ISTOCK.COM/ SUSAN CHIANG
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hey are known to be painful and to interfere with the movement of a joint. But bone spurs—common in older adults—often are benign. If you are over 60, chances are good that you have a bone spur, though you may not yet realize it, according to local orthopedic surgeons. A bone spur—the creation of extra bone—is the result of inflammation, stress, pressure or damage. “It's caused by traction of ligament—imagine a piece of taffy pulling—on bone,” said Dr. Mark P. Madden, an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoVirginia in Reston, Virginia with privileges at Reston Hospital Center. When the ligaments pull, they become inflamed and the body reacts by putting down more bone in that area, he said. “It's the body's response to wear and tear on the joints,” said Dr. Loiy Mustafa, an orthopedic surgeon at Capital Orthopaedic Specialists, P.A. with privileges at Doctors Community Hospital in Lanham. Bone spurs are found in joints as well as in places where tendons and ligaments attach to bone. In seniors, a bone spur most often occurs when there is degeneration of a joint due to osteoarthritis, Mustafa said. “What happens is that over time the cartilage breaks down in a joint, and the body deals with that by growing bone in order to provide more stability and surface area,” said Dr. Sridhar M. Durbhakula, an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoBethesda and comedical director of the Joint Center at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center. Osteoarthritis may account for the greatest number of bone spurs, but there are other factors that contribute to their creGazette.Net
Free Hearing Tests set for
In seniors, a bone spur most often occurs when there is
DEGENERATION OF A JOINT due to osteoarthritis.
ation. A build up of bone on the underside of the heel—the most common place in the body for a bone spur, according to Madden—often is associated with plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia, the fibrous band of tissue that connects the heel with the ball of the foot, is designed to absorb stress and strain. But, on occasion, that pressure damages or tears the tissue. Inflammation of the plantar fascia may lead the body to create more bone.While heel spurs affect about 10 percent of the population, only about 5 percent of those with a heel spur experience foot pain, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Bone spurs are found elsewhere in the body—in the knees, hips, spine, neck, shoulder and hands, said Durbhakula. The extra bone can be painful and interfere with the movement of the joint. “The knee is where bone spurs commonly break off and become loose bodies,” he said. As loose bodies float in the knee, they can cause intermittent locking or a sensation that something is preventing the joint from moving properly. The growth of extra bone is an uncontrollable natural response that can have unintended consequences. In the shoulder, for example, bone spurs can pinch rotator cuff tendons. Pain, stiffness and reduced range of motion can occur. The persistent impingement of rotator cuff tendons can lead to tears, exacerbating the condition, said Mustafa. The lower back is the second most common place for bone spurs to occur, according to Madden, followed by the neck. When bone spurs pinch the spinal cord or its nerve roots, pain can travel to the extremities and weakness or numbness in the arms and legs can result. An X-ray is most commonly used to diagnose a bone spur, according to Madden. Treatment may vary by the location of the bone spur, although there are some approaches that are generally applicable. Staying hydrated, taking over-thecounter anti-inflammatory medication, Gazette.Net
and doing stretching exercises are effective in treating 95 percent of bone spur cases, according to Madden, who put an emphasis on stretching. “Our tissues become less compliant as we gain life experience. We become less flexible. It happens naturally. Unfortunately, people are disinclined to participate in a stretching program. If they would spend just 10 minutes a day stretching, they'd see a real benefit,” he said, noting that the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' website, orthoinfo.aaos.org, offers a variety of stretching exercises for specific parts of the body. If pain or diminished range of motion persists, a visit to an orthopedic surgeon is in order, said Madden. Stronger anti-inflammatory medication, a cortisone shot or physical therapy could be prescribed. According to Durbhakula, other nonsurgical treatments include a supplement known as TripleFlex, which contributes to joint comfort, mobility and flexibility, and Synvisc injections, which supplement fluid in the knee and help lubricate and cushion the joint. “Synvisc gives the knee more 'hydraulic suspension' so that bones are not rubbing against each other as much,” he said. Lifestyle changes, including weight loss and stress reduction, also can be beneficial, relieving pressure and tension on joints and muscles. “When conservative measures are not successful and a patient's quality of life is adversely affected, then surgical intervention may be indicated,” said Mustafa. “In the hip and knee, we can do joint replacement surgery. In the spine, we can decompress the pinched nerve. It all depends on the location of the bone spur.” Early diagnosis of a bone spur is critical to prevent additional damage to a joint and maintaining or regaining one's quality of life, the orthopedic surgeons said.“The best treatment takes into account many factors and is the one that the physician and patient come up with together,” said Mustafa.
