Surprise / Sun City West - April 2023

Happy Easter!!

It’s hard to believe Spring Training has come and gone—so quickly this year! In my opinion, April always seems to be a month full of transitions—whether you’re packing up to return to your summer homes, spending time getting your home ready for the summer, or perhaps planning an amazing summer get-a-way—time passes so quickly.

This month is going to be special in my family, as my oldest son, Logan, is graduating from Grand Canyon University with a degree in finance. I’m still amazed at how fast life moves. Due to the busyness in my life, I decided this month’s issue of The Grand Season should focus on simplicity.

I hope you take time this month to soak in the beauty of each day, as well as, enjoy time with your friends and family. So often, we get caught up in our “have-to’s” we miss out on the things that really matter and make our lives so much more fulfilling.

Thank you for your support of The Grand Season and our business partners. It’s because of you, we have the amazing opportunity to work with and meet so many amazing people in our community.

Savor each moment!

Melissa Whitton Associate Publisher / Editor

SLOW DOWN

Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.

Thor Heyerdahl

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

Confucius

As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.

Henry David Thoreau

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify. Henry

David Thoreau

The greatest ideas are the simplest. William

Golding

The height of sophistication is simplicity. Clare

Boothe Luce

Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just enough baggage. Charles

Warner

There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth. Leo

Tolstoy

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius–and a lot of courage–to move in the opposite direction.

Ernst F. Schumacher

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Do you kiss your partner regularly? It turns out that kissing is more important than what you might think when it comes to your relationship. Do you ever notice how you feel better, even giddy, after a make-out session with your spouse? There are many benefits to kissing the one you love, and it can affect you both physically and emotionally.

Most married couples kiss on the way out the door in the morning, but this becomes more of a habit than anything else. It’s the same as you grab your cell phone and cup of coffee as you leave. Kissing, however, has many benefits to your body that you don’t see. Research shows puckering up has the following advantages:

• People who kiss each other daily live up to five years longer than those who don’t.

• The blood rush a kiss gives you can help heal blemishes on your face and dermatitis.

• The rush of chemicals from a physical encounter causes the pulse to rise to over a hundred beats per minute, which can be as good as a workout.

• It takes an astounding 29 muscles in your face to kiss someone passionately, so it might help reduce wrinkles.

• Your lips are way more sensitive than the tip of your finger, and when you kiss someone, you’re stimulating all the significant nerves within the body.

• Though it’s challenging to think about the saliva exchange when you kiss someone, it’s healthier than you might imagine. It can help you build a robust immune system to fight disease and keep you healthy.

Research also shows there are many emotional benefits of kissing. Part of a kiss is an instinct ingrained into you biologically. However, when you lock lips with your spouse, you’re connecting on a level much deeper than what you do with another person.

The more you kiss one another, the closer you will feel. When your lips meet, your brain is charged and releases a chemical cocktail that helps you feel amazing. While there are many ways to kiss, research shows a deep and passionate intimate kiss will do more for your bond as husband and wife than a peck on the cheek, as it connects you unlike anything else.

So, if you want to improve your relationship, the best place to start is with a kiss.

1. Name the debut album of Curiosity Killed the Cat?

2. Who was Tom Dooley (of Kingston Trio 1958 song fame) and what did he do?

3. Name the ‘50s artist who wrote and released “Island in the Sun.”

4. How do you know if you’re a Parrothead?

5. Name the late 1980s song that contains these lyrics: “The scales are sometimes unbalanced, And you bear the weight of all that has to be.”

FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR HOME AGAIN!

TRIVIAL PURSUIT

Answers on pg. 34

1. What is the name of Scarlett and Rhett’s daughter in the 1939 film “Gone with the Wind”?

2. What body of water lies between New Zealand and Australia?

3. Eric Camden is a minister on which TV dramedy?

4. Which element has the Latin name stannum (Sn)?

5. Which book was written first in C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” series?

6. What is the name of the bird logo on Twitter?

7. How long does it take a sloth to digest food?

8. What is the irrational fear represented by coulrophobia?

9. Which Greek god stared at his own reflection until he died?

10. What did Alessandro Volta invent?

HERE’S A TIP

the edges

Need sliced mushrooms for your salad or recipe? They are hard to cut. If you have an egg slicer, get it out. It works very well for mushrooms, and it’s easier to use than trying to cut those slices yourself.

FLASHBACK ANSWERS

1. ”Keep Your Distance,” released in 1987. The album topped the charts in the U.K., but the individual songs didn’t do as well.

2. Tom Dula was a North Carolina soldier in the Civil War who’d killed his girlfriend. A politician lured Dula to his farm for work and Dula was captured and hanged.

3. Harry Belafonte, in 1957. The song was also used in the film by the same name, which was taken from the 1956 novel of the same name.

4. If you wear Hawaiian shirts and parrot hats to Jimmy Buffet concerts, you’re a Parrothead.

5. ”Giving You the Best That I Got,” by Anita Baker in 1988. It got four nominations and netted two Grammy awards: Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

FOOD

HAM & CHEESE

SPINACH PUFFS

Ingredients

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

1 c. whole milk

1 1/2 c. shredded Gruyère (about 4 oz.), divided

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more

1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped

spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

8 oz. ham steak, cut into 1/4” cubes (about 1 1/2 c.), divided

1 (17.3-oz.) box frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp. cold water

DIrections

In a medium pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Whisk in flour to form a thick, bubbling paste, then whisk in milk. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat and whisk in 1 cup Gruyère just until melted; season with salt and pepper. Fold in spinach and 1 cup ham. Let cool.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 sheet of puff pastry to a 15”-by-10” rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut into 6 equal squares, each about 5”x5”. Transfer squares to one of the prepared sheets. Repeat with remaining sheet of puff pastry and baking sheet.

Dollop 3 tablespoons cooled filling into center of each square. Press 5 to 6 pieces of remaining ham into top of each. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Gruyère. Fold corners of each square to meet in the center. Refrigerate pastries until chilled, 15 to 30 minutes. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 400°. In a small bowl, whisk egg, water, and a pinch of salt. Brush egg wash over chilled pastries.

Bake puffs, rotating sheets top to bottom after 10 minutes, until pastry is golden brown on top and bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Top with more pepper and serve warm

You

FREE ESTIMATES

Honor Flights are free trips to Washington, D.C., for veterans to spend the day of visiting memorials and monuments dedicated to their service. The trips leave from one of 124 hubs around the country, with all details managed by a crew of volunteers. In 2022, there were 21,800 veterans who made the Honor Flights and 18,709 guardians with them. Since starting in 2005, Honor Flights have escorted over a quarter of a million veterans on these trips. Because of the ages of elderly veterans, flights are currently restricted to veterans from the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War eras.

To see the 2023 schedule and learn more about Honor Flights, go to www.honorflight.org.

For those not near a hub, or for those in the five states without hubs, there is the Lone Eagle program (loneeagle. honorflight.org).

Any veteran is eligible, but priority is given to veterans from the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam eras. For specific info, contact Bobbie Bradley at 937-521-2400 ext 104.

VETERANS POST

1. Is the book of Galatians in the Old or New Testament? Or neither?

2. In how many verses is the specific name of Satan used in the Old Testament? Is it 0, 1, 15 or 174?

3. From Genesis 36, which city was Esau’s home base? Was it Petra, Tyre, Gilgal or Perga?

4. Which of these persons hid in a cave while God passed by? Noah, Moses, Abraham or Jonah?

5. From Esther 5, who/what was Zeresh? Was it a king of Persia, a mountain, the wife of Haman or a river?

6. In 1 Peter, to what animal is Satan compared? Was it a serpent, wolf, rat or lion?

Dinner and a Movie!

Solve the crossword puzzle and mail it in for your chance to win a $50 Restaurant Gift Card and 4 Movie Tickets. Answers to the clues can be found in this month’s Grand Season Ads.

Sponsored by:

March Winners!

Grand Prize

Winner Kay LaCount Peoria

Winners of Movie Tickets

1. Anne Thalmann, Buckeye

2. Dennis Irby, Glendale

3. Richard Pozniak, Goodyear

4. Kate Papworth, Litchfield Park

5. Julie Quanstrom, Sun City

6. Paula Mount, Sun City West

1. 50+ Years of Serving Greater Phoenix!

3. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR ENERGY COSTS

7. Harry Buoscio, Surprise

8. Vivian Hagstrom, Waddell

If you have a question about the puzzle, please call 623-594-1630 ext 3070.

Answers to March Puzzle

___

Mail puzzle with answers to: Grand Season Puzzle, P.O. Box 5474, Sun City West, AZ 85376

Questions about the Grand Season Puzzle? Visit www.thegrandseason.com for updates or call 623-594-1630 ext 3070.

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES: Solve the crossword puzzle and mail it in to win. The answers to all crossword clues will contain all or part of a company name found in this month’s Grand Season ads. Must be 21 or older to enter the contest. Employees of the Grand Season or its advertisers are ineligible. When entering an advertisers’ name, there are no spaces, no LLC, or Corporations. Example: C & R Plus II would be entered into the spaces as: C&RPLUSII Entries must be postmarked no later than April 21st. A drawing will be held from all correct entries. One winner will receive a $50.00 Gift Card and 4 movie tickets, with a photo in our magazine. 8 winners will receive a consolation prize of a 2 movie tickets. Winners will be notified by phone, and prizes will be sent by mail. Winners will be announced in the May issue of the Grand Season.

CALL (623) 594-1630

FIND MORE IN LESS

Simplifying your life will bring balance, freedom, and joy. When we begin to live simply and experience these benefits, we begin to ask the next question, “Where else in my life can I remove distraction and simplify life to focus on the essentials?” Below are many important things to simplify in order to begin living a more balanced and joyful lifestyle:

1. Your Possessions

Too many material possessions complicate our lives to a greater degree than we ever give them credit. They drain our bank account, our energy, and our attention. They keep us from the ones we love and from living a life based on our values.

2. Your Time Commitments

Most of us have filled our days from beginning to end with time commitments: community events, religious endeavors, hobbies… the list goes on. When possible, release yourself from the time commitments that are not in line with your greatest values.

3. Your Goals

Reduce the number of goals you are striving for in your life to one or two. By reducing the number of goals that you are striving to accomplish, you will improve your focus and your success rate.

4. Your Negative Thoughts

Most negative emotions are completely useless. Resentment, bitterness, hate, and jealousy have never improved the quality of life for a single human being. Take responsibility for your mind. Forgive past hurts and replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

5. Your Debt

If debt is holding you captive, reduce it. Start today. Do what you’ve got to do to get out from under its weight. Find the help that you need, and learn how to get out of debt. Sacrifice luxury today to enjoy freedom tomorrow.

6. Your Screen Time

Focusing your attention on television, movies, and technology is an addiction which affects your life more than you think. Media rearranges your values. And it has a profound impact on your attitude and outlook. Unfortunately, when you live in that world on a consistent basis, you don’t even notice how it is impacting you. The only way to fully appreciate its influence in your life is to turn them off.

•Want to finish “The Look” of your landscaping?

•Want to protect yourself and your pet’s feet from burning cement?

James Barlow, MD Drew Reese, DO Hava Dodd, PA-C

PAW’S CORNER

DID I GET SCAMMED? A pet owner asks about ear infections

Q. My cat Chester seemed perfectly healthy, but when I brought him in for his annual checkup, the vet said that he has an ear infection. I didn’t notice any behavior or odd symptoms previously. I gave Chester the expensive eardrops he was prescribed, and he seems just fine. Is it likely the vet just made up the infection?

A: Cats are really good at hiding the symptoms of an illness. Regular checkups are helpful in catching hidden acute problems like ear infections. Now that Chester has been treated, keep an eye out for signs of the infection recurring. Look, listen and smell around his ears periodically. Hold Chester on your lap and shine a little flashlight into each ear. A healthy ear is pale pink, with little to no earwax visible and no debris. A strong odor, lots of earwax buildup, debris or discharge that looks like coffee grounds or yellow/black debris are danger signs of another infection.

HOMEMADE

Looking to save money, and help the environment? Try making these household items, rather than buying them.

Window cleaner. Put 2 cups water, half a cup distilled vinegar and 10 drops of any essential oil (lemon smells nice) in a spray bottle. Shake before using.

Oven cleaner. Mix 2 cups baking soda and enough water to create a spreadable paste. Scrape the sides and bottom of your oven with a wooden spatula, then spread the paste. Leave overnight, then clean with a sponge.

Garden fertilizer. If you are replacing the water in a fish tank, spread the old water on your garden. Or fill a 5-gallon bucket with weeds, cover with water—and a lid—and leave for a few weeks. Use the water on your plants.

Mouthwash. Put six sage leaves in a bottle. Dissolve 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt or Celtic sea salt in 5 ounces of boiling water and pour over the leaves. Use daily after brushing teeth.

Bath oil. Add a few drops of your favorite perfume or cologne to 1/4 cup baby oil, shake it up in a small jar and add it to your bath.

SPRING SIPS

Orange Crush Cocktail

Ingredients

Ice

2 oz. vodka or orange-flavored vodka

2 oz. triple sec

1 medium navel orange, juiced (about 1/4 to 1/2c.)

Lemon-lime soda, such as Sierra Mist or Sprite

A few dashes of orange bitters (optional)

Orange slice, for garnish

Directions

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add vodka, triple sec, and orange juice and stir to combine. Top with lemon-lime soda and garnish with an orange slice.

Blueberry Gin & Tonic Ingredients

1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. water

Ice

3 oz. gin

12 oz. tonic water

Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring blueberries, granulated sugar, and water to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until most blueberries have burst, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until chilled. Divide 4 tbsp. blueberry syrup between 2 ice-filled glasses. Add gin and top with tonic water. Add more blueberry syrup or tonic water to taste. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Cottontail Margaritas Ingredients

1/4 c. marshmallow fluff

2 c. sweetened shredded coconut

1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk

1 1/2 c. silver tequila

1 c. triple sec

1/2 c. pineapple juice

1/4 c. lime juice

Ice, for serving

Directions

Using a butter knife (or a small offset spatula), spread marshmallow fluff around rims of glasses. Add shredded coconut to a shallow bowl, then dip the tops of glasses in coconut, adhering the coconut to the fluff. In a large pitcher, stir together coconut milk, tequila, triple sec, pineapple juice, and lime juice. Add ice to glasses then pour over margarita mixture.

AAA SENIOR PLACEMENT AZ

A Message from Sue Royer

“I was born and raised in inner city Chicago, the sixth of eighteen children with fifteen brothers. Being the oldest daughter, I was always a caregiver which I believe influenced me to pursue work in the healthcare industry. Today, I have three daughters and five grandchildren.

Years ago, I volunteered for hospice and knew immediately that helping seniors was my calling. I was soon employed by hospice but I felt something was missing. I realized it was the limited time I was able to spend with my clients. Having my own business allows me to provide the intimate hands on service needed in our community. I am committed to our seniors throughout their lives and I thank the community for the opportunity to serve.”

Sue RoyerDirector

About Us

Since 2002, AAA Senior Placement AZ has been offering FREE services helping seniors find safe, affordable and loving assisted living. When it becomes too difficult for you or your loved ones to safely manage daily living and/or manage medical needs, call Sue Royer for help navigating the many options available.

We are specialists in all levels of assisted living care resources with referrals to Arizona’s best:

• Group Homes

• Assisted Living Communities

• In-Home Primary Care Physicians

• Home Health Care Therapy

• Transportation

• Private Duty In-Home Care

• Respite Care

• Alzheimer’s Care

• Memory Care

• Hospice

• Support Groups Assisted living resources accepting:

• Private pay

• Arizona Long Term Care-ALTCS

• Medicaid

• VA Benefits

6 Reasons You Should Call AAA Senior Placement AZ

• We are well known and respected in the medical community.

• All clients are given a thorough assessment to determine proper placement needs.

• There is never a fee charged to the senior or their family for our service.

• We are NOT contractually bound to any outside business. This allows us to serve our clients with only their interests in mind.

• Years of knowledge and experience in the field of senior care.

• AAA Senior Placement AZ is family owned, allowing us to give you quality, personalized service.

CUT YOUR COSTS

It’s no secret most American’s are looking for ways to save money in these uncertain economic times. If you’re trying to reduce your budget and get more out of each dollar, here are some ideas on how to reduce your automobile expenses.

Brake less, coast more.

Think of driving this way: Every time you brake, you waste the gas you just used to get to your current speed. The more you can coast or avoid the surging and slowing of crowded traffic, the higher your gas mileage will be. Get in the habit of accelerating gently, coasting toward red lights and stop signs, and trying to use the brake a little less. A secondary benefit: You’ll be driving more safely, which could save insurance dollars and perhaps collision repairs.

Choose a different tire.

New tires can actually lower gas mileage because more rubber literally meets the road. If getting better gas mileage is important to you, consider shopping for what the industry calls low rolling resistance tires, which are manufactured to lessen the friction of the tire against the road; some estimates suggest they can improve fuel economy by 4 to 11 percent.

Sell your car privately.

Due to current demand for used cars—especially older, high mileage vehicles—a private sale is likely to fetch more for your car than a dealer might pay in a trade-in deal. If you are buying a new car, negotiate that price independent of the trade-in; only after the deal is done should you let them bid on your old car. That way you’ll know what the dealer is really offering.

Ignore that oil-change sticker.

Most oil-change shops slap a sticker on your windshield summoning you back in 3,000 miles. Check your owner’s manual. Many newer cars use a synthetic oil that needs changing far less frequently than older cars.

Skip oil additives, unless …

The oil in your engine already contains additives designed to prolong the engine’s life. So, if your car is running well, aftermarket additives won’t make it last longer. An older car with high mileage may be the exception: Ask your mechanic whether additives could squeeze more miles out of the car.

STRANGE BUT TRUE

America’s eighth president, Martin Van Buren, tried to keep a pair of tiger cubs given to him by the Sultan of Oman, but Congress made him send them to the zoo.

Think money doesn’t grow on trees? Try telling that to a certain dog in Colombia. After seeing students pass money to a food stall attendant, the enterprising pooch began a regular practice of “paying” for dog biscuits with tree leaves.

“Chess boxing” is a sport in which opponents alternate between rounds of chess and boxing until either competitor is checkmated or knocked out.

Researchers have found that approximately 97% of people are keeping a secret at any given time, with the average person keeping around 13.

Best-selling author Maya Angelou was San Francisco’s first Black streetcar conductor.

Sea sponges, like humans, sneeze to clear their internal filter systems. Unlike humans, such sneezes last about half an hour.

The J.W. Westcott II is a boat that delivers mail to ships at sea. Operating out of Detroit, it’s the only floating zip code in America.

Love Your Skin from Head to Toe

1. What NFL team was George Seifert head coach of following his eight-season tenure with the San Francisco 49ers?

2. Barber Motorsports Park is a racetrack located in what U.S. city?

3. What member of the Chicago Bulls was suspended for 11 games without pay for kicking cameraman Eugene Amos Jr. in 1997?

4. Who succeeded Bryan Murray as head coach of the NHL’s Washington Capitals when he was fired midway through the 1989-90 season?

5. Who had more career home runs in Major League Baseball: Cecil Fielder or his son, Prince?

6. What full-contact, intercollegiate version of football requires that all players weigh 178 pounds or less?

6) Sprint Football

5) Neither: They tied with 319

4) His brother, Terry Murray

3) Dennis Rodman

2) Birmingham, Alabama

1) Carolina Panthers (1999-2001)

ANSWERS: