Vol. 19: #49 • Fancy Desserts • (12-3-2023) Tidbits of Coachella Valley by Tidbits of Coachella Valley

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TIDBITS WHIPS UP SOME

FancyDesserts

by Kathy Wolfe

What’s for dessert? Whether you’re ready to start taking on your holiday weight or not, ʽtis the season when sweet temptations are around us almost everywhere we go. So this week Tidbits is dishing out facts youʼre sure to savor about some favorite sweet treats, along with a few international versions. • Our word “dessert” has its origins in the French verb desservir, which means “to clear the table.” At the banquets of the late 1700s, tablecloths and napkins were changed before the final course of fruit, sweetmeats, and spiced wines. Guests consumed dessert standing up away from the table to allow the servants to ready the table. Dessert became the traditional term for the final course of a meal. • The elaborate French dessert croquembouche is created from delicate pastry puffs arranged in the shape of a large cone. They are filled with creams and ganaches and held together by caramel or toffee. Originating in the early 1800s, it was first featured in an 1815 cookbook and was served exclusively at the tables of French royalty and nobility. Today, Fancy Desserts: Turn to page 3

INSIDE: Celebrity Extra............................. Page 6 Good Houskeeping Recipes ........ Page 7 Comics & Puzzles........................ 8-9 Pet Column.................................. 9 Your Social Security.................... 11 Doctor's Advice .......................... Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s) 12 Spelling  Prices  Hours Antique or Junque........................ 14 MON., DEC. 31changes or corrections. Contact your Tidbits representative immediately Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s) with  Spelling  Prices  Hours

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TRIVIA NEWSFRONT

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Vol. IXX Issue No. 49

company for $1 million in order to concentrate solely on making chocolate. By the following PEOPLE WORTH year, the Hershey Chocolate Company was REMEMBERING producing chocolate caramels, chocolate for One in a series baking, breakfast cocoa, and sweet chocolate. The first Hershey bars were sold in 1900. • In 1903, in the middle of dairy farmland, construction began on what would become the world’s largest chocolate manufacturing factory. The facility was completed in 1905, and Hershey was already at work building a community, supplying it with housing, a bank, hotel, public schools, churches, parks, and a zoo. Today, the population of Hershey, Pennsylvania is over 14,000. The name of Hershey has been synonymous with chocolate for over 120 years. This week Tidbits • The company introduced Hershey’s Kisses in 1907, followed by the Hershey bar with looks at the man behind the company and some of almonds the following year. the highlights of his interesting life. • Milton Hershey grew up on the family farm in • Mr. and Mrs. Hershey had a narrow escape from death in April of 1912. Having spent the Pennsylvania’s Mennonite community, where winter in France, the couple was booked to the members spoke Pennsylvania Dutch. His travel home on the Titanic. Pressing business father pulled him out of school to assist with matters necessitated Milton to return home the farm chores after the fourth grade, and that earlier than the doomed ship’s departure date, was the end of Milton’s formal education. so he cancelled his tickets, sailing on a different • At age 14, Milton was apprenticed to a local liner. He arrived home in Pennsylvania five printer, the publisher of a German/English days before the sinking of the Titanic. newspaper. He was terminated after a short time • Hershey and his wife Catherine, who were for accidentally dropping his hat into one of theADVERTISING PROOF unable to have children, put their fortune to machines. His mother then arranged for him Mon., July 24, 2023 of5:00 Final Changes DUE: good work in 1909 with the establishment to apprentice under a Lancaster, Pennsylvania Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling a school for orphan boys. Three years after  P confectioner, and for the next four years, Milton Catherine’s death, in 1918, Milton endowed learned the art of creating sweet treats. Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corr the school with his entire fortune to ensure • When he was 19, Hershey moved to Philadelphia Office: 760-320-0997 email:The valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760 its longevity. school, which expanded to establish his first candy business, which, to include girls, is now the wealthiest private after six years, went bankrupt. It was then on to Pendley Construction school inMike the nation, with an enrollment of Denver, and a new venture – making caramels 16th pg, BW, 6xstudents are admitted, 2,000. Only low-income with fresh milk. After a year, he settled in New July 30, free 2023of•charge. Vol. 19 - No. 31 and are educated York City, training at Huyler’s, the largest chocolate maker in the nation. At 26, Hershey • Hershey died of pneumonia in Hershey Hospital on October 13, 1945, at the age of 88.  tried it on his own again with his second

MILTON HERSHEY

(Answers on page 16) CLIP AND SAVE

business, but alas, another bankruptcy. • Returning to Pennsylvania penniless, he borrowed money to launch the Lancaster Caramel Company. Using the recipe he had obtained in his early years which used fresh milk, success was finally his. By the early 1890s, Milton Hershey employed upwards of 1,300 workers in two separate factories. And where else would a candy maker meet his future wife? In a candy shop while delivering an order! • In 1893, Hershey attended the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and while there, purchased equipment for the manufacture of chocolate. Back home, he began experimenting with ingredients for the perfect milk chocolate. Now a daring entrepreneur, he sold his caramel

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b Week of December 3, 2023

Fancy Desserts (from page one) it’s a regular feature at French weddings and baptisms. • A 1796 cookbook, “American Cookery,” was perhaps the first publication to include a recipe for “tiny cakes.” The cakes were also called “number cakes,” because directions were for ingredients to be measured by numbers, rather than by weight. They were baked in small pottery cups. An 1828 cookbook was the first to call this concoction a “cupcake,” with instructions for baking a cake using one cup of batter in small tins. Cupcakes became a popular item at ladies’ tea parties. The first commercial cupcakes were introduced by the Hostess Company, who called it a “snack cake.” • Chocolate mousse traces its origins to 18thcentury France, taking its name from the French word for “foam,” an appropriate description since the dessert features air bubbles that give it an airy texture. An ad in a Brooklyn newspaper offered classes on how to make the dessert, bringing it to the Americans’ attention in 1887. An 1897 newspaper column in the Boston Globe introduced a variation that is more like today’s foamy treat, consisting of five ingredients – chocolate, cream, sugar, butter, and eggs. In the 1930s, its popularity greatly increased with the launch of chocolate pudding mixes. • There’s a debate on how brownies came into existence. Some say that a chef accidentally added melted chocolate to his biscuits or ran out of flour while making a cake. Others claim that a Maine housewife forgot to add baking powder to her chocolate cake. But the most likely story took place in 1893 at Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel. Bertha Palmer, the owner’s wife, was asked to create a new dessert for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, commemorating the

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

1. W s m s

400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ • Over 100 years later in 1957, a Dallas newspaper featured a regular column that arrival in the New World. Pastry chefs in the featured recipes submitted by readers. A local hotel’s kitchen were tasked with formulating resident, Mrs. George Clay, offered a recipe an easily transportable dessert to put in boxed she had developed using German’s Sweet lunches at the fair’s Women’s Pavilion. We Chocolate. It was a three-layer cake prepared don’t know what the chefs called them, but it from the chocolate and buttermilk, filled and2. wasn’t brownies. That term didn’t materialize in American cookbooks until several years Fancy Desserts: Turn to page 15 later. • The tasty dessert tiramisu is a fairly new innovation. This spongy cake is made by dipping ladyfingers in Italian coffee then layering with a cream layer of mascarpone cheese and egg yolks flavored with cocoa and liqueur. The layers are repeated, and topped with grated chocolate. Tiramisu, which literally translates “to pick me up,” traces its origins to the 1960s in an Italian restaurant, with its first creation claimed by confectioner Roberto Linguanotto. The word isn’t mentioned in the dictionary until 1980. Soak layers of sponge cake in sherry or brandy and layer in a tall glass dish with jam, custard, whipped cream, and fruit, and what do you have? A trifle!

• The custard dessert known as flan is made from eggs, cream, sugar, and various flavorings. It’s baked in a water bath in the oven. The Romans developed the recipe when they became the first to domesticate chickens. Now with an abundance of eggs, they began creating new recipes. The first “flado,” (translating “flat cake”) was a savory treat with fish or meat. Sweet versions were eventually introduced, flavored with honey. Its popularity spread to Spain, where caramelized sugar was added. Spanish explorers brought the confection to the New World, notably Hernan Cortes, who landed in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Over the years, it has become the most popular Latino dessert, with flavorings such as vanilla, orange, coconut and chocolate, enhancing the taste. • German chocolate cake has nothing to do with Germany; in fact, its origins are in Dallas, Texas. Back in the 1850s, a baker named Samuel German was working for the Baker’s Chocolate Company, a company founded by James Baker. German created a dark baking chocolate with a higher sugar concentration than the current ones in use, and the company named it after him, calling it “German’s Sweet Chocolate.”

S GET E NUG WLEDG O F KN

The baked custard known as crème brulee starts with heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla, gently cooked in a water bath to prevent curdling and overbaking. It's topped with a layer of caramelized sugar that is burnt under a broiler or with a kitchen blow torch. In fact, the name crème brulee translates from the French for "burnt Cream."

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QUIZ BITS

W t f s

1. What is the favorite dessert of the fictional Harry Potter? 2. What frozen Italian dessert contains 35% air? (Answers page 16)

1. 2.

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Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Vol. IXX Issue No. 49

where my progressives are, too. And since my case holds two pairs of glasses, I always know where my sunglasses are, too. And I still carry my nail file in the same place. ® This expensive episode has reinforced for me the power of habit -- doing something so by Mary Hunt often it becomes almost automatic. When it’s a bad habit, well, that’s bad. But turning things around to intentionally developing good, wholesome, life-improving habits -- it isOCT. truly amazing. MON., 9 And Double might I check: add, the of habit is free. Please review carefully.  power Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Pr The power of habit is something all of Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with us possess if we will but draw upon it. changes Anythingor corre I did something really dumb that cost me you wish toemail: changevalleybits@msn.com or adopt into your life canFax: be 760Office: 760-320-0997 $750. It’s so dumb, I’m a little embarrassed to done by creating a new habit or breaking an old even tell you about it. one. Think about it! ® That was the price tag on my fancy * * * schmancy progressive eyeglasses. I went for the Mary invites questions and comments at by Mary Hunt ADVERTISING PROOF “Ask pricey frame and all the bells and whistles behttps://www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, Carl Moore Locksmithing Final Changes DUE:will answer questions of5:00 p.m.. cause I do enjoy seeing well. But if you’ve ever Mary.” This column general Business Card •be BW • 26x disc. Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours interest, but letters cannot answered individually. worn the “progressive” style of lense, you know 2023 19 No. 42or corrections. Mary isrepresentative the15, founder ofVol. EverydayCheapskate. yourHunt TidbitsOct. immediately with-changes that they are not 100% awesome. So I have a Contact Office: 760-320-0997 email:blog, valleybits@msn.com 760-320-1630 com, a frugal living and the author Fax: of the book second pair I call my computer glasses. That “Debt-Proof Living.” means I am switching back and forth quite often. COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM The pair I’m not wearing I jam in my CLIP AND SAVE purse. I also enjoy carrying a fairly large nail file CARL MOORE in there, the kind that has fine sandpaper on both sides -- the kind that can sand the finish right off polycarbonate lens material used in eyeglasses. Residential  Commercial Yep, that’s what I did. And yes, I do have Re-Key  Re-Pin  Keys Made  MasterKeying  Deadbolts Installed  Fix or Replace a great eyeglass case that holds two pair of  Key Pad Deadbolts Installed & Serviced glasses, but it’s annoying to take the time to find 24/7 SPECIALIZING IN: EMERGEN it and then open it to switch out the glasses. Interchangeable / Removable Cores CY SERVICE Serving All Desert Cities • Over 30 yrs. experience I don’t know how many times I jammed L TA TO Call me CLIP THIS AD! DOOR 760those pricey progressives in my purse and TODAY! REPAIR www.CarlMooreLocksmithing.com SAVE $10 on any regular priced service call. scraped them up against that nail file. What I do Certified Locksmith #LC05617  BONDED know is the scratches became so severe, those $750 glasses were ruined. And because the CLIP AND SAVEProperty of Property of AdVenture Media, Inc. frames were unique, replacing the lenses was AdVenture Media, Inc. more costly than starting over with more sensible FREE frames. FREE Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 of Coachella Valley That bad habit hurt so bad, I had to have valleybits@msn.com The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read Phone: 760.320.0997 a little talking-to with myself. This is ridiculous! All Rights ReservedFax: 760.320.1630 valleybits@msn.com You have a case, stop whining, dump the excusAll Rights Reserved es and use it already! PRESENT THIS COUPON The first day I had the new glasses I thought I was going to go mad. But I forced myself to find the case, to take the time to open it, switch out the glasses and then replace the case in a spot in my purse that would hopefully *OFFER VALID FOR ANY PURCHASE *offer valid at all Coachella Valley locations become quite handy. It was awkward and time Palm Springs - Palm Desert - Sun City consuming. The second day, same thing. Still annoying. Third day, not so bad. Fourth day, don’t remember. Fifth day, voila! It started to feel quite natural. After three weeks, I am home free. I do the find-switch-replace thing so automatically, I don’t even think about it. I always know where my computer glasses are and I always know

Everyday CHEAPSKATE

By Lucie Winborne

* When the D-Day forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, Adolf Hitler was asleep. None of his generals dared to send reinforcements without his permission, and no one even dared to wake him, since he’d issued strict orders not to be disturbed. * On its one-year anniversary, NASA’s Curiosity Rover sang the “Happy Birthday” song to itself on Mars. * Atomic bomb tests were a major tourist attraction in Las Vegas during the 1950s. * A study found that students who chewed gum earned better math test scores than those who didn’t. * Ever wonder why our friends across the pond wish each other a “Happy Christmas” as opposed to Americans’ “Merry Christmas”? In the 19th century, the word “merry” also meant intoxicated, so they wanted to separate it from public insobriety * Next time you’re feeling stressed, try reaching for a hunk of chocolate: The sweet’s smell increases theta brain waves, which triggers relaxation. * In 1987, Marvel Comics celebrated the wedding of Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker, and his red-haired, green-eyed, longtime girlfriend Mary Jane Watson with a grand, live-action ceremony at New York’s Shea Stadium. Guests of the happy couple included actors costumed as the Fantastic Four, Captain America and even the Hulk. * Right-handed people tend to chew food on their right side, while left-handed folks are prone to chewing on their left. *** Thought for the Day: “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” -- Vernon Sanders Law (c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Week of December 3, 2023

CARILLONS

Ring those bells! This week Tidbits chimes in with some details about carillons. • The carillon, a musical instrument in the

percussion family, is comprised of a series of bells, usually housed in a bell tower or belfry. To be classified as a carillon, it must have a minimum of 23 bells. Anything less is considered just a chime. The standard-sized carillon has about 50 bells, and the world’s largest has 77 bells. • The bells are cup-shaped and are arranged in chromatic sequence in a frame. The bell's shape and weight determine the pitch and quality of the tone. • Music is generated by a keyboard connected to a complex system of clappers, hammers, and stainless steel wire. The carillonneur (the person who plays the carillon) plays with the hands on a large manual keyboard made of rounded wooden batons. Because most of the keys are too heavy to press with a single finger, they are are struck with the half-closed hand. When a key is depressed, it pulls a wire which causes the clapper to swing toward the inner wall of the corresponding bell. The carillonneur plays the bass clef, the bottom 1.5 to 2.5 octaves, with his feet on a separate pedal keyboard. Many of the larger bells are played with the feet.

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Page 5

• There are about 700 carillons worldwide, mostly owned by churches, universities, and municipalities. While most are found in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany, there are about 200 in North America.

also a 78th bell that is just for striking the hour. This huge bell weighs about 24,000 pounds.

• The carillon’s original function in the 16th century was to ring bells to send messages indicating the time of day. Because the bells could be heard nearly a mile away in a time when it was too expensive for common people to own clocks, the chiming of the tower was a great help to neighboring villages, clanging to announce the hour.

• The University of Chicago campus is home to the world’s second-largest carillon, housed in the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. At the top of the bell tower, 271 steps up, sits this memorial carillon of 72 bells with a combined weight of 100 tons. 

• The word “clock” has its origins in the Latin word “cloca,” which translates “bell.” The first modern tuned carillon for creating music was introduced in 1644. • Carillons are the heaviest of all musical instruments, and can weigh tens of thousands of pounds. There are two carillons that are the world’s largest as measured by the number of bells. The tower at Bloomfield Hills, Michigan’s Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church contains a carillon of 77 bells that was installed in 1960. • This Gothic church is patterned after a 13thcentury Scottish abbey. The smallest bell is just 6” long and weighs 14 pounds, while the largest measures 6’10” with a weight of 12,000 pounds. • Daejeon, Korea’s Institute of Science and Technology has a 77-bell carillon as well, but

• There are no ropes and no swinging bells involved in the playing of a carillon. The carillon’s bells do not move and are fixed to a stationary frame. Some carillons contain mechanisms that enable them to be played automatically without a carillonneur.

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by Dana Jackson King Features News Syndicate

Q: I recently started watching “Gen-

eral Hospital” again. What happened to Jax? He was my favorite character. -- K.A.

A: Actor Ingo Rademacher, who played Jax

Courtesy of ABC

on and off since 1996, was fired by ABC in 2021 for refusing to adhere to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. His character bid goodbye to Port Charles to conduct business in Sydney and hasn’t been seen since. Rademacher recently posted on Instagram about his mental health struggles since being fired. So far, no one from Ingo Rademacher (“General Hospital”) “General Hospital” or ABC has asked him to return, but that might be due to the fact that he attempted to sue ABC over its mandate. A Los Angeles judge ended up ruling in favor of ABC. *** Q: Is the original “Law & Order” series returning anytime soon? I’ve always liked it more than the spin-offs, but I miss the original cast. -- K.J.

A: “Law & Order” debuted on NBC in the fall of 1990 and lasted a whopping 20 seasons. The late Jerry Orbach is probably the most fondly remembered actor from the show, but he didn’t debut as Detective Lennie Briscoe until the third season. The first season featured Chris Noth, Steven Hill and Michael Moriarty, but these core actors eventually departed the show. It endured two decades with a changing cast, but always had creator Dick Wolf’s input and that signature “dun dun” theme song in the background.

“Law & Order” returned in 2022 after an 11-year hiatus with former cast members Sam Waterston and Anthony Anderson. Jeffrey Donovan (“Burn Notice”), Hugh Dancy (“Hannibal”) and Camryn Manheim (“The Practice”) rounded out the solid cast, but the revolving door kept swinging. Anderson departed after one season, and Mehcad Brooks (“Supergirl”) joined in his place. “Law & Order” will return with 13 new episodes sometime in 2024, but Donovan won’t be on the set. According to Entertainment Weekly, he has exited due to “creative reasons,” and casting is on the hunt for his replacement. Be sure to visit NBC.com/law-and-order for more updates about the show as it gets closer to its season 23 premiere. *** Q Is it true that ‘Big Little Lies” is returning for another season? Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon are such busy actresses. I hope they have the time to film again and that it’s not an all-new cast. -- W.S.

erspoon busy starring in other films and shows, but they also work behind-the-scenes as producers to help develop other projects. This past January,

1. The Hunger Games: The Ballad

(Go Figure solution page 14)

Kidman joined the cast of “Special Ops: Lioness” on Paramount+, then followed it up with the Netflix series “The Perfect Couple.” She’ll also be seen in Netflix’s “A Family Affair” in 2024. Witherspoon produces and co-stars in Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show” She’s also set to reprise her iconic character Elle Woods in the upcoming film “Legally Blonde 3.” As for HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” Kidman recently announced during a press event that they “will be bringing you a third one, just FYI.” Nothing else has officially been announced, but I imagine that Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz will be reprising their roles. * * *

A: I agree. Not only are Kidman and With-

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Vol. IXX Issue No. 49

February 13, 2017

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Page 6

Week of December 3, 2023

Good Recipes from

Muffuletta This sandwich is a classic in the French Quarter of New Orleans, but with our recipe you won’t have to travel to get it. It tastes even better made a day ahead. 4 medium celery stalks, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups) 1 cup drained giardiniera (Italian mixed pickled vegetables), finely chopped 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped 3/4 cup pitted green olives, finely chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 1 round (10-inch diameter) loaf soft French or Italian bread (1 pound), cut horizontally in half 6 ounces thinly sliced smoked ham 6 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese 6 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami 1. In a medium bowl, combine celery, giardiniera, parsley, olives, oil, pepper and garlic; set aside.

3. Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Cut into 8 wedges to serve.  Each serving: About 390 calories, 24g total fat (8g saturated), 19g protein, 26g carbohydrate, 24g total fat (8g saturated), 1g fiber, 44mg cholesterol, 1,515mg sodium.

Manhattan Clam Chowder Chowder clams are flavorful but tough and must be chopped after cooking. Substitute cherrystone clams, if you like; they're softer and no need to chop them. 5 cups water 36 chowder or cherrystone clams, scrubbed 5 slices bacon, finely chopped 1 large (12 ounce) onion, finely chopped 2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped 2 stalks celery, finely chopped 1 pound (3 medium) all-purpose potatoes, peeled and finely chopped 1/2 bay leaf 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 3/4 teaspoon salt 1. In nonreactive 8-quart saucepot, heat 1 cup water to boiling over high heat. Add clams; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until clams open, 5 to 10 minutes, transferring clams to bowl as they open. Discard any clams that have not opened. 2. When cool enough to handle, remove clams from shells and coarsely chop. Strain clam broth through sieve lined with paper towels into bowl.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with their liquid, breaking them up with side of spoon, and simmer 10 minutes longer.

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5. Stir in chopped clams and heat Contact your Tidbits representative through. Discard bay leaf and sprinkle with Office: 760-320-0997 email: val parsley. Taste for seasoning; add salt as needed. Makes about 12 cups, or 12 first-course servings.

O.R.D. Gener

 Each serving: About 117 calories, 6g 1/12 pg., total fat (2g saturated), 5g protein, 12gOctober carbohy22, 2023 drates, 12mg cholesterol, 342mg sodium. * * *

For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our Web site at www.goodhousekeeping.com/reci finder/. (c) A)2023 Hearst Communications, Inc.

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2. Remove a 1-inch layer of soft center of bread from both halves to make room for filling. On bottom half of bread, spread half of olive mixture; top with ham, cheese, salami and remaining olive mixture. Replace top half of bread; press halves together.

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Vol. IXX Issue No. 49

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

(Solution on page 16)

Donald Duck

by Walt Disney

Crossword Answers on page 16

NEST HEADS

By John Allen

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Week of December 3, 2023

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NEXT WEEK in

Cody’s

TIDBITS IS MAKING A LIST OF

Fun Facts about

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Christmas

Dog Talk with Uncle Matty By Matthew Margolis Creators News Service

When Grownups Say the Darndest Things

3. The Weekly “Brain Breaker”

Print Your Answers Here:

12/3

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12/4

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12/5

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12/6

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12/8

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12/9

International Anti-Corruption Day

Grownups say the darndest things. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with a director of one our nation’s many humane societies. I asked him what single factor more than any other drives people’s decision to abandon their dogs to a shelter. He said, unequivocally: behavioral problems. Then I asked him what he tells the people who want to adopt these troublemakers. He said, without flinching: I tell them the dog needs training. I then advised him to take his own advice. You see, he had called me because his sixyear-old Great Dane had been growling at his wife of three years and finally bit her in the face. When I asked him what took him so long to seek help, he said the darndest thing: “He doesn’t do it all the time!” Another grownup, this one female, called to inquire about her dog, who has bitten several of her family members and friends. I warned her that she’s going to get sued eventually, and she, too, said the darndest thing: “Not if he only bites my family and friends!” A woman who runs a rescue later called regarding someone who had returned a dog because it bit her. She wondered what went wrong. “Did the dog have a history of aggression,” I asked, to which that rescue worker replied: “Yes, but the woman said she’s good with dogs!” I’ve never met a dog lover who didn’t think they were good with dogs. The man with the six-year-old 125-pound Rotweiller that growls at his kids believes he has a special touch with the canine crowd. “I taught him to sit and come. And whenever he growls, I say, ‘Bad dog. No!’” I asked, “Does he stop?” I think we all know the answer. People with smaller problems are even less likely to cry uncle. It’s too late to become a veterinarian, so instead they imagine themselves

Wuzzles solution Page 16

Tidbits® Word Search

"Sweet Subjects" N

C W P

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

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(CryptoQuip Solution on page 14)

Cody's Corner: Turn to Page 10

●



GELATO � GELATO ICECREAM � ICE CREAM �LAYERCAKE LAYER CAKE � PASTRIES PASTERIES �PIEALAMODE PIE ALA MODE PUDDING � PUDDING TARTS � TARTS TRIFLE � TRIFLE

(Word (Word Search Search solution solution page page 16) 16)

●

Mega Maze solution Page 14

Page 10

SENIOR NEWS LINE by Matilda Charles

Books as Brain Food Now here’s a “novel” way to increase our brain function. It doesn’t involve getting more exercise or eating certain foods. It doesn’t include doing puzzles or other mental gymnastics to get the juices flowing. We only need to grab a book that piques your interest, start flipping pages, and your brain automatically does the rest. Emory University did a fairly extensive study that showed how there are “quantifiable changes” in brain activity when participants are involved in reading a book. But it was a bit more regimented than just grabbing your favorite author’s latest bestseller. In this study, participants were given a baseline brain scan each day for a few days. Then they were given the thriller “Pompeii” by author Robert Harris, with strict instructions to read at least 30 pages a night. Each morning they were given another brain scan. After the book was finished (about nine days), they performed comparison studies the following mornings with another scan to see how the brain had reacted. The researchers were then able to cor-

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

relate which portions of the book the participants were reading and pair them to the findings of the brain scan images.

Vol. IXX

Issue No. 49

Cody’s Corner (from page 9)

dog trainers. These folks call to complain that their dog barks at the mailman or at the phone, or that he chews the furniture or urinates on the carpet. Here’s what they learned: During the They don’t want to pay for training. They just need reading periods, and for days afterward, there “a quick tip.” were significant activity increases in the parts of For the truly diligent among them, a tip the brain associated with story comprehension, might do the trick. For most people, though, espeas well as the active areas used in processing cially those whose dogs display aggressive tendenlanguage. cies, a quick tip isn’t going to cut it. As the director of the humane society said: These dogs need According to the study, the most noticetraining.  Even then, sometimes all the gold Fort Please review carefully. Double check: Phone Number(s) inSpelling able findings showed that these brain connectivKnox can’t fund enough training to make an agity changes appeared most active when subjects gressive dog safe company for kids. Contact yourThis Tidbits representative withputchanges o were reading fiction stories. was especially The immediately reason so many people up with true when reading something that included a disruptive or even dangerous behavior from their valleybits@msn.com Fax narrativeOffice: describing 760-320-0997 events unfolding, a narrative email: dogs is that feeling of unconditional love that is that triggered an emotional involvement that the largely absent from relationships between humans. reader could identify with. Well-adjusted individuals set boundaries and have expectations. Successful, healthy relationships reHere’s my thinking: While researchers Please review carefully. Double check: Phone Number(s)  Spelling  quire compromise andnegotiation. Or, as Ava, age don’t know yet how long these brain changes eight, put it when asked about love and marriage, Contact your Tidbits representative with changes or c c/o Melanie Property of immediately last after reading a novel, they know it’s at least “OneThomas of you should know how to write a check. BeOffice: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 7 five days. I'm thinking we should spendBZ more AdVenture Media, cause, even if you have Inc. tons of love, there is still BW 26x time in 2024 away from our mindless TV viewing going to be a lot of bills.” Vol. 19 - No. 41 habits and re-read the novels that had October an impact 8, 2023When kids say the darndest things, it’s hion us, as well as new narrative fiction and a few larious. When grownups try it -- not so much. Property of of the old classics. The reference librarian is Woof! AdVenture * * *Media, Inc. sure to be a good source for book suggestions. Bgreen, Inc.

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Dog trainer Matthew “Uncle Matty” Margolis is the Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 c/o Melanie Ashe co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular * * radio and television guest, and the host of the PBS series Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot person- BZ valleybits@msn.com BW 26x “WOOF! It’s a Dog’s Life!” Read all of Uncle Matty’s columns ally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them Nov.at 12, 2023Phone: Vol.760.320.0997 19and - No. 46 at www.unclematty.com. 760.320.1630 into her column whenever possible. Send email to columwww.creators.com, visit him Fax: valleybits@msn.com All Rights Reserved nreply2@gmail.com. COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM (c) KingFeaturesSyndicate

STOP CROSS-CONTAMINATION! ● Kills Plant Diseases!

THE EIGHT DAYS OF

of the eight nights. Charitable donations also are ● Cleans, Lubricates Pruners! R made as a reminder that since we are all part of the same human family, we must share our bless- ADVERTISING PROOF ings. Games are played, including one using a top Final Changes DUE: 1 called a dreidel. Usually made of clay or wood, it’s Pruner Tool Treatment Spray review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling marked with four Hebrew letters that Please stand for “A Available at Ace & True Value Hardware Miracle Happened Here.” Contact your TidbitsVisit representative immediately with changes or us at: PruneMaster.us On Hanukkah, small candles areOffice: placed760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: in an eight-branched candelabra called the Menorah, with one additional candleholder Property of AdVenture Media, Inc. set higher than Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling the other eight. This is called Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes o the shamus, Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 which some valleybits@msn.com Office: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax people believe stands for God who oversees the All Rights Reserved lights. On the first night, one candle and the shamus are lit; on the second night, two candles plus the shamus are lit, and so on until the eighth night, when all eight candles, plus the shamus, glow in memory of the miracle of that first “Feast of Property of Lights.” AdVenture Media, Inc. The following is a way of recalling significant concepts that make up the Hanukkah message on each of the eight days of candle lighting: H is for Hammer, the English word for Maccabee A is for Awareness of the blessings of our Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 liberty valleybits@msn.com N is for Never submit to tyranny’s call U is for Universal -- because freedom is for All Rights Reserved all K is for Kindness -- we are morally committed to practice K is for Knowledge -- that lights our way through the darkness A is for Always to appreciate our families and friends H is for Hope, which never, ever ends. 

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The eight-day holiday of Hanukkah, or the “Feast of Lights,” which this year is observed from the evening of Thursday, Dec. 7, to Friday, Dec.15, commemorates what many historians as well as religious scholars consider to be the first organized revolt by a nation against tyranny. The story of Hanukkah goes back well over 2,000 years to when the Jewish people, under the leadership of Judah Maccabee, revolted against the Greco-Syrian forces of Antiochus, who had despoiled their holy temple in Jerusalem and tried to force them to worship their many gods instead of the one God. When the conquerors were ultimately routed, the temple was reclaimed. However, the lamp for the Eternal Light (which had to be kept lit at all times over the ark containing the sacred scroll called the Torah) had only enough oil for one day. But miraculously, that one-day supply burned for the full eight days that it took for more oil to arrive. Ever since, Jews have observed Hanukkah as an eight-day celebration in commemoration of that miracle. Hanukkah is a family holiday. Small gifts are handed out to the children on each one

YOUR

SOCIAL SECURITY by Tom Margenau

Benefits to Kids Controversial I occasionally get emails from readers commenting on the fact that children of retirees qualify for Social Security benefits. Sometimes their comments reflect surprise that a retiree’s kids can get benefits. And other times they reflect dismay that these kids can get those benefits in the first place. All I can tell those who are dismayed is that benefits for a retiree’s dependents have been around since the very beginning of the program almost 90 years ago. Most of the time, that dependent is a spouse. But there are more than a few older folks who, once they reach Social Security age, still have one or more minor children still at home. And of course, most of the time I’m talking about male retirees. I say that because of simple biological facts. It would be very rare for a woman in her 60s to have a child who is 18 years old or younger (18 is the usual cut-off age for children to qualify for Social Security dependent’s benefits). But it is not all that unusual for an older man to have young kids at home. Although when I am talking about “children,” many times I could be referring to what Social Security law calls a “disabled adult child.” So, a male or female Social Security retiree could have an older child with some impairment -- like Down syndrome, for example -- who has been disabled since childhood. (Being disabled since childhood is a requirement to qualify for “DAC” benefits.) For those readers who maybe fear that benefits paid to a retiree’s children are breaking the Social Security bank, let me give you some numbers. There currently are about 680,000 children of retirees collecting benefits. And that number is evenly split between minor children and disabled adult children. But there are about 67 million people getting Social Security checks every month, so minor and disabled children of retirees make up about 1% of all beneficiaries. And now I’m going to spend the rest of this column answering a couple emails that I recently got from retirees with children.

A: It’s partially true. Assuming you stop

working, you could apply for reduced retirement at age 62, and your kids would be due partial benefits on your account. For the time being, you can forget about your wife getting any Social Security on your account. Although the mother of a retiree’s minor children technically qualifies for benefits, there are two reasons why she likely isn’t due anything. One reason is if she is working. Her earnings would probably disqualify her for benefits. And the other reason has to do with rules that limit the amount of money that can be paid to a family with children getting Social Security benefits.

If Double you have Securityquestion, TomMarPlease review carefully. check:aSocial Phone Number(s) Spelling  Prices Hours

genau has two books with all the answers. One is called your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections. Q: I am about to turn 67 and plan toContact

“Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Under-

760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 start my Social Security then. My wife also isOffice:stand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions 67 and always stayed home to care for our About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 disabled son who is now 32 years old. Our Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at AmaLarry’s Plastering book outlets. Or you can send him an son is getting SSI. We’ve been told that when zon.com or other at thomsa.margenau@comcast.net. • 1/16th page, Full Color, 6x discount To ratefind out I start my Social Security, our son must go off email more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns • October 29 December 3, 2017 of SSI and take Social Security on my record. and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers • Volume 13: #44 - 49 Is that true? And what about my wife? What and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at will she get? www.creators.com.

A: Before I answer your question, I want

to explain to my other readers what is going on in your case. You said your son is getting SSI, or Supplemental Security Income. SSI is a federal welMON., SEPT. 25 12 fare program that the Social Security AdministraNo Job Please adult review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s) Spelling tion runs for the government. Many “disabled too sm all. ADVERTISING PROOF children” qualify for SSI until one of the parents Property Construction of Remodels New Final Changes DUE: 5:00 p.m.. Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or

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2. What method of death was for a man Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corr Are youemail: aware and ready for theFax: 760 who blasphemed the Lord's name with a Office: 760-320-0997 valleybits@msn.com curse? a) Hanging b) Stoning c) Banishment d) Beheading FREE

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3. Who used handkerchiefs and aprons to heal the sick and drive out demons? a) Jesus b) Peter c) Timothy d) Paul 4. What did Jesus tell Nichodemus he must FILLER PAGE 2 do in order to enter heaven? a) Give away 2Q08 - WEEK 19 his riches b) BeMAY born 4 -again MAY 10c) Pray without ceasing d) Repent of his sins 5. What did God call the firmament? a) Earth b) Heavens c) Seas d) Sun 6. From Romans 6, whatPRESENTS is the wages of sin?TRIVIA a) Temporary riches b) Pleasures for NEWSFRONT™ a season c) Death d) Deception by && Sandy by Kara Kara Kovalchik Kovalchik Sandy Wood Wood

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ning to wait until 67 to retire and sign up for Social Security. But a guy I work with told me I might be financially ahead to sign up for Social Security now because I have two kids, ages 12 and 10, and he said they could get benefits on my account. My wife is 47. That same person told me she can also get Social Security. Is all of that true?

The easiest way to explain what you and goes on Social Security. Then, by law, they must your family would be due is to use an example. be switched to the Social Security account. Why? Let’s say your full retirement age benefit is $2,000 Because SSI is a welfare program, its rules require per month. At age 62, you’d be due 70% of that, or that a recipient must file for any other non-welfare $1,400. Each of your kids is technically due a rate benefits they are due. And the same “family maximum” rules disequal to 50% of your FRA benefit. In other words, each child is due $1,000. But the law that limits cussed in the prior answer will apply to you. Let’s what a family with kids on Social Security can get say your retirement benefit is $3,000. Technically, generally caps your total benefits at 150% of your your wife and son will each be due half of that, or FRA amount. That means the maximum you and $1,500. But the maximum that can be paid to your your family can get would be $3,000 per month. family is $4,500. After paying your benefit, that You must be paid your benefit first. Again, that is leaves $1,500 to be split between your wife and son. $1,400. But the law says that your FRA benefit rate, So they will each get $750. Depending on the actual dollar amount inor $2,000 must be used in the family maximum computation. That leaves another $1,000 to be paid volved, your son may not “lose” his SSI payments. They may be just reduced. For example, let’s say to your kids, so they would get $500 each. If your wife was not working, she could his SSI check is currently $900 per month. When file for what are called “young mother’s benefits.” he starts getting $750 in Social Security benefits on But adding her to your record would merely split your record, his SSI check will be reduced to $170. that remaining $1,000 three ways instead of two. In (For reasons too messy to explain here, only $730 other words, she and the two kids would get about of his $750 Social Security check counts against his payment.) $333 each. So, there is no point in adding your wife SSI ADVERTISING PROOF * * * to your Social Security account. Mon., 10/23/17 Final Changes DUE: 5:00 p.m..

Q: I am about to turn 62. I was plan-

Page 11

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202

Week of December 3, 2023

RD ETHICS AWA

(Oct. 15 -- Dec. 7)

This is your once-a-year TRIVIA VIRany T opportunity A to Imake NEWSFRONT EWDrug SNPlan A TNANSWERS ORFSWEN changesStoRyour Doug & Linda Wright Property 1. Ernie eK-Doe oD-KLocal einIndependent rE of.1 Inc. Agents and Medicare Advantage. AdVenture Media,

2.Callnecessity ytissNO ecenObligation .2 for a FREE/ review FREE 3.760.264.4600 Loretta atteroL .3 Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 WrightHealthAgency.com 4. Danny otvalleybits@msn.com iVDeVito eD ynnaD .4 Lic. 5.CA Candy Lightner renthAll g#iRights LOK90593 ydnaReserved C .5 We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 31 organizations which 4 Million Readers Weekly Nationwide!

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1. Who had a #1 hit in 1961 with the sardonic offer 252 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local “Mother-in-Law”? State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all your options. 2. According to theonproverb, what is “the (Answers page “We do not offer every16) plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or mother of invention”? EALWAYS ERF SYAFREE WLA to get For comments or more 1-800-MEDICARE Bible Trivia go to information on all your options.” Property of www.TriviaGuy.com AdVenture Media, Inc. 3. What was the real first name of African2019 King Inc. Mabley? ©© 2023 Features Synd., Inc. American comedienne Moms ALWAYS FUN N UF SYAW LA FREE 4. What film actor wanted to Throw Momma Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 from the Train in 1987?

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Page 12

Tidbits of Coachella Valley

M.D.

Vitamins for Macular Degeneration Coincide With New Cramps

are all that is usually needed to open up those air sacs again. Sighing is a mechanism found in virtually all animals that helps treat and prevent atelectasis. If that was the only finding on your CT scan, and you are otherwise healthy, your doctor is right not to be concerned, although I wish that they had explained it a little better to keep you from getting concerned in the first place. * * *

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

Vol. IXX

Issue No. 49

VETERANS  POST  by Freddie Groves

The Million Veteran Research Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs has now taken the DNA from one million veterans in their Million Veteran Program. The MVP re(c) 2023 North America Synd., Inc. search project is the first anywhere to study the DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been told at Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours health and genetic data of the veterans for the purthe age of 70 that I am in the early stages of CLIP AND SAVE of learning more and providing better care corrections. the eye disease macular degeneration.Contact The your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or pose to current and future generations. doctor told me to take PreserVision AREDS Office: 2760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 So far the projects they’ve researched invitamins. He said that I will be taking them for clude diabetes, PTSD, kidney disease, cancer, the rest of my life. I started them immediately, Gulf War illness and more. and a few nights later, I started having severe Joining the program is easy: Fill out the left leg cramps to the point where I woke consent forms and give permission for the proout of a sound sleep to jump out of bed and W.O.W. Widows or Widowers gram to get into your health records, provide a shake off the cramp. Is this typical? -- C.L. c/o Lynne Arnold • lynnea1717@aol.com blood sample (mail it in or have it drawn at an 12-15-23 BZ BW 13x (N.P. Disc.) MVP facility), and complete all the surveys that ANSWER: For the dry form of ageADVERTISING PROOF Dec.Changes 4, 2022 DUE: Vol. 18 - No. 49 related macular degeneration, the AREDS and Final 5:00 p.m.. cover lifestyle, health and exposures. Then you’re Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hoursin. AREDS2 vitamins are the usual treatment. To be considered: Although they are not a cure, they do slow pro- Contact your Tidbits representative withAT changes or corrections. JOINimmediately THE FUN Office: 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 The information you provide will be kept gression of the disease. (Widows or indefinitely. Widowers) My experience with these has been that We meet every Wednesday 10:00 am No information from the research will be they almost never cause side effects, and musCathedral City Senior Ctr. • 37-171 West Buddy Rogers placed in your health record, which means that cle cramping is not a reported side effect by the Interesting & enjoyable weekly program if the blood screening or anything else turns up manufacturer. The timing, however, certainly is with a guest speaker, games and business; and other social getan illness, you won’t be told. The research is for suspicious. You can try stopping them for a few togethers weekly & monthly. the benefit of current and future generations, not days, then restarting them to see if the cramps Come by -- see if you like it! individuals. are truly affected by the vitamins. Each of us needs this at certain times of our life. To learn more about the program, see If they are, you have two choices. The Call 406-696-4859 for more information www.mvp.va.gov/pwa. You’ll be able to read the first is to deal with cramps the same way that 300-plus scientific publications and sign up for the people who get them at night for no particular research updates. reason deal with it, which is by getting regular Be sure to scroll down the FAQ for anmoderate exercise and stretching the calf and Property of AdVenture Media, Inc. swers to a lot of questions before you consider hamstring muscles before bed. signing up. Look for the links that access a map Having weight on the toes is a trigger for showing all the MVP clinic locations. You’ll only many people, so very light bed covers that aren’t FREE of Coachella Valley need to go in one time, unless in the future you tucked in can be surprisingly helpful. I’ve had The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read Property of Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 agree to join other avenues of research, in which a few readers come up with devices to keep all AdVenture Media, Inc. valleybits@msn.com case additional consent would be needed. Take a weight off of their toes in bed. All Rights Reserved long look at the drop-down section titled “ConfiFREE Your second option is to discuss an alterPhone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 dentiality, Privacy, and Security” to see how your native with your eye professional. The AREDS valleybits@msn.com DNA and health information will be secured and and AREDS2 formulas were shown to be helpful, All Rights Reserved who else will be allowed access. but some eye professionals only choose a few You can also call MVP with questions components of the formula. at 866-441-6075 or send an email to AskMVP@ *** va.gov. If you don’t have (or don’t want to use) DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently had a CT the internet to join the project or sign the consent scan of my chest and pelvis that resulted in forms, you can still arrange an in-person meeting an incidental finding of “mild bibasilar atelecto give your permission. tasis.” My doctor does not seem to be concerned at all. Should he be? -- J.M.

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ANSWER: “Bibasilar atelectasis” is a scary-sounding term unfamiliar to most people, so I understand why you might be concerned. “Atelectasis” refers to non-inflation of the tiny air structures in the lung called the alveoli. The bottom of the lungs are the bases, so “bibasilar atelectasis” means a partial collapse of the lung at the bases. This is very common in people who aren’t breathing deeply, such as those who undergo surgery. In healthy people, this finding is not likely to represent serious disease of the lung. Before (and while you were getting) your CT scan, you might not have been breathing very deeply, allowing a very small portion of the lungs to deflate a bit. A few really deep breaths

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Week of December 3, 2023

-- by Jim Miller

Smart Home Devices to Help Seniors Age in Place DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: I’ve been talking to my mobility challenged mother, who lives alone, about automating her house with some smart home products to make it safer and more convenient. She’s interested, but we’d like to get your opinion as to which types of smart devices are most helpful for seniors aging in place. -- Searching Daughter Dear Searching: If your mother is game, smart home products – such as smart lights, video doorbells and voice-activated speakers – can be very useful for aging in place. These devices can add safety and convenience to a home by providing voice and app-controlled operation, which is extremely helpful for seniors who have mobility issues or reduced vision.

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Smart locks: For convenience and safety, smart locks would give your mom keyless entry to her home, provide customized access to family, friends and caregivers, and let you monitor who comes and goes from your mom’s house. Smart thermostat: This lets your mom preprogram or manually control the temperature in her home with voice command or via phone, and let you monitor it too. Smart smoke alarms: These will alert your mom when smoke or carbon monoxide is detected and will also send alerts to your phone if a problem is detected.

Page 13

provide voice activated and fall detection features, and caregiver tracking apps that will let you keep tabs on her. Cameras and smart sensors: If your mom needs more in-depth monitoring, there are indoor cameras you can install so you can see, hear and talk to her from your phone. Or, if that’s too intrusive, you can install smart contact sensors on her doors so you can know when she comes and goes, or on her refrigerator door so you can know if she’s eating. * * *

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Stovetop shut-off: To prevent home cooking fires, smart stovetop shut-off devices, like the IGuardStove, will turn off electric and gas stovetops when left unattended, and will alert you via text. Medical alert system: These devices provide wearable wrist and/or necklace emergency buttons that would allow your mom to call for help if she were to fall or need assistance. Many systems today also

Smart home technology can also provide family members peace-of-mind by giving them the ability to electronically keep tabs on their elder loved one when they can’t be there. If you’re interested in adding some smart home products to your mom’s house, she’ll need home Wi-Fi installed, and she’ll need either a smartphone, tablet or smart speaker to operate them. To help you get started, here are some different types of devices to consider that are very helpful to older adults. Smart speakers: A smart speaker – like the Amazon Echo, Google Nest or Apple HomePod – can serve as the brains of a smart home, controlling the devices with voice commands or automating them. These devices can also play your mom’s favorite music, read audiobooks, make calls, set timers and alarms, provide reminders for medications, appointments and other things, check traffic and weather, answer questions, call for help in emergency situations and much more – all done by voice commands. Smart light bulbs: To help prevent home falls – which are often caused by fumbling around a dark room looking for a light switch – smart light bulbs will let your mom turn on and off the lights by voice command, smartphone or tablet. These bulbs can also change brightness and color and be programmed to come on and off whenever she wants. Smart plugs: These small units plug into a standard outlet and connect to the internet. That means your mom can control whatever she plugs into them – from a space heater to a coffee maker – using her voice or phone. Video doorbell: Safety is also a concern for older adults, especially those who live alone. A video doorbell would let your mom see and speak to visitors at the door without having to walk over and open it.

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ANTIQUE -- OR -JUNQUE by Anne McCollam Creators News Service

Nature-Inspired Majolica Ware Q: I am enclosing a photo of a plate

that once belonged to my grandmother. I am now 82, so it must be ver y old. It is decorated with leaves and vines against a cream background. The leaves and vines are raised from the surface of the plate. It measures over 11 inches in diameter and is in ver y good condition. Marked on the back are the words “Germany,” the number “176” and a clover shape impressed into the plate. I am interested in finding out anything about the manufacturer, where it was made, its age, and if there is any value to it. Any information you can provide would be ver y much appreciated.

This majolica plate was made in Zell, Germany.

A: You have an example of majolica pottery

that was made in Germany. Majolica is tin glazed pottery that is decorated with brightly colored flowers and animals. It was extremely popular in Renaissance Italy in the 15th century. It was imported to Italy from the island of Majorca and eventually the brilliantly handpainted wares were call majolica. Majolica ware experienced a rebirth of interest and production during the Victorian Era in Europe and the United States. Pieces marked with an impressed clover and the word “Germany” were made in Zell, Harmersbach, Badenia, Germany, in the late 1800s and

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early 1900s. The number “176” is a design number. Georg Schmider Ceramic Factory was one of the several majolica factories in the Zell region. Chances are your plate was made by Schmider after the turn of the 20th century. Similar plates are in the range of $125 to $175. *** Q: I have had a set of porcelain dishes for a number of years. It is a ser vice for eight and includes an oval platter and round platter. They are decorated with brown and pink flowers. On the back of each dish is the name “Wildbriar.” I’m pushing 80 years old and tr ying to let my daughter know the histor y and value of my set, as she will inherit this piece. A: Your set of dinnerware was made by Josiah Wedgwood, which is located in Etruria and

Vol. IXX

Issue No. 49

Barlaston, Staffordshire, England. Wedgwood has been in business since 1759 and is still in business. “Wildbriar” is the name of your pattern and it was introduced around 1957. The value of your set would probably be $900 to $1400. Josiah Wedgwood established his pottery in 1759.

* * *

Antiques expert and columnist Anne McCollam has since retired and no longer receives inquiries nor answers reader letters. Due to the popularity of her column, this publication will continue to reprint previous columns of interest to our readers. To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM

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Week of December 3, 2023

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Fancy Desserts

Western Air Cooling and Heating topped with a frosting made from pecans, Golf Caddy - Prem. Position coconut, and evaporated milk. By now, Oct. 22, 2023 Vol. 19 - No. 43 General Mills owned the Baker’s brand and published the formula in their recipe booklet, titling it “German Chocolate Cake.” The name stuck. we are not • Fruitcake has been the traditional wedding comfortable cake of royalty since the Middle Ages. The until you are. main purpose for the baked concoction was preservation! Fruitcake is made with generous amounts of rum or brandy, which acts as a natural GET preservative, thus keeping the cake from spoiling READY NEW during the days without refrigeration. In 1840, FOR Queen Victoria’s wedding fruitcake weighed WINTER! WINTER! a whopping 295 pounds. Busts of Victoria and Upon arrival at your home, our tecnicians Albert sat atop the cake frosting, a pure white ADVERTISING PROOF use a time-tested, icing. Fruitcake was also the treat at Queen Final Changes DUE:exhaustive 5:00 p.m.. Elizabeth II’s wedding to Prince Please Philip, and the review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours Property of 24-point checklist! weddings of Prince Charles and Prince Andrew. AdVenture Media, Inc. Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections. WINTER When Prince William married Kate Office: Middleton, 760-320-0997 email: valleybits@msn.com Fax: 760-320-1630 TUNE-UP their fruitcake was baked in March, although the FREE SPECIAL! wedding wasn’t until April 29, giving it nearly of Coachella Valley Phone: 760.320.0997 Fax: 760.320.1630 two months to mature and give it a richer flavor. valleybits@msn.com Tipsy attendees were observed meandering back All Rights Reserved to the serving table for seconds. • In Germany, it’s known a Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, but here we call it Black Forest Cake. This rich confection consists of chocolate sponge cake, layered with whipped cream and cherries. The cake layers are brushed with a syrup of “kirschwasser,” a liqueur made FREE ESTIMATES from sour cherries, then fresh cherries and Call us whipped cream are added between the layers. TODAY: 760-984-3151 The entire cake is then covered with more callwesternair.com Not valid with other promos or on previous purchases. Ask whipped cream, more cherries, and chocolate representative for details. Offer ends 11/30/23. Lic #1068351 shavings. A little bit messy for the diner, but quite rewarding!  Property of 4 Million Readers Weekly Nationwide!

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The elbows aren’t typically in the big magazine articles when it comes to producing power or hitting better shots. Yet, allowing the arms to fold at the right time can certainly increase hand and clubhead speed. It’s not a matter of gluing the arms to the body so they have no choice but to fold in the swing, but understanding what each arm does at nearly equal opposite points in the swing.

When the hands are half way back and halfway through in the swing, the left and right elbows are folding fairly equally. The right arm in the backswing, and the left in the follow through. The elbows should be pointing downward as well, not pointing to the horizon, and are separate from the body at this point. Picture making a “W” with your arms while in a golf posture as the best way to illustrate the elbow action. Your palms will ADVERTISING PROOF be facing forward and upward slightly to mimic FinaltheChanges DUE: 5:00 p.m.. proper hand position as well.

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Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours "l think you'd better head back to the JasonJenkins Jenkinswas wasaa 16-year 16-year member member of of the the Jim McLean Golf Jason Tidbits representative immediately with changesTop or 100 corrections. School teaching staff one Magazine’s School teaching staff.and He was was one of of GOLF GOLF Magazine’s clubhouse now, Clarence. l don't think Contact your Teacher Nominees Nominees 1999-2010. 1999-2010 and has been named one the Teacher He Fax: was named one of theofGolf Also on Office: 760-320-0997 760-320-1630 ® Edward quite appreciated your Golf Digest Top Teachers in California. Jason teaches at GOLFTEC Digest Top Teachers in California in 2011. "The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read" CENTER inJason Indio. at Contact him at jjenkins@golftec.com Contact 760-485-2452 or devgolfinstr@gmail.com Parler.com exploding golf ball gag."

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Page 16

Issue No. 49

THERE'S STILL TIME TO ENROLL

1. TELEVISION: What is the name of the captain in “The Love Boat”? 2. MOVIES: What is E.T.’s favorite candy in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”? 3. FOOD & DRINK: What is Hungary’s national spice? 4. ADVERTISING: Which company’s mascot is Elsie the Cow? 5. PSYCHOLOGY: What fear is represented in the condition called plutophobia? 6. GAMES: How many pawns are on a chessboard? 7. SCIENCE: What is the name of the giant land mass that is believed to have existed on Earth 200 million years ago? 8. GEOGRAPHY: Which of the Great Lakes is southernmost? 9. LANGUAGE: What is an octothorpe? 10. LITERATURE: Where are the novels “The Adventures of Tom SawThistle G yer” O andF“Adventures I G UofR E ! by Linda Answer Peekers' names added Huckleberry to Santa's Naughty list.. TEST Finn”TRIVIA The idea ofset?Go Figure is to Answers arrive at theAnswers figures given at Answers Weekly Weekly SUDOKU SUDOKU the bottom and right-hand Stubing.by folcolumns 1.ofCapt. theMerrill diagram -Answerlowing the arithmetic 2. Reese’s Pieces. signs in the order they are given (that 3. Paprika. is, from left to right and top to Borden DairytheCompany. bottom). 4.Use only numbers below the diagram 5. Fear of wealthto complete its blank6.squares andfor use 16, eight pawns eacheach player. of the nine numbers only once. 7. Pangea. 8. Lake Erie. � DIFFICULTY: 9. A hashtag�� or pound sign. � Moderate Difficult 10. Missouri. �� GO FIGURE! © 2010King KingFeatures FeaturesSynd., Synd.,Inc. Inc. ©©2020 2023 2022

Games

October 23-29, 2006

Go Figure! answers ANSWERS

1. Cannoli 2. Neufchatel 3. Churro 4. Milk - evaporated, condensed, and cream 5. Baklava BIBLE TRIVIA Answers

1. (A) Old testament 2. (B) Stoning 3. (D) Paul 4. (B) Be born again 5. (B) Heavens 6. (C) Death

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Vol. 19: #49 • Fancy Desserts • (12-3-2023) Tidbits of Coachella Valley

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Milton Hershey • Vol. 19: #49 • (12-3-2023) Tidbits of Coachella Valley

Fancy Desserts • Vol. 19: #49 • (12-3-2023) Tidbits of Coachella Valley