Area Residents Age 55+ Free electronic hearing tests will be given from Wednesday, April 15th Thursday, April 30th at selected locations. Tests have been arranged for anyone who suspects they are losing their hearing. Such persons generally say they can hear but cannot understand words. Testing with the latest computerized equipment will indicate if you can be helped. Everyone, especially adults over 55, should have an electronic hearing test at least once a year. If there is a hearing problem, hearing tests may reveal that newly developed methods of correction will help, even for those who have been told in the past that a hearing aid would not help them. If you suspect you have hearing loss, call for a free hearing test appointment. Our licensed specialists are trained in the latest auditory testing methods and will be the first ones to tell you if you don’t need a hearing aid. If you do have hearing loss, we will explain your results and provide you with a list of options.
Wednesday, April 15th, 2015 - Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Call 1-800-701-3573 Today for an appointment. Bethesda, MD
Wildwood Medical Center 10401 Old Georgetown Rd, Suite 102
Silver Spring, MD Connecticut Belair Medical Park 3915 Ferrara Drive
Frederick, MD
Guilford Professional Ctr 5950 Frederick Crossing Ln. Suite 100
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Gaithersburg, MD Sears Hearing Center by Beltone Lakeforest Mall 701 Russell Ave
So maybe your current pharmacy is a big national brand, and can sell you everything from pickles to bleach…
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HEALTH
WAKING UP TO ANESTHESIA
W
hen you face surgery, you might have many concerns. One common worry is about going under anesthesia. Will you lose consciousness? How will you feel afterward? Is it safe? Every day about 60,000 people nationwide have surgery under general anesthesia. It's a combination of drugs that's made surgery more bearable for patients and doctors alike. General anesthesia dampens pain, knocks you unconscious and keeps you from moving during the operation. “Prior to general anesthesia, the best ideas for killing pain during surgery were biting on a stick or taking a swig of whiskey,” said Dr. Emery Brown, an anesthesiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Things improved more than 150 years ago, when a dentist in Massachusetts publicly demonstrated that the anesthetic drug ether could block pain during surgery. Within just a few months, anesthesia was being used in Australia, in Europe and then around the world. “General anesthesia changed medicine practically overnight,” said Brown. Life-saving procedures such as open-heart surgery, brain surgery or organ transplantation would be impossible without general anesthesia. General anesthesia affects your entire body. Other types of anesthesia affect specific regions. Local anesthesia—such as a shot of novocaine from the dentist— numbs only a small part of your body for a short period of time. Regional anesthesia numbs a larger area—such as everything below the waist—for a few hours. Most people are awake during operations with local or regional anesthesia. But general anesthesia is used for major surgery and when it's important that you be unconscious during a procedure. General anesthesia has three main stages: going under (induction), staying under (maintenance) and recovery (emergence). The drugs that help you go under are either breathed in as a gas or delivered directly into your bloodstream. Most of these drugs act quickly and disappear rapidly from your system, so they need to be given throughout 24
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Next, patients lose the ability to respond. “They won't squeeze your fingers or give their name when asked,” Nash said. “Finally, they go into deep sedation.” Although doctors often say that you'll be asleep during surgery, research has shown that going under anesthesia is nothing like sleep. “Even in the deepest stages of sleep, with prodding and poking we can wake you up,” said Brown. “But that's not the case with general anesthesia. General anesthesia looks more like a coma—a reversible coma.” You lose awareness and the ability to feel pain, form memories and move. Once you've become unconscious, the anesthesiologist uses monitors and medications to keep you that way. In rare cases, though, something can go wrong. About once in every 1,000 to 2,000 surgeries, patients may gain some awareness when they should be unconscious. They may hear the doctors talking and remember it afterward. Worse yet, they may feel pain but be unable to move or tell the doctors. “It's a real problem, although it's quite rare,” said Dr. Alex Evers, an anesthesiologist at Washington University in St. Louis. After surgery, when anesthesia wears off, you may feel some pain and discomfort. How quickly you recover will depend on the medications you received and other factors like your age. About 40 percent of elderly patients have lingering confusion and thinking problems for several days after surgery and anesthesia. Right now, the best cure for these side effects is time. Brown and his colleagues are working to develop drugs to help patients more PHOTODISC/THINKSTOCK quickly emerge and recover from general anesthesia. Anesthesia is generally considered quite safe for most the surgery. A specially trained anesthesiologist or nurse patients. “Anesthetics have gotten much safer over the anesthetist gives you the proper doses and continuously years in terms of the things we're most worried about, monitors your vital signs—such as heart rate, body temlike the patient dying or having dangerously low blood perature, blood pressure and breathing. pressure,” Evers said. By some estimates, the death rate “When patients are going under, they experience a from general anesthesia is about 1 in 250,000 patients. series of deficits,” said Dr. Howard Nash, a scientist at Side effects have become less common and are usually the National Institute of Mental Health. “The first is an not as serious as they once were. inability to remember things. A patient may be able to re–NIH News in Health peat words you say, but can't recall them after waking up.” Gazette.Net
FINANCES
Advice for Seniors: Security Heads-Up BY DOUG MAYBERRY CREATORS.COM
Doug Mayberry's weekly column, "Dear Doug," can be found at Creators.com.
Q: I am an elderly widow and live alone in a large house. I'm fearful that my surroundings are not as secure as they should be. I often wake up when I hear a strange noise. What might help calm me down? A: I understand, and here are some suggestions that might prove helpful. Install a security system, and make certain you stake a highly visible security company's warning sign. Secure sliding glass doors and windows with wooden dowels in the moving slots that will only allow a couple of inches to open. Make sure all entrances are well lit. Motionsensing lights are important additions. Keep bushes, shrubs and trees trimmed to make your home more visible. When you use valet parking or have your car repaired, separate the one key needed by the service person from your ring and keep the other keys. Make
sure your house number is prominently displayed, in case you need to call 911. Know and stay in contact with your neighbors, tell them about your activities and vacation plans, and ask them to pick up unwanted fliers and trash thrown on your driveway if you're out of town. Offer to do the same for them. Share your family's phone numbers in case there's a fire, a natural disaster, a stranger scouting the neighborhood or a parked car sitting at your curb that does not seem to be appropriate. There is no way to ensure that thieves will not try to gain access to your home. Being aware of that, be especially watchful and alert during the holiday months, when they are in greater need. Recently, l forgot to lock my car while grocery shopping, and a thief got my cellphone. Activating security precautions is worth your time and effort. Lucky Grandparents Q: We are the parents of two daughters, whose ages are 3 and 6. All four grandparents
are alive.We struggle to find appropriate holiday gifts for our parents. They all have their “stuff ” and do not really need more things. What can we do? A: Homemade and creative gifts are what all grandparents love and are most wanted. One idea is to purchase an empty pillbox and fill it with jelly beans. White ceramic coffee cups are available at the dollar stores; assist the kids in drawing pictures or writing love notes for the grandparents using ceramic paint.You can also create a gift by using white paper plates and crayons. How about gifting a greeting card that includes a come-along meal at a restaurant or an invitation to visit a zoo or park. In today's world, most photos are shot with digital cameras, but very few are actually printed out. This means grandparents' “bragging” photo albums have become big-time winning gifts. I hope those thoughts prove to serve your purposes.
Home ownership, quality healthcare, and superior services in a community where each resident’s voice is heard.
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REMODEL, continued from 9 al connection from the front-facing sitting room to the inviting garden spaces beyond the dining room. Taking the cultural transformation a step further, the family room is now an open drawing room where the Kimuras have placed a kotatsu, a traditional “low table,” in front of a fireplace. “In the winter, this is a place to sit peacefully, eat meals and sip tea with family,” Takuro Kimura said. The kitchen's wall of floor-ceiling cabinetry was designed for both storage efficiency and aesthetic unity. Made of natural wood, the cabinetry emphasizes the relationship between the lines and planes that define the entire space. “It's the simplicity (of) conferring an awareness of balance and its underlying tranquility that is the essential point of this kind of design,” Lee said. The cabinet's dark cherry wood facings contrast against the white spring granite surfaces and backsplash. “There's a drama of light and dark contrasts in Asian kitchens that is quite distinct from the traditional Western model,” Lee said.
To create the floor space needed for a large Japanese-style bathroom, Lee reconfigured the home's bedroom wing by deleting one bedroom, and building a walk-in closet and 300-square-foot bath. With its neutral Yukon tiling interspersed with mosaic tile accents, the bathroom interior is a naturally restful place to surrender needless stress. According to Japanese tradition, a bather would first wash thoroughly then enter the heated, two-foot-deep tub. In consideration of efficiency, the bathroom was fitted with a tankless water heater. From the bathroom, one can exit directly to the garden and the pool. “It is simple but so peaceful,”Takuro Kimura said. “Everything we wanted in a home.” Sun Design Remodeling frequently sponsors tours of recently remodeled homes, as well as workshops on home remodeling topics. Headquartered in Burke,Virginia, the firm recently opened a second office in McLean,Virginia. For more information, call 703-425-5588 or visit SunDesignInc .com.
